Chapter 133: The Red-Robed Fox Maiden

More than thirty miles away from the grassland, five figures quietly materialized.

"Use the breath-concealing talismans!" Li Guanxuan reminded without the slightest hesitation.

When it came to preserving his life, Li Guanxuan was never stingy with any talismans or puppets. As long as he kept his life, these items could always be crafted anew; they were not worth dwelling upon excessively.

Qin Qiyue and Song Zhiqiao did not hesitate at all, immediately sticking the breath-concealing talismans onto their bodies.

Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi gritted their teeth, their eyes showing a look of heartache, but they eventually consumed their talismans as well. There was no help for it; as unorthodox cultivators, their avenues for making money were far too scarce, and they avoided using talismans unless absolutely necessary.

Li Guanxuan flicked his finger, and five purification talismans floated out, transforming into specks of starlight that descended upon the heads of the five.

"Fortunately, no one is targeting us."

While exhaling in relief, Li Guanxuan left behind an observation talisman here and rapidly departed from the location.

"Old Chen, learn a thing or two. This is the correct way to scheme for heavenly treasures!" Fang Xingzhi could not help lecturing as they fled. Over the years, he had nearly been driven to a nervous breakdown by Chen Yinshan. Merely plotting for the snow-melting Ganoderma had almost caused his fragile heart to burst from anger. They could have simply acted as covert operators and taken it in silence, but Chen Yinshan had insisted on charging out aggressively to pick a fight, which had infuriated Fang Xingzhi to no end.

Chen Yinshan glanced at him sideways. "What is there to learn? Old Li simply lacks nothing in spirit stones; talismans and such items are tossed out by the pile whenever he pleases. Can you possibly learn that?"

"..."

Fang Xingzhi was instantly left speechless. Indeed, Li Guanxuan could effortlessly unleash the immense might of countless spirit stones with a wave of his hand. Who could ever hope to replicate that?

Suddenly, Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes and said in a lowered voice, "Someone has detected the location we relocated to."

The hearts of the four stirred slightly.

"It's a few demon cultivators. Judging by their appearance, they are pure-blood demons... and their bloodline purity should not be low." Through the observation talisman, Li Guanxuan spotted several fox demons—three females and two males.

The male fox demons were handsome yet effeminate, while the female fox demons were all radiant and bewitching. The most prominent among them was a fox demon dressed in red who stood tall and graceful.

...

"We've been discovered..."

The red-robed female fox noticed the observation talisman. Beneath her slender, jade-white neck, a pair of porcelain-smooth breasts were half-concealed, their curves full and rounded. Her skin was like snow, and her lithe figure, shrouded in red, exuded an all-encompassing charm.

The corners of her delicate mouth curved upward slightly. Her bright, spirited eyes revealed a hint of profound intent as she spoke directly to the observation talisman:

"Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to sell the Star Soul Grass to this concubine? Name your own terms."

The moment the words fell, the observation talisman spontaneously combusted, turning into ashes and scattering into nothingness.

The red-robed female fox sighed softly, waving her slender jade hand as she instructed, "Search a radius of five hundred miles. Be sure to root him out."

"Understood!" The four fox demons nodded slightly.

The red-robed female fox reached out to summon the wisps of ash, gently rubbing them between her lily-white fingers while the corners of her delicate mouth curled upward. She had witnessed firsthand the scene of Li Guanxuan plotting to seize the Star Soul Grass, and her heart was filled with boundless curiosity toward this person.

Was it truly worth spending so many methods just to acquire a single stalk of Star Soul Grass? After all, shifting formations required spirit stones, magical artifacts required spirit stones, and the four bodyguards around him... surely they also needed to be allocated sufficient benefits?

To pay such a heavy price for a mere three-hundred-year-old Star Soul Grass—no matter how one calculated the ledger, it was a net loss.

"Interesting... and wealthy. I truly want to meet him."

The figure of the red-robed female fox transformed into peach blossoms, gradually scattering and fading away.

...

