*Boom!*
Li Zhiming smashed a block of marble into the air. Immediately following, three dull thuds rang out in quick succession. The marble in mid-air shattered instantly, turning into fine dust.
Li Zhiming pulled back his fist and nodded with satisfaction. For the past two days, he had been pretending to "rest" in his room to avoid drawing attention to himself, only practicing when he was sure no one was around. He had already developed the third layer of hidden force in his Burst Fist. The power of this third layer was twice that of the previous two; even a Rank Seven Martial Artist, if caught off guard, would be injured by their own rebounded force.
"It’s been two days already, and the reward the Second Level guardian elder promised hasn't arrived. And what about my disciple token? Is he planning to go back on his word?" Li Zhiming wondered. In Xuyuan Prison, the token was the only real pass; without it, he wasn't truly a Patrol Disciple. Only with that token could he move freely between the first and second levels.
"Li Zhiming!"
Just as he was deep in thought, a cold voice drifted in from outside. Li Zhiming turned his head, his handsome brow slightly furrowed. *That bitch Tian Yaoyao—she actually came.*
His mind raced. He was currently only at Mid Rank Eight, so he was naturally no match for Tian Yaoyao. She had to be at least at Mid Rank Seven now, if not stronger—a full major realm above him.
"Tian Yaoyao, long time no see!"
*Bang!* With a dull thud, Tian Yaoyao kicked the door open and strode in.
"You know why I’m here today. Hand over the heirloom treasure you found in the ruins, or you won't escape with your life!" Tian Yaoyao’s eyes were sharp, and intense fluctuations of True Qi erupted from her body.
"Rank Seven Perfection!"
The shockwave blew Li Zhiming’s hair into a mess; the pressure of her True Qi felt like blades against his skin. "It seems you found quite a few good things in the ruins yourself!"
It had only been a little over a month since they left the ruins. For Tian Yaoyao to have advanced from Mid Rank Seven to Rank Seven Perfection, she clearly had acquired some treasures.
"Li Zhiming, those who adapt to circumstances are wise. I’ll give you one minute to think it over." Tian Yaoyao backed him into a corner.
"I’ve told you already, I didn't get anything in the ruins!"
"Do you think that just because I used to like you, I’ll soften my heart and go easy on you?" Tian Yaoyao’s expression shifted abruptly, and she lunged, gripping him by the throat.
"Heh, kill me or torture me, do as you please!" Li Zhiming sneered.
"You're courting death!"
"Heart-Devouring Gu!" Tian Yaoyao activated the parasite.
However, the corners of Li Zhiming's mouth curled upward. He suddenly seized the initiative, clenched his fist, and slammed it forward.
"Burst Fist!"
He poured every ounce of his strength into the blow. His fiery True Qi burned on his knuckles, compressing the air until it crackled with sonic booms.
"The Heart-Devouring Gu failed? How is that possible!" Tian Yaoyao’s face was etched with shock. She released his throat and leapt back, throwing out a palm to deflect the strike.
The immense impact forced Li Zhiming to slide backward until he slammed into the wall, but Tian Yaoyao was also forced to retreat half a step. The power behind that punch shocked her—it was already at the level of Mid Rank Eight, or perhaps even stronger!
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Suddenly, the hidden force within her arm detonated.
"Damn it, it’s the hidden force of the Burst Fist." She hurriedly circulated her True Qi into her right hand to neutralize the incoming energy, but she was a second too slow. The third layer of hidden force exploded.
A sharp pain shot through her arm. The skin on her delicate palm split open, and blood began to trickle out.
"Damn you!" Tian Yaoyao looked at her numb palm. While it wasn't a serious injury, for her, it was a profound humiliation. She had reached Rank Seven Perfection, yet she had been bested by Li Zhiming!
"Li Zhiming, stop playing dumb! If you didn't have the inheritance and the treasures, how could you have recovered your injuries and cultivation so quickly? I advise you to hand it over, or don't force me to kill you!" Fury burned in her chest; her long hair danced in the air, and her eyes were filled with killing intent.
*Swish!*
Tian Yaoyao vanished from her spot.
"So fast!"
Li Zhiming lunged to the side, but Tian Yaoyao’s palm missed him and smashed a deep crater into the wall.
"Do you think you can run?" She flashed forward, pinning him into another corner. The massive gap in their cultivation made it hard for him to defend himself. She landed a kick, sending him flying until he slammed heavily against the wall.
"Cough, cough..." Li Zhiming spat out a mouthful of blood. That bitch was clearly determined to seize his inheritance today. But he didn't believe Tian Yaoyao would dare to kill him inside Xuyuan Prison. Besides, he wasn't just some lowly prison guard waiting to be bullied anymore.
"Li Zhiming, for the sake of our years together, I don't want to kill you, but you leave me no choice!"
"Heh, I’m a Patrol Disciple now. You dare to lay a murderous hand on me?!" Li Zhiming sneered.
"..." Tian Yaoyao clenched her fists. Li Zhiming’s current status did make her hesitate, but for the sake of the inheritance and the desire to grow stronger, she had to take the risk. *With Junior Brother Qi’s backing, killing a patrol guard from the first level of Xuyuan Prison will be easy for him to cover up. I’ll just claim it was an attempted assault on a direct disciple of the Baihua Peak of the Zhenyuan Sect, and I killed him by accident.*
Tian Yaoyao stepped toward him, her plan forming in her mind. She raised her palm toward the center of his forehead.
