The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 73

Chapter 5 Butterfly Dance

Gu Pin’er’s n*ked body trembled slightly, slumping against the tree trunk. If it weren’t for Li Xun’s arm still wrapped around her neck, she would have collapsed.

Despite her profound cultivation, the overwhelming suction from the man behind her forced the six energies within her body to circulate involuntarily. While absorbing vast quantities of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, she also channeled even more of its purest essence into the man behind her.

Inevitably, she had experienced at least twenty sexual encounters. She was now exhausted, her vital energy depleted. The man’s movements, which had previously driven her wild, now only brought her pain.

Yet, she was happy.

The confusion within her heart had completely dissipated. The caring and mournful glances of her sect family, the attentive care of her fellow disciples, the strict rules she had memorized since childhood, were all washed away by the relentless onslaught of passion and the unconscious whispers of the man behind her.

Now, her mind was filled with only this man behind her, a man who seemed familiar yet strange, yet filled with her most unforgettable memories.

She had found herself through the man’s aura, but as time passed, it grew increasingly distant and fainter.

Only through repeated, futile fantasies could she catch a glimpse of it, then repeatedly etch this fleeting trace into her heart.

She did this every day, turning over and carving the trace of this aura again and again until she could never forget it.

Thanks to this, she had miraculously found a unique scent in this complex forest, and pursued it, finally relieving her years of longing.

Now, the aura she longed for in her dreams clung to every part of her body, so rich it stifled her breath. Such happiness, perhaps, could only be found in dreams.

Compared to that, the slight pain in her v*gina was nothing.

The man behind her finally had his fill and withdrew from her body. She could feel his energy flowing, freed from the burden of the sinister true energy, reaching a peak state from the massive influx of vital energy he had just ingested.

To her great delight, even though the man no longer needed her energy, their n*ked bodies remained in a state of intense intimacy, their auras blending together, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other.

He gently bit her neck, the subtle pain sending her to and fro between reality and dream, a blur.

Just then, he whispered in her ear, “How did you determine my location?”

Her flushed cheeks seemed to heat up even more. She hesitated, wondering if she should confess her long-held persistence—it would have come across as boastful. However

, the man’s request was undeniable. She paused briefly, then explained the reason as lightly as possible.

For a moment, the man’s breathing paused, a moment so brief that Gu Pin’er, not completely absorbed in him, would have likely overlooked it.

He quickly returned to normal, but it was enough.

Gu Pin’er gently rubbed her cheek against his arm, trying to maintain some reserve, but ultimately, she couldn’t help but smile.

At this moment, the man’s voice held a new quality. It was still a whisper against his lips. Previously, it had thrilled her whole body, but this time, it sent a wave of warmth cascading through her heart.

He said, “Look this way!”

She obediently turned her head away, and the next moment, their lips and tongues met. Gu Pin’er nearly fainted with bliss. This was the first time in their lives that he had expressed their relationship in this way.

She longed for this moment to last forever.

However, the kiss lasted barely half a breath before the warmth of his lips suddenly dropped, and he loosened his grip on her neck.

Gu Pin’er was startled, but after seeing the cold glint in his eyes, she understood.

Then, above them, a clear, soft voice laughed, accompanied by a gentle, yet rhythmic, applause.

“A rising star from the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect is having an affair with a female cultivator from the Heavenly Movement and Health Sect in the wild. Who would believe this if it were to be spread out?”

A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on Li Xun’s back.

Although he was obsessed with Gu Pin’er’s delicate body, his vigilance had dropped to an extremely dangerous level. However, You Yi and You Er were both there!

Even so, it wasn’t until the man was about fifty steps away that the two puppets sounded the alarm!

By the time Li Xun reacted, the man had already floated above his head, ignoring the dense branches and various restrictions as if they were nothing. He looked straight down and took in the beautiful scenery inside.

Regardless of the depth of this man’s cultivation, just this astonishing speed and stealth skills made Li Xun feel cold in his heart.

Moreover, this pleasant yet somewhat neutral voice, he seemed to have heard it somewhere before.

After calming down a bit, he didn’t rush to get dressed, but stood up straight, glancing up coldly to see which immortal it was.

