Zirong still could not move, but he had regained his voice. He quickly assured Xu Ziyan that he was unharmed and warned him to be extremely careful of the mermaid.
Xu Ziyan nodded emphatically. “As long as you’re safe. Big Brother should have noticed something was wrong earlier. I really failed you.”
Zirong looked grave too. Since his rebirth, everything had gone smoothly. After several years, he had let his guard slip.
Just now, upon stepping into the clearing with Xu Ziyan, he had unknowingly entered an illusory formation. Only by noticing that something was wrong with Xu Ziyan inside the illusion had he managed to break free so quickly.
Yet the moment he escaped the illusion, he saw Xu Ziyan approaching the ferocious mermaid. Some force immediately restrained Zirong, leaving him unable to move or speak. The helplessness of being overpowered stirred deeply unpleasant memories.
He glared at the mermaid with a murderous expression. Unable to move, he could do nothing but punish her with his eyes.
After hiding Zirong behind the rock, Xu Ziyan pressed his lips together and went back to deal with the mermaid.
A trace of gloom crossed his face. He mocked himself for understanding this world so poorly. Beautiful things really could be the most dangerous…
The mermaid was still in the spring. When Xu Ziyan reappeared, her face brightened. Her escaped meal had returned! How wonderful!
Xu Ziyan took his stance and repeatedly drew his bow, sending lightning arrows toward her.
She looked aggrieved and cast him a reproachful glance, as though offended that he would attack her.
To be fair, if she had not nearly slashed his throat a moment ago, Xu Ziyan might never have believed such an innocent-looking creature could kill without hesitation and eat human flesh.
Her appearance was simply too deceptive. Even Xu Ziyan had fallen into the trap of judging by looks.
Now that he understood the danger, he held nothing back. Each draw of his bowstring sent at least three lightning arrows flying toward her.
The relentless barrage made the mermaid pout angrily. Her cheeks flushed as though she had suffered some dreadful injustice and was about to cry.
Xu Ziyan’s face stayed icy and expressionless. If he softened now after everything that had happened, he would be a complete fool.
A moment later, he was grateful he had remained firm.
The mermaid suddenly opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream. Her lips split at the corners all the way toward her ears, revealing rows of savage, pointed teeth.
Blue-green scales covered her once-pale skin, and her round black eyes changed into silver, vertical pupils, cold and merciless.
Only now did she completely abandon her disguise and reveal her true fighting form.
With that transformation, her combat strength soared. Water-element spells poured forth in rapid succession.
Fortunately, although she wielded many techniques, her strength was restricted. Several of her spells collided directly with Xu Ziyan’s lightning arrows, cancelling one another out.
Seeing that a prolonged fight would exhaust his spiritual power, Xu Ziyan gritted his teeth. He raised a protective shield and stood still, slowly drawing back his bowstring.
As he did, a shaft of lightning as thick as an arm stretched between bow and string. At its point, the purple lightning was compressed until it looked nearly black.
The mermaid sensed the danger. She roared wildly, moving her hands even faster as water arrows, water bolts and whirlpools surged toward him.
But this was not the ocean where her kind lived. However loudly she called, no other mermaids would come to help her.
Just before Xu Ziyan’s Lightning Burst Arrow finished forming, the mermaid began erecting water shields in front of herself. The level of the hot spring dropped visibly. In the blink of an eye, she had gathered at least seven or eight layers of defense.
Xu Ziyan drew the bowstring to its limit, fixed his sharp gaze on the target, and loosened his fingers.
With a deafening roar, the streak of lightning flew out, crackling with violent power as it hurtled toward the mermaid.
She screamed in terror. This Lightning Burst Arrow was one of Xu Ziyan’s current trump cards. Had the mermaid been less troublesome, he would never have exposed it.
The blinding shaft pierced one water shield after another. The mermaid’s fear defied description. Her silver eyes widened, reflecting a pinpoint of black light drawing closer, until the instant it passed through her body.
Pop.
The entire scene shattered like a bubble. The mermaid looked bewildered, as though she had forgotten she was dead, forgotten the enemy before her, forgotten everything.
She reverted to her innocent appearance and played happily in the spring once more. Then ripples spread through the scene. Everything before Xu Ziyan warped; the mermaid and her spring vanished, leaving only a narrow mountain path extending along the rock wall opposite.
