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Even with Li Hengsheng's Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body, he couldn't withstand the strike from the Heavenly Maiden Sword, a Divine Weapon!
Feeling his heart ruthlessly pierced by the sharp blade, Li Hengsheng lifted his head to gaze at the face before him. At this moment, the pain from the sword's penetration was not as agonizing as the fact that the person wielding it was the cause of his suffering.
Lu Qiaoqiao, too, closed her eyes as a tear trickled down her cheek upon meeting Li Hengsheng's gaze.
Though she was now Li Xuanxi, she still shared Lu Qiaoqiao's memories and emotions.
The sword seemed to have pierced her own heart as well.
"I'm sorry."
"One day, I will bring you back to life. Then, whether you choose to kill or flay me, it will be up to you!"
After saying this, Lu Qiaoqiao withdrew the sword from Li Hengsheng's heart.
Blood gushed forth, and Li Hengsheng felt his consciousness blur and his body weaken.
Am I dying?
This thought surfaced in Li Hengsheng's mind.
The one killing him was the person he loved most.
How ironic.
To think that a life of just over a decade would end like this.
He had never even seen his mother.
Nor had he been able to show filial piety to his father.
As his consciousness faded, Li Hengsheng felt as if he was falling into a cold world devoid of anything but endless darkness.
Is this what death feels like?
Gradually, his breathing ceased.
Lu Qiaoqiao, seeing that Li Hengsheng had stopped breathing, confirmed his death.
She took a deep breath, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"Why the tears!" Lu Qiaoqiao yelled through clenched teeth, the grief belonging to her, but ever since Li Xuanxi's awakening in Dao Mountain Ancient Land, she had been completely suppressed by Li Xuanxi, unable to break free.
Now, watching Li Hengsheng die before her, how could she not be sorrowful?
Especially since he died by 'her' own hand.
Lu Qiaoqiao took out a small white bottle and began to silently chant an incantation.
The next moment, the stopper of the small white bottle flew out, and a wisp of deathly aura emerged from Li Hengsheng's body!
The aura of death took on a human shape, forcibly extracted by Lu Qiaoqiao from Li Hengsheng's corpse and sealed within the small white bottle.
At the same time, the tree spirit behind Li Hengsheng returned to its original form, releasing its vines from Li Hengsheng's body.
Li Hengsheng's body slumped to the ground.
Lu Qiaoqiao looked at Li Hengsheng's body, silent for a long while, then with a palm strike, she created a deep pit beside the straw hut.
Lu Qiaoqiao placed Li Hengsheng's body into the pit.
"Brother Li, rest in peace." Lu Qiaoqiao took out an object from her bosom, the Qishan Order.
"This was the first thing you gave me. Let it accompany you. It's as if I am by your side. Once I've accomplished what I want to do, I will definitely bring you back to life!" After speaking, Lu Qiaoqiao placed the Qishan Order inside Li Hengsheng's clothes.
Then, the tree spirit covered Li Hengsheng's body with soil.
Completely burying Li Hengsheng under the earth.
"Let's go," Lu Qiaoqiao said to the tree spirit.
The tree spirit nodded, then transformed back into the appearance of Huang Tieshan, and the two left the hut.
The lonely hut.
The freshly turned soil.
And the names carved on the rocks atop the distant mountain.
At this moment, all seemed so ironic and absurd.
When Lu Qiaoqiao and the tree spirit left the valley, Lu Qiaoqiao suddenly saw people waiting for her outside the valley.
Over thirty experts had surrounded the entrance to the valley.
Four at the Prenatal Realm, two at the Prenatal Perfection, and one Grandmaster at the Prenatal Great Perfection level.
The rest were also top-notch experts at the Postnatal Realm.
With such a lineup, Lu Qiaoqiao narrowed her eyes slightly, then smiled and said, "You've found me quite quickly."
"Indeed, you've given me an unexpected surprise."
The tree spirit behind Lu Qiaoqiao stepped forward, standing in front of her.
"Lu Qiaoqiao."
The Grandmaster approached with a gaze sharp as a knife, focusing on Lu Qiaoqiao: "You should know the consequences of betraying the sect."
"I know," Lu Qiaoqiao replied, locking eyes with the Grandmaster and smiling. "I'm well aware of the rules of the Longevity Sect. I just didn't expect that to capture a mere Postnatal martial artist like myself, the distinguished Elder Shao Zi of the Shao family would personally take action. I'm truly honored."
"Enough talk. Hand over the Qishan Order and I might leave you a whole corpse," Shao Zi Wu coldly snorted. "And hand over all the intelligence you've gathered in the Long Night Ancient Nation! You must have found the gate by now. Tell me everything, or you should know that if I take you back to the Longevity Sect, death will not come easily to you."
