Chapter 133: The Girl Among Girls

After subduing the Spider King, Xu Ziyan left the abode in high spirits. She used Sword Flight to travel through the night, flying out of the valley. She released her Spiritual Power, searching for a water source. In her spiritual world, scenes continuously appeared, showing the cruel law of the jungle in action.

A giant tiger that Xu Ziyan had never seen before, as big as a small house, was walking majestically through the forest. Its eyes shone brightly in the night, alertly searching for prey.

From the opposite forest, a large dark figure stepped out heavily. Even Xu Ziyan, flying in the air, felt the ground shake. The giant tiger stopped moving, crouched slightly, and prepared to attack. The dark figure emerged from the trees, and under the moonlight, Xu Ziyan saw its appearance. Xu Ziyan’s heart trembled. She had seen this Monster Beast before—it was the Four-Armed Ape she encountered during the battle at Tongyou Valley in the Cangmang Mountain Range. Xu Ziyan knew that the Four-Armed Ape could reach the Fourth-Rank, and the one before her was indeed a Fourth-Rank Demonic Beast.

“Roar~~”

The giant tiger let out a low growl, its tail raised high like a small tree. It seemed afraid of the Four-Armed Ape, so it didn’t attack but took a defensive stance. Xu Ziyan flew higher on her sword, not wanting to be noticed by the two Monster Beasts. The Four-Armed Ape stomped forward noisily, charging at the giant tiger with a whooshing sound. The giant tiger roared angrily, pushed off with its legs, stretched its body, and leaped through the air toward the oncoming Four-Armed Ape.

The Four-Armed Ape didn’t stop moving forward. It reached out with two huge claws and grabbed the giant tiger’s head. Its other two claws seized the tiger’s front legs and pulled them apart, violently tearing the tiger in two. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere, and the air was filled with what seemed like a sudden rain of blood.

Xu Ziyan in the sky froze for a moment. She felt that this Four-Armed Ape below was much stronger than the one she had seen in Tongyou Valley.

“Roar~~”

The Four-Armed Ape beat its chest with its four fists, howled at the sky, and glared fiercely at Xu Ziyan in the air. Xu Ziyan was startled and was about to escape with Sword Flight when she saw another massive creature emerge noisily from the forest. Xu Ziyan looked closely and saw it was an elephant, but this elephant was slightly smaller than the giant tiger from before.

The Four-Armed Ape shifted its gaze from Xu Ziyan in the sky to the elephant across from it. Its eyes turned red, and it roared as it charged toward the elephant. Under Xu Ziyan’s watchful eyes, the elephant’s trunk suddenly rose, aimed at the oncoming Four-Armed Ape, and a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl shot toward it.

With a loud crash, the huge Four-Armed Ape fell. Its large head was completely shattered. Xu Ziyan in the air trembled all over. Without hesitation, she used all her strength to escape with Sword Flight. A bright light appeared behind her, seemingly lighting up the entire night sky. Xu Ziyan urgently tapped into all her potential, flying higher on her sword. A bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl shot past beneath her feet. Xu Ziyan didn’t dare look back and flew away frantically. Fortunately, the elephant did not attack her again, perhaps because she flew too fast. She no longer felt the bright light behind her.

Xu Ziyan flew through the air, searching around with her eyes. She felt a bit frustrated. She had already flown a circle around the Spider Valley and found that the Endless Forest was full of dangers. There was no safe place to stay, but they couldn’t remain in the Spider Cave forever, could they? Even if the others didn’t say anything, Xu Ziyan was, after all, a girl. Staying with ugly spiders all day made her very uncomfortable.

Finally, Xu Ziyan found a small river about ten miles from the Spider Valley. She observed it carefully—it was a very ordinary stream, not like the Spiritual Spring she had seen before in the Cangmang Mountain Range. Therefore, no Monster Beasts had settled there.

After happily taking a bath and changing clothes, Xu Ziyan returned to the Spider Cave. She saw that everyone was still cultivating, and she could feel abundant Spiritual Power emanating from them. Xu Ziyan knew this was because they hadn’t fully used up the effects of the Spirit Burst Pill. She found a spot, took out a Foundation Boosting Pill meant for the Foundation Building Stage, and began cultivating as well.

Xu Qi and Xu Tianlang, among others, had become completely engrossed in cultivation. No! It would be more accurate to say they were so captivated by the top-grade fifth-rank Spirit Burst Pill that they forgot about everything else. They were completely unaware of the passage of day and night, wholly immersed in improving their strength. Each time they woke up, they would take another Spirit Burst Pill. Even Xu Lin, whenever he woke up and saw everyone else cultivating selflessly, would also continue taking the Spirit Burst Pill to cultivate.

