The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 125

Chapter 5: Dead End

The battle between the Demon Phoenix and Tianzhi lasted for a full hour and a half before finally subsiding. As Li Xun approached Shuijing Cave Heaven, he overheard the conversations of passing cultivators, all marveling at the supreme power of the two Grandmasters. He then noticed something quite interesting.

While nominally representing the interests of the cultivators themselves, the Loose Cultivator Alliance held no binding force among them. Seven out of ten cultivators refused to be controlled by the Alliance.

Yet, the Alliance’s iconic cultivators and demons had become objects of veneration for many cultivators. When they spoke of the previous fierce battle, they unconsciously identified themselves with the Demon Phoenix, seemingly feeling a sense of honor.

The delicate relationship between the cultivators and the Alliance was now clearly revealed. Li Xun seemed to have gained something, but ultimately, he focused on the matter at hand.

He stood calmly before him, a massive, emerald green tree, thick enough for dozens of people to embrace, its branches swaying in the wind, its green lushness lingering even in the depths of winter. Li Xun showed no interest. He simply sidestepped slightly, avoiding the giant tree’s hollow, forked branches, and quietly bowed toward a thick trunk jutting out diagonally from above.

A buzz of discussion immediately arose.

Hundreds of cultivators from various sects and independent practitioners, some understanding, some confused, all equally engaged in a lively discussion of the situation, arguing with friends and strangers alike. Unavoidably, some harsh words drifted on the wind, but Li Xun’s expression remained unchanged.

Aside from the first memorial service, when he paid his respects with great ceremony, he merely bowed on subsequent occasions. After all, Lin Ge’s tomb was still on Lianxia Mountain; this was merely the place where he had died. A more elaborate ceremony would have seemed hypocritical.

In that respect, Yan Shuiyue’s assessment was not wrong.

He bowed three times. Li Xun bowed again, pausing briefly to gather the soft corners of his heart.

Once he had pushed aside the already blurry shadows, he was about to stand when a red shadow etched itself into the corner of his eye.

The surrounding buzzing sound abruptly ceased, and the clamorous Water Mirror Cave suddenly became a deadly place.

Li Xun’s body stiffened, and he could see clearly. The fiery red skirt woven from layers of fine yarn, the matching shoes with intricate patterns, had been a recurring scene in his nightmares.

And of course, there was also the searing aura that could burn the soul. Even the occasional thought made Li Xun shudder…

Of course, it wasn’t fear.

He slowly straightened up, turning halfway, and stared intently at the figure just a few feet away. The power radiating from the other person was so blinding that Li Xun had to squint slightly, but he could still see clearly.

As expected, it was the Sky Demon Phoenix.

Since their childhood separation, this was the first time Li Xun had seen the demon that had inflicted such humiliation on him so closely.

She was still dressed in a bright red dress, a matching cape draped over her shoulders. Only a wisp of snow-white mink fur peeked out from the hem of her hood. Her slender figure, shrouded by the cape, obscured her curves, yet exuded a tranquility.

Indeed, time had flown by, and for her, the grudge itself was settled. Under the sweep of time, Li Xun could hardly discern the trace of the once sorrowful and fierce spirit in her plain and graceful face. The fiery light in her phoenix eyes had grown weary, like a deep, calm ocean.

Li Xun met her gaze, yet a sense of confusion seized him. Had she forgotten her words, “If you ever dare to come within ten miles of me, I will make you wish you were dead!”

Her words seemed to linger in his ears, and Li Xun suddenly felt a dull pain on his face, the mark of a hard slap in the face. And there were scars even more painful than that, etched deep within his heart, a chorus of mournful cries as the memory deepened.

Li Xun took a deep breath, maintaining his voice at a steady, calm level. After a slight bow, he spoke, “Qixia Yuanjun, how are you?”

Seventy years flashed across his words, countless peaks and mountains gliding before his eyes like flowing water, imbuing his voice with an inexplicable sense of timelessness. Yet, compared to the demon phoenix’s life span, nearly as long as the universe, this vicissitude was but a drop of water, falling into the ocean, unable to create even a splash.

The demon phoenix’s deep gaze remained unchanged, but the corners of her lips curled slightly, diminishing her graceful dignity and revealing an elusive meaning. Her gaze swept across Li Xun’s face, then she turned to look at the branch that had sprouted out from the side, and finally whispered, “The disciple surpasses the master. He… can be considered a successor.”

