I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals 174

## Chapter 174: Speed is Everything

Song Wenshu received the storage pouch and scanned it with his spiritual sense, a smile finally appearing on his face.

He had only received a portion of the bribe, but the speed at which he was earning spirit stones was ten times his salary in the Li Huo Palace.

“Junior Brother Song, you have more connections in the Li Huo Palace. Can you help your senior brother get a talisman treasure, even a partially depleted one will do?”

Senior Brother Zhuo swallowed a healing pill and pleaded.

Although the power of the rudimentary magic weapon was great and it didn’t limit the number of times it could be used, for someone at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, it was quite a drain, especially on their spiritual sense.

Earlier, his rudimentary magic weapon had been restrained by the talisman treasure of the female cultivator, leaving him unable to activate other magic artifacts.

Even activating high-quality attack talismans was laborious, he could only use defensive talismans.

The advantage of talisman treasures was that they required only a small amount of spiritual energy to activate and refine, and the burden on the spiritual sense was lower than rudimentary magic weapons.

The disadvantage was that they had a limited number of uses, making them less cost-effective.

“It’s hard to get one through normal channels,”

Song Wenshu shook his head. “Each talisman treasure corresponds to a specific magic weapon of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and their origins are almost always traceable. I only have one, which I need for self-defense while on patrol in the surrounding area.”

Even if he went to great lengths to obtain a talisman treasure, if Senior Brother Zhuo used it to commit crimes outside, wouldn’t it expose him?

“Junior brother has a quasi-third-order escape talisman here, take it and use it, Senior Brother Zhuo.”

Song Wenshu thought for a moment and took out a talisman.

“Thank you, Junior Brother Song.”

Senior Brother Zhuo accepted the talisman, his face brightening, and he gave Song Wenshu a bag of spirit stones.

A quasi-third-order escape talisman corresponded to the level of a False Core cultivator.

If he had such a talisman, he wouldn’t have had to pay a high price and consume his lifespan and vital energy to use the “Blood Shadow Escape”.

“By the way, how’s your preparation for the materials for your Core Formation?”

“It’s difficult, the key main ingredients are impossible to find, I can only rely on luck in the black market. Currently, the progress is less than 30%…”

Senior Brother Zhuo chuckled wryly:

“Unlike Junior Brother Song, with the Li Huo Palace backing you, you get some support from the higher-ups, you just need to accumulate enough spirit stones and contributions, which is easier to obtain the Crystallization Pill and Core Formation spirit materials than outside…”

…

Several miles away, Lu Changan listened to their conversation.

“Good thing I played it safe, the waters here are a bit deep.”

When he fought the Black Night Fisherman, he had already felt that the man’s cultivation technique was beyond the ordinary, even surpassing Zhao Siyao, the elite Foundation Establishment cultivator from Jin Yun Valley.

He didn’t look like a casual cultivator.

He had seen countless cases of black and white collusion in his past life, so there was no need to be surprised.

It seemed that Song Wenshu and the escaped “Black Night Fisherman” had a close relationship.

Song Wenshu had a considerable background in the Li Huo Palace, though not a direct disciple of any inner sect elder, but at least had connections with the higher-ups.

Lu Changan’s displayed strength and means had already reached the limit of a normal mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He had only been a second-order superior talisman master for a few years, and it wasn’t suitable to show a quasi-third-order talisman or treasure talisman, corresponding to the False Core level.

Unlike the female cultivator, who had been at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years and was already a quasi-third-order array master in public. If not for her cultivation restrictions, her actual attainments might be close to those of a third-order array master.

If he had gone overboard and killed the Black Night Fisherman, it would most likely have left Song Wenshu with a grudge, and he might even have come to the attention of the Li Huo Palace higher-ups.

…

In the ruins of the cellar.

Song Wenshu and Senior Brother Zhuo had almost finished their conversation.

“It’s not convenient for me to appear now, I’ll go to Wu Qi Mountain in a few days to gauge their response. I believe they won’t keep harping on this matter.”

Song Wenshu stood up.

“Good, it’s not good to stay here long, I’ll find a place to heal. After a few years, I’ll come back to your patrol area.”

Senior Brother Zhuo chuckled, his spiritual energy somewhat restored.

Song Wenshu was the first to return to the surface, cautiously checking the surroundings, covering for the injured Senior Brother Zhuo to leave.

“They haven’t chased after us for so long, it seems the two peak masters of Wu Qi Mountain were misled or have given up.”

