Footsteps sounded as a figure leaped down from a large tree not far away, landing gracefully and steadily.

Gao Feiyang currently wore a somewhat frustrated expression, as if he had missed some exciting spectacle.

He was dressed in ordinary dark blue martial attire, not wearing that iconic, flamboyant cloak—clearly, those ten glittering golden characters were not conducive to stealth.

In truth, he had rushed over immediately after receiving Zhou Kai’s Transmission Talisman.

He just had a little scheme in mind: he wanted to wait until Zhou Kai and Chen Ziyi were plunged into an utterly hopeless situation before making a dazzling entrance like a deity descending from heaven, staging a heroic rescue of the beauty… oh no, a heroic rescue of his fellow disciples.

This way, he could easily earn Spirit Stones while greatly satisfying his heart, which loved showing off in front of others. Perhaps these two, “Junior Brother Han and Junior Sister Han,” would even be endlessly grateful to him and spread his name within the sect in the future.

Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

He had just found the best position for his grand entrance when the battle… ended?

That kid Zhou Kai, with his mid-first realm cultivation, actually managed to trap and kill Fu Sheng, who was at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation?

Especially that final sneak attack—decisive and ruthless—even he secretly praised it.

However, Gao Feiyang didn’t want to praise this kid right now. Having held back his big move for so long without getting to use it felt utterly unsatisfying!

His eyes shifted as a plan came to mind. He cleared his throat, adopting a serious expression on his face, and spoke in a deep voice. “Han Cheng, Han Lan, do you two know your crime?”

Upon hearing this, both Zhou Kai and Chen Ziyi were taken aback.

“What does Senior Brother Gao mean by that?” Zhou Kai frowned slightly, though he already understood about seventy to eighty percent of the situation in his heart.

Chen Ziyi looked at Zhou Kai with confusion in her eyes.

Gao Feiyang clasped his hands behind his back, striking the pose of a senior sect member, his voice carrying a hint of scrutiny.

“Junior Brother Han, Junior Sister Han, you’ve only been in the sect for about ten days, yet… you’ve already killed three… uh, two fellow disciples! If this matter gets back to the sect, I’m afraid it won’t be easy to explain!”

Zhou Kai was sharp; hearing this, he immediately understood Gao Feiyang’s underlying meaning.

Was he looking for an excuse to demand more “compensation for his trouble”?

He chuckled inwardly but showed an expression of sudden realization mixed with a bit of grievance on his face.

“Senior Brother Gao is wise! Fellow disciples? Those three—Fu Sheng, Wu Yong, Xiong Gang—their origins are unclear. This junior checked; they carried no sect tokens or identification whatsoever. They were clearly Loose Cultivator scoundrels coveting my junior sister’s and my possessions!”

“They pursued us relentlessly with the intent to rob and kill us! Their methods were vicious, their motives sinister! Fortunately, Senior Brother Gao arrived promptly. With your awe-inspiring might and casual demeanor, you intimidated these petty villains, allowing us to barely escape with our lives.”

Zhou Kai’s words were righteous and stern, conveniently also placing a high hat on Gao Feiyang.

“In my opinion, these three must be demonic cultivators roaming outside! Senior Brother Gao hates evil as if it were an enemy; you also have merit in vanquishing demons and upholding righteousness! When we return to the sect, I will definitely report this matter to the Deacon Elder and request a commendation for Senior Brother Gao! If this matter reaches the Young Miss’s ears, I believe Senior Brother will surely receive rewards!”

Listening to Zhou Kai’s flawless explanation, the corner of Gao Feiyang’s mouth twitched slightly.

This kid is slick! Not only did he absolve himself completely, but he also turned around and dangled a carrot? There wasn’t even a hint of “hush money” implied!

He thought inwardly: I rushed over more than a hundred li without even getting a bite of warm food just to watch you show off? You have to pay up somehow!

Thinking this, Gao Feiyang changed his tone deliberately. “That bird-playing guy said before dying that Fu Sheng was from the Fu family. Junior Brother Han, are you aware of the Golden Copper Dock Fu family?”

Zhou Kai shook his head. “This junior is new here and uninformed. Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Gao.”

Gao Feiyang explained. “This Golden Copper Dock Fu family has an ancestor who is a great cultivator at the late Golden Core stage. His poison techniques are superb and miraculous; his temperament is even more eccentric and protective of his own. If he finds out you killed one of his descendants…”

He deliberately drew out his voice, creating a sense of impending stormy pressure.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kai pondered for a moment before saying, “This matter is known only by heaven and earth; you know it, and I know it. As long as we don’t speak of it ourselves, no matter how powerful the Fu family is, how could they possibly know it was done by the three of us?”

He emphasized the words “three of us” slightly.

Gao Feiyang cursed inwardly. Good kid, dragging me into this. But he didn’t say much more. “Even so… that bird-player raised five crow spirit pets in total. You only killed three just now…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear enough—there were two escaped fish that might report back and cause trouble.

Zhou Kai was quick-witted; he understood immediately.

This was hinting at him! First the threat from the Fu family, now escaped crows—all just because he didn’t want to come for nothing.

Zhou Kai immediately took out two hundred Spirit Stones and handed them over. “This matter entirely relies on Senior Brother Gao’s warning; otherwise, my junior sister and I might have faced great disaster unknowingly. These two escaped crows will require Senior Brother’s divine abilities to help eliminate these hidden dangers.”

