Chapter 1810: Pursuing the Enemy

Since the decision had been made, the two of them wasted no time and immediately set off in separate directions.

The elderly woman walked briskly, passing through a corridor in moments before entering a sparsely furnished room.

Inside, a pale and emaciated young man in a white robe sat beside a stone table, intently reading a shimmering silver book.

“Mother, what brings you here so suddenly?” The young man set the book down with a smile as soon as he saw the old woman enter.

“Ming’er, pack your things at once. We must leave for the Yingxian Palace of the Long Family,” the old woman said, her expression softening from its earlier gloom to one of deep affection.

“The Long Family? It seems the person you captured is truly troublesome,” the young man frowned slightly, sounding resigned.

“Oh? You already know about this?” The old woman seemed surprised.

“Mother, have you forgotten? Though my cultivation is weak, I’ve awakened the True Dragon Bloodline and gained some divine hearing. Though I haven’t left this room, I faintly overheard your conversation,” the young man chuckled.

“I see! But don’t worry, Ming’er. No matter what, your father and I will safely transfer that man’s inherited artifact into your body. Not only will your illness be cured, but you may even break through your bottleneck with the inherited spiritual power, possibly forming a Golden Core immediately. As for the people behind that man—once we enter the Long Family, they won’t dare pursue us,” the old woman reassured him.

“Ever since Master Tianjing prescribed the inherited artifact as the cure for my ailment, the two of you have been searching for a cultivator who possesses one with its seal still intact. I had a feeling this would bring trouble. Now that you’ve found such a person, I doubt you’d let go even if I tried to persuade you,” the young man sighed after a moment of silence.

“Don’t speak such nonsense. Your father and I barely survived the last Great Heavenly Tribulation, and you are our only hope. We won’t let you perish before us.

As long as that man isn’t one of the Three Emperors or Seven Demon Kings, your uncle and grandfather will ensure your safety. Besides, now that you’ve awakened the True Dragon Bloodline, you are effectively a disciple of the Long Family. If they won’t protect you, how can they claim to be the foremost lineage of True Spirits?” The old woman’s expression darkened slightly, her tone tinged with resentment.

“Very well. Since you’ve made up your mind, we should leave immediately. That Body Integration old monster might catch up to us soon,” the young man shook his head but suddenly urged with urgency.

“Impossible! I thoroughly inspected that boy’s body and found no trace of any mark,” the old woman said, startled and skeptical.

“Mother, you are not a Body Integration cultivator. From what I’ve read, such experts have at least three or four methods to conceal their spiritual marks from Void Refinement cultivators. Though I’ve stopped cultivating, I haven’t wasted my time reading all those manuals,” the young man replied with a bitter smile.

“You may be right, Ming’er. Then let’s not waste time packing—we must leave now. Your father has already gone to fetch that boy,” the old woman’s expression tightened with anxiety.

At the same time, in another secret chamber, the black-browed old man gazed at a motionless figure lying on the ground, his expression complex.

“Little Daoist, don’t blame us for being ruthless. To cure my son, we must take the inherited artifact from your body. Without it, your foundation will be ruined, and you’ll suffer a fate worse than death. But I’ll grant you a painless end,” the old man muttered, his face twisting into a vicious sneer.

The figure on the ground was none other than Daoist Qilingzi.

Unconscious, he showed no reaction, clearly affected by some method the old couple had used.

The black-browed old man suddenly flipped his hand, a black talisman appearing between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, the talisman transformed into a strange gray light and vanished into Qilingzi’s body.

Then, the old man opened his mouth and spat out a black mist, within which a small green bell spun rapidly.

Raising his arm, the old man crooked a finger.

A faint *ding-dong* echoed from the mist.

A bizarre scene unfolded—Qilingzi’s body trembled before he abruptly rolled to his feet, standing motionless before the old man with his eyes still closed.

His face was utterly expressionless, as if he were a puppet.

The old man chanted incantations, firing one spell after another at the green bell, which emitted a series of chimes of varying lengths.

Though the ringing sounded ordinary, as soon as it reached Qilingzi’s ears, his eyes slowly opened.

At first, his gaze was vacant, but gradually, a glimmer of awareness returned—though his face remained blank.

Seeing this, the old man exhaled in relief, retrieved the bell into his sleeve, and turned to leave without another word.

Amidst the faint chimes from his sleeve, Qilingzi mechanically followed, step by step.

A short while later, two streaks of light—one black, one gray—soared from the small mountain, circled briefly, then shot toward Mount Jiuxian.

Inside the streaks were the sallow young man and Qilingzi.

After a few flashes, the streaks vanished beyond the horizon.

Almost immediately after, a dazzling azure streak shot toward the mountain from another direction, its light dissipating to reveal two men—one strikingly handsome, the other unremarkable.

They were none other than Hai Dasha and Han Li.

“They’re not here anymore!” Han Li muttered in surprise after sweeping the mountain with his spiritual sense.

“What? They took my junior brother elsewhere? Master, can you still track them?” Hai Dasha asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry. The spiritual marks I planted in you and Qilingzi are faint, but they flare up periodically. When they do, I’ll know exactly where they’ve gone,” Han Li replied calmly.

“That’s a relief! But how bold of them to kidnap someone right under the noses of the Treasure Convention’s enforcers!” Hai Dasha relaxed slightly before growing indignant.

“Hmph! If it were an ordinary cultivator, the enforcers would intervene. But for Void Refinement or higher, they’d think twice. And if it were a Body Integration cultivator, they’d turn a blind eye,” Han Li sneered.

“Could that old woman be a Body Integration cultivator?” Hai Dasha paled.

“Unlikely. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have fled so cautiously,” Han Li shook his head.

“True,” Hai Dasha nodded after a moment’s thought.

After lingering in the air for another half-hour, Han Li’s brows suddenly lifted.

“Found them. They’re heading toward Mount Jiuxian. Let’s go!” Before Hai Dasha could react, Han Li swirled, summoning a blue mist that engulfed them both.

An azure streak reappeared, streaking toward Mount Jiuxian.

Three hours later, Han Li and Hai Dasha hovered silently above a resplendent golden palace.

The ten-story structure was one of the nine Yingxian Palaces.

Han Li’s frown deepened as he stared at a particular floor, his gaze icy.

“Master, are you certain? Is junior brother really here?” Hai Dasha asked, his face paling.

He knew all too well what Qilingzi’s presence here implied.

“No mistake. At this distance, mere barriers can’t block my senses,” Han Li said coldly.

“But if that person is a Body Integration cultivator, why was junior brother taken outside Mount Jiuxian first?” Hai Dasha muttered.

“Simple. Either the old woman is a Body Integration cultivator using this palace as a temporary base for shady dealings, or she has ties to one who resides here, seeking their protection to deter us,” Han Li said flatly.

“What will you do, Master?” Hai Dasha hesitated before asking quietly.

“First, go down and find out which family occupies the ninth floor,” Han Li ordered instead of answering.

“Understood!” Hai Dasha perked up, bowing respectfully.

“I’ll send you down. Once you learn what you can, meet me at the nearest small hill. I’ll wait there,” Han Li instructed, flicking his sleeve to envelop Hai Dasha in blue light and deposit him on the ground.

Meanwhile, Han Li veered toward a low hill dozens of miles away.

Though Mount Jiuxian comprised nine towering peaks, smaller, nameless hills dotted the landscape.

Upon landing, Hai Dasha glanced at the palace but didn’t approach it directly. Instead, he took a deep breath and sprinted toward the nearest bustling area.