Senior Brother Zhuo glanced in the direction of Wu Qi Mountain, unable to hide his resentment.

Song Wenshu wanted to say a few words of consolation but sighed and said nothing.

With Senior Brother Zhuo’s vengeful nature, even if he tried to persuade him, it would be useless. He would definitely seek revenge on Wu Qi Mountain in the future.

Song Wenshu covered for Senior Brother Zhuo, flying for hundreds of miles.

At a certain mountain range, the two parted ways.

Song Wenshu returned to the residence of the law enforcement cultivators.

Senior Brother Zhuo flew towards the northeastern region of Liang Guo, bordering the territory of the Mo family, one of the seven great families.

He changed his attire, removing his hat and black robe, transforming into a handsome young man in brocade robes, about twenty years old.

…

At midnight.

Senior Brother Zhuo had been separated from Song Wenshu for half an hour.

Due to his injuries, he wasn’t flying fast, barely exceeding the speed of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound came from ahead, and a遁光 (Dun Guang, a form of swift movement technique) gently approached.

Senior Brother Zhuo was on guard.

Sensing that it was a Foundation Establishment early-stage spiritual energy fluctuation, he felt a slight sense of relief.

In his current state, it would be difficult to fight a seasoned mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. He would need to rely on his trump cards to win.

An early Foundation Establishment cultivator was a lesser threat, not fitting the identities of the three peak masters of Wu Qi Mountain.

When the遁光 (Dun Guang) approached, Senior Brother Zhuo was slightly stunned.

The person who came was a female cultivator in black robes, her face delicate, her eyes like autumn water, her figure graceful and slender.

“Pei Qiu Yan?”

Senior Brother Zhuo recognized her identity at a glance.

Back then, they had chased after the Pei siblings near Wu Qi Mountain, but the injured Pei Qiu Yan managed to escape due to the arrival of Li Huo Palace cultivators.

The female cultivator in black robes looked pale, and upon seeing Senior Brother Zhuo, she also looked wary, cautiously moving away to the side.

This gesture made Senior Brother Zhuo lower his guard.

“This woman seems to be badly injured…”

He secretly observed her with his spiritual sense, confirming that it was indeed Pei Qiu Yan, whom he had chased before, there was no mistaking it.

He had not expected to encounter her tonight when he was injured.

Senior Brother Zhuo’s mind raced, if he were at his peak, he would have acted without hesitation, capturing this woman.

But at this moment, his strength was less than 50% of his peak, and it was not advisable to make a move.

However, Pei Qiu Yan was also injured, and weak, making her a high-probability target.

This situation made him somewhat conflicted.

If during his time of recuperation and avoiding detection, he had such a beautiful woman to attend to, he would be looking forward to such a life.

Ultimately, reason barely prevailed.

Senior Brother Zhuo reluctantly withdrew his spiritual sense and gaze.

If he looked at her for another second, he would be unable to resist taking action.

“Humph! You lecher! What are you looking at?”

The black-robed beauty snarled, displeased with Senior Brother Zhuo’s scrutiny.

That voice reached Senior Brother Zhuo’s ears, sounding like a soft and seductive mixture of reproach and shyness.

“Hmm?”

Senior Brother Zhuo’s mind went blank, his heart burning.

In his vision, Pei Qiu Yan was full of charm, with her hairpins askew and her skirt partially undone, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.

“No! This is an illusion…”

Even though he was injured and far from his peak, Senior Brother Zhuo quickly realized this and immediately bit the tip of his tongue.

The stinging pain helped him to quickly break free from the illusion.

The next moment.

He felt a fragrant gust of wind, a sharp whistle, its speed reaching the level of a False Core cultivator.

It was even faster than his “Blood Shadow Escape”.

“You…”

Looking at the cold and beautiful face that had suddenly closed the distance, Senior Brother Zhuo’s heart leaped, a sense of absurdity and terror mixed with it.

In a hurry, he activated his protective spiritual shield, one hand reaching for the object hidden in his sleeve.

Boom! Crack!

His protective spiritual shield, comparable to that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, shattered like a dream bubble as soon as it was touched by that dainty “pink fist”.

“Ah…”

After a scream, Senior Brother Zhuo felt as if he had been hit by a human-shaped Tyrannosaurus Rex, his entire body shaking violently, sending him flying backward for dozens of meters.

The powerful impact nearly caused him to faint, his mind blank for a moment.

