#143 - Why do you have to speak so pompously?

Xu Ming watched as the red dragon formed from blood energy got closer and closer.

To be honest.

Xu Ming really didn't think he could withstand this red dragon.

Under the impact of this red dragon, he would definitely have a narrow escape from death.

But Xu Ming knew he couldn't back down.

Because behind him was Qingwan.

He only "might" not be able to withstand this red dragon, but Qin Qingwan definitely couldn't.

Under this red dragon, he had a narrow escape from death, but if he took a step back, Qin Qingwan would definitely die.

Xu Ming threw a punch, his peak punch in his current state and realm.

The martial artist's true energy and the blood energy surrounding the red dragon collided, like two streams of air clashing.

Xu Ming did manage to withstand the red dragon for about a breath's time.

But that was all.

Xu Ming was swallowed by the red dragon.

He felt every inch of his skin being destroyed, as if magma was enveloping him, and even when he was tempering his body, it wasn't this painful.

It wasn't just his physical body; his soul felt like the "Heng Ha Two Generals" were constantly "humming and hawing" in his ears, shaking it to the point of dissipating.

Xu Ming even felt a little恍惚, as if he was already seeing his life flashing before his eyes.

Just when Xu Ming's life was hanging by a thread, and he was about to be utterly destroyed.

Suddenly, a pendant that looked like a water droplet directly broke through the blood-red dragon energy.

Xu Ming subconsciously reached out to catch it.

As a result, this water droplet pendant directly smashed into Xu Ming's palm and disappeared without a trace.

Xu Ming even suspected that he was hallucinating.

But the next moment, his body's senses told Xu Ming that it was all real.

After the water droplet pendant merged into Xu Ming's body, Xu Ming's eyes became somewhat empty. He seemed to be looking at the red dragon in front of him, but his eyes didn't seem to see this blood energy red dragon.

The oppressive feeling that the blood energy red dragon had towards Xu Ming gradually transformed into a sense of intimacy.

That rejection completely disappeared, replaced by something more like meeting an old friend.

The blood energy that was like magma was now as gentle as a spring breeze.

His soul felt like it was being nourished by the water of Yaochi.

Xu Ming's physical injuries and state were rapidly recovering.

Xu Ming subconsciously reached out towards the blood energy red dragon.

In everyone's sight, the red blood energy that enveloped Xu Ming gradually condensed towards that blood-red bead.

Until finally, all the blood energy condensed on that bead.

The jewel that the toad spat out was suspended in front of Xu Ming, like the blood moon in the sky.

Then, this blood-red jewel actually fell into Xu Ming's palm on its own accord.

The formation on the mountaintop also gradually dimmed, and the chains binding Qin Qingwan disappeared.

As Xu Ming accepted this inexplicably appearing jewel, several hundred human and demon cultivators flew over one after another, surrounding Xu Ming.

Xu Ming calmly looked at the crowd.

From the eyes of these people, Xu Ming saw greed.

Those who come are not friendly, and those who are friendly do not come.

They were probably chasing after the treasure.

"May I ask what brings you all here?" Xu Ming asked, not showing any fear even when facing hundreds of cultivators.

After all, Xu Ming entered the Blood Floating Pagoda at the age of eight, and experienced life and death before he was even ten years old.

The current situation was already commonplace for Xu Ming's Blood Floating Pagoda life.

Faced with Xu Ming's composure and unwavering calmness in the face of danger, many cultivators didn't know how to speak for a moment.

Especially the aura of righteousness emanating from him, which always made them feel like petty people.

"May I ask what Brother Xu is doing here?" Xia Donghua stepped forward and asked, his gaze sweeping over Qin Qingwan and the others on the ground.

"What I'm doing here has nothing to do with you all, does it?" Xu Ming asked, "Moreover, you haven't answered me yet. What's going on with you all surrounding me so aggressively?"

She Yu "swish"ed open his fan and fanned himself: "Tonight I went to the Toad Temple and found a treasure, which is the bead in Brother Xu's hand. Please hand it over to me."

Xu Ming weighed the bead in his hand and said with a smile: "Why should I give it to you? Is this thing yours?"

Xia Donghua quickly said: "Xu Ming, this thing was obtained by us risking our lives. You didn't contribute at all, it has nothing to do with you. It's not good for you to just take it for yourself, is it?"

Xu Ming looked at Xia Donghua as if he were looking at an idiot: "I almost died because of this bead just now, and now that the bead is in my hands, you're telling me it has nothing to do with me?"

Xia Donghua's tone suddenly became unfriendly, even with a hint of threat: "Young Master Xu, it's not a good thing for you to be holding this thing."

"Then I'd like to see what kind of bad thing it is."

Xu Ming's lips curled up, his expression still incomparably calm.

Xu Ming didn't know what this blood-red jewel was, but since so many people were fighting for it, it definitely wasn't something bad.

"Why waste words with him?" A one-eyed cultivator stepped forward, "There's definitely something wrong with this person!"

"That's right!" Another cultivator stepped forward, "The jewel suddenly flew towards him, and then he obtained it. He must have used some kind of trick."

"This man definitely knows some secrets of Baiwa City!"

"Look at the formation on the mountaintop! The aura is extremely similar to the blood energy of the jewel!"

"Perhaps this man is the mastermind behind everything!"

"Then the missing cultivators, he might be the one who did it!"

"Kill him!"

More and more people pointed the finger at Xu Ming.

In fact, Xia Donghua also knew that Xu Ming wouldn't hand over this thing.

Others also knew in their hearts that this formation wasn't enough to prove that this man was the mastermind behind Baiwa City, and even less to prove that Xu Ming had killed those missing cultivators.

It could only be said that Xu Ming had obtained some clues about Baiwa City, and thus built this formation, and then this formation inexplicably resonated with the jewel.

After all, everyone had seen the expression of Xu Ming's willingness to die when facing the blood energy red dragon at that time.

And who could have imagined that a toad would spit out a jewel?

If he could have predicted this, he wouldn't have exposed himself now, attracting the crowd to encircle him.

But some meaningless words still had to be said.

The first was to test whether Xu Ming would admit defeat, and the second was to make their snatching of the treasure more justified.

Xia Donghua frowned: "Brother Xu, don't you need to explain yourself properly?"

"Aren't you just trying to seize the treasure? Everyone knows it in their hearts, why bother saying it so grandly?"

Xu Ming smiled and stood upright.

"If you want to come, then come."