The two figures had chosen their moment perfectly. Realizing stealth was no longer an option, they immediately launched their attack—catching Qi Ping and Nan Jie off guard before they could properly prepare or coordinate.
Their goal was simple: strike fast, strike hard.
Qi Ping and Nan Jie instantly understood the enemy’s intent.
“Experts!”
“Absolute assassination experts!”
Without any prior communication, the two attackers had moved in perfect sync the moment their ambush failed. Regardless of their actual strength, their combat experience alone marked them as anything but ordinary.
At the very least, Qi Ping—who had barely been in life-or-death fights—was far outmatched in that regard.
So even with the Golden Marrow Bees as his hidden card, Qi Ping didn’t dare let his guard down for a second.
The two figures wore black robes that shimmered faintly—low-grade defensive artifacts, judging by their texture and aura.
One was a man at the fifth level of Qi Refining, the other a woman at the fourth.
The moment Qi Ping and Nan Jie sensed their cultivation levels and equipment, their expressions darkened.
Not only were these enemies stronger overall, but their defensive robes also reduced the effectiveness of Qi Ping and Nan Jie’s poison tactics by half!
Though still useful, their usual methods were severely limited.
This situation was far too dangerous.
Life and death could be decided in an instant.
Faced with such odds, Nan Jie immediately steeled herself for a desperate fight.
She planned to go all out, drawing the enemies’ attention with sheer aggression to buy time for Qi Ping to deploy their poisons.
Qi Ping wasn’t strong enough for direct combat—his best chance lay in ambushing from behind.
Only then would they stand a real chance.
The moment Nan Jie moved, an overwhelming aura erupted from her, so intense it nearly rivaled the black-robed man’s fifth-level Qi Refining pressure!
Even Qi Ping was stunned. This was far beyond Wang Shan’s level.
Yet, the two enemies seemed prepared.
The black-robed man charged straight at Nan Jie, while the woman circled around, aiming for Qi Ping’s back.
Nan Jie’s plan to hold them both alone had failed before it even began.
“Do they know about us?”
The same thought flashed through both Qi Ping and Nan Jie’s minds.
Otherwise, how could these two have devised such a precise pincer attack before even seeing their abilities?
Especially since Qi Ping was still masking his aura with Breath-Concealing Art!
Their minds raced back to half a month ago—when the beekeeper from District D-032 had been killed outside, his mountain home looted in secret.
Had their own information been sold too?
Nan Jie suspected even her poison techniques might be exposed. The enemies’ strategy was clear: quickly eliminate Qi Ping, the weak link, then overwhelm her from both sides.
“Damn it! Who the hell betrayed us?!” she cursed inwardly.
But there was no time for anger. Her only hope now was to exploit the element of surprise—using her poisons to take down the black-robed man before Qi Ping fell.
Then, if she could save Qi Ping in time, they might still turn the tables on the remaining woman.
That was their sole chance. If Qi Ping died first, she’d be finished under a two-pronged assault.
“Xiao Qi… hold on as long as you can.”
His actions today had convinced her he had hidden cards to play.
As for the fifth-level black-robed man—if she went all out, the right moment might let her finish him in one strike.
The life-and-death battle erupted in an instant.
Nan Jie and the black-robed man clashed violently, blades and artifacts shrieking as their spiritual energy tore through the surroundings.
No words were exchanged. No demands, no questions—just cold, brutal efficiency.
This was the raw cruelty of the cultivation world’s lower ranks. No justice, no reason. Only survival of the fittest.
Win and live. Lose and die.
Every move between Nan Jie and the black-robed man carried lethal stakes—a single misstep meant decapitation or a fatal dose of poison.
(And if anyone believed bandit cultivators didn’t use poison, Nan Jie would’ve laughed in their face.)
Amidst their deadly dance, a piercing scream suddenly tore through the air.
Nan Jie’s heart lurched—Had Qi Ping already lost?!
But she quickly realized—the scream came from the black-robed woman!
A surge of elation rushed through her.
Qi Ping won?!
It seemed impossible. She had no idea how he’d done it, but this was a game-changing turn!
Suppressing her excitement, she focused entirely on her own fight.
Would the black-robed man falter upon hearing his partner’s scream? If so, that split-second lapse could be her chance…
“There!”
He did.
The moment the woman’s cry reached him, his focus wavered—just slightly—but enough.
A needle, glistening with poison, shot out and grazed the back of his hand.
The man’s eyes widened in alarm.
Without hesitation, he reached for a pitch-black jade cicada at his wrist—
—And Nan Jie’s blood ran cold.
How does he have that?!
A deathly premonition screamed in her mind.
But before the man could activate it, a golden swarm descended upon him.
Hundreds of bees, their stingers piercing through his low-grade robe with terrifying precision.
Poison and pain flooded his system. A guttural howl escaped his lips.
Seizing the opening, Nan Jie lunged—her blade flashed, and the man’s head tumbled from his shoulders.
No time for hesitation. No room for mercy. If he’d activated that cicada, she’d be the one dead.
Panting, she turned to Qi Ping.
Their eyes met. Without a word, they moved in sync—stripping the corpses of robes, weapons, and storage pouches before hurling the bodies deep into the undergrowth.
Then they ran.
Only after putting considerable distance between themselves and the battleground did they finally stop, hiding in a relatively secure spot.
For the first time since the fight began, they allowed themselves to breathe.
They hadn’t dared flee further—panic bred carelessness, and carelessness led to traps.
Exhaling slowly, Nan Jie studied Qi Ping with a mix of awe and disbelief.
“Xiao Qi… those Golden Marrow Bees. They’re your spirit beasts?”
“Yeah,” Qi Ping admitted. “I contracted their queen.”
No point denying it now. Besides, Nan Jie had proven herself in that fight—placing herself between him and two mid-level Qi Refining enemies, even if the plan had gone awry.
Her character spoke for itself.
“To think the deepest hidden card among us was you,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I was completely fooled… But thank the heavens you were here. Without you, we’d both be dead.”
Remembering how worried she’d been for him, she almost laughed. With that swarm, her fears had been unnecessary.
Yet beneath the relief lingered something else—hesitation, then resolve.
After a long pause, Nan Jie reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a tattered ancient manual, pressing it into Qi Ping’s hands.
He frowned. “Nan Jie, what’s this?”
“For you. It should be useful.” Her voice was firm. “Consider it repayment for saving my life back there. If not for you, that jade cicada would’ve killed me.”
Curious, Qi Ping took the book and flipped it open.
On the first page, seven bold characters stared back at him:
《Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demonic Insects》
