Chapter 449: Baili Cinnabar

The water ape, its fur rippling, had an epiphany overnight, suddenly understanding:

"No wonder a mere low-level cultivator could steal my treasure... I thought he was just a naive child from some noble family... It turns out... it was a matter of fate. When I resolved to get my treasure back, I was already heading for my doom."

The water ape, whose bloodline was quite unique, had guarded the water mansion since childhood before being sent to protect a certain sea region. Even now, he still yearned for his old master. Reaching this point, he mused:

"If even my lord couldn't protect me, he must truly be at his wit's end... And I deserve this misfortune... for being blind and failing to recognize a fated person. So be it, so be it..."

Concealing himself, the water ape swiftly moved through the seawater. Li Xuanfeng had anticipated this move. Seeing the water ape disappear, he calmly tapped his belt, and a palm-sized azure mirror flew out, which was precisely the Flow-Asking Mirror.

Streams of bright blue light emanated from the small mirror, slowly sweeping across the sea surface. Much faster than when searching for Zhong Qian, it quickly illuminated a blue tail flame in the water. Li Xuanfeng drew his bow again:'This demon has no will to fight... it has understood... What a pity to waste a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation here for nothing.'

The water ape, barely a *li* away, felt a chill run through its entire body, its greyish-white fur bristling. Unsurprised, it opened its mouth and spat out several mercury-white jade tablets again, which circled its body.

'This person radiates intense killing intent. He must have destroyed many demons; he's like a blade in the hands of those True Ones. I...'

He felt a ringing in his ears as another golden light streaked across the sky, piercing through him and gradually vanishing into the distant horizon. A sharp, intense pain spread through his body. The water ape roared, enduring the agony, and ran aimlessly across the sea.

After flying several *li* with the wind, his immortal foundation alerted him, and the water ape suddenly realized:"Whose spell have I fallen under?!"

He had barely exchanged a few blows with this person, yet he had already lost the initiative and was consumed by extreme panic, lacking even the courage to turn back and fight. This was truly problematic, and he was greatly alarmed.

But just as he realized this, another golden light streaked through, shattering a mercury-white jade tablet and scattering it into shimmering fragments.

Waiting for the arrow to pass, he quickly seized the moment to form a hand seal and cast a spell. Streaks of greyish-white light appeared before him, their intricate patterns weaving and swirling to form a triangular, five-sided shape, from which flowed lines of talismans.'Treasure Scroll White Inquiry!'

The Secret White Mercury he cultivated was an ancient immortal foundation, embodying the unity of the entire alchemical process and excelling in spells. As soon as his Inquiry spell was cast, the remaining three mercury-white jade tablets flew up, all pointing in one direction.

The water ape rode the wind and plunged in that direction. The wound on its abdomen rapidly writhed and slowly closed. Secret White Mercury offered many enhancements to his spiritual body; although he had been hit by several arrows, his injuries were not as severe as they appeared. Being in the sea, his wounds continuously healed with each breath.

He rode the waves at great speed, and after being struck by another arrow from this person, he finally found the golden-armored man amidst the surging waves and the oppressive, gloomy dark clouds.

The man's dark gold armor was clearly extraordinary, emitting a brilliant glow amidst the drizzling rain. His face was already covered by the helmet, concealing his features.

The water ape uttered no threats, but instead charged forward in silence. Its two hands rapidly expanded in the waves, becoming the size of doors, and reached out to grab the golden-armored man.

Seeing the water ape approach, Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly. After all, the water ape possessed many spells and was well-rounded in its abilities, without any significant weaknesses, making it naturally difficult to simply shoot down. He calmly watched it reach out, then with one hand, gently grasped the lower end of his longbow.

Seeing that the man neither dodged nor evaded, the water ape felt a chill in its heart:"It seems he has something to rely on... But no matter what, I can't let him keep shooting like this!"

Yet, he could only brace himself and grasp, silver-white light appearing in his palm, clearly augmented by his immortal foundation and spells. Li Xuanfeng was utterly fearless, his dark gold armor shining brightly as he, too, struck the water ape's palm with a punch.

"Boom!"A thunderous explosion echoed in the sky, reverberating through the dark clouds. Li Xuanfeng firmly withstood the blow, retreated half a step, and pulled back, his other hand already swinging his longbow, smashing it fiercely towards the water ape's head.

The water ape's punch had almost matched Li Xuanfeng's in power. Seeing him only retreat one step, the water ape was somewhat bewildered, momentarily unable to react, thinking:"What kind of immortal foundation is this... Such immense power... Or perhaps... he's not human, but some kind of demon..."

Although not skilled in close-quarters combat, he was still a demon. Slightly flustered, a mercury-white light shield also appeared on his face. Under Li Xuanfeng's heavy strike, it emitted a fierce roar before being driven into the sea by the impact. The light shield flickered for a moment, then disintegrated and vanished.

