Chapter 101: The Old Ancestor's Anxiety

In the black sky, a crescent moon hung high; the cold, clear moonlight was like a sharp blade, slashing down upon the earth, whipping up a wind that whistled as it passed.

This wind blew up some of the sparse snow on the ground, merging with the blade-like light falling from the firmament, sweeping in all directions and causing the grass of the Red Plains to bend slightly.

With each step Xu Qing took, as his figure moved forward like a ghost or specter, and as the cold gleam of his dagger flashed in the dark night, hot blood splattered from the desperate outlaws around him, landing on the wind-bent red grass.

Yet the evil contained within this blood was not qualified to melt the cold; it could not lower the temperature of the wind and snow on this winter night, and even the red grass seemed to disdain it, bending with the wind to shake the blood off, drop by drop.

One corpse after another fell in this cold wind, never to rise again.

The dagger in Xu Qing’s hand became the final light in their lives; one step, one kill.

As the blade flashed, Xu Qing sliced open the throat of the last scavenger in the area. Amidst the other’s terrified and dimming gaze, Xu Qing stood there, surrounded by a field of corpses.

Everyone was killed with a single strike.

Every wound was to the throat.

Because cutting the throat was the most convenient and quickest method, though the splattering blood was a bit dirty and stained his robes, which made Xu Qing frown slightly.

But the killing intent in his eyes did not diminish because of the blood on his clothes; since he had made his move, how could he not cut the weeds and dig up the roots, even if these desperate wretches here might lack the ability to retaliate.

However, Xu Qing did not like carelessness, nor did he like any hidden dangers.

Especially since he was now on his way to pull out a thorn; if he weren't going to act, so be it, but since he had, he did not want to leave behind any trace of himself.

Thus, looking up, Xu Qing held his dagger and walked toward the place in the distance where a commotion had arisen due to the slaughter here.

Ahead was the place where the lingering warmth of cooking drifted over. There, seven or eight desperate outlaws were gathered around a large pot, originally drinking soup. Upon noticing the slaughter here, they stood up in horror, each looking at Xu Qing with vigilance and terror.

Xu Qing also looked at them.

Between the two sides, the snow on the ground was covered in drag marks from the corpses, while in the area where these outlaws were, there were no corpses, only some discarded clothes.

Where the corpses had gone... Xu Qing knew full well.

He was no stranger to the scent of meat carried on the wind; he had smelled it from afar when he was in the slums. The first person he ever killed was because that person had wanted to eat him.

Xu Qing’s gaze swept over the large pot beside these seven or eight outlaws, and he continued to walk forward.

In an instant, those seven or eight outlaws retreated rapidly with changing expressions, wanting to flee. But the one who ran the fastest had not even taken a few steps before a black iron spike arrived like lightning, piercing through from the back of his head.

The next moment, Xu Qing quickened his pace and rushed forward. The dagger in his hand shimmered with moonlight, colder still in the wind and snow, as he sliced open the throat of one scavenger and then caught up to the second.

"This friend, let's not be impulsive..."

A head flew into the air!

"It's our fault, we were blind, we are willing to offer compensation!"

”

Blood stained the neck!

"I'll fight you to the death!"

”

The skull collapsed!

The entire slaughter lasted only five breaths. The whole world suddenly went quiet; the moonlight was desolate, the wind and snow drifted down, and the corpses on the ground completely stained the soil red, turning it into a true Red Plains.

Looking at the surrounding corpses, Xu Qing wiped his dagger on one of them and began to dispose of them.

Soon, the corpses here turned into pools of blood and merged into the ground. Xu Qing glanced at the huge pot and silently extinguished the fire beneath it.

He suddenly understood better why, even though one had to pay expensive contribution points every day to reside in the main city of the Seven Blood Eyes, people still flocked there endlessly, wanting to stay.

In troubled times, human life is worthless.

Xu Qing turned and continued on his way.

That night, the wind and snow grew heavier. Flakes of snow descended from the sky, sliding rapidly past the running Xu Qing. The cold wind blew, lifting his long hair and attempting to burrow into his clothes.

Xu Qing frowned slightly, pulled his collar tight, exhaled a puff of white mist, lowered his head slightly, and continued forward.

Just like that, the night passed.

When the next morning arrived, Xu Qing, who had traveled for the entire night, finally saw a mountain appear in the distance.

As the Red Plains was a flat land, there were not many mountains, and even those that existed were mostly quite short, not really looking like mountains. Only this one before him was passable, but it was vastly different from the original sect grounds of the Diamond Sect.

Whether in terms of luxury or solemnity, they were not on the same level.

Looking at the mountaintop, one could see some newly built halls, but they were clearly desolate; it seemed there were not many sect disciples, and the entire sect seemed to exude a sense of bleakness.

"Diamond Sect?" Xu Qing pondered.

According to the clues he had investigated, this mountain was the new sect ground for the Diamond Sect that had migrated here.

And clearly, not everyone could adapt to the change in environment, especially since they had migrated to these Red Plains, which were even harsher and more barren than their original location; naturally, fewer people could accept it.

Coupled with the fact that they had not been here long, the desolate atmosphere of the Diamond Sect was understandable.

But Xu Qing was very cautious; he would not lower his guard just because the Diamond Sect looked full of decay on the surface. He was unclear about the current internal state of their sect, and he did not know if it was truly as it appeared at this moment.

Therefore, Xu Qing did not intend to rush over and attack immediately; he wanted to observe first.

Like a hunter stalking prey, one cannot be impatient.

