The image of the Man in Black suddenly flashed through Qiao Ruohe’s mind.
Could this be a trap set by him?
But why would he do such a thing?
Qiao Ruohe only wanted to cultivate some skills to better his chances of retrieving the pill and saving his family. If not for the catastrophe at home, he would have had no interest in immortal cultivation at all.
"Kill him."
"Execute this spy."
"The Burning Heaven Cult is the scum of the Western Country; they deserve to be purged by all."
The cultivators behind Huangfu Song were all clamoring for Qiao Ruohe’s death. The long-tongued cultivator bowed to Huangfu Song and asked, "Senior Brother, how shall we dispose of him? Should we execute him on the spot?"
"Very well. Since both the witnesses and the evidence are here, kill him."
As Huangfu Song’s laughter faded, several cultivators brandished their Wooden Swords and surrounded the stake where Qiao Ruohe was bound.
Xiao Ling cried out urgently, "You cannot kill him! He is the top disciple personally taken in by my master, Elder Fanhua, and he is the future Dual Cultivation partner of the Senior Sister."
"What did you say?" Huangfu Song was shocked. "Your master actually betrothed Junior Sister Lin to this brat?"
"That’s right. If you kill him, my master will not let this rest."
"Is that so?" Huangfu Song asked offhandedly, pushing aside the cultivators surrounding Qiao Ruohe. He walked up to him and looked him up and down. The faint trace of worry on his face vanished, replaced once again by a beaming smile.
"A Spirit Controlling (early) cultivator, a rustic brat of seventeen or eighteen—Junior Sister Lin would look favorably upon a man with that kind of disposition?"
As Huangfu Song finished speaking with a laugh, the long-tongued cultivator chimed in: "Senior Sister Lin has already reached the Half-Out-of-Body Stage; she is only one step away from breaking through to the Out-of-Body Stage."
He bowed toward Huangfu Chen and added, "In the entire sect, only Senior Brother Huangfu’s looks and cultivation are a match for the Divine Wood Palace’s greatest beauty, Senior Sister Lin."
He walked closer to Qiao Ruohe, spat on him, and sneered, "What kind of dog is this brat? Is he worthy of Dual Cultivation with Senior Sister Lin? If she is to marry anyone, it should be our Senior Brother Huangfu."
While the long-tongued cultivator looked at Huangfu Song, the latter cast a meaningful glance at his henchman. The long-tongued cultivator caught the hint, summoned his Wooden Sword, and lunged to stab Qiao Ruohe to death.
Qiao Ruohe was caught off guard and assumed he was about to die there. But suddenly, the long-tongued cultivator let out a shrill scream. His entire body was engulfed in roaring flames, and he collapsed, rolling on the ground of the discipline platform.
It turned out that Qiao Ruohe had subconsciously manifested fire in his palms. He had struck the man with a fireball technique, instantly burning him beyond recognition.
The other cultivators were horrified, unsure of how to extinguish the flames. The long-tongued cultivator, rolling blindly, crawled toward Huangfu Song, grabbing at his legs. "Senior Brother, save me!"
Huangfu Song possessed a pure wood-attribute root. With no water nearby, how could he save the man? He leaped aside, leaving him to his fate.
"Untie me quickly! I can cast a water spell!" Xiao Ling urged.
Huangfu Song glanced over, and the other cultivators hurried to untie the ropes on her hands. But the long-tongued cultivator, his face and eyes scorched, rolled in the wrong direction. With one false step, he plummeted into the thousand-foot abyss. A final wail echoed from the valley floor; he had fallen to his death, his body shattered.
"He killed someone!" one of the cultivators surrounding Qiao Ruohe backed away in a panic, causing the others to tremble with fear as well.
Huangfu Song folded his fan and summoned a Wooden Sword emitting a faint green glow. He glared at Qiao Ruohe and began to walk toward him, step by measured step.
"Brother Qiao, watch out for that Dharma Treasure in Huangfu Song’s hand! That Green Wood Sword is impervious to both water and fire!" Jin Dapeng shouted.
Huangfu Song was the lead disciple of the Divine Wood Palace Master. His cultivation was far beyond that of Qiao Ruohe, who had only just begun to explore the path of immortal cultivation. Even among the five great sects, he was a man of considerable standing.
Since he was intent on killing him, how could Qiao Ruohe possibly escape?