To others, this was merely ordinary praise and emotion, but only Li Xun, who knew the situation intimately, understood it as the most bitter irony. Moreover, Yao Feng hadn’t meant to say anything; he simply spoke his mind.

Li Xun’s eyes seemed to be coated in a layer of icy coldness. He didn’t resent Yao Feng’s bluntness, but he was particularly concerned that after seventy years, he still hadn’t made any real progress in Yao Feng’s eyes.

True, he never overestimated himself, but neither did he underestimate himself. He understood better than anyone that Yao Feng had truly underestimated him this time.

After a brief exchange, the two had nothing more to say. Li Xun lowered his gaze, while Yao Feng looked up at the sky. An awkward silence descended upon the scene, at least in the eyes of the onlookers.

The pressure brought by Yao Feng’s initial arrival gradually faded, and the monks who had unconsciously retreated, holding their breath, began a second wave of discussion, this time also addressing Yao Feng, though the voices were much weaker than before. (The following appears unrelated and likely a translation error: “All in Literature, p-word reading allows you to understand clearly and enjoy the pleasure of reading at the same time!”)

This atmosphere of near silence, yet also stalemate, lasted for a moment before finally being broken by an outsider.

Several miles away, at the entrance to Langya Water Mirror Heaven, a deep voice spoke, its tone clear but not particularly pleasant: “I’ve come from afar as a guest, but why haven’t you come to ask Qixia Yuanjun?”

Yao Feng, hearing this less-than-polite greeting, sneered and said, “So it’s Mr. Shuijing himself. Frankly, I’m here to obtain the legendary Water Mirror of the Sky. I wonder how the prophecy that destroyed my family and my loved ones came to be created.”

To Li Xun, these words sounded like Gu Yin’s scoundrelly demeanor. While her family might have been destroyed, wasn’t that her own fault? Now, she was brazenly placing the blame on the Shuijing Sect, as if her disciple, Gu Yin, was even more powerful than him.

Li Xun sneered, his voice quiet, but remarkably clear in the current environment. Yao Feng naturally heard it all. She glanced back. Though not necessarily angry, the sudden glint in her eyes silently reminded Li Xun who held the key!

Wordlessly turning her head away, Li Xun knew when to withdraw. Even so, his audacity was unparalleled among the people around him.

How many people in the world would dare to humiliate Yao Feng in front of her and remain unharmed?

After calming Li Xun down, Yao Feng continued, “Though I may be ignorant, I do know that the Chetian Water Mirror operates only when the celestial stars shift, when Yin dies and Yang regenerates. This has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years. “

And yet, this year, your sect suddenly changed its mind and postponed the operation by a month. It’s a relief, and I’m curious, so I came here to observe.”

These words directly implicated the Water Mirror Sect’s deceptive rhetoric. While there were some strained arguments, they were nonetheless effective. The surrounding cultivators, especially the many independent cultivators, began to buzz with discussion. It cannot be said that the reputation of Shuijing Sect has been completely destroyed, but the feeling of being questioned at home is definitely not a good one.

Mr. Shuijing was worthy of being the leader of a sect. His cultivation alone surpassed that of ordinary people. Though he was nowhere to be seen, his voice was even more refined and elegant than before.

“Your Excellency has misunderstood. The key to this Shuijing Conference isn’t the prophecy or verses. To be honest, Your Excellency, the verses appeared on the Chetian Shuijing a month ago, simply awaiting the arrival of fellow Taoists from all sects to publicly display them.”

The surrounding discussion intensified as soon as these words were spoken.

Yaofeng’s attitude was also strange. Upon hearing this, he seemed content, smiling and then remaining silent.

Mr. Shuijing, on the other hand, spoke earnestly and politely, “Your Excellency has come from afar, so our sect must play the role of host. There’s nothing remarkable about this cave heaven; it’s simply peaceful and tranquil, making it a suitable place for Your Excellency to rest. Shuiyue, why don’t you lead the way?”

Yan Shuiyue, who had been frozen in fear nearby, cried out, her face brimming with nervousness.

It was truly difficult for a junior who had cultivated for decades to approach Yao Feng, a supreme demon. However, she didn’t know how to conceal her emotions, and her vivid expression caught the attention of others, causing both concern and amusement.

Yao Feng had no intention of embarrassing the young girl. She took two steps forward, then suddenly turned her head and spoke to the towering ancient tree, “Wuyou, aren’t you coming down yet?”

