Chapter 105: The Execution

Seeing that Li Guanxuan said nothing more, Qin Jiyue could not help but ask:

"What should we do now?"

If things continued this way, they would never be able to find Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi. Moreover, there was a sense of being led by the nose by them... It was incredibly frustrating.

"Forget it, let’s just leave it be for now. At least they are safe and sound."

Li Guanxuan looked helpless. Playing hide-and-seek with him like this—any ordinary person would find it hard to endure. He wondered if Old Chen would eventually realize that he had already picked up his trail and, if he were smart enough, leave some secret signals that both of them could understand.

But then, Li Guanxuan had another thought...

Old Chen was currently practicing demonic arts and occasionally fell into a state of loss of control. He was both a practitioner of evil arts and demonic arts, and given his previous reckless, brainless personality... would he really be smart enough to leave a signal? Li Guanxuan was skeptical.

"Let’s go collect some rare treasures first. Regardless, we still need to refine Foundation Establishment Pills for Zhi Qiao when we return. Besides that, any spiritual wood that is one or two hundred years old should be taken; I now have enough excess immortal energy to accelerate their growth."

Regarding his plans, Li Guanxuan did not speak them aloud but instead used divine sense to transmit his voice to Qin Jiyue. Since they were already in the Red Lotus Mountain Range and knew that Chen Yinshan was relatively safe, it would be better to gather some rare natural treasures. This would not only allow him to draw more talismans but also enable him to embed array patterns onto the talismans, which could instantly form formations to suppress or fend off enemies.

Qin Jiyue nodded slightly, a look of gravity appearing on her exquisite and beautiful oval face as she said:

"Perhaps because of the five-hundred-year-old Golden Sun Ganoderma, quite a few Great Foundation Establishment cultivators have arrived in the Red Lotus Mountain Range now..."

Within the Red Lotus Mountain Range, the air was filled with the roars of demonic beasts and the booming sounds of cultivators clashing. It was no longer safe here. No matter where they hid, they would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.

"I hope we can all remain safe and make a smooth escape."

No sooner had Li Guanxuan finished speaking than he saw an out-of-control second-tier Flame Demon Bear charging toward them in a frenzy. Its roar shook the heavens, and trees along its path were flattened. Nearby, other cultivators were using spells to surround and attack it. Some Red Gold Rats on the ground, seeing this, hurriedly dug holes and dived in, not daring to show their heads.

The earth trembled.

The Flame Demon Bear roared repeatedly, swinging a paw that unleashed a sky full of flames. A Foundation Establishment initial-stage cultivator was accidentally struck; he was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the ground, and fell unconscious. Li Guanxuan took a glance; the poor soul’s chest had caved in, his bones were shattered, his heart had been crushed in that instant, and his face was twisted, with blood spurting from his mouth and nose, his eyes staring at the sky in pure resentment.

*Why on earth did you provoke it...* Li Guanxuan couldn't help but think to himself, then quickly retreated without any intention of intervening.

"Fellow Daoist, please hold on!"

A Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator noticed Li Guanxuan and his companion and, seeing them about to leave, hurriedly called out to stop them. Another person, while dodging the crazed Flame Demon Bear, shouted in a panic, "We are disciples of the Ink Pavilion! Please, Fellow Daoist, lend us a hand, and there will be a generous reward afterward!"

"ROAR!"

The Flame Demon Bear’s strength was comparable to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, and it possessed a shred of intelligence. Upon hearing the words of these Ink Pavilion cultivators, its blood-red eyes suddenly fixed on Li Guanxuan.

"My apologies, don't misunderstand."

Li Guanxuan cupped his hands politely, his face full of apology. "We were just passing by and have no intention of interfering. Please, carry on with whatever you are doing. We are leaving."

With that, Li Guanxuan turned to leave without looking back.

However, he then saw another Flame Demon Bear charging toward them, its aura surging with malice, comparable to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. Behind it, more than a dozen other Flame Demon Bears were rushing over. Clearly, reinforcements had arrived.

"Damn it, run!"

Seeing this, Li Guanxuan’s expression changed drastically. Without a word, he pulled Qin Jiyue along, mounted his flying sword, and fled the scene. The Flame Demon Bear being besieged was clearly the mate of the leader. Li Guanxuan could sense the terrifying malice radiating from the leader; as long as human cultivators were present, it would kill them without showing any mercy.

"AH!"

The second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear leapt into the sky with a roar, and as it plummeted to the ground, a single swipe flattened one of the Ink Pavilion’s Foundation Establishment initial-stage cultivators, killing him on the spot. Seeing the arrival of the second-tier late-stage beast, the Ink Pavilion cultivators scattered like birds and beasts, abandoning all thoughts of hunting the demon. A second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear could crush them with ease!

