The room where Mingde and Li Yuanxun stood was filled with bookshelves and many books, clearly indicating it was a study. However, instead of the usual calmness expected in a study, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive.
“How is the City Lord’s health now?”
Li Yuanxun asked in a rough voice.
“Thank you for your concern, General. Father’s condition has slightly improved and he should recover shortly.”
Mingde politely replied, though his seemingly calm words subtly carried a hint of vigilance.
He already knew for certain that the City Lord wasn’t sick—he had been poisoned. Within the entire City Lord’s mansion, the only one daring enough to poison the City Lord could only be Li Yuanxun. This fellow was undoubtedly a traitor, a henchman of the Black Robed Man! Thinking of this, Mingde couldn’t help clenching his fists beneath his sleeves.
He was desperately suppressing his anger, for now was not the time to let it erupt.
“Come on, Young Master, there’s no need to comfort me. I know the City Lord’s condition better than anyone. Here, take this.”
Chen Yuanxun placed a small porcelain bottle on the table. “This is the Bai Ling Powder obtained from the Pill Pavilion. Please help administer it to your father; it should be somewhat effective.”
“Mingde thanks General Chen for his kindness on my father’s behalf.”
Mingde nodded politely in gratitude.
“Then I won’t disturb you further.”
“General, please take care on your way out.”
After Chen Yuanxun left the study, Mingde’s expression immediately turned angry and resentful.
“It’s another slow-acting poison, right?” Mingde sighed bitterly. “General Chen, my father has treated you well, so why would you do this?”
He threw the small porcelain bottle into the trash can and turned to leave the study.
After both had left, Tang Leyin quietly sneaked into the study, picked up the discarded porcelain bottle, removed the wooden stopper, and sniffed it carefully, showing a look of surprise.
“This is actually a genuine healing medicine! What’s going on? Why would Chen Yuanxun do something so unnecessary?”
Compared to the noisy and festive atmosphere of Linjiang City on the eve of the festival, the Zhui Xian Domain remained eternally silent, or more accurately, deathly still.
Time passed, and several hours quickly slipped by. The two young cultivators were gradually entering a deep state of meditation, and Li Tan had rapidly grown accustomed to the boredom of doing absolutely nothing.
At this moment, he idly counted the stars in the sky, one by one, recalling the path he had walked in his previous life.
Except for his pitiful cultivation, his life had been utterly bleak.
At the age of eighteen, his entire family was brutally slaughtered. By twenty, he had become a lowly servant in the Feiyu Sect, enduring constant bullying. At thirty, he finally broke through to the Xiantian realm and encountered You Kuang, who would later bring him endless sorrow and hatred. The only peaceful period in his life had actually been before he turned eighteen—back when he was still a powerless cripple with a shattered dantian. How ironic was that?
However, no matter how things had been before, this time he was determined to make up for all his regrets. Previously, it had taken him thirty years to break through to the Xiantian stage, but now, perhaps it would take less than a month.
Speaking of cultivation, Li Tan thought of the frustrating Chuangshi Xingsu Technique and couldn’t help but complain, “Creating a world sounds grand, but what’s the actual use of this thing?”
Perhaps the answers would emerge upon reaching the Xiantian realm.
Li Tan stood up and stretched lazily, then turned to look at Li Jiaying and Li Xiu. Both were completely immersed in their cultivation. If nothing unexpected happened, Jiaying should have no problem breaking through. As for Li Xiu, if he had good fortune, he might also succeed. If not, Li Tan could always help push him forward.
Everything was going smoothly.
Just as Li Tan was thinking this, suddenly a splash of cold water fell from the sky.
The previously still lake surface rippled outward in layers. The cause was a massive monster.
Each of its four limbs was as thick as three men hugging together, and its enormous body, when standing upright, was likely taller than Linjiang City’s walls. Its neck was long, its mouth filled with sharp fangs. If it wanted, it could probably reach Li Tan on the lakeshore without even moving.
If he could slay this creature, he would surely advance to the Xiantian realm, wouldn’t he?
(Note: “先天” is translated as “Xiantian” as it’s a specific cultivation term in Chinese martial arts/Xianxia novels, often left untranslated or romanized in English translations of the genre.)
That much was certain. However, with his current strength, he estimated that even if he used all his might, he couldn’t even scratch its hide. Li Tan quickly moved to shield the two behind him and rapidly flipped through the Shanhai Jing recorded in the Huang Ta, which described most creatures in the Jiuzhou. His breath sharply inhaled.
The monster in the lake was called Cang Jue, a terrifying creature from ancient times. If it possessed full bloodline, it could grow to a hundred zhang tall even in its infancy.
The bloodline of the one before Li Tan was obviously diluted, but still far beyond his current ability to handle.
He must leave before the creature noticed him.
Li Tan planned to turn around and carry the two away, but before he could even begin moving, it was over.
The Cang Jue in the lake was staring at him with a pair of blood-red eyes.
If he ran now, he would certainly be swallowed whole.
Having entered various perilous regions across the Jiuzhou, Li Tan understood this very well.
The more powerful a beast was, the smarter it became. And intelligence brought a side effect—suspicion.
When hunting, they would think more carefully whether their prey was something they could handle.
Just like the situation now.
This one, perhaps due to a momentary lapse, had wandered to the outskirts for a dive and was now considering Li Tan’s strength.
Li Tan, having been attacked before, fully understood this. He took a deep breath and his gaze instantly turned icy cold. Slightly raising his head, he seemed to have regained the immense power he possessed in his previous life. An invisible aura rapidly spread outward from him as the center.
A standoff began between man and beast, and the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.
Li Tan’s calmness wasn’t entirely an act; he had his reasons to be confident.
First and foremost, the only reason he couldn’t defeat this Cang Jue was his current level of cultivation. Having once reached such towering heights, he felt not an ounce of fear. How could this Cang Jue even compare to a single strand of hair from the Demon Emperor he had slain?
Secondly, relying on the Moye Steps, he was also confident he could escape with the two others, although it might be a bit troublesome. After all, large size usually meant slow speed. Beasts that were both fast and massive were extremely rare.
If all else failed, he could run again.
Li Tan made up his mind and relaxed.
The tension was only because the situation had arisen too suddenly. As he relaxed, he suddenly thought of his Frost Eagle chick.
The chick had undergone a mutation or perhaps a case of atavism. How did its bloodline compare to that of the Cang Jue?
Among the demonic beasts, there existed bloodline suppression. If the chick’s bloodline was sufficiently pure, Cang Jue’s reaction might reveal certain clues—such as retreating back into the lake.
Li Tan immediately brought out the sleeping chick. The little one, awakened rudely, flapped its wings angrily.
Li Tan carefully soothed it while observing the Cang Jue’s reaction.
Would it turn and flee or dive back into the lake?
Reality was somewhat cruel. The Cang Jue didn’t move at all, showing absolutely no reaction.
Well, he had thought too highly of the situation.
Li Tan felt somewhat disappointed, but mostly found himself amusing for having such an unrealistic fantasy—that the Cang Jue would be scared off directly. That probably would require an existence at the level of an ancient overlord.
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