Cangjue showed no reaction at all, but the young eagle fluffed its feathers in fear. If its wings had been fully developed, it probably would have flown away without a trace.
Li Tan had no intention of playing tricks either. He withdrew the young eagle back into the desolate tower, then retrieved the rusted sword he had previously used to fend off the black-robed men.
Grasping the hilt, he drew the blade. Unexpectedly, something happened.
Cangjue, as if it had seen a dangerous object, let out a loud roar and slightly retreated backward with its massive body, creating huge ripples on the lake.
Li Jiaying and Xiu were startled by the roar and hastily tried to stand up.
“Keep repairing; leave everything else to me!”
However, Li Tan’s words calmed them down, and they didn’t even open their eyes, which was itself a sign of trust.
Outwardly calm, Li Tan observed the rust-covered sword from the corner of his eye, but inwardly he was both surprised and delighted.
If it could threaten Cangjue, this sword was indeed no ordinary item. Even if not top-tier, it would serve him well for a considerable time.
“Cangjue, I have no intention of harming you. I came here solely to train these two juniors. Use your head and don’t harbor unnecessary intentions, or you won’t come out unscathed.”
Remaining silent indefinitely was clearly unwise, so Li Tan decided to break the silence first.
His words unsettled Cangjue slightly, its massive head displaying an expression akin to hesitation.
Then a flash of ferocity crossed its face. Its mouth, filled with sharp fangs, opened, and accompanied by a terrifying low growl, a vivid blue qi sphere began to form.
Li Tan’s long-cultivated sixth sense from years of danger screamed a warning. His mind raced: This strike isn’t too powerful—it’s testing my strength. I must endure it and appear effortless, or else I’ll be in trouble!
As the qi sphere rapidly approached, Li Tan remained expressionless. He lightly raised the rusty sword, channeled his qi through the technique of Coiling Dragon Fist into the blade, and forcefully swung it. The strike met the qi sphere head-on. The moment they collided, a terrifying shockwave spread outward. The ground around Li Tan cracked, the water in front of him exploded into mist, droplets raining into the air, and nearby trees violently shook, some branches and leaves snapping off.
Cangjue’s strike was equivalent to the full-powered attack of a peak Innate expert. To withstand it, Li Tan had expended half of his qi reserves. Now, he could barely grip his sword, yet he dared not reveal any sign of weakness, merely fixing Cangjue with an icy stare.
This beast still doubts me, Li Tan thought anxiously. Taking that blow had injured him quite seriously. If he fled now, the danger would significantly increase. Even if he could escape, Li Jiaying and Xiu would likely not survive.
At that moment, Cangjue growled again, its mouth glowing blue once more.
It was preparing another strike.
Yet, facing such a dangerous situation, Li Tan remained absolutely calm, his expression resolute, his eyes instantly turning a brilliant golden yellow.
Next time, I will take your life! Though no sound was made, the lake remained calm, but the words exploded within Cangjue’s mind, creating endless ripples in its consciousness.
The use of spiritual force was something only extremely advanced cultivators could achieve. Cangjue, having experienced rebirth, could never have imagined such a thing. Therefore, in its mind, Li Tan’s presence had risen to an infinite height.
Roar!! Cangjue cried out loudly, its massive body clumsily retreating until it reached the opposite shore of the lake where Li Tan stood.
Disappear from my sight now.
Another voice exploded in its mind.
Startled, Cangjue turned and fled, its massive body shaking the ground like an earthquake. Ferocious beasts in the distance scattered in panic because of its presence.
“It’s okay now; don’t get distracted,” Li Tan softly told the two behind him before clenching his teeth and sitting down on the spot.
To sufficiently intimidate Cangjue, Li Tan had not merely used simple telepathy but had infused a spiritual storm into his mental transmission.
Using this power twice nearly drained all of Li Tan’s spiritual energy, but it achieved excellent results. Not only tonight, but for months afterward, no ferocious beasts would dare approach this lake.
Approaching his limit, Li Tan crossed his legs and quickly entered a meditative state.
This was a tall tower located on a bustling commercial street, belonging to the Dan Pavilion, with the most secure alchemy chamber situated at its summit.
At the very summit of the tower, an old man with white hair leapt up in terror from the floor, abandoning mid-process the pill he had been concocting. Ignoring the bewildered guards, he rushed to the door, gripped the railing, and stared eastward, his face filled with fear.
“Could it be masters battling? But why would such beings come here?”
This was the Lin household. In his study, Lin Long suddenly dropped his brush mid-writing, smudging the half-finished letter, and rushed outside anxiously, staring fearfully eastward.
“What terrifying fluctuations! Could there be someone beyond the Primordial?”
Even the few innate experts at the pinnacle of the power hierarchy reacted in unison, halting their actions and turning their gaze eastward.
Even Li Zhen, who was walking with a basket full of sacrificial offerings on his way to his wife’s grave, did the same, kicking over burning joss paper in his panic, scattering the ashes in the wind.
Coming to his senses, he muttered nervously, “Tan’er seems to have gone that way. I hope he’s alright.” Growing increasingly anxious, he took the chickens and ducks from the basket, arranged them neatly, lit another bundle of joss paper, and gently spoke toward the gravestone inscribed with “Beloved Wife Zhou Shiyu” belonging to Li Zhen: “Don’t worry. Tan’er is different now; he’ll be safe.”
Meanwhile, Tang Leyin tucked the small porcelain bottle of healing medicine back into her pocket and went to find Mingde. This time, for safety’s sake, she traveled by leaping across rooftops. The terrifying shockwaves from earlier had nearly knocked her off balance. Steadying herself, she cast a worried glance eastward and murmured, “That felt like a Grandmaster—perhaps even stronger. What is Linjiang doing with such an expert? Could it be connected to those black-robed men?”
It was unknown, but from her perspective, the possibility couldn’t be ruled out.
“I must meet with Master Li tomorrow and hear his thoughts. If it’s related to those black-robed men, things could get complicated.”
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight appeared, among the three sitting on the lakeshore, Li Tan was the first to emerge from meditation.
After a night of recovery, his injuries had mostly healed, and his spiritual energy had partially returned.
Unfortunately, part of the Blood Elixir had been handed over to the Nolan Auction House for sale, and the one he kept was meant for Xiu; otherwise, he might have fully recovered.
But it wasn’t too bad. After all, these were mostly external injuries, not significantly affecting him. The only concern was the depletion of spiritual energy. Lacking spiritual energy during the final confrontation with the black-robed men could be a serious disadvantage.
Since the Soul Jade was buried with Jiang Xin, the only solution was to awkwardly request some spirit-nourishing items from Tang Leyin.
But “asking one’s wife for something seems quite normal, right?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage