The Strongest Mythical Emperor
Chapter 162: Desperate Situation

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Desperate Situation

"The Wolf King demon core hidden in his body is clearly recently separated; the demon energy is thick," the voice of the Roaring Sky Dog continued to reach Qin Jun’s ears.

If Qin Jun still doesn’t understand by now, then he truly is dumber than Li Yuanba.

The meaning of the Roaring Sky Dog was clear: the Wolf King had just been killed. To possess a demon core, the Wolf King must have been at least tier three, equivalent to a cultivator of the Golden Elixir Realm. Such a demon beast was not something Ye Xuan, who was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment, could handle. And if a Golden Elixir Realm cultivator or even an Ascending Mortal Realm cultivator had killed it, it would have been difficult for Ye Xuan to snatch the demon core.

There were two possibilities: either Ye Xuan was hiding his true abilities or this guy was unbelievably lucky and had truly just stumbled upon it.

Qin Jun was more inclined to believe the former; in his view, everything had a cause and effect. Besides, considering the reactions of Zong Yan and Murong Xuan, it was obvious they hadn’t seen Ye Xuan pick up the Wolf King demon core. Prudent as he was, he had to consider the worst-case scenario.

Perhaps Ye Xuan was only hiding his power for a shocking debut, but now, given Zhu Yanqing’s recent actions, it was hard to guarantee that this guy wouldn’t stab him in the back.

"What about Senior Sister Yang?" Zhu Yanqing asked with a frown, addressing Zong Yan, as her gaze never fell on Ye Xuan—it was as if they were strangers to each other.

Ye Xuan too had resumed his normal demeanor, as if he hadn’t witnessed the previous scene.

What a deep schemer!

Qin Jun sighed inwardly as Zong Yan replied to Zhu Yanqing, "I haven’t seen her since we came in. After all, this isn’t her first time participating in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition. Don’t worry, Sister Zhu. She knows how to take care of herself."

Zhu Yanqing nodded and then fell silent, rendering the atmosphere awkward once more.

"Let’s go. We can’t stay here forever; the smell of blood is too intense," Qin Yun broke the silence, and naturally, no one objected.

Seeing that Ye Xuan and the others planned to follow them, Qin Jun raised an eyebrow and said, "We saved you as a convenience; do you really expect us to keep protecting you from now on?"

For heaven’s sake, if you want my protection, at least show some sincerity!

From their time in Canglan Kingdom until now, Ye Xuan and his companions hadn’t offered any reward, so naturally, Qin Jun was displeased.

As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Xuan and the others immediately looked embarrassed, and Zhu Yanqing frowned slightly, but she didn’t say much.

Indeed, Qin Jun had no obligation to protect them.

"Let’s move on!"

After saying this to Qin Yun and Zhu Yanqing, Qin Jun turned to leave, with Li Yuanba and the Roaring Sky Dog following closely behind. Qin Yun glanced at Ye Xuan and the others, shook his head, and followed in Qin Jun’s footsteps.

Zhu Yanqing, however, did not follow.

This scene brought a glint of joy to Ye Xuan’s eyes.

Qin Jun turned back, his frown indicating he expected an explanation from Zhu Yanqing.

"I want to rely on myself."

Zhu Yanqing said calmly, and after speaking, she walked in another direction, splitting the group into three.

Qin Jun watched her departing figure in silence and eventually shook his head with a laugh, letting it go. Let her strive on her own.

With that thought, Qin Jun turned his head and continued onward.

Zong Yan glanced at Qin Jun and the others, then at Zhu Yanqing, and finally turned back to Ye Xuan to ask, "Big brother, what should we do?"

"Let’s follow Sister Zhu," Ye Xuan said thoughtfully, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes that the other two failed to catch.

The two of them had no objections and quickly followed Ye Xuan in pursuit of Zhu Yanqing.

"Brother, can you really bear to leave Miss Zhu behind?" Qin Yun couldn’t help but ask, thinking Qin Jun and Zhu Yanqing had already committed to each other.

Qin Jun rolled his eyes and said, "What do you know? I have my own strategy!"

