Boom!
A violent, berserk pressure swept across a hundred li.
Li Guanqi’s expression froze, and his breath caught in his throat. He resisted the crushing weight with everything he had, murmuring in disbelief, “Is this the might of the Heavenly Immortal realm?”
High above Yuxu City, an enraged Zhao Chengyong unleashed his aura without restraint.
Suddenly!
A streak of light shot skyward from Yuxu City’s Castellan Manor.
A middle-aged man clad in an opulent azure robe soared into the air, a formidable pressure erupting from within him.
Boom!
This counter-pressure completely checked Zhao Chengyong’s aura.
“Vice Hall Master Zhao, making such a brazen show of force in my Yuxu City—are you taking me for granted?”
Beyond that, the pressure radiating from the man was distinctly hostile. The followers accompanying Zhao Chengyong couldn't withstand it; one after another, they plummeted violently from the sky!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dull impacts echoed as their bodies smashed deep craters into the earth.
Zhao Chengyong frowned slightly, turning to face the azure-robed man before speaking in a low voice. “Lin Chuanqing! It has been years. I didn't expect you to have reached the sixth-tier Heavenly Immortal realm…”
At that moment, Li Guanqi called out urgently through an inscribed talisman affixed to Qi Mobai. “Qi Mobai! If you can hear me, run! Now!”
Qi Mobai, who was in the middle of packing his belongings, stiffened. He looked around in confusion until he finally noticed the inscribed talisman stuck to his back.
“Huh? Fellow Daoist Wine? Why?”
Li Guanqi spoke at lightning speed. “I killed someone, and their vengeance has come knocking! You helped me find the soul seal, and the scent broke at your shop. It won’t be long before they come after you!”
Qi Mobai was no fool. He had naturally sensed the terrifying pressure hanging over the city.
Gulp…
“Brother… just what kind of people did you provoke?!”
With that, Qi Mobai abandoned everything he had been packing, threw on a black cloak, turned, and bolted.
Up in the sky, Lin Chuanqing clasped one hand behind his back, narrowing his eyes as he looked coldly at Zhao Chengyong, whose aura was fluctuating. “Spare me the reminiscing; we aren't that close. If you’re here in Yuxu City on business, you’re welcome. But… you must abide by Yuxu City’s rules. Disobey them, and don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
As he spoke, he slowly reached into the void and drew out a three-foot azure blade.
Zhao Chengyong’s brow furrowed tightly, his pupils constricting slightly. “Hmph…”
With a cold snort, Zhao Chengyong glanced down at his subordinates lying coughing blood in the craters, unable to move. “My son Zhao He was murdered, and the scent of his soul seal is here in Yuxu City. I am looking for someone. Once I find them, I will leave of my own accord!”
Lin Chuanqing’s expression darkened. “So you’re dead set on refusing to give me face, are you? Whose hands your son died by has nothing to do with me!”
Just as the words left his mouth, a slender figure drifted gracefully into the sky.
The fair-skinned young man was exceptionally handsome, his brow and eyes carrying a touch of otherworldly allure. The five ancient golden rings on his right hand were particularly striking.
“Uncle, did something happen?”
The moment Lin Wujiu appeared, Zhao Chengyong’s heart lurched in sheer terror!
Staring fixedly at Lin Wujiu, Zhao Chengyong swallowed hard, his throat bobbing slightly. *Lin Wujiu of the Qinzhou Lin family! Why is he here?! Uncle… Could Lin Chuanqing also be a member of the Lin family?!*
Knowing full well what the Qinzhou Lin family represented, Zhao Chengyong was genuinely terrified. In Qinzhou, the Lin family was the very sky!
Lin Chuanqing looked at his monstrously gifted nephew with a smile. “It’s nothing. Go back inside.”
Lin Wujiu, however, merely cast a downward glance at Zhao Chengyong, completely disregarding him. “I know of you. You’re the vice hall master of the Tianshu Hall, correct?”
