Chapter 18: Walking Peacefully

A grand immortal, yet so destitute, possessing only an axe and a storage magic item. As expected, most Qi refiners who operate in the mortal world are merely incompetents in this profession.

Amidst the swirling black ashes, Li Changshou collected the ring-shaped storage magic item and the broad axe, placing them into his 'Heaven-character No. 4' storage pouch. He then put away the Soul-Capturing Orb, leapt to the cliff's edge, and squatted before the three Immortal Dissolution Grass plants.

He retrieved two pre-prepared jade boxes, placed two of his self-refined antidote pills under his tongue, and, with his hands enveloped in eighteen layers of magic power, deftly yet carefully plucked two older poisonous herbs by their roots. He then swiftly sealed them within the jade boxes. Harvesting herbs without depleting them ensures good fortune remains intact.

Finally...

Li Changshou offered a slight smile. He quickly rose, not daring to linger, and also concerned that Yuwen Ling might have other accomplices.

He first rushed to the severed head of the Three-Eyed Azure Wave Snake, which had rolled down. From his bosom, he retrieved a storage pouch marked 'Earth No. 2,' directly placed the snake head inside, sealed it with a talisman, and then put it into his 'Profound-character No. 4' storage magic item. This item should yield some potent poisons, useful for his junior sister's self-defense and to ward off unwanted advances. The snake's body was too large and durable to collect quickly, so he had to settle for less.

The pervasive snake venom still lingered, and the masked men's corpses had already been completely incinerated by three 'combat' paper figures. For non-immortal targets, the eerie Profound Fire burned effortlessly. The scant ashes of those individuals had now merged with their 'General Lord,' awaiting to be carried away by the wind.

Subsequently, Li Changshou and four paper figures worked together, scattering two bottles of powder across the area. The human blood on the ground immediately ignited, producing patches of green ghost fire that made the bloodstains vanish in an instant. Indeed, purifying the environment of the Primordial World and protecting the ecology of the North Continent is an undeniable duty for human Qi refiners!

After collecting a few more storage magic items, Li Changshou's gaze swept over the surroundings. His spiritual sense also detected any disturbances within a ten-mile radius as he began to form hand seals. After confirming nothing was left behind, the surrounding figures transformed into paper forms and retreated into Li Changshou's sleeves. He closed his umbrella, then burrowed into the rock layers. Li Changshou quietly departed the scene.

Once the formation dissipated, poisonous mist and miasma surged in from all directions, accompanied by a slight breeze. Beneath the cypress tree, only a headless snake corpse, several puddles of highly poisonous snake blood, crisscrossing cracks on the ground, and a crumbling cliff remained. The old cypress tree, now sporting a 'new haircut,' gently swayed its sparse branches in the wind, as if reluctantly bidding farewell to Li Changshou, hidden deep within the earth.

***

Utilizing Earth Escape, Li Changshou quietly approached the site where his two junior fellow disciples were engaged in magical combat.

Youqin Xuanya was erratically controlling her flying swords, launching a flurry of attacks at Yuan Qing. Yuan Qing was already struggling to parry, his body covered in numerous wounds, his robes stained with blood.

This Yuan Qing... His Void Return realm cultivation, I suspect, must have been achieved through an excessive consumption of medicinal pills. Is this truly the so-called second-ranked disciple of this generation? If all the disciples on the contemporary ranking list are of this caliber, then in the Immortal Sect Grand Competition a few years from now, if I prepare more pills and self-developed magic items for Ling'e, she could probably break into the top hundred...

Li Changshou stealthily reached the periphery of their battle. Timing Youqin Xuanya's attack rhythm, he extended a hand from the ground and forcefully threw a porcelain bottle at Yuan Qing. —It was the porcelain bottle of Super-grade Soft Immortal Powder that he had just emptied.

A faint whooshing sound came from behind. Yuan Qing, having just deflected two flying swords, casually swung his sword behind him. His move, stylish yet precise, struck the porcelain bottle, shattering it instantly.

