Chapter 473 381: Returning with the Serpent (Part 2)

Li Qinghong hurriedly supported him, and Li Xuanxuan introduced:

"This is the loose cultivator from Clan Qian, ninety-eight years old now."

Handing three storage bags to the old man, Li Xuanxuan said:

"According to what was agreed upon earlier, please proceed, elder."

The old man Qian nodded, picked up the storage bag, sent his spiritual sense inside, and poured out a clatter of items—glittering treasures scattered all over the floor.

The old man Qian sighed with relief, then took a second storage bag and poured out another pile of spiritual objects. Seeing that there were no countermeasures, Li Xuanxuan nodded and handed him a spirit stone. A smile appeared on the old man's face.

Li Yuanjiao sat upright, narrowing his eyes slightly, watching as the old man Qian opened the storage bag of the devil cultivator father and daughter, and then picked up the third storage bag—which belonged to the resolute devil cultivator—black and shiny, appearing quite extraordinary.

Only now did the old man Qian send his spiritual sense inside. Immediately, a surge of black gas arose. Li Yuanjiao had already anticipated this and conjured a spell to resist, but the old man Qian had only time to scream miserably before exploding with a bang into a pool of blood.

Li Xuanxuan gathered his spell, sending the pool of blood along with the gleaming red and white fragments of bone and flesh out of the cave, and said gently:

"Please, Elder Ding, come in."

Li Yuanjiao said softly:

"Seems to be a Witch Blood Technique, set by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It can erode spiritual sense and the body—no wonder a Fetal Breathing practitioner couldn't endure it for even a moment."

At the side, Li Qinghong lightly shook his head and asked:

"How much compensation?"

"Three spirit stones, sent to his eldest son; he'll also get a position on the peak as recompense."

As they spoke, another old man approached below, face beaming with spring breeze. He cupped his hand boldly to the trio, sent his spiritual sense in, and at last the black, fine silk pouch spilled a clatter of items onto the ground.

Elder Ding was briefly startled, then wailed in grief:

"Wasn't there witchcraft set?"

After he spoke, Li Xuanxuan handed over a bag of spirit rice. Two clan soldiers led him away. Li Qinghong frowned as he watched. Li Xuanxuan remarked:

"This loose cultivator Ding's eldest son has attempted Qi impurity twice and failed every time. He's waiting now for an elixir to gamble his fate."

Li Yuanjiao had already sorted out the items, putting aside all the devil cultivation techniques and elixirs, and placing all the spiritual objects and magic artifacts suitable for Fetal Breathing and Qi Cultivation into a single storage bag.

Fifty-two spirit stones remained; that resolute devil cultivator had accounted for most of them. Li Yuanjiao waved his sleeve, sending all of them into the treasury, then looked over the rest repeatedly, finding truly nothing of worth.

"After advancing to Foundation Establishment, these things can hardly help us any further!"

Li Yuanjiao shook his head and distributed the rest, thinking to himself:

'Now that I've reached Foundation Establishment, and have the Mysterious Pattern Bottle to conceal myself, I'm not afraid of being discovered by that Pig Demon. I can finally venture deeper into the outskirts of Da Li Mountain to pay respects to that senior White Banyan Fox.'

…

Eastern Fire Cave Heaven.

The highest peak in Eastern Fire Cave Heaven is Separation Fire Peak. The formation above still operated, golden light blazing, countless mysterious talisman scripts coursing up and down. Cultivators from all sects and clans gathered, yet there was silence.

"Attack!"

At the center, Chi Zhiyun wore a sparkling blue Taoist robe, a longsword with glimmering white light in his hand. He gave a casual command, and the disciples of the Three Sects and Seven Doors immediately received the order. Each cast spells and activated magical artifacts, crashing them towards the great formation.

This great formation was already on its last legs. Numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators were present, and soon it began to totter, persisting for only an hour more before finally emitting a brilliant golden ray and suddenly dissolving.

The cultivators cheered, preparing to rush in, but from within the great formation, a man soared forth on the wind, wearing a crimson hornless dragon mask, holding a spear, tall and imposing, and burst out laughing:

"Many thanks to you, fellow Taoists, for breaking the formation on my behalf. The Dongli Collection shall be accepted with my laughter by me, Chu Yi!"

His words were polite, but the sarcasm was evident. As soon as he finished, he conjured a talisman; immediately, someone below shouted in concert:

"Zifu Talisman—Void Escape Talisman!"

Chu Yi laughed loudly, and with the talisman's aid, fled into the Great Void, vanishing without a trace.