The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of small embroidered shoes with light blue silk, the soles of which seemed as clean as if they had never touched the ground. And this was just a glimpse that Li Xun got when the night wind blew up the skirt.

Soon, this pair of extremely beautiful slender feet were hidden under the aqua blue skirt.

Li Xun looked up, sweeping across the few pearls lightly embellished on the skirt and the intricately crafted butterfly patterns, and the muscles on his face shrank slightly.

Then, all he saw were long sleeves made of layers of blue gauze. The other person’s face was blocked behind the gauze sleeves, and under the cover of darkness, it was vague and could not be seen clearly.

But this was enough.

The muscles at the corners of Li Xun’s eyes twitched twice, and he said the name of the person in a cold voice: “Shui Die Lan!”

“Against the Current” Shui Die Lan!

Among the nine ace assassins of the Zhu Gou Sect, the most enigmatic! She holds the sway of both the Luoyu and Zhu Gou sects, and her unique Shadow Reversal Escape Technique, firmly ranked among the top three in the universe, has made her the world’s most elusive assassin.

Li Xun fully understood Shui Dielan’s reason for coming here, but he was more concerned about the long-ago feud between him and this cultivator, who concealed her true identity.

He still vividly remembered how, sixty years ago, he had just acquired two Nether Mysterious puppets and was brimming with pride when this cultivator manipulated him. She even abducted his recently acquired alien friend, “Mao’er,” whose fate remains unknown.

It was a crushing blow to Li Xun’s self-confidence, and the resulting rift in his heart took him a long time to mend.

Over the past sixty years, he’d considered seeking revenge, but tracking down a killer with unparalleled evasion skills was undoubtedly an impossible task.

But today, God played a joke on Li Xun, bringing his longed-for goal right before his eyes. At the same time, he also gave him the worst possible backdrop—a battle without any preparation!

Li Xun didn’t even think about getting dressed. He was completely focused on the other person. After collecting energy from Gu Pin’er, he was at peak performance. His two mysterious puppets were already waiting in the wings, ready to launch a thunderous attack.

His gaze seemed to penetrate layers of gauze sleeves, fixed on Shui Dielan’s blurred face. With a cold smile, he said, “Shui Xianzi, we meet again!”

“Again?” Shui Dielan’s distinctive, neutral voice was filled with confusion. “Bai Gui Daoist, right? I’m looking for you too, but have we met before?”

Li Xun’s fierce aura faltered. Just then, the other person chuckled and vanished.

The next moment, a sharp blast of true energy pierced Li Xun’s side, and he heard the other person’s unique yet beautiful voice again.

This time, it was imbued with a girlish charm and mischief.

“Remember? Didn’t we exchange a blood kiss for a pair of Heavenly Consciousness Wheels?”

Li Xun struggled to avoid the sword-like True Qi, a smile piercing his lips. “Water Fairy, you have a good memory! I was so grateful for your care back then, and I’ve missed you dearly these past few years!”

As he spoke, the Yin Fire within him, centered around the bottomless Nether Ring, swirled and evaporated, its nature growing increasingly dark and unpredictable. He slapped out with one palm, and the air

around him instantly became dozens of times hotter! The force of this palm strike was like drawing the ghostly fire from the depths of Hell into the mortal realm. Even this perennially damp and humid land was no match for the blazing energy. Nearby branches and leaves withered and cracked, and some even flashed with flames, igniting.

The tiny flames flickered and faded, dazzling in the darkness.

The pervasive inferno caused the atmosphere to fluctuate abnormally, preventing Water Butterfly Orchid from using her next escape technique.

With a soft sigh, she appeared and disappeared, this time… above her head!

Li Xun was about to change his tactics when a sudden thought occurred to him. His hands paused for a moment, and at the same moment, a resounding sword clink filled his ears. A

flash of purple light emanated, and Gu Pin’er, seemingly unable to withstand the blow, launched herself upwards. The Purple Yang Divine Sword in his hand radiated with energy, and just as it was about to strike, the sword’s force swirled, and the shimmering light coalesced into a purple, restrained bead of light that soared through the air.

