After that...Lin Ye was ready to return to the sect with Xia Li directly, but Xia Li told him to wait a little. About half an hour later, a white-haired young woman with a distinctive aura stepped out of the darkness and walked straight over to Xia Li. There was still blood splashed across her hands, clothes, and face."Finished?""Mm. Cleaned everything up."The girl nodded. Lin Ye studied her at that mont and could tell that the person before him was probably no weaker than he was. But there was demonic aura around her, which ant she was not human."She's the tiger demon the demon race was chasing?""Mm. Her na is Qiu Fu. The White Tiger bloodline has already awakened."Xia Li introduced Qiu Fu to Lin Ye. Lin Ye extended a hand, intending to shake hers by way of greeting, but Qiu Fu rely nodded and showed no intention of taking it. That left Lin Ye a little awkward."If I rember right, demonkind doesn't shake hands, right? Haha."Lin Ye tried to explain it away and ease the awkwardness himself. But of course Qiu Fu was not so ignorant as to miss a simple custom like that. The reason she did not shake his hand was simple. She did not want physical contact with anyone other than Xia Li. Unless it was a life-and-death fight."It's just that I won't shake yours. Don't get too familiar."Qiu Fu had read the miraculous secret volus Xia Li gave her and drawn much wisdom from them. She had learned that she should not grow too close to Xia Li's male friends and should always keep her distance so Xia Li would not start thinking too much."This..."Lin Ye shot Xia Li a pleading look. Was a polite gesture really enough to earn that kind of face-slapping response?"Brother Lin, it's nothing. Humans and demons are different."Xia Li did not really know how best to put it. Qiu Fu's comprehension was indeed very high. Ever since reading the peerless masterpiece generated by the Heaven Chip, she had begun drawing inferences and summarizing all sorts of life lessons. It was just that she seed to have overcorrected a little."It's fine, I understand, I understand!"Seeing that Qiu Fu was unwilling to bother with him, Lin Ye wisely chose not to push his luck. The three of them then headed together toward Lingxu Cave Heaven."By the way, Brother Xia, did you happen to run into before, or did you specially co because you sensed my aura?""What do you think? Do you really think the world is so small that we'd just randomly bump into each other while wandering around? Qiu Fu noticed your aura first and asked about it."The cave-heaven gourd still carried so of Lin Ye's residual aura, so after Qiu Fu sensed it, she asked Xia Li about it. Now that her White Tiger bloodline had awakened, Qiu Fu's perception of aura was especially keen. It was a bloodline talent that let the White Tiger pursue prey across ten thousand li without ever losing the trail. Even Lin Ye's void-stepping could not escape her tracking."Then many thanks, Daoist Qiu."Lin Ye turned and once more offered Qiu Fu a placating smile. She only gave him a cold nod. Her entire attitude practically had the word "loyalty" carved across it. Lin Ye found it deeply helpless. His attempts at basic politeness seed to have beco a ans for Qiu Fu to display her devotion. But he could not exactly stop being polite either. That was what made it so irritating. Two days later, on Lingxu Peak... When Xia Li returned to the sect and walked through the sect plaza, the other disciples could not help stopping where they stood and looking at him with admiration. Killing a Soul Transformation cultivator as a golden core, crossing two major realms, and not just any Soul Transformation cultivator but a prodigious one like Mo Ye, was a battle record so astonishing it shook the world. Ordinarily, being able to cross one major realm without losing already made one a prodigy.Later, the standard beca being able to injure the opponent. Then it beca being able to defeat them. At so point, no one knew when, it had beco killing them. And now people had begun crossing two major realms. Were prodigies stronger now, or had the foundations of this age's cultivators' realms simply beco far weaker? In truth, everyone already knew the answer. This was the consequence of the Heaven Alliance's dominance. diocrities in high positions. Foundation Establishnt without roots. Golden cores without rank. Nascent Souls without apertures. Soul Transformation without understanding of intent. Probably any ancient cultivator brought into the modern age would count as a so-called "prodigy," and crossing one major realm over contemporary cultivators would be as easy as reaching into a bag."Xia Li."Not long after returning, before Xia Li could even go back to his own territory, the Third Elder arrived at the sect plaza and called out to him, looking at him with an extrely complicated expression."Greetings, Third Elder. Is there sothing you need?""Co with ."
