Chapter 104: Hide and Seek

Facing the sudden attack, Li Guanxuan felt no panic. His spiritual sense was now comparable to that of an eighth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, and everything around him was under his surveillance. He had long since noticed Yan Mingyao’s pitch-black, eighth-level puppet creeping toward him bit by bit.

He had no intention of running. Since he had been discovered, it was better to reveal himself. Besides, as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was difficult to hide his strength and play the fool in the Chi Lian Mountain Range; the area was teeming with threats from demonic beasts, and he would inevitably have to take action to clear them.

Moreover...

The puppet, with combat power equivalent to an eighth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, struck with a thunderous punch.

Suddenly, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator flashed toward the rear of Li Guanxuan. His figure was like ink, surging with unmatched demonic energy. He threw a fully charged right fist, colliding directly with the puppet’s blow.

"Bang!"

A violent shockwave swept outward. Li Guanxuan grabbed Qin Jiyue and retreated. Facing the incoming blast, he merely waved his hand lightly, effortlessly neutralizing the force that could have severely injured an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The demonic cultivator, seeing this, flashed a look of surprise, then laughed heartily. His aura spiked sharply as he seized the puppet by the throat, his pupils gleaming with fierce light; he intended to tear its head off with raw strength!

*Where did this reckless brute come from?* Li Guanxuan thought, his face full of astonishment.

Yan Mingyao, feeling that his hard-earned eighth-level puppet was on the verge of destruction, turned pale. He immediately cast a lightning spell, the roar of which was deafening.

"What a pity..."

Sensing the incoming lightning, the demonic cultivator showed a hint of regret in his fierce eyes. He retreated abruptly, but before doing so, he drew a massive blade and slashed at the puppet’s head.

A sharp blade glow erupted, accompanied by an incredibly keen aura.

"Clang!"

A deep gash was instantly carved into the puppet’s stone-hard skull.

Yan Mingyao’s expression turned chillingly grim. He stared fixedly at the demonic cultivator and demanded coldly, "Who are you? Do you dare state your name?"

"I am the demonic cultivator Yu Jie. I despise you hypocritical sect disciples most of all. If you have the guts, let us fight one-on-one."

The demonic cultivator laughed loudly, then looked at Li Guanxuan and said, "Fellow Daoist, since you have a demonic cultivator as your partner, you are half a demonic practitioner yourself. If I fight him, you only need to watch the surroundings and make sure no unreasonable righteous cultivators disturb our duel."

Li Guanxuan smiled and nodded. "That is only fair." Since the man had helped him neutralize the puppet’s punch, keeping watch was a small favor to return. Besides, he needed to buy time for Chen Yinshan to escape.

Qin Jiyue, meanwhile, stared at Yan Mingyao with dark, brooding eyes. She had heard that this was the very Thunderfire Sect cultivator who had threatened her husband, forcing him to trade his profound iron essence for Azure Essence Iron.

Yan Mingyao felt the spiritual senses of three mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators locked onto him, and his hair stood on end. These demonic cultivators were accustomed to doing as they pleased; if they said they would attack him, they really would. There was no need for a conflict at this juncture; his primary goal was to capture Chen Yinshan and obtain the *Seven Kill Demonic Arts*... Yan Mingyao took a deep breath and said indifferently:

"I am Yan Mingyao. If you wish to spar and discuss the Dao, we can choose a time and place once we are out of the Chi Lian Mountain Range. I have no time to indulge in your nonsense here."

"That sounds very pleasant." Yu Jie laughed heartily. "But it is typical of you righteous sect cultivators—if you don't dare to fight, you don't dare to fight, yet you insist on finding excuses... No matter. I am not leaving; I will hover nearby. Whenever you wish to duel, I shall be ready."

Hearing this, Yan Mingyao’s expression turned cold. *Is this bastard really going to pester me?*

The You family patriarch and others beside him simultaneously unleashed their auras, staring at Yu Jie with threatening gazes. However, several bursts of demonic energy erupted from the forest in response to counter them.

Yu Jie’s eyes were filled with mockery. "Did you really think we demonic cultivators still act alone? Having lived in the Land of Immortal Ruins for so many years, we have also learned how to band together. The era of fighting in groups against individuals is over."

Seeing this, the You family patriarch and the others turned deathly pale. The opposition had come prepared!

Yu Jie, seeing their deflated expressions, burst into laughter and shot toward Yan Mingyao, his eyes filled with killing intent as he shouted:

"Righteous cultivators preach 'courtesy before force,' so I shall offer you the same. How could I let you decide the terms?!"

