Anomaly of Stars

The canyon wasn't very large. As the Ice Polar Python was hunted down, the poisonous mist gradually dissipated, and the entire canyon was finally revealed. The star fruit was gone, leaving only some spirit water for everyone to share.

Wang Hu and Zhao Xuan were nowhere to be found. Several fifth realm practitioners were frightened, immediately abandoning the spirit water and splitting up to search. They soon discovered the two young masters lying at the entrance of the valley, asleep. After waking them up, they inquired about what had happened.

A moment later, angry roars echoed outside the canyon. Wang Hu, like a raging lion, shouted Xing Ye's name. Zhao Xuan's face darkened, feeling a lingering pain in the back of his neck. Being knocked out by a factotum disciple was a disgrace! Moreover, it was the greatest disgrace among all the generations of Zhao family trial disciples!

“Xing Ye, I will definitely kill you!”

Xing Ye, deep within the forest, vaguely heard someone loudly roaring, but couldn't discern the content of the roars.

Li Manyue glanced at Xing Ye and asked, "Should we stop and rest?"

Xing Ye shook his head, indicating it wasn't necessary.

"You swallowed a Vitality Nourishing Pill not long ago. Don't you want to refine it first?"

"No need. It's almost fully refined."

Li Manyue stared at Xing Ye seriously. Xing Ye felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze, even a bit creeped out. He had praised himself for being handsome earlier, and now she was looking at him like this. Did she have some ulterior motives?

"Ordinary people take two hours to refine a Vitality Nourishing Pill, and they can only refine two pills at most in a day!"

Li Manyue's eyes held suspicion. "From before until now, only a quarter of an hour has passed, and you've been walking the entire time. Are you serious?"

Xing Ye nodded, and to ease Li Manyue's concerns, he swallowed another Vitality Nourishing Pill.

As the pill entered his abdomen, it transformed into pure energy. Normally, one would use a technique to guide this energy through meridians and circulate it into the dantian. However, Xing Ye hadn't reached this step yet. Suddenly, a suction force appeared from his heart, devouring all the energy from the Vitality Nourishing Pill.

It was the Dragon Heart Jade. After disappearing earlier, it had entered Xing Ye's consciousness sea. It devoured the energy of the Vitality Nourishing Pill and quickly released it, just like when it refined the life force of Fang Qing. The energy of the Vitality Nourishing Pill was purified and then circulated through the blood vessels, entered the meridians, and finally reached the dantian.

This action made the silent young man's eyes gleam. Wang Can anxiously shouted, "Lord Ye, you might experience a backlash this way. You might die!"

Xing Ye shrugged, his complexion and body appearing normal. "Continue walking!"

Li Manyue snorted, thinking she worried about this guy for nothing.

As night fell, the group stopped to rest. The silent young man, guarding Li Manyue, remained vigilant towards Xing Ye. He seemed to be Li Manyue's bodyguard, always staying half a step away from her. Once Xing Ye approached, he would step forward but maintained a half-step distance.

Wang Can lit a campfire, and the young man threw two small animals he had caught on the way to Wang Can. Wang Can went to the riverbank to clean them before bringing them back.

Li Manyue and Xing Ye sat across the campfire from each other. The young man, near Li Manyue, was roasting the meat. He had a few condiments beside him, looking quite professional.

Smelling the aroma of the meat, Xing Ye felt even hungrier. His stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.

Li Manyue glanced at Xing Ye, who felt increasingly embarrassed. Therefore, he swallowed a third pill.

Sensing that Xing Ye was deliberately teasing, Li Manyue made a light snort.

The young man's skills were excellent, the best Xing Ye had seen. He enjoyed the golden-roasted meat heartily.

In the end, the three of them put down their food and watched as Xing Ye ate alone. At first, Xing Ye felt a bit embarrassed, but the taste was just too good. So, he didn't care about those gazes.

Putting down the bones and letting out a satisfied burp, Xing Ye sighed, "The second time that I eat meat in three years, so satisfying!"

Li Manyue was puzzled and asked, "As a factotum disciple, don't you receive a monthly wage? Why not improve your diet? I've seen many factotum disciples spending their wages when they go down the mountain."

"Ah... Ah... I've grown tired of those things."

Xing Ye hastily sat up straight, pretending to laugh it off, but he felt a bit desolate. Three years of dedication, reluctant to eat or wear better, and in the end, only left with two gold coins, a veritable calamity.

Under the glow of the campfire, observing Xing Ye's simple attire, the group recalled the events in the square during the day. They vaguely seemed to guess something but refrained from exposing the young man's lies. Li Manyue changed the topic, "Tie Wei's skills are impressive. We will be traveling together for a long time. Xing Ye, have you taken the pill?"

It turned out the young man was called Tie Wei.

"We finally found you!"

