The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 192

Episode 18: Mirror Clone Chapter 2: Chasing

This was Gu Yin’s doing…

Li Xun felt his mind buzzing, unable to fathom the cause and effect.

Previously, Gu Yin had used Lin Wuyou as bait to lure the calamity, then used the Three Thousand Evils Armillary Sphere to contain its power and exploit it for his own benefit. While many details were unclear, the underlying principle remained clear.

But now, with the Blood Spirit Feather Sword, he had instantly shattered the relevant restrictions and suppressed Lin Wuyou’s entire spiritual aura, severing the most crucial link in Gu Yin’s plan. How had this woman managed to reorganize the situation in such a short time, and even advance further?

He was stunned for a long time, until Shui Dielan’s figure appeared before him, and he still hadn’t figured it out.

The three of them gathered together, but they looked at each other in silence.

Just as they were feeling helpless, the world began to shift again. Their keen senses registered a powerful and mighty torrent of energy converging in the sky, like a sword hanging overhead, poised to strike.

Looking up at the sun, they saw the sun’s outer halo grow brighter, yet they didn’t feel the temperature soar as it should have. Instead, a chill ran down their heads, piercing their hearts.

The three of them exchanged glances, then suddenly, like exploding bombs, blasted out in all directions.

A split second later, a blazing white beam pierced through the very center of where they had been!

The intense heat carved a sharp scar into the void, but the deepest, cold sword intent held within was something they feared most.

“Go!”

Li Xun shouted, and the Night Demon’s wings traced a brilliant silver trail through the air. Li Xun and Yin Sanren followed in their wake.

All three of them surged at top speed, heading deep into the southeast forest. However, the energy surge above them remained undimmed, connecting with the dazzling halo surrounding the midday sun. Its mighty power was like a thousand-foot-long sun, illuminating the universe and reaching far and wide.

In a matter of seconds, dozens of irresistible beams of blazing fire swept through, slicing the void surrounding the three men into shreds.

The concentrated heat, its sweeping power rivaled any divine weapon, threatened to pierce even the three men’s nearly immortal bodies.

Not to mention the unrivaled sword intent imbued within, a force so fierce it could sever even a soul. Even a single contact with it would have been a matter of life and death.

Even more devastating, even at such a distance, Li Xun could still sense the distinct aura of the distant ancient sound, like thick, dark clouds at the moment of a sudden change in the weather: seemingly a thousand feet high, slowly descending, only to dissipate and fill the sky.

More than the razor-sharp sword overhead, Li Xun feared the expanding “dark cloud” behind him.

Who knew what kind of monster lurked behind that dark, brooding cloud?

He couldn’t help but glance back, and the “dark clouds” and “monsters” proved to be nothing more than his imagination. At that moment, a brilliant light shone between heaven and earth, nearly obscuring even the shadows of the people. Yet, this boundless radiance couldn’t obscure the woman’s eyes…

Li Xun could clearly feel her gaze piercing his back, a sharp yet resolute killing intent as subtle as a needle.

“I’ve really provoked her… If that beam of sword energy were unleashed upon the East China Sea, how many of the nineteen sects’ cultivators would escape unscathed?”

At this moment, Li Xun still had some strength left. With the power of his Blood Shadow Demon Body and unparalleled sensitivity, the blazing swordlight hadn’t yet driven him to the brink of death.

However, the immense pressure from behind pressed firmly against Li Xun’s chest, like a massive millstone, slowly turning, grinding away his strength and willpower bit by bit.

Though he hated to admit it, he was genuinely afraid. Aside from Zhong Yin, Li Xun had never faced such an inexorable fear.

And he was not the only one who thought so. The figures of Shui Dielan and Yin Sanren in front of him, no matter how you looked at them, could not get rid of the sense of panic.

Damn it!

Before Li Xun could utter the curse in his heart, there was a long “chi” sound behind him. Li Xun’s heart tightened, and he looked back, only to see a ball of light breaking through the shadow at the end of his vision and burning on his pupils.

Gu Yin is catching up!

Although they are at least nearly a hundred miles away, Li Xun has already felt the tsunami-like strong impact, penetrating the barrier of space and roaring towards him. It

was like a tangible murderous aura, blocking his mouth and nose from breathing, and even sealing thousands of pores tightly.