"Shao Zi Wu," Lu Qiaoqiao smiled. "The Qishan Order is no longer with me. I've lost it. If you want to find it, feel free to look around. Maybe you'll find it in some wild ravine. As for what I found in the Long Night Ancient Nation, that's mine and none of your business. The Longevity Sect is just a pawn to me. What right do you have to command me?"
"It seems you prefer punishment over a toast."
Shao Zi Wu looked down at Lu Qiaoqiao, then frowned and said, "I'm curious where your confidence comes from. Could it be that tree spirit by your side?"
"Where my confidence lies, you're welcome to test it."
Lu Qiaoqiao was clearly fearless.
"Then I am indeed curious." Shao Zi Wu's expression turned grave, his intuition telling him that things were not so simple. Yet, he couldn't see where Lu Qiaoqiao's confidence stemmed from.
The tree spirit was merely an ordinary Prenatal Realm entity, nothing to be feared.
He also didn't sense any hidden experts around.
"Seize her!"
Shao Zi Wu commanded.
"Yes!"
The many experts of the Longevity Sect immediately took action, charging towards Lu Qiaoqiao.
The tree spirit remained steadfast in front of Lu Qiaoqiao, not retreating.
At that moment.
All their movements suddenly froze in place.
As if space and time were sealed, whether they were top-notch Postnatal experts or the Prenatal experts who charged forward, all were shackled in this space and time.
As if time itself was eternally frozen here.
Shao Zi Wu was shocked.
He looked up and saw two figures approaching from the sky.
These two seemed to have sealed space and time, stopping the day and night from changing.
One of them wore plain clothes, seemingly ordinary, yet contained the power of the Great Dao.
The other had a small dog perched on his shoulder, also appearing ordinary, indistinguishable from common folk.
But how could those who walked in the air be ordinary people?
"Luo Xiaochuan!"
Shao Zi Wu was startled upon recognizing one of them.
He never expected Luo Xiaochuan to appear here, and those below, frozen and unable to move, must have been affected by Luo Xiaochuan's Five Absolute Seals!
But Shao Zi Wu didn't expect Luo Xiaochuan's Five Absolute Seals to be so powerful.
He didn't recognize the other person, but Shao Zi Wu noticed that the other's gaze didn't fall on him but on Lu Qiaoqiao below.
The look in his eyes was filled with murderous intent and coldness.
He could feel it even from a great distance.
Lu Qiaoqiao looked up, also stunned, because she hadn't expected to see Li Changqing here.
Facing Li Changqing, Lu Qiaoqiao was momentarily confused.
She was even more surprised that Li Changqing had come with Luo Xiaochuan.
The murderous intent and coldness made Lu Qiaoqiao shiver.
"So the Shao family has people from the Longevity Sect." Luo Xiaochuan looked at Shao Zi Wu and smiled.
Shao Zi Wu's pupils shrank, knowing he was no match for Luo Xiaochuan!
Luo Xiaochuan had already been at the level of the Great Martial Sect decades ago, and even if he hadn't become a land immortal by now, he wasn't far off. Facing Luo Xiaochuan, he had no chance of resistance.
So Shao Zi Wu didn't speak and turned to run.
However, before he could flee, Shao Zi Wu realized he was already immobilized, unable to even sense the Prenatal Essence within his body.
He was like an ordinary person.
"Disperse."
With a wave of Luo Xiaochuan's hand, all those frozen in space and time shattered like glass, and then, they all disintegrated on the spot.
Those people vanished into thin air, turning to ash and disappearing between heaven and earth.
Then Li Changqing and Luo Xiaochuan landed on the ground, approaching Lu Qiaoqiao.
Lu Qiaoqiao looked at Luo Xiaochuan but said nothing.
She turned to Li Changqing, silent for a moment, then pushed past the tree spirit to approach Li Changqing, about to speak.
"Slap!"
Before Lu Qiaoqiao could react, a loud slap landed on her face.
A red handprint immediately appeared on Lu Qiaoqiao's cheek.
Luo Xiaochuan, seeing this, was first stunned, then let out a wry smile, but said nothing.
After all, Li Hengsheng had died at Lu Qiaoqiao's hands, and if it weren't for his presence and the previous agreement with Li Changqing, Li Changqing might have killed Lu Qiaoqiao on the spot.
"I slapped you on behalf of my son," Li Changqing said coldly to Lu Qiaoqiao.
Lu Qiaoqiao felt the burning pain on her face but simply nodded lightly, saying nothing.
Li Changqing didn't look at Lu Qiaoqiao again but walked past her into the small valley.