"Hmm? Where did this porcel... bottle... come from..."

Yuan Qing's eyes rolled. He didn't even have time to sheath his sword before his body swayed and he began to topple forward. Just then, four flying swords pierced the air, attacking from the front! And Yuan Qing, stumbling forward, nearly with open arms, 'actively' met the incoming flying swords!

Youqin Xuanya had not intended to kill Yuan Qing on the spot. Even if he was despicable and shameless in her eyes, he was still a disciple of their sect and was meant to be brought back to the mountain gate for their masters to pass judgment. But at that moment, Yuan Qing suddenly stopped resisting...

As Li Changshou had calculated, Youqin Xuanya was not truly proficient in this sword manipulation technique. She had no time to recall her swords, and the four flying swords instantly pierced Yuan Qing's neck, forehead, chest, and abdomen. The precision of the strike was absolute: his three souls were extinguished, his dantian pierced. It was a swift, decisive blow, leaving no trace of life.

"This..."

Youqin Xuanya paused in surprise, then seemed to realize something and sighed softly. She descended from mid-air, alighted from her flying sword, and quickly approached Yuan Qing's corpse.

Yuan Qing had died peacefully. Indeed, very peacefully. He had felt no threat of death, falling into a dream state instantly. Even as his body was pierced, he couldn't awaken, and a faint smile still lingered on his lips. Even a mere trace of Super-grade Soft Immortal Powder was far more than Yuan Qing could withstand at that moment.

And Yuan Qing's smile, in Youqin Xuanya's eyes...

"Even one with a heart as wicked as yours—could you have felt a glimmer of remorse? Were you, perhaps, also forced into this by others?"

A touch of pity entered Youqin Xuanya's gaze. She shook her head. Her flying swords swiftly rotated and rejoined, erupting in roaring flames as they melted back into the greatsword, which then automatically affixed itself to her back.

Hearing such self-talk, Li Changshou, still hidden underground, couldn't help but give a silent thumbs-up. Poisonous Junior Sister, indeed worthy of the moniker, she even possesses the incredible ability to give herself such comforting pep talks! Honestly, after killing an opponent, and with the surroundings still uncertain, she isn't leaving quickly but instead lingering here, indulging in sentimental reflection. It's clear she hasn't yet experienced the harsh realities of life; she's far too naive.

At that moment, Youqin Xuanya looked up at the silent cliff. She couldn't detect any living human presence there, nor any movement from the terrifying venomous beast, the demon snake. 'I wonder how Senior Brother Changshou is doing,' she thought. 'I should take Yuan Qing's corpse and quickly go check on him.'

Immediately, Youqin Xuanya took two steps towards Yuan Qing. Just as she was about to use her magic power to shroud Yuan Qing's corpse, her eyelids suddenly fluttered, and her body slowly tilted backward. With a clang, her greatsword clattered to the ground. Almost simultaneously, faint ripples appeared in the ground beneath Yuan Qing as the porcelain fragments quietly melted into the earth; these ripples rapidly spread towards Youqin Xuanya. As they reached beneath her, a hand emerged and casually grabbed her long hair. With a powerful tug, this ruthless hand dragged the unconscious Youqin Xuanya directly underground.

The ripples on the ground gently undulated a few times before vanishing, leaving the surface flat and firm once more. A Qi refiner's physical defenses are far beyond those of a mortal, and this extends to their scalp and hair follicles. This method, while ungraceful, was exceptionally convenient and provided a secure grip. Furthermore, it would not lead to any unnecessary misunderstandings, nor could it actually render a Void Return realm cultivator bald.

When Li Changshou made his move, his only intention was to quickly drag her away and promptly leave this troublesome area. As for Yuan Qing's corpse... He hadn't killed the person, so there was no need to scatter the ashes; merely cleaning up the porcelain bottle fragments would suffice. The Soft Immortal Powder was merely a sedative; it would completely dissipate from a deceased body within a couple of days, making it very difficult to trace. Furthermore, if the sect's immortals came searching later, the absence of any trace of the corpse would be even harder to explain.

