Wo Wudi spoke these words with complete nonchalance, but to the ears of the surrounding cultivators, they landed like a thunderclap.
Every single one of them was dumbfounded, their faces frozen in utter shock.
Gazing from a distance at the man confronting Shen Yurou, their minds were an absolute muddle.
After striving so hard to reach the Soul Formation realm, he had just dispersed his cultivation to start over at the drop of a hat?
Could it be that breakthroughs in cultivation were as effortless as eating and drinking?
Wo Wudi paid no heed whatsoever to the onlookers' shock. Instead, he glared aggressively at Shen Yurou and asked, "What? You don't think that just because I'm currently at Foundation Establishment, I can't beat you, do you?"
As soon as those words left his mouth, another uproar swept through the crowd.
The gulf between Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul was like heaven and earth.
For a Nascent Soul True Monarch to slaughter an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator was truly no different from crushing an ant.
Yet from the sound of Wo Wudi's words, despite having only Foundation Establishment cultivation, could he actually defeat a Nascent Soul cultivator?
How could that possibly be?
What shocked the crowd even more was that Shen Yurou—with his flowing hair and feminine features—did not lose his temper in the face of Wo Wudi's provocation.
He merely cast a wary glance at him, let out a cold snort, and offered no rebuttal.
This was practically an outright admission of Wo Wudi's claim!
Shen Yurou, possessing Nascent Soul cultivation, might truly be no match for Wo Wudi at Foundation Establishment!
The cultivators looked at the golden-armored man with completely different eyes.
At this moment, having lost face, Shen Yurou suddenly broke into an elegant smile and said with biting sarcasm, "In all of Jiushan Province, anyone even slightly well-informed knows that you are the precious darling of the grand Immortal Venerable Feixue. Never mind the Foundation Establishment stage, even if you were at the Qi Condensation stage and stood still letting me strike, I wouldn't dare!
"If I were to injure you in the slightest and that venerable one came knocking at our door, our Lingyuan Sect certainly couldn't bear the consequences!"
At these words, the gazes of the onlookers shifted once again as they looked at Wo Wudi.
One after another, understanding dawned on their faces.
Shen Yurou's remark seemed to have struck a raw nerve. Wo Wudi's expression instantly darkened, and he glared fixedly at Shen Yurou.
Shen Yurou, however, had no intention of entangling with him any further.
He extended a hand with a smile, making a welcoming gesture of "after you."
Wo Wudi shot him a chilly look, yet for some reason did not pursue the confrontation.
Instead, he turned and stepped into the mountain pass.
Right at that moment, a crisp, childish voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "Wait! Wait! I'm with him! Let me through!"
Startled, everyone turned toward the sound.
They saw a little girl in red, barely seven or eight years old, shouting as she sprinted toward Wo Wudi.
Behind her followed a bronze-skinned, middle-aged man with a helpless look on his face.
The little girl was naturally Su Xiaomei, and the middle-aged man was Zhang Haobo.
Su Xiaomei scurried over to Wo Wudi's side and patted his arm, wearing a look of relief as if to say, *Good thing I caught up.*
"Let's go, let's go!"
Staring at Wo Wudi with her large, innocent eyes, she urged him forward.
At first, Wo Wudi found it somewhat baffling. He sized up this little girl who had appeared out of nowhere, and was just about to say something.
However, his expression shifted slightly, and the words on the tip of his tongue changed in an instant. "Alright! Let's go!"
With an amused, intrigued smile, he strode into the mountain pass.
With a solemn face, Zhang Haobo followed closely behind.
The crowd watched them leave, murmuring guesses about the little girl's identity.
Shen Yurou's expression flickered between light and dark, his thoughts unreadable.
The pass through Shixi Mountain was seven or eight li long, cutting straight through the mountain.
It seemed to have been chiseled directly out of the mountain's core by brute force, and every so often, Lingyuan Sect cultivators could be seen stationed along the way.
Wo Wudi did not question Su Xiaomei about her origin or intentions, simply pressing forward in silence.
At that moment, Zhang Haobo sent a voice transmission to Xiaomei: "Xiaomei, what are you trying to do? That man ahead is not someone to mess with. Why force a connection with him? Could it be just to save those two hundred spirit stones?"
Su Xiaomei paused in her tracks. "What spirit stones! Am I really that stingy? Stop treating me like a child, will you?
"Besides, you're a grown adult—why are you so cowardly?
"What's all this about not messing with him... He's at Foundation Establishment, and I'm at Foundation Establishment too. What is there to fear?!"
Zhang Haobo was left speechless by her retort.
Could her Foundation Establishment stage possibly be the same as someone else's Foundation Establishment stage?
Yet, being somewhat rebellious, Su Xiaomei not only failed to rein herself in, but even skipped ahead to bombard Wo Wudi with questions.
"Is your name really Wo Wudi? Why is your name so weird?"
"Were you really a Soul Formation cultivator before, and then dispersed your cultivation to start over?"
"What does it feel like to become a Soul Formation cultivator?"
"That armor on you earlier looked pretty nice—is it some kind of treasure?"
...
Listening from behind, Zhang Haobo grew slightly pale, terrified that Wo Wudi would become annoyed by Xiaomei and turn violent.
Yet, although Wo Wudi did not answer any of her questions, he did not grow angry either.
In fact, a faint, curious smile even tugged at the corners of his lips.
Understanding dawned on Zhang Haobo.
He knew that the technique Su Xiaomei cultivated allowed her to sense the subtlest emotional shifts in those around her.
Her actions had seemed reckless, but in truth, there was no real danger.
*It seems Xiaomei has another purpose in mind? Indeed, I shouldn't underestimate her just because she was so young,* Zhang Haobo mused to himself.
The three traveled together, with only Su Xiaomei chattering nonstop.
Before long, they passed through the ravine and left the bounds of Shixi Mountain behind.
At that point, Wo Wudi, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly halted.
He turned to look at Su Xiaomei and asked with great interest, "You're quite an amusing little child. We've never met before, so why did you claim to be with me?"
Su Xiaomei tilted her head and said with utter innocence, "We're traveling together now, aren't we? Doesn't that count as being together?"
Her sly eyes darted around as she countered, "You still haven't answered my questions!"
Wo Wudi let out a soft laugh, not offended in the least. "Fair enough. Allow me to introduce myself first. My humble name is Shuo Feng; 'Wo Wudi' is merely a moniker I use while roaming the world. And what about you, little girl?"
"My name is Su Xiaomei, and the man beside me is Zhang Haobo!" Su Xiaomei replied promptly.
"Su Xiaomei..." Shuo Feng repeated the name under his breath.
Then he looked at her intently and asked, "Su Xiaomei, what is your intention in following me?"
As soon as he said this, Zhang Haobo immediately grew tense.
Su Xiaomei, however, was completely fearless. Her eyes sparkled, and she answered briskly, "Who told you to pick such an arrogant name?!
"Invincible?
"I'm not convinced! I want to fight you!"
This answer caught Shuo Feng completely off guard.
He froze for a moment.
Then, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Good! What an amusing little brat!
"It just so happens that having walked all this way, my hands have been itching for a fight.
"This place is wide open and deserted—how about you and I have our duel right here?"
Chapter 280