Chapter 19: Lightning from a Withered Tree

After hearing Li Xuan’s plan, Lao Hei spat into his palm, rubbed his hands vigorously, and then brandished his black iron axe. Raising it high, he brought it down upon the roots of the ancient pines and cypresses.

By the end of the entire morning, a vast pile of felled ancient pines and cypresses lay scattered across the ground, enough to form a small mountain.

Lao Hei chuckled, “When it comes to heavy labor, I’m the best—no one can compare to me, not even Brother Li Xuan!”

Though Li Xuan’s family had declined, they had not spared themselves hardship. In terms of sheer strength and endurance, Lao Hei was truly admirable. Li Xuan said, “Thank you for your hard work, brother! Let’s start setting up—let those assassins get a taste of what’s coming!”

Lao Hei shouted loudly, “Alright!”

Supporting the burdensome logs, Lao Hei carried them while Li Xuan extracted source crystals of lesser quality. After engraving source patterns on them, he skillfully embedded the crystals into the trunks of the ancient trees before casting the heavy logs down the slope.

The trunks tumbled rapidly downhill, stirring dust and echoing with the sounds of crashing wood, quickly turning the once pristine forest into chaotic wreckage.

Exchanging a glance, Li Xuan and Lao Hei took up concealed positions, each positioned at different heights, lying in wait for the assassins.

“Damn it! With all this racket, I thought that bastard Li Xuan was up to his old tricks again—luring wild beasts here just to make us waste our time!” The black-clad leader sneered in frustration.

The leader was angry not only because the bounty on Li Xuan’s head was tempting but also because the source crystals from the wild beasts he had sent were so enticing. Li Xuan’s cultivation was only at the peak of the Spirit Awakening Realm—his ability to lure beasts was naturally limited.

“Boss, that bastard is cunning. We should be careful, not fall for his trap like Elder Xi did!” a subordinate warned.

Instead of praise, the leader roared in anger, “Get lost! I’m so brilliant and mighty, I’d never fall for that idiot Elder Xi’s nonsense, let alone some greenhorn like him!”

His roar carried far, rustling the leaves and twigs around them.

The subordinate shrank back nervously and said in a weak tone, “Boss, your cultivation is peerless—we look up to you as if you were a flood breaking its banks, overwhelming and unstoppable…”

The leader, though outwardly calm and confident, muttered in his heart, “That brat—if I catch him, I’ll skin him alive!”

Glancing around, seeing they were surrounded by the chaotic pile of ancient pine and cypress trunks, the leader shouted, “Clear this trash away!”

His men scrambled hurriedly to move the debris, but the leader, unsatisfied with their speed, kicked at the wood. Unbeknownst to them, the source patterns spread like ripples, triggering a mighty thunderclap. The area engulfed in wood exploded with blinding light and billowing smoke.

“Boss, we’ve been tricked…”

Before the subordinate could finish, the pitch-black leader collapsed, shouting fiercely, “I knew it! You fools!”

Despite his fall, the leader was no weakling. He rolled aside, triggering nearby wood to burst open. With a somersault, he stood and bellowed, “If you’re heroes, come out and fight me one-on-one!”

Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, and the black iron axe flashed coldly as it descended the mountain slope. Where it struck, heads rolled like snowballs tumbling downhill.

“I, Grandfather Hei, am here! Take your complaints to the King of Hell!” Lao Hei stood tall on the hillside, his bushy beard and fierce expression like a war god.

The black-clad leader was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage, roaring, “Who is this mountain bumpkin? I’m not here to kill you! Get lost!”

The leader was a professional assassin; just from his aura, it was clear that the hulking black figure was a God-Slayer realm expert. If it came to a fight, there was no way the leader could win.

Lao Hei wiped his steel-needle-like beard and chuckled, “You know it—I'm the Black Whirlwind Lao Hei, not someone to mess with. Get lost now, or you’ll lose your head!”

He slammed the black iron axe into the ground heavily, sending sparks and cracks through the rocky earth.

The leader, relying on his numbers, cleared his throat and said, “Brother, the Mist Shadow Mountain is a lawless zone. With my men here, no one will interfere. Why don’t we strike a deal? We split the bounty, and work together to catch this thief!”

Lao Hei’s heart skipped a beat. He silently admired Li Xuan’s genius: just a casual threat was enough to get these villains to invite him to join forces to hunt Li Xuan together.

Lao Hei rinsed his mouth and said, “I want a 60-40 split.”

The leader’s heart sank slightly, cursing internally, "Damn, even blacker than me," but outwardly he laughed it off, “Fine, it’s settled!”