Li Guanxuan stored the Star Soul Grass into the dark space for nourishment and began planning for the next heavenly treasure—the Fiery Stone Core.

This was a fiery red spiritual flower that grew amidst a pile of peculiar gemstones, possessing extremely potent medicinal properties. If fire-attribute cultivators could obtain it, their cultivation speed would increase significantly, making it exceptionally sought after.

"This time, we might need to use a third-tier talisman array, the Dark Domain Talisman..."

Concealing his aura, Li Guanxuan observed cautiously from the periphery of the Fiery Stone Core.

"The fire spiritual energy is quite abundant here, Husband. I can use the Frost Array to assist. Seizing the Fiery Stone Core shouldn't be too difficult," Song Zhiqiao suggested.

Li Guanxuan nodded slightly, then looked at Chen Yinshan and Fang Xingzhi, saying, "This is the last heavenly treasure. At the critical moment, you two can step in to fend off interference. Once I obtain the item, conceal our auras, purify, and slowly run back to the location where the transfer formation is set up. Inject your mana to escape. Do you understand?"

Fang Xingzhi nodded without a word.

Chen Yinshan sighed and remarked, "Finally, I get to make a move..."

Li Guanxuan glared at him. "Behave. All three thousand Dao paths can lead to immortality. Your current situation is not entirely hopeless; there is still a possibility of redemption. So unless it's absolutely necessary, try not to make a move."

Chen Yinshan grinned broadly. "Don't worry too much about me. I live life a day at a time. After condensing my Golden Core, I'll live for however many years I have left. As long as I can stay with Guili, living even one extra day is worth it."

Seeing that Li Guanxuan was about to say something, Chen Yinshan waved his hand to interrupt.

"Old Li, trying to persuade me in matters like this is useless. My path has veered off course and can no longer be turned back. My aptitude is mediocre; condensing a Golden Core has already exhausted the good fortune of eight lifetimes. How could I possibly have the fortune to resist the soul-burning affliction during the Golden Core stage? My wish isn't exorbitant: once Guili awakens, my wife and I will live a few years of stable and peaceful days, and I will be content."

With that, Chen Yinshan looked at Fang Xingzhi and said, "Old Fang, once this is done, escort us to the mortal realm, won't you? I've grown utterly sick of the days of slaughter and destitution. I want to go to the mortal realm and be a wealthy landowner, to experience a different kind of life."

Both Li Guanxuan and Fang Xingzhi fell silent for a long time.

When a person loses the drive to progress, it signifies that their path of cultivation has reached its end. Further persuasion would be of no avail.

"Alright, no problem," Fang Xingzhi agreed without hesitation.

"Rest assured, I won't let you suffer a loss. Over the years, I've managed to accumulate quite a bit of wealth. I'll only keep what I need to peacefully spend the rest of my days, and give the rest to you," Chen Yinshan chuckled.

"Who wants your wretched scraps?" Fang Xingzhi retorted with a feigned annoyance.

Li Guanxuan knew in his heart that at this point, no amount of words would make a difference. This was something Chen Yinshan had resolved to do, and as a brother, he ought to respect that.

It was just that... a couple of centuries from now, he would never see this old friend again.

...

Within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, opportunities were everywhere, and perils lurked at every turn.

After setting everything up, Li Guanxuan kept a constant watch on the Fiery Stone Core, ready to strike at any moment. However, he was far from the only one eyeing the treasure. At this moment, even pseudo-core Daoists had arrived in this region.

"It's Daoist Qu Wu of the Profound Fire Sect. He actually came here to take the Fiery Stone Core as well..."

"A pseudo-core Daoist has arrived; who dares to contend with him? Let's disperse."

"Alas, what a pity."

Many cultivators who had been eyeing the Fiery Stone Core and planning to risk their lives against the guardian beast could not help but sigh softly, their eyes filled with regret.

The arrival of a pseudo-core Daoist meant complete and utter suppression in terms of the hierarchy of strength. What was there to contend with? It was better to simply leave.