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"All right. Only, this friend of mine..."Xia Li glanced at Qiu Fu. The Third Elder followed his gaze and naturally saw through her depth at once. Shock flashed through his eyes. An awakened White Tiger-blooded demon. Lingxu Cave Heaven did not dare shelter that openly."Do you have a spatial artifact?""I do."Xia Li nodded."Put her inside.""All right."With a pat to the cave-heaven gourd, Xia Li drew Qiu Fu inside. She did not resist. The mont she entered, the Third Elder imdiately ford a deep and complicated hand seal and sent a mark into the gourd as well."You shouldn't have co back. You should know by now that Cloud-Treading Exalt helped you once. He won't be able to help you a second ti."The Third Elder genuinely wanted to help Xia Li. He had also wanted Xia Li to beco known to so extent, so that Lingxu Cave Heaven would be forced to choose a side. But everything beca too much if pushed too far. Xia Li had beco too famous. So famous that Lingxu Cave Heaven no longer dared accept the karma tied to him. Even the dao title bestowed through heavenly mandate had been arranged privately by the capitulation faction. There was absolutely no intent to go all in on him. How could Xia Li fail to see the praise-to-kill hidden in that title?"I have a plan to deal with it.""Speak.""There are people who want to use as a stepping stone. I happen to want to step back."Xia Li felt this was the perfect mont to retire after success. From the beginning, his trip to Manzhou had never been about opposing the Heaven Alliance. It had only been about obtaining the materials needed for a stellar golden core. As for everything that happened after he t Qiu Fu... that had simply been the thing he could not let go of. Maybe even without eting Qiu Fu, he would still eventually have fought Mo Ye and the xiao demon. The final outco probably would not have differed much."But you probably won't be able to retreat. The Heaven Alliance wants you dead. Those opposing the Heaven Alliance want you to fight. Even if you die in battle, you still won't be allowed to retreat. Otherwise they'll be the first to kill you."The Third Elder was sharp enough to see that, in the face of the great tide, Xia Li was already no longer master of himself. If Xia Li retreated, the Heaven Alliance would not even need to act. The anti-Heaven Alliance side would see to it that Xia Li "fought to the death without retreating and died gloriously.""That... I really hadn't considered."Xia Li admitted that he truly had not thought of it from that angle. Whether he retreated or not was no longer up to him. But he had never once thought of being molded into so sort of spiritual symbol.Damn it.That feeling again... It was just like when the Corporate Alliance had toyed with him before, praising him as so kind of superstar. His own will, his success or failure, none of it mattered. So of those forces opposing the Heaven Alliance probably were not truly opposing the Alliance itself. What they opposed was rely a Heaven Alliance not under their control. It was almost funny. If those people truly got their way, then what would be born would only be another Heaven Alliance, another cycle. Only his place within it would change. He might beco one of the upper ranks of the new Heaven Alliance. In the end, only he himself would have risen. He would be left standing on a high platform, smiling bitterly as he offered a silent toast to the world below. Just like a feudal dynasty replaced by another feudal dynasty. Nothing had truly changed."So what will you do?"The Third Elder wanted to know Xia Li's answer. Would he beco the spark of a new Heaven Alliance? Or would he extinguish himself now? There were those who wished to steal fire, but not to warm the people."Nothing. I want to see how those with ulterior motives intend to force into battle."Xia Li understood that the age was already descending into chaos. Ambitious n who wanted to beco a new Heaven Alliance were beginning to show themselves. Only the true reforrs remained at the very bottom, scattered and sparse like embers that could go out at any mont. Looking back now, Mo Ye and the xiao demon had actually been the reforrs. What they wanted to move was the rules and the frawork itself."The news of your return will spread very quickly. There may be marriage alliances. Visitors bearing gifts. So will persuade you, so threaten you, so tempt you with profit. I hope you can hold on to yourself. Lingxu Cave Heaven can no longer decide things for you.""I know what to do. I won't drag everyone down.""Sigh..."The Third Elder shook his head and sighed. Xia Li had finally managed to gain an edge over the Heaven Alliance, only for those who wanted to beco the next Heaven Alliance to wave the banner of resistance while bullying Xia Li as supposed allies. This world really was... rotten, rotten, rotten.
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