As he spoke, Yu Jie leaped like a roc spreading its wings, drew his blade, and slashed down fiercely. In his view, Yan Mingyao could either fight or run—there was no such thing as picking a time and place. This was the Chi Lian Mountain Range, not some sacred sect ground; who the hell followed rules here?

"You are courting death!"

***

Yan Mingyao’s eyes erupted with killing intent. Did they really think he was afraid of these demonic cultivators?

Thunder roared, and a bolt of golden lightning shot toward the sky. However, black demonic flames instantly burst forth, blocking the lightning while the blade’s momentum remained undiminished.

The high-level Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Thunderfire Sect, including the You family patriarch, began casting their own divine arts, bombarding Yu Jie. In the forest, numerous demonic cultivators emerged from hiding...

The scene quickly descended into total chaos.

Li Guanxuan stared in shock, but he held back Qin Jiyue, who was about to join in to kill Yan Mingyao. He shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice: "No hurry. For now, we must find Old Chen. Let’s put this aside to avoid drawing the peak Foundation Establishment experts of the Thunderfire Sect here."

"Then I will let him live a little longer." Qin Jiyue’s heart was full of murderous intent. Her spiritual sense, like Li Guanxuan's, was comparable to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment. Having no further need to improve her aptitude, she had dedicated her immortal energy to increasing her cultivation, reaching the fifth level of Foundation Establishment in just a few short years. The sixth level was within reach.

Watching the group nearly tear each other’s brains out, Li Guanxuan sighed inwardly. *Demonic cultivators, indeed.* They were full of fighting spirit and did as they pleased, frequently clashing with these righteous cultivators, which saved him a lot of trouble.

Li Guanxuan led Qin Jiyue toward the direction where Chen Yinshan had escaped, opting not to participate in the battle, while transmitting his thoughts: "In another sixty or seventy years, my wood spiritual root will reach top-grade aptitude... but my earth spiritual root remains low-grade."

Qin Jiyue raised an eyebrow, catching his implication, and asked, "What do you mean? Does my husband want me to find you a concubine?"

"I have no choice. A low-grade root will drag down my other roots. Even if I can form a true core, a Golden Core is difficult, not to mention the Nascent Soul realm later." Li Guanxuan was serious and not joking.

Qin Jiyue understood as well; her husband had to take a concubine, otherwise, his aptitude would lag, leading to great danger in the future. Having the Velvet Spirit Tree was good, but being held back by one poor root would make anyone feel uneasy.

After a moment of thought, Qin Jiyue transmitted: "Then why don't you try to win over Master? After all, among us sisters, she is the only woman left... and a beauty at that. Who knows, maybe you will see your Master’s heroic grace in the future... hehehe..."

"Your idea is truly 'imprisonable'." Li Guanxuan was speechless. He didn't want to be slapped to death by a third-tier puppet.

"Just try it. How will you know if you don't?"

"I'm afraid if I try, I'll 'pass away'..."

"What are you afraid of? A woman like Master has long since left the affairs of the mortal world behind and is very open and composed about the matter of dual cultivation." Qin Jiyue analyzed suggestively: "Also, Master is not a fool. Seeing how quickly your cultivation—and that of our sister Rongxin—has improved, she surely suspects that your opportunity is related to dual cultivation. She has been stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for years. If dual cultivation with you could break the bottleneck and form a Golden Core, do you think she would refuse? She would! She definitely would! Think about it, husband—hasn't Master been coming to our house too frequently lately? Instead of saying she wants to drink the tea your sister makes, it’s more like she wants to be 'frank and open' with you..."

Li Guanxuan gasped, "Is that how 'frank and open' is used?"

Qin Jiyue glanced at him, as if to say, *Why are you pretending?* Although she considered herself experienced, in front of that sword cultivator, her skills seemed particularly naive.

Qin Jiyue spoke plainly: "You should consider it yourself. From a woman's perspective, I can feel Master's affection for you. Besides, other than us three sisters, she is the only other woman by your side. If you want to improve your earth spiritual root, dual cultivation with her is the only way."

To her, her husband had four spiritual roots, and each woman corresponded to one; the earth spiritual root would eventually need to be improved. Rather than bringing in some unknown woman later, it was better to bring in someone they knew and liked.

