"The last ti we parted at the fish pond," Lin Xiaohua said politely that if fate allowed, we would et again and that he would teach an exceptional technique the next ti we saw each other.
I thought Tao Qian was just being nice, but who would have thought that we would actually be so fated to et again here, in Seeking Immortal County.
Hearing his curses, it was clear that sohow, he had gotten into a conflict with those from the Changchun Society. Both parties had started a fight on the main road leading to the Star-picking Pavilion—more precisely, it was Lin Xiaohua being ambushed by a large group of Changchun Society cultivators.
This clearly didn't make sense!
You must understand that Lin Xiaohua's cultivation had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, and when he left the fish pond, he ntioned that the next ti he would return after breaking through to Foundation Establishnt Realm, aning he was only one step away from it.
The cultivators of the Changchun Society were all nobodies, or loose cultivators who hadn't even defined their Life Seed.
Even if they were nurous, facing Lin Xiaohua who once was a disciple of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, they should not have had any advantage, and in fact, they should have been the ones beaten badly.
But what I saw in an instant was Lin Xiaohua forming a talisman array, struggling to defend himself against the various attacks unleashed by around a dozen Changchun Society mbers.
Although they wore identical robes, their backgrounds were complex, each one cultivating different magic skills, naturally resulting in vastly different assault thods.
But after all, there were dozens of them, half of whom were nobodies with but a few special abilities.
Another dozen or so were Energy-Introducing Realm cultivators, whose thods were more vicious and fierce.
And the leader, although young, had a somber look and bloodthirsty eyes. He wielded a Short Dagger that could transform into a blood-red light, incessantly striking the talisman array, emitting a clinking sound.
From Tao Qian's perception, this was definitely a cultivator who had surpassed the "Destiny Defining" stage.
While they couldn't get through the gleaming "talisman array" for the mont, Lin Xiaohua's condition was clearly not right; his voice was burdened with a heavy sickness, and although his posture remained suave and unrestrained, with every move, a painful expression would appear on his face, eventually vomiting a large mouthful of blood, accentuating the vividness of his red Daoist robe.
This condition was nowhere near Foundation Establishnt Realm.
In Tao Qian's perception, Lin Xiaohua's current state was barely maintaining Qi Refining Realm, he seed to be extrely weakened.
Seeing this, Tao Qian was almost ready to intervene imdiately.
Other people he might not help, but Lin Xiaohua was a good person recognized by Tao Qian. Although they had only t once, Tao Qian believed they shared a good rapport. It seed that there weren't many such kind-hearted cultivators in the righteous cultivation world, despite his very particular tastes.
However, Tao Qian still tried his best to suppress the impulse; the weaker one was, the more one needed to plan before acting.
Rushing in impulsively could complicate matters instead.
"Despite appearing lowly and insignificant, the Changchun Society can still openly sell elixir charms in Seeking Immortal County and brazenly extort local wealthy households and common people."
"Besides, they can also send people here to pick up any loose cultivators who can't enter the Star-picking Pavilion, gathering those who can't get in."
"Such an organization must have a hidden foundation or be involved in so shady sches. Perhaps, there is so sort of backing or protection within the Star-picking Pavilion, or within the county governnt, or maybe even the Demon Suppression Army."
"And as for Lin Xiaohua's current condition..."
A spark of insight flashed through Tao Qian's mind as he observed a dozen or so Changchun Society cultivators collecting loose cultivators from the crowd, also with savage appearances, as they made their assault.
He slightly lowered his head, pretending to be inadvertent, as he channeled Spirit Treasure Source Qi in a subtle way, mingling his voice with the crowd's mutterings.
"Eh, this Daoist in the red robe, by the looks of his divine power skill, must be a disciple from the Heavenly Talisman Sect."
"Hiss, hiss!"
As Tao Qian spoke, there indeed ca a succession of inhales of shock from the crowd.
This was quite normal; though Seeking Immortal County now was a place where many forces were converging, the situation seed on the brink of escalating, but most onlookers were insignificant loose cultivators, the bottom dwellers of the cultivation world.
Hearing about a "disciple from one of the Twelve Major Daoist Sects—the Heavenly Talisman Sect," making such a commotion was simply their duty as spectating masses.
And that key phrase put the group of ferocious Changchun Society cultivators in a panic.
To surround and kill an unaffiliated loose cultivator was one thing, but to attack a disciple of the Heavenly Talisman Sect was entirely different.
The latter could lead to major trouble.
Just when their assault was about to falter, the leader of the Changchun Society suddenly stopped it with a shout:
"Don't listen to the nonsense of others; a mber of the Heavenly Talisman Sect would definitely carry the Heavenly Talisman Seed."
"If he really had such a thing, could we still trap him, would we dare trap him?"
"This person must have learned a bit of the Heavenly Talisman Sect's magic skills from sowhere. If we kill him, wouldn't we be able to take those skills for ourselves?"
He stopped there, directing his subordinates to continue the encirclent and assault.
Then he turned his cold, ruthless face towards the loose cultivators, releasing his terrifying presence unique to the Qi Refinent Realm without any reservations.
This person, with a feigned smile that was more like a threat, said to the people:
"Don't panic, my dear Daoist friends. Our Changchun Society is currently eliminating a demon that has infiltrated our city."
"This creature is envious of our Changchun Society's efforts in refining elixir charms to aid the afflicted populace; using so sort of sorcery, he ruined the Changchun Elixirs and Exorcism Talismans that our experts had painstakingly crafted, and still claims not to be a demon?"
"I think this is a demon spy with evil intentions, secretly infiltrating our city."
