The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 98

Chapter 1: Traces of Death

As the sky darkened from light to dark, Li Xun and his companions had already stepped out of the polar circle.

At this point, the disciples of each sect could go their separate ways, returning to their own sects.

However, for safety reasons, the leading immortal masters discussed and ultimately decided that everyone should travel together south for ten thousand miles before separating.

This group of cultivators, aside from the five leading second-generation immortal masters, consisted of the most elite third-generation disciples from each sect.

Li Xun glanced around and saw quite a few familiar faces.

He remembered meeting many of them sixty years ago when he first arrived in the City That Never Sleeps.

Back then, he was just a child who had been a disciple for a few years, the object of their care or perhaps even their friendly teasing. Now, with his rapid advancement in cultivation over the past few decades and his brilliant battle record, he had become one of the most dazzling individuals among them.

He was currently speaking with Ji Ya of the City That Never Sleeps and Taoist Tingxue of the Xumiao Sect.

Both of them have become renowned figures in the Tongxuan Realm in recent years. Ji Ya, in particular, holds the distinction of being the third-generation master of Never-Night City, a position equivalent to Wen Hai of the Mingxin Sword Sect. He could potentially be the chosen candidate for the Lord of Never-Night City a thousand years from now.

Initially, the three of them discussed Daoist techniques and the like, but as the conversation progressed, Li Xun and Tingxue began to offer their consolation

, with Ji Ya comforting them about the hardships of their sect’s migration. The conversation then shifted to the situation in the polar regions. As the master of Never-Night City’s disciples, Ji Ya possessed exceptional mental fortitude.

He thanked Li Xun and the others for their kindness, and said in a deep voice: “The relocation of the sect is certainly forced by the situation, but it is the most shameful thing that has happened in the tens of thousands of years since the establishment of the Never-Sleeping City. The disciples of our sect will learn from this shame and then be brave! Hey, I’m afraid the Loose Cultivator Alliance could not have imagined that under the pressure of these sixty years, our sect has produced many elites, and our cultivation has improved far beyond the past…”

Taoist Tingxue praised: “It is a blessing in disguise that your sect has a successor. Moreover, this time your sect took the initiative to retreat, its strength was intact, and all the sect’s artifacts were moved out, which is in line with the strategy of retreating to advance. It just so happens that there are chaos in Yemotian. I think it won’t be long before the glory of the Never-Sleeping City will reappear in the world.”

Li Xun naturally echoed him, but Ji Ya reminded him and he had an idea.

As the saying goes, “If jade is not carved, it becomes useless.” After these sixty years of the evil sleeping soundly before his bed, the knowledge and resolve of the disciples of Never-Sleeping City have truly grown considerably…

Just as he was thinking, a whisper rustled in his ears, and someone appeared beside him. He looked up, and the figure he saw startled him slightly.

“Luo Yuji?”

Luo Yuji, at this moment, showed no sign of arrogance.

Instead, she greeted Li Xun and the other two politely. Ji Ya and Ting Xue seemed to have met her before, and they smiled in response. While Li Xun was surprised, he appropriately acted as if they were meeting for the first time, maintaining a slight distance and responding politely.

Luo Yuji approached him directly and said gracefully, “Is this the renowned Brother Lingzhu? We rarely see him before!”

Li Xun, unsure of her intentions, could only smile and say, “Indeed, he’s rare, but I’ve often heard of Senior Sister Luo. Her ability to innovate the Sea Rain and Sky Wind Sword Technique inherited from Sect Master Luo and create a new chapter is truly remarkable.” While

anything else might have been fine, his praise tickled Luo Yuji’s heart, surprising her and instantly changing the way she looked at Li Xun.

This unruly woman, despite her ill-tempered nature, wasn’t without ability. Otherwise, with Luo Qichang’s profound mind, how could he tolerate such a useless daughter?

After being humiliated by the Hundred Ghosts, she diligently cultivated herself, and with Luo Qichang’s help, she incorporated the vast and majestic Sea Rain and Sky Wind Sword Technique into her own sword technique. Through her diligent training, her cultivation was exceptional among the younger generation of disciples.

Li Xun knew her well, and this well-placed compliment had a profound effect, naturally tempering the unruly woman even further.

Her eyes flickered, and she said with a smile, “Nothing can compare to the Qingyan Zhuying Sword, created by Immortal Master Zhong Yin. I’ve always admired him… And Brother Lingzhu, you’ve suppressed that Hundred Ghosts Taoist for years. That’s truly impressive!”

