The Black Lotus Villain is Saving Himself! - Chapter 5

Xie Lingjun did not expect such a reaction from Fu Yun. Just as he intended to seize the momentum and engage in a true battle, a gust of violent wind swept past his back. Xie Lingjun swung his sword energy toward the source of the fishy scent. When he turned his head, he saw that his sword energy had pierced the Wood Demon.

The Wood Demon had been feigning death, gathering its strength for a surprise attack. By snatching the whip away, Fu Yun had actually helped Xie Lingjun avoid the strike. The Wood Demon attacked again, but in the next instant, the ground beneath its roots cracked open from four directions. A deep pit formed, trapping the creature.

“This is,” Xie Lingjun began, but Xie Yun cut in, “The Earth Manipulation Technique.”

It was one of the most basic Five Element spells. However, the difficulty of controlling such a vast area of earth and stone while precisely avoiding everyone else was far beyond imagination. The trapped Wood Demon was thoroughly strangled and killed. The crowd turned their gaze toward the rear of the clearing.

Fu Yun still stood outside the battlefield. Compared to his teammates who were covered in mud and blood, his clothes remained unstained by dust. Over the past few days, the team had noticed him avoiding combat. They had their reservations but chose not to speak up until now. However, today’s earth trap was undeniably ingenious.

The crowd felt a mixture of shock and complex emotions. Xie Yun remarked, “Fifth Senior Brother’s modified Earth Manipulation Technique is quite interesting.”

Fu Yun appeared composed and elegant until he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“I gave it a random try in a moment of desperation. Fortunately, it worked,” Fu Yun said, his voice lighter than usual. “The blood is due to the depletion of spiritual energy. It is no matter.”

He coughed again. Blood stained the sleeve he used to cover his face. Above his thin wrist bone, one could see the red marks left by the whip. While the teammates showed concern for Fu Yun, they also stole glances at Xie Lingjun.

Only Xie Yun continued to stare at Fu Yun. His eyes, usually warm and genial, were now filled with scrutiny and deep inquiry. Fu Yun’s gaze met his in mid-air. Almost simultaneously, smiles blossomed on both of their faces. Both smiles were gentle and as warm as spring. If anyone had looked closely, they would have seen that their smiles were remarkably similar. Their eyes and the corners of their mouths curved in a way that appeared entirely sincere.

Xie Yun took a step forward and bowed solemnly to Fu Yun. “Senior Brother, you have repaid a grudge with kindness and shown exquisite technique. I will report this truthfully upon our return to the sect.” Turning his head, Xie Yun said in a deep voice, “Lingjun.”

The confrontation ended with Xie Lingjun offering a simple apology, medicine, and money. Judging by his expression, he felt no guilt, nor did he feel the sting of financial loss.

The System asked with a hint of excitement, “Host, are you playing the tiger while pretending to be a pig?”

Fu Yun coughed again. “I am actually spitting blood.”

“If we cannot win, we should hide. Why did you help Xie Lingjun?” the System asked.

“Because I could not hide from it,” Fu Yun replied with a smile that was half bitter and half cold. Xie Lingjun’s whip was too fierce. Fu Yun did not want a direct confrontation, so he was forced to activate the earth formation he had prepared in advance to distract Xie Lingjun. This resulted in a massive drain on his spiritual power.

He was still too weak. A casual strike from an enemy forced him to reveal one of his hidden cards.

Because the physical cultivators were heavily injured and night was falling, the team decided to stop and rest for the night. Fu Yun’s Earth Manipulation Technique was truly impressive, and the team began to address him as Senior Brother Fu with more genuine respect. In the end, they even agreed to give all the Wood Demon cores to Fu Yun.

Fu Yun did not refuse. The baby faced disciple was very interested in spells and asked Fu Yun many questions. However, as soon as Fu Yun stopped talking, the disciple also fell silent. He no longer pestered Fu Yun with idle chatter as he had a few days prior.

No one dislikes being complimented or respected, and Fu Yun was no exception. However, after a brief moment of satisfaction, he sensed that greater trouble was coming.

For instance, the System excitedly announced, “The progress for Side Quest One has moved!”

The side quest was to win over Xie Yun. The first step was to make a deep impression on him. This meant that only today did Xie Yun finally form a slight impression of Fu Yun. Although progress was slow, the System praised Fu Yun as a natural talent for such missions.

Fu Yun gave a chilly smile. “Do not forget that I just offended a member of the protagonist’s harem.”

Mentioning Xie Lingjun reminded the System of something. “Because of your interaction with Xie Lingjun today, you triggered his supplementary background story.”

“Tell me,” Fu Yun said.

“Xie Lingjun is arrogant in the early stages. Later, he betrays the righteous path, and his entire clan turns to the dark side,” the System explained. Reading the next page, the System fell silent. “Anyone who tries to seduce the protagonist will be killed by Xie Lingjun. He then uses a transformation talisman to impersonate them and get close to the protagonist. For rivals with powerful backgrounds, he conspires with other members of the harem to suppress them.”

The System sobbed. “Why is it that I die if I do not pursue the protagonist, and I also die if I do?”

Fu Yun ignored the System and attempted to enter a meditative state to absorb the energy from the demon cores. As he expected, he failed. His dantians dissipated spiritual energy too quickly. Even a Great Enlightenment stage demon core was not enough to break through his bottleneck. Fu Yun needed more spiritual energy and more assistance from those at the Great Enlightenment stage or higher.

He had to obtain a dual cultivation technique.

Just as Fu Yun expected, trouble arrived quickly. On the second night, Xie Lingjun challenged Fu Yun to a duel. Fu Yun was annoyed and intended to settle the matter once and for all, so he accepted. While the teammates were still meditating, the two went to a high ground near the camp.

Xie Lingjun immediately summoned his natal sword. “Please advise me, Senior Brother.”

“I am not accustomed to using a sword.” No matter how much Fu Yun cursed internally, his face remained smiling. “Junior Brother Lingjun, since you are the one seeking advice, should you not agree to one condition?”

Xie Lingjun nodded.

Fu Yun pointed toward a distant cliff where a giant tree grew. “I want a branch from that Moonlit Wood tree, specifically the highest and finest one, to serve as my sword.”

Xie Lingjun’s expression darkened. “Is Senior Brother mocking me?”

Fu Yun said nothing and only smiled. His eyes were deep and his pupils were light, covered by a layer of mist. It was a face that looked sorrowful even when smiling, instinctively making others wonder about his stories, expectations, and hardships.

Xie Lingjun remained silent for a moment before tapping his toes and gliding toward the cliff. He retrieved the highest branch of the Moonlit Wood and tossed it to Fu Yun. He then suppressed his spiritual power to the Golden Core stage for a fair fight.

Fu Yun caught the branch and weighed it in his hand. The wood became difficult to break as a layer of mud shell covered it. He smiled and said, “Please.”

The secret realm was perpetually shrouded in mist, but the moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight, as was the sword light. Xie Lingjun was unstoppable, focusing primarily on offense. He lunged with his sword, creating the sound of breaking air. Fu Yun used his footwork to dodge, choosing only to evade rather than attack.

Occasionally, an earth wall would rise before him only to be pierced by sword energy. Sometimes he would splash water droplets to distract Xie Lingjun’s vision. However, the sword energy cut through every obstacle. Once the mist cleared, a pair of phoenix eyes charged close.

Xie Lingjun’s eyes were filled with disappointment. Why did Fu Yun refuse to fight back? Was it cowardice? Was his ability to defeat enemies with low level spells merely due to being in the right place at the right time? Xie Lingjun decided to use a more powerful sword move.

As spiritual energy gathered and the sword hummed with increasing momentum, the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened and collapsed. Xie Lingjun leaped into the air to escape. In that moment, he saw Fu Yun smile at him.

An Ice Condensation spell was cast silently, turning the mist into thin ice that coated the soles of Xie Lingjun’s feet. Then, the branch in Fu Yun’s hand twisted and pulled. Xie Lingjun’s wrist was caught by a gentle force, causing him to lose his balance. However, he had been prepared and quickly stabilized himself. His sword energy exploded to shatter the frost. In the next instant, Fu Yun was pressed against a tree trunk.

A cold blade point was aimed directly at his throat. Fu Yun leaned back and smiled helplessly, his face pale. “Junior Brother Lingjun, your sword energy is truly cold. Could you please lower your sword?”

Xie Lingjun took this as a surrender. He lowered his sword and asked, “This is a cliff wall made of stone with no soil. How did you make the ground crack?”

Suddenly, his heart tightened. The feeling of falling returned. By the time Xie Lingjun stood firm, everything before his eyes turned white. The branches of the Moonlit Wood grew rapidly, forming a dense net that blocked his vision. Xie Lingjun cut through the branches, but it was too late.

A branch of the Moonlit Wood, the very one he had broken for Fu Yun, was now pressed against his throat. Fu Yun moved the branch slightly, nicking Xie Lingjun’s neck. Xie Lingjun smelled blood before he felt the delayed sting of pain.

“I win,” Fu Yun said. He felt no shame in winning through a surprise attack. Had he ever actually uttered the words of surrender?

Only then did he answer Xie Lingjun’s question. “What I used was not Earth Manipulation, but a Wood element spell.”

“The Moonlit Wood grows on the stone wall. Its roots are many and deep, piercing the interior of the cliff,” Fu Yun explained. “I used Wood element spiritual energy to stimulate a specific root beneath your feet, causing it to break through the stone surface.”

The branch moved upward, touching Xie Lingjun’s tense jaw. A translucent white flower bud began to bloom on the twig.

“I grant you a branch of spring to melt the coldness on your body.”

Fu Yun leisurely uttered a nickname. “Little King of the Cold Underworld.”

The King of the Cold Underworld was Xie Lingjun’s nickname. Before using it, Fu Yun playfully added the word Little. The flowering branch was inches away. Xie Lingjun could even see the mud stains on Fu Yun’s fingers. His expression, which had been cold, turned stiff. That stiffness began at the corners of his mouth and quickly froze his entire face. Xie Lingjun’s sword energy shattered the flower petals.

His stiff face returned to its usual coldness. “I have noted the guidance from tonight. There are several high grade spiritual treasures in my storage bag. You may choose any one of them, Senior Brother.”

Xie Lingjun threw his storage bag to Fu Yun. His tone shifted abruptly. “However, I hope you will behave with more self respect in the future. Do not be so frivolous again. Do not act this way toward me, and especially not toward my cousin.”

Fu Yun was puzzled. “How have I been frivolous?”

Xie Lingjun replied, “You have been peeking at us from the shadows frequently these past few days.”

Fu Yun countered, “But others are also looking.”

Xie Lingjun said, “But they do not stare day and night as you do, Senior Brother.”

Fu Yun asked, “If you were not looking at me, how would you know that I was looking at you?”