Chapter 33: Undertaking a Side Quest
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The following morning, at first light, pale golden rays filtered through the sparse clouds and fell gently upon the bluestone road, casting a warm hue over the tranquil dawn.
Hao Su sat quietly before the window, his gaze deep and distant, as though piercing the mists of time. He was pondering how best to weave between the main quest and its side quests, seeking the ideal balance between cultivation and opportunity.
Just then, a light tread broke the silence. Jade Spring Luo, dressed in emerald robes like the tenderest leaves of spring, entered his view accompanied by four disciples clad in the attire of the Jade Luo Sect.
A radiant smile graced her face, while anticipation and determination shone in her eyes, as if she had finally found a beacon after losing her way at sea.
“Senior Brother Clearbright,” she said, her voice clear and melodious like a mountain spring, carrying a trace of barely concealed excitement. “We sincerely invite you to serve as our guardian and accompany us to that mysterious region in the west. It was there that we lost contact with the sect elder. We firmly believe that the elder must have left important clues in that area—and may even be waiting for us to rescue him.”
At her words, Hao Su slowly raised his head. A thoughtful gleam passed through his deep eyes before he nodded.
“I can do that. I’m willing to lend you my strength.”
“Then, how many days do you expect this journey to take?”
There was a note of concern for detail in his voice. Hao Su knew better than anyone that, in the cultivation world, every minute and every second could be crucial.
“About two or three days,” Jade Spring Luo replied with confidence. “Using the map and the records in the ancient texts, we have drawn up a detailed plan. We hope to locate the elder as quickly as possible.”
Hao Su nodded faintly and swept his gaze over Jade Spring Luo and her disciples. Each of them was spirited and fully equipped, clearly having made thorough preparations for the journey.
“If everything is ready, then set out at once. Remember, safety comes first. Do not let your eagerness for success blind you to the dangers that may lie ahead.”
Jade Spring Luo, her four youthful junior sisters, and the calm, reserved Hao Su—six people in all—quietly left the shadowy cavern hidden deep within the Alliance’s streets and embarked upon their westward expedition.
The disciples of the Jade Luo Sect were all lithe and agile, their steps light as woodland spirits. Even in this perilous cultivation world, they retained a precious composure and vigilance.
Jade Spring Luo walked at the head of the group. Her figure swayed like a willow branch in the spring breeze, both graceful and resilient, guiding the party through the dense forest.
Hao Su, meanwhile, was like a leopard lurking in the shadows. He silently guarded the rear, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s as he remained alert to every movement around them, ensuring the group’s safety.
They advanced swiftly and in good order. Half a day passed in the blink of an eye, yet they encountered no trace of evil cultivators.
This unexpected calm eased the tension in everyone’s hearts. Even the oppressive atmosphere hanging in the air seemed to drift away with the breeze.
Yet just as the others were about to relax, Hao Su’s brow furrowed. His gaze pierced the forest ahead and caught a strange aura.
Not far before them, a group of black-robed evil cultivators was approaching in silence. Their movements were uncanny, their forms wavering like ghosts in the night.
There were ten of them. Greed and cruelty glimmered in every pair of eyes, as though they intended to devour every living thing upon the land.
The leader of the group possessed an even deeper cultivation, having reached the perfected Foundation Establishment stage. His aura was as profound as an abyss, sending a chill through the heart.
A fierce light suddenly burst from Hao Su’s eyes, brilliant as the brightest star in the night sky and piercing the darkness around him.
He drew a deep breath. As his chest rose and fell, it seemed even the air trembled.
His gaze swept forward. Jade Spring Luo and the four female disciples under her command continued hurrying onward, completely unaware of the danger. Their figures appeared and vanished beneath the mottled shadows of the trees, like woodland spirits leaping through the forest, never suspecting that peril was quietly closing in.
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Not far away, a cold aura approached with hurried footsteps. Like ghosts beneath the curtain of night, they silently wove a net of death.
Jade Spring Luo’s steps abruptly halted. Her keen instincts, like a candle flame trembling in the night wind, caught that faint and ominous shadow.
She turned swiftly, raised her delicate hand, and gave a small wave toward the rear. The gesture carried an unmistakable warning, signaling the others to proceed cautiously and watch for changes.
Hao Su kept his eyes fixed ahead. He could feel the increasingly dense and sinister aura in the air, and he had already made up his mind.
Just as Jade Spring Luo was about to lead the disciples around the formidable band of evil cultivators, Hao Su shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string. In an instant, he erupted with astonishing speed, overtook the Jade Luo disciples, and became a streak of silver lightning that plunged straight into the heart of the enemy formation. The force of his charge was like the first ray of sunlight at dawn—sharp and unstoppable.
Jade Spring Luo’s brows drew tightly together. She knew that although the evil cultivators numbered only a little over ten, every one of them was ruthless and vicious. If the six of them confronted the enemy head-on, their chances of victory were slim.
Though unwilling to retreat, she understood that strategy was far wiser than brute force. She immediately changed her hand signals, instructing the disciples to follow her and circle around the enemy force in search of a safer route.
