Li Xun was both panicked and pissed. He wasn’t stupid. Of course he realized what had happened. But what was the point of regret now? All he could do was suppress his aura and run as fast as he could.
This was where the gap in cultivation levels really started to show. Ever since their senses locked onto his aura, the distance kept shrinking. Even after changing paths several tis, he couldn’t shake them.
“Shit!”
Li Xun swore out loud. But in this life-or-death mont, his mind was unusually clear. He knew that if he kept running, there’d be no chance to wait for Yin Wanderer to arrive; he had to do sothing now.
A plan ford instantly. He pivoted sharply and darted down another corridor.
As soon as he entered, he leapt up and slapped the ceiling. A silent pulse of Yin Qi burst forth, and a section of the stone ceiling the size of a palm caved in. Without pausing, he struck again at the side of the recess, hollowing out a small cavity. And stuffed both dangerous items inside.
Would soone find them? Well… that was up to fate.
Strangely enough, the two strikes he’d just delivered, though not particularly forceful, had required him to suppress his presence to avoid detection, control his movents with precision, and use so serious finesse. Normally that would’ve been very energy-consuming. But this ti, doing it all at once, he did not feel the slightest discomfort
That’s not right… he thought. Even in the middle of everything, he took a quick look inward. And what he saw nearly made his jaw drop.
The Yin fire inside him was now swirling smoothly around his middle dantian. It expanded and contracted in rhythm, completely under control. No matter how he tried to draw it out, it felt like it was endless. Like a stream that would never run dry.
By all appearances, his cultivation had jumped at least twenty percent.
This was insane! He hadn’t practiced the Netherworld Record in ages, afraid that the two Wanderers might notice sothing. At most, he had only used the Essence-Qi Conversion thod to slowly gain so benefit from the true breath cultivated by the Lingxi Art.
If he were to use it in combat, Li Xun could only muster about 80% of its full power.
But now…how much ti had even passed? Not even the span of a single incense stick’s burn!
What the hell was going on?"
Thinking back carefully, the only thing that could’ve triggered this sudden change was… the mont he opened the vial.
Could it be that the “demon water” inside had this kind of effect?
Just rembering that near-death experience made Li Xun shiver. Even if it could boost his cultivation, it was far too risky. No way was he going to touch that damn thing again!
No ti to think. He threw himself into another sprint down the corridor. By now, he could hear the sound of robes fluttering behind him; his pursuers were nearly on top of him!
Gritting his teeth, he tore off a strip of cloth from his collar to cover his face. Then, from his robes, he pulled out a coil of fine silk and dropped into a low slide, nearly hugging the ground as he moved.
In that low position, he flung the silk out, embedding both ends into the stone walls with a quick flick of power. The threads sank into the rock like it was soft clay. Then, with a roll, he popped back up and dashed forward without ever touching the ground.
All done in one smooth motion, not even a pause. His trap was set. Maybe he really did have a talent for dirty tricks.
Ahead was a small chamber. Not a place to rest, but a junction. At least twenty different passageways led off in all directions. Even with a map, you’d have to think hard in this maze. Without one? Good luck.
Li Xun didn’t hesitate. He picked a tunnel and vanished into it.
Just as he disappeared, a muffled grunt echoed behind him.
The Sky Spider Silk had done its job.
This little treasure was nasty stuff. The mont it sensed any energy different from its master’s, it would latch on like glue—no shaking it off. Worse, it released a venom that could eat through flesh and bone until nothing was left.
Of course, if one tempered it with innate true breath in ti, this thing wouldn’t pose any real threat. But Li Xun didn’t expect to kill anyone with it; just stirring up a bit of chaos.
“This demon brat is so vicious!"
No one knew who said it, but the curse was extrely nasty.
Li Xun chuckled to himself but didn’t pause for a mont. In a flash, he slipped in and out, weaving through all twenty-plus twenty corridor entrances around the small hall in the blink of an eye.
But this ti, he didn’t bother hiding his presence. Instead, he let it flood out, releasing the unique aura of NetherYin Qi to the fullest until the entire hall was steeped in its ghostly scent. Only then did he pull back his energy, leap up, and cling to the ceiling, eyes cold as he looked down.
Barely a breath or two later, a gust of wind ca roaring through the corridor he had entered from. Five figures burst in, riding the wind, their montum fierce and overwhelming.
But the mont they took in the state of the hall, that intimidating presence faltered.
“So sneaky!” The voice was clear and lovely; the only female cultivator among them had spoken.
Li Xun was no longer the immature boy he once had been, dense in matters of love. Hearing that gentle tone laced with mock annoyance, his heart couldn’t help but stir.
“Senior brother," she added, "did you sense anything?”
"This guy really is cunning... But setting up sothing like this would’ve taken ti. He can’t have gone far... Hm?"
Li Xun didn’t need to hear the rest. Before the man could finish analyzing the scene, Li Xun had already locked onto a direction and shot downward like a hawk.
Even as he moved, he flicked out a tiny bell. The mont it rang, its sharp, clear chi echoed like a hundred bells ringing all at once, shaking the entire hall.