His gaze flicked toward Ye Xuan and his two companions, and upon seeing that they had caught up with Zhu Yanqing, Qin Jun’s lips curled up into a sardonic smile.

"Roaring Sky Dog, what is the farthest range of your perception?" Qin Jun telepathically asked the Roaring Sky Dog.

The Roaring Sky Dog gave him a meaningful look and replied telepathically, "At least farther than theirs."

It understood Qin Jun’s meaning: they were to follow behind Ye Xuan and the others, quietly observing any changes.

Ye Xuan was acting too abnormally, and even the Roaring Sky Dog had sensed a plot afoot, which was why it had reminded Qin Jun. There was something it did not mention: it had detected a chilling presence emanating from Ye Xuan, a presence that was definitely not of the Human Clan.

Thus, after Ye Xuan and his group had gone some distance away, Qin Jun and his companions then changed direction to follow behind them.

...

With the moon setting and the sun rising, a day and a half had passed since the prairie wolf pack incident.

Ye Xuan and his companions arrived by a small river nestled among the mountains to rest, where Zhu Yanqing began meditating to cultivate her spiritual power, while Ye Xuan and the other two took a break by her side.

"At this rate, it looks like we’ll have to resort to a tournament-style competition," Zong Yan mused as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

During their journey, they had fought dozens of times, but most of the time, their opponents had fled, with less than fifty contestants actually eliminated.

One should know that the city trials involved hundreds of thousands of contestants. With only two or three days left until the end of the city trials, holding a tournament would be extremely disadvantageous for them, especially since Luoyan City’s competitors included numerous Golden Elixir Realm martial artists and quite a few Ascending Mortal Realm cultivators as well.

"Now it all depends on Qin Jun and the others," Murong Xuan shrugged, causing Zong Yan’s eyes to light up. Right, they had all witnessed Li Yuanba’s strength. That tough guy would definitely break the balance of the competition.

Although they had been rejected by Qin Jun to accompany him, they bore no grudges.

"Humph!" Ye Xuan let out a displeased snort, silencing Murong Xuan and the other instantly.

Ever since splitting up with Qin Jun, Ye Xuan had become somewhat taciturn and even gave off a gloomy vibe. Moreover, the fact that Zhu Yanqing hadn’t given him as much as a straight look kept the atmosphere within the group rather eerie.

"Tsk tsk! What a beautiful woman!"

Just then, a mocking voice rang out, and a group of young cultivators walked out of the woods toward them by the riverside.

The leader was a black-clad young man, fanning himself, and though he was handsome, the derisive smile on his face made it difficult for anyone to feel any goodwill toward him. Most crucially, he actually possessed the sixth layer of Golden Elixir Realm cultivation!

The group of cultivators behind him were also Golden Elixir Realm martial artists, each looking teasingly at Zhu Yanqing.

Ye Xuan and the other two quickly got up, with looks of discomfort on their faces. The oppressive aura of the new arrivals set their hearts pounding and sent them into the pits of despair.

Zhu Yanqing drew her sword almost immediately. She could feel all eyes on her and it made her feel uncomfortable. She wasn’t some naive little girl and understood their lecherous thoughts quite well.

"Kill them! Leave the girl for me to have some fun first, and you guys can enjoy her after!" the black-clad youth said with an evil grin as he closed his fan and began to stroll toward Zhu Yanqing. His companions launched themselves at Ye Xuan’s trio.

Nine Golden Elixir Realm cultivators—how could they possibly be resisted by three Foundation Establishment Realm martial artists?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ye Xuan and the other two were kicked to the ground before they could even react, their ribcages shattered, and blood surged unstoppably from their mouths.

Zhu Yanqing’s eyebrows knitted together, fully aware that she was no match. Promptly, she pressed the blade of her sword against her pristine neck, preferring death to defilement.

Boom!

At that moment, a domineering and peerless aura burst forth, causing everyone to turn their heads. To their shock, they saw Ye Xuan, who was lying on the ground, enshrouded by a strange black mist. The mist swirled like fierce flames, several meters high, alarming the black-clad youth and his companions who watched their faces turn pale with horror.