"Buzz..."He had just halted his retreat when a golden light came straight at him. The water ape let out a cry of despair as another mercury-white jade tablet shattered with a bang, and he spat out a mouthful of white blood.

He burst through the sea surface. Li Xuanfeng was already a distant golden speck. The water ape's sole remaining eye narrowed slightly as he saw the longbow stretch out like a giant golden bird's wing, and another piercing golden light shot towards him.

Despair filled the water ape's heart as he cursed:"If that kid hadn't taken the Jade Painting Sky Screen, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state... I don't even have a single artifact to defend myself with."

After a brief exchange of blows, the water ape realized that this person's archery, combined with his artifacts, cultivation techniques, and spells, made him almost invincible. Unless he had artifacts sufficient to withstand the attacks, or speed enough to outrun this person, or at the very least could find a hidden cave to take refuge in, he would slowly but surely die at his hands.

He could only grit his teeth and ride the wind, flying towards the distant golden speck. The two remaining jade tokens floated horizontally before him, and as he formed hand seals, mercury orbs of various sizes, like jade beads, appeared in the surrounding seawater.

"Treasure Scroll Horizon Escape Technique..."It was a situation where he couldn't win in a fight, and merely running would only lead to a slow death by attrition. The water ape had no choice but to use an escape spell. His two palms, the size of cattail-leaf fans, came together, and only then did he cast the spell. Sensing this, Li Xuanfeng, from a distance, drew his bow again.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."The buzzing in his ears reached its peak, causing blood to stream from both of the water ape's ears. A trail of golden light followed, breaking through the water surface and landing before him like a golden comet.

"Damn it!"A golden light exploded violently in front of the water ape, pushing away all the jade tokens. Diffused clear light and elemental energy surged and swirled, suppressing these spells, followed by five streams of light arriving in quick succession.

"Boom!"A white water column, reaching to the sky, erupted from the sea surface, mixed with silvery-white mercury droplets that pattered onto the water. Black and blue steam dispersed everywhere, creating a rustling sound.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"The mercury-white jade tokens protecting him shattered with devastating force. His internal organs were wracked with intense pain, and his limbs scattered like broken glass fragments, only to be instantly pulverized again in the swirling, boiling elemental energy.

"Splash."The vast amount of seawater cascaded back into the ocean, gradually growing quiet. Only the pattering rain hitting the sea surface made faint, splintering sounds.

Li Xuanfeng did not stop moving forward. Instead, he held his bow, an arrow nocked, silently waiting. Having killed many demons, he knew full well whether his target was truly dead.

Sure enough, a short while later, a white stream of light leaped from the sea surface, soaring high like a sea swallow with outstretched wings, rushing towards the heavens. However, a golden light, already anticipated, shot forth precisely and shattered the white light.

"Whoosh..."Li Xuanfeng rode the wind closer. From the sky, a red rain poured down. The shattered white light transformed into countless swirling red mists, shrouding the world in crimson.

This intensely dense red spread rapidly, like blood dissolving in water, appearing especially horrifying against the backdrop of the dark storm clouds, permeating the sky above this sea region.

"Boom!"A bright silver lightning bolt flashed across the sky. Li Xuanfeng extended his hand, and the dark gold scales on his palm, now stained with red, appeared even more menacing.

"Cinnabar..."A vast expanse of cinnabar powder covered an area of a hundred *li*, with a considerable amount also settling on the market island. The surroundings were dyed crimson, obscuring the sky and sun, making the seawater resemble blood, and numerous fish leaped and writhed incessantly.

The water ape, protecting its head with spiritual energy, attempted to escape using an evasion technique, but was shot dead by Li Xuanfeng's arrow. Its body transformed into a vast hundred-*li* expanse of cinnabar, shrouding the heavens and earth. Mercury liquid, like jade beads, flew tail-to-tail in the air under the influence of spiritual energy, appearing crystalline white-grey. As far as the eye could see, the red mist was dotted with glistening silver light.

Li Xuanfeng paused briefly amidst this phenomenon. As he descended into the sea, he mused:"Refining smoke and flying, cinnabar transforming into mercury... A hundred *li* of cinnabar after Secret White Mercury dies, it makes sense."

He descended into the sea. This entire sea region had turned red, appearing entirely vermilion. Taking out the Flow-Asking Mirror to examine, he could see the coral reefs and gleaming metals on the seabed without obstruction. Only then did he retrieve the scattered artifacts from the seabed one by one.

When he broke through the water and ascended, the area above was already bustling. Many cultivators were riding the wind in the sky, some holding leather bags to stir the clouds, others carrying jade bottles to absorb seawater. A crowd of people were excitedly scrambling.