Xu Ziyan put away his bow and took a deep breath. That stage was finished. Now all that remained was the final stage!
“Big Brother.” Once the mermaid vanished, the restraint binding Zirong disappeared too.
He rose from the ground unhurriedly, every movement carrying an inexplicable grace.
He tugged lightly at Xu Ziyan’s sleeve and gazed at him with clear eyes full of admiration. “Big Brother, you were amazing.”
That adoring look immediately filled Xu Ziyan with confidence. He laughed. “It was nothing! Watch Big Brother win first place for you!”
Zirong’s eyes curved into a smile. “Big Brother is the best.”
Xu Ziyan was delighted. His earlier embarrassment at being deceived by the mermaid’s beauty vanished without a trace.
He was far stronger than the original owner had ever been. Even if the original Xu Ziyan had faced this challenge, he probably could not have done better.
Think about it: for nearly thirty years he had lived in peace and comfort. The business world involved plenty of scheming, but lives were seldom at stake. He really deserved some credit for adapting so well.
If the original owner had accomplished so much, surely someone who knew the plot ought to survive too… right?
“Well, I’ll see how things go. Worst comes to worst, I’ll avoid the protagonist.” Once again, Xu Ziyan resolved to stay away from Bai Hua. The original novel had given Bai Hua countless opportunities, but nearly all had come with grave danger. Apart from his men, many people died in those crises. Xu Ziyan had no desire to become one of Bai Hua’s lovers, so he intended to avoid the hazards as well.
He was tempted by the protagonist’s opportunities, but the novel was very clear: apart from Bai Hua’s three men, anyone attempting to seize his chances ended up dead.
Xu Ziyan had been inexplicably reborn into this world and had no intention of dying early. To protect his life, he would keep his distance!
The brothers followed the newly opened path in the rock wall and continued climbing.
They were approaching the Flowing Light Sect’s summit. Meanwhile, in the sect’s great hall, several elders were on the verge of fighting over the Xu brothers.
Elders never considered themselves to have too many talented disciples.
Even Wei Ying wanted these promising Xu boys and argued fearlessly with the other elders.
“Wei Ying, why are you joining in? Surely that Wei boy from your family will become your disciple?” demanded a white-haired, white-bearded elder. “With a junior so outstanding, what more do you want?”
Wei Ying waved the suggestion off. “I can’t guarantee that. The boy is talented, but that doesn’t mean he’ll choose me as his master.”
“Oh? If that’s so, I may just try my luck,” a middle-aged woman said with a laugh.
“Be my guest.” Wei Ying waved a hand. “If he doesn’t want to become someone’s disciple, he wouldn’t agree even if you twisted his neck. I can’t manage him. If you persuade him, that’s your achievement.”
A gleam appeared in the woman’s eyes as she seriously considered recruiting Wei Qing.
A young girl tugged on the sleeve of an aloof young woman. “Senior Sister Zhou, look… isn’t Xu Zirong impressive? Why not recruit him as a disciple for our master?”
Zhou Xueting laughed. “Xiao Tao, why are you suddenly trying to recruit disciples for Master?”
Xiao Tao, the adorable young girl, tilted her head. “Hehe. Don’t you think Xu Zirong is beautiful? Once he’s a little older, he’ll attract lots of female disciples to our Shuyun Peak. And where there are female disciples, won’t the male disciples follow? Our peak might become the most prosperous in the Flowing Light Sect!”
Zhou Xueting rarely showed much expression, but Xiao Tao’s wild ideas never failed to make her laugh.
“Nonsense,” she chided gently. “Xu Zirong practices wood-element techniques…”
“All the better! You practice wood-element techniques too. Guiding him would be effortless!” Xiao Tao interrupted.
Zhou Xueting shook her head. “We’ve only observed him through the water mirror, but those three blood-red vines he used against Hongyun seemed to involve more than ordinary wood-element techniques.”
“What’s odd about that?” Xiao Tao said dismissively. “I’ve checked: Xu Zirong has water, wood and earth spiritual roots. It isn’t strange for his wood-element arts to incorporate other elements. Besides, at only eleven, with three spiritual roots, he’s already at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Either he possesses a Dao Body or… his comprehension is exceptionally high.”