Watching Li Changqing leave, Lu Qiaoqiao looked at his retreating figure and said, "Luo Xiaochuan, what agreement did you reach with Li Changqing? I killed Li Hengsheng, and he didn't kill me."
This was beyond Lu Qiaoqiao's expectations. She knew how doting Li Changqing was towards his precious son. Li Hengsheng's death could have driven Li Changqing to a killing spree, but now, Li Changqing had merely slapped her and left without a word. This was very strange to Lu Qiaoqiao and didn't seem like Li Changqing's style at all.
"Because a long time ago, Li Changqing had already changed Li Hengsheng's fate against the heavens. Li Hengsheng won't die; otherwise, he would have killed you just now," Luo Xiaochuan said indifferently. "As for the agreement I reached with Li Changqing, it's none of your business."
"Our agreement has also come to an end here. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine. As for the future, it depends on whether we can escape fate." Luo Xiaochuan laughed heartily and soared into the sky, departing.
Lu Qiaoqiao also said, "Tree spirit, let's go."
The tree spirit obediently followed Lu Qiaoqiao, leaving the small valley.
Li Changqing walked up the mountain path, his expression grave. He had sensed something when Li Hengsheng died.
It was only then that Luo Xiaochuan had released him.
During the time Luo Xiaochuan had held him captive, Li Changqing had learned many things from Luo Xiaochuan, things about a world he had never encountered before.
A world that could not be discovered from books.
The secrets of the Cangyuan Realm, even related to Tianhai City, made Li Changqing realize that the seemingly calm Cangyuan Realm was already in turmoil.
Those who planned early would be able to survive in the Cangyuan Realm. People like Li Changqing, who lived foolishly day by day, would eventually become stepping stones for others' success, buried at the bottom of a pile of dead bones.
For himself and his son, Li Changqing chose to cooperate with Luo Xiaochuan.
But this did not mean Li Changqing chose to trust Luo Xiaochuan.
Li Changqing was unsure how much of what this half-immortal said was true and how much was false, and what great ambitions lay hidden behind his mask.
All Li Changqing could do now was to quickly adapt to the temporal flow of the Cangyuan Realm.
Slowly, he entered the courtyard.
Li Changqing saw Li Hengsheng's grave at a glance. It looked so simple, without even a tombstone.
At this moment, Li Changqing felt an indescribable sadness.
Was this the so-called 'white-haired person sending off a black-haired person'?
Suppose it was.
Li Changqing had never imagined he would stand in front of his son's grave.
Fei, on his shoulder, also jumped down and began to dig at the ground with its paws. Seeing this, Li Changqing waved his hand, and the soil in the pit flew out.
Li Hengsheng's body lay there quietly.
Li Changqing raised his hand, and Li Hengsheng's body flew out, landing in front of Li Changqing.
At this moment, Li Changqing saw an iron piece fall out of Li Hengsheng's clothes.
It was the Qishan Order.
Li Changqing held the Qishan Order in his hand, thought for a moment, and threw it into his Acceptance of Rings. Keeping it with Li Hengsheng would surely bring him trouble.
So Li Changqing thought it best to keep the item with him for now.
Then Li Changqing carried Li Hengsheng's body on his shoulder and rode away with Fei into the distance, disappearing into the realm.
***
In Tushan City.
Li Hengsheng had been missing for three days.
These three days had been quite difficult for the Inspector's Office.
Wu Santong and Xu Kui led people everywhere searching for Li Hengsheng's whereabouts, but they found no clues.
Lin Qizhu also inquired everywhere, and Yan Wanghou, despite his old arms and legs, led people out to search. But after three days, there was no result.
Li Hengsheng seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
The Inspector's Office was in a state of panic.
If Li Hengsheng didn't return, wouldn't the situation in White Snake Path, which had been so favorable, revert to its previous state?
The Mu residence and the Hua family, even Caohe Village, heard of Li Hengsheng's disappearance, and each was overjoyed.
When Li Hengsheng was around, he opposed them. Now that he was gone, wouldn't they do as they pleased?
On the second day after Li Hengsheng's disappearance, they all began to act, and their previous businesses started operating again.
Lin Qizhu discovered the Mu residence's business that night and led people to block it, but unexpectedly, it was Mu San from the Mu residence who led the team. Mu San led many experts to clash with the Inspector's Office.
In the end, three of Lin Qizhu's brothers were seriously injured, one died, and Lin Qizhu himself was severely wounded.
The streets of Tushan City were quiet at midnight. Since the Inspector's Office had an incident, even the citizens dared not go out at night.
The sounds of battle on the East Street further confirmed their thoughts. Tushan City was likely to be in chaos again.