Deep underground, Li Changshou dragged the slumbering Youqin Xuanya directly towards the southeast, vanishing swiftly like two gliding fish.

***

"Ah! This wretched formation is simply infuriating!"

As Jiu Jiu's furious shouts echoed, the earth beneath her feet trembled incessantly. The venomous insects and beasts within the misty white fog quivered with fear and unease. Thanks to the great formation's blockade, this land remained sturdy, refusing to crumble under the foot of True Immortal Jiu.

In a nearby corner, Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er leaned against each other, appearing listless and dispirited. Having been trapped here for so long, their mental state was naturally poor. However, it was this very environment that quickly fostered their affections for each other; by now, they were referring to each other as 'Senior Sister Yan'er' and 'Junior Brother Qi Qi'. Half of Jiu Jiu's current irritability was also provoked by these two young Daoist companions.

After venting a spell of inner frustration, Jiu Jiu folded her arms, sat cross-legged hovering three feet off the ground, and continued to ponder countermeasures.

Liu Yan'er slowly approached and gently said, "Martial Aunt Jiu, please don't worry too much. Fortune favors the virtuous; our junior brother and junior sister might already be waiting in the town."

Jiu Jiu snorted, "It's been so long; perhaps their corpses are already gone!"

"Martial Aunt..." Liu Yan'er continued to persuade, "Didn't Martial Aunt say yesterday that, judging by the dates, the sect should have already sent people? Perhaps we'll be free from this predicament soon."

"Oh dear," Jiu Jiu frantically raked her hands through her medium-length hair, "I don't even know if those three are dead or alive! If something truly happened to Li Changshou, how would I explain it to his master! If those two precious immortal talents were to perish, my hundred years' worth of wine money would be utterly gone!"

Liu Yan'er's brow furrowed. Although she knew Martial Aunt Jiu was merely feigning indifference and truly cared for them, she couldn't shake the feeling that Martial Aunt Jiu... Truly cared more about her wine money.

Suddenly, a faint breeze stirred within the great formation, and a sigh echoed from all directions. Following that came an emotionless, aged voice:

"Little Jiu, do you recognize your offense?"

Jiu Jiu couldn't help but shiver, letting her slender legs descend. She softly replied, "Ma-Master?"

Liu Yan'er was also startled. "Is Supreme Being Oblivion personally coming for us?" she exclaimed in surprise.

The surrounding white mist began to recede rapidly. The spiritual and immortal senses of the three finally broke free from the trapping formation, extending unhindered in all directions.

At that very moment, two figures flew in from the distance and crashed in front of Jiu Jiu. They were two white-haired old men, dressed in black, both True Immortal cultivators. At this moment, both were heavily wounded and unconscious, each bearing an indented palm print on their bodies.

Wang Qi excitedly shouted from the side, "Martial Aunt Jiu, it's them! They were the ones who attacked Senior Sister Yan'er and me!"

Jiu Jiu hesitated no longer. Her legs bent, she immediately knelt on the ground, her forehead touching the earth, and spoke with profound sorrow:

"Master, Your disciple was ensnared in a scheme, and three young juniors have lost contact. Your disciple is willing to accept all punishment, but please, Master, swiftly search for their traces to see if any have survived!"

At that very moment, the surrounding white mist had vanished, and several figures appeared in the distance. The Daoist leading the way, no more than five feet tall, couldn't help but feel a bit awkward seeing Jiu Jiu kneeling there so seriously. He couldn't resist coughing lowly and smiling:

"Our Master didn't come. It's me, *cough*, your resourceful and handsome... Fifth Senior Brother..."

"Hmm?"

Killing intent!

The short Daoist immediately shivered, still attempting to salvage the situation, but the junior sister in hemp clothes in the distance had already stomped her foot fiercely and was streaking towards him, skimming the ground! She moved as swiftly as an arrow released from a divine bow, creating bursts of sonic booms!