“The Yuan Yang Pearl?”

Shui Dielan and Li Xun exclaimed in wonder.

A female cultivator imbued with yin energy could unleash a high-level technique of pure yang sword energy. Besides profound skill, this must involve some unique formula unknown to outsiders.

The power of this Yuan Yang Pearl must be immense.

After Li Xun’s amazement, he felt a surge of joy. Having such assistance was undoubtedly beneficial to him.

The Yuan Yang Pearl’s seemingly unremarkable size, however, hit the crucial point of Shui Dielan’s escape technique, ensuring she had no escape. Facing this blow, Shui Dielan’s gauze sleeves folded slightly, and a slender finger thrust out, striking the core of the Yuanyang Pearl.

Gu Pin’er’s delicate body trembled, her true energy flowing. Holding the Purple Sun Divine Sword, she drew circle after circle of small, perfect concentric circles in the air.

The circles shrank smaller and smaller, eventually converging into a single point. Gu Pin’er’s body, lifted by the overflowing true energy, slowly rose.

But by this time, the Divine Sword had already begun to tremble uncontrollably.

Li Xun couldn’t see Shui Dielan’s expression, but her calm and gentle movements suggested she still had plenty of room. Li Xun’s eyes flashed with a fierceness, and he was about to launch another attack. But as the Yin Fire rose and fell, Shui Dielan shouted, “Hold!”

Hardly had she finished speaking when she retracted and then extended her hand. In that moment, the Yuan Yang Pearl deflected Gu Pin’er’s Qi connection and flew out at an angle, striking a tree so thick that several people could hug it. Flames flashed, and blazing white light blazed recklessly.

The darkness was like an exploding sun!

By the time people’s eyes adjusted, the tree had been burned to ashes, leaving no

trace. The restrictions Li Xun had placed around him were activated. Thousands of fine Qi Qi gathered, and the Yuan Qi expanded like a black curtain, completely blocking the violent light and shadow effects, preventing people from seeing the changes from miles away.

Li Xun finally stopped.

It wasn’t that he truly listened to Shui Dielan’s words, but rather that as she sent the Yuan Yang Pearl flying, her delicate body swayed with such subtle force that it evoked a sense of emptiness within the tiny space, straining Li Xun’s Qi and nearly sending him careening backward.

Li Xun had no choice but to stop!

Across the room, Gu Pin’er, after being invigorated by Li Xun, then used the powerful technique of the Yuan Yang Pearl, clearly finding it extremely strenuous.

She was perched on a branch, the darkness unable to obscure the view of the crowd present, allowing Li Xun to see clearly. Her skin was faintly shimmering with moisture, occasionally forming beads that rolled down her smooth skin.

From the inside of her slender v*gina, the fluids from the previous encounter slowly dripped, drawing even more attention to her body.

This sight would have driven most women to death with shame and indignation, but Gu Pin’er remained composed, seemingly oblivious.

This wasn’t a sultry, unbridled expression, but rather a calm, focused composure.

Li Xun found that, compared to the “cauldron” that had been manipulated, he seemed to admire the female cultivator fighting with a sword more.

This was perhaps the biggest difference between her and her days in Songjing.

Having been dampened by Shui Dielan and distracted by Gu Pin’er, Li Xun found it difficult to muster up any momentum.

He took a deep breath and said, “What does Shui Xianzi have to say?”

“Nothing much, I just wanted to apologize!”

With this casual remark, Shui Dielan lowered the gauze sleeve that had been obscuring her face.

Li Xun’s pupils dilated slightly; honestly, he was quite surprised.

This didn’t look like the face of an assassin. The clean, fair face exuded a pure and beautiful aura. Perhaps the slightly strong features diluted some of the feminine charm, but the curved eyebrows and eyes gave her a warm and gentle expression.

But it was her ever-smiling lips, daubed with a faint coat of icy blue lipstick, that clashed with her slightly masculine features, creating a gentle yet strong presence, a peaceful yet rebellious presence that was instantly unforgettable.

She was perhaps the most unassuming master cultivator Li Xun had ever remembered, at least on the surface. She smiled brightly and nodded, “I started it first. I was wrong!”