That woman, has she even ignored the overall situation of the East China Sea?

Li Xun truly couldn’t comprehend Gu Yin’s mindset. He believed the Gangsha Hunyi Formation on the East China Sea was undoubtedly formidable, but its core lay in the immense power of the Heavenly Tribulation commanded by Gu Yin. If that weren’t enough, even if several True One Grandmasters were deployed, let alone the entire Nineteen Sects, the Gangsha Hunyi Formation wouldn’t likely be able to defeat their elite cultivators.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of suspicion towards the powerful figures outside of Gu Yin. After determining their positions, he felt the urge to curse uncontrollably.

Luo Qichang and the others were truly assholes. They’d already reached Gu Yin’s rear, only a few breaths away, yet they were still lingering… At

this hour, were they still trying to profit from the situation?

“Faster!”

Li Xun’s voice broke. The curses of Water Die Lan carried on the wind from the front, reminding him not to expect Night Demon Wuying’s speed during the day.

“If that doesn’t work, then throw Lin Wuyou away… Wait!” As soon as

these words left Li Xun’s mouth, a sudden realization dawned on him.

Could this little girl, serving as the center of the formation, truly be the key to Gu Yin’s East Sea plan? Even if the center of the formation was broken, she still had a hidden trick up her sleeve?

But even so, he had to throw her away!

Without her life, uncovering every conspiracy would be meaningless.

Li Xun made a decisive move, gritting his teeth and saying, “Throw her away…”

As soon as the single syllable uttered, the ground at the edge of Li Xun’s vision silently cracked, and a blurry figure burst forth from the earth, darting into the glare of the “Dual Suns Parallel.”

With this figure, a cold, resolute aura pierced the air. While it couldn’t match Gu Yin’s earth-shaking aura, beneath the icy chill, the fierce murderous intent lingered like a sharp demonic blade, ripping through the suffocating air and piercing the light surrounding Gu Yin!

“Who?”

Li Xun’s thought had just occurred to him when a five-colored light suddenly appeared in the world that had been shrouded in strong light.

The five rays of light were arranged in order of blue, yellow, red, white, and black. Each ray was as solid as a substance and as bright as a stone. As the light flowed, it returned to the original state and performed the five elements. The boundless and vast meaning was just the opposite of the grand spirit that filled the world with Gu Yin. With the fierceness of the sudden attack, it tore through the surging vitality outside Gu Yin’s body and went straight to his true body. The distance

was too far, and Li Xun could not see the details clearly. He only felt that the vitality of the world within a radius of thousands of miles was shaking violently again, and the order that had just been brought under Gu Yin’s control was immediately disrupted.

Amidst the low roar, he heard Gu Yin’s slightly hoarse laughter: “What a five-colored divine light, what a Master Tianzhi!”

Li Xun paused slightly, but didn’t stop. He knew full well that Master Tianzhi’s attack now was far from the best time, and he had already grasped the reason. “

A simple favor? Why should I rush to repay it?”

Li Xun sighed as the situation behind him shifted.

The several True One Grandmasters who had been waiting behind him, while somewhat spectating the clash, were primarily astounded by Gu Yin’s masterful manipulation of the power of the heavenly tribulation and hesitated to act rashly.

But seeing Master Tianzhi’s attack, they were astonished. Upright fellows like Li Douliang would never let her stand alone against Gu Yin, and they rushed forward one after another.

Leading the charge was Luo Qichang, the contemporary Sword Emperor, a master at seizing the moment when Qi and Mind converged. He capitalized on Gu Yin’s loss of control over the surrounding vital energy and charged forward with his sword like a rainbow. His powerful and piercing force betrayed his millennia-honed skill.

With their combined attack, Gu Yin’s pursuit speed was effectively reduced.

Li Xun and his group seized this opportunity to increase the distance, leaving the newly opened battlefield far behind.

Li Xun looked back again; the battlefield was already beyond his sight. However, the flow of vital energy around him reminded him that he was still within Gu Yin’s control. The woman, in a way Li Xun couldn’t yet comprehend, still locked onto his position. Above him, a surge of energy was still accumulating.

It was meant just for him.

“Buzz!”