Moreover, Qin Jiyue was quite fond of Liu Xiaoxian’s mature, elegant figure. Even though she herself was a D-level powerhouse, whenever she massaged the shoulders of the G-level grandmaster, she couldn't help but linger a bit, thinking it was truly marvelous. Of course, Liu Xiaoxian, as a G-level grandmaster, would only glance at her indifferently, not minding the rude gesture. *We are all women; you have what I have, so a little touch is no harm.*

Furthermore, Qin Jiyue wanted to see if her lazy Master would be wild in bed or as indolent as she was on weekdays.

After hearing Qin Jiyue's words, Li Guanxuan pondered carefully and finally concluded...

"I must increase my cultivation first. Otherwise, I fear I won't be able to suppress a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator." Li Guanxuan spoke honestly. Only when he reached the sixth or seventh level of Foundation Establishment would he have total certainty in facing a peak expert. To truly suppress her, he would likely need to reach the eighth level.

"Hehehe... aren't you afraid Master will scold you as an 'unfilial disciple' later?" Qin Jiyue couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"If I'm not afraid of your 'oral techniques,' why would I fear a few words from Master?" Li Guanxuan said nonchalantly.

However, Qin Jiyue’s analysis was spot on. Master had indeed been visiting their home more frequently lately, and she would occasionally inquire about his physical condition... Perhaps this was a hint?

Li Guanxuan wasn't sure, but he would have to probe carefully after returning; he couldn't grasp his Master's mind just yet. Still, with two mischievous wives like Qin Jiyue and Song Zhiqiao, he didn't need to worry too much—they would surely assist him.

*Relying on one's wives to help take a concubine—this life is truly a delight...* Li Guanxuan sighed inwardly.

Come to think of it, he and Wen Rongxin had met through a matchmaking arrangement before entering marriage. His relationship with Qin Jiyue began with a chance encounter over borrowed money, but that too was largely due to Wen Rongxin helping him find a concubine. And as for Song Zhiqiao, she was brought in through the joint efforts of Wen Rongxin and Qin Jiyue...

In summary, Li Guanxuan only needed to keep the "household harmonious" and cultivate diligently, and his beloved wives would handle the many matters of his cultivation for him.

How wonderful!

***

Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi had been fleeing for their lives, but upon realizing that Yan Mingyao and the others had not pursued them, they quickly hid and erased their tracks. Fang Xingzhi was extremely cautious, leaving no trace of their presence. Later, he flew at a low altitude on his magic tool, carefully avoiding trees.

Chen Yinshan, seeing his companion's extreme caution, couldn't help but ask, "Who did you learn this from?"

*He's too cowardly!*

But because of this, they had been able to live comfortably in the perilous Chi Lian Mountain Range for several years! All of this was thanks to Fang Xingzhi. Without such vigilance, they would have died ten thousand times over.

"A talisman master... you could also call him an alchemist. Years ago, when I was hiding in a cave, if he hadn't detected the bloodline mark of the Beast-Taming You family on me, I would have been blasted into dust," Fang Xingzhi said with a stern expression.

"A talisman master..." Chen Yinshan said with a look of nostalgia. "My old friend was also a talisman master. If not for his talisman skills, my wife and I would never have lived such a good life."

Fang Xingzhi replied with disdain, "Your old friend is at most a first-tier talisman master now. According to my inquiries, my benefactor is not only a second-tier talisman master but also a second-tier alchemist and a puppet master. In the hundred arts of cultivation, he is uniquely gifted; he will surely lead the way in the future."

"Even if he rules the cultivation world, it has nothing to do with me," Chen Yinshan said indifferently. He only hoped his old friend would live a safe and happy life, never again enduring the bitter, miserable days they once knew.

"Fine, fine, keep thinking of him. At least when you're dwelling on him, the madness in your body doesn't act up and won't let you fall into a state of loss of control." Fang Xingzhi couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with him. He continued to erase their tracks, leading this cultivator who was neither evil nor demonic as they fled.

***

"These two bastards, are they playing hide-and-seek with me?"

After catching up, Li Guanxuan found that many tracks had been erased and couldn't help but curse. He had chased them the entire way! There had been faint traces earlier that allowed him to determine where Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi were heading, but now, even those minute traces had been wiped away.

*There's no way to find them, absolutely no way...*

Qin Jiyue also couldn't help but complain: "Could this Fang Xingzhi have grasped the essence of your 'cowardly path'?"

Li Guanxuan: "..."

It seemed possible. Ever since they were hunted by the Beast-Taming You family at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, Fang Xingzhi had become increasingly cautious in his actions.