"Hmph, typical of you two, a pair of dogs."
"But if you want to kill me, it won't be that easy!"
Just as Li Zhiming prepared for a final, desperate struggle, Tian Yaoyao suddenly froze. She lowered her hand and stepped back.
At the same moment, a young woman wearing a long purple dress and a slender, graceful figure walked in. She wore pale purple silk thigh-high stockings, and her jade-like feet were shod in exquisite deerskin boots. Her long, flowing hair reached her shoulders, and her features were delicate, with violet eyes that were bright and clear. In terms of beauty and temperament, she far surpassed Tian Yaoyao.
Li Zhiming was stunned. He hadn't expected to see such a beauty in the dark, sunless Xuyuan Prison. She was truly ethereal.
Tian Yaoyao looked the woman up and down, her fists involuntarily tightening. She felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of such beauty. "Who are you?" she asked.
"And who are you?" the girl retorted.
"Tian Yaoyao, direct disciple of Baihua Peak!" Tian Yaoyao proudly declared her identity.
"So, you're a disciple of Baihua Peak. But what are you doing in Xuyuan Prison?"
"Cough, cough..." Li Zhiming coughed violently, spitting out more blood.
The girl looked at him. "You must be Li Zhiming?"
"That’s me."
"Did she just attack you?"
Li Zhiming nodded.
"As a direct disciple of the Inner Sect, you attack a patrol guard who is already severely injured? You really have no shame!"
"Heh, I was just teaching this traitor a lesson," Tian Yaoyao sneered.
"I don't know if he's a traitor, but I do know that Li Zhiming has earned merit for hunting demons and is now a Patrol Disciple. Since you dared to attack him, I have reason to suspect that you are a spy sent by another sect!" The girl was aggressive, her voice carrying a feisty, youthful tone.
"Stop spitting blood and making false accusations," Tian Yaoyao said coldly. She glanced at Li Zhiming; she realized she couldn't do anything to him today and would have to wait for another opportunity. "Li Zhiming, you're lucky. But how many times do you think your luck will hold out?"
After speaking, she turned to leave.
"Stop! Did I say you could leave?" The girl flashed in front of her, blocking her path.
"So fast!" Tian Yaoyao’s face turned grim. The girl’s strength was clearly no less than her own.
"Don't be unreasonable, or don't blame me for being discourteous!" Tian Yaoyao warned.
"Then I’d like to see how capable you, a direct disciple of the Inner Sect, really are!"
The girl struck decisively, her palm releasing a burst of ice-attribute True Qi. The force of the blow sent Tian Yaoyao reeling back several meters.
"Rank Six?" Tian Yaoyao’s expression turned ugly.
"Who is stirring up trouble in Xuyuan Prison?"
The voice of Jin Fengyun suddenly rang out on the first level. The clash between the two had caused violent True Qi fluctuations, alerting the Level One guardian elder.
"Disciple Mingzhu, here on Elder Qin’s orders to deliver the reward to Li Zhiming for his monster-hunting service," the girl said, cupping her hands.
"Disciple Tian Yaoyao of the Inner Sect."
"Inner Sect disciples should stay in the Inner Sect—what are you doing running around Xuyuan Prison? And to attack our disciples while you're here? It’s completely out of line! Get out of here immediately. I will report today’s events to the Inner Sect, and the Disciplinary Hall will see that you are punished!" Jin Fengyun barked.
"Understood."
Tian Yaoyao rose and left, casting a venomous glare at Li Zhiming and Mingzhu before she exited. Reporting her? Fine. At most, she’d lose a few allowances; it was no great loss. What truly bothered her was Li Zhiming; she couldn't believe he was already recovering. With the backing of the Xuyuan Prison elders, it would be much harder to move against him in the future. But that wasn't a major issue; Junior Brother Qi had a powerful background, and she could leave the rest to him.
Li Zhiming exhaled a long breath. The crisis was averted. That bitch Tian Yaoyao shouldn't dare set foot in Xuyuan Prison for a long time.
"Many thanks for your help, Senior Sister," Li Zhiming said, bowing.
"No need to thank me. You’re a Patrol Disciple promoted by Elder Qin; we’re essentially fellow sect members. How could I just sit by and watch?" Mingzhu’s expression softened, and her voice became sweet and melodic.
She had originally refused to run errands for Uncle Qin. *What could be so special about a prison guard who barely survived the Yin Demonic Dead Qi and just got promoted?* But after seeing him, she realized Li Zhiming wasn't just handsome; he possessed an indescribable charm. He was simply pleasant to look at and seemed like a kind person. Furthermore, after probing him, she was shocked to find he was at Mid Rank Eight. Even if he had been an Inner Sect disciple before, the fact that he could recover his cultivation to this point so quickly was quite remarkable.
"This is your reward. Take it," Mingzhu said, handing a storage bag to Li Zhiming.
"I’ll accept the reward, and please thank Elder Qin on my behalf," Li Zhiming said as he took the bag.
"I will, I’ll be sure to tell him. Your token is inside the bag. I usually move between the second and fourth levels, so if you need anything, feel free to come find me," Mingzhu said, her voice sounding quite playful. She reached up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, inadvertently radiating a lethal charm.