The sound of plucking strings echoed in Li Xun’s ears again, and he felt his entire body tense. At that moment, he recalled the dense, spider-web-like structure of forbidden patterns that had radiated from Gu Yin’s body, and the sight of the female cultivator lightly plucking the strings, clearing the vast sky.

However, he soon realized that Gu Yin’s magical power wasn’t directed here, but across the battlefield.

The surging vital energy there suddenly quieted, the shift from movement to stillness instantly distinguishing the auras of the entangled combatants. Neither Tianzhi nor Luo Qichang could keep pace, as if bound by some indescribable force. In a single encounter, they were shaken far away.

Without the restraint of these two, the aura surrounding Gu Yin shifted again, instantly completing the transition from extreme stillness to extreme movement, and vanished in an instant.

Luo Qichang froze, and before he could make a move, Tianzhi, beside him, rushed forward. At this moment, Liu Yunzi, who had lagged behind slightly, caught up. Seeing this, he only had time to call out “Master” before he had to redouble his efforts to catch up.

This left Luo Qichang in third place, and at this moment, Ramash, Qingming, and Bancheng Jushi, from the third wave, also caught up.

The four masters exchanged a glance, each feeling a sense of dread.

Luo Qichang muttered, “Gu Yin has drifted far away, disconnected from the situation in the East China Sea. Now is a good time to defeat her one by one… Chase or not?”

Compared to the other sect leaders, Gu Yin was less hesitant. In just a few breaths, the blinding light crossed the horizon and reappeared in Li Xun’s field of vision.

Li Xun shuddered involuntarily and turned his head, increasing his speed by another three points.

Gu Yin’s pursuit wasn’t the usual Qi-control flight, but rather a spell akin to “Great Teleportation,” which almost completely eliminated the need for movement. In a flash, she had left a hundred miles behind.

For a few breaths, Li Xun even thought Gu Yin had caught up to him, within arm’s reach.

But in reality, after the initial impact, the distance between him and Gu Yin was gradually widening.

This was primarily because Gu Yin was carrying the surging currents of vital energy and the complex energy flow surrounding her through the void. Carrying such a heavy burden, every shift by Gu Yin unleashed a violent surge of vital energy, a shockwave that practically shook the heavens and earth, radiating outward for a hundred miles.

If Gu Yin could still catch up in this state, Li Xun would have been prepared to face death.

Even so, Li Xun felt a bitter taste in his mouth, a suffocating feeling lingering in his chest. From the moment he set foot in the East China Sea, had he ever imagined he would be chased out like a dog?

The pent-up resentment within him threatened to burst. Just then, Tian Zhi and Liu Yunzi finally caught up.

This pairing was a far more suitable match than before. Tian Zhi’s innate five-colored divine light dissolved vital energy, its impact as heavy as a mountain. Combined with the wielder’s unwavering resolve, they could briefly suppress Gu Yin’s aura.

While Tian Zhi recovered, Liu Yunzi unleashed the “Seven True Secrets of the Void,” a profound technique known as the “foremost defensive technique,” to neutralize Gu Yin’s sharp edge.

Between the two, attack and defense, yin and yang, hardness and softness, shifted seamlessly, seemingly a natural progression. Even with Gu Yin’s abilities, he couldn’t even break through this barrier for a moment.

Of course, Li Xun was more convinced that this was because Gu Yin hadn’t yet shifted his focus to the two of them.

Li Xun was still in extreme flight, traveling a thousand miles in an instant wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Yet, at speeds that could practically rip through space, the feeling of being on edge never subsided. The most obvious evidence was the surging surge of vital energy high in the sky, reflecting the sun’s true fire. Under the guidance of that inexplicable sword intent, though contained, its blazing power scorched Li Xun’s scalp, and his entire body felt a surge of energy, gradually becoming chaotic.

“Is this also part of the forbidden technique?”

Driven by a flash of inspiration, he looked up at the sky, but alas, there was nothing but the blinding blaze of the sun.

But… did a cloud just fly by?

Such doubts flashed through Li Xun’s mind, only to be extinguished by the intense heat overhead.

Under the combined force of anger and humiliation, time seemed to stand still, nearly driving Li Xun mad. Fortunately, before he could freak out, he finally reached the “boundary” in the southeastern forest sea, a site split by a shifting earth vein.