Perhaps it was the icy blue lipstick’s striking presence that momentarily slowed Li Xun’s reaction. But after that carefree smile, she slowly gathered her slightly disheveled gauze sleeves, projecting a relaxed, relaxed demeanor. The same sentiment emanated from her lips.

“But I just wanted to see how powerful a man like you could be!”

“Hmm?”

Shui Dielan glanced upward, glancing over Gu Pin’er’s slender form, her expression a half-smile, even a hint of mischief.

“I mean, a female disciple like her must be the one that Tian Xing Jian Zong focuses on cultivating. You must have put a lot of effort into discipline her!”

This sounded like a compliment, but Li Xun could hear a subtle threat in it.

Li Xun knew that the best way to deal with a threat was to ignore it. He smiled slightly and said, “Water Fairy, you have gone to great lengths to come here just for this? Two days ago, your sect’s Eclipse God Feast said something different!”

“No way, we have no business doing things like this. It’s just that someone died on our side a few days ago, and we have to investigate this.”

Li Xun had expected her to say that, and his expression was flawless. He frowned and said, “Dead? Who?”

“He Can!”

Li Xun was stunned for a moment before he realized that this might be the real name of the “Escape to the Sky Thorn”.

He was about to show shock as planned, but suddenly something came to his mind and he hurriedly continued to look stunned: “He Can?”

His bright eyes swept over, and a smile appeared on Shuidielan’s face: “Oh, I forgot, you don’t know his name, but his nickname is very famous: Duntian Ci… Did you think of it?”

Li Xun cursed in his heart, and only then did he show shock, and quickly “restrained” it, but his brows frowned even deeper.

Feeling that the taste of Shuidielan was almost enough, he curled up the corners of his lips with a hint of mockery: “Those who kill will be killed. Everyone understands these things! Well… You don’t think that I killed him!”

“Now in this Southeast Forest, with your strength, you can barely be counted as one! But don’t worry, the suspicion is not too big!”

Li Xun’s face showed a little sarcasm, and then he was calm again.

Looking at his expression, Shui Dielan’s eyebrows curved into rainbow-like arcs, and she looked more like a kind and cheerful girl: “Don’t blame me! I was called here from thousands of miles away by them, and I was very reluctant! Besides, I didn’t do anything to you, didn’t I just poke you? A master like you shouldn’t hold a grudge!”

Li Xun laughed and blurted out: “That’s a nice thing to say! Then let me poke you and try it?”

He suddenly felt something was wrong after he said it. It was then that he remembered that he was now n*ked. This scene, coupled with these words, had more elements of meanness and despicableness.

Shui Dielan is not Gu Pin’er, how could she bear it?

As he expected, Shui Dielan’s eyes turned cold when he said this, and the atmosphere between the two immediately became tense again.

But before she could react, Li Xun suddenly felt something in his heart.

Shui Dielan had sensed it a step earlier than him.

The two reacted with a hair’s breadth of difference. Just as Shui Die Lan moved, Li Xun slashed out with his palm, not aiming for harm, but the resulting surge of air was enough to cause Shui Die Lan to pause momentarily.

Gu Pin’er, perched in the tree, responded in kind. The Purple Sun Die Lan sword slashed in a short arc, its energy whirring as it followed Li Xun’s lead, halting Shui Die Lan’s momentum.

Shui Die Lan’s eyes swept across with a sinister glare.

In that moment of pause, the passing figure, miles away, had already vanished into thin air, escaping their range of detection.

Though the perception was fleeting, Li Xun was certain the individual was none other than Xiao Chongzi.

The dozens of powerful auras that followed confirmed his suspicions.

After five days of hiding, Xiao Chongzi finally emerged under the pressure of the three sects. One can only imagine what fate awaited him, pursued by masters like Yuan Nan, Ti Wu Jiu, and the Eclipse God Blade.

While the atmosphere in the distance was bustling with activity, the three people within the restricted area seemed to have formed a separate, private world, a world of their own, full of undercurrents.

Li Xun’s mind raced. The sudden situation he was facing was the last thing he wanted.