A sharp whistle rang out, and a pink figure tumbled down from the dense branches high above. Even before her arrival, her clear laughter was already invigorating and comforting. Li Xun couldn’t help but look up at the tumbling girl. From the moment they first met, he had always been puzzled, unable to discern the mystery.

The only person in the world who could possess such a skill was his nominally close-knit senior sister, Miss Lin Wuyou.

He still remembered their first encounter on the streets of Songjing, when someone said that in two years, this girl would be a stunning beauty that could captivate the whole nation. But now, nearly seventy years later, that person would likely have turned to ashes, while little Wuyou remained as innocent as ever, unchanged.

Could it be that she could never grow up?

Li Xun had a vague feeling that something was amiss, but now was clearly not the time to dwell on it. Wuyou’s innocent, carefree smile flashed before his eyes, followed by a greeting: “Aha, Junior Brother, you’re here too!”

In public, this address was a significant source of concern for Li Xun, and it was rare for him to keep his composure.

Fortunately, Lin Wuyou maintained her usual enigmatic demeanor, not troubling Li Xun. With a silvery laugh, she tapped her embroidered shoes, and disappeared into the dust. She called out from afar, “I must see the beauty of the sky, light, and cloud shadows in Shuijing Cave!”

Yaofeng, accustomed to her daughter’s appearance, smiled faintly and walked slowly on her own. Only then did Yan Shuiyue finally react. Hastily giving Li Xun a look that called for caution, she followed on tiptoe.

Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly thought of the information Gu Yin had revealed. He felt that Yao Feng and Gu Yin’s relationship should remain the same. Otherwise, how could Yao Feng have given him the slightest respect during their recent encounter?

There was no need to worry about this beforehand. With this rare opportunity, he might as well…

A sharp gaze, like a knife, suddenly pierced through the crowd and struck him in the face. The overwhelming pressure shook his mind, and his thoughts suddenly shut off. He shuddered, and abruptly turned back, his eyes automatically filtering out the various faces in the crowd and focusing directly on the point where the gaze had originated.

A soft exclamation echoed in his ears, and Yao Feng, already half a mile away, seemed to have sensed it, freezing and turning his gaze. But at that moment, Li Xun was no longer concerned. The moment his eyes caught sight of his target, he was stunned.

For he saw another “self”!

He met an all-too-familiar figure. A tall, slender figure draped in a dark Taoist robe woven from misty pine and iron, its sleeves fluttering. A faint smile played upon his handsome face, yet the lines of his smile held a sinister, cold edge.

A sharp-eyed onlooker paused for a moment before several cries erupted, “Ghosts!”

Ming Xinlingzhu and Ghosts, two rising stars in the Tongxuan realm who had risen to prominence in recent years, finally revealed their true colors after numerous legendary battles.

Watching their unyielding gazes clash in the void, while far less powerful than the overwhelming might of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, it stirred a surge of passion, making it impossible to contain oneself.

Sure enough… it was her! Li Xun snapped out of his daze, his first act suppressing the laughter that threatened to burst forth.

At that moment, his heart pounded, and his entire body relaxed. To be honest, he had been somewhat unsure about leaving Yin Sanren thousands of miles away to work independently, but upon seeing him, those worries vanished.

Even if the demon phoenix wanted to take his life now, it wouldn’t be so easy.

He outwardly maintained a cold stare, confronting the demon phoenix head-on. Secretly, he manipulated the poisonous insect that had been dormant within him for days, sending a special greeting. But before he could even begin, a divine thought suddenly surged forth, searing itself into his mind.

With a force like boiling water, Li Xun nearly screamed. The demon phoenix whispered in his ears, “Don’t forget the Razor Peak incident… If you can truly rival this man, I’ll grant you that offer, no problem!”

The last few words were barely audible, but beyond the first sentence, Li Xun was completely bewildered. What was all this nonsense?

Li Xun’s heart trembled, and his gaze wandered. The Hundred Ghosts across the way immediately withdrew their divine auras, curled their lips towards them, gave a cold, sarcastic smile, and simply turned and departed.

Wherever the Hundred Ghosts’ figures passed, the cultivators’ spirits ripped apart, their paths unconsciously slicing through them. Their might was so overwhelming that even if I were to arrive, I’d be hard pressed to match. Seeing this, Li Xun could only smile wryly: “Auntie, you’re overacting! “

At this thought, Li Xun suddenly woke up. Looking at Yao Feng’s attitude, could it be…?

Turning to look at Yao Feng again, he saw that her figure had faded to invisibility. Wherever she passed, not even a single soul could be seen, let alone a wave of ripples. Witnessing this unparalleled awe and recalling her recent words, Li Xun couldn’t help but worry about another date with the Moon Queen.

