Chapter 203: This is a Robbery

Time passed day by day in this stimulating yet mundane process, and before we knew it, the final day of the wilderness survival selection competition had arrived.

“Well, here we are.”

Taking a last look at the campsite that had just begun to take shape under the construction of a certain Miss Thief, the black-haired girl shouldered her bulging pack, ready to leave the temporary base where the two had spent three nights.

I must say, although Miss Le Qiao Qiao had a habit of being timid and squeamish at the sight of blood, and her appetite was so large it could almost be considered a gift—enough to make the Priestess doubt whether she was truly human—her skills were indeed quite remarkable. She could rob, loot, and also clean and cook, saving Miss Vilyric a lot of trouble.

Aside from when things got physical, she often felt as if she had nothing to do.

After all, how is it that a thief is better at building houses than a civil engineer and more proficient at house chores than a professional maid…?

“What’s up, boss? What are you looking at?”

Miss Le Qiao Qiao, her own bags filled to the brim and resembling a little wife preparing for a long trip, approached Miss Vilyric and waved her hands in curiosity.

While the two had gotten along reasonably well during these days, the Priestess had somewhat accepted this cheerful girl as a half-friend, allowing her to call her by name. However, the title “boss,” which was initially a flippant joke, had seemingly become a habit for the Thief, and she refused to drop it.

After several failed attempts to correct her, Miss Vilyric had given up on bothering with such trivial matters.

“Oh… I wasn’t looking at anything, just feeling that time has flown by quickly. In the blink of an eye, the competition is about to end. I wonder how many people will qualify this time.”

Most of the time, her face was hidden behind a black scarf, but not now—Miss Thief let out a giggle and happily patted her flat stomach, highlighted by her tight-fitting clothes.

“Who cares! As long as we can smoothly get through the preliminary selection, that’s what matters. The key point is that we’ve eaten so well these past few days. I could rarely enjoy eating and drinking like this when I was outside!”

As she said this, Miss Le Qiao Qiao pouted a bit in regret.

“It’s a pity I have other things to do; otherwise, I’d really want to work for you forever. Sigh, it’s so hard to fill the stomach.”

“Hehe, you silly girl.”

Without probing further into the “other things” mentioned by the Thief, Miss Vilyric simply shook her head and gently corrected her.

“But one thing you’re mistaken about is that we haven’t successfully passed the preliminary selection yet. You know, according to the rules, you have to reach the gathering point and hand over the crystal to the official personnel for verification before you can officially qualify.”

“That doesn’t make much difference, does it? Can this little journey really…”

Before she could finish, Miss Le Qiao Qiao instantly grasped the Priestess’s meaning.

“Wait, are you saying… someone will intercept us on the way?”

“Not intercepting us, but rather intercepting most of the participants trying to reach the gathering point. Don’t forget, the rules clearly state that everyone will be ranked based on the number of crystals they hold and that the top hundred will receive additional privileges.”

The black-haired girl smiled calmly.

“Do you think it’s better to rush around hunting down those pathetic souls with only basic shares during these five days, or is it easier to conserve energy and strike when most of the weaklings have been eliminated, attacking those of us with abundant resources?”

“Also, do you remember the guys we encountered on the first night? Since their purpose is to cause trouble, there’s no way they would miss such a good opportunity. They’ve probably set up ambushes along the way long ago.”

Hearing Miss Vilyric say this, Miss Le Qiao Qiao’s timid nature began to resurface, trembling.

“What… what should we do, boss? Should we sneak past via back roads?”

Miss Vilyric couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You silly girl, there’s no such thing as main roads or back roads in the forest. The more secluded the place, the more likely it is to be ambushed.”

“Eh…”

Seeing Miss Le Qiao Qiao’s face grow even paler with fear, the Priestess felt guilty for scaring her anymore and switched to a comforting tone.

“Alright, don’t panic. Not to mention that I’m here, even if those ambushers pose a certain threat, they’re not specifically targeting us but rather the majority of the participants.”

“From that perspective, they’re actually at a disadvantage, and we have more ‘allies’ on our side.”

The Thief paused slightly.

“Boss, you’re not thinking of teaming up with others to fight back, are you?”

“Of course not… That would be too bothersome and impractical. However, we can reasonably exploit this point to evade many potential troubles, so…”

……

【Ranking of the Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100】

In this vast world with four nations rich in resources and talents, there has always been an organization named the “Spirit Hiding News Agency,” compiling information about various people and things throughout the four nations.

Although the name “Spirit Hiding News Agency” sounds like a second-rate gossip hub, it is actually the most authoritative professional intelligence agency in the entire Ancient Spirit Realm. The sheer variety and rigor of the data it compiles have garnered recognition from all four nations.

The “Ranking of the Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100” is one of the most discussed hot topics published by the Spirit Hiding News Agency, with one issue released each year. Each time it’s updated, the rankings are meticulously adjusted based on the various events that occurred throughout the year.

Naturally, this public list always draws the attention of countless strong figures in the world.

While the ranking on the “Ranking of the Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100” does not completely represent an individual’s absolute strength in the realm, it is still an important reference. One could say anyone who makes it onto this list can be considered one of the top masters of the present age.

This is an officially certified honor that cannot be obtained by any crooked means.

Cheng Fengqi is ranked twenty-seventh on the Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100 list, a disciple of the legendary “Ten Thousand Sword Master,” ranked third on the list.

Before the age of thirty, Cheng Fengqi was an unnoticed ordinary warrior, utterly unremarkable.

However, on the day after he turned thirty, he seized an opportunity while roasting a whole duck and learned the true essence of the Ten Thousand Sword Technique from the elusive number one swordsman of the Ancient Spirit Realm.

Afterwards, with the power of a single sword, he single-handedly battled two major “Seeking Immortal” realm evil demons deep in Wind Rising Mountain, defeating one and severely injuring the other. He became renowned overnight, shocking the world and earning a spot on the Ancient Spirit Realm Top 100 at fifty-second.

Following that battle, Cheng Fengqi remained humble, traveling around and challenging various strong figures to hone his swordsmanship, which grew increasingly superb. His ranking on the Top 100 continued to rise, and locals took pride in him, renaming the mountain where he battled the evil demons to Wind Rising Mountain.

Now forty-two, Cheng Fengqi is in the golden period of a man’s life, where both achievements and physical prowess reach their peak. Thus, he is filled with aspiration to participate in the “Four Saints Selection Tournament” held within the Dongyuanzhi Kingdom, vowing to achieve a good rank and refine his sword skills on Immortal Island, striving for the ultimate realm of longevity with Heaven and Earth.

Before encountering that black-haired girl in a white robe, he had always believed he could do it.

“Strength roughly at 40, close to 50, moves straightforward and honest, hmm… Your momentum is not bad, I’ll give you that.”

With just two jade-like slender fingers, she pinched the sword he had swung with all his might. Cheng Fengqi stared in mixed disbelief and shock as the black-haired girl provided this utterly baffling feedback, then flashed a harmless smile.

“In short, please hand over all the crystals on you without hesitation. This is a robbery~”

   

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