A violent gust of wind erupted, instantly carrying the talismans, beads, and pills toward the Golden Core cultivator.

Seeing the Tier 2 talismans, the man sneered and simply activated his protective spiritual energy.

"Such low level talismans cannot even break my defensive aura. How naive. Do you really think..."

"Ah!"

While the battle between the two unfolded, back in White Silver City, just after Xiao Shou left, the Chen brothers had already rushed to the City Lord’s residence.

"So they are truly willing to exchange an entry quota to an unexplored secret realm for my assistance?"

The City Lord who is named Xiaohou Bo immediately opened his narrow phoenix eyes, a sharp light flashing within them as he looked at his chief steward Xiaohou Dan.

Xiaohou Dan respectfully bowed and replied, "Yes. They also said the details regarding the secret realm can be negotiated, and they are willing to offer additional quotas if needed. They are begging you to take action and save their younger sister."

He paused before continuing, "It is said that the culprit is likely the same cultivator who severely injured a young girl in the city a few days ago. Aside from his appearance, there is no confirmed information about his cultivation. Even his appearance may not be reliable."

"Location and trace information?" Xiaohou Bo asked concisely.

While lowering his head in self reproach, Xiaohou Dan bowed and replied, "We have been investigating for days but found no trace. However, the Chen brothers said that a friend of theirs discovered that person and has already pursued him. If we question the guards at the four city gates, we can determine where that friend left the city and track him from there. This is the recorded image of that friend. I have already sent guards to inquire at the gates. There should be news soon."

"Very well. Since they are citizens of White Silver City, it is only right to protect them. And with such a generous reward, all the more reason."

Xiaohou Bo stood up and flicked his wide sleeve.

"Go tell them I agree. Try to get a few more entry quotas."

With that, he leaped into the air and flew out of his secluded cultivation cave.

At the same moment, three thunderous explosions rang out.

The real battle had begun.

Even Xiao Shou himself did not realize it, but he had stopped overthinking and hesitating.

Instead, he was completely focused.

Without conscious deliberation, his crane feather boots carried him swiftly around the center of the explosions.

In his hands, the storm fan continuously unleashed wind blades and raging gusts, while he threw five Tier 3 storm talismans into the blast zone.

After circling once, wind and lightning intertwined, forming a roaring storm lightning tornado.

Xiao Shou had not expected such an effect and felt a surge of surprise, but he did not relax in the slightest.

His divine sense remained channeled into his eyes, and through the swirling storm he could faintly see flashes of sword energy and bursts of light.

The enemy was still alive.

His heart tightened.

Though reluctant, he took out a Tier 4 fire dragon talisman.

Such a talisman carried power equivalent to a Nascent Soul strike and he only had a few of them.

Without hesitation, he threw it into the storm.

At once, flames surged with the wind, merging with the lightning into a massive fiery storm explosion that shot into the sky.

The violent shockwave forced even Xiao Shou to stagger backward.

The paralyzing force of the blast numbed his body slightly and slowed his movements.

Because of that brief delay, he saw the aftermath clearly.

Within a radius of about one hundred meters, the bamboo forest had been completely destroyed.

Beyond that, an even wider area of bamboo had been cut down and scorched.

Not far to his right, the destruction seemed to have disrupted the Golden Core cultivator’s concealment.

A young girl whose around ten years old was immediately revealed lying on the ground.

It was Chen Yufei.

Xiao Shou immediately rushed over.

On the way, he quickly checked her condition.

There were no bloodstains on her body and her hands were intact.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He picked her up and carried her a good distance away before setting her down.

He then fed her a Life Rejuvenation Pill.

He took out a small Tier 4 defensive array plate and activated it to protect her.

After making sure she was safe, he hesitated for a brief moment.

Then his expression hardened.

He stepped out of the protective formation.

After stepping out of the formation and looking from a distance, Xiao Shou saw the fiery wind lightning explosion collide with a thick golden sword energy.

A more violent explosion erupted and both forces vanished at the same time.

After several breaths, there was no movement.

That was a late Golden Core cultivator and judging from the sword light, he was likely a metal spiritual root cultivator with extremely strong attack power.

He would not die so easily.

Now that Chen Yufei had been rescued and was safely inside a Tier 4 defensive formation that only a Nascent Soul cultivator could break, Xiao Shou no longer had any worries.

With that in mind, he took out a Tier 4 defensive talisman for backup and drank a mouthful of diluted spirit spring water to restore his spiritual energy.

Then he leaped toward the center.

While moving, he quickly took out a substitute puppet and activated it.

At the same time, he used an invisibility talisman to conceal himself.

He positioned himself about ten meters behind the puppet and advancing at the same speed.

With the acceleration from his crane feather boots, he moved at a speed impossible for a Qi Refining cultivator.

In an instant, he reached the scorched center.

Aside from the remains of bamboo, ashes and the smell of blood, there was nothing else.

He is injured.

Xiao Shou watched as the puppet that was under his control made probing movements, while he himself activated the defensive formation on his clothes and prepared his storm fan for an attack at any moment.