Seeing the Spirit Stones, Gao Feiyang immediately beamed with joy. His previous frustration and feigned seriousness vanished instantly as he deftly took them and tucked them into his robe.

“Easy! Easy! Junior Brother Han is indeed straightforward! Understanding and tactful!”

He chuckled lightly and swiftly pulled out that flamboyant cloak with a swish, draping it over himself.

The ten glittering golden characters—”Calamity Abyss Valley Expert; Qi Condensation Great Perfection”—once again dazzled anyone looking.

Gao Feiyang even deliberately adjusted the angle of his cloak slightly. He cleared his throat again and struck what he considered his most handsome pose—left foot resting on the guard of his long sword with its tip pointing diagonally at the ground; right hand shaped like an eagle’s claw reaching toward the sky; shouting loudly:

“Evil creature! Where do you think you’re escaping!”

The pose was struck; the line delivered… but there was nothing in his hand.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Gao Feiyang’s old face flushed slightly red. He coughed dryly twice and was about to say something to save face when…

Just then—two soft chirp chirp sounds—two pitch-black crow corpses abruptly fell from above directly into his outstretched right hand.

Gao Feiyang’s eyes lit up instantly as he regained an expert’s demeanor. “Hmph! Mere feathered beasts thinking they can escape from my grasp? Wishful thinking!”

The corner of Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched violently several times.

Senior Expert Brother… your acting skills… are slightly exaggerated!

He saw clearly: just before Gao Feiyang struck that pose earlier—a large bluish-green bird with wings spanning nearly ten feet flashed past high above—those two crow corpses had been released precisely from that large bird’s claws, accurately “delivered” into Gao Feiyang’s hand!

So this Senior Brother Gao had already had his spirit bird take care of those remaining two crows earlier! That whole speech earlier was purely about extorting some compensation!

And he actually succeeded in extorting it!

Of course, Zhou Kai wasn’t angry—this expert senior brother might be flashy and flamboyant, but once paid, he truly delivered results!

Two hundred Spirit Stones solved potential troubles while also allowing him to establish initial connections with this “well-connected” senior brother. It wasn’t exactly losing out, either.

Anyway… His current assets were substantial now, too—tonight, killing four people yielded their belongings, which hadn’t been examined closely yet but likely held considerable gains, not mentioning top-grade magical tools like the Rotting Bone Judge’s Brush or the Truth-Seeking Jade.

A thought struck him: since intending to build connections using false names ultimately wasn’t sustainable long-term…

“Senior Brother Gao,” Zhou Kai cupped his hands respectfully, his expression turning more serious. “Actually, this junior isn’t surnamed Han. My real name is Zhou Kai. This one here is my Dao Companion, Chen Ziyi.”

Chen Ziyi also bowed gracefully toward Gao Feiyang. “Ziyi greets Senior Brother Gao. Apologies for concealing our names earlier; I hope Senior Brother forgives us.”

Gao Feiyang, storing away those two crow corpses, glanced somewhat surprised at Zhou Kai. He didn’t react much toward them revealing their real names, just casually saying:

“Zhou Kai? Chen Ziyi? Fine, names aren’t important anyway. Being cautious outside is always right.”

Zhou Kai smiled faintly, continuing to drop heavy information. “Not hiding from Senior Brother Gao, I possess a Superior-Grade Wood Spirit Root. Only, early on, my dantian suffered damage and my foundation was impaired. Until recently, I luckily found a spiritual pill to repair it, so my cultivation progress is slow. Currently, I am barely at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation.”

Superior-Grade Spirit Root!

Even an experienced, widely-traveled person like Gao Feiyang, hearing these four words, couldn’t help showing astonishment on his face.

What did a Superior-Grade Spirit Root mean? It meant as long as resources kept up, without dying midway, reaching late Foundation Establishment was almost guaranteed, with even a decent chance of impacting the Golden Core path!

“Superior-Grade Wood Spirit Root?” Suspiciously doubtful, he pulled out a pigeon-egg-sized crystal-clear pearl from his Storage Bag. “This is a Spirit Testing Pearl. Infuse Mana inside, and it reveals the truth.”

Zhou Kai didn’t hesitate either, taking the Spirit Testing Pearl and following instructions to channel a trace of Mana inside.

Instantly, the inside of the Spirit Testing Pearl lit up with a brilliant, dazzling bluish-green radiance, glowing intensely! Mixed within were faint red, yellow, and white specks of light, but compared to the rich bluish-green, they were almost negligible.

“Indeed, a Superior-Grade Wood Spirit Root!” Gao Feiyang’s face was filled with shock, and his gaze toward Zhou Kai completely changed.

Before, he saw a somewhat interesting junior brother; now, he saw an uncarved piece of jade!

His mind raced rapidly thinking: This Zhou Kai and Chen Ziyi are clearly rootless Loose Cultivators coincidentally joining Calamity Abyss Valley. Zhou Kai possesses a Superior-Grade Wood Spirit Root; his current cultivation is low, but his potential is limitless! Chen Ziyi appears to be in her early twenties at most, and in earlier combat, she clearly showed fourth-layer Meridian Opening Vitality fluctuations.

If I recommend these two to the Young Miss… This is a significant merit! Then, if the Young Miss is happy, I might leave this godforsaken place!