Demons and monsters wreak havoc: gain one new confidante every day.

"Xiugu, wake up."

Shen You returned to the Blackwater Hall's headquarters, found Hong Xiugu and Tian Yi'er, and channeled his Five Immortals Great Strength into their bodies. Their injuries were severe, and they were also poisoned, but amidst the flashing golden light, their condition quickly improved.

After mastering the Five Immortals' Great Strength, Shen You discovered that he had become a half-baked healer. Although he was only at a rudimentary level, he had no problem using the Five Immortals' Great Strength to keep people alive or suppress injuries.

Hong Xiugu woke up quickly, staring blankly at Shen You: "You..."

"It's all over," Shen You said with a slight smile. "Let's go back."

After a long while, Hong Xiugu slowly sat up. Her gaze left Shen You and fell on Xiao Hui, who was still unconscious to the side.

"You... met the Jade Scale Gentleman?" Hong Xiugu asked hesitantly, guessing.

Shen You nodded: "He has been beheaded. From now on, we no longer need to worry about the snake demon."

Hong Xiugu was speechless for a moment.

When she and Tian Yi'er came to Blackwater Hall, they were wondering if Shen You had discovered some clues and came here to find Bilin Langjun. As it turned out, that was indeed the case. After a great battle with the leader of Blackwater Hall, Shen You actually went and dealt with Bilin Langjun on his own.

Hong Xiugu remembered very clearly that Bilin Langjun was an opponent that even Senior Brother Liu could only defeat with difficulty.

Shen You... Hong Xiugu murmured to herself, when suddenly a feeling of unease arose in her heart, making her feel a tightness in her chest.

Tian Yi'er also woke up. Shen You explained the situation to him, then carried Xiao Hui on his back and helped Hong Xiugu up, and slowly walked outside.

As for Tian Yi'er, Shen You let him leave on his own.

There was no way around it; although they were good brothers, Shen You was still unwilling to take care of a man too much.

"After returning to Renxin Hall and finding a way to heal their injuries, I'll go find Third Sister..."

As Shen You walked out of Renxin Hall, he pondered in his heart:

"Bring the 'Creation Dew' to Third Sister... and perhaps also tell her about Lord Bilin. Tell her that I was entrusted by Lord Bilin to impersonate him, and I believe she won't blame me... After taking the 'Creation Dew,' she will be able to come back to life, be reborn as a human, and start a completely new life..."

Thinking of this, Shen You couldn't help but feel excited. For him, the affinity with a woman wasn't just about how much she liked him, but also how much he liked her. A very high affinity meant that he could do anything for San Niang, just like he did for Xiao Hui.

"I hope that Third Sister... will live a peaceful and joyful life from now on, free from all worries..."

Just as Shen You was feeling sentimental, Hong Xiugu beside her suddenly changed her expression and warned, "Be careful!"

She tugged at Shen You's arm, and Shen You looked up and saw a man in black appear on the street ahead.

The moment Shen You saw the man in black, his internal organs seemed to freeze, and even his breath caught in his throat. He immediately understood why Hong Xiugu was so nervous. The man in black before him was undoubtedly a master, and a super master that even with his current third-rank strength, he could hardly imagine.

The man in black wore a form-fitting night suit and a mask that resembled a demon with blue faces and fangs. Two dark pupils peeked out from under his eyes, deep and eerie, as if they could absorb the surrounding light and stare at the scene.

Shen You took a deep breath and handed Xiao Hui, who was on her back, to Hong Xiugu: "Take her and Xiao Tian with you, and you two go away quickly."

"But..." Hong Xiugu said anxiously.

"Stop talking nonsense..." Shen You gritted her teeth, "If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all...!"

Hong Xiugu fell silent, gave Shen You a deep look, and finally hugged Xiao Hui tightly. Together with Tian Yi'er, they turned to leave.

Shen You felt a little relieved. The next moment, she saw a blur before her eyes, and the black-clad man in the distance disappeared almost in the blink of an eye, suddenly appearing in front of them.