Under these circumstances, Xu Ziyan didn’t feel it was right to wake everyone. So, she also took one Foundation Boosting Pill per day and joined the cultivation group. Seven days passed, and then a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy suddenly erupted inside the cave. This situation continued intermittently for five days and nights. The reason was that from the highest Cultivation Level, Xu Lin, to the lowest, Xu Tianhai and Xu Mei, propelled by the Spirit Burst Pill and their long accumulation, they all broke through one after another. Only Xu Ziyan did not break through, because the accumulation required for the Foundation Building Stage was much greater than for the Qi Refining Stage.

Now, everyone’s Cultivation Level had changed.

Xu Lin, male, early Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.

Xu Tianlang, male, middle Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Qi, male, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Meiruo, female, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Peng, male, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Liangwei, male, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Mei, female, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Lan, female, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Xu Tianhai, male, early Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Only Xu Ziyan remained at the late peak of the First Layer of Foundation Building Stage. However, Xu Ziyan displayed her Cultivation Level as the late peak of the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Everyone excitedly looked at each other. Those at the same Realm could immediately see that they had all reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage, but they couldn’t see through Xu Lin’s Cultivation Level. Of course, Xu Ziyan also pretended not to see through Xu Lin’s Cultivation Level. Although everyone guessed that Xu Lin had probably reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, when Xu Lin confirmed their suspicions, they still happily congratulated him. Firstly, they were all from the same Clan, and during these difficult times, having another expert in the group meant more security for everyone.

Xu Tianlang looked at Xu Lin, then at Xu Ziyan, and suddenly said, “Brother Lin, if you were to compete with Little Sister Ziyan, I wonder which of you would be stronger?”

As soon as he said this, everyone’s expressions turned strange. They all remembered how, back in the Clan, Xu Ziyan had severely injured Yang Linglong, who was at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, while Xu Ziyan herself was only at the Second Layer of Qi Refining Stage during the fight. Regarding Xu Ziyan’s combat ability, they truly couldn’t estimate it. No one dared to say that Xu Lin at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining would definitely defeat Xu Ziyan at the late peak of the Third Layer of Qi Refining.

However, among these people, Xu Lin knew that Xu Ziyan was hiding her true Cultivation Level. Moreover, Xu Ziyan had clearly told him that her Cultivation Level was a bit higher than his. In Xu Lin’s heart, he didn’t even believe that Xu Ziyan’s Cultivation Level was only slightly higher; it was likely much higher than his. So, after hearing Xu Tianlang’s words, Xu Lin could only smile bitterly and say:

“I am definitely not Little Sister Ziyan’s match! When she was at the Second Layer of Qi Refining Stage, she severely injured Yang Linglong, the Northern Region’s Top Talented Maiden at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, let alone now that she has reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining!”

“Sister Ziyan, how exactly do you cultivate? Why can you challenge those above your Realm?” Xu Mei asked with wide eyes, full of both admiration and confusion.

Xu Ziyan shook her head helplessly. She couldn’t very well tell them that her true Cultivation Level was at the Foundation Building Stage, right? So, she hesitantly said:

“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s because the brave win when paths are narrow!”

Of course, no one believed this, but personal secrets were taboo in the Cultivation World. So, everyone naturally changed the subject. Even Xu Mei smiled apologetically at Xu Ziyan and didn’t say anything more.

“Ziyan, we can’t stay in this Spider Cave forever, can we?” Xu Qi asked softly.

“Of course not!” Xu Ziyan said with a light laugh. “Even you all feel uncomfortable in this Spider Cave. Don’t forget, I’m a girl. I really don’t want to live here!”

“Oh! If you hadn’t mentioned it, we really would have forgotten you’re a girl!” Xu Qi suddenly said with a laugh.

“What do you mean? Don’t I seem like a girl?” Xu Ziyan said with a pained expression.

“You do!” everyone said in unison.

“Only ‘seem like’?” Xu Ziyan looked unwilling.

“Not just ‘seem like’!” everyone said together again.

“I don’t seem like one?” Xu Ziyan pressed on.

“You are a girl!” Xu Qi said, clasping his hands together as if pleading.

“The prettiest girl!” Xu Mei said with a giggle.

“The girl among girls!” Xu Meiruo said, giving Xu Ziyan a thumbs-up.

“The girl among girls!” everyone shouted in unison, and they all gave Xu Ziyan a thumbs-up.

“This is like reciting poetry!” Xu Ziyan said with displeasure.

“Hahaha…” Everyone laughed heartily.

After the laughter died down, Xu Ziyan wiped the smile from her face and said seriously, “During these days while you were in Closed-Door Cultivation and breaking through, I went out a few times. I discovered members of the Hai Family from Xichui Town…”