I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 156 Garlic Bird
The teleportation talisman instantly sent Xue Xiang a hundred feet away, sending him straight into the giant waterfall.

Xue Xiang hurriedly released his literary energy to form a shield, intending to escape, but then he thought that there was probably no safer place than this.

At that moment, he braved the waterfall and leaped upwards.

In an instant, streaks of light flashed past, and more than ten people, carrying endless killing intent, rushed out of the waterfall.

Xue Xiang held his breath and remained unmoved as the waterfall crashed down like iron and stone.

Only after all the figures had disappeared into the distance did he slowly exhale and turn back to the cave.

The smoke and dust inside the cave had not yet dissipated, and the ground was a mess.

A thought flashed through Xue Xiang's mind: the most dangerous place might be the safest.

However, the thought had barely formed when he suddenly realized that this statement in this context could be fatal.

With a start, he turned and fled out of the cave without hesitation.

He had barely left when his pursuers turned back.

Several beams of light descended swiftly into the cave. The water stains on the ground were still wet and clearly visible, clearly indicating that Xue Xiang had been there.

"Damn it!"

The Qin soldier roared, his face turning ashen.

"You damned scoundrel."

Dong Xiaoping gritted his teeth coldly, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"Whether you go to heaven or hell, I will make you suffer a terrible death."

Wen Xiang pointed to the sky and swore an oath, his entire being contorted with rage.

Tong Feiyu sneered, "Who would have thought that this scoundrel would dare to impersonate the remnant of a sage? What a miscalculation."

However, this fiend can't have gone far for now. Let's split up and search; he won't escape.

The crowd readily agreed and immediately dispersed.

While everyone scattered to search, Xue Xiang had already found a cliff face.

A narrow crevice opened on the west side of the cliff, and the inside of the crevice was dark and gloomy, like the open mouth of a wild beast.

He focused his attention on the surroundings, but the wind howled and he saw no one.

At that moment, he transformed his literary energy into a blade, severing the tangled vines outside and squeezing his body into the crevice.

The cave was extremely cramped, barely enough for one person to fit inside.

Water seeped from the stone wall, leaving damp trails that dripped and echoed through the cave, adding to the chilly atmosphere.

Xue Xiang gathered up the withered grass and pebbles and covered the cave entrance completely.

Outside, the snow and wind continued to howl, but inside the cave, it was completely still, as if isolated from the world.

He leaned against the stone wall, exhaling slowly, and the cold sweat on his forehead gradually subsided.

After lying still for a while, with only the sound of the wind outside, Xue Xiang felt slightly relieved and wanted to take out the Innate Foundation Establishment Pill and the white jade scroll to investigate.

The thought arose, but then he worried that the aroma of the Innate Foundation Building Pill might alert the enemy, so he had to abandon the idea.

He was stuck in the cliff face, waiting for the storm to pass.

As I waited, drowsiness crept in, and before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, I suddenly felt a tingling or itchy sensation in my hand.

Xue Xiang suddenly woke up with a start, reached out and grabbed a chubby little dumpling. Upon closer inspection, he saw the little cutie clinging to his left hand, trembling.

Xue Xiang was startled and immediately became alert.

He had long understood that this little girl was timid by nature and would act this way when faced with danger.

Xue Xiang quickly and secretly held the Yuan Burst Bead in his hand, keeping a close eye on the cave entrance.

Before long, a rustling sound came from the cave entrance, as if someone was clearing away the dry grass and pebbles blocking the entrance.

Xue Xiang's heart tightened suddenly, and a chill ran up his spine.

The next instant, a ghostly green light suddenly shone into the cave entrance.

The withered grass at the cave entrance rustled down as a monster frantically rummaged through it.

Its fangs were broken in half, its eyes were grayish-white, its skin was covered with lesions, its blue mane was disheveled, and its breath was murky.

Xue Xiang had dealt with monsters many times and could now judge their strength by their aura.

What's right in front of us is the lowest level, the Blue-rank monster.
However, its instinctive hunger still makes it ferocious and terrifying.

Xue Xiang's gaze sharpened, and his sword courage transformed into a wisp of edge.

With a flash of sword light, the chilling aura pierced the monster's throat.

The low growl stopped abruptly, the massive body stiffened, and it fell heavily to the ground.

Xue Xiang raised his hand and a cyan crystal core rolled into his palm, which he then stored in his storage ring.

However, when he turned his gaze, he saw that the little cutie did not pounce on the corpse to suck up the remains.

Its whole little body was curled up in a ball, trembling with its fur.

Xue Xiang felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was amiss.

He parted the grass and branches at the cave entrance and escaped from the cliff.

As dawn breaks in the east, the soft light casts its glow, turning the snow-covered forest into a silvery white expanse.

The cold wind swirled the leaves, and countless black dots were scattered across the cliff face.

As Xue Xiang stared, the black dots all moved rapidly toward him.

"Fuck."

Xue Xiang was stunned. At a glance, he saw at least dozens of demonic monsters.

Fortunately, their auras were all average, with the strongest being only at the white level.

Xue Xiang had extensive experience fighting monsters and knew he must never allow them to combine their forces.