Only five days had passed since his one-month appointment with Lin Wuyou. If Xiao Chongzi were captured or killed, where would he put his face?

But, as for Shui Dielan across from him…

Li Xun had already prepared for any eventuality, yet in the blink of an eye, Shui Dielan had regained her usual smile.

Ignoring Li Xun’s unfriendly reaction, she chuckled, “Compensate me!”

“Compensate you? Compensate for what?”

“You’re playing dumb! I don’t believe you haven’t noticed. I didn’t come here specifically to catch someone cheating! I was planning to ambush Xiao Chongzi and block his path, but now that you’ve delayed me, that treasure might be lost!”

“Treasure?” Li Xun’s eyes flashed, a genuine interest in the word.

“Yes, it seems to be the ‘former residence’ of some ascended master. There are many high-quality magic tools, elixirs, and elixirs… You didn’t know about it?”

“Ah, I really don’t know it very well!”

“You didn’t know it before, but you know it now, right? Okay, compensate me!” “As

soon as Narcissus opens her mouth, this treasure will come down from the sky. Ha, this is a good deal!” Li Xun showed some ruffian spirit and refused to give in: “Narcissus, don’t you see that I have been here longer than you? Who delayed whom? I’m afraid we still need to discuss it!”

While the two were talking, the sounds from the outside world had long faded away, and the small world returned to calm. The two knew that they had lost a good opportunity, and their eyes became three times colder.

At that moment, Shui Dielan suddenly smiled, her eyes darting around as she surveyed the surroundings. “Oh, the restrictions are well-placed. I suppose there’s a reason for the legend that the Hundred Ghosts Taoist’s forbidden techniques are second only to ‘Spirit Bamboo’ Li Xun among the younger generation!”

Li Xun was momentarily amused and annoyed, but maintaining his composure, he groaned, perfectly expressing his displeasure.

“It’s a shame you came alone, with Lingzhu chasing you. Yuan Nan considers you an enemy, and because of her…” Shui Dielan’s gaze shifted to Gu Pin’er, and she smiled faintly.

“I’m afraid Ti Wujiu won’t let you go. It’s not easy to take advantage of you when you are alone and weak! Haven’t you ever thought about finding a companion?”

Li Xun took a breath and said, “You are well-informed!”

Shui Dielan smiled and said, “It’s just a coincidence. He Can happened to be there that day, and he was hiding in the lake which was seven or eight feet deeper than Xiao Chongzi!”

Li Xun suddenly realized, and he finally understood why his whereabouts were exposed when he broke the ban. He Can must have sensed the importance of the Demon Thunder Ancient Temple from Xiao Chongzi, and therefore strengthened the surveillance there…

He got angry just thinking about it, and it was even more impossible for him to look at Shui Dielan in a good light. He said coldly: “Shui Xianzi seems to want to explain it more clearly!”

“The meaning is very clear. You see, the two of us are restraining each other and are wary of each other. In the end, no one can benefit. But as long as we work together…”

“Work together?”

Li Xun wanted to laugh. A “robber” seriously cooperated with a “bodyguard” to deal with the “victim” together. Isn’t this a huge joke? Even if the two of them cooperated, who would guarantee the tacit understanding and…

credibility between them?

“We?” Li Xun emphasized the pronunciation to express his doubts about Shui Dielan’s unreasonable words: “Where are your fellow disciples?”

Shui Dielan, however, acted matter-of-factly. “Those who have more receive less, and those who have less receive more. It’s the simplest truth!”

Seeing her expression, Li Xun suddenly remembered that this seemingly good-tempered female cultivator was, in fact, the most notorious “traitor” of the past century.

Back then, she had defected from the Luoyu Sect, slaughtered two-thirds of the “Twenty-Four Feathers” who were pursuing her, severely inflicted a heavy blow on the sect’s ace assassin, “Blood Feather,” and finally fled. At that time, she hadn’t cared less about the incense and incense!

Could she have relapsed into her old ways, hoping to keep Xiao Chongzi’s secrets to herself and betray the sect for fun?

Li Xun’s heart suddenly stirred. If that were the case, there might be an opportunity to exploit! His thoughts raced, and his tone softened. “As for distributing the treasures, it would be better for you to do it yourself. Why bother looking for help?”

