Translator: AnubisTL
Returning to the familiar mountain forest, Li Qing's spirits soared. Without hesitation, he released Fan Tong and prepared to ride the demon beast to Heavenly River Market.
"Awoo!"
The majestic Fan Tong roared skyward, reveling in its wild nature. Though the spiritual energy in the forest wasn't as abundant as in Longevity Valley, the demon beast still found it pleasantly invigorating.
"Let's go! To Heavenly River Market!" Li Qing called out with a grin.
No sooner had the words left his lips than Fan Tong surged forward at blistering speed. Despite the complex terrain of the dense forest, its pace remained almost unaffected, as if the beast were swimming through water.
Moments after the pair departed, a portly figure emerged from the thick undergrowth—Liu Tianbao, the man who had previously offered to buy Fan Tong!
Liu Tianbao's face was taut with tension, but his eyes burned with covetous desire. "That tiger demon is truly formidable," he muttered. "With such a powerful ally, my chances at next year's Ascension Conference would be greatly improved!"
As the words left his lips, Liu Tianbao's eyes hardened with resolve.
"Enough! I snuck out without anyone noticing. Even if I kill him, no one will ever suspect me."
"Once I become a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect, who would dare question me then?"
With that, Liu Tianbao retrieved a large palm-leaf fan from his storage pouch. He climbed onto it with his bulky frame and soared after them on this improvised flying artifact.
After half a day of riding Fan Tong, Li Qing's earlier carefree demeanor had vanished, replaced by grim concentration.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Though facing forward, his senses were entirely focused on what lay behind him. His Grandmaster-level hearing picked up the faint sound of something cutting through the air in pursuit.
He was being followed!
The realization brought a plump figure to mind, and a flicker of murderous intent flashed through Li Qing's eyes.
Leaning forward slightly, he pressed one hand to his chest while his other casually rested on his storage pouch.
Fan Tong, now bearing the Blood Pact Seal, could sense the faint ripples in Li Qing's mental state.
"Roar!"
Fan Tong let out a low growl and immediately quickened his pace.
Finally realizing he could no longer conceal himself, Liu Tianbao swiftly activated the large palm-leaf fan beneath his feet, causing his speed to surge dramatically.
"Fellow Daoist Liu of the Liu Clan, even a thousand-mile journey ends with parting. Surely such excessive hospitality is unnecessary?" Li Qing shouted cheerfully from Fan Tong's muscular back.
"Hmph, Fellow Daoist Li, you'd best stop right there. My Liu Clan has lost a precious treasure, and I'm under orders to apprehend you and retrieve it," Liu Tianbao replied grimly, his face darkening upon realizing his cover had been blown. This was his first time attempting such a murderous scheme, and it was impossible not to feel nervous.
But he's just a rogue cultivator who spends his days mining, and his cultivation is a level below mine. How could he possibly stand a chance against me?
With this thought, Liu Tianbao regained his composure and confidently channeled more energy into his Magic Artifact, preparing to subdue Li Qing in one swift move.
Li Qing scoffed inwardly, instantly recognizing his pursuer as an inexperienced novice. He's recklessly expending his mana to chase me? Does he think I'm made of clay?
Instead of stopping to fight, Li Qing signaled Fan Tong to maintain their current speed, but not to accelerate further. Let's bleed his mana first, he thought. A cultivator below the Foundation Establishment Realm attempting such prolonged flight on a magical artifact is practically courting death.
Li Qing shouted, "Hahahaha! I, Li Qing, walk a righteous path and would never stoop to such petty theft as you accuse me of. If your clan has lost a treasure, you'd be wise not to waste your time on me."
Liu Tianbao relentlessly pursued, shouting, "Whether you're guilty or not, Fellow Daoist Li, just stop and return to the clan with me for a simple investigation. I guarantee we'll clear your name if you're innocent."
Hearing this flimsy excuse, a simmering anger began to rise within Li Qing. He never imagined that the first Bandit Cultivator he'd encounter would be from the Liu Clan.
Still, he refused to turn and fight, choosing instead to continue leading his pursuer on a wild chase.
Fan Tong maintained a perfect distance from his pursuer, Liu Tianbao, giving him the illusion that he was just one final burst of speed away from catching up.
