Gu Xiu’s footsteps were exceptionally light.

In just a few strides, he arrived at the mouth of the cave. However, he did not step out immediately. Instead, he stood quietly in place.

In his hand, he still held the wooden stick he had picked up earlier.

With his back to Ye Hongling, his figure—disheveled white hair and all—appeared somewhat… aloof under the moonlight. For some reason, that specific word popped into Ye Hongling’s mind.

For a moment, her curiosity about Gu Xiu grew even stronger. They hadn’t interacted much; this was only their second meeting. Yet, every time she saw him, she perceived an unusual aura about him.

“I remember your name is Ye Hongling, correct?” Gu Xiu suddenly spoke.

“Huh?” Ye Hongling was taken aback.

Gu Xiu continued, “When I call your name later, you are to strike at me with all your might.”

“Huh???” Ye Hongling was confused. “At you?”

“Yes.”

“But…”

“Just do as I say. Do you understand?”

“I… I understand.”

She was still hesitant, but facing Gu Xiu’s composed demeanor, an inexplicable sense of trust arose in her heart. It was strange. Clearly, Gu Xiu was just a minor Qi Refining third-layer cultivator, yet whenever she was in his presence, she would subconsciously overlook his low cultivation level.

“Since the three of you have come, then come on in.”

Gu Xiu suddenly raised his voice, calling out to the darkness.

“Hmm?”

Ye Hongling was stunned again, a sudden wave of shock hitting her heart. Because the moment Gu Xiu spoke, she finally sensed it—three extremely faint auras had somehow appeared just outside the cave!

That pursuer from earlier must have sensed something amiss but retreated without alerting them. They hadn’t missed this cave; they had gone to secretly summon companions!

Unable to help herself, Ye Hongling shot another astonished glance at Gu Xiu.

How… how did he know?

At that very moment, voices drifted in from outside:

“So there really is another person after all. To think you’d be hiding with that bitch. You two are quite good at concealing yourselves; you made us search for so long.”

“Young man, you have some skill indeed. A mere Qi Refining third-layer managing to hide from us for this long.”

“But unfortunately, since you’ve seen this woman, you are doomed to die. You can only blame your bad luck.”

From her position, Ye Hongling couldn’t see the three people outside, but she could clearly sense the danger. The strength of the three outsiders was not weak! One was at Qi Refining Great Perfection, and the other two were Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivators!

And Gu Xiu? He was merely at the third layer of Qi Refining! This wasn’t just a numerical disadvantage; it was complete suppression in terms of raw power!

Yet, facing three opponents who could crush him like an ant, Gu Xiu remained calm-faced, seemingly unaffected. He merely asked flatly, “Which one of you will come in first?”

“Or… will you come together?”

His words carried no emotional fluctuation. Yet, it was precisely this tone—calm as still water—that made the three outside hesitate.

Of course, they weren’t intimidated by Gu Xiu. The real reason for their caution was Ye Hongling hiding inside. This woman’s strength was formidable. If she weren’t poisoned, she could easily kill them all. Even in her weakened state, the three remained wary.

However, since they dared to hunt Ye Hongling, they couldn’t remain indecisive forever.

Soon, footsteps approached.

Judging by the aura, it was one of the Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivators. The opponent was very cautious, taking one slow step at a time.

Ye Hongling’s heart sank. She gripped her spear tightly, ready to launch a desperate attack the moment the enemy entered.

Closer! Getting closer!

She could see the intruder’s shadow now.

The opponent paused at the entrance, hesitating for a moment. Then, abruptly, he accelerated and charged into the cave!

Ye Hongling tensed to the extreme, preparing to strike.

But in the next second—

Thump!

The intruder suddenly collapsed headlong to the ground. Due to his momentum, his body rolled forward twice before coming to a stop.

When the corpse settled, Ye Hongling drew in a sharp breath.

He was dead!