Li Xun let out a soft “Oh,” understanding the reason for this unruly woman’s courtesy. He suppressed his sense of absurdity and glanced over, only to see Ji Ya and Ting Xue smilingly distance themselves from them. He smiled wryly inwardly, but replied gently.

“Senior Sister Luo, you’re too kind. That Taoist priest of the Hundred Ghosts is incredibly skilled, cunning, and resourceful. It’s certainly not easy to outmaneuver him. I have a heart for eradicating evil, but for decades, I’ve only managed to maintain an undefeated streak!”

“That’s quite impressive, though. Unlike me…”

Luo Yuji blushed, realizing she’d slipped up mid-sentence.

To Li Xun’s surprise, she paused, then spoke frankly, “Unlike me, I’ve faced that fellow many times and always suffered the loss. Well, Brother Lingzhu, I want to ask you…”

Li Xun let out a chuckle. “So you want to ask me how to deal with that Taoist priest of the Hundred Ghosts?”

Luo Yuji seemed to grit her teeth, but she nodded in agreement.

Li Xun was now forced to take a new look at this unruly female cultivator.

She was able to plan at all costs, yet she was willing to put aside her pride and ask for advice. Even if she was a bit impetuous, with the passage of time, who could tell what the future held?

Because of this, he couldn’t handle it lightly.

After a moment’s hesitation, he smiled and said, “Hundred Ghosts are always meticulous. Their tactics are often dictated by the situation and are unpredictable. Fighting them often gives me a headache. If I just talk about it in general terms, I’m afraid it won’t be effective.”

Luo Yuji was slightly disappointed, but soon her eyes lit up.

“Then let me ask another question. Brother Dao, once on Tianzhu Mountain, I formed a siege with several fellow disciples. We even asked Senior Brother Dongyang for help and set up many traps…”

Thanks to her confident description of this so-called “siege,” Li Xun immediately knew which incident she was referring to.

Unexpectedly, over a decade later, this young woman still remembered the events so clearly. She even described the mountain’s topography, the weather, and even the direction of the relevant terrestrial veins with such clarity that even Li Xun, the person involved, was astonished.

However, listening to her description gave Li Xun a strange feeling.

Besides the sense of dislocation, seeing his own methods from someone else’s perspective was a profoundly strange experience.

Thinking from Luo Yuji’s perspective, combined with his own response at the time…

what a chance for self-examination and self-correction!

Li Xun instantly dismissed any thoughts of holding back. At this moment, Luo Yuji humbly asked, “Brother, how did the Hundred Ghosts escape in this situation?”

Li Xun took a deep breath, assumed the air of a serious discussion, and smiled, “I dare not ask. However, with all due respect, some of Senior Sister Luo’s actions are questionable, such as when the earth veins were blocked…”

He casually pointed out several flaws in Luo Yuji’s explanation, and with a tone of analytical speculation, he estimated that the Hundred Ghosts’ actions at the time were certainly accurate.

He then pointed out the Hundred Ghosts’ reasoning and which of Luo Yuji’s blind spots they exploited. In just a few words, Luo Yuji’s expression shifted from confusion to surprise, and then to deep admiration.

“Brother Lingzhu’s methods are probably unmatched even by the Hundred Ghosts…”

Luo Yuji was completely convinced.

And then, Li Xun’s approach to dealing with the Hundred Ghosts delighted her so much that she practically kissed him to express her gratitude.

She was no fool; she naturally saw the value of Li Xun’s methods.

In her opinion, every word Li Xun spoke hit the nail on the head, hitting the Hundred Ghosts’ weak spots. It was easy to imagine that if the Hundred Ghosts continued with their original thinking and followed Li Xun’s advice, she would undoubtedly give them a hard time!

Luo Yuji was thrilled, and Li Xun’s heart was also in turmoil.

This was the first time he had reflected on himself from such a relatively objective perspective. Following his sudden awakening to holistic thinking that day, he had truly broken free from the obstacles he had previously trapped himself in. The benefits to his future cultivation were immeasurable.

Unfortunately, this situation was destined to be short-lived. After analyzing two specific cases for Luo Yuji, it was time for the various sects to part ways.

The Mingxin Sword Sect was in the east, and the Sanhuang Sword Sect was in the central and southern parts. Naturally, the two couldn’t continue their conversation. Even Luo Yuji looked unsatisfied, and that deep disappointment would have evoked in others’ minds.