After a considerable time, as Liu Tianbao began to sense his mana reserves dwindling, he belatedly realized he'd been played.
Yet this realization only reinforced his conviction: his opponent was nothing but a pushover, too cowardly to stop and fight, content only to flee!
Immediately, Liu Tianbao, still airborne, formed a hand seal and unleashed a spell.
Boom!
Several wooden spikes materialized out of thin air and hurtled toward Li Qing.
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
Sensing the surge of spiritual energy behind him, Li Qing reacted instantly. He planted one hand firmly on Fan Tong's muscular tiger-like back and vaulted upward.
At that moment, his Vital Energy erupted violently, propelling him into the air like a soaring roc.
Mid-air, Li Qing retrieved the Black Furnace from his storage pouch. With a single powerful flick of his wrist, he hurled the massive, pitch-black forge forward with devastating force.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Black Furnace had blocked all the wooden spikes hurtling toward him, remaining unscathed.
Using the recoil from pushing the furnace away, Li Qing propelled himself backward.
Mid-air, he grabbed a thick tree trunk, barely managing to steady himself. Below, Fan Tong, following Li Qing's signal, vanished into the forest, transforming into a tiger poised to strike.
The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye. Li Qing and Fan Tong had separated before Liu Tianbao could even react.
In combat, speed was paramount, a truth Li Qing understood intimately.
No sooner had he regained his balance than he drew several offensive talismans from his robes, launching them directly at his opponent.
Fire Rain Talisman! Thunder Flash Talisman!
Boom!
A crimson firestorm erupted across the forest floor, interwoven with streaks of violet lightning, creating a deadly maelstrom.
Against an enemy, Li Qing would never hesitate to spend spirit stones. His eyes glinted coldly as he tightened his grip on another Ice Arrow Talisman.
Panic seized Liu Tianbao. He had completely underestimated the speed and ferocity of Li Qing's counterattack.
Even with limited combat experience, Liu Tianbao knew he couldn't withstand the barrage head-on. If he couldn't evade it, he had to find a way to block it.
"Profound Willow Shield!"
He pulled out a shield made of Spirit Willow Wood and frantically channeled spiritual energy into it, activating its protective barrier.
The Profound Willow Shield quickly emitted a dense, emerald-green light, repelling the overwhelming fire rain and lightning bolts.
Li Qing remained patient. Instead of activating another Ice Arrow Talisman, he observed Liu Tianbao's next move. Maintaining two Magic Artifacts simultaneously would undoubtedly drain Liu Tianbao's mana significantly. Li Qing was content to wait for his opponent's mana to exhaust before striking the defenseless prey.
Liu Tianbao understood this strategy. Realizing that continuing to fly was a waste of spiritual energy and made him an easy target, he immediately landed.
But Li Qing had anticipated this. The moment Liu Tianbao touched down, Li Qing retracted the Ice Arrow Talisman and drew a massive hammer covered in glowing spirit patterns.
Boom!
Li Qing leaped downward, his Vital Energy and mana surging simultaneously.
The spirit patterns on the Peerless Hammer lit up with spiritual light as both the Earth and Fire Attribute Spirit Patterns activated simultaneously.
As he swung the hammer, Li Qing roared, "Fan Tong!"
Before the echo of Li Qing's shout had even faded, a thunderous tiger's roar immediately answered!
ROAR!
Suddenly, a massive, fiercely majestic, and vibrantly striped giant tiger materialized.
Fan Tong hadn't fled far at all. After vanishing into the forest, he had stealthily stalked closer.
The moment Li Qing dismounted, he had secretly affixed an Aura Concealment Talisman to Fan Tong.
With the talisman masking his presence and Liu Tianbao's undivided attention focused on Li Qing, the youth had naturally failed to notice Fan Tong's approach.
The tiger pounced!
Fan Tong's colossal frame seemed to blot out the sky, and the dense Tiger Force radiating from his body sent shivers down one's spine.
Thud!
The tiger's powerful paw slammed down, tearing through Liu Tianbao's loose-fitting magical robe and ripping gashes into his flesh. Blood sprayed wildly from the wounds.
True to his ambush tactic, Fan Tong didn't linger. The moment his blow struck, he retreated swiftly.
Immediately after, Li Qing descended from above, the Peerless Hammer gripped in his hands!