The bell itself spun in a graceful arc, flying so distance before suddenly accelerating; it was aid straight at the female cultivator. The whooshing sound it made as it tore through the air was sharp and chilling.
Almost at the sa ti, a slender golden needle left his hand. Didn’t make even the slightest sound as it cut through the air. anwhile, he lightened his body, erasing all sound of movent as he slipped along the cavern wall, a shadow among shadows, gliding soundlessly toward the rear of the group.
Just as he’d guessed, the woman was clearly the group’s precious gem.
Seeing their junior sister under attack, the others instinctively moved to protect her. In that mont, their focus shifted, and that was the opening Li Xun needed.
But in the end, it was still just a minor trick. Just as he was about to reach the top of the corridor, a cold snort pierced the air. As soon as the sound hit his ears, he felt a powerful blast of true breath—vast, overwhelming, and rolling like a tidal wave—co crashing toward him.
The mont it touched him, Li Xun felt like he was being crushed under a vast, unstoppable force. But sohow, it also had a sharp, sword-like piercing edge. The combination of brute power and precise attack was perfectly balanced, leaving him no room to evade!
And evade he could not. As much as he hated it, Li Xun had no choice but to gather his own true breath and et this strike head-on!
He activated his NetherYin Qi, and slowly thrust his palm forward. As he moved, the surrounding air heated rapidly.So hot it could lt iron and liquefy gold. And yet, a strange barrier kept all that searing heat contained, threatening to drive anyone nearby mad with the pressure.
That suffocating, oppressive force wasn’t weaker than the incoming strike.
Now this was the real Shadowfire Palm.
His cultivation might not match that of the rogue cultivator earlier, but in terms of the precision and mastery in this technique? He was clearly on another level.
“Shadowfire Palm?” The man on the other side sounded surprised. But he didn’t ease up one bit.
A dull boom rang out. Blood sprayed from Li Xun’s mouth, soaking his face veil and saring all over his face. In that instant, he felt like a block of ice under the scorching sun, about to be completely lted by the opponent’s blazing palm force; it was majestic and unstoppable.
Just as realization had struck that man, it hit Li Xun too.
Back in the sect, he’d heard of this powerful technique more than once: “Move like spirit through air, breathe like a rainbow across the sky... Truly, the Heavenly Vigorous Sect lives up to its na!”
Li Xun spat out another mouthful of blood. His body flew like a kicked ball, hurling backward into the corridor.
Even mid-air, he tossed out a round bead. It hit the ground and exploded in thick, choking black smoke. In seconds, the corridor was blanketed in darkness. Worse, the smoke made the surrounding stone start to crumble. Clearly highly toxic!
Even the powerful cultivator chasing him didn’t dare charge in recklessly and was forced to pause at the edge. And right then, a cry of pain ca from behind him. The female cultivator shouted, tearfully, “Senior brother! Brother Liu was hit by the Reverse Surge Blood-Dissolving Needle!”
Li Xun heard it loud and clear. He hit the ground hard the next second, but still couldn’t help grinning to himself:
Reverse Surge Blood-Dissolving Needle? Sorry to disappoint you, but your big brother doesn’t have sothing that nasty.
It was just an ordinary ol’ reversed blood needle!
Still, the re idea of such a deadly hidden weapon had bought him a much-needed breather.
He let out a small, smug laugh, staggered to his feet, and limped off.
Eventually, he leaned against a stone wall, panting hard. The face veil was suffocating, so he tore it off. But even then, it didn’t help much.
That so-called “senior brother”’s palm strike was like a maggot gnawing at his bones, its power still clinging to his body and refusing to dissipate.
Li Xun wasn’t surprised. The Heavenly Vigorous Sect specialized in cultivating Vast Righteous Qi. At high levels, that energy could flood the heavens themselves, repelling all evil and making it nearly impossible for demonic forces to take hold. Its strength rivaled even the Diamond Demon-Subduing Technique of the Zen Sect. Naturally, it was a nightmare for anyone practicing demonic or unorthodox techniques.
His half-mastered NetherYin Qi didn’t stand a chance.
No wonder his Water Mirror technique had gotten seen through. Cultivating Vast Righteous Qi doesn’t rely on any external tools, and because of that, those who cultivate it are pure in both body and mind—untainted, completely clear-headed. They’re incredibly sensitive to all kinds of magic.
Looks like the rumors were true.
His water mirror was seen through, his NetherYin Qi suppressed. Today was just one stroke of bad luck after another.
Li Xun let out a bitter laugh. Then his expression hardened: What if I used the orthodox Daoist Lingxi Art…then what?
A ruthless glint sparked in his eyes. After all this ti, his inner NetherYin Qi had finally begun to regenerate a little. Just barely reaching the required standard.
He gritted his teeth, ignoring his battered insides, and forcefully reversed his Soul Shift Rebirth technique, transforming every last drop of that NetherYin Qi into pure Daoist true breath!
The violent backlash tore through his organs. Blood welled up again, but this ti he caught it in his face veil. Now, his body was even weaker; but the residual Vast Righteous Qi in his system, with nothing left to purify, finally began to stabilize.
Li Xun bared his teeth in a painful smile, took another shaky step forward.
Almost there. He was nearly out.
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