Chapter 96: Blame Yourself for Being Too Weak

Just after descending that high mountain, Zhou Jintang suddenly called out to the two and said: "Two fellow Daoists, I do not intend to return to Qinghefang now, so I will not go with you two and will take a step ahead."

After bidding farewell to Song Qingming and the other, Zhou Jintang walked directly in another direction. While speaking, his eyes still carried a trace of obvious defensiveness toward the two.

Song Qingming thought to himself that this Zhou Jintang, like him, was also a helper temporarily invited by the old Daoist Chen. It was estimated that he could not figure out the relationship between the old Daoist Chen and himself, and began to be somewhat afraid that the two of them would join forces to be unfavorable to him, which was why he chose to separate from them.

After Zhou Jintang left, the old Daoist Chen and Song Qingming looked at each other, and there was a trace of other colors in their eyes.

Zhou Jintang's farewell just now also reminded the two of them that now they each carried spiritual items worth thousands of spirit stones. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would be tempted if they saw so many spirit stones, let alone them, the bottom-level cultivators who were afraid of poverty.

"Little Fellow Daoist Song, the old Daoist also suddenly remembered that there are other things to do, so let us separate here first. Fellow Daoist can go directly back along the road we came."

The old Daoist Chen narrowed his eyes and said to Song Qingming. Before he could reply, he had already taken the initiative to disappear from where he was.

Regarding this, Song Qingming could only sigh helplessly in his heart. Although the three were exploring together for the first time when they came, there was no conflict of interest, and there was no such great defensiveness between each other. After obtaining such a large sum of spirit stones, it instead created some estrangement between them.

After putting away his thoughts, Song Qingming shook his head, and the spiritual light on his feet moved, quickly leaving this place.

When they came, there was the old Daoist Chen, who was very familiar with this route, leading the way, and the three were traveling together, so naturally, they were not afraid of encountering any powerful demonic beasts.

Now that it had suddenly become Song Qingming alone, although he knew the general route and would not go in the wrong direction, after all, this place was deep in Mount Yunwu. If he were entangled by those powerful high-tier demonic beasts, it would also be a very dangerous thing. For this reason, Song Qingming walked very carefully along the way and did not lower his caution in order to rush back to Qinghefang.

Although there were not as many demonic beasts in Mount Yunwu as in the Fuyun Mountain Range, the degree of danger here was no lower than in other places where demonic beasts were active.

In addition to various demonic beasts that appeared and disappeared unpredictably, there were also many places surrounded by highly toxic miasma. Once one lost their way here, even cultivators would find it difficult to escape the fate of not being able to walk out of here.

After walking for two days along the route they came, Song Qingming estimated that in another half a day, he would be able to walk out of Mount Yunwu. As long as he left here, he could basically be considered safe.

After reaching an open space, Song Qingming stopped his steps, intending to rest for a while. He had already walked out of the depths of Mount Yunwu, and it was difficult to see demonic beasts here anymore. Next, he had to speed up his steps and walk out of this dangerous place in one breath before dark.

Song Qingming had not been sitting for long when the spiritual sense he released suddenly felt a slight fluctuation of magic power not far behind him, which made him stand up quickly like a conditioned reflex and shout loudly toward the forest behind him.

"Who is it? Why are you sneaking around behind me?"

Song Qingming deliberately raised his voice very high, wanting to force out the person hiding in the forest.

"Unexpectedly, I was already so careful, yet I was still discovered by you. Fellow Daoist Song, I hope you have been well."

A person wearing a cyan cloak walked slowly out of the forest in the distance.

"It is you. Fellow Daoist Zhou, didn't you not intend to return to Qinghefang? Why have you been following behind me?"

The person who walked out of the forest was precisely Zhou Jintang, who had separated from Song Qingming two days ago.

"I have been chasing Fellow Daoist Song for two days, naturally I wanted to see you off, so as not to waste the acquaintance between you and me, right?"

While speaking, Zhou Jintang walked slowly toward Song Qingming, his words full of mockery, as if he had already played Song Qingming in the palm of his hand.

Song Qingming thought for a moment, sighed, and said: "Can I ask you one more question?"

"I am not in a hurry. If there is anything you want to know, just ask, so as not to become a confused ghost later."

"When we separated, Predecessor Chen received much more than I did. Why did you choose to make things difficult for me instead of looking for him?" Song Qingming thought for a moment and still asked this question that he had instinctively thought of just now.

He had not revealed any other wealth along the way, and Zhou Jintang had followed him for two days, clearly coming for wealth. Why did he choose to let go of the old Daoist Chen, who clearly had more spiritual items on him than himself, and follow him all the way? This made Song Qingming really somewhat unable to understand.

Zhou Jintang held the long spear in his hand. Hearing Song Qingming's question, his face suddenly revealed a sinister look.

"This can only be blamed on you looking too weak. That old thing, the old Daoist Chen, is not so easy to deal with. That old guy is very slippery. Wanting to target him is not an easy thing."

"Compared to that old slippery head, I naturally still prefer Fellow Daoist Song. Do you intend to hand over the storage bag yourself now, or wait for me to come up and take it myself later?"

"If I hand over the storage bag, will you let me go?" Song Qingming asked back with a somewhat nervous expression.

"I am just here for wealth. As long as you promise not to talk nonsense after going back, I can guarantee that I will never hurt you. Anyway, I am going to leave Qinghe County next, and I will never see you again in this life."

Zhou Jintang saw Song Qingming's somewhat at-a-loss appearance, as if he had really been bluffed by him, and a trace of a smile appeared on his face.

In his eyes, cultivators like Song Qingming who came from families mostly practiced in a relatively comfortable way. How could they compare to loose cultivators like them who had a difficult survival? A tiny bit of cultivation resources might require them to fight with their lives.

Zhou Jintang, who came from a loose cultivator background, was naturally not doing this for the first time. He was able to cultivate to the eighth layer of Qi Refining also by relying on several secret interceptions and killings of fellow cultivators to obtain a lot of spirit stones, which made his cultivation speed increase much faster than others.

After Song Qingming pretended to hesitate for a while, as if he had made up his mind, he placed a black storage bag in place, while he himself watched Zhou Jintang in the distance very carefully and retreated slowly.

"Fellow Daoist Song is indeed a person who knows the current affairs. Don't worry, I will keep my word. This time I have obtained so many spirit stones, even if it is not enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, it is enough to exchange for a few inferior Foundation Establishment spiritual items."

Seeing Song Qingming so obedient, Zhou Jintang could not help but laugh wildly. He stepped forward very excitedly to pick up the storage bag that Song Qingming had placed down. Just as he was about to prepare to open it to see, unexpectedly, a wisp of black smoke suddenly rose from the storage bag in his hand.

Only hearing a 'bang', a burst of yellow light rose, and Zhou Tangjin was blown away several zhang away, and then a miserable scream came.

"Stinky brat, you actually dare to scheme against me. Are you looking for death?"

Zhou Jintang cursed angrily. Fortunately, he had always maintained a trace of defensiveness just now. Relying on a second-tier spiritual talisman he had prepared in his hand, he had just blocked this wave of attacks in time. Only his left hand, which was holding the storage bag just now, was too close and could not be protected, and it was blown to pieces in the sudden explosion just now.

"After being hit by my Green Fire Thunder, you can still survive. Fellow Daoist Zhou is really not simple." As soon as the explosion sound started, Song Qingming had already turned around and killed his way back.

Seeing Zhou Jintang, who had been full of complacency just now, looking at him viciously, sitting on the ground not far away covered in blood, and having lost an arm, looking as miserable as he could be, Song Qingming could not help but mock him.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 97 =====