Boom!
A deafening impact shook the air. The already immensely heavy Peerless Hammer, now imbued with Earth Attribute Spirit Patterns, delivered a blow of devastating force.
Even with the Profound Willow Shield's defense, the terrifying force still reverberated through Liu Tianbao's body.
In the next moment, Li Qing and Fan Tong launched a simultaneous assault, unleashing a relentless barrage that left Liu Tianbao completely overwhelmed.
Wounded and bleeding profusely, Liu Tianbao's will crumbled under the onslaught of pain.
Finally, under the force of Li Qing's spiritual energy-infused strike, the Earth Attribute Spirit Patterns on the Peerless Hammer erupted in a violent surge.
Bang!
Liu Tianbao, who had been desperately clinging to the Profound Willow Shield, could no longer withstand the overwhelming power.
The devastating force shattered his defenses, sending the shield flying from his grasp.
Stripped of his Magic Artifact, Liu Tianbao was now utterly defenseless, like a fish on a chopping block.
But Li Qing remained vigilant. He swiftly thrust a finger toward a vital point on Liu Tianbao's neck, channeling his self-developed Martial Art—the Limitless Art!
The technique instantly immobilized Liu Tianbao, slowing the flow of blood through his neck to a sluggish trickle, nearly stopping altogether.
Only after securing his opponent did Li Qing finally relax slightly, his gaze turning cold as he stared down at Liu Tianbao.
He found himself torn between killing this man and sparing him.
Li Qing hesitated, not out of pity, but because Liu Tianbao was a member of the Liu Clan, not some rootless rogue cultivator. Killing him rashly could bring considerable trouble.
"Sigh, why bother?" Li Qing said. "You can't even beat me, yet you foolishly dream of standing out at the Ascension Conference and becoming a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect."
"What an idiot," he continued. "Do you really think adding a demon beast companion would bridge the gap between you and those Late Qi Refining Realm cultivators?"
Li Qing sighed again. He just wanted to develop peacefully, but these fools kept throwing themselves at him.
Liu Tianbao, seeing Li Qing's hesitation, realized the man might be afraid to kill him. As if remembering something, he immediately threatened, "You can't kill me! I'm from the Liu Clan! If you dare lay a hand on me, my family elders will never let you live!"
"Hahaha! Moreover, my father implanted a Restriction on me. The moment I die, everything that just happened here will be transmitted directly to my clan!"
"You'd better let me go right now!"
Li Qing's expression tightened slightly. He was relieved he hadn't acted rashly; otherwise, the Liu Clan would have been alerted immediately, bringing endless trouble.
However, seeing the venomous hatred in the man's eyes, Li Qing knew that even if he let him escape today, he'd never have another peaceful day.
A surge of anger flooded Li Qing's heart.
Why should you be allowed to kill me, but I can't retaliate? Just because you're from the Liu Clan, you think you're invincible?!
But as quickly as it had flared, Li Qing's anger vanished, replaced by cold ruthlessness and unwavering resolve.
"Heh heh, just as I thought—you're a complete idiot."
"If you hadn't told me about this, the Liu Clan might never have found out what happened here today. But now... heh heh, let's see if your Liu Clan's Restriction can transmit a signal across an entire world!"
Liu Tianbao was momentarily bewildered. His voice trembled as he stammered, "A world? What do you mean?"
But Li Qing had no intention of answering. He struck Liu Tianbao's dantian with a palm, completely obliterating his cultivation.
Then, with a series of precise finger flicks, strands of Inner Strength, like venomous snakes, slithered into Liu Tianbao's body, systematically shredding every meridian.
In an instant, Liu Tianbao's eyes turned bloodshot. He realized his cultivation was gone, and the agonizing pain from his shattered meridians drove him to the brink of madness.
But Li Qing flicked his finger again, sealing Liu Tianbao's throat and stifling his scream.
Like a mute swallowing a slap—the pain unbearable, but he couldn't cry out!
The next moment, now a crippled shell, Liu Tianbao felt the world around him ripple outward like disturbed water, dissolving into a dreamlike haze.
Soon, the lush mountain forest vanished entirely, replaced by a pitch-black realm of bone-chilling cold.
It was like hell itself.
(End of the Chapter)
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