This so-called “boundary” is invisible to the n*ked eye, but can only be sensed indirectly through the twisting and shifting of the earth veins.

On this side of the boundary, where the fractured earth veins, created by heaven’s will, coexist with the Nine Netherworlds, on the other side lies a monastic cavern orchestrated by human intervention, a harmonious union of water and fire. Though separated by a thin line, for Li Xun, it meant the difference between life and death.

It was nearly dusk, but the intensity of the Sun’s True Fire in the sky remained undiminished. Instead, it underwent subtle changes as the sun moved westward, becoming increasingly unfathomable. The Sun’s True Fire’s concentration had reached a critical juncture, and the chilling sword intent imbued within it locked onto Li Xun’s aura. An explosion would surely cause a tremor.

Just then, with one foot already crossing the boundary, Li Xun saw someone who should never have been there.

Not far beyond the boundary, above the vast forest, a female cultivator stood out. She was dressed in plain clothes, her sash fluttering in the wind, reflecting the setting sun, a graceful figure. Seeing her slender and beautiful figure, Li Xun frowned.

Qin Wanru!

Why had she returned to the southeastern forest instead of consolidating the sect and stabilizing the situation? And why was she entangled with others here?

Following the female cultivator’s gaze, Li Xun immediately caught another target, and now his brows were knitted into knots.

Just a few miles away from Qin Wanru, high in the treetops, another figure stood with a sword over his shoulder. Dressed as a Taoist priest, his features were not as striking as the female cultivator’s, but they were a figure Li Xun was particularly familiar with.

Immortal Master Mingji?

The two were currently locked in a state of intense hostility… Come to think of it, Mingji knew that not long ago, the master of the beautiful woman before him had infiltrated the sect’s core territory and abducted Yingning, a young girl possessing the “Original Embryo Dao Body” talent. Yingning was already a full disciple of the Mingxin Sword Sect.

Yin Sanren came and went with ease, as if he were alone. This act was a slap in the face to the Mingxin Sword Sect. How could Mingji let it go?

As for Qin Wanru, she had been innocently implicated, but as the leader of a sect, how could she afford to show weakness?

Li Xun could understand the couple’s mentality, but at this point, were they being so aggressive… courting death?

Li Xun muttered inwardly, but the two men confronting each other had already noticed the unusual situation above them and saw Li Xun and his group approaching. Naturally, their reactions differed, but seeing Qin Wanru’s expression of mixed joy and surprise only made Li Xun’s head hurt even more.

The situation was urgent, so he wasted no time. He chanted a spell and shouted, and the void split open like a demonic maw, swallowing the male and female cultivators whole.

Li Xun and his companions were even simpler. Harnessing the power of the trembling void, they flashed into the depths of the jungle, vanishing in a flash. They

were just a moment too late. A brilliant light shone from the sky above, a beam as thick as an arm projecting down, seemingly slow and rapid. At first, it seemed sharp, but in the blink of an eye, the beam connected heaven and earth, slanting into the jungle where Li Xun and his companions had disappeared.

Without a sound, the dusk sky suddenly brightened. From the boundless forest, a blinding light erupted, illuminating the heavens.

The dense forest within a hundred miles was completely illuminated by the light, filtering through all shadows and darkness, making them appear almost transparent, revealing every detail.

Then came the ravages of the sun’s true fire.

Under the sudden surge of heat, the hundred-mile forest seemed plunged into a molten inferno. Blazing white flames swept through, reducing all trees, birds, and animals to ash before they could even burn. Across the vast expanse of heaven and earth, only the muffled, muffled sound of explosions remained, and everything in its path was scorched to dust.

“How dangerous!”

Li Xun, who had rushed into Wuyin Pavilion at the last moment, wiped a cold sweat from his forehead. The scorching heat, melting gold and iron, was enough; the most daunting was the piercing sword intent embodied in the Sun’s True Fire. Having experienced this countless times, Li Xun knew that this sword intent would penetrate flesh and bone, shattering the soul. Faced head-on, he had no chance of escaping unscathed.

Gu Yin’s methods were truly endless. This “Transformation of Will and Soul” spell was only a hair’s breadth from the realm of “Transfiguration of Body.” Yet, she could actually imbue a strand of sword intent within the Sun’s True Fire, channeling vital energy and wielding it with the force of her arm. Truly terrifying.