Seeing his mate so severely injured, the leader roared in fury, leaping high into the air like a cannonball, and shot toward the Ink Pavilion’s mid-stage cultivator. It could sense that this person’s magic power was the one most present on its mate!

It had to kill this person!

The lead Flame Demon Bear’s eyes bulged, its rage soaring as its brutal demonic power locked onto the Ink Pavilion cultivator. With another roar, it unleashed a terrifying, power-packed swipe. The Ink Pavilion cultivator was terrified, his hair standing on end, his very soul trembling. In that moment, he smelled the scent of death! A full-force blow from a second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear would absolutely kill a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator instantly!

"Fell... Fellow Daoist... please hold on!"

The Ink Pavilion cultivator saw Li Guanxuan ahead and shouted in terror, "Fellow Daoist, please help me..."

Li Guanxuan didn't care about him and accelerated away.

"Go to hell!"

The Ink Pavilion cultivator’s eyes were instantly replaced by ferocity. He clasped his hands together, and two tough, vine-like tendrils shot toward Li Guanxuan, intending to drag him back to serve as a shield against the Flame Demon Bear’s blow.

"Seeking death!"

Murderous intent filled Qin Jiyue’s eyes as two sword auras flashed out, severing the vines in an instant. Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes, and without a word, he dropped the cheapest Spirit Explosion Talisman he had and left gracefully. The talisman drifted toward the Ink Pavilion cultivator, light as paper, appearing completely harmless...

"NO!—"

The Ink Pavilion cultivator saw this, his eyes splitting with rage. While this Spirit Explosion Talisman wouldn't kill him or even cause significant injury, it possessed the power of an explosive shockwave! As long as it could delay him, the second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear behind him would easily kill him!

In the pupil of the Ink Pavilion cultivator, the intricate patterns on the talisman were activated by magic power, and the long-accumulated energy exploded in that instant!

"BOOM!"

A deafening sound rocked the sky.

"ROAR!"

The second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear roared in fury, its massive paw, imbued with all its strength, landing savagely on the Ink Pavilion cultivator.

With a bang!

The body of the Ink Pavilion cultivator instantly exploded, and chunks of flesh fell from the sky; he was dead beyond any hope of resurrection. Some of the gore splattered onto the Flame Demon Bear, which licked its lips, its eyes filled with excitement, before it stared straight at Li Guanxuan. This human seemed to have helped it out...

"Deacon Zhai!"

The other Ink Pavilion Foundation Establishment cultivators saw this, their faces filled with grief and indignation, their chests burning with rage as they glared at Li Guanxuan. One of them shouted, "Do you dare to leave your name?!"

Hearing this, Li Guanxuan frowned and said, "Everyone, you saw it with your own eyes. He tried to drag me in to take that strike from the Flame Demon Bear for him..."

"Then why were you so insidious as to use a Spirit Explosion Talisman? You killed Deacon Zhai!" the man roared.

*Fine, so we aren't going to be reasonable, are we...* Li Guanxuan took a deep breath, then revealed a smile and said with relief:

"He wanted to kill me, and I can't kill him in return? Truly, all sect disciples are cut from the same cloth..."

He couldn't be bothered to argue with these people any further. Since they were all looking for death, he would simply oblige them.

"A mere rogue cultivator, how dare you criticize us?"

"You two were watching from the sidelines the whole time, refusing to help when asked. Isn't that just trying to reap the benefits of others' labor?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"..."

The Ink Pavilion’s Foundation Establishment initial-stage cultivators were all filled with righteous indignation, as if Li Guanxuan were the most wicked of sinners. Besides, this mission had suffered heavy losses—even their mid-stage Deacon was dead—and they would have to answer to the sect, which would inevitably lead to punishment. It was better to frame Li Guanxuan for everything so they could shirk their responsibility.

"Yes, that's right, exactly..."

Li Guanxuan nodded as if convinced, echoing their sentiment. Then, he formed seals with his hands and laughed loudly:

"Brother Bear, I advise you to leave this place immediately, lest you suffer from the collateral damage!"

The second-tier late-stage Flame Demon Bear understood human speech; it tilted its head and looked at Li Guanxuan with a confused expression, as if saying... *You, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, are telling me, a second-tier late-stage, to leave?*

Li Guanxuan smiled nonchalantly. Since it didn't want to leave, it wouldn't have to. In an instant, ten second-tier flying swords emerged from behind Li Guanxuan. *Swish, swish, swish*—they evolved into a Killing Sword Array, forming a circle in the air and sinking into the ground like a cage.

"Squeak, squeak..."

