Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists
Chapter 229 - 228: Protection (Seeking Monthly Tickets)_1

Chapter 229: Chapter 228: Protection (Seeking Monthly Tickets)_1

Within the jungle, dense tree canopies abound, and fragrant grass grows lushly.

Beasts and birds took to the air and stampeded, quickly fleeing the area, as if sensing the Immortal Cultivators’ murderous intent.

"Could you two perhaps spare this young woman’s life?"

Zhong Hongyu hid behind a piece of Green Rock, her voice carrying far and wide.

"Humph... the struggle to achieve Dao is either your death or my survival!"

Li, well-experienced in spell-dueling, invoked a Black Iron Shield first; a premium defensive magical artifact shimmering with spiritual light, adorned with a massive ghost face on the front. Unleashing a black light shield that securely protected him, he then gave his junior in blue robes a meaningful look to go and test the waters.

The junior in blue secretly complained, wondering why Li didn’t first offer some sweet words to lull the enemy.

Talking about the struggle to achieve Dao was practically forcing the other party into a desperate fight!

But once successful, they certainly wouldn’t spare the woman either.

As one of Yue Country’s five major Foundation Establishment Sects, Spirit Sword Sect still had some reputation to maintain.

’Alas... who asked Li to be the direct descendant of Elder Li?’

The junior in blue resigned to his fate and lamented, patting a ’Vajra Talisman’ on himself, letting the golden light envelop him, while pulling out a pitch-black long knife magical artifact, and ventured forward to scout.

Whoosh!

Before long, a pink glow shot out from behind the Green Rock, revealing a pink sphere emanating light, a high-quality magical artifact.

Bang!

The pink sphere emitted a soft light, surprisingly immobilizing the pitch-black long knife.

Soon after, a green talisman flew out.

In mid-air, Qi of the Wood element converged, transforming into a wooden saber that struck the Vajra Talisman, causing the golden light to flicker unstably.

A first-tier high-quality—Wooden Saber Talisman!

"Li, save me!"

The junior in blue robes cried out for help, as he was only at the late stage of Qi Refining and no match for the woman who had completed Qi Refining.

"Humph, useless!"

Li looked at Zhong Hongyu who held the geographical advantage, a flicker of pain crossing his face as he retrieved a red talisman.

Holding it in his hand sent waves of heat radiating outwards, "Bitch... see my second-tier ’Heavenly Fire Talisman’, I’ll turn you and these woods into nothing but charcoal!"

Before his words could finish, a figure dashed out from behind the Green Rock—it was Zhong Hongyu charging forward.

"Haha, you’ve been tricked."

Li smiled in triumph, his fingers gently flicking.

On the ground, blades upon blades appeared, unexpectedly revealing a trap that had been set from all directions towards Zhong Hongyu!

His action of taking out the Heavenly Fire Talisman was a deliberate ploy to force Zhong Hongyu out, triggering the trap.

This set of ’Underground Knife Array’ magical artifacts, a high-quality set bequeathed to him after much pleading with his ancestor, was tremendously powerful, enough to take down that woman...

The next instant, Li was shocked to see the woman disregarding the knife magical artifacts and charging at him.

They were rapidly closing in, mere ten-odd meters apart!

Just as the knife artifacts were about to reach her!

Whoosh!

Zhong Hongyu’s figure vanished in an instant.

All around, the flying knife magical artifacts met with air.

Even more horrifying was the sudden appearance of Zhong Hongyu within the spiritual light defense shield before Li, smiling at him.

They were practically face to face, and that tremendously strong ghost face shield was shockingly still behind Zhong Hongyu!

—Flash VoidSkills!

Zhong Hongyu didn’t stop upon passing Li, her figure shooting far away.

Meanwhile, Li stood transfixed, with a line of blood suddenly appearing on his neck.

Traces of blood seeped out, and even as he tried to say something, his head dropped off.

The set of flying knife magical artifacts and ghost face shield, having lost the support of their master’s magic power, lost their luster and were reduced to mundane objects, falling into the thick leaf litter.

"You... you actually killed Li, do you know that Li’s elder is a great elder of Spirit Sword Sect with a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation... you... you’re dead for sure!"

Seeing this, the junior in blue shouted in fright and fled in panic.

"If I kill you, won’t that mean no one will know?"

Zhong Hongyu sneered and waved her hand, releasing three more ’Wooden Saber Talismans’!

Sequential green wood blades pierced through the Vajra Talisman’s defense, cutting down the junior in blue with a look of despair on his face.

Zhong Hongyu took a deep breath. Having spent a decade outside, having fought in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, having been betrayed by friends, hunted, and having killed... her Dao Heart had long since become as cold as iron. After a short rest to steady her breath, she collected the spoils of battle, incinerated the corpses, and quickly departed.

...

Dragon Fish Island.

Fang Xi, who was in closed-door cultivation, opened his eyes, "Didn’t I tell them not to disturb me if it’s nothing urgent?"

Upon leaving the closed-door cultivation room, he saw Yan Hongxue and Xiahou Ying waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, their faces lit up with joy, but within that joy, there was a hint of worry.

"What’s happened?"

Fang Xi couldn’t help asking.

"It’s Zhong Hongyu, she’s back... it’s just..." After Yan Hongxue’s unsuccessful breakthrough attempt, over a decade has passed, and she now looks middle-aged, with a mature charm that still lingers. She bowed respectfully and answered, "But it seems she has some unspeakable secrets and insists on speaking to the Island Master before disclosing anything..."

"Oh? I’ll go and see her!"

Fang Xi grew interested.

Evergreen Pavilion’s top floor.