Shortly after they parted ways, Ling came up to them with a smile, trying to poke fun at what had just happened. Li Xun glanced at him, his face straightening as he said, “Senior Brother Ling, you’ve arrived just in time. I have something to discuss with you…”

With a low, rustling sound, Li Xun emerged from the water. He placed his hand on a piece of floating ice, lurking in its shadow as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Beside him, Yin Sanren appeared silently, without any sign of his presence.

Several miles away, several independent cultivators were engaged in a clash, the clash of sword energy and the whistling of wind. Li Xun automatically tuned it out, squinting his eyes at the sun.

Li Xun had already spent two days near the North Sea. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, he waited until the final wave of troops, led by Master Tianzhi, had evacuated Never Sleep City before diving deeper.

At that moment, a vast area thousands of miles in radius, centered on Never Sleep City, was shrouded in a hazy mist of light, resembling a multicolored rain.

However, even masters of the caliber of the Seven Demons of the Universe wouldn’t easily venture out into the rain—the terrifying effects of the “Eternal Night Aurora,” which dissipated true energy and dispersed vital energy, were no easy task.

Therefore, Li Xun had to deliberately avoid Never Sleep City, making a long detour before heading out from the northwest.

Without the restraint of Never Sleep City, the numerous wandering cultivators and demons of the polar region practically went on a rampage, hundreds of thousands of sword beams piercing the sky without a trace of restraint.

Barely half an hour after the entire Never Sleep City retreated, tens of thousands of wandering cultivators and demons had already doubled their original sphere of influence. At the same time, the scope of the chaos also expanded.

But all this had nothing to do with Li Xun.

He first looked up at the sky, then at the Yama Sky, only dozens of miles away. The strong contrast between light and dark made him a little dizzy.

Shaking his head, Li Xun took a breath and dived again.

Compared to the hustle and bustle on the sea surface, the seabed was simply another world. Schools of fish and numerous strange creatures swam leisurely among the sea and reefs, unaffected by the chaos on the sea.

However, Li Xun did not dare to be careless, because he knew very well why no one came to disturb him underwater.

After the establishment of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, the bottom of the North Sea became the palace of the old demon Kunpeng. This old demon would occasionally restore his Dharma body, which was a thousand miles long, to stir up waves in the sea and stretch his muscles.

In such a situation, how many people would dare to risk angering this old demon and go to the bottom of the sea to fight?

Li Xun had grasped this point. He also knew that the old demon Kunpeng favored the cold, and the eastern part of the North Sea boasted several naturally formed ice holes, Kunpeng’s preferred habitat. The western side was relatively untouched, making it the safest place for a silent infiltration.

Even at the bottom of the sea, Li Xun could sense the sky rapidly darkening. After traveling just over ten miles at the same depth, the waters were completely devoid of light. The most striking thing was the bright, morning-star-like eyes of Yin Sanren beside him.

They followed the current, avoiding several small barriers near the shore. After ensuring they were clear, they prepared to climb ashore.

Li Xun, holding onto the edge of the ice, pulled himself halfway up when a gust of cold wind whipped by, sending tiny ice particles pelting his face.

He spat out the ice chips, squinting his eyes.

Amidst the howling cold wind, fragments of ice and snow danced throughout the vast darkness. Welcome to Boiling A Literature. Gazing into the distance, against the pitch-black backdrop, a chill culminated, creating a deep blue that seeped deep into the soul.

This scene felt as if one’s internal organs had frozen, and every breath was filled with cold. This wasn’t the first time Li Xun had witnessed this scene; to date, it was his fourth time setting foot on this icy plain, and only this time, he had entered unannounced.

“This place isn’t too far from Frostwind Valley, but how far is it from Heart Garden?”

Frostwind Valley was where Li Xun had stayed on his previous visits to Yama Heaven, while Heart Garden was the headquarters of the Miaohua Sect.

He had heard Lin Wuyou say that Frostwind Valley was a necessary step to reach Heart Garden. However, Li Xun hadn’t yet had the opportunity to make the next step.

He could only stroke his chin, turning his head and asking, “Have you been here before?”

A subtle smile curved Yin Sanren’s lips. In a sense, she was the real protagonist of this trip.

