The roof of a building inside the clan compound exploded as if a bomb had gone off, an effect Liu Xing knew was caused by the old man successfully advancing to the Core Splitting realm. The timing was perfect. Without missing a beat, he turned, slung the filthy beggar over his shoulder, sent qi to his feet, and jumped. He soared over the clan compound, clearing the gate in a fraction of a second, and landed on the street across from it—which was not what he had intended.

"What happened?" Liu Xing said as the woman on his shoulder flailed. "I sent enough qi to my feet to cross a great distance!"

His landing, though he was invisible, created enough of a thud to be heard. Across the road, Second Master Qing turned on reflex. He glanced back toward the library for a moment, as if considering whether to investigate the explosion or chase them, before his eyes sharpened, his lips curled down, and he shrouded his entire body in blue fire. Evidently, the beggar was more important, because the man launched himself toward them like a missile, the blue flames converging behind him like a jet engine.

Liu Xing cycled qi to enhance his whole body and jumped. The pavement cracked beneath his feet, but he only soared for a moment, just enough to land on a rooftop. Confusion clouded his mind. He was a Core Splitting cultivator with two cores, not to mention that the Diamond Pills had made his body stronger than others at his realm. Yet, it felt as if he had regressed a whole realm. Hearing the roar of the jet fire behind him, Liu Xing gritted his teeth, cycled more qi, and began running along the roofs.

He grabbed the flailing woman on his shoulder with both hands, careful not to let her slip and fall to her death. He leaped from the edge of a roof, crossing a busy street filled with people, donkeys, and horses, before landing on another rooftop and continuing his run. He did this several more times as Second Master Qing flew across the sky, a trail of bright blue fire behind him. The gap between them wasn't closing, but it wasn't widening either. It was only a matter of time and luck before his pursuer caught up, and at that point, he would have no choice but to kill him—an option he was still hesitant to take.

"Could you please stay still?" Liu Xing raised his voice to the woman on his shoulder. "I'm trying to help you here!"

At his words, the beggar stopped flailing and clamped her hands over her mouth, trying her hardest not to make a sound. Liu Xing nodded, jumped off the roof, landed in the middle of the road, zigzagged through the crowd, and ducked into a side alley. As he moved, his mind worked frantically to make sense of the situation and how to improve it. The second question was answered first. He was still invisible, his gun was still firmly grasped in his left hand, and he could make objects he touched turn invisible, too—including this woman. He willed the invisibility to spread to her. It touched her clothes and her belly first, and he realized it was spreading several times slower than usual.

At that moment, he realized the qi around her was thrashing like a baby throwing a tantrum, slapping her face with tiny, invisible hands and trampling her back. Her shaking and flailing weren't entirely her fault.

"This woman... is truly cursed," he muttered.

The qi was behaving differently around her, and it was affecting his qi, too.

He began to cycle his qi faster, trying to enhance his body more, but he didn't do it mindlessly. Instead, he paid closer attention and realized that while most of his qi was behaving as intended, lots of it felt… lazy. It was like a group of cats strolling leisurely among rushing cheetahs, tempting them to slow down. Not only that, but the ambient qi around him was also hindering him, pulling at him as if trying to stop him so it could catch up to the woman and bully her.

Realizing the reason he felt weaker, he gritted his teeth and strengthened his will. The qi inside his body was his and his alone. He was its master, and it had to obey his command.

"Move!" Liu Xing ordered. The lazy qi instantly rushed forward as if they were dogs chasing squirrels, making his body stronger and his movements swifter. He dashed through the alley, jumped over crates, and crossed roads filled with traffic before leaping over two buildings at once.

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He firmed his will more and more until his movements were like lightning and his lightest steps shattered the pavement. The invisibility that was trying to swallow the beggar began to move faster and faster. As it enveloped her, he felt the curse begin to recede, and the qi that had been tormenting her slowed down, like a bored bully who had finished beating its victim.