He cast a Gale Talisman, and the talisman's light surged, transforming his figure into a whirlwind as he charged straight at the nearest monster.

The sword's courage manifested, its cold light leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

The blue-level monster had just raised its head when its neck was severed.

The other one lunged forward, but before it even hit the ground, it was cleaved in two by the sword light.

The wind howled, and blood mist churned.

He moved swiftly through the monsters, his sword flashing incessantly.

Before long, all the low-level monsters in the forest lay dead on the snow.

Between heaven and earth, only the snow and bloodstains intertwined to create a desolate scene.

In less than a hundred breaths, he had annihilated dozens of low-level demons.

The little cutie finally stopped trembling, poked its round head out from the sleeve, scanned the area, then leaped onto Xue Xiang's arm. After baring its teeth and claws, it babbled a few words, and with a whoosh, it soared into the air, swallowing up all the corpses scattered on the ground like autumn leaves swept away by the wind.

After a dozen or so breaths, the little kitten flew back to Xue Xiang's side, burrowed into his sleeve, and wriggled around inside with its round belly.

Xue Xiang suddenly realized that something was wrong.

The arrival of these monsters is too suspicious.

If they were from the same group, Xue Xiang could understand.

But these monsters in front of us are clearly not.

In other words, they gathered spontaneously.

If that's the case, then the problem must lie with the little one.

He had been in this middle-level area for quite some time.

This phenomenon doesn't seem to occur when the baby is asleep.

In other words, it was this guy who started attracting monsters after he woke up.

Recalling the time in the Trial Realm, the three purple-level demon cores were desperate to rush over and devour the little cutie.

Xue Xiang was certain that his judgment was correct.

He immediately grabbed the little kitten and channeled his spiritual energy into it.

Before long, the creature curled up into a ball and became quiet.

Xue Xiang dared not delay. Although he had no destination in mind, he set his sights on one direction and sped off at breakneck speed.

After running for no more than ten feet, he took out a green robe from his storage ring and changed into it, along with the imitation leather mask on his head, transforming into a thin and rugged-looking young man.

He knew that this disguise technique was not sophisticated and he didn't expect it to fool anyone, but it was still better than a mask.

They had only run a few miles when a monster charged out of the forest ahead. It was pitch black, covered in menacing scales, and had two bony wings growing from its back. With just one glance, Xue Xiang knew it was undoubtedly a Black-level monster.

The two, one human and one strange creature, had barely met when, before Xue Xiang could even react, the creature unleashed its fury.

It suddenly spewed out a stream of icy frost, carrying a destructive chill that swept across the land.

Xue Xiang recognized the danger, and while forming a shield with his literary energy, he cast a Swift Wind Talisman, instantly passing through the Ice Breath Storm.

The spiritual energy shield he manifested shattered after only three breaths.

The lingering frost clung to his left sleeve, instantly shattering it into dust.

Just as Xue Xiang was about to unleash the sword in his hand, a muffled sound came from the horizon.

A tall, cloaked figure descended from the sky, his black cloak billowing in the wind.

His face was covered by an iron demon mask, his eyes were cold and piercing, and his aura was powerful.

The man didn't say much; with a wave of his hand, a bronze halberd shot out.

The halberd swept past with a thunderous roar, creating waves of air currents.

With a whoosh, the halberd seemed to teleport in mid-air, appearing instantly in front of the monster and piercing its chest with a bang.

The monster didn't even let out a roar before it collapsed to the ground.

With a wave of his hand, the cloaked man retracted his halberd, and a black crystal core fell into his palm.

Without pausing, his gaze locked onto Xue Xiang, his aura chilling, his killing intent like a cold tide approaching.

Xue Xiang's heart sank suddenly. "You have no grudge against me. What is the point of fighting to the death here?"

The cloaked figure laughed, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an undeniable ruthlessness. "No enmity? How laughable! In this demonic land, meeting is enmity!"

He took a step forward, his halberd flashing through the air, arcs of electricity crackling along its blade. "Hand over your storage treasures obediently, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, I'll take your life too!"

He had long seen that Xue Xiang's cultivation level was average; even though his qi and blood seemed quite vigorous, his practical skills were definitely not strong.

In the realm of trials, encountering a lone, low-level cultivator like this is no different from stumbling upon a fat sheep while hunting in the forest.

Xue Xiang's mind raced, and he had already determined the cloaked man's cultivation level.

This person possesses a robust aura and abundant spiritual power. To kill a black-level demon so easily, he must be at least at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, if not the early stage of Core Formation.

Faced with such a powerful opponent, Xue Xiang naturally took the initiative.

In the blink of an eye, the words "Soil" and "Soil Spirit" burst forth, their literary aura swirling, and a Gatling gun instantly materialized.

The cloaked man, who had been calm and collected, watched Xue Xiang struggle like a cat playing with a mouse.

But when the Gatling gun, a divine weapon of literary energy he had never seen before, materialized, his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

The Gatling gun began firing the next instant.

Da da da da,

The Gatling gun suddenly roared to life, the explosion sounding like thunder.

