Chapter Fourteen: Can This Still Come from the Sky?
"The aura of Ci Jiu has disappeared, and the Foundation Establishment disciple from the Ninth Stage of Dao Return has also vanished. Something's fishy about this."
Deep within the dense forest, in a secluded valley, several shadows lurked among a thicket of bushes, whispering and discussing something.
One of them cursed, "He probably got some benefits and killed someone before leaving! Hmph! Such characters are unreliable. It's better to rely on our own reliable subordinates!"
"Is the Dragon-Trapping Formation ready?"
"It's set up. It will definitely trap the true immortal of the Foundation Establishment Sect."
"Very well. Although the situation has changed, the problem shouldn't be significant," the leader pondered for a moment. "Send a message to the Fourth Young Master later. Arrange for a group of people to intentionally intercept the Fourth Young Master and lure the true immortal from the Foundation Establishment Sect over. We will personally capture those two disciples and then lead the true immortal into the trap. This matter is crucial to the restoration of the country. The Sixth Princess is the best opportunity. We must control her this time, and incidentally fulfill the Fourth Young Master's wishes."
A few chuckles emanated from the shadows, and the leader made a fist gesture. The other shadows dispersed and quickly disappeared.
Half a day later, several black-clad individuals ambushed Yuan Qing and You Qinxuanya. Yuan Qing decisively crushed the messaging talisman.
Suddenly, Jiu Jiu, who was meditating above with Wang Qi and Liu Yanner, felt a surge of energy and flew toward the southwest. Wénlíng followed closely behind her.
As soon as Jiu Jiu left, more than ten auras surged from below, and two immortals directly attacked, knocking out Wang Qi and Liu Yanner before carrying them away.
Half an hour later, Jiu Jiu hurriedly returned, while Wénlíng stayed behind to secretly protect Yuan Qing and You Qinxuanya.
At this moment, Jiu Jiu also sensed something unusual, but she rushed too fast. When she found Liu Yanner and Wang Qi, she was already trapped in a certain formation with mist all around. Her divine sense probed all around, but all she could see was a hazy whiteness.
With Liu Yanner and Wang Qi unconscious, Jiu Jiu stomped her feet in frustration. The strings on her clothes tightened, and the pressure increased.
"Damn formations! So annoying!"
...
"Immortal-Dispelling Grass... it's really hard to find." On the twelfth day in the North Julei Continent, after leaving the chaotic Poison Mist Forest, Li Changshou traveled more than sixteen hundred miles northwest, "on time" reaching the area marked on his map.
This area was about three hundred miles in diameter and featured complex terrain such as hills, swamps, and the ends of mountain ranges. As he ventured deeper into the North Julei Continent, the poisonous beasts and insects became much more ferocious.
Li Changshou remained extremely vigilant, carefully searching for the Immortal-Dispelling Grass he was looking for. However, after six days of continuous searching, he collected many types of poisonous herbs and spiritual medicines, but he still couldn't find his "main target" for coming to the North Julei Continent.
In the afternoon of this day, a sudden "poison rain" fell from the sky, with raindrops carrying toxins.
Li Changshou dared not move recklessly and found a cliff nearby. He opened a hole in the cliff and hid inside, spreading his divine sense to inspect the surroundings of the mountain wall, waiting for the rain to stop so he could continue searching for herbs.
In the past six days, he had almost completed the search of this area but still hadn't found any trace of the Immortal-Dispelling Grass.
"Immortal-Dispelling Grass, oh Immortal-Dispelling Grass, why hide and seek like this? Can't we just meet happily?" Li Changshou yawned, sitting cross-legged in the cave, adjusting his condition to its best.
He had obtained information about the Immortal-Dispelling Grass from an ancient book. Finding it directly here was the least costly way to obtain this herb. If he couldn't find it, Li Changshou decided that on his way back, he would try his luck in the town he had visited before.
Even if it meant spending all the spiritual stones and treasures he had accumulated through various means over the past hundred years, it would be worth it to exchange for a single Immortal-Dispelling Grass.
If this route didn't work out...
Well, Li Changshou had no choice but to plan again after returning to the mountain.
This sudden heavy rain was urgent, but Li Changshou showed no intention of leaving. He rarely had the chance to rest, slightly relaxing his tense mind. Although he was immune to poisons due to a small amount of the Red Sun Poisonous Dragon's saliva, he found it difficult not to worry in such dangerous terrain.
I wonder if Senior Brother Jiu is safe. Li Changshou recalled the assassin he had killed nine days ago and took out the "Soul-Collecting Bead" to review the memory fragments, but the residual soul inside had long dissipated.