His thoughts raced, and though nothing had yet come to fruition, he didn’t want to be treated like a fool. With a glance around, he too soared onto his sword, transforming into a streak of rainbow light, disappearing dozens of miles away.

Out of sight, Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief. His original plan was already halfway complete, but he hadn’t expected the “Hundred Ghosts” to possess a keener sense of smell than he’d imagined.

Through his presence as a priest, the two had already established a preliminary understanding. At such a distance, with a “bond of kinship” connecting them, a further encounter would be unnecessary.

Flying his sword in a circle, determining his direction, Li Xun descended directly, landing in an uninhabited valley. Unnoticed, he quickly changed his disguise.

His Hundred Ghost identity was no longer viable, and his Blood Shadow demon form was too conspicuous. After some thought, he decided to use his long-forgotten “Faceless Armor” and transform into an ordinary-looking man. Covered in a robe, he became the most common casual cultivator present, blending in with the crowd. Even those most familiar with him wouldn’t recognize him for a while.

The only slight inconvenience was the lack of a sword, preventing him from flying. Other techniques like controlling the air and riding the clouds were somewhat conspicuous. After much deliberation, he could only employ the ordinary divine movement technique, supplemented by a few Five Elements escape techniques. He could cross mountains and water as if walking on flat ground, which was passable enough.

Having identified the direction of Donghua Mountain, he sped along, flying close to the ground when there was no one around. He covered the distance of over a thousand miles in less than half an hour.

From the small hill where Li Xun stood, the outline of the monastery perched on the side of Donghua Mountain could be discerned. As Yan Shuiyue had described, it was deserted, with not a soul in sight.

Given Venerable Qixiu’s arrogance, he was most likely meditating in the monastery, too lazy to emerge.

Li Xun had no intention of disturbing him; he was simply interested in the disciples Venerable Qixiu had brought with him. As far as he knew, Xu Kang, the one he was most worried about, was Qixiu’s most prized disciple, so there was a 30-20 chance he was accompanying him.

After surveying the monastery for a moment, seeing that no one was moving about, he hummed softly and turned back, rather than advancing.

Venerable Qixiu was, after all, a formidable figure within the Evil Sect, second only to Ramashī. Besides his keen eyesight and hearing, he possessed supernatural powers, making him difficult to conceal. A single careless move could lead to Qixiu’s pursuit, a truly tragic outcome.

I remember encountering a few rather arrogant independent cultivators occupying a plot of land to collect herbs on the way here. I was in a hurry then and didn’t pay them any attention. But now, those people were perfect guideposts. If I used my divinely intimidating methods to capture two of them and throw them in, how could a junior disciple of the Seventh Cultivator not show up?

With careful calculations in mind, Li Xun quickened his pace. He estimated he was about close enough and was about to disappear when he heard the clang of a sword. A faint light shone through the trees around the corner of the mountain ahead, catching his eyes.

Puzzled, Li Xun moved quickly, closing in. He had only taken a few steps when he caught a strong whiff of blood on the mountain breeze.

Ever since achieving minor mastery of his Blood Shadow Demon Body, Li Xun’s worst fear was the smell of blood. To him, the scent was more potent than any liquor, tantalizing him with a desire to unleash a bloody slaughter to vent his impatience.

A dark red light flashed in his eyes, and his speed increased a little. Meanwhile, a faint voice drifted over on the wind. It was a sharp female voice, vaguely audible: “…That’s fine, but why do you have to drain their blood alive?”

Another sneer rang out in response: “Since you’re a demon, you naturally have demonic methods. Let alone draining their blood, even if I just chopped them up and cooked them up, what can you, a young girl, do to me?”

Li Xun blinked. Both voices sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place them for the moment. He speculated, his figure rising straight up like a night owl, circling briefly in the forest before silently clinging to a cliff somewhere, looking down coldly.

The first person he saw made Li Xun’s eyes widen. He wanted to bite his finger, wondering if the heavens were just messing with him out of boredom. Wasn’t that man in a black robe with a cold smile on his face the Xu Kang he was looking for? Meeting him here wasn’t necessarily a blessing or a curse.

Confronting Xu Kang was a slender female cultivator, wielding a sharp sword and exuding a certain imposing presence. With her back to Li Xun and her aura relatively restrained, Li Xun couldn’t immediately recognize her.