Li Guanxuan's heart sank. With a pseudo-core Daoist present, given the strength of their five-person group, they might not truly be able to handle the adversary. Even if they could win, it would be a mutual destruction scenario, leaving them with no remaining strength to fight for the Fiery Stone Core. By then, they might even face the danger of perishing.

With a grave expression, Li Guanxuan said, "Things have become rather tricky..."

Chen Yinshan nodded with an equally ugly expression. Who could have foreseen that a pseudo-core Daoist would come here to scheme for the Fiery Stone Core?

"The Profound Fire Sect is located on the periphery of the Central Immortal Domain, and its sect master is a Great Perfection Golden Core Daoist..." Song Zhiqiao softly recounted the information regarding the Profound Fire Sect.

The Central Immortal Domain of the Immortal Ruins had always gathered cultivators of extraordinary strength. There, Daoists could be seen everywhere, and nascent soul-level factions were by no means few. The most famous Nine Heavens Academy was even rumored to have immortals presiding over it, making it the supreme apex faction in the Immortal Ruins.

"Aside from the Fiery Stone Core, is there anything else that can serve as a substitute?"

Qin Qiyue said, "If there truly is no other way, we can only entrust Master to inquire where else the Fiery Stone Core might be found, and spend spirit stones to purchase it."

Contention was no longer possible, nor could they possibly outcompete the other party.

Chen Yinshan sighed, "There is none. The Fiery Stone Core is the most suitable item." He felt somewhat resentful, yet utterly helpless.

"Don't be discouraged, there is still hope," Qin Qiyue offered a word of comfort, though she was already prepared to seek out Liu Xiaoxian and explain the situation here.

"Wait, there's still a chance!"

Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "Those demonic and unorthodox cultivators... and quite a few demon cultivators as well, seem entirely unwilling to let the pseudo-core Daoist take the Fiery Stone Core."

The arrival of a pseudo-core Daoist could indeed intimidate many people. However, there were also numerous peak Foundation Establishment grand cultivators who were currently staring covetous eyes at Daoist Qu Wu without a shred of timidity on their faces.

In fact... if Daoist Qu Wu dared to meddle, they would dare to step forward and hack him to pieces!

"Fellow Daoists, this old man is in urgent need of this Fiery Stone Core. Can you all step aside?"

Daoist Qu Wu was a white-haired old man who presumably had only two or three decades of lifespan left, presenting a frail and aged appearance.

A peak Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator sneered, "Among everyone present, who does not need this Fiery Stone Core?"

"If no one is willing to yield, then we can only settle it through a fight." A peak Foundation Establishment unorthodox cultivator stared at Daoist Qu Wu with eyes full of killing intent, eager to move. Compared to seizing the Fiery Stone Core, he was far more interested in slaying Daoist Qu Wu. After all, a pseudo-core Daoist like this surely possessed numerous fine items; plundering the contents of his storage artifact would be far more valuable than contending for the Fiery Stone Core.

Daoist Qu Wu narrowed his cloudy eyes and calmly said, "Since that is the case, we can only fight it out."

As the words fell, a meteor seemed to plummet from the sky, carrying rolling flames as it smashed fiercely toward that unorthodox cultivator.

The battle was triggered instantly!

Li Guanxuan narrowed his eyes, immediately dismissing his earlier intention of retreating.

Chen Yinshan chuckled, "It seems that slaying a pseudo-core Daoist is far more important to them than seizing the Fiery Stone Core."

"Naturally," Fang Xingzhi chimed in. "Those who come to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains are basically out to make a fortune. Now that an aging pseudo-core Daoist has appeared here and openly attempts to monopolize the Fiery Stone Core, those cultivators who were originally hostile to one another will certainly unite to deal with the external threat first and slaughter the most formidable person."

It was the classic logic that the towering tree catches the wind.

"The plan might not work anymore..."

Li Guanxuan watched as an increasing number of peak Foundation Establishment grand cultivators appeared around them. Among them were actually two more pseudo-core Daoists, though they had concealed their auras, causing others to mistake them for ordinary Foundation Establishment grand cultivators. However, under the Golden Core spiritual sense of Li Guanxuan, these aura-concealing pseudo-core Daoists had nowhere to hide.

