"The Soulcore Beast is chasing Gu Hong. It shouldn’t return to the cave anytime soon."
"There’s risk, but it’s small."
Three High-Grade First Rank Speed Talismans stuck to Li An’s body as he darted through the forest like a blur.
Fifteen minutes later—
Li An rushed back into the cave and swiftly set up an array.
Back in market, he had bought a mid-grade array and a large number of materials. After some modifications, he had upgraded it to high-grade—powerful enough to deal with a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
He quickly stashed the corpse of the Soulcore Beast into his storage pouch. Just as he turned around, activating his Super Sense Technique, he heard faint movement from the tunnel behind him.
Exactly what he had feared.
His brows furrowed. Without hesitation, he put the corpse back in place, flattened himself against the wall, and altered his appearance while suppressing his aura.
“...The Soulcore Beast!”
Yang Jian rushed in, clearly eager to retrieve the Soulcore Beast's body.
Boom!
Suddenly, the air around him cracked—the high-grade array had activated!
At the same time, seven or eight Cold Rain Talismans exploded around him, locking up his body. Almost instantly, a barrage of Flame Talismans and Earth Pit Talismans followed, overwhelming him with blinding force.
“No—!”
Yang Jian cried out, activating a magical treasure to barely block the attack. But the array's pressure left him immobilized.
A shadow stepped out of the darkness. A long blade appeared in the figure’s hand, slashing toward Yang Jian. In response, Yang Jian drew a blade, but the shadow opened a black umbrella just in time to block it—hundreds of poisoned needles burst out from the umbrella and rained down on him.
“Arghhh!”
Yang Jian let out a piercing scream. The attacker tossed the umbrella aside and slammed a palm into him. Thunder roared with the strike.
Though wounded, Yang Jian gritted his teeth and raised an arm to withstand the onslaught. Despite his injuries, he didn’t fall. Even after all this, he held his ground!
The difference in cultivation was still vast. Yang Jian was at the peak of Qi Refining, while Li An was only at the Seventh Layer. Even with talismans, arrays, and magical tools, it was still difficult to finish him head-on.
After several exchanges, Li An suddenly leaped back into the air, unleashing another round of talisman explosions—
Flame Talismans, Armor-Breaking Talismans...
"How is this possible?!"
Yang Jian’s eyes widened in disbelief. How could someone in the Qi Refining stage use so many talismans in such a short time?
Talismans consumed mental energy. Most talisman users could only handle three to five in quick succession—yet this man had used dozens?!
He tried to defend, but suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood—bright blue blood.
Poisoned!
“The needles... even his hands were laced with poison?!”
His mind crumbled. Was he fighting a devil?
More talismans detonated. He screamed again, his body drenched in blood, protective gear shattered and failing.
Looking down in pain, he saw a dagger embedded in his chest—right through his heart.
“You…”
His eyes filled with rage and disbelief—then went still as he collapsed to the ground.
Li An forced himself to stay standing. He activated two more Fire Talismans and burned Yang Jian’s corpse before collecting the Soulcore Beast’s body and bolting out of the cave.
“Damn it… I’m out of time—”
He heard faint rumbling near the cave entrance.
The Soulcore Beast… it had returned?
Li An remained calm. He wedged himself into a deep crevice along the tunnel wall, burying himself under rubble.
Earlier, when Gu Hong detonated the formation, part of the cave had collapsed, creating numerous pits and hollows. He took advantage of that terrain, activated the Life-Nurturing Immortal Forging Art, and fully concealed his presence. He didn’t move a muscle. He even pressed a Soul Suppression Talisman to his forehead for protection.
Moments later, he heard the Soulcore Beast return.
Discovering its mate’s corpse was gone, the mother beast roared in fury.
The roar carried a powerful soul shockwave, but Li An remained completely still.
The mother beast rampaged through the cave, crashing into walls, splashing water everywhere. Li An could even feel it scanning the area with divine sense—it was searching for the thief.
But thanks to the Life-Nurturing Immortal Forging Art, Li An’s presence mimicked stone and roots. Even a Second Rank spirit beast’s divine sense couldn’t detect him.
Three days passed before the Soulcore Beast finally calmed down. Now and then, it let out soft, sorrowful howls.
It had accepted the truth.
The Soul Suppression Talisman on Li An’s forehead had long expired, but he remained as still as a rock.
Just like that, a month went by.
Li An didn’t eat, didn’t drink. Even his breathing slowed to a crawl. His body had grown gaunt, but he clung to hope.
He’d noticed the Soulcore Beast left the cave during moonlit nights. Li An guessed it was absorbing moonlight to temper its divine sense—moonlight was known to aid in that.
By the second month, he began to move, but cautiously.
He didn’t flee outright. He suspected the Soulcore Beast never went far, likely lingering near the mountain peak—where the moonlight was brightest and the view unobstructed.
Too risky to make a break for it all at once.
So, night after night, he crept a few dozen meters toward the entrance, then hid in pits and craters.
After a month of this inch-by-inch progress, he was finally only a few dozen meters from the exit.
And still—he waited another half month.
Only when the midday sun blazed and the air turned sweltering, did he act.
He had learned the Soulcore Beast disliked the heat. It was likely asleep.
He swallowed a Recovery Pill and circulated his spiritual power through his meridians, then suddenly sprang forward, Speed Talismans igniting as he raced out of the cave.
The noise of his escape startled the Soulcore Beast, but it didn’t chase him.
For one, his life aura had been masked—it didn’t register him as the one who killed its mate.
Two, he was already too far. Chasing would be pointless.
Li An escaped.
Outside, he gulped down fresh air and sprinted into the distance.
Ten Days Later
Outskirts of the Cloud Mirage Mountains, in a secluded forest.
"Fellow Daoist Gu Hong! Are you here?!"
Tattered and bloodied, Li An stumbled into the forest.
This was the rendezvous point he and Gu Hong had agreed upon—if they got separated inside the Cloud Mirage Mountains and couldn’t regroup, they’d meet here once safe.
But there was no reply.
Li An activated his Super Sense Technique. There were signs someone had been here recently. Gu Hong had likely stayed here but gone off temporarily.
Relieved, he found a large tree to rest under. Fatigue overwhelmed him, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
"Li An! Li An!"
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but a familiar voice pulled him back.
Gu Hong’s voice—urgent, joyous.
Li An struggled to open his eyes and saw her tear-filled gaze staring down at him, full of concern.
She threw her arms around him.
"I thought… I thought I’d never see you again!"
(End of Chapter)