The Red Gold Rats living underground let out terrified screams, as if saying... *Oh, us poor rats, why are we so unlucky today!*

Li Guanxuan didn't make things difficult for the rats; he left a gap in the sword array underground to allow them to hide and escape.

"You..."

After feeling that sky-covering killing sword intent envelop them, the Ink Pavilion cultivators, who had been full of indignation, were all silenced. At this very moment, they realized that the two rogue cultivators before them were mid-stage Foundation Establishment experts! Moreover, they could clearly feel that this sword array possessed the power to kill a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

"RUN!"

One of the Ink Pavilion cultivators screamed in panic and immediately used a water-based escape technique to flee. However, a streak of sword intent suddenly emerged, casually cutting off his life force. His cold corpse fell from the sky, landing with a thud in front of the Flame Demon Bear.

"..."

The Flame Demon Bear blinked its copper-bell-sized eyes, a sense of fear rising within it. It hurriedly let out a roar toward Li Guanxuan, signaling that it wanted to leave!

"Sen... Senior... we were wrong..."

The Ink Pavilion cultivators were now in a state of panic, regretting their actions to their very entrails. The sky-covering killing sword intent circled within this space; if they made any suspicious moves, the sword intent would instantly sever their life force.

The response to them was a single word spat from Li Guanxuan’s mouth:

"Execute!"

The sword array immediately whirred into motion. Sword light and sword marks appeared all over the sky, the *swish, swish, swish* sounds incessant. The Flame Demon Bear was terrified; it hurriedly covered its head and curled up on the ground, letting out whimpering sounds as if begging for mercy.

Seven breaths later, all the Ink Pavilion Foundation Establishment cultivators had perished within the sword array. Each of their bodies had been sliced into pieces by the sword light, neatly laid out on the ground. The Flame Demon Bear was still covering its head and whimpering.

Li Guanxuan had no intention of killing it. He flicked his fingers, and the storage bags on the ground instantly burst open, spilling their contents everywhere. Li Guanxuan waved his hand, sweeping up all the spirit stones, materials, pills, talismans, and magic tools, his divine sense dispersing to wipe away all the imprints on them.

Qin Jiyue, being sensible, took out three Purification Talismans from the side and slapped them onto the items that were floating up.

Li Guanxuan cast an appreciative look at her, then retracted all the Azure Profound Sword Intent into his body and left the place with Qin Jiyue.

After sensing that there was no movement in the surroundings, the Flame Demon Bear slowly raised its head to peek. Confirming that the terrifying experts were gone, it finally breathed a sigh of relief. It stood up and suddenly noticed something strange on its back; looking over, it found its mate and the smaller bears staring at it with a strange look.

"ROAR!"

The Flame Demon Bear was extremely annoyed and let out a roar. Many of the weaker Flame Demon Bears hurriedly covered their heads and obediently lay on the ground. Seeing this, the leader felt somewhat satisfied. Looking at the neatly sliced flesh on the ground, the lead Flame Demon Bear’s eyes rolled, and then it grabbed a piece of meat, took a bite, and sat on the ground to enjoy the delicacy.

...

After leaving the Flame Demon Bear’s territory, Li Guanxuan checked the items in his storage ring. Nearly sixty thousand spirit stones, seven pieces of hundred-year-old spiritual wood, nine magic tools, sixteen offensive talismans, twenty-one defensive talismans... and several pills to restore magic power.

Li Guanxuan didn't take the cultivation techniques. After all, such things were too profound and mysterious, and since he wouldn't cultivate them anyway, selling them would just be walking into a trap—better to leave them behind.

Qin Jiyue remarked from the side, "This way of obtaining materials is indeed much faster."

"It is, but we’ve also made a deadly enemy of the Ink Pavilion," Li Guanxuan said. "I basically slaughtered all the cultivators there. Although there are a few rogue cultivators nearby, their cultivation is relatively weak, and they can only sense the sword intent without daring to approach. Our identities won't be exposed for a while, but if a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator comes to investigate, they will sense the Azure Profound Sword Intent... I need to be more careful when I strike in the future."

Having provoked the Ink Pavilion—known for their talisman-making and painting skills—for no reason, Li Guanxuan felt utterly helpless. The only ones who knew the truth were the Flame Demon Bears, and no matter how much he explained, to others, it would just be excuses.

"It doesn't matter. Although the Ink Pavilion has a False Core expert sitting in their sect, as long as we reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, we won't fear them," Qin Jiyue said, then added with a smile, "By the way, my husband, now that you have obtained the main body of the Immortal Tree, if you were to dual cultivate with Master, would you be able to plant a Velvet Flower within her body?"

Hearing this, Li Guanxuan’s expression was stunned.