Lin Qizhu held a huge battle-axe in front of his chest but was repeatedly shaken back by Mu San's punches. The battle-axe was almost dented by Mu San's blows, and the impact of Mu San's punches was not something Lin Qizhu, at the peak of the Postnatal Realm, could withstand.
Lin Qizhu fled, pursued relentlessly by Mu San.
"Lin Qizhu, you can't escape. You didn't die at the hands of my Mu residence back then. If you had continued to hide, you might have lived a few more years. But now you dare to come back, so I will send you to your death!" Mu San followed leisurely behind.
The Prenatal Essence under his feet was robust and surging, and Mu San's strength was not something Lin Qizhu could compare to.
Lin Qizhu felt a burning pain all over his body. Looking at Mu San, his eyes were filled with murderous intent. It was because of Mu San from the Mu residence that his brothers had died tragically. Unfortunately, seeing Mu San now, he still had no power to avenge them.
Instead, he was being toyed with by Mu San like a mouse!
"Mu San, even if I become a ghost, I won't let you go!" Lin Qizhu spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. He stopped running, raised the giant axe in his hand, his eyes fierce, and his internal energy surged. He was ready to fight Mu San to the death!
"Want to fight? Hehe, good. If this mouse doesn't struggle, how can I have fun!" Mu San sneered, and the next moment, his clothes fluttered as his figure, like a ghost, appeared in front of Lin Qizhu!
A punch was thrown.
The punch seemed to stir up a tsunami, and the mere wind from the punch made Lin Qizhu feel as if he was in the waves, unable to stand firm.
The terrifying force descended, and Lin Qizhu felt it was something he could not resist.
But at that moment, a blade light suddenly fell from the sky, turning into a curtain of blades, actually blocking Mu San's punch!
The blade light split the street in half!
The astonishing blade energy changed Mu San's complexion, and he quickly retreated.
Lin Qizhu was also surprised.
Who had saved him?
Lin Qizhu was shaken back and sat on the ground. When he looked up, he found a burly man standing in front of him!
The burly man held a large knife.
His imposing figure, wearing a coat, with Prenatal Essence filling the air, was a notch stronger than Mu San's.
But Lin Qizhu realized he didn't recognize this person.
Who was he?
Were there such experts in Tushan City?
"Are you from the Inspector's Office?" The burly man turned to ask Lin Qizhu.
"Uh, yes." Lin Qizhu nodded. "I'm a headhunter from the Inspector's Office."
"Then it's alright." The burly man said.
"Who are you?" Mu San demanded, his gaze wary as he looked at the burly man.
"Wan Guifeng," the burly man replied without concealing his identity, speaking calmly.
"Wan Guifeng?" Upon hearing this name, Mu San was initially puzzled about who this person was, but after a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "You're Wan Guifeng, the divine hunter from the Jiangxue Dao Inspector's Office!"
"It's me," Wan Guifeng said simply.
"Is Jiangxue Dao stretching its hands too far, reaching into our White Snake Path?" Mu San said through gritted teeth.
"It has nothing to do with Jiangxue Dao. I was sent by the Inspector himself. I didn't ask for the specifics, but if you want to harm people from the Inspector's Office, that's not going to happen. You'll have to get past my knife first," Wan Guifeng said calmly, lifting the knife in his hand.
"You!"
Mu San was momentarily furious but dared not speak further.
If it really came to a fight, he wouldn't stand a chance against Wan Guifeng.
But if he didn't eliminate Lin Qizhu now, there would be trouble once Li Hengsheng returned.
Lin Qizhu, watching from behind, was also bewildered.
If he remembered correctly, Jiangxue Dao was under the jurisdiction of disciples from the Great Yuan dynasty. Why would someone from the Great Yuan dynasty come to the territory of Dao Mountain Ancient Land to help?
Could it be that Li Hengsheng knew the disciples of the Great Yuan dynasty?
Lin Qizhu could only think of this possibility.
"Lin Qizhu, consider yourself lucky. Wait for me; I, the Mu residence, will take your life sooner or later!" Mu San left these words behind and turned to leave.
"Elder Wan, are we just letting him go?" Lin Qizhu quickly asked.
Wan Guifeng looked back at Lin Qizhu and said, "I'm only here to ensure that the Inspector's Office is not persecuted while Li Hengsheng is away. I can't interfere with your affairs in White Snake Path, or it would be difficult for our Inspector to explain to the Grand Historian of Kingdom Zhen."
"The matter with the Mu residence, you'll have to resolve it yourselves once your Inspector returns."
With those words, Wan Guifeng left.
At that moment, at the city gates of Tushan City, the guards from the Inspector's Office saw something slowly approaching in the darkness.