Chapter 17: Living Off a Woman Is Simply Wonderful

Qin Ming sped along, carrying Leng Xuewei. He chose not to fly; being hunted by a creature far superior in cultivation meant that taking to the air was far too dangerous and would only expose his position. Hugging the terrain to remain hidden was the best strategy. Naturally, he also had to perfectly mask his aura, or else it would all be in vain, as high-level cultivators could perceive energy and lock onto their targets through the void.

"I must refine a movement technique for escaping in the future," Qin Ming vowed to himself.

"Rumble!"

The sound of crashing echoed incessantly as vast stretches of forest behind Qin Ming were shattered. Glancing back, he saw it was that old serpent! Once it revealed its true form, the creature was massive, roughly thirty zhang long. Two tentacles were faintly emerging from its head, and clouds and mist swirled beneath its body. It was on the verge of transforming into a jiao, possessing a trace of true dragon characteristics.

The old serpent lunged forward, its triangular eyes shooting out cold light as they scanned the surroundings. It had actually lost track of the two? They had vanished without a trace right under its nose. This brat was truly lucky! It had to admit, there was some luck involved. At the start, the boy had managed to break free from its illusions and even snatched its Soul-Sucking Bell.

Just as it pondered this, a black shadow lunged from behind a rock. The old serpent’s pupils constricted—it was Qin Ming! He hadn't run away? He dared to ambush it when the disparity in their strength was so vast? Ruthless!

"Clang!"

The sound of swords ringing out erupted as six malevolent blades struck down. It was a sword technique—starting with a major move!

"Pfft!"

Caught off guard, the old serpent’s head was struck, and a pillar of blood erupted. However, lacking a proper artifact, it wasn't a fatal wound. Stung by the pain, the serpent whipped its tail, striking Qin Ming squarely. Qin Ming felt his blood churn, and his body felt as though it were shattering. Fortunately, his Everlasting Blood hummed, erupting with intense vitality to rapidly heal his wounds; otherwise, that single blow would have been enough to break his body apart.

Bang! Although his body was unharmed, he was slammed to the ground by the force. Qin Ming quickly scrambled up, ducked behind a rock, hoisted Leng Xuewei, and continued his escape. After half a day of flight, he finally managed to shake off the old serpent. The mountains were filled with its roars, but eventually, it departed in frustration.

Inside a cave, Qin Ming reviewed the recent battle. He hadn't been at much of a disadvantage. If he had a suitable artifact, he might have been able to make the serpent bleed even more, and he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state. Refining an artifact was now an urgent priority!

"Huff!" Qin Ming had just caught his breath when he felt a dampness on his lips. Immediately after, a pair of slender hands touched his chest and pushed him down. Looking closely, he saw a vast expanse of white. Two peaks were slightly exposed before him, looking incredibly supple. Glancing up, he saw the person who had pushed him was Leng Xuewei. Her veil was gone, revealing her true face, and her red lips were pressed against his in a kiss. As their eyes met, even with Qin Ming’s focus, he found himself dazed for a long time.

She was too beautiful. Her skin was like coagulated fat, white with a rosy tint, flawless as a peeled egg. Her exquisite facial features seemed like a masterpiece of the heavens. Qin Ming knew she would be beautiful, but he hadn't expected this much. At this moment, her eyes were glazed, her cheeks flushed, and her expression was filled with an alluring charm, like a little lamb.

Qin Ming’s throat felt dry, but in the end, reason triumphed over impulse! If he were to defile this proud daughter of the Immortal Palace, the consequences would be even more severe than killing a prince of the Shenxuan Dynasty. Pleasure for a moment versus pleasure for a lifetime—it wasn't a hard choice. Qin Ming pushed Leng Xuewei away and quickly dressed her. During the process, he accidentally touched her heaving peaks, sending a ripple through his heart. He had to admit, the texture was incredible, but he dared not dwell on it.

After finishing, Qin Ming tapped her smooth forehead, inputting a stream of pure energy to dispel the side effects of the aphrodisiac seed. He then left the cave to sit cross-legged outside and keep watch. He had gained much this time, refining many spirit beasts, and his Everlasting Blood had condensed about two and a half drops; the third would surely form soon. His cultivation had reached the second level of the Soul-Building Realm, and his Nine Heavens God-Slaying Sword Technique had successfully solidified six of the malevolent blades. Beyond that, he had the contaminated Immortal Gold and the Soul-Sucking Bell. He had other great uses for the divine metal; he intended to use the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Burial Cauldron to forge his own life-bound Dao sword! Of course, there was no rush. If he were to forge an artifact, it would be the most luxurious one possible.