But… Gu Yin’s swordsmanship was so sophisticated. Could it be that the capable truly possessed everything?

Before he could shake off his bewilderment, Shui Dielan’s low, raging voice suddenly reached his ears: “What the hell is going on?”

Li Xun looked over in astonishment, only to see a flash of blue light in Shui Dielan’s eyes, clearly raging with fury.

Following the enchantress’s gaze, he too was startled: “What’s going on? Were we robbed?”

Shui Dielan’s loss of composure was understandable; the sight they witnessed was truly tragic.

Li Xun had chosen to drop the three people off directly at the lakeside pavilion, the central hub of the Mist Hidden Cave Heaven and its most crucial location.

However, looking around, the area looked as if it had just been struck by an earthquake.

While the lakeside pavilion remained standing, two of its four stone pillars had collapsed, and the teacup on the table had fallen to the ground, shattering.

A closer look revealed that the three semi-fan-shaped window openings were even slightly warped, especially the center one, where a startling crack stretched all the way to the corner.

Across the lake, the situation on the other side wasn’t looking good either. Trees were broken, and flowers and plants were toppled, a sight utterly lost to the tranquil and elegant garden scene of the past.

“What the hell is going on?”

Shui Dielan repeated her earlier words, her anger deepening.

While ten thousand of them combined wouldn’t understand Wuyinxuan as well as Li Xun, her affection for him far surpassed Li Xun’s. This feeling was completely incomprehensible, and therefore, she found the situation particularly unacceptable.

Youyi, who had been in the pavilion the entire time, was the most qualified person to respond to her questions. Unfortunately, as a puppet whose consciousness hadn’t yet recovered, he had no way to respond to events that exposed his own abilities, and he wouldn’t answer questions from anyone other than his master.

Li Xun knew Shui Dielan was in a foul mood. In fact, aside from You Yi, no one present seemed to be in a good mood.

After briefly sorting out his thoughts and drawing a preliminary conclusion, Li Xun shrugged and spoke matter-of-factly, “It’s simply the damage to the restrictions caused by the shifting earth veins. This kind of damage is troublesome, but it’s still within the Mist Hidden Cave Heaven’s ability to repair itself. Then again, you should have thought of this when the Nine Nether Earth Qi erupted.”

Shui Dielan raised an eyebrow, looking as if about to get angry, but ultimately curled her lips into a cold smile.

“Gu Yin, huh? Humph, there’s no such thing as overnight immortality. I want to see how she dies!”

She was taking her anger out on Gu Yin, but unfortunately, it was only for a moment, and she could only vent it. From another perspective, though, her words were spoken in anger, they were also the truth.

Li Xun agreed inwardly, but kept it to himself. He glanced at her and grinned, “Who knows how long she can live? Three hours? Three days? Three years?”

Shui Dielan was speechless, but quickly found an excuse. “Who cares if it’s three days or three years? If it really doesn’t work, I’ll just sit in Wuyin Pavilion and wait for her to die. If I dare, let her come and kill me?”

Li Xun smiled wryly at her, but his thoughts were elsewhere: the arrogant Baihuandie had actually expressed her fear so openly, demonstrating the profound impact of Gu Yin’s transformation on her.

If Shui Dielan had reacted this way, what would the cultivators from the Nineteen Sects think?

Shui Dielan realized she was showing too much weakness, so she snorted coldly and turned away from the lakeside pavilion, leaving only her voice: “I’m going to sleep. When I wake up, I want to see everything back to normal.”

The idea of sleeping was, of course, nonsense. Li Xun understood that Shui Dielan was actually going to calm her mind, perhaps to quickly recover from Gu Yin’s nightmare-inducing power. Besides… her injuries had indeed reached a point where she needed to take serious care. After all,

Li Xun possessed the supreme celestial demonic technique of the Blood Shadow Demon Body. Even after being severely injured by Gu Yin, a short break and her injuries were 80% to 90% healed. The only remaining feeling was the stagnation left by the cold.

Shui Dielan’s condition was far worse than his. She was completely exhausted and could only eat the pills given to her by the Qing Emperor’s elders as candy. It seemed that if she wanted to restore her former state, she would have to continue to recuperate.