Shen You could almost see the undisguised malice in the black-clad man's eyes. The coldness seeped into Shen You's body like a tidal wave, and Shen You felt as if her body was locked up, unable to move.

Hong Xiugu and Tian Yier's bodies seemed to freeze instantly, standing still and unable to move an inch.

There's no way out... A sense of despair welled up in Shen You's heart... None of them could escape!

The man in black slowly stepped forward and extended his hand to Shen You.

He didn't say anything, but Shen You already knew what he wanted.

He came specifically for that Dew of Creation.

Shen You's forehead was covered in sweat. He had finally managed to defeat Bi Lin Lang Jun and obtain the Creation Dew, but in the blink of an eye, the man in black had come to kill him.

Were the men in black waiting outside the whole time?

Or perhaps he's been spying on us all along?

The more Shen You thought about it, the more frightened he became. The psychological pressure brought to him by this mysterious and unknown master far exceeded that of any opponent he had ever faced before.

Under his pressure, Shen You almost wanted to take out the Dew of Creation from her bosom and place it in his hand.

But Shen You then thought of San Niang, who had transformed into a demon in the lotus pond and waited bitterly for a hundred years.

Thinking about how peaceful and happy San Niang would live if she were a human, and how satisfied and gratified Bi Lin Lang Jun would look if he knew this in the afterlife, Shen You felt as if his arms were carrying a thousand-pound burden, making it impossible for him to reach into his robes and take out the Creation Dew.

"How dare you!"

Seemingly seeing that Shen You hadn't made a move, the man in black snorted coldly, his voice as hoarse and unpleasant as an owl's, and suddenly reached out and struck Shen You in the chest.

Shen You's expression changed, and he hurriedly drew his sword. In an instant, all the power of the Five Immortals surged into the sword, causing it to glow with a blood-red light edged with gold, and he fiercely met the black-clad man's palm strike.

Shen You heard the man in black let out a soft exclamation. The next moment, his palm, which was as white as jade, shattered Shen You's bloody light with overwhelming force, and then pressed heavily on Shen You's chest.

puff--

Shen You coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing to the ground with a thud.

"Shen You!" Hong Xiugu shouted and rushed back to check on Shen You's injuries.

Shen You collapsed to the ground, spitting out blood. With Hong Xiugu's help, he managed to lift half of his body from the ground and looked at the man in black. He was now certain—

That's at least a fourth-rank expert!

There is a huge dividing line between the third and fourth ranks of martial artists. At the first, second and third ranks, martial artists are still called martial artists, but at the fourth rank, they can be called martial masters.

Martial artists progress from being mediocre to the first, second, and third ranks, encountering certain hurdles: "Breaking Through the Barrier," "Breaking Through the Origin," "Breaking Through the Acupoints," and "Breaking Through the Summit." However, upon reaching the fourth rank, they enter the "Seeking the Heart Monkey" stage, which is a completely different world altogether.

This shows how desperate and powerless a low-ranking martial artist must feel when encountering someone of rank four or above. They can't even withstand a casual palm strike from the opponent and seem to be helpless, lying on the ground at the mercy of others.

"Give it to me!"

The man in black walked over and spoke again in a hoarse voice.

Shen Youming knew that since his opponent had asked for it, he could most likely survive if he handed over the Creation Dew.

But if one goes against one's own will at this moment and succumbs to power, will one be able to make any progress in one's cultivation in the future?

Do I really want to stagnate at the third rank for the rest of my life?

I'm not reconciled...

Why did we have to encounter such a formidable opponent at this time?

Even if it's just two more months, when I can use the power of the Five Immortals to cultivate the "Five Immortals Orthodox Method" and also cultivate the "Dragon Transformation" that Lord Bilin just gave me, then when I face the man in black in front of me again, it will be a completely different situation.

But just as he had advanced to the third rank and just grasped the great power, the man in black appeared before him.

How long has he been watching me?

"No, I cannot give in...!"

Shen You roared inwardly:

"From the moment I was born until now, I have never yielded! This is the foundation upon which I have been able to stand in this world!"

"So be it, I'm dead!"

Shen You looked up and glared at the man in black:

"I will never yield to you!"