A hole had appeared over his heart meridian—pierced cleanly through by a sword strike. His vitality had been extinguished instantly!

Abruptly, Ye Hongling looked up at Gu Xiu.

He was still standing quietly at the cave entrance, holding his wooden stick, motionless. If not for the blood dripping from the tip of the stick, Ye Hongling might have doubted her eyes.

Was this really done by Gu Xiu?

Because… she hadn’t seen how he did it!

She hadn’t even sensed the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from him at the moment of the attack!

This was a Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator—already considered to be in the late stage of Qi Refining! And Gu Xiu? He was merely an early-stage, third-layer cultivator! Logically speaking, his opponent should have crushed him instantly!

How could he have been killed so inexplicably by this white-haired rogue cultivator?

While Ye Hongling reeled in shock, the two outside sensed something had happened to their companion. Even their auras became slightly disordered.

“That woman really is inside!”

“She made her move!”

“You go! With her injuries, she can’t possibly manage another strike like that! Go in and kill her!”

Their discussion reached her ears. Then, she sensed the second Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator walking slowly toward the cave entrance.

Ye Hongling focused again. This time, her gaze was fixed on Gu Xiu—she hadn’t figured out how he killed the first one and needed to see it clearly.

The second cultivator moved even slower than the first. But no matter how slow he was, he eventually reached the entrance.

Ye Hongling held her breath.

And right then… the second man also accelerated, charging into the cave!

Ye Hongling stared intently, desperate to see what would happen next—

“Ye Hongling!”

Gu Xiu suddenly shouted her name.

She didn’t understand why he called for her now, but knowing opportunities were fleeting, she acted without hesitation. Upon hearing the signal, her spear flew straight towards Gu Xiu!

The moment after releasing it, however, understanding dawned on her.

The Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator was merely a decoy. The Great Perfection expert—their true trump card—had taken advantage of the distraction to rush inside!

Just as the powerful opponent entered, Gu Xiu took a precise half-step back.

When the spear arrived, it looked as if the Great Perfection cultivator had walked right onto the awaiting spearhead!

The Great Perfection cultivator, aside from a momentary flash of terror, had no chance to react.

Bang!

In the next instant, he was pinned dead against the rocky cave wall by the spear!

What kind of calculation is this?! How is it possible to predict so accurately?!

Ye Hongling felt utterly incredulous. But when she glanced sideways, she froze again.

Where is Gu Xiu?!

She had only seen him take a half-step back. He hadn’t attacked, yet now he was nowhere to be seen!

Then, she noticed him.

He was stepping back inside from the entrance, holding the still-dripping wooden stick.

What about the remaining seventh-layer guy outside?! Is he dead already??!!

The question surfaced in her mind, causing her pupils to contract sharply. In Gu Xiu’s other hand, he held an unfamiliar storage pouch. Moreover, after re-entering, he immediately started looting the storage pouches off the two corpses lying inside!

So… he killed him already?!

He just went out and killed the remaining seventh-layer cultivator outside, just like that?! They aren’t cabbages to be picked so easily! How could he die without making a single sound?!

Ye Hongling was shocked beyond belief.

As a prodigy of Tiance Mansion, she had witnessed the weak defeating the strong before. It certainly wasn’t unheard of. But… defeating stronger opponents so effortlessly was absolutely unprecedented!

“Don’t just stand there dazed. This is only one team among many likely searching for us. If we want to break through the encirclement, we must leave immediately.”

Gu Xiu’s voice interrupted her thoughts, startling her back to reality. Despite her weakened state, she struggled to stand up quickly and pulled her spear free from the corpse on the wall.

As she walked out, she saw the remaining seventh-layer cultivator lying outside. He had never even gotten the chance to enter the cave. He had died the same way the first one did—heart meridian pierced through by a single blow.

Looking back at the two corpses inside, an absurd sense of unreality washed over her.

Since when were cultivators this easy to kill?