"Husband, what should we do?" Qin Qiyue noticed it as well and asked.

"Let's see who manages to obtain the Fiery Stone Core, and then purchase it with spirit stones. We cannot forcefully snatch it; in the current situation, stepping into the fray means death. It's better to play it safe."

Li Guanxuan sighed softly.

The situation here was complicated and extremely chaotic. Engaging in spell battles with others would undoubtedly result in mutual injuries. For Li Guanxuan, doing so was extremely unwise; it was far better to produce heart-tempting spirit stones and buy the Fiery Stone Core outright.

"That's the only way..." Song Zhiqiao largely agreed with Li Guanxuan's perspective.

"Isn't that a bit too much of a loss?" Chen Yinshan asked with a slight frown.

"As long as a problem can be solved with spirit stones, it is not a problem."

Li Guanxuan smiled, then soared into the air. Infusing his voice with mana, he announced loudly:

"This humble cultivator is willing to offer thirty thousand spirit stones to purchase the Fiery Stone Core."

Upon hearing this, many cultivators turned their heads to look.

Demonic cultivators, unorthodox cultivators, and even several demon cultivators all cast looks of astonishment toward Li Guanxuan. This was the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, after all; was this fellow truly unafraid of handing over the spirit stones and failing to receive the goods?

Regardless, thirty thousand spirit stones were indeed sufficient to buy the Fiery Stone Core.

Presently, spirit stones meant very little to Li Guanxuan. No matter how many spirit stones were needed, given a bit more time and effort, he could easily earn them back. After all, what an immortal longevity practitioner lacked the least was spirit stones.

Moreover, he was no longer the only one refining pills and drawing talismans; Song Zhiqiao also dabbled in these cultivation arts at home. While refining her skills, she had earned quite a few spirit stones as well. Thus, their family was currently the least lacking in spirit stones.

...

The red-robed female fox was also present. She stared at Li Guanxuan's disguised face, blinking her bright, spirited eyes slightly before gradually narrowing them.

"An illusion-disguising artifact... just like that fellow."

The red-robed female fox secretly guessed in her heart that this person was likely the leader of the five who had seized the 'Star Soul Grass'. Furthermore, being able to instantly produce thirty thousand spirit stones, coupled with the consumption of talismans, magical artifacts, and formations over at the Starlight Grassland earlier, led her to a faint realization...

The person before her was precisely the one she had been searching for all this time.

After a moment of contemplation, the red-robed female fox covertly sent a divine sense transmission:

"Fellow Daoist, I can help you acquire the Fiery Stone Core, but can you give me that stalk of 'Star Soul Grass'? Afterwards, you need only supplement me with seven thousand spirit stones. How about it?"

Li Guanxuan's heart stirred. He glanced at the red-robed female fox and transmitted his voice back: "Apologies, this humble Daoist has no Star Soul Grass."

"That makes things rather uninteresting..."

The red-robed female fox sighed. "The Star Soul Grass is extremely important to me; I hope Fellow Daoist can grant this favor... After I seize the Fiery Stone Core, you only need to supplement me with six thousand spirit stones. How is that?"

Li Guanxuan gazed at her for a moment, contemplated briefly, and said, "Let Fellow Daoist obtain the Fiery Stone Core first."

"Very well, we'll trade in a month. How do I find you?" The red-robed female fox agreed readily.

"I will come to find you."

Li Guanxuan flicked his finger, planting a mana imprint upon the red-robed female fox, and then quietly retreated.

He had sensed the aura of another pseudo-core Daoist, and the other party's spiritual sense was about to lock onto him. If he did not leave now, there might be a risk of exposing his identity.

"Interesting..."

Watching the direction where Li Guanxuan quietly departed, the pair of fox ears atop the head of the red-robed female fox twitched slightly, looking playful and charming. She raised her hand slightly, preventing the pseudo-core Daoist from giving chase.