Chapter 226: The Black Robe One Arrives, It’s Not a Dream

Having slain the demon wolf, the breath that had been held in Qiao Min’s heart finally eased.

Ten thousand cycles of life and death had left her spirit utterly exhausted. The pain of each death had etched itself into the depths of her soul.

Now that her tension had released, that soul-deep agony surged forth like a collapsed dam.

Holding her forehead, Qiao Min closed her eyes and took deep, gasping breaths.

At this moment, she was truly puzzled—she had clearly finished the dream, so why hadn’t she awakened yet?

Then, she suddenly recalled—hadn’t she arrived at this wolf’s den right after running out of the Universal Temple?

If she walked out of this stone cave, would she wake up?

With that thought, Qiao Min carried her sword and stepped out of the cave…

The moment she did, her vision blurred. In just the span of a single blink, the scene around her had changed back to the Universal Temple.

“Universal Immortal… No—Sir Gu!”

Even believing herself to be in a dream, Qiao Min still maintained her respect for Gu Ning’an.

After all, whether in what she thought was reality or this dream, it was this man before her who had helped her.

“To endure ten thousand deaths and wipe out the wolf demons—your willpower is truly unlike that of a mere ten-year-old child.”

“From now on, you possess the power to exterminate demons and evil spirits. I hope you remain true to your heart… to discern right from wrong, to understand good and evil—do not kill demons for the sake of killing alone.”

A gentle voice echoed in Qiao Min’s ears, and then the white-clad figure standing with hands behind his back slowly faded away.

Watching this scene, Qiao Min had many doubts she could not yet understand, but she committed his words firmly to memory…

…

The sky was dark, spring rain drizzling down in a steady patter.

The temple that had been bustling just days ago was now bleak and desolate.

An elderly man in a black robe, leaning on a staff, strode swiftly into the ruined temple.

The dried bloodstains, the decaying corpses—everything in sight filled the black-robed elder with fury.

He walked to the stone statue and dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, his voice low and solemn.

“Sir! I have shamed you!”

“I will go this instant to tear those wolf demons into pieces—to bring comfort to the villagers’ souls in the afterlife!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He bowed his head three times in succession.

Then, rising immediately, he turned and left. His figure became a streak of light, racing toward the stone cave a hundred miles away.

Traveling at full speed, the black-robed elder took barely half an hour to reach the cave’s entrance.

Demons had always been an unending scourge in Great Wu, and among them, this wolf den was the most dominant in the region.

He had originally thought that by displaying his power and suppressing them, he could force the wolf demons into submission—and perhaps even use their presence to intimidate lesser demons and malevolent spirits.

He had placed a seal upon the divine wood carving. If any demonic or evil aura approached, he would descend upon the place instantly to prevent the wolves from destroying it.

But he hadn’t expected them to bribe someone in the village, cutting off his means of descent!

As for who had done it, he no longer cared to guess—after all, the entire village was dead.

Those wolves were not ones to honor agreements. Even if they had made promises, there was a ninety-nine percent chance they would turn on their allies and slaughter them instead…

Stepping into the cave entrance, the black-robed elder slowed his pace.

Casting a concealment spell upon himself, his form gradually blended into the cavern walls.

As he neared the depths of the cave, a strong, putrid stench filled his nostrils.

Thinking that the wolf demons had once again taken lives in this cavern, he didn’t dwell on it and strode straight inside.

The cave was in utter disarray, dim and chaotic. Fragments of stone, shattered wood, and scattered debris covered the ground.

Beneath the dust and wreckage lay mangled wolf corpses, barely recognizable.

Thud!

The black-robed elder planted his staff into the ground and softly chanted an incantation. With a sudden whoosh, a small flame ignited at the tip of the staff, illuminating the entire cave.

As the light spread, the cave’s interior became clearer, and what he saw left him shaken.

Sword marks crisscrossed the cave walls, deep and chaotic.

“They’re all dead…”

He let out a low sigh, then carefully examined the cave, finding exactly thirteen incomplete wolf corpses—matching the number of wolf demons.

And a girl, around ten years old, clutching an iron sword.

Her body was covered in blood and grime, her disheveled hair draping messily over her shoulders. She was leaning against a wolf’s corpse, her eyes tightly shut.

At first glance, the black-robed elder thought she was just another unfortunate child who had been slain.

But after taking a closer look, he realized—she was still alive.

In this den, even the lead wolf, which had cultivated for a hundred years, was dead, yet this girl had survived?

With the sword in her arms and the sword marks all over the cave, it was impossible not to connect her to the slaughter of the wolf demons.

Keeping a safe distance, the black-robed elder called out softly, “Little girl! Little girl!”

“Wake up, wake up!”

A deep voice echoed in her ears. Qiao Min instinctively let out a faint murmur.

Thinking she had awoken, the black-robed elder immediately asked, “Girl, did you kill all these wolf demons?”

“Wolf demons…”

“Kill!”

The words “wolf demons” triggered Qiao Min’s reflexes. In an instant, her small body sprang up, and her iron sword was unsheathed with a sharp clang!

A crimson glow pulsed around the blade, and even the black-robed elder could sense a dangerous aura emanating from it.

“Calm down, girl! I am not a demon wolf!”

Seeing her stance, the black-robed elder could already guess—this girl had wiped out the wolves.

Noting the murderous intent brimming in her eyes, he quickly took a few steps back, raising his hands in a calming gesture. “Calm down! I’m not a demon wolf! I came here to kill them too!”

Hearing this, Qiao Min’s bloodshot eyes flickered with confusion. “You… you’re the old man who spreads the teachings of the Universal Immortal?”

“You recognize me?” The black-robed elder frowned.

In his memory, there was no such person—someone who could single-handedly wipe out an entire wolf den. Especially not a mere ten-year-old girl.

“I… I’m from Stone Village…”

As she spoke, Qiao Min glanced down at the iron sword in her hands. The confusion in her gaze deepened. “Am I… still dreaming?”

“Dreaming?”

Looking at the bewildered girl, the black-robed elder fell silent for a long time before speaking in a solemn tone.

“Girl, I came too late… but from the looks of it, you seem to have gained quite the fortune.”

“If you can’t make sense of it, tell me. I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Of course, if there’s anything secretive, you can naturally choose not to mention it.”

Whoosh!

A red flash suddenly appeared, shooting in a half-circle toward the rock wall!

With a loud explosion, a sword mark about three fingers deep was left on the rock.

Seeing this, Qiao Min furrowed her brows tightly, raising her iron sword and slashing at her own palm!

As blood began to flow from her palm, Qiao Min’s pupils suddenly contracted, her gaze sharp: “It’s not a dream…”