However, to Xu Kang, this didn’t matter. Li Xun licked his lips, murderous intent slowly building within him. This was the benefit of increased power: a complex matter could be resolved with the simplest method—of course, the most brutal!

“Xu Kang, don’t think your reputation as the ‘Demon Sword of Nether City’ can frighten anyone. I’m not afraid of you!” The female cultivator howled like an enraged wildcat, her sharp claws bared. Li Xun’s eyes lit up at the sight.

It wasn’t the girl’s alluring beauty that caught his attention, but rather the way she swayed. Li Xun could clearly see the gold earrings tinkling like a thousand strands of silk, a melodious tinkle. Li Xun had only seen these distinctive earrings on one person.

Luo Yuji… Li Xun was genuinely surprised. In his impression, Luo Yuji was the epitome of bullying, using her power to bully the weak. She wouldn’t attack unless she had an absolute advantage. Of course, her coordination skills were far from perfect.

However, the situation before him was truly impressive.

Li Xun also noticed the bodies at her feet. They were none other than the arrogant wandering cultivators from earlier. They likely had no connection to Miss Luo. She was willing to stand up to Xu Kang, a figure far superior to her, for these strangers. Her “chivalrous and righteous” nature was truly more than just lip service.

Of course, if she could move her feet a little more, less stiffly, as she flaunted her power, the effect would have been even better.

Watching Luo Yuji suppress her fear and speak out for justice, Li Xun couldn’t help but smile. Well, today, he could stand up for the weak and punish the strong. What if he could lend a hand to this young lady?

Li Xun had made his decision. Xu Kang, standing across from him, was no fool. He had long recognized the fierce, yet timid girl before him as the beloved daughter of Luo Qichang, the Three Emperors Sword Sect’s leader, and

he was deeply reluctant to resort to v*olence. If any injuries arose, Luo Qichang would come to question them. The Heavenly Demon Sword Sect wouldn’t be afraid, but he, the troublemaker, wouldn’t suffer any better fate.

Thinking he’d been out for so long, and because of the interruptions from the female cultivator, his task of collecting blood essence hadn’t been completed, Xu Kang was no longer willing to stand still. After a few more words of deliberation, confirming that Luo Yuji didn’t dare to confront him, he sneered and leaped back into the dense forest.

Could Luo Yuji still have the nerve to pursue him?

She didn’t. She simply stamped her feet and cursed with relief. She was oblivious to the fact that, directly above her, a newly minted demon was releasing a fierce, murderous intent, zeroing in on Xu Kang as he retreated into the forest.

“Should we take a detour and kill him, or strike now?” Li Xun weighed the pros and cons, ultimately deciding to err on the side of caution, avoiding Miss Luo as a witness and striking elsewhere.

Xu Kang’s retreating figure neared the edge of the woods. Li Xun stared at him coldly, beginning to move, but the next moment, his eyes nearly flew out before him.

Xu Kang’s sneer remained frozen forever. The trees behind him swayed, their branches rustling like a deep sigh.

In the gentle breeze, Xu Kang’s body, like a pig’s bubble forced into air, expanded violently. With a continuous crackling sound like firecrackers, blood gushed from all seven of his orifices, then exploded with a bang, sending gore and foam flying everywhere.

Along with this splatter of blood came a chilling, breath-stopping murderous intent. Li Xun had only witnessed that kind of pure brutality in his life, in two peerless villains: Xue Sanren and Mo Luohou.

Even more devastating was the fact that, while striking Xu Kang, the opponent had clearly sensed Li Xun’s aura. When the two met, Li Xun felt as if a massive hammer had struck him, nearly spitting blood.

“Retreat!”

Acting on pure instinct, Li Xun, without a second thought, flipped his body and unleashed his Earth Escape technique, diving directly into the cliff face behind him.

Luo Yuji let out a piercing scream, but Li Xun cared nothing for her fate. All thoughts of supporting the weak and suppressing the strong vanished. While she distracted the attacker, he fled hundreds of miles before leaping back onto the ground.

Those on the ground were stunned by his sudden leap. Li Xun glanced around. This must be a natural herb garden. On the sloping slope, at least twenty cultivators were gathering herbs. Most of them, startled by the sound of him breaking through the earth, turned to look.

Li Xun didn’t have time to think about it. He changed direction and was about to fly into the sky when his heart sank again.

He hadn’t gotten away! The murderer seemed to have no interest in Luo Yuji, or perhaps he was ready to let her finish him off. Now, like a leech, he was following him closely and moving at a rapid speed.

