Chapter 53: Chaos

"How is his spellcasting so fast?"

This question sprang up in Qian Xiaoyue's mind almost instantly.

Just before, when both of them cast defensive spells, hers had barely formed when he had already unleashed two spells in quick succession. And now, as she had only just activated her Control Technique, preparing to send her flying daggers into a vicious assault, Zhou Changwang had already fired off three Gengjin Fingers, killing the three enemies outright?

Wasn't this speed a bit too much?

Wait—instant casting?

Were his spells truly instant?

Qian Xiaoyue hesitated. The whole time she had been closely observing the other side during spellcasting, but had never paid attention to Zhou Changwang's gestures. Yet with such a rapid speed, even if it wasn't genuine instant casting, it was nearly as fast.

When did his abilities improve so dramatically?

Zhou Changwang had no idea what Qian Xiaoyue was thinking at that moment. After killing the three attackers, he did not hesitate at all; he leapt forward and searched them each in turn.

Apart from three small pouches used to store spirit stones and other valuables, the men also carried several burlap sacks containing loot just plundered from Qian Xiaoyue's home. Zhou Changwang had no intention of keeping these and tossed them all to Qian Xiaoyue.

She accepted them without protest, stowing everything away. But since her house was in disarray after being ransacked, she could only hide the goods at Zhou Changwang's place for the time being.

"What should we do next?" she began to suggest, "Should we keep hiding here, or—"

But before she could finish, a group of people came rushing down the street at breakneck speed.

They were moving incredibly fast, clearly aided by Lightness Talismans; as they ran, their voices carried back.

"Hurry up! The outskirts are just small fry—the real haul is in the inner city."

"Stick with Brother Qiang and you won't lose out."

"It's a shame things happened so suddenly, or if we could've joined up with Brother Yong, we might have pulled off something big—"

Zhou Changwang pulled Qian Xiaoyue back into the room. The group only glanced at the corpses on the street, not even pausing, and quickly disappeared down the road.

Their voices seemed to indicate a clear direction.

In a house not far from Zhou Changwang, a cultivator suddenly flung open his door and, following the same direction, was about to dash after them.

"Dear, don't go! It's too dangerous!" a woman cried, grabbing his arm and pleading desperately.

"Let go—this is an opportunity for me, perhaps my only one. I don't want to spend my life in mediocrity. The inner city is my one chance," the man replied, shaking her off and striding away.

Watching this, Zhou Changwang felt a stirring in his own heart.

Everyone knew the inner city was filled with treasures. Even just the shops there were a fortune in themselves; seizing one or two would make you fabulously rich. With enough spirit stones, a person could go from nothing to reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining.

No wonder so many people were flocking there.

If luck favored him, perhaps he too could reap some reward. The three Gengjin Fingers he'd just cast had given him immense confidence.

A sudden, low growl erupted—his little spirit hound.

Startled by the thunderous explosions all around and the occasional overwhelming spiritual pressure, the dog had been cowering in fear. Only now did it summon enough courage to edge close to Zhou Changwang.

"I almost lost my head there," Zhou Changwang muttered, sobered by the dog's warning.

The inner city was undeniably perilous; the barrage of spells and attacks was enough that any one of them could kill him outright. If he really followed the others, he would almost certainly never return.

"Who would have thought Brother Mu would act so rashly?" Qian Xiaoyue remarked, watching the scene.

Unlike Zhou Changwang, she was intimately familiar with the neighbors. She knew the couple—both rogue cultivators—by name. They even had a seven-year-old son. The man, surnamed Mu, was a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator, hardworking and honest. He was always respectful and loving toward his wife, who was only at the second level. Yet at this critical moment, he abandoned both wife and son to rush into unknown danger.

Zhou Changwang remained silent.

He had no mind to worry about others' fates.

Chaos reigned in the streets; spirit talismans flew at random, martial artists brazenly hunted cultivators, and mid-tier cultivators wielded magical tools to slaughter low-level ones and seize their treasures.

"This won't do. We have to leave," Zhou Changwang said, fully aware that staying here was too dangerous. He could not afford to sit and wait for death.

"Where to?" Qian Xiaoyue asked.

"Out of the city. Only the wilderness is safe now."

He spoke in a low voice, but did not rush out immediately. Instead, he mobilized his spiritual power, quickly weaving together a series of complex runic patterns.

One breath, two, three—

Soon, the spell was complete.

Derivative Spell +1.

A unique spiritual radiance gathered and, without a sound, spread outward.

Immediately, Zhou Changwang sensed faint red light glowing all around, except for the southeast, which shone pure white.

Red signified danger.

White, safety.

It wasn't perfectly accurate, but it was certainly better than wandering blindly.

"Let's go!" he whispered, scooping up his little spirit hound and heading quickly in the direction of the white light.

Qian Xiaoyue hurried after him.

Half a stick of incense later, the spell faded. Zhou Changwang promptly cast it again, using the Derivative Spell to navigate swiftly through the maze of alleys.

They encountered many people along the way. But thanks to the spell, Zhou Changwang managed to avoid those with strong auras or places where danger might lurk.

At least, they did not cross paths with any mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Their journey went smoothly.

Soon, they left the market district behind.

Compared to the bright streets, the wilderness outside was pitch black and eerily silent, filling the heart with dread.

Many people, even those with the same idea, stopped in fear at the darkness that seemed to swallow everything.

But Zhou Changwang did not pause.

The city gates were too close to the market, and he dared not risk lingering there.

Only by venturing deep into the wilds could they hope for safety.

Fortunately, with the guidance of the Derivative Spell, Zhou Changwang changed direction at the slightest hint of red light, even if it meant taking a long detour.

Qian Xiaoyue, following behind, was full of questions. Sometimes, a different path was clearly shorter and would save a lot of time, but Zhou Changwang insisted on going the long way around.

But timid by nature, she dared not object, and could only hurry after him in silence.