Crack!

His internal organs ruptured, bones cracked.

Amid the intense pain, he vomited blood, barely maintaining his consciousness.

He tried to activate his spiritual energy, but there was no response.

His dantian was completely silent, unresponsive.

“No need to struggle, that punch has already ruined your cultivation.”

A cold woman’s voice came.

Senior Brother Zhuo’s flying body had not yet landed when a woman’s jade hand grabbed his neck, placing a restriction on him.

The black-robed beauty floated in mid-air, a green talisman slightly larger than normal stuck on her ribs, the aura it emitted faintly surpassed that of a quasi-third-order talisman.

The Pei Qiu Yan in front of him was actually Lu Changan disguised using the “Hundred Illusions Mask”.

This time, he attempted a new approach to capture and kill the gravely injured peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It was simply speed!

An accelerated treasure talisman he had nurtured for years, boosted his speed to a terrifying level, combined with his second-order peak physical strength, achieving an optimal killing effect.

Even if the target had a soul artifact and was not afraid of a second-order peak Soul-Heart Talisman, it was hard to escape when confronted at such close range with blinding speed.

…

“You… who are you?”

Senior Brother Zhuo, his cultivation ruined, was like a mortal placed under a restriction by a cultivator, his heart sinking to the bottom.

He was utterly despairing, staring fixedly at the cold and beautiful woman in front of him.

At this moment, he just wanted to know the truth.

The real Pei Qiu Yan, even ten of her, would be no match for the woman in front of him.

Her physical strength alone was comparable to a second-order peak demonic beast, and her explosive speed slightly surpassed that of a normal False Core cultivator.

“Who I am is not important.”

The black-robed beauty remained expressionless, pressing a mute point on Senior Brother Zhuo’s neck.

She took his storage pouch, then took the two talismans from his sleeve.

Those two talismans were actually quasi-third-order, including an escape talisman and an attack talisman.

Just these two talismans could make up for Lu Changan’s losses in today’s battle.

Lu Changan didn’t immediately check Senior Brother Zhuo’s storage pouch. Based on the behavior of the Black Night Fisherman, colluding with the righteous path, his net worth was definitely far greater than that of an ordinary peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After confirming that there were no other tricks up Senior Brother Zhuo’s sleeve, he put him into a large sack.

He cleaned up the scene, erased all traces.

Lu Changan, carrying Senior Brother Zhuo, quickly left the scene of the incident.

From his appearance to the capture of Senior Brother Zhuo, it all took only a few breaths, without much fighting sound.

Lu Changan’s spiritual sense had noticed that there were no cultivators nearby.

…

He flew for hundreds of miles.

Lu Changan found a secluded spot before starting to crack the restrictions on Senior Brother Zhuo’s storage pouch.

Senior Brother Zhuo was seriously injured, fearing he might die, Lu Changan even treated his wounds with the Evergreen Technique.

It wasn’t that Lu Changan was particularly kind.

His chosen path in this life was to be a cautious and methodical operator, and this required him to leave no loose ends.

Thus, when he determined that Senior Brother Zhuo harbored resentment towards him and would inevitably seek revenge in the future, he acted without hesitation.

Even knowing that the man was connected to the Li Huo Palace, he wouldn’t hesitate.

The reason he captured instead of killed was due to certain considerations.

“This man in the Li Huo Palace, or perhaps committed some crime in the past, and because of his background with the higher-ups, he faked his death to escape. Now, he has become the Black Hand of a few individuals within the Li Huo Palace…”

Lu Changan had some guesses based on the conversation between Senior Brother Zhuo and Song Wenshu earlier.

Since Senior Brother Zhuo didn’t belong to the Li Huo Palace, he definitely wouldn’t have a soul lamp in that force, and any previous traces should have been dealt with properly.

But there was no such thing as being too careful.

Involving the Li Huo Palace, a Nascent Soul-level force, required meticulous consideration.

Lu Changan wanted to completely clear himself and Wu Qi Mountain from any connection to Senior Brother Zhuo’s death.

If Senior Brother Zhuo died, it would be difficult to handle.

No matter what, it would be impossible to completely clear any suspicion.

After all, the man had just been pursued and injured by the peak masters of Wu Qi Mountain.

However, capturing him alive was different!

Lu Changan could decide when and where he would die in the future.

He could even make arrangements and choose who would be the scapegoat.

(End of Chapter)

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