When they saw the Daoist priest in dark gold armor emerge from the sea, silence immediately fell. Everyone ceased their activities, lowered their heads, and dared not look at him, bowing in unison:"This humble cultivator greets the Daoist priest!"

Although the water ape's power was inferior to his, its cultivation was considered profound. The spiritual materials formed from its death might even be at the Qi Condensation level, making them highly sought after. Li Xuanfeng paid no mind to the commotion. He surveyed the surroundings, then rode the wind and departed.

The crowd immediately burst into a frenzy again, some fanning the air, others collecting water. Every now and then, someone would exclaim in awe:"A late-stage Foundation Establishment demon, just like that, perished here!"

Li Xuanfeng had expended a considerable amount of spiritual energy in the battle, but he wasn't as fatigued as last time. This demon hunt involved close-range shooting, with a distance of only five or six *li*, so the consumption of spiritual energy and physical strength was far less than when he had killed the monk from dozens of *li* away.

He stepped onto his flying shuttle and descended into the market. The entire island's cinnabar had already been divided among the crowd, who respectfully gathered to greet him in the market. Only faint red traces on the roof beams and in stone pits hinted at the recent scramble.

Yuan Hu'e stood at the forefront, his respect now genuine. He bowed courteously and said reverently:"We greet the Daoist priest... We congratulate the Daoist priest on his success in subduing the demon... The Daoist priest's divine abilities and spiritual power are astonishing. We admire and are grateful for your teachings."

Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly, waved for them to step back, then beckoned to Zhong Qian and said in a deep voice:"You may all disperse. Zhong Qian, come with me."

From the corner, Zhong Qian hastily stepped forward and quickly followed, a look of considerable reverence on his face. He cupped his hands and said:"Thank you, Daoist priest... for saving my life by slaying the demon..."

Li Xuanfeng slowly entered the grand hall and stopped before a lavish and beautiful spring altar within it, gazing at the continuously gushing spiritual spring. He shook his head and said:"No need to talk about saving your life. My purpose in coming here was to kill him, so you just got lucky."

Zhong Qian now seemed a bit restrained, standing to the side:"This junior has always been quite lucky... But Senior's act of saving my life was real, and I will remember it in my heart... Otherwise, this junior would sooner or later have been dragged off the island by that demon..."

'How could his luck not be good? He stole a Foundation Establishment demon's treasure, openly walked away, and even had someone specifically come to clean up his mess...'

Li Xuanfeng waved his hand:"I observe your cultivation... you are about to achieve a breakthrough."

Zhong Qian paused, then replied:"Senior possesses keen insight. This junior was indeed about to seek a place for secluded cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment."

Li Xuanfeng remained impassive, nodding as he said:"No need for further words. My task here is complete, and I will report back to Fenkuai Island. If you wish, you may achieve your Foundation Establishment breakthrough on this island and then depart on your own."

Zhong Qian paused slightly, wanting to say more, but seeing Li Xuanfeng wave him off, he could only bow slightly and reply:"Thank you, Senior!"He then quickly withdrew. Li Xuanfeng watched him leave, contemplating for a moment:'Zhong Qian is cautious. This kind of seemingly unintentional good deed is reassuring. If it were truly a life-saving favor... it would raise suspicion, and deep involvement could lead to trouble.'

The water ape's body had been pulverized into mercury blood that stained the sky, and its possessions lay scattered. Most of the elixirs had fallen into the sea, benefiting the undersea demons, and many other spiritual items were also damaged, leaving only a few metallic and mineral objects.

Among them were a glittering white Left Noon Stone, several heavy Marine Mystic Mercury pieces, and two azure Coiled Jade pieces, all materials used for crafting magical artifacts.

Aside from these relatively valuable items, the rest were trivial trinkets. Perhaps he had also carried some talismans, but they were useless in a life-or-death situation, indicating their low quality and likely being torn to shreds.

'What a pity this demon didn't carry any cultivation techniques on it... Well, no one carries their cultivation techniques when traveling.'

Among all the demons Li Xuanfeng had killed, the water ape's strength was top-tier. Its immortal foundation had an ancient feel, and its abilities were well-balanced; it could conceal itself, preserve its life, and kill enemies. What was even rarer was its mastery of numerous spells. Unfortunately, Li Xuanfeng wouldn't be able to acquire them for himself.

"Such a demon actually had no Foundation Establishment artifact for protection..."Li Xuanfeng pondered for a moment. Perhaps it was because Zhong Qian had stolen something, which made the water ape so anxious. That kid was too cunning; he claimed to have stolen a spiritual elixir, but only he and the water ape would know what was truly taken.

He casually put away the items, then called Yuan Hu'e and gave a few instructions. In his heart, he just wanted to quickly leave the area where Zhong Qian was, to avoid being entangled in any future trouble. Soon, he rode the wind, transforming into a streak of light, and flew south.