She naturally understood Li Xun’s true meaning and, with a slight nod, whispered, “To reach Heart Garden, it’s best to pass through Frostwind Valley. Only through there can one avoid the high-altitude cold poison. Otherwise, even if the cold poison doesn’t harm anyone, after using all their luck to resist it, after traveling tens of thousands of miles, they’ll be exhausted by the time they reach Heart Garden!”

Li Xun nodded, not particularly surprised.

After all, Yama Heaven is one of the three great cave heavens in the Tongxuan Realm. Its pure celestial energy, various rare treasures and herbs, and the presence of this natural barrier have created this treasured land that cultivators dream of. If Heart Garden, as the central cave heaven, truly has access to all directions and is freely accessible, it would be truly bizarre.

Regardless, Li Xun decided to visit Frostwind Valley first to see what was going on.

For safety reasons, the two did not fly into the sky, but used the magic of shrinking the earth to move across the ice field, and their speed was not slow. However, the vastness of this polar ice field is well-deserved. After walking for half an hour, there was still a vast expanse in front of them. Not to mention the Frost Wind Valley, there was not even a single person in sight.

Li Xun began to feel that something was wrong: “Is it too quiet? There is no fighting outside, but it is like the Death Zone inside…”

“Death Zone? A good word!” Yin Sanren gently brushed the hair that was messed up by the cold wind, but his eyes looked in one direction for a long time. “Although I don’t know what happened here, someone is dead.”

Li Xun was slightly surprised, and then he looked in the direction of Yin Sanren’s sight. Sure enough, he saw a slight bulge on the ground a hundred feet away.

He frowned and walked slowly. Without his reminder, Yin Sanren had already emitted a detection aura, sweeping the area over ten miles, confirming that there were no other threats.

Brushing away the snow, he saw a corpse on the bulge. The muscles had long been frozen stiff by the ice and snow, but the expression of fear and distortion on the face was completely preserved, and the empty eyes were chilling.

Li Xun glanced at the man’s clothing and was stunned again.

He was wearing a purple robe with silver trimmings, a tight-fitting outfit, and a snow-white cloak on the outside. This was the standard uniform of the members of the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s Guard.

The Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Four Directions and directly answered to the Ten Executives. Its members were all elite cultivators trained by the Ten Executives over the past sixty years. They were responsible only for the defense of Yama Heaven and would never participate in the internal strife of the alliance. No one would be so foolish as to provoke them.

But what was going on with this person before him?

Li Xun placed a hand lightly on the corpse’s neck, his Qi flowing through it as he scanned the body in a flash. His frown deepened as he heard a faint noise behind him. Yin Sanren, standing behind him, glanced at him with a blazing gaze.

“The heart meridians were shattered, the spirit dissipated. The technique was truly clean and precise, but… is this person mad? Why is there no sign of resistance?”

Li Xun’s lack of resistance referred to the lack of any signs of Qi impacting the body’s internal organs or meridians.

Generally speaking, a clash of forces creates vibrations in the body, and these impacts, when fed back into the body, produce various signs, varying depending on the sect’s techniques.

A deceased cultivator like this would undoubtedly bear scars on the meridians, bones, and internal organs, indicating the direction of the opponent’s Qi.

However, aside from the fatal wound, there were no other signs. Li Xun almost believed the person’s heart had exploded on its own.

“Strange, truly strange!”

Li Xun couldn’t figure out which sect in the Tongxuan Realm possessed such a strange technique. Naturally, he turned around and questioned with his gaze.

Yin Sanren didn’t answer immediately. She half-knelt down, her palm lightly placed on the corpse’s chest. Under Li Xun’s gaze, she pondered for a long moment before saying, “This is Aurora Elemental Magnetics!”

“Aurora Elemental Magnetics?” Li Xun didn’t react for a moment. Once he truly understood what Yin Sanren meant, his eyes widened. “Which Aurora Elemental Magnetics?”

Seeing Yin Sanren’s slightly mocking look, Li Xun pursed his lips, but ultimately shook his head. “I’ve seen the properties of Aurora Elemental Magnetics before. While it certainly has the effect of disrupting True Qi, even a thousand waves of Elemental Magnetics sprayed from the Ten Thousand Miles Aurora Wall couldn’t achieve this effect.”

“How can a dead object compare to human power?” Yin Sanren smiled faintly and casually tore open the clothes on the deceased’s chest. “Look at the muscle texture on this man’s chest. How does it differ from the ones next to it?”