Just as he had thought, Li Xun’s mouth and nose felt blocked. A crushing pressure descended from the sky, causing all the energy in his body to congeal. In that instant, he felt as if isolated from the air. The sounds in his ears faded quickly, and faintly, a scream lingered.

His eyes suddenly turned blood red, and a puffy blood mist, carrying bits of flesh, dotted his head and face. The pungent

smell of blood hit his head, and the stimulating sensation that penetrated his soul made him let out a muffled roar. Then, a mouthful of blood spurted out. The overwhelming pressure was shattered by the radiant energy from outside. He stumbled back seven or eight steps. When he looked up again, the hillside, once filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, had become a ghostly place.

As far as he could see, there was no living person left. High up on the slope, the unparalleled villain, shrouded in a hooded robe, stood silently.

He ignored him for a moment, raising his blood-stained hand to his eyes, examining it closely.

Li Xun couldn’t tell if it was “dazed” or “intoxicated,” but it was clear that such an action would never occur in a sane person.

Drops of blood trickled down, gradually revealing the hand’s true form.

In the still-bright light of day, Li Xun was astonished to discover that the slender hand seemed to glow. As the killer’s fingers unconsciously stretched and flexed, he could even see a shimmering, luminous light nestled beneath the snow-white skin, a dazzling beauty.

A sudden, absurd thought struck Li Xun, but before he could process it, the killer on the hillside suddenly turned, his face, hidden by his hood, completely lost in the pitch-black void, not even his eyes visible.

Even without seeing his eyes, Li Xun could still clearly sense the man staring coldly at him. Perhaps because he had already killed so many people, the violent and manic aura seemed to have calmed somewhat, at least the pressure on Li Xun had eased considerably.

Li Xun remained cautious. Facing this unparalleled ferocity, seemingly emanating from a crack in the rock, he instinctively activated a mechanism. A tiny living being within his veins vibrated gently, sending a subtle message to a specific target.

Simultaneously, his heart rumbled, expanding and contracting. In a single cycle, it pumped the purest of his heart’s blood into every limb, blending seamlessly with the flowing true energy and then permeating every inch of his body.

A sudden sizzling sound, like boiling oil in a pot, seething endlessly. The surging heat permeated every corner of his body, seemingly melting his soul.

In that moment, all the deepest concerns, weaknesses, and fears rose to the surface, then instantly evaporated, leaving only an infinitely expanding, unbridled desire that stretched to the farthest reaches before vanishing into the void.

At that moment, his consciousness collided with the ferocious man’s. Compared to his reckless nature, the villain seemed far more gloomy and dark, like the ocean at night, where one can only hear the relentless roar of waves, yet it’s impossible to discern the storm brewing beneath the surface.

Li Xun immediately grasped the vast disparity in strength between them.

“This is undoubtedly a True One Grandmaster. How could there be so many in this world…”

Before he could finish his thought, his keen sense of living beings, enabled by his Blood Shadow Demonic Body, informed him that a group of at least twenty cultivators, many of them formidable, were approaching at breakneck speed through the air.

His mind shifted, and the villain’s presence was instantly detected. However, the pressure from the other side only increased slightly before being forcibly suppressed.

The two sides remained in a standoff, neither willing to yield, yet neither pressing further, until the group in the distance came into view.

A few distant exclamations echoed, followed by the sound of a communication sword soaring into the sky. It seemed the other party was merely passing by, and was quite surprised to see this scene. Li Xun, with his back to the group, could only assess the situation up to this point, his main focus still focused on the ruthless individual on the slope.

At that moment, a hoarse sigh reached Li Xun’s ears: “So it’s you…”

“What?”

The words came so suddenly that Li Xun didn’t hear clearly, but the other party didn’t bother to repeat them. His entire body seemed to melt into the air, vanishing without a trace in the twisting void.

However, Li Xun’s eyesight had improved considerably. He squinted his eyes, looked up at the sky, and vaguely caught sight of the other party’s figure plunging deep into the clouds.

“This guy…” Li Xun frowned, but his body acted faster than his brain, using the technique of connecting bones and meridians to the heart to gather and flow his boiling blood and qi, calming his entire body to a considerable degree.

He wasn’t worried about any misunderstandings from the new cultivators behind him. It was no big deal. Without his “faceless armor,” who would be able to recognize him?

Feeling the gazes of the cultivators behind him, he let out a pretentious sigh and turned around, only to be stunned by the sight he saw.

He saw the Sect Master’s cloud chariot.