The gap between him and Second Master Qing widened with every passing moment. When the beggar on his shoulder was finally swallowed whole by the invisibility, Liu Xing slowed his pace. Instead of focusing on running, he began to think about the implications of what had just happened. His stomach twisted as if a bundle of anxiety had been thrown into it, growing mouths and beginning to eat him from the inside. He reined in his thoughts, anchoring his focus on the beggar woman.

"Are you okay?" Liu Xing asked.

"Yes, I'm okay!" she replied excitedly. "In fact, it's been years since I've felt this good. My body is so light, and there's no mean wind pushing me around! It's like I'm being reborn! What is this? Are you doing this? Is it because I'm invisible?"

Liu Xing honestly didn't know. Perhaps his invisibility was so potent that it could conceal her from the ambient qi itself. Whatever the truth, he knew his invisibility had stopped the "curse" plaguing them.

After a while, they successfully escaped from Second Master Qing and arrived at the outskirts of Water Tower City. It was an abandoned village with rotting, crumbling houses swallowed by vines and bushes. They landed in a clearing in the middle of the village. The grass was almost waist-high, and his feet sank into the muddy earth, but he decided this was a good place to stop and think.

Liu Xing set the beggar down on the ground. She looked left and right, her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed. When she was stable, he let go of her wrist, and the invisibility that shrouded her vanished. Instantly, two birds several steps away flapped their wings, centipedes scattered, and bugs and other small creatures, even a little green fox, suddenly fled as if a monster had emerged in their midst. At the same time, ambient qi rushed toward her, pushing her left and right like a bully growing vicious because its victim had tried to hide and flee.

The woman was pushed back, landing on her bottom. Suddenly, a snake with glittering black skin lunged at her neck, its eyes wide as if enraged and determined to kill her.

Liu Xing was surprised by the violent reaction of the qi and the snake. With a flick of his wrist, he slapped the snake, sending it flying to the edge of the clearing. It was still alive—he hadn't hit it too hard—and it shook its head before looking at the woman with a sharp gaze, as if considering another attack. Seeing this, he flared his qi, lacing it with the intent to crush the small snake. The snake, realizing it was in danger, turned and finally fled.

The beggar woman watched the snake with wide eyes. When it was gone, she sighed in relief before turning her face toward his general position and lunging at him, like a tiger trying to catch a rabbit. Still invisible, Liu Xing took two steps back, letting her land on the grassy, muddy ground.

She lifted her face, looked around, and said, "E-esteemed cultivator, I know you're still here! Please, please, let me be your disciple. I want to learn how to become invisible so I can regain my peaceful life!"

The woman began to sing his praises, saying he was the most handsome, kindest, bravest, and strongest person in the world. She said the world was graced by his presence, that women all over would devote their lives to him once they saw his face. How he was blessed by heaven, talented, and would surely become an immortal.

"Esteemed cultivator, sir. People like you deserve a talented disciple, one who is also kind and pretty. I know I'm not that pretty right now, but once my hair is fixed, I shower in a pure spring, wear a beautiful dress, and put on makeup, I would be stunning, too. In the past, I was the shiniest jewel in Water Tower City. Moreover, I'm diligent and would do anything you ordered. I would do anything you please and would carry out your orders with a smile. That's why, please, please, let me be your disciple! I don't need to be an Immortal. I just need to learn that invisibility technique!"

She frantically looked left and right, her hands reaching out as if she were a blind person navigating new terrain. She began to plead, sweat emerging on her face, as if the doubt that Liu Xing had already gone had bloomed in her mind.

Liu Xing took several steps back and then sat down, leaning against a young tree. Its leaves shielded his face from the sun as he observed the beggar, who, realizing praises and promises of "good times" weren't working, began to cry and beg, her face reddening and tears streaming from her eyes.

"Please, please! I can do anything you want! Even if you ordered me to kill my baby, I'll do it. I'll do it!" she shouted, and then her eyes darkened. "In fact, I'll do it right now. I know you're testing me! I'll kill my baby to show you my resolve."

The beggar began to run, and Liu Xing, surprised by the sudden turn of events, stood up and followed her.

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