Li Xun glanced over, letting out a soft “hmm.” Indeed, the muscle texture here was clearly a bit loose, not as delicate as the ones next to it. So…

“If the Aurora Yuanci was nothing more than a troublemaker, the ancestors of the Never-Sleeping City would have simply jumped into the sea! Since it’s Yuanci, its magnetic force has all sorts of magical uses for manipulating Zhenqi and Yuanqi.

For example, here, that person used the Yuanci’s magnetic force to dissolve and tear apart the protective Zhenqi, forcing the deceased’s Yuanqi out of the body, pulling out a strand from the middle and attacking the heart directly…”

Yin Sanren clapped his hands, stood up, and continued, “So, from beginning to end, no alien Zhenqi entered the deceased’s body. You could say that this guy exploded his heart himself, and the murderer simply gave it a gentle push from the outside, that’s all!”

“However, that person’s cultivation hadn’t reached the wonderful realm of ‘taking one out of ten thousand’. Although the Qi was pulled without a trace, there was still some deviation in the force, which left a slight trace.” “

Li Xun nodded lightly on the side. At this point, he understood everything. The image of that man flashed through his mind, and his brows were almost knotted.

“Master Tianzhi?”

He couldn’t help but think of the incident when Master Tianzhi returned from Yama Heaven before evacuation. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was an extremely hidden secret that was difficult to unravel. But more importantly…

“How long has this person been dead?”

Yin Sanren’s eyes flashed, and he simply answered: “Only half an hour!”

“How could it be? She just evacuated an hour ago…”

Before he finished speaking, a muffled sound of gas explosion came from the distant darkness. The shock wave caused the snow on the ground to rustle, and Li Xun’s second half of the words were beaten back into his stomach.

Li Xun suddenly looked up, his eyes staring straight at the dark space in front of him.

Frostwind Valley, a guesthouse in Yemotian, is a high-class establishment. Though nestled on an icy plain perpetually cold, the valley’s natural topography and a natural volcanic spring within provide insulation from the cold. The valley is even home to a vibrant array of exotic flowers and plants, teeming with life.

Li Xun had previously visited Yemotian three times, always staying in Frostwind Valley, where fine wine, beautiful women, elixirs, and magical treasures were a constant source of comfort.

Even with his deep hatred, he occasionally felt a sense of detachment, so much so that the mere thought of that scene stirred within him.

But this time, he feared the feeling wouldn’t return. His chest felt heavy, oppressive, as if weighed down by a weight.

Just now, Li Xun, having hurriedly arrived, witnessed the proud figure of Master Tianzhi stepping into the valley, stepping over the corpses of dozens of wandering cultivators and demons.

In the Frostwind Valley, wave after wave of whistles rang out, their sharp whistles piercing through the deep darkness and shooting straight into the infinity. But there is no doubt that the continuous explosions and screams in the valley are still the main theme at this stage.

If Li Xun didn’t understand before why Master Tianzhi made the decision to relocate the entire clan so easily, then now he knows at least one of the reasons: she is crazy!

Even if Zhong Yin were to return to the world, facing the powerful strength of at least five True One Grandmasters, dozens of True Person-level masters, and even tens of thousands of independent cultivators and demons in the Yama Heaven, he would probably have to think about the consequences of taking action. And Master Tianzhi, what is her basis?

“Of course it’s based on cultivation!” Yin Sanren said calmly. “Judging from the previous level of Aurora’s Elemental Magnetics, Tianzhi’s Aurora Thousand Transformations must be at the pinnacle of perfection. His methods of transforming reality and illusion, light and darkness, may not rival the imposing power of the Wuliangtian Sect’s Jiuren Tianjun, but he’s equally adept at defeating the strong with the weak and the many with the few. If handled improperly, a dozen True Immortals attacking together would be no different from a single individual!”

As if to confirm Yin Sanren’s words, as soon as his voice fell, a long roar echoed from the valley. It seemed some unfortunate soul had been wounded by Master Tianzhi again, and the screams faded in an instant.

More sword-lit figures converged. Li Xun narrowed his eyes, watching the numerous wandering cultivators and demons gradually gather above Frostwind Valley. Though ten miles away, the faces of confusion, amazement, and even fear were as real as ever.

He took a deep breath and made a decision in an instant.

The next moment, he leaped up, slipping into the gap where the sword flashed, and seamlessly slipped behind the cultivators. In the blink of an eye, he blended into the crowd of wandering cultivators, and no one noticed anything unusual.