Zhao Chengyong’s face paled slightly. He hastily dropped to one knee midair and bowed his head respectfully. “Zhao Chengyong, Vice Hall Master of the Tianshu Ascension Hall, pays his respects to Young Master Lin.”
Lin Wujiu frowned faintly, uttering two emotionless words: “Get lost.”
With that, Lin Wujiu took Lin Chuanqing by the arm and turned to leave.
Zhao Chengyong’s face turned the color of pig’s liver, yet he could only swallow the humiliation and reply, “Yes, I shall be gone at once.”
Without another word, he actually led his people straight out of Yuxu City.
Yet the moment they crossed the city boundary, Zhao Chengyong’s expression shifted, and he whipped his head around!
Closing his eyes, he caught a faint, lingering wisp of an aura drifting from the distance.
Swish!
Zhao Chengyong cast a glance back toward Yuxu City and sent a low mental transmission: “There is someone to the northeast. Seize him! He bears the scent of my son’s soul seal!”
Hearing this, several figures behind him shot forward instantly!
Sprinting blindly forward, Qi Mobai suddenly sensed several overwhelmingly powerful auras closing in at terrifying speed, and panic seized his heart. He was merely an herbalist; combat was never his forte, nor was he particularly fast. At this rate, he would be overtaken within ten breaths.
Watching this unfold, Li Guanqi felt dread pooling in his stomach, torn by agonizing indecision.
The weakest among those pursuing Qi Mobai was at the second-tier Mystic Immortal realm! The leader, a man in black armor, was the fastest, possessing cultivation of at least the fourth-tier Mystic Immortal realm. Even if Li Guanqi intervened, it would achieve nothing. Not only would he fail to save Qi Mobai, but he would also get dragged down with him!
*What should I do… Save him, or not?!*
Showing himself meant certain death.
Yet if he did nothing, Qi Mobai would undoubtedly die, and through him, the pursuers might trace clues back to Li Guanqi himself. More importantly, Qi Mobai was only in this disaster because of him—an entirely innocent victim caught in the crossfire.
Li Guanqi ground his teeth. Ultimately, reason told him that under no circumstances could he intervene right now. Even if he were to bide his time and plan a rescue, he could not make a move at this very moment!
Within a few breaths, golden chains bound Qi Mobai firmly to the earth.
The lead man delivered two brutal punches, knocking the bile right out of Qi Mobai's stomach. His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness on the spot.
Hauling Qi Mobai by his hair, the man dragged him back to Zhao Chengyong. “Hall Master, the person has been captured.”
Zhao Chengyong looked at Qi Mobai with a slight furrow of his brows. Reaching out, he lifted him into the air, glaring into the limp figure's face before shaking his head. “How could a piece of trash like this ever kill my son? Besides, word from the hall said those two cultivators displayed terrifying might. Moreover, this fellow is merely a single cultivator at the Ascension realm—no matter how capable, he couldn't possibly have broken through to the Mystic Immortal realm.”
Zhao Chengyong cast a final, wary glance toward Yuxu City and frowned. Tossing Qi Mobai to the subordinate behind him, he gave a cold snort.
“Let's go. Take him back to the hall first!”
With that, the group took to the skies and departed Yuxu City.
Hidden behind a rocky outcrop on the mountain, Li Guanqi concealed his aura to the absolute limit. Watching Qi Mobai being carried away, a sharp pang of guilt struck his chest. There was no need to guess—taken captive like that, Qi Mobai stood almost no chance of surviving.
Once Zhao Chengyong and his entourage had vanished into the distance, Li Guanqi slowly stood up and changed into a white robe. After ascending to the Immortal Realm and breaking through to the Mystic Immortal realm, his aura had undergone a complete transformation compared to his time in the mortal realm. His appearance had also subtly shifted, becoming more striking and fair-complexioned.
Li Guanqi took several deep breaths. Standing on the mountainside with knitted brows, his heart waged a bitter struggle.
He didn't know what to do.
Should he risk his life for Qi Mobai?
Chapter 1577