Thus, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze from the Diamond Sect, left the area, and traveled until he found a scavenger camp closest to the Diamond Sect, a hundred miles away.

Compared to the Diamond Sect a hundred miles away, the camp was significantly livelier; from afar, Xu Qing could already hear the clamor within.

As he approached, he thought for a moment, took out his old fur coat from his storage bag and put it on, then picked up some mud and smeared it on his face. The vigilance in his eyes, along with his attire, instantly turned him into a scavenger.

After checking himself and confirming there were no issues, Xu Qing crept forward, gradually reaching the outskirts of the scavenger camp. As he drew closer, the noise became more intense. Although there were guards here, they only glanced at Xu Qing once, paid him no mind, and let him walk in.

In truth, Xu Qing’s disguise as a scavenger could no longer be described as "resembling" one; he was a scavenger by nature.

The same aura, the same gaze, the same cruelty.

Walking into the scavenger camp, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze from the surrounding tents and looked into the distance, where over a hundred scavengers were gathered together, roaring excitedly. The clamor he had heard from afar was coming from these people.

And the scene that had them surrounded and excited was a cruel sight.

A competition was taking place there.

Like racing dogs, seven or eight ragged, gaunt figures were running with all their might. Their bodies were permeated with a thick aura of foreign matter, and their skin was mostly blue-black; clearly, they were heavily tainted with foreign matter and were not far from alienation.

Their eyes held despair and madness, and the track they were running on was a path paved with sharp stones and fragments of blades and swords.

Stepping on it, the excruciating pain and blood could drive a person mad.

And in front of them, at the end of this track, sat a spotted White Pill.

For people whose alienation was this severe, a single White Pill might not save their lives, but it could at least extend their time, and this time might give them the opportunity to obtain other White Pills.

Therefore, even as they ran, with blood covering the ground and each of them trembling to the extreme, the desire to survive drove them to sprint in a frenzy. This was dog racing, and it was also horse racing.

Bursts of roars filled with excitement and cruelty came from the surrounding scavengers; they were clearly all placing bets.

Xu Qing watched all of this until he saw one person, who was on the verge of alienation, drag their bleeding body to the end, snatch the White Pill, and swallow it in one gulp. The remaining contestants fell into despair and were dragged back to the starting point. After a new White Pill was placed, the race continued.

As for the surrounding scavengers, some were happy and wanton, others were cursing incessantly, but soon, as the race restarted, they all placed their bets again.

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked up toward the direction of the Diamond Sect.

At the same time, within the Diamond Sect a hundred miles from the camp, in the main hall on the mountaintop, the Diamond Sect Old Ancestor sat there with an ugly expression, waving away the sect master who had been wanting to speak but hesitated.

"Do you think I actually wanted to come to this godforsaken place? But what else could I do if I didn't migrate here!"

"That foul woman from the Seventh Peak of the Seven Blood Eyes is too vicious. To offer her compensation, I had to give up more than half of my life's savings!"

The Diamond Sect Old Ancestor sat there, muttering to himself with a face full of grief and indignation.

"And that kid, he’s also rising in the Seven Blood Eyes. If I don't move away, am I supposed to wait for him to reach Foundation Establishment and come slap me to death?"

"According to my experience from reading countless ancient texts, this incident is my life-and-death tribulation..." The Diamond Sect Old Ancestor felt even more grief and indignation in his heart. Thinking of how the Diamond Sect had fallen into such a miserable state in this short time, his heart couldn't help but twist with pain.

The impact of the migration was also huge; after all, not everyone was willing to move. During the process, many disciples secretly fled. Although he had killed some, he couldn't kill them all.

"It doesn't matter. My elixir is almost ready. As long as I swallow this elixir, I can finally break through to the thirtieth dharma aperture and form my first cluster of Life Fire. Once the Life Fire is formed, I can open the Xuan Yao state, the hallmark of Foundation Establishment!"

"In the Xuan Yao state, my combat power will instantly soar, and then I won't be afraid of that kid anymore..." The Diamond Sect Old Ancestor gritted his teeth, but at this thought, his expression suddenly changed.

"No, according to the ancient texts I've read, accidents often happen at this critical moment..." Thinking of this, the Diamond Sect Old Ancestor's expression shifted violently, until he rummaged through his belongings and found a token; only after holding it in his hand did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's impossible for that kid to break through so quickly. Besides, I have now joined the Departure Sect and am considered a believer. The Departure Sect is a giant just like the Seven Blood Eyes. With this tiger skin, I should be safe for a short time. Furthermore, I have also invited Daoist Tu Yun, who is still a guest in the sect..."

The Diamond Sect Old Ancestor muttered, looking at the token, a bitter taste rising in his heart. For this token, he had paid a great price; it was like selling himself, and he could never betray them for the rest of his life.

At the same time, fearing danger, he had basically been inviting friends over as guests every few days since moving here, and every time he invited someone, he would give out gifts.

Up to now, whether he was familiar with them or not, he had invited almost everyone he knew.

"One wrong step, and every step is wrong..." The Diamond Sect Old Ancestor sighed deeply, looked up at the distant sky, and slowly became lost in thought.

At this moment, the sunlight fell upon him. Seen from afar, the sense of twilight upon him in the sunlight became increasingly apparent.

Although the author is also reluctant to part with the Diamond Sect Old Ancestor, there is no help for it; once characters are endowed with personalities, their collisions are no longer under the author's control~~

Whether the Diamond Sect Old Ancestor can survive depends on his own wits and whether he can think of a way to save his life.