A night passed. Early the next morning, Leng Xuewei opened her beautiful eyes. She touched her cheeks, which felt flushed. Recalling yesterday’s absurdity, her face burned. As a noblewoman of the Immortal Palace, she had been outsmarted by a ninth-level Bitter Sea beast and fed an aphrodisiac seed, yet that young man had been so prescient—more alert than her. The boy’s image inexplicably surfaced in her mind. A strange look flashed in her eyes. After straightening her disheveled dress, she walked out of the cave with her long legs. She saw Qin Ming sitting cross-legged and looked at him with complex emotions.

"Miss Leng, you're awake?" Qin Ming let out a long breath.

"You are quite loyal. Were you not afraid of death?" Leng Xuewei asked.

"Miss Leng is too kind. Actually, if you hadn't woken up soon, I would have had to run away myself." The old serpent’s strength was likely above the ninth level of the Bitter Sea, perhaps even having entered the Divine Bridge Realm. The chances of being caught if he stayed or carried dead weight were high. Facing his frankness, Leng Xuewei’s eyes shimmered. This man was truly calm and cautious, never doing anything without certainty, and knowing when to give up.

"By the way, that old thing's strength should be around the first level of the Divine Bridge Realm. How were you able to escape from it?"

Facing her question, Qin Ming said blandly, "Just running fast enough is enough."

Leng Xuewei did not press further, though she looked at him a few more times. She had to admit, this boy had some tricks up his sleeve. Being able to instantly kill a third-level Bitter Sea cultivator and escape from a Divine Bridge Realm beast meant his strength exceeded the younger generation of Qingzhou.

"Hmph, that old thing tricked us so badly. I'll take you back to kill it!" Leng Xuewei gritted her teeth. She had put her veil back on, but even without seeing her face, one could imagine her gnashing her pearly white teeth.

Qin Ming’s expression was strange; this girl was quite vengeful. It was fortunate he had resisted the temptation earlier and done nothing untoward. Otherwise, he had no doubt she would have taken her anger out on the entirety of Qingzhou.

Qin Ming looked at her and cupped his hands. "May I be so bold as to ask for Miss Leng’s cultivation level?"

"Sixth level of the Divine Bridge Realm!" She hesitated before responding.

"Good. Let's head for that old thing's lair," Qin Ming immediately incited. The serpent had been entrenched in the Hundred-Broken Mountain Range for so many years; it must have many treasures. If they couldn't kill it, they could at least ransack the place.

"This time, I will lead the way." Qin Ming had secretly noted the direction the serpent had returned to during his flight.

"You aren't afraid of danger now? Walking in front?" Leng Xuewei followed behind him with a strange expression. Ever since he learned her cultivation level, he had become quite brave.

"Not afraid. If I encounter danger, I’ll scream for help very loudly," Qin Ming grinned. With a sixth-level Divine Bridge cultivator backing him, why would he fear an old snake? He would just turn it into snake soup!

Before long, Qin Ming led Leng Xuewei deep into the Hundred-Broken Mountain Range. After wandering for a while, he finally locked onto a mountain peak. It was obviously the old monster’s lair. It was extraordinary! Thick fog could not hide its brilliant glow, where multi-colored lights gathered, looking like falling auroras. As they approached, they found that the rocks and stones were carved with formation patterns; the entire mountain had been forged into a great array. On some of the stone walls, there were even portraits of Qin Ming, and his aura had been attached to them.

Qin Ming’s eyes grew cold. Was it picking the soft persimmon? Only putting a bounty on him and not on Leng Xuewei?

"Hey, that person looks familiar. Is he the wanted criminal named by the Beast Marshal?"

"It’s him! The aura is the same!"

Ecstatic shouts erupted from the mountain. They roared and flew over, looking determined to capture Qin Ming. Among them were many fifth and sixth-level Bitter Sea cultivators.

"If you want to kill me for the bounty, feel free. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere," Qin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, shouting at the mountain. His voice contained his cultivation power, booming and shaking the surroundings. Under his loud voice, the beasts in the serpent’s lair were startled and began to emerge.

Seeing that he had stirred up enough trouble, Qin Ming sensibly retreated behind Leng Xuewei. "Miss Leng, I’ve brought the enemies for you!"

Leng Xuewei felt a bit helpless. Seeing how arrogant he had been, she thought he would take action himself! However, she didn't waste words; thinking of how she had been tricked by the serpent, her anger flared. She stomped her foot!

With a boom, the entire mountain shook, followed by continuous cracking sounds. The formation was shattering, and the energy within the patterns was being wiped away. The beasts that had flown out to capture Qin Ming were stunned. That wanted human boy had actually brought such a formidable expert? Before they could think, a tyrannical force enveloped their bodies. In the next second, they exploded in mid-air.

Watching this, Qin Ming’s heart leaped with excitement! Having a beautiful expert around meant he didn't have to lift a finger—living off a "soft meal" was truly wonderful!