Forget it. It has nothing to do with me anyway.
These people had carefully planned, and with Yuan Qing, the warm-hearted man as their insider, it should be effortless to lure Senior Brother Jiu into the trap.
Senior Brother Jiu had a high cultivation level and a lovable personality, but sometimes he was too impulsive. When he was drunk, he would act recklessly.
It was a pity for You Qinxuanya, who had been practicing in the sect for so long, but still couldn't escape the power struggles of the secular world. And her childhood sweetheart who had always been attentive was actually the most scheming person.
Li Changshou never thought of himself as a hero and didn't have the obligation to save princesses or change others' destinies. In his eyes, You Qinxuanya was just a "trouble" with exceptional looks. This kind of cause and effect was something he could avoid. If he couldn't avoid it, he shouldn't be involved...
Boom!
Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead, prompting Li Changshou to check the various resources he had left.
The pills were sufficient, the talismans were sufficient, and the Red Sun Poisonous Dragon's saliva could last for nine days, enough for him to explore this area and leave calmly. If he acted faster, he could finish searching this area and explore more regions to the north or west.
"Immortal-Dispelling Grass, oh Immortal-Dispelling Grass, big brother is getting impatient."
Boom!
The mountain wall suddenly shook, and the frequency of the tremors...
Li Changshou quickly spread out his divine sense and soon saw the anomaly in the clouds above—a vortex formed in the clouds, with flashes of lightning flickering inside, as if something was about to "squeeze" out.
Calculating with his fingers, there was a change in the situation!
Li Changshou immediately erected a layer of mana shield around him and rushed out of the cave, preparing to use his Cloud-Wandering Dragon Steps to explore the situation in the sky.
But as soon as he descended, he heard a loud rumble from above, and a fiery red figure burst out of the vortex, crashing to the ground like a thunderbolt.
This figure landed three zhang in front of where Li Changshou was about to land, splashing up a pile of mud.
Li Changshou quickly retreated, with three paper men already clenched in his palm!
But then, Li Changshou saw the figure wrapped in a shallow red light shield, and his brows furrowed tightly.
This...
Was it heaven's way of saying that he was too comfortable picking herbs and toxins, so it added some difficulty to his task?
Or did he bring some bad luck on this trip, encountering this minor disaster written in his fate?
The figure in front of him, clad in a fiery red fairy robe, was none other than You Qinxuanya.
However, she was seriously injured at the moment, with a deep wound above her left shoulder that reached the bone. Blood mixed with the poisonous rain flowed down her jade arm continuously, and the great sword in her right hand had lost its scabbard, with several spider-web-like cracks on the blade...
There were at least ten wounds on her body, but all avoided vital spots.
As Li Changshou saw her clearly, You Qinxuanya also noticed a figure in front of her through the rain curtain. She lowered her head, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and her gaze revealed a hint of determination. Leaning on her great sword, she slowly stood up, but also felt that the figure in front seemed somewhat familiar...
Li Changshou furrowed his brows. At this moment, his divine sense spread out, not sensing any pursuers approaching.
Thinking of the commotion just now, it was clear that You Qinxuanya had used some escape treasure to directly move to this place using space manipulation.
The problem was that it happened to be this place.
Facing the situation where fellow sect members were seeing death and not saving them, if You Qinxuanya survived and returned to the sect to report him, it would be troublesome for him. But Li Changshou didn't want to get involved in this conflict, which had nothing to do with him.
Although being reported would indeed be troublesome, it would probably only result in him having to pay some monthly fees...
"Ah, the rain is so heavy that visibility is completely blocked. I can't see anything at all."
Li Changshou muttered softly, calmly turning around and facing the cliff behind him. He quickly formed the Earth-Elemental Technique with his hands.
I'm online waiting for a foolish benefactor! Urgent!
"Senior Brother Chang... Changshou?" You Qinxuanya looked at Li Changshou's back in surprise, then coughed up more blood, and urgently said, "You must leave quickly and don't care about me. Your cultivation level is too low, and there are too many of them..."
Before she could finish her words, You Qinxuanya's eyes closed weakly, her aura in complete chaos, her injuries erupting, and she collapsed with her sword onto the muddy ground.
A thunderbolt suddenly appeared in the dark clouds overhead, and the rain became even more noisy.
"Forget it, since you still have some conscience, I'll take you half the way with Earth-Elemental Technique."
But he couldn't take care of her afterwards, only letting fate decide...