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Chapter 347 Don't Make a Sound, There's a Ghost
I made a slight revision at the end of the previous chapter.
"A contest? How does it work?" Xiahou's expression was somewhat unpleasant, because he could sense a hint of disdain in Lu Xuan's words. This made the usually arrogant Xiahou feel unbearable. If he hadn't been curious about Lu Xuan's words, he would have already made his move.
"I see you're quite skilled. Let's have a match. I'll only use three moves. If you can withstand all three, you win. If you withstand two, you'll serve me for a year. If you withstand one, you'll serve me for two years. If you can't withstand any, you'll serve me for three years. What do you say?"
"You're courting death." Lu Xuan had barely finished speaking when Xiahou flew into a rage and charged forward impatiently. He considered himself the second-best swordsman in the world; how could he tolerate such humiliation from Lu Xuan? However, Lu Xuan didn't engage, but instead effortlessly retreated more than ten meters.
"Let's get this straight, are you going to take the bet or not? If not, I have no interest in a fight without a prize."
One sentence made Xiahou furious again.
"Alright, I'll take your bet. If you can really beat me within three moves, I'll serve you for ten years, not just three."
"Hehe, a gentleman's word is his bond."
"A swift horse cannot be caught up with. Take this!"
Xiahou leaped into the air, his longsword thrusting straight forward. His swordsmanship was sharp and unpredictable, making him a top-tier expert among mortals. This was also why Lu Xuan was interested in him.
Lu Xuan didn't use any magic; instead, he thrust his spear straight forward. The Thunderclap Spear clashed with Xiahou's longsword. Xiahou felt his sword tremble violently and was jolted aside. In an instant, the sword almost slipped from his grasp. Startled, he hurriedly circulated his inner energy to steady the sword. But in the blink of an eye, Lu Xuan's spear was already pointed at his throat.
"I don't accept this. You used magic." Xiahou instinctively believed that Lu Xuan had used some unknown magic.
"This is just a martial art. If you don't believe me, I can teach you."
"...If it really is martial arts, then I'm willing to accept the loss."
"Very good. Watch closely."
As Lu Xuan spoke, he raised his spear with one hand. The spear blade began to tremble rapidly. Xiahou frowned slightly at first, then suddenly realized. The trembling of the spear blade had reached an extreme, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. He held his longsword and gently tapped it against the spear blade.
With a crisp clang, the longsword was flung away by a violent tremor.
"I see. Xiahou greets you, young master."
Xiahou was an arrogant and domineering man who believed in the supremacy of strength. Lu Xuan displayed overwhelming martial prowess that he could not resist. Crucially, this technique, clearly a secret art, was taught to him so casually. In a world where the secrets of the Dao are not easily passed on, this greatly astonished Xiahou. Following such a master was not an insult to him.
"No need for formalities. It's getting late. Let's find a place to rest."
"Then let's go to Lanruo Temple up ahead. I just left there; it's not far ahead."
Lanruo Temple isn't actually a small temple. Even now, in its dilapidated state, one can still see that this temple once enjoyed great glory, only to have fallen into ruin long ago. However, the rooms around the main courtyard are still intact, enough to accommodate a dozen or so people.
Xiahou quickly got into character. In his world, a master was someone who imparted knowledge and skills. It was normal for a disciple to serve his master. He chose a room and prepared to clean it.
Lu Xuan raised his hand to stop him.
"No need for all that trouble." With that, she waved her hand lightly. A gentle breeze swept through, stirring up all the dust inside the house and tossing it directly into the yard.
This single move left Xiahou completely dumbfounded. He could also use his inner energy to create a strong wind and blow away dust. But he couldn't possibly remove all the dust like this, without damaging any furniture, and then throw it out the door in a roundabout way.
He guessed it must be some kind of magic. And Yan Chixia also knew magic. But he certainly couldn't do it to this extent. Because he had competed with Yan Chixia for seven years. The other man's slovenly appearance didn't seem like someone capable of such a thing.
"Rest here tonight. Be careful, this area isn't safe, so don't sleep too soundly tonight."
“I know there should be a monster around here. The places where Yan Chixia settles are basically all like this.”
Yan Chixia was nowhere to be seen; Lu Xuan didn't care and sat down to meditate. His purpose in coming here wasn't Yan Chixia, but the Tree Demon Granny.
If asked why, Lu Xuan could only say that rare and precious materials were simply too hard to find. Killing monsters was much simpler. He was now beginning to understand why those cultivators were so keen on hunting monsters. They were always using righteousness to intimidate others, and when they saw a monster, they acted like it was their mortal enemy.
It's not that they truly hate monsters, but rather that they're genuinely short of money... no, they're short of resources. Most rare and precious herbs are born from immense fortune. After all, without a certain amount of luck, those herbs and such wouldn't reach a level of spirituality. Therefore, generally only those with similarly great fortune can find them. Such people are naturally extremely rare, like protagonists. So other cultivators have to think of other methods. For example, hunting monsters!!!
Anything that can be called a demon or monster must be a spirit or monster with supernatural powers. Some important parts of these spirits are no less valuable than rare and precious treasures, and may even be better. The choice is obvious to everyone.
Therefore, in various movies, those who embody righteousness often give the impression of being hypocritical. They turn into rabid dogs upon seeing monsters, killing them indiscriminately regardless of whether the monsters have harmed humans. This isn't just because of their hypocrisy; more importantly, killing monsters is their primary means of acquiring resources.
Lu Xuan came here specifically to see the true form of his grandmother, this thousand-year-old tree demon. Such a powerful and ancient demon's true form is probably dozens of times stronger than any so-called rare and precious treasure.
If it were any other demon with a thousand years of cultivation, Lu Xuan wouldn't dare to provoke it lightly. But a tree demon like Granny is different. Lu Xuan wields the True Fire of the Sun, making him a natural enemy of wood-type demons. Even if he's outmatched, the demon would never dare to fight him to the bitter end. Now that he's in an invincible position, Lu Xuan naturally won't let this old fellow go.
Because Lu Xuan made no attempt to conceal himself when he entered the woods, neither of them encountered a female ghost that night. Ning Caichen, however, was not so lucky.
Around midnight, Lu Xuan sensed a distinct ghostly aura drifting in from outside the courtyard. He got up and stood by the window, and Xiahou noticed his movement. He then got up and walked over.
"Young Master?"
Shh, don't make a sound, there's a ghost!
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Chapter 348 Taking Action
The word "ghost" startled Xiahou. Although he was a martial arts expert, he knew nothing of magic. He was still somewhat afraid upon hearing about ghosts. However, remembering Lu Xuan's earlier display of magic, he breathed a sigh of relief. Presumably, the young master could handle ghosts and monsters.
Lu Xuan ignored Xiahou's wandering thoughts. Through the window, he saw the figure gracefully approaching. Putting everything else aside, just in terms of appearance alone, Nie Xiaoqian was truly breathtakingly beautiful. The saying "love at first sight" often refers to attraction based on physical beauty, which makes a lot of sense. If it had been a female ghost resembling Sister Feng, Lu Xuan didn't believe Ning Caichen would have fallen in love at first sight.
The female ghosts controlled by the tree demon were all forced to absorb the life essence of men for it. Regardless, these female ghosts had countless lives on their hands. Even though Nie Xiaoqian was kind by nature, she still possessed an extremely heavy aura of malevolence. Even without any intention to harm, her mere presence near a living person was enough to make them seriously ill.
Lu Xuan had always been curious: Ning Caichen, as an ordinary person, had several encounters with Nie Xiaoqian, yet he never seemed to suffer any negative effects. Indeed, as one of the strongest men in the online novel world, he was quite something.