"If you, my fellow Daoists, do not wish to antagonize our Changchun Society, or oppose the Forbidden Immortal Hall and the Demon Suppression Army, then please stand aside as a re spectator."
...
With these few words spoken, truly no one dared to intervene, even the mutterings and discussions among the crowd diminished considerably.
This was a formidable individual indeed!
In just a few words, he had defused and diverted the crowd, nipping the budding atmosphere in the bud.
The truth wasn't as he had said, but Lin Xiaohua indeed didn't have that Heavenly Talisman Seed; it had been taken back when he was expelled from the mountain.
Due to this, his cultivation hadn't changed, but his combat power had greatly decreased.
As if afraid that a prolonged fight would lead to complications, the cunning leader of the Changchun Society finished speaking and turned around to cast a secret technique. He transferred so kind of cost onto his subordinates behind him, and the power of the Blood Dagger he wielded explosively increased, instantly breaking through Lin Xiaohua's talisman array.
Taking advantage of his spitting blood and collapsing to the ground, the man burst in.
But oddly enough, the first thing he reached out to grab wasn't the severely injured Lin Xiaohua but a small figure behind him.
It was only then that everyone noticed that behind this red-robed cultivator, two very short figures were being protected, obviously not human in appearance.
The first looked like a very special "alien life." Its body was composed of bronze, cast iron, ancient wood, and so unknown wild beast bones, while its eyes were two rubies, exuding a sense of warmth and strength.
The second was a plump little thing, his skin and flesh texture like jelly, tempting to the eye, sporting two pigtails pointing skyward, with a nose, mouth, and ears like a child. Only its disproportionately large eyeballs were inhuman, resembling two translucent green gemstones, but they revealed not a trace of strange evil, but rather an innocence that anyone could see.
Nevertheless, at this mont, it was overwheld by fear and panic.
For the target of the Changchun Society's leader was it.
Seeing this unfold, no one dared to intervene.
Except for the severely wounded Lin Xiaohua, this warm-hearted senior struggled to get up, shouting furiously, "Despicable scoundrel, so your target is Little Age..."
With that, Lin Xiaohua's face hardened, and he suddenly ford a dharma seal, as if he was preparing to fight with his life on the line.
But at that mont, a powerful Daoist chant suddenly rang out.
"Nine Heavens Truth, the Mystery of the Great."
Like a great bell tolling, not only did it not harm the severely injured Lin Xiaohua but it actually invigorated his divine soul.
On the contrary, the originally grinning leader of the Changchun Society's complexion changed drastically in an instant, and he froze in place.
He suddenly realized that he had lost control of his divine soul and body.
What frightened him even more was the terrifying Sword Intent he felt at that mont.
Boom!
It wasn't just him; everyone else on the scene also felt the astonishing Sword Intent.
"I will die if I don't escape in ti. I will die here."
This thought flashed through the leader of the Changchun Society's mind; soon after, he hesitated no more and cast a certain secret technique.
However, this ti, the cost was borne by him alone.
He felt as if he could hear the sound of all his bones shattering. His blood seed to boil and burst in reverse flow, and the explosive power that ensued finally allowed him to break free from the "Nine True Spirit Sound" shackles. His entire person rged with the Blood Dagger and vanished from the spot almost instantaneously.
A hundred ters away, his figure reappeared, but his face showed the remnants of fear, and his venomous, deadly gaze fixedly looked toward Lin Xiaohua.
There, an additional person stood, appearing like a young cultivator who could be mistaken for a scholar, holding an insignia-less black lacquered longsword.
Ordinary though it appeared, no one dared underestimate it at the mont.
The terrifying Sword Intent, though fleeting, had indeed sent shivers down everyone's spine.
And now, the scholar who had appeared out of nowhere to save them was looking with regret at the leader, clearly disappointed that he had escaped too quickly for him to cut him down with a single stroke.
"Who are you? Why interfere in the affairs of the Changchun Society? Why help a demon spy? Could it be that you are also...?"
The leader spat out these words. Tao Qian couldn't help but want to give this guy a thumbs up.
This fellow, not bothering to establish a rapport, started straight off by throwing several big accusations.
Tao Qian maintained his composure, with the "Sacrificial Sword Intent" ready but unreleased within him, also staring at the Changchun Society leader but disdaining to answer those accusations.
Instead, he pointed to Lin Xiaohua and the two little things, resolutely saying,
"I am their creditor, especially this Daoist Lin Xiaohua who owes a superior-grade cultivation technique."
"The last ti we t, you said, 'If fate allows us to et again in Southern Yue, I will give it to you,' and then you ran off."
"I didn't expect to catch you here. I don't care what disputes you two have, I'll take them with first. Once I retrieve the cultivation technique that Daoist owes , I'll return them to you."
Tao Qian gave out not a few keywords with these sentences.
Even the socially sowhat obtuse senior Lin Xiaohua, after hearing those hints, imdiately guessed Tao Qian's identity.
Then, with an astonished face, he realized and said, "It's you!"
His cooperation was near perfect.
But unfortunately, the leader of the Changchun Society wasn't buying it.
It was as if he hadn't heard Tao Qian's "excuse" at all, only staring at Tao Qian with murderous blood-shot eyes. Then, the Blood Dagger in front of him writhed like a venomous snake.
Before long, he seed to have evaluated Tao Qian's strength.
Finally, he made a slight compromise.
Pointing at Lin Xiaohua and the alien life, he said to Tao Qian,
"Him, and this little thing, you can take with you."
"But the other one, you may not."
Upon hearing these two sentences, Tao Qian's brow wrinkled instantly, as he too looked at the plump little figure.
Clearly, it was the true target of the Changchun Society.
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