An indifferent voice suddenly echoed from the woods as Wang Hu's group swiftly approached.

Xing Ye turned to look at the newcomers, a hint of surprise in his eyes. They had taken a different path in the forest; how did they manage to find them?

Tie Wei stood up, his expression icy.

Seeing Xing Ye by the campfire, Wang Hu's eyes filled with killing intent. He waved his hand angrily, "Capture every one of them for me and..."

Before he could say the words 'kill them,' he noticed Li Manyue on the other side of the campfire, and his expression changed.

Even the angered Zhao Xuan was astonished.

"It has nothing to do with you. There's a debtor for every grievance, and I'm only looking for Xing Ye!" Wang Hu looked at Li Manyue, obviously wary of her.

"I have other matters to attend to with Xing Ye. Your grievances can be settled after the assessment is over." Li Manyue's tone carried an unusual firmness.

"Other matters are negotiable, but not this one!" Wang Hu glanced at Tie Wei, gritted his teeth, and said, "Stop him; and the others go kill Xing Ye!"

Immediately, two fifth realm practitioners confronted Tie Wei, while others tried to bypass Tie Wei and attack Xing Ye.

Tie Wei sneered and took a step forward.

Suddenly, light appeared in the dark night, illuminating the surroundings. A suppressed aura surged from Tie Wei. Countless starlights converged behind him, forming a towering silver wolf.

The silver wolf, like a sacred spirit, exuded a suffocating pressure, looking down indifferently at everyone.

Such a change made all the fifth realm practitioners halt, shocked by what they saw.

star phenomenon—Star Spirit Wolf.

"If you dare to take one more step, you will die!" Tie Wei spoke for the first time, his voice as cold as winter ice.

Feeling the intense killing intent, Xing Ye, who possessed star phenomenon, sensed that Tie Wei, had probably killed numerous people.

Locked onto by the aura of the Star Spirit Wolf, the fifth realm practitioners dared not move.

Wang Hu and Zhao Xuan were also incredulously looking at Li Manyue. She had a bodyguard with star phenomenon by her side.

Wang Can stared wide-eyed at the Star Spirit Wolf, filled with envy.

Xing Ye remained unfazed; he had already guessed it. Only star phenomenon could make him feel threatened. Now, he was more curious about Li Manyue's identity.

Wang Hu looked at Li Manyue, discontented, "Li Manyue, what do you mean?"

Li Manyue said, "Tie Wei never lies!"

The two's faces grew uglier. After a brief eye exchange, they chose to temporarily compromise. Wang Hu coldly snorted, "Since that's the case, give back our things!"

Li Manyue looked at Xing Ye, a questioning look in her eyes. Xing Ye said, "You can have the clothes. The rest is what I deserved for saving your life."

"The packages too!"

Wang Hu suppressed the urge to slap Xing Ye to death with a single palm as he refrained from approaching.

Xing Ye hesitated for a moment. He had rushed here without any parcels; he could endure the lack of fresh clothes, but the absence of spiritual lights was intolerable. He couldn’t afford to lose the first place.

Of course, he could endure it, but his legs might not... The fierce words and gaze of the beautiful elder were not forgotten by Xing Ye.

"I will give you one later," Li Manyue discerned Xing Ye's dilemma and said with a smile.

“Since that’s the case, there you go!"

Xing Ye tossed two parcels, saying, "You disciples of prestigious families have no refinement at all. I saved your lives, and not only did you not express gratitude, but you also came all the way here to demand the compensation I deserve."

Zhao Xuan was so infuriated that he wanted to curse.

"You snatched the star fruits, the most precious spiritual lights, and pills were left for you too. Yet, you are still unsatisfied. If it weren't for Li Manyue intervening, you would already be kneeling and calling me grandfather after a good beating!"

Wang Hu, with grinding teeth, took the parcels. He, who had always been arrogant, had never experienced such humiliation. He received the parcels and said, "Stinky factotum disciple, just wait and see!"

He suddenly noticed Xing Ye staring at his chest and angrily questioned, "What are you looking at?"

Xing Ye scratched his head, saying, "Are you keeping good things there? Don't misunderstand, I have no ulterior motives. I'm just thinking that the next time I save you, I'll have a sense of direction."

"Thinking of snatching from me again?"

Wang Hu was so enraged that he felt like spitting blood. However, sensing the pressure of Tie Wei's star phenomenon, he could only let out a loud roar and leave.

"You're a human, not a beast. Why are you howling like that? Are you so excited that your true nature is emerging?" Xing Ye deliberately spoke in a 'soft' voice.

"Pfft!"

Wang Hu couldn't hold back any longer, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body staggered, and the others hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

"Xing Ye, I must kill you! Ah..."

Wang Hu, infuriated, started to roar again but quickly covered his mouth.