After watching Shuidilan walk into the jungle on the lakeshore and making a preliminary inspection of the small pavilion in the center of the lake, Li Xun ordered Yin Sanren: “Arrange a quiet room and put her there.”

Li Xun was referring to Lin Wuyou. In fact, in his heart, he wanted to strip the unconscious girl n*ked and study her to find out the mystery. But the reality was that the situation in Wuyinxuan was by no means as easy as he had described before. He had to consolidate this place of settlement before he was qualified to talk about other things.

Of course, Li Xun wouldn’t forget another concern: “As for your disciple, since you’ve been exposed, I’ll leave her to you.”

Yin Sanren understood, picked up the little girl Shui Die Lan had placed under the railing, and walked out of the pavilion. At this moment, Li Xun suddenly remembered something: “Where is Yingning?”

“I’m here.”

With that, Yingning’s slender figure flashed from the jungle on the opposite bank.

The little girl quickly crossed the lake and arrived in front of Li Xun. She called out “Master” and bowed to Yin Sanren.

Her face was a little pale, but her expression was relatively calm, indicating that Yin Sanren’s months of training had been quite effective.

“I just ran into Master’s wife. She asked me to come here.”

Li Xun was speechless at the mention of “Master’s wife.” Then, smiling, he stroked her head and asked about the situation.

The little girl was somewhat confused about the overall situation, but she spoke clearly and coherently about her own experience.

The incident had occurred four hours ago, at the beginning of the East China Sea catastrophe.

At the time, Yingning was operating a spectroscope in the lakeside pavilion, observing the southeastern forest sea. Suddenly, a tremor struck, rendering the spectroscope in front of her inoperable. Immediately, the ground shook, and a strong wind blew across the lake.

The girl, alert, quickly evacuated the pavilion. However, sensing an abnormal flow of vital energy around the pavilion, she feared lingering for long, retreating until she reached the small building where she usually rested. Only then, feeling the impact subside, did she pause to catch her breath.

For a period of time thereafter, the Mist Hidden Cave Heaven experienced continuous tremors, their magnitude fluctuating. At its peak, the girl witnessed a tornado several feet high sweeping across the plains, and a massive rift opened in the void, through which one could even see flashes of lightning.

The tremors only subsided an hour ago.

The girl mustered the courage to return to the lakeside pavilion to investigate, but faced with the situation, she was helpless. Seeing Youyi guarding the pavilion, she retreated a distance, awaiting the return of Li Xun and his companions. That’s why she ran into Shui Dielan, who had retired to her room to rest, and rushed over.

While Yingning was speaking, Li Xun had already inspected the forbidden magic hub in the lakeside pavilion. Combining the girl’s description, he had a clearer understanding of the current situation in the Mist Hidden Cave Heaven. By the time Yingning finished, he had grasped most of the problems and had a comprehensive plan for repairs and improvements.

He still arranged for Yin Sanren to settle Lin Wuyou. As for Yingning, she would stay by his side to help and teach her some basic knowledge of forbidden magic—even if the girl didn’t have a natural talent for it, learning something that interested her was a reward. Sure enough

, Yingning, despite having been trained by Yin Sanren to be quite sophisticated, still showed a touch of joy when she heard Li Xun’s plan.

Unlike Yingning, Li Xun couldn’t easily rest easy with his current situation. He was eager to repair the cave heaven’s restrictions and to understand the situation outside.

While security was greatly improved within the Mist Hidden Cave Heaven, who knew what other magical powers Gu Yin might possess that would pose a threat to the cave heaven?

Furthermore, just as Shui Dielan used “rest” as an excuse to regroup, wasn’t Li Xun also using the opportunity of reorganizing his restrictions to ease his severely shaken state of mind?

Gu Yin’s awe-inspiring power had already severely tested his mental limits, and even more so, he was still groping in the murky fog, unable to grasp the crucial trajectory of all the events that had occurred.

How wonderful would it be if everything in the world could be like the flowing forbidden patterns before him, rules within chaos, threads within complexity, as if reading the patterns with the palm of your hand?

With a sigh of admiration, Li Xun mobilized hundreds of thousands of vital energy lines connecting the forbidden hubs and began repair work.

