Chapter Sixty-Nine: Approaching the Valley Fortress

Bai Xue closed her eyes and waited for a moment. When she realized she hadn’t been struck by the armored rhinoceros, curiosity compelled her to open them. To her astonishment, she found herself cradled in the arms of a young man dressed in white. As he held her, he darted left, then right, evading the beast’s charge, until they were safely beyond its reach.

It was no wonder that Bai Xue, upon seeing the armored rhinoceros rushing toward her, had been so flustered that she failed to notice being swept into someone’s arms and carried to safety.

The one holding Bai Xue was none other than Yang Xiao, who had come from afar. After three or four months of continuous travel, Yang Xiao had finally arrived in the region of the Ten Thousand Beasts Valley that very day, which meant he was near the heart of the remote kingdom. Along the way, he sometimes traveled by sword flight, at other times augmenting his steps with spiritual power. Given his current cultivation, using blood energy to command his sword allowed only limited flight; only upon reaching the Qi Condensation Realm and flying with spiritual energy could he travel long distances with stability. Beyond that lay the mysterious realm of commanding the sword with divine will, which would allow truly carefree flight.

This explained why Yang Xiao had taken so long to reach the valley; yet the journey hadn’t hindered his cultivation. Indeed, not long ago, his power had broken through to the ninth level of the Spiritual Awareness Realm—a feat inextricably linked to his daily use of elixirs, for otherwise, such progress in a matter of months would have been impossible.

With his cultivation now at the ninth level, Yang Xiao’s abilities had advanced dramatically. Thus, his speed in rescuing Bai Xue was so great that, even with her eyes closed, she did not realize until after the danger had passed that she had been carried away.

As fate would have it, Yang Xiao had been flying over the Ten Thousand Beasts Valley when he spotted Bai Xue under attack. Normally, he wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, given how common such incidents were in this region. However, on this day, he had intended to find a local to inquire about the area. Since he happened upon Bai Xue’s predicament, he decided to intervene—after all, someone whose life he had just saved would likely answer him truthfully.

After carrying Bai Xue to safety, Yang Xiao finally realized that the young woman in his arms was truly beautiful. The delicate fragrance emanating from her made him linger, and the softness of her slender body stirred strange emotions within him. Perhaps, having recently parted from Ling Yunmei, he unconsciously saw her features in Bai Xue, awakening a touch of longing.

“Thank you for saving me, sir, but the armored rhinoceros is charging this way again,” Bai Xue reminded him.

“Ah, you can rest assured—I have a way.” With that, Yang Xiao gently set Bai Xue down, drew the Dragon Serpent Sword, and unleashed the Sword Soul Domain. Instantly, countless swords of light surrounded the armored rhinoceros.

The beast, sensing the terrifying power of the sword shadows, halted abruptly and attempted to flee. But the Sword Soul Domain’s might was overwhelming, and the sword shadows enveloped nearly its entire body. Even with the protection of its iron armor, weaknesses remained—at its belly, neck, and the corners of its eyes, wounds quickly appeared. With the relentless assault of Yang Xiao’s blade, the injuries deepened until, with a thunderous crash, the armored rhinoceros collapsed, utterly slain.

“You are truly formidable, sir.” Bai Xue was stunned by the scene before her. To most cultivators, the armored rhinoceros was a formidable foe, yet this young man had dispatched it with apparent ease—a rare occurrence indeed. Her respect for Yang Xiao grew.

“It was nothing—merely a small effort. By the way, I’ve come from afar and wish to ask you about this region,” Yang Xiao explained his intentions.

“My father always says that a kindness, no matter how small, must be repaid a hundredfold. Since you saved me, you must allow me the chance to repay you. I know much about this area. Why not come home with me and rest for a while? Then, I can tell you everything you wish to know.” Bai Xue’s bright eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Well… that sounds reasonable. I’m in no great hurry, after all—a rest would do me good,” Yang Xiao replied after a moment’s thought.

“Great! Then come with me. By the way, the armored rhinoceros yields valuable materials that fetch a high price. Let’s collect some before we go.” As she said this, Bai Xue picked up her treasured blade and approached the fallen beast. Swiftly, she removed its outer armor, iron hooves, sharp horn, and other parts, placing them all into a finely crafted storage pouch.

Without the beast’s spiritual force to sustain it, extracting these materials was not difficult, and Bai Xue finished quickly.

She then handed the storage pouch to Yang Xiao. “Take these, sir. The materials from an armored rhinoceros are excellent for crafting spiritual tools and can be sold for a good many spirit stones.”

Yang Xiao had not intended to accept these things, especially as the pouch itself was of superior craftsmanship and considerable value. However, since Bai Xue insisted it was his reward for saving her life, he accepted it.

Once the materials were packed away, Yang Xiao and Bai Xue made their way to a small town outside the valley named Lin’gu Outpost, so called for its proximity to the Ten Thousand Beasts Valley. The town was bustling with commerce—shops collected materials from spirit beasts and medicinal herbs, while others sold elixirs and spiritual tools. In short, the entire town hummed with prosperity.

Bai Xue’s father, Bai Sheng, was the proprietor of one such shop dealing in medicinal herbs. Upon learning of his daughter’s ordeal, he was furious at the two servants who had fled, vowing to find and severely punish them. He thanked Yang Xiao profusely for rescuing his daughter and invited him to stay in the town for several days as a gesture of gratitude.

Yang Xiao had planned to ask about the local area and the heart of the remote kingdom before moving on. But, considering that he had already reached the ninth level of Spiritual Awareness, he thought he might attempt a breakthrough to the Qi Condensation Realm. If successful, his strength would advance further, and he would enter the heart of the kingdom with greater confidence.

Thus, Yang Xiao accepted Bai Sheng’s invitation. “I prefer quiet surroundings,” he said. “Is there such a place where I might stay? Of course, I won’t live there for free—I’ll pay rent as well.”