Gu Qingli raised her hand to block her ears, rolling her eyes in silent exasperation. When she saw him glaring fiercely at her, she suddenly flashed a wide grin and spoke.
"Clearly a little boy, yet you insist on putting on such a cold façade."
"At such a tender age, don't pretend to be so mature! Hmph!"
"You!"
Chu Chensheng nearly lost his temper, and the five black-clad men beside him struggled to suppress their laughter, their bodies shaking. The little girl opposite them was so adorably over the top. Wasn't she, herself, also trying to act mature?
"Alright, alright, what's going on here?"
Dongfang Kunlun patted Gu Qingli's head, his mood clearly lifted.
Still, he needed to understand the situation. Several people had been injured on their side, though it was no cause for concern—after all, being young meant that some injuries were inevitable in training.
"Young master?" When they saw Dongfang Kunlun asking, the black-clad men hesitated slightly.
"It's fine. This old monster is an old friend of my father," Chu Chensheng replied with a cold grunt.
The black-clad figures sighed in relief.
It turned out that the disciples of Kunlun City had been pursuing a Tier-3 Blue Wolf, and after injuring it severely, the beast had escaped with its life. In the meantime, the people from Xingmang Valley had taken advantage of the situation. The two groups had fought over the wolf, which led to the confrontation.
While Kunlun City's disciples were numerous, their strength was no match for the five men from the opposing side. Adding a ferocious magical beast into the mix, a few had been injured, which prompted Chu Chensheng to crush the Soul Jade provided by Dongfang Kunlun to send a distress signal.
A Magic Core, as the name implied, was the concentrated energy essence within a magical beast. It was typically used in the refinement of pills or in the setting of weaponry. The strength of a Tier-3 magical beast was equivalent to that of a Great Warrior, though its physical toughness far surpassed that of humans.
Dongfang Kunlun let out a soft laugh. "Is that all? You can just give the Magic Core to Chensheng. I'm an old friend of his father's, after all. Chensheng, what are you doing here chasing magical beasts? How is your father?"
Noticing the warmth in Dongfang Kunlun's inquiry, Chu Chensheng's tone softened considerably. "Father is well. He sent me here for training. We've been here for more than a month."
"Oh? What task did your father give you?" Dongfang Kunlun asked with great interest.
"Five Tier-3 Magic Cores."
Chu Chensheng's voice turned cold again. Despite being a Seven-Star Spiritualist himself, his father had tasked him with hunting beasts one level higher. It was nearly an impossible task, but fortunately, he had a magical beast of noble blood to assist him.
Dongfang Kunlun was momentarily taken aback before laughing. "Your father really is tough on you! So, how many have you collected so far?"
"Three, and with this Blue Wolf, it'll be four," Chu Chensheng said emotionlessly.
"Not bad," Dongfang Kunlun nodded appreciatively.
Gu Qingli, however, rolled her eyes and spoke up. "Master, what's so great about that? How do you know he didn't just steal them? And with five others helping him, he still hasn't completed the task after over a month? That's 'not bad'?"
Gu Qingli was deliberately trying to provoke Chu Chensheng, remembering how he had attacked her earlier without hesitation. She never forgot a slight.
"Little girl, our young master kills magical beasts on his own! We're just here to ensure his safety," Su Ke said irritably.
Chu Chensheng clenched his fists. Still young and unable to control his temper, he glared at Dongfang Kunlun.
"Old monster, when did you take on an apprentice? Your judgment seems as poor as ever!"
Dongfang Kunlun smiled wryly. Seeing the same curious expressions from his disciples, he reached out and ruffled Gu Qingli's head. "I just took her on today."
"What!"
Everyone was shocked, especially the disciples of Kunlun City, who looked at Gu Qingli with envy and curiosity.
"Hehe, hello everyone. My name is Gu Qingli, I'm five years old, and I hope you'll all take care of me in the future," Gu Qingli introduced herself sweetly to the disciples of Kunlun City.