Chapter 1359: Choice
Li Qingshan had his head lowered and his back bent down low. His defined muscles flowed like water. The metal basket on his back was several times larger than the baskets distributed by the Myriad sect, so he seemed like a huge snail, crawling along slowly.
However, that was merely an illusion. He covered three metres with each step, planting his bare foot in the ground deeply before raising it swiftly again, leaving behind a trail of deep footprints.
The lustre of the magnetic ferrum passed through the cracks in the metal basket; it was as dazzling as fireflies in the darkness.
How has he gathered so much magnetic ferrum, and the quality is so high too!?
Su Tong felt like she was already cheating in this test, yet she still could not compare to the two shameless brothers. She struggled to imagine how he had achieved this.
Suddenly, she recalled the singing and booms from the centre of the mountain. A thought rose up in her head, Surely not! Don’t tell me he gathered all this magnetic ferrum through killing earth fiend beasts?
She approached him with a smile and bowed gracefully. “Please hold on, fellow!”
Under everyone’s gazes of reverence, Li Qingshan slowed down, but he did not stop. “What is it, fellow?”
Su Tong said solemnly, “Be careful, fellow. There are wicked people blocking the path up ahead. Do you still remember those two Soul Nascence cultivators, the pretty face and the dark shorty? Turns out they’re brothers. They’ve cast down the Magnetic Field Formation of the Earth Fiend to specially rob passing cultivators. Many people have already suffered at their hands.”
Li Qingshan said in surprise, “The Magnetic Field Formation of the Earth Fiend! There’s a formation like that?”
“Sigh, the effect of the formation has always been identical to the magnetic fields. It can greatly weaken the enemies that set foot in there. The brothers really have racked their brains in this regard. They’re using this formation to fend off the influence from the magnetic field. As long as they remain within the vicinity of the formation, they have basically recovered their full strength. Probably no one in the mountain is their opponent.”
Su Tong was worried. She wanted to convince Li Qingshan to form an alliance with her. If she had guessed correctly, then he should be overwhelmingly powerful. A single, powerful ally would always be more useful than a bunch of trash.
Zhu Yingcai felt rather mixed inside, but he still stood forward to vent his grievances. “Senior, the two of them are far too wicked. They’ve taken all the magnetic ferrum everyone has collected after so much difficulty. They’re no different from the mountain bandits. You have to stand up for us!”
Li Qingshan glanced at him indifferently. “Since the rules permit that, then there’s nothing wrong with that. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving first.” He sped up again and continued on his way, deciding to follow the path of the qilin and keep to himself.
“Hey, fellow! Fellow!” Su Tong stamped her foot and caught up quickly.
Outside Magnetic Field mountain.
Ruan Yaozhu furrowed her brows slightly. This was rather different from how Li Qingshan behaved in Deer city. Was human nature really that complicated and unpredictable?
The nine-coloured deer panicked much more inside, Li Qingshan you bastard, where’s your sense of justice when you fed those beggars? Where’s your courage that even left you undaunted by the Myriad sect?
Le Tian smiled. “How’s that, junior sister Ruan? He’s not as kind-hearted as you imagined him to be! Human nature is unpredictable. It’ll be difficult to decide on this gamble between good and wicked! Since he neither does evil nor does good, let’s just call it a draw.”
Ruan Yaozhu persisted. “I believe in him.”
Le Tian licked his thin lips. “I really am eager to see the final outcome!”
Ren Aoyou and Pi Yangqiu secretly clenched their fists too.
“I’m begging you, just leave a piece for me so that I pass!”
A middle-aged man knelt on the ground and pleaded with the brothers with snot and tears across his face. He had arrived here from a different cave, walking head-first into the trap. He had been robbed of all of his magnetic ferrum.
The fair-skinned smiled. “Big brother, what do you think? Should we give him a piece? I feel so bad when I see him cry.”
The dark-skinned fiend said, “Little brother, since when did you become so soft-hearted?”
“Sigh, I have some human compassion too.”
“That sure is strange.”
They were like cats that had caught a mouse, playing and teasing it leisurely as a diversion from boredom.
When the heavy footsteps appeared, they both widened their eyes, gazing at the incoming Li Qingshan in the distance in disbelief.
The fair-skinned gentleman murmured, “Surely not!”
The dark-skinned fiend immediately became wary. Dangerous, cold light flashed through his eyes.
However, Li Qingshan did not glance at them. Even the rhythm of his footsteps had not changed, trudging over step by step. He entered the Magnetic Field Formation of the Earth Fiend and continued on his way with his head buried deep as if he saw nothing at all. However, he thought inside, If they proactively make trouble, I naturally have to defend myself. That doesn’t defy the path of the qilin!
The two brothers exchanged glances rapidly. They did not plan on making an enemy out of any of the Soul Nascence cultivators, but the amount of magnetic ferrum in the metal basket basically guaranteed him first place. Even if they combined all the magnetic ferrum they had robbed, they came nowhere close. Their place was completely ruined.
However, they were not bold enough to strike rashly either. He definitely was a piece of work to be able to obtain so much magnetic ferrum. Just the weight of the magnetic ferrum on his back and his tough physique that allowed him to advance steadily made him a difficult opponent to deal with.
Most importantly, the man seemed to give off an invisible bearing, such that they refused to oppose him without good reason.
Do we do it or not!?
In an instant, Li Qingshan arrived right before them. A battle was on the verge of erupting.
For a moment, the middle-aged man forgot about begging and pleading. He raised his head and stared at Li Qingshan in a daze. Behind, the cultivators led by Su Tong were extremely nervous too. Even the direct disciples were fixated on the Map of All-seeing and All-hearing.
At that moment, all the gazes gathered on Li Qingshan. The outcome of this test and the result of the gamble would all be determined at this moment!
However, just like that, Li Qingshan brushed past the two brothers under everyone’s gazes, continuing forwards and gradually travelling away.
Su Tong pouted. A series of glum sighs rang out from behind her. The cultivators that wanted to slip past them during the chaos were all greatly disappointed.
The true disciples all responded differently too.
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Le Tian smiled complacently. At the very least, he had won one of his gambles and drawn the other. He had still made a killing.
Ruan Yaozhu sighed inside, but it had nothing to do with the outcome of the gamble. Sigh, that’s the smartest decision. So be it. How can I ask others to be the same as me? Just wielding the power he possesses appropriately without doing evil is praiseworthy behaviour. However, she struggled to hide the disappointment in her eyes.
Ren Aoyou and Pi Yangqiu could not help but roar at the Map of All-seeing and All-hearing, “You two pieces of trash, get him!”
The expressions of the brothers changed as if they were communicating through their soul senses, but they allowed the footsteps to gradually travel off into the distance because they were torn between the choices.
Li Qingshan raised his head, and a smear of light appeared before his eyes. The entrance was already in sight. He would definitely place first in the test this time, but he felt rather agitated inside, like something itching on his back, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.
The miserable pleas of the middle-aged man rang out again. Suddenly, he stopped, and the metal basket on his back struck the ground heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust. He stood tall and straight in the light, turning around and pointing at the two brothers.
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“Oi, you two, give the magnetic ferrum back to him!”
Fuck the path of the qilin. I’ll show you how I “win people over by virtue” today.