Hundreds of spiritual energy projectiles transformed into dazzling streams of light and shot out.

The cloaked figure was filled with shock and anger. He clasped his hands together abruptly, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy that condensed into a thick light shield in front of him.

The light shield was as steady as a mountain, with spiritual patterns flashing incessantly, radiating layers of halos.

But the next instant, a dense hail of bullets crashed down.

Boom boom boom!

Explosions continued one after another, towering waves of fire surged on the surface of the light shield, and the spiritual patterns trembled rapidly.

In an instant, the protective shield was riddled with holes and cracks, and was on the verge of collapse.

"Oh!"

Several bullets exploded, scattering sparks everywhere.

The spiritual energy shield shattered suddenly, and the cloaked figure cried out in surprise, then turned and fled.

However, a barrage of bullets relentlessly pursued them.

Each bullet exploded in the air, creating a gust of wind and flames, like a persistent, insidious wound, clinging to him relentlessly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions erupted, flames merging together, chasing his retreating figure and illuminating the sky in crimson.

The cloaked figure unleashed a series of swift talismans before finally managing to escape, his clothes tattered and his shoulders a bloody mess, looking utterly wretched.

"Horse riding!"

The cloaked man was furious. "You bastard, you still have this trump card? Given your shallow cultivation, do you really think you can use such a powerful magical weapon a second time?"

As he spoke, he gulped down pills, his body transforming into a rainbow of light as he chased after Xue Xiang.

Before long, he spotted Xue Xiang's trail, snorted coldly, and was about to rush forward.

Suddenly, a slender longsword spanning more than ten zhang shot towards them, and the cloaked man dodged it.

The longsword struck the trunk of a large tree, and suddenly, a huge explosion occurred.

A towering flame stretched for ten feet.

The cloaked figure was caught in the flames again and was thrown into the air.

When he regained his footing, his cloak was tattered, his mask was broken, and his hair and beard were charred, revealing a fat face full of grotesque features.

"If I don't kill you, heaven and earth will not tolerate it."

The cloaked man roared repeatedly, soared into the air, unleashing his full spiritual power, and swiftly moved east and west, north and south. After a short while, he found Xue Xiang again.

To his surprise, Xue Xiang was resting against a giant tree, staring at him with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist's relentless pursuit is truly touching. Your strength is astonishing; you may come even closer."

Xue Xiang was exhausted, but his voice was full of fighting spirit.

The cloaked man was terrified by his cunning and dared not approach for a moment.

Just then, there was movement on the western horizon, and four figures rushed over.

Xue Xiang glanced at it and felt a chill in his heart, thinking to himself, "Am I going to die here today?"

It turned out that the people who came were none other than Qin Bing and his three subordinates.

At that time, in the blessed land of the ancients, the Qin army was one of the four forces.

Before the four Qin soldiers could get close, the cloaked man quickly took out his cloak and covered himself again.

The four Qin soldiers coldly sized up Xue Xiang, then cast inquiring glances at their three subordinates, who all slowly shook their heads.

Xue Xiang's mind raced, and he said loudly, "Fellow Daoists, you've come at just the right time."

You all come and judge the truth of this; everyone here is here to find treasure.

I was just passing by when I saw this person admiring the precious pill. Seeing the murderous look on his face, I quickly left.

This man is relentlessly pursuing me, determined to kill me. What kind of logic is this?

"Precious pill? What precious pill?"

The Qin soldiers were greatly encouraged.

Xue Xiang waved his hand, "Let's not talk about the precious pill for now. This person not only chased me relentlessly, but also used the Yuan Explosion Bead to blast me. Everyone, tell me, is there any justice in this world?"

The cloaked man stared coldly at Xue Xiang, completely baffled by his rambling.

But he had already seen through Xue Xiang's intentions; he simply wanted to distort the truth and gain the sympathy of these strangers.

That's so childish.

Those who come to this land of demons to risk their lives have all paid a huge price, all for the treasures here. Who has the energy to uphold justice for others?

The cloaked man thought the four people in front of him would leave impatiently, but to his surprise, Qin Bing stared wide-eyed at Xue Xiang and demanded loudly, "I'm asking you, what kind of precious pill is he carrying?"

Xue Xiang stood up, took a step back, and feigned surprise, "Fellow Daoist, what's wrong? What precious pill? I didn't see it clearly either, I only saw it emitting a bright golden light."

The four Qin soldiers were overjoyed. Without the soldiers even asking, one of them threw out a strange talisman, which rose into the air and exploded into auspicious clouds.

The cloaked man was dumbfounded.

Qin Bing stared intently at the cloaked man, sneering repeatedly, "I knew you were no good from the start. I saw you putting on your cloak from a distance. If you weren't guilty, why were you hiding?"

Qin Bing sneered, "You really think it's so easy to take advantage of me?"

The cloaked man was completely dumbfounded. How could this kid have turned these four guys against him with just a few words?

Xue Xiang said loudly, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, even garlic birds have it tough."

"We're all here to find treasure, why ruin the harmony? Give me some face, let's talk it out, there's no need to fight."

(End of this chapter)