51: Chapter 51 If you want to pass through here, leave some money behind.

"Who wants to eat your stuff..."

Lin Bingyao muttered under her breath, yet her body honestly accepted the ring.

A wisp of Divine Sense probed in, and Lin Bingyao was completely stunned.

The space inside the ring wasn't large, but it was piled high with various processed Spirit Beast jerky, spirit fruit pastries, and even a few sealed jars of spirit wine, all exuding an enticing aroma and pure Spiritual Qi.

Did this guy move an entire restaurant inside?

"Be careful on the road."

Zhao Ruoan's voice sounded once more.

"Although those people in black were scared away by my Revered Master's Sword Qi, there is no guarantee there are no remaining fish slipping through the net, especially you—the identity of the Chiyan Sect Young Lord is too eye-catching."

"I know, so wordy."

Lin Bingyao put the ring on her finger, and the size was just right.

"Do you think I am still the me from before?"

As soon as her voice fell, her figure turned into a residual shadow, leaving a string of phantoms in place.

It was precisely the Tianxing Step that the two of them comprehended together.

Although it was only a glimpse of the threshold, compared to her previous movement technique, the speed was more than a notch faster.

Zhao Ruoan shared his insights on the Tianxing Step with her without reservation, saving her more than half of the exploration time.

"I will practice this movement technique well."

The residual shadow dissipated, and Lin Bingyao's figure recondensed a dozen zhang away.

"In the future... can I write to you?"

"Of course."

Zhao Ruoan laughed.

"Always welcome."

Having received a positive reply, Lin Bingyao did not stay any longer.

She waved at Zhao Ruoan, then turned around, executed her movement technique, and within a few leaps, her graceful figure disappeared into the distant mountain forest.

Zhao Ruoan stood in place until that trace of a figure completely vanished.

Only then did he retract his gaze, identify the direction, and unhurriedly walked towards the direction of the Qingxuan Sect.

A journey alone was quite peaceful.

Walking for less than half an hour, several figures suddenly darted out from the forest path ahead, blocking his way.

A total of five people, each with a thick waist and round arms, full of horizontal flesh on their faces, carrying a strong bandit Aura of outlaws.

The leader was a One-Eyed Dragon, carrying a ring-headed broadsword on his shoulder, with undried bloodstains still on the blade.

Their cultivation was generally at the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

"This tree is planted by me, this road is opened by me!"

The One-Eyed Dragon slammed the broadsword onto the ground, causing the ground to shake.

"If you want to pass here, leave behind the toll!"

A very retro, very uncreative opening remark.

Zhao Ruoan glanced at them, and then looked at himself.

For the convenience of traveling, he had always restrained his Aura, and his external cultivation appearance was about the seventh or eighth layer of the Pulse Condensation Realm.

In the eyes of these Spirit Gathering Realm Cultivators, he truly was a soft persimmon.

"Brothers, can you make things convenient?"

Zhao Ruoan spoke with a "kind" expression.

"Convenient?"

The One-Eyed Dragon sneered savagely.

"Kid, looking at your tender skin, you don't look like someone who has suffered. Hand over the Magic Treasure on your hand. Grandfather is in a good mood today, so I can consider leaving you an intact corpse!"

"That's right, hurry up! Don't force us to make a move!"

The henchmen nearby also chimed in, their expressions looking at Zhao Ruoan filled with greed.

Zhao Ruoan sighed.

"Alright, I'll give it."

As he spoke, he slowly began to strip the storage ring off his hand.

Seeing him so cooperative, the complacent look on the robbers' faces grew even thicker.

Right at this moment.

"Roar——!"

A beast roar filled with a tyrannical Aura resounded from the dense forest nearby.

A black residual shadow, as fast as lightning, carrying a fishy wind, lunged straight towards Zhao Ruoan, whose Aura was the "weakest" in the field.

That was a pitch-black leopard, its size three circles larger than ordinary leopards, covered all over with profound rune-like patterns.

"It's a Shadow Leopard! A Peak Spirit Gathering Realm Yao Beast!"

The One-Eyed Dragon exclaimed in shock, subconsciously taking two steps back.

The complexions of the other robbers also changed, and they hurriedly dodged.

This Shadow Leopard was known for its speed and cunning, extremely difficult to deal with, and even if the five of them joined forces, they might not necessarily get any advantage.

However, they quickly calmed down.

Because the target of that Shadow Leopard was that tender-skinned kid.

"Heh, this kid is really unlucky."

"It saved us from doing it ourselves."

"When he is bitten to death by the leopard, we'll go pick up his stuff. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The few robbers exchanged glances, all revealing smiles of sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight.

In their view, a small Pulse Condensation Realm Cultivator facing a Peak Spirit Gathering Realm Shadow Leopard would have only one end—torn into pieces.

In a flash of lightning, the Shadow Leopard's sharp claws flashing with cold light had already arrived in front of Zhao Ruoan.

Zhao Ruoan didn't even turn his head.

He didn't even stop the action of stripping the ring.

He simply reversed his hand, casually slashing a sword backwards.

It was just such an ordinary slash.

Time, at this moment, seemed to have been pressed with a slow-motion button.

That aggressive Shadow Leopard, the moment it rushed behind Zhao Ruoan, its entire body froze mid-air.

The next second.

"Puchi."

A faint line of blood emerged from the exact center of its forehead, then went all the way down, piercing through its entire body.

Its massive body was accurately split into two halves, the cut smooth as a mirror.

Fresh blood and internal organs splashed all over the floor with a "splash" sound.

A thick smell of blood instantly permeated the air.

In the forest, there was a dead silence.

The smiles on the faces of those robbers completely solidified.

The hand holding the broadsword of the One-Eyed Dragon began to tremble uncontrollably.

Cold sweat trickled down drop by drop from his temples.

He finally realized that he seemed to have kicked an iron plate.

Zhao Ruoan finally "arduously" stripped off the storage ring, held it in his palm, and turned to look at them.

He asked with an "innocent" expression.

"Brothers, I have already solved the Yao Beast. Now, can I give the things to you?"

"No, no, no! No need!"

The One-Eyed Dragon was frightened into Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, his hand softened, and the broadsword dropped to the ground with a "clatter".

He dropped to his knees with a "thud" and kowtowed repeatedly towards Zhao Ruoan.

"Senior! Senior, spare our lives! We were blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai, we are not human, we are just farts, please be magnanimous and let us go!"

"That's right, that's right, Senior, we were just joking with you to liven up the atmosphere!"

"We have eighty-year-old mothers above and babbling infants below!"

The other robbers also reacted, scrambling to kneel down, crying and begging for mercy with snot and tears.

Integrity? What was that? Could it be eaten? Was it more important than life?

"Joking?"

Zhao Ruoan touched his chin.

"Turns out it was a joke, you scared me."

He put the storage ring back on.

"Since it's a joke, then forget it."

Hearing this, the One-Eyed Dragon and the others felt as if they had received a great amnesty, and just wanted to kowtow in gratitude.

Zhao Ruoan's next sentence, however, plunged them into an ice cave.

"Now, it's my turn."

He reached out his hand.

"This tree is planted by me, this road is opened by me, if you want to pass here, leave behind the toll."