The foundation of the Wuyin Cave Heaven’s restrictions rests on the vast water system that runs through the southeastern forest sea and the numerous innate fire orifices that draw in the earth’s energy. By balancing these two, water and fire, they control every corner of this boundless forest.

As a blessed cave paradise for cultivation and seclusion, Wuyin Xuan, from its inception, the acting Xuanzhu considered the impact of the Forty-Nine Tribulations, which recur every 3,600 years. Subsequent Xuanzhu, while imbuing their respective imprints, never overlooked this significant hazard. With each successive change in the forbidden techniques, they meticulously implemented and reinforced targeted defensive measures.

However, the Forty-Nine Tribulations themselves were undoubtedly beyond the capabilities of cultivators in this realm to withstand. Even if Wuyin Dongtian could muster the might of the entire Southeast Forest Sea, facing the Forty-Nine Tribulations head-on, a few rounds would only result in utter destruction.

Therefore, Wuyin Dongtian’s arrangements for the tribulation weren’t primarily designed to protect the cultivators within, but rather to limit damage and rapidly repair it.

While this might seem harsh to a cultivator hoping to transcend the tribulation and ascend to heaven through Wuyin Xuan, it was precisely this effect that Li Xun desired.

The East China Sea’s calamity hadn’t dissipated, and the earth veins remained unstable. He didn’t expect to completely restore the cave heaven’s restrictions; he simply hoped to stabilize the situation and increase its flexibility.

Millions of energy points converged within the densely organized forbidden patterns, drawing vital energy back into their proper places. A mosquito-like hum echoed around the small pavilion in the center of the lake.

When such a sound converged in the tens of thousands, it could numb one’s lips. Ripples rippled across the lake’s surface wherever the sound waves reached.

Yingning described it as similar to what she had experienced a few hours prior.

Li Xun understood that this was the inevitable result of the interaction of energy points, only one was destroying, the other rebuilding.

He was now juggling multiple tasks. Every moment, he had to adjust dozens, even hundreds, of restriction nodes. Simultaneously, he had to consider the overall structural design, making adjustments at both the macro and micro levels. The sheer volume of work was enough to drain his mind of all other thoughts.

And the results were immediate and noticeable.

The first thing to be repaired was the spectroscope. The three windows in the pavilion were coated with a silver film. Images from every corner of the Southeast Forest flowed through like water, though there were brief gaps, corresponding to the locations of damaged restrictions.

Although the area affected had shrunk considerably, the spectroscope was now operational. Li Xun prioritized repairs at key locations, taking a few quick glances. He saw that the area he had been in before entering the cave was a scorched earth, while Gu Yin and the others, who had been chasing him, had vanished without a trace.

Had he left the spectroscope’s range?

Li Xun fretted. No matter how dire the situation became, if he could see it, he could be prepared. But now, it felt like an invisible boulder weighing on his chest, and even trying to move it was impossible…

Fortunately, there was still endless work to be done.

Yingning could see that his master was in a bad mood, but she didn’t dare to say anything. Even as she gathered the clutter in the pavilion, she tiptoed, and the small pavilion fell into a moment of silence.

Without any interruptions, Li Xun’s restlessness didn’t last long. Instead, his work became more efficient, and he finished after tinkering for half an hour.

By then, night had fallen inside and outside the cave.

After ensuring the forbidden spells were temporarily intact, Li Xun breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Yingning, who stood quietly beside him. He thought the young girl was truly well-behaved and clever. Having such a disciple was truly a blessing.

The young disciple reminded him of Qin Wanru. In a few years, perhaps, the young girl would truly join the Yin-Yang Sect and become a prominent figure within it.

Then again, Li Xun had handed that cheap senior sister over to Yin Sanren to deal with. They were reunited as master and disciple. I wonder how they were feeling now?

And then there was Mingji.

If it weren’t for him, Mingji, whose combat power was only second to Qingming in the Mingxin Sword Sect, wouldn’t have gone deep into the Southeast Forest Sea. Instead, he should have fought with his fellow disciples on the East China Sea.

Li Xun didn’t know whether this was a blessing or a curse for Mingji himself, but from his own perspective, he wasn’t going to give Mingji a chance to choose.

With his mind made up, Li Xun disappeared from the lakeside pavilion in a flash.

(Lixie Chinese first release)