Li Xun didn’t call out to Yin Sanren, because he knew that at this moment, Yin Sanren’s self-judgment was far more powerful than his orders.

Flying over Frostwind Valley, looking down from above, he saw within the crescent-shaped valley, purple figures representing the guard post rising and falling, their emanations of vital energy weaving into a dense net, attempting to encircle the silver-white figure at its center.

The net tentatively contracted, but with each contraction, two or three cultivators standing in front of the silver-white figure fell, unable to recover. This repeated pattern failed to stop Tianzhi even a bit.

This was the first time Li Xun had witnessed Tianzhi in action. Her technique, it seemed, was like her personality: simple, efficient, even a bit aggressive.

Clearly, unlike most female cultivators, she sought graceful and harmonious movements. In her attacks, she employed fists, palm strikes, elbows, knee strikes, and even slaps.

It was precisely this simple, direct technique that kept her slender form brimming with elastic tension. It also conveyed to her enemies, including the onlookers, her single, direct goal: forward!

Another resounding slap sent the cultivator blocking her tumbling back, seemingly paralyzed by the blow. He collapsed to the ground, twitching, unable to rise.

This was the last person standing in Tianzhi’s way.

In other words, the “great net” painstakingly woven by the cultivators of the Guardian Station was snapped at that moment, instantly disrupting the ever-shifting formation.

Tianzhi took a step forward, advancing. Just a hundred feet in front of her lay the long passage leading to the Heart Garden.

Li Xun remembered his junior sister’s description of this passage as the “Thousand Folds Pass.” It was a passage

, but in reality, it was a “blank zone” created by the unique flow of vital energy in the Yama Heaven.

Surrounding the passage was a wasteland ravaged by the raging vital energy of heaven and earth. It carried not ice and snow, but a heart-chilling poison accumulated over millennia in the polar regions. Only this narrow strip, less than ten feet wide yet nearly ten thousand miles long, allowed one to circumvent this natural barrier and reach the Heart Garden.

Crucially, this passageway had no fixed route; it shifted constantly, depending on the flow of vital energy, sometimes even its length varied drastically.

The only two points that were certain were Frostwind Valley and Heart Garden: the beginning and the end. Therefore, there was no need to even think about secretly memorizing the route or cutting in mid-route.

The hundred-foot distance was reached in the blink of an eye. The two cultivators closest to Tianzhi, seeing her approaching the Thousand Folds Pass, simultaneously roared, drew their swords, and attacked from the side and rear.

Without even turning back, Tianzhi’s robe sleeves swung, instantly deflecting the two swords. With the remaining force still lingering, the two cultivators watched helplessly as the other’s head rapidly approached. Trying to avoid it, it was too late.

With a dull thud, their heads collided, followed by a crisp resounding sound, leaving both men bloodied and wounded.

“Excellent tactics!”

Li Xun silently praised. The cultivators in this valley were at least at the Void Nascent Soul stage. If they fought tooth and nail, they could easily cause mountains to collapse and earth to crack.

Yet, under Tianzhi’s command, they were like brutes from the lower realms.

It wasn’t that they lacked strength, but rather, under the radiation of Tianzhi’s aurora magnetic field, their vital energy couldn’t flow normally. Any approach would result in their Qi dissipating and their gong dissipating. So, what was there to wait for?

By this point, no one could stop Tianzhi from entering the passage. As she crossed the Thousand Fold Pass, the spectators in the sky stirred slightly, but no one moved to stop her, or even continued to “watch.”

Li Xun was startled, then remembered that the Thousand Fold Pass was the main thoroughfare leading directly to Xinyuan, the heartland of the Miaohua Sect. The name of the Confederation of Refugees was distinct from that of the Miaohua Sect, so their hesitation was a necessary evil.

This, however, created a dilemma for Li Xun.

He had intended to join the crowd and observe the battle, acting accordingly, but this hadn’t occurred to him. Although he was now standing at a high point, he looked up and saw nothing but a vast white fog in the direction of Qianzhe Pass. Even with his sharp eyes, he couldn’t make out a single image within.

Worse still, he was surrounded by experienced people. Without Tianzhi to distract their attention, who knew who would recognize him.

Some of the wandering cultivators had already retreated amid the commotion. Li Xun frowned and finally decided to step aside temporarily. However, just as he was moving backwards, he felt a light tap on the shoulder.

“Hey, you’ve rarely seen me these days!”