After hearing Wu Qi's explanation, the woman did not get angry. "I don't need you to say anything. I only believe what I see."
"Come out. Don't let them escape!"
As her words fell, more than a dozen burly men walked out of the inn.
Their strength ranged from Spirit Grandmaster to high-level Spirit Elder.
As for the woman before them, her strength was even more formidable. Four Spirit Rings white, yellow, yellow, and purple shone beneath her feet. She was clearly a Spirit Ancestor.
The strongest exiles in Death Canyon were Spirit Emperors.
Here, a Spirit Emperor was peak combat strength and would rarely appear in the inner city. The same was true for Spirit Kings.
On the surface, the strongest figures within this city were Spirit Ancestors. And this woman's aura clearly indicated she was a high-level Spirit Ancestor.
"This one's tough," Chang Kong muttered, his brows tightly furrowed.
If he could redo this, he would never have given her alms, nor would he have doubted Spirit Hall's judgment.
Wu Qi's gaze swept across everyone present before he suddenly smiled. "What, you think this is enough to keep me here? If I didn't have some strength, would I dare sneak in?"
The woman sneered. "Stop bluffing. Do you think I can't see through you?"
"As smart people, you should understand that those who adapt to the times are wise."
Wu Qi's expression turned cold. "Your words are quite unpleasant."
Three Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple rose around him. Immediately, the purple Spirit Ring burst forth with dazzling light.
"Third Spirit Skill, Storm Surge!"
His Azure Luan Martial Soul flapped its wings at high speed, and a fierce storm swept through the alley.
The wind was like blades. As it struck the group, it easily sliced open their skin.
The woman's expression shifted slightly. "A Spirit Elder with such a powerful Spirit Skill. If you reach the Spirit Ancestor stage, I might not be your match. But unfortunately, today will be your last!"
"Attack!"
At her command, the dozen men behind her simultaneously released their Martial Souls.
The woman's Martial Soul was a Black Widow, a spider carrying potent venom.
Wu Qi's face darkened.
If he were poisoned by the Black Widow, today might truly be his end.
The venomous Sharp-Horned Deer in his possession could only warn him of toxins, not cure them.
"Chang Kong, prepare to withdraw!"
Over the years, the two had trained together. Chang Kong immediately understood his plan.
He raised his Coiling Dragon Staff above his head, preparing to strike.
"Overestimating yourselves," the Black Widow sneered.
Wu Qi's third Spirit Skill had indeed caused them some trouble.
Uncertain whether he had other tricks, she did not dare rush forward recklessly.
Wu Qi did not linger in battle. Grabbing Chang Kong's Coiling Dragon Staff, he carried him into the air and retreated.
"See you later!" Chang Kong laughed, waving at them.
The Black Widow wanted to pursue, but the Azure Luan Martial Soul had an extremely high flight limit. They quickly disappeared into the night. How could she track them?
"Boss, there aren't any flying Spirit Masters in the canyon. Judging by their actions, they might really have sneaked in."
One of the men who had heard Wu Qi earlier could not help analyzing aloud.
Since both sides had already exposed each other's identities, there was no need for Wu Qi to deny it further.
For a moment, even the Black Widow was uncertain of their true background.
They could no longer remain in the city that night.
Wu Qi brought Chang Kong to a safe spot in the outskirts to rest.
Thinking back on what had just happened, Chang Kong fumed. "That woman dared to play us like that. Once I break through to Spirit King, I'll smash her head in with my Coiling Dragon Staff."
Wu Qi chuckled and shrugged. "You sound like someone raging out of helplessness."
"With this experience, just be more careful in the future. There's no need to lose your composure. We should think about what to do next."
Now that they had escaped the inner city, finding Spirit Ancestors and Spirit Elders would require waiting in the outskirts.
If the environment was unfavorable, Wu Qi would not dare take action lightly against a Spirit Ancestor. Completing the trial within a month might prove difficult.
As he pondered, a figure in white appeared under the moonlight, standing not far from them.
The moment Wu Qi noticed him, he became alert. Anyone who could approach them silently was certainly not weak.
However, the figure seemed somewhat familiar.
When the man came closer, Wu Qi's brows relaxed slightly. "Brother Han, what brings you here at this hour?"
Wu Qi was not close to Han Ming and did not know his purpose.
They had only just escaped the inner city, and now they ran into Han Ming. If someone claimed he was not after the gold badge, no one would believe it.
Han Ming smiled lightly and raised a hand. "No need to be nervous. I'm here to help you. Tell me, what is your mission objective? I might be able to assist."
Wu Qi frowned.
Chang Kong's right hand moved behind his back, ready to fight.
"I don't understand what you mean."
Han Ming could not help but laugh bitterly.
He took a token from his robes and tossed it to Wu Qi. "I am a supervisor within Death Canyon."
A supervisor was responsible for monitoring the criminals' every move. If they showed signs of rebellion, he would eliminate the threat in secret or report it to Spirit Hall in time.
The identities of supervisors were strictly confidential. To outsiders, Han Ming claimed he had been exiled here.
"Your elders asked me to provide some convenience. What, you still don't trust me?"
Wu Qi finally relaxed and returned the token.
Within Spirit Hall, the Worship Hall could not disclose information about the canyon to him directly.
But once inside the canyon, if a "local" revealed it, no one could object.
Presumably, when Hu Liena and the others arrived, they had also received assistance from Han Ming.
After some discussion, Han Ming sighed helplessly. "The survival mission is manageable. But for your collection mission, the only way is to kill."
"And you've already been marked by the Black Widow. Even if your identities weren't exposed, the moment you appear before her again, there will still be trouble."
Chang Kong anxiously asked, "Brother Han, are there any low-level Spirit Ancestors? As long as I get one purple badge, my mission will be complete."
Han Ming was about to refute him, but recalling Wu Qi's strength, he no longer thought it was unrealistic.
Earlier, when Wu Qi killed Hu Erhan, Han Ming had observed from the shadows. If the two of them cooperated, defeating a low-level Spirit Ancestor was not impossible.
After thinking for a moment, Han Ming remembered someone. "Iron Blade Wang Tong, a Level 41 Spirit Ancestor. He has a purple badge and lives in the city."
"This person acts cautiously and rarely leaves the city. And I cannot directly intervene to help you complete the assessment. That is the bottom line."
"I'll explain his situation to you in detail shortly. As for how you lure him out of the city, that's up to you."
"There are also a few other low-level Spirit Ancestors, but their whereabouts are uncertain. I can't say where they'll appear."
With Han Ming's assistance, this trial became much simpler.
However, the two of them did not grow careless because of it.
Han Ming could not step in to save them at a life-and-death moment. If the Black Widow came after them again, it would still be troublesome.
After some thought, Wu Qi decided to lie low in the outskirts for the time being and wait for a low-level Spirit Ancestor to appear.
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