Wei Liang… The name flickered across Wang Weizhi’s mind. This was the name of the man said to be the strongest in the world, and people often remarked that he was the dream husband of all women.
“Ha, what’s so great about him?” Wang Weizhi muttered, fixing his gaze on the woman lounging lazily in the sunlight. A sudden wave of irritation surged within him. Her fair skin glowed alluringly under the brilliant sunlight, exuding a languid charm. Her gaze was both distant and slightly lazy, like a cat caught between sleep and wakefulness after a nap. In his ears, her teasing voice seemed to echo once more—
“Boy, what is it you want to do, hmm? Why don’t you tell me?”
Boy? He would make her see, sooner or later, what kind of ‘boy’ was he!
“Hey, Lin Qiu!” Wang Weizhi called out, raising his voice. He didn’t approach recklessly in case he might startle her.
He felt no guilt toward her—this was the way of the cultivation world, where the strong devoured the weak, and life was a constant struggle. To oppose Qin Yunxi and Liu Qingyin for the sake of a woman who wasn’t even a passing acquaintance would have been the height of stupidity. Besides, he had no chance of winning in a two-on-one battle. Even if he intervened, all he could do was buy a little more time before she met her inevitable end. Rather than making things messy, it was cleaner to step aside and let her die swiftly, sparing her prolonged suffering.
If she were a smart person, she would know it wasn’t his fault, and he believed she was smart enough.
Lin Jiu slowly opened her eyes. When her gaze landed on Wang Weizhi’s ornate robe, her lips curved into a serene, untroubled smile. “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you.”
Wang Weizhi froze, momentarily shaken. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he said, “I… Well, how did you know I’d pass through here?”
Lin Jiu glanced toward the nearby sandpit, her lips quirking slightly. “I just know, so I waited.”
“Ah,” he understood, “you did mention you know all the traps and the way through this level.” His demeanor grew more natural as if the previous events had become a thing of the past, completely forgotten by both of them.
“This level can actually be cleared by two people working together,” Lin Jiu said again.
“Oh? That’s perfect. I’ll do everything I can to help you pass.” Wang Weizhi pretended to trust her completely, though inwardly he remained skeptical.
He didn’t mind if she played a few tricks—after all, his plan was to take her to the final level and then make her ‘withdraw’ just before reaching Huang Chuan. Her claim that two people could clear the stage together suited his purpose.
Lin Jiu, of course, knew he didn’t believe her, but she didn’t care. Wang Weizhi had no idea she possessed the immensely destructive Lotus Shatter, so when the opportunity arrived, she’d give him a ‘surprise.’
But before that, she would use him to deal with Liu Qingyin and Ji Yuan.
Lin Jiu maneuvered her sand whirlpool, drifting leisurely toward the youth. The distance between them narrowed until their faces were nearly touching.
Wang Weizhi’s pupils contracted into fine slits as he held his breath, staring intently at Lin Jiu. Just as their bodies were about to meet, Lin Jiu flashed a brilliant smile, brushed past him, and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. With a gentle push, she caused him to stumble a small step forward.
Only a small step.
“…?” Wang Weizhi turned back to look at her, clearly looking puzzled. His eyes were full of inquiry.
Lin Jiu smiled. “In this level, we are allowed to harm others—for example, pushing a rival off their whirlpool and seizing the sand for ourselves. You don’t know this, don’t you? I think I’ve shown plenty of goodwill.”
Wang Weizhi’s pupils constricted to the point of being nearly invisible. He drew in a sharp breath, his lips paling slightly. “Is it true?”
“Of course.”
Unaware of the hidden rule, he had let his guard down. If she had unleashed a powerful hidden move just now, there was a chance he would have been knocked off his whirlpool!
As she said, she had shown enough goodwill.
Two pairs of eyes locked, both trying to gauge the other’s trump cards and intentions.
With a single test, Lin Jiu confirmed her suspicions: Wang Weizhi was indeed wary of her. If she had attempted to use her Lotus Shatter earlier, it might not have been enough to knock him off his sand whirlpool. But that didn’t matter—thanks to her earlier ‘fake death scene,’ this guy had no idea what kind of real strength she had hidden.
Wang Weizhi was indeed genuinely startled when Lin Jiu revealed that ‘you are allowed to harm others on this level.’ This was critical information—had she kept it to herself and struck at the right moment, it could have caused him significant trouble. Even so, he thought, this woman lacked a certain backbone. When faced with challenges, she instinctively relied on men—which wasn’t necessarily a bad trait. With his strength, taking her along wouldn’t pose any issues.
Slowly exhaling the long breath of shock he’d been holding, Wang Weizhi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke with deliberate gravity: “Thank you. I’ll cooperate with you without reservation.”
“Alright,” Lin Jiu replied with a faint smile.
After a brief pause, he added, “I’m not sure how to prove my sincerity. If you’re willing to trust me, watch what I do from now on.”
Lin Jiu nodded. “Come, I’ll take you to replenish your sand.”
“Can’t we just use this?” Wang Weizhi gestured toward the massive sand pit, vast enough to match the size of a large city.
Lin Jiu smiled faintly, motioning for him to step behind her. She summoned her glazed crimson sword, condensed a chain made of spiritual aura, and used it to lift a massive boulder, hurling it into the sandpit.
In an instant, the calm sand surface changed dramatically. The seemingly flat expanse rose upright like a wall, and a colossal figure emerged, soaring into the sky! Like a small leaf swallowed by a raging waterfall, the large boulder fell into the sand and disappeared in an instant.
The ladybug perched on a giant leaf overhead was startled, flapping its wings and buzzing away in panic.
Wang Weizhi drew a sharp breath, his gaze was fixed upward. Towering above them were two enormous eyes, each as large as a house, glaring down at the ground. It was a sand-colored serpent, so massive that words could scarcely describe it.
If he had foolishly approached that pit to replenish his sand… the consequences would have been grave!
Wang Weizhi’s gratitude toward Lin Jiu grew, though it was tinged with a faint condescension. In his eyes, her actions were simply an attempt to curry favor with him. Women like her, whether motivated by personal gain or affection, were all the same—boring.
As for what kind of woman wasn’t boring? He couldn’t say. He’d simply never met one.
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