The size of the cut was secondary; the main point was the powerful backers behind the bounty. Bringing in Li Xuan’s head meant more such lucrative jobs in the future.

The leader hoped for a strong alliance to maximize gains.

Now, his team even had two God-Slayer realm experts. No matter how cunning Li Xuan was, he couldn’t escape their grasp.

Lao Hei quickly adapted and gained the right to lead. Soon they reached a steep slope.

“Let me have a look,” Lao Hei said.

Using his expert beast-tracking skills, Lao Hei quickly confirmed an ambush below.

“Boss, I’m sure that thief is right down there. Let’s charge!”

But the leader hesitated, “Brother, are you really certain Li Xuan’s ambush is down there? Should we just rush down blindly?”

Having witnessed the destructive power of exploding wood and thunder, the leader was unwilling to be fooled again. The slope was littered with chaotic logs, identical to the middle of the mountain.

“Don’t tell me you don’t trust me even after agreeing to a 60-40 split. Are you trying to cheat me?” Lao Hei growled fiercely, his naturally rough and intimidating demeanor needing no pretense.

“Uh... well...” The leader stammered, his eyes darting frantically, unaware that Lao Hei had already swung his black iron axe, glaring at him.

“Boss wants to keep the entire bounty for himself! Brothers, charge!” Lao Hei shouted.

At the mention of the bounty, the assassins rushed forward recklessly. The leader, however, had his arm severed by Lao Hei’s axe and screamed as he tumbled down the steep slope.

The assassins surged forward like headless flies, when suddenly a figure appeared. Source energy erupted from him as he grasped a pile of logs. Source patterns rippled like water, and the logs rose half a person’s height before exploding with thunderous force, sending shockwaves outward.

Wood fragments flew everywhere, piercing the assassins’ flesh. Some were instantly blown to powder.

“Ah! You’re working together!” the leader screamed, clutching his severed arm in a hoarse rage. “They won’t spare you!”

Li Xuan appeared calmly, stomping on the leader’s jaw, his gaze cold and sharp. “Anyone else?”

The leader’s eyes bloodshot as he laughed wildly, blood mixed with a foul black substance dripping from his mouth before he abruptly died.

“Brother Li Xuan, it seems more than one group wants your life!” Lao Hei said, alarmed, realizing these were desperate men who would stop at nothing for the source crystals—even if it meant dying without betraying their masters.

“Brother Lao Hei, how about my Withered Wood Thunder technique?” Li Xuan asked without answering his earlier question.

“Brother Li Xuan, your wisdom surpasses mine by a thousandfold. The Withered Wood Thunder is truly a stroke of genius!” Lao Hei praised.

Li Xuan waved his hand dismissively. “No need for such formality. Judging from what that guy said, other assassins have infiltrated here. We’re in the open, they’re in the shadows. Maybe they know us better than we know ourselves. So, what shall we do next?”

Lao Hei was a rough man and didn’t know what to do next. Li Xuan mused, “How long has the Source Celestial Master lineage been in seclusion?”

Li Xuan recalled Lao Hei once mentioning the Source Celestial Master lineage, so he must know something about them.

“Sigh, Brother Li Xuan, I’m just a roughneck. When I saw you use the source pattern formation, I guessed you came from the Source Celestial Master lineage. But turns out, you have nothing to do with them!” Lao Hei said, eyes full of awe and fear.

Being a Source Celestial Master was revered by all, but it was also a tragic fate—they eventually lost themselves, becoming tomb guardians known as Mu Kui, bound forever to ancient crypts.

Mu Kui were cursed by ancient deities, a fate worse than eternal torment.

Because if one member of a family became a Mu Kui, the entire clan would be doomed to serve as sacrificial offerings, bound to follow him.

“Brother Li Xuan, I really don’t want you involved with the Source Celestial Masters. It’s too serious, brother...” Lao Hei’s eyes glistened with tears. He didn’t want his savior to be cursed, yet felt powerless.

Li Xuan himself had felt a chill down his spine when activating the source patterns just now—as if a pair of eyes were watching him, a terrifying feeling.

Yet he still didn’t understand why the Source Celestial Masters became Mu Kui. Kui was an ancient term for a bovine deity. Why would an ancient tomb require Mu Kui guardians?

He didn’t know, but the gaze of those eyes made him sense danger.

Li Xuan had used source pattern formations more than once, but had never paid attention before. From Lao Hei’s words, it was certainly linked to the Source Celestial Master lineage.

Now, Li Xuan dared not use source pattern formations or the Withered Wood Thunder again, fearing those eyes were watching him, and trouble would follow.

His previous plans were completely disrupted.

Li Xuan said, “Brother Lao Hei, we need to rethink our strategy...”