“I know nothing about forbidden array techniques!” Shui Dielan appeared frank, but the Zhugou Sect was a major institution of mechanical devices, so the degree of truth in her words was questionable.

Li Xun smiled, and before he could say anything, her smile widened.

“And there’s one more thing, and this is the key to my cooperation with you—I have so many leverage over you, how wonderful!”

Li Xun felt a tightness in his chest.

However, he also sensed that Shui Dielan had a somewhat peculiar temperament, but she didn’t seem to be as cunning and calculating as the Yin Sanren he had encountered.

Perhaps it was because her bright, smiling eyes never shone with the reserve of a master, but Li Xun felt that her attitude towards people and things had a certain playfulness. In her eyes, everyone and everything was a toy, even an object of desire.

This kind of person didn’t have a specific purpose in mind, but in a sense, she was more formidable than those ambitious individuals.

“Don’t always think negatively!” Shui Dielan interrupted his train of thought, chuckling. “Let’s work together. If you ever run into that ‘Spirit Bamboo’ chasing you, I can help you out! No reward, how about that?” Li Xun was at a loss for words

.

At this moment, Shui Dielan declared, “Alright, we’ve reached an agreement…”

Li Xun’s eyes widened. Just as he said “Hey,” she gestured to silence him. “No time!”

Thinking of Xiao Chongzi, now cornered, Li Xun frowned. He truly didn’t have time to waste. If Xiao Chongzi was captured and killed, Shui Dielan would gain nothing at best, and he would be completely humiliated!

He sighed, and said nothing more.

“Great, let’s go!”

With a smile, Shui Dielan vanished. Who knew if she could still stick to her previous agreement once she was freed? Li Xun didn’t dare to delay. Hastily, he gave Gu Pin’er a word and followed in that direction.

The pursuit lasted all night. Xiao Chongzi was indeed quite resourceful. Taking advantage of the complex terrain of the Southeast Forest Sea, he had managed to lead dozens of renowned cultivators through the jungle, leaving them repeatedly empty-handed and humiliated.

Li Xun was so happy to see this situation that he even had the leisure to think about other things.

The most important thing at the moment was the problem of Xiao Chongzi.

To keep his life under the eyes of masters like Yuan Nan and Ti Wujiu, the difficulty was probably not much different from challenging Zhong Yin.

So… would the words that Lin Wuyou asked Yu Shi to pass on come into play at this time?

While he was thinking about it, Shui Dielan in front of him suddenly said, “You have dealt with Xiao Chongzi. What do you think of this person?”

Li Xun mentioned it slightly, flew side by side with her, and smiled, “He is a cunning and intelligent person.”

Shui Dielan chuckled and said, “Is he as cunning as you?”

There was a bit of friendly teasing in her words, and her attitude was very subtle. Li Xun glanced at her, just smiled, and said nothing.

Shui Dielan then went on to say, “I want the Blood God Son he has. This can be counted towards the distribution of the proceeds!”

“Blood God Son?” Li Xun, possessing a mountain of treasures, had no interest in the fragments.

His curiosity grew, and he asked, “The fairy’s own Shadow Reversal Escape Technique is unparalleled. While the Blood God Son is excellent, it’s not necessarily practical. What good would it do to forcefully cultivate it?”

A glint flashed in Shui Dielan’s eyes, and she smiled, “Don’t you think it would be nice to possess all the world’s marvelous skills and secret techniques?”

Li Xun was speechless. He knew that many in the Tongxuan Realm were like Shui Dielan, whose long journeys had lost their ultimate purpose, and who instead devoted themselves to trivial, “distracting” pursuits to pass the time.

However, he had never encountered someone like Shui Dielan, who collected the secrets of various sects.

It wasn’t just for this reason that she had defected from the Luoyu Sect.

Using this as an excuse, the two were just about to discuss further when, over ten miles away, their vital energy suddenly surged. Startled, he looked towards Shui Dielan, who happened to be looking back.

Their gazes met, and each understood the other’s thoughts.

“Xiao Chongzi!”