Zhong Hongyu was staring blankly at the familiar layout and furnishings. Suddenly, upon hearing footsteps, she turned around and saw a young man in a green robe approaching.

Seeing the unchanged face that even seemed younger, Zhong Hongyu felt a momentary daze. Still, she bowed and said, "Greetings to the Island Master!"

"Hongyu, you’ve finally returned. After more than a decade, you’ve reached the peak of Qi Refining. Are you confident about Foundation Establishment?"

Fang Xi asked with a smile.

"I’ve spent all I had, plus the Spirit Stones you gave me, to acquire an inferior Foundation Establishment Pill at the black market..."

Zhong Hongyu recounted everything, including how she was chased and how she killed her powerful enemy.

"Oh? So that’s why there’s ’Blood Soul Thread’ on you?"

Fang Xi’s powerful Divine Consciousness had already detected something off with Zhong Hongyu and now suddenly understood upon hearing this.

"What?"

Zhong Hongyu was shocked and horrified.

"This is a Foundation Establishment technique. Without Divine Consciousness, naturally, it’s difficult for you to detect..."

Fang Xi chuckled, waved his right hand, and a magic power hand in the form of a green palm grabbed at Zhong Hongyu’s body, pulling out a strand of sinister red thread.

As soon as the red thread appeared, it struggled and twisted, trying to return to Zhong Hongyu’s body, but it was directly burned to nothingness by a mass of green Yi Wood True Fire.

"This Secret Skill can only be used by those in the later stages of Foundation Establishment. By leaving a trace of blood on their kin, if you were to kill their relative, this thread of Blood Soul would reside in you, allowing you to be found no matter how far away you flee... Using this technique consumes a considerable amount of Primordial Energy. It seems this person held a high status in the heart of that late-stage Foundation Establishment individual," Fang Xi explained with a smile, while Zhong Hongyu’s expression changed repeatedly, quickly kneeling down: "Hongyu is incompetent, to have implicated the Island Master..."

"Enough, it’s not your fault."

Fang Xi still wanted to observe Zhong Hongyu’s Foundation Establishment, so he didn’t care about the Spirit Sword Sect’s Elder.

Moreover, half of this was his responsibility.

If he hadn’t made Zhong Hongyu swear to return to Dragon Fish Island for Foundation Establishment, she might have just taken the pill outside and none of this would’ve happened.

But in Zhong Hongyu’s mind, the Island Master was only at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, whereas the Spirit Sword Sect’s Elder surpassed the Island Master in both strength and influence.

The thought of her impulsive decision bringing trouble upon the Island Master and his family tore her apart with guilt.

"Sigh... With your current state of mind, if you attempt Foundation Establishment in seclusion, you’ll surely fail. Just wait... Wait until the Spirit Sword Sect comes seeking revenge, then try to establish your foundation," Fang Xi glanced at Zhong Hongyu and said indifferently.

...

Several days later.

A beam of Escape Light landed outside Dragon Fish Island, looking at the Profound Wood Formation without entering.

The Escape Light converged, revealing an old man in a pitch-black robe with white hair and a long sword on his back.

He looked at Dragon Fish Island, a flash of fierceness in his eyes, and yelled loudly, "Where is Fang Xi, the Island Master of Dragon Fish Island?"

"Roar!"

Accompanied by the roar of the fish dragon, the mist dispersed, revealing a pathway.

Fang Xi, stepping on an Azure horn Fish Dragon, came to the edge of the Great Array, "Who might this Sir be?"

"I am Li Rujian, the Elder of the Spirit Sword Sect. Now hand over that Demon Girl who coveted my great-grandson’s Foundation Establishment Pill and committed murder for it!"

Li Rujian snorted coldly, his overwhelming aura of a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator spilling out.

’So... this is turning the tables? And still coveting that Foundation Establishment Pill?’ Fang Xi couldn’t help but smirk.

He shook his head, "Why do I hear from Hongyu that it was your great-grandson who first committed murder and robbery?"

"Hmph, I am willing to stake Spirit Sword Sect’s century-long reputation to guarantee that you should not be misled by the slander of the wicked and better to discern between right and wrong," Li Rujian said, showing a trace of impatience.

If the Island Master of Dragon Fish Island wasn’t at mid-stage Foundation Establishment and didn’t have a second-grade Great Array and friendly relations with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he wouldn’t bother with so much talk.

"Well... Regardless of what happened with Zhong Hongyu, let me tell you something, we have a rule on Dragon Fish Island."

Fang Xi said with a smile, "That is... Once on the island, all past grudges disappear! Everything from the past must not be brought up again; they’re under my protection! So, Sir, better just go back..."

Li Rujian narrowed his eyes slightly, the intention to protect was clear and undisguised. He sneered, "You have some nerve to talk about dissolving grudges. Do you think you’re the leader of the Mysterious Heaven Sect?"

"I knew it... If reason worked, then why bother cultivating magic?"

Fang Xi sighed, then said out loud, "Li Rujian, do you dare to come onto the island for a battle?"

"You’re just relying on a second-grade array. The Spirit Sword Sect has been established for many years. Do you think we wouldn’t have a second-grade Prohibition-breaking Talisman as a reserve?"

Li Rujian said mockingly, yet he didn’t actually enter the array, provoked.

He wasn’t a fool. If he really went onto the island and the other party decided to close the gates and attack, even if he was a late-stage Foundation Establishment, it could be the end for him.

"Well then... I won’t rely on the power of the array. Please come onto the island for a battle. If you win, Zhong Hongyu will be at your disposal. If I win, then this matter is settled. How about it?"

Fang Xi looked at Li Rujian, offering a proposal that was very tempting.