The cultivators, as if having been toyed with, grew furious, yet puzzled as to why none of the Zifu monks acted to intercept him. In the middle, Chi Zhiyun also wore an angry face, but after the man departed, secretly and ironically smiled to himself.

'Why did the Perfected People not move? If Yuansu and Qiushui coveted this Collection and tried to block him, not only would they offend Luoxia Mountain, but could they even stop him? Losing face so sharply, having his own face trampled would already be a mercy… If the Perfected Lord of Luoxia Mountain showed no mercy and struck down the Perfected Person on the spot, it wouldn't even count as offense…'

He rose up on the wind, assigning people according to the positions the Three Sects and Seven Doors had long divided, then landed himself at the summit, gazing at the empty pavilions, feeling a slight melancholy:

'Dongli Sect… The two Eastern Fire Dongli Perfected People… In the end, they met death and sect extinction, their Taoist lineage absorbed into Luoxia…'

Yuansu and Qiushui, the two Perfected People, watched him depart so smugly from within the Great Void, but neither made a move, only silently following him with their eyes, remaining silent for a long time as the number of people in the Cave Heaven dwindled.

"Enough."

Yuansu, sensing the fluctuations in the Great Void had gradually faded, finally broke through the Void and entered the Eastern Fire Cave Heaven. Qiushui Perfected Person likewise entered with him, speaking gently:

"Worthy of a Metal Nature cultivator; in just three years, Chu Yi is already at his limits… Judging by his appearance, I'm afraid he will soon burst and die."

Yuansu responded softly. Looking around, the entire Cave Heaven seemed shrouded in a gray fog, dim lights flickering, with barely a soul in sight.

The colors within Eastern Fire Cave Heaven grew ever dimmer. Disciples from each sect had made a fortune and successively withdrew, leaving only the two Zifu monks from Green Pond Sect floating in midair, gazing at the gray world below.

"Chu Yi has taken the Dongli Collection."

Yuansu Perfected Person stood suspended, tone even, golden spring water continuously gushing beneath his feet. It ought to be radiantly bright, but under the dim sky, it seemed lackluster and dull.

"He is pitiable as well."

Qiushui Perfected Person stood quietly at the side, speaking as an aside, while Yuansu smiled sarcastically and replied in a low voice:

"What right do Perfected Lords have for our pity? Cuimu lost his gamble, played the wrong piece, and doomed the Mingyang Taoist lineage—such an end is deserved."

Qiushui Perfected Person's robe fluttered as she softly said:

"Luoxia Mountain sullied Mingyang for five hundred years. Now it can claim Eastern Fire Cave Heaven. Another five hundred years, and the one to fall may be Ancient Wei Huangtian. By then, Luoxia will gain another Perfected Lord… perhaps even an Upper Immortal."

"The whole land watches with open eyes—does no one care…"

Yuansu Perfected Person's expression turned strange after her words, toying with the small golden seal in his hand, and said with a smile:

"Always you, Jin Yu, playing both sides—back then hailing Luoxia Upper Sect at every turn, now stirring up discord with all your might, two-faced and revolting."

"Tiaoxiao!"

Qiushui Perfected Person sighed, her expression somewhat embarrassed, and replied:

"Whether immortal or mortal, the posture of self-effacement never pleases. Don't take things too seriously."

Yuansu Perfected Person shook his head and replied:

"How could I not know? But these words are only for you."

Qiushui Perfected Person flicked her slender hand; the golden spring water on the ground surged into her palm. She said softly:

"There's no need for us to worry about this. Heading north, to Xiuyue and Lotus Temple—the rest is their concern."

"When this affair resolves, the balance of yang and yin in the world will be restored. It will be the time of equilibrium within the Mysterious Middle, closer to Shangyuan's breakthrough—a busy time for us."

Yuansu Perfected Person stood with hands behind his back, letting her gather the spiritual water, and replied:

"Buzi has gone to the East Sea, Yuanxiu to the Southern Border, Yuanwu is single-mindedly pursuing his fortune, always talking about not troubling his juniors. But tell me, how many Zifu Spirit Instruments has Yuanwu Peak crafted? Yet nothing ever comes out of it."

"Only my own path is severed—a life of toil, running east and west each day."

Qiushui Perfected Person smiled slightly and responded:

"There's never a shortage of benefits for you!"

Yuansu's face revealed a look of disdain as he answered:

"Only within Eastern Fire Cave Heaven can I speak so freely. In Green Pond Cave Heaven, those few are always ordering people about. Whether there's much benefit is another matter, but this affair is not very clean."