A sudden wind rose through the forest. Amid the thunderous clash between Hao Su and the evil cultivators, a battle over life and death quietly began.
Meanwhile, Jade Spring Luo and her disciples cautiously threaded their way through the cover of the dense woods. Every step was filled with vigilance and calculation. They knew that upon this unknown journey, only caution and wisdom could guide them toward the light.
Hao Su charged into the evil cultivators like a wild horse breaking free of its reins. His movements were swift and precise, like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Every strike landed perfectly upon a vital point. The evil cultivators who had been so arrogant only moments earlier fell beneath his sword like fragile gourds, one after another losing all signs of life.
A mechanical voice echoed repeatedly through Hao Su’s mind, cold as a scoreboard recording every harvest:
[Side quest progress increased by one point. One Universe Cleansing Stone acquired. Total progress: fourteen.]
The voice seemed both an affirmation of his strength and a warning of challenges yet to come. Each notification was accompanied by the death of another evil cultivator, while the stench of blood in the air grew ever heavier.
[Side quest progress increased by one point. One Universe Cleansing Stone acquired. Total progress: fifteen.]
…
[Side quest progress increased by one point. One Universe Cleansing Stone acquired. Total progress: twenty.]
Seven evil cultivators. Seven lives. Beneath Hao Su’s sword, all were reduced to nothingness.
He did not rush to seek out the leader. Instead, he adopted the wiser strategy of eliminating the weaker members first and weakening the enemy’s overall strength.
The evil cultivator force had originally numbered thirteen. Now more than half had been slain, and fear and panic began to spread among the six survivors.
At last, the Jade Luo disciples recovered from their shock. Their eyes held both astonishment and admiration. Sword light flashed from their hands like flowers blooming in spring—beautiful, yet deadly—as they charged without hesitation into the battle to aid Hao Su.
Hao Su, however, did not wait for their assistance. His gaze had already locked onto the leader of the evil cultivators.
The man was broad-shouldered, with cunning and savagery glittering in his eyes. He had clearly recognized the threat Hao Su posed, but when he realized that Hao Su stood alone, a cold smile curled across his lips. He quickly rallied the remaining fighters, intending to overwhelm Hao Su through sheer numbers.
“Hmph. You overestimate yourself.”
Hao Su snorted coldly. His figure moved across the battlefield like a phantom, and every sweep of his sword came with a keen gust of wind, dissolving the evil cultivators’ attacks one after another.
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His swordsmanship was swift and precise, every strike honed through countless trials and utterly flawless.
Across the battlefield, sword light mingled with blood spray. Shouts of slaughter rose and fell amid the clang of metal, forming a scene that seized the heart with terror.
The duel between Hao Su and the leader of the evil cultivators became the center of the battle. Every clash between them seemed to tell a tale of life, death, and glory.
While Hao Su fought the evil cultivators at the height of intensity, the five female disciples of the Jade Luo Sect, led by Jade Spring Luo, finally emerged completely from their astonishment. Like five winter plums in full bloom, they stood proudly upon the battlefield, each choosing an opponent and engaging the remaining evil cultivators in single combat.
As the senior disciple of the Jade Luo Sect, Jade Spring Luo wielded her sword with a grace that concealed a deadly edge, like a spring breeze brushing across the face while harboring murder beneath its softness.
Her chosen opponent was a gaunt evil cultivator. The moment they crossed swords, it was like the collision of a spring breeze and an autumn wind. Sword light flashed between them, at once graceful and murderous.
The other four female disciples displayed their own strengths. Some wielded their swords with fluid elegance, like spirits leaping through the forest; others were steady and powerful, every stroke carrying the weight of a mountain.
Their clashes with the evil cultivators were contests not only of skill, but also of will. Every battle was gripping.
The leader of the evil cultivators changed expression abruptly. He had originally believed Hao Su to be nothing more than a solitary hero and therefore no serious threat. But now, with the five Jade Luo disciples joining the battle, he understood that the tide had turned and victory had begun to slip away.
Even so, he did not choose to flee. He gritted his teeth, resolve blazing in his eyes, and decided to fight Hao Su to the bitter end.
“Hmph! Even if you outnumber us, our Sacred Cultivator squad will never submit so easily!”
With a furious roar, the leader charged at Hao Su like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
His swordsmanship was savage and ferocious. Every strike seemed intent on cleaving Hao Su in two.
Hao Su merely curled his lips into a cold smile.
He did not retreat. Instead, he advanced to meet the attack and engaged the leader in a fierce exchange.
Their swords collided in midair with ringing clashes of metal, each encounter seeming to tear the air apart.
Across the battlefield, sword light wove through the air as blood sprayed in every direction. The battle between Hao Su and the leader had become the focal point of the entire conflict.
Their figures darted through the flashing blades, sometimes crossing and sometimes pulling apart. Every clash was enough to set the heart pounding.
Meanwhile, the five Jade Luo disciples gradually gained the upper hand against their respective opponents. Relying on exquisite swordsmanship and unwavering resolve, they drove the evil cultivators step by step toward the brink of despair.
The entire battlefield had become a living hell, saturated with the heavy stench of blood and an atmosphere of cold slaughter.
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