Chapter 754 - 345: Friend, Not Foe
On Purple Cloud Mountain, Zhuyue was casting a spell with all his might, an inexplicable aura crisscrossing in the void. However, the Demonic Qi probing into the creation showed no sign of retreating, as if locked in a stalemate—
"What kind of great demon dares to contend with Lord Zhuyue?"
"Could it be the one holding the lid of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Pot?"
Ziyun Master and the others all looked exceptionally grave.
...
Meanwhile.
In a certain mountain cave, an ancient, decayed elder had already sat up from his coffin. His eyes were tightly closed, yet his long hair was slightly fluttering, and his hand was forming a Dharma Seal.
"Can you see it?"
The elder spoke calmly, one hand probing into the creation to block Zhuyue, yet he remained calm and composed, his words devoid of any panic or urgency.
Shangguan Shengxian’s eyes at this moment were bursting with a bloody glow. She nodded, "The cause and effect involving Li An amidst the creation has already manifested. He once left traces on Purple Cloud Mountain and within the Gong Clan. Now, there are four additional locations that seem to have the fluctuation of his life force—namely, the Spirit Realm, Tai Chu Province, Ice Extreme Island, and Broken Dawn Mountain!"
"You know him best, go find him at once!"
The elder said, "The ones from the departed realm coming now, I can still hold them off. But once those few are alarmed, I’ll have to retreat!"
Shangguan Shengxian nodded, "Master, rest assured, I already know where he is now!"
"He once belonged to Purple Cloud Mountain and is now hunted by it. This person is naturally the most vigilant and cautious, so he will definitely flee far away!"
"The Spirit Realm, he is most familiar with it, and the mysterious forces are weakest there. I will go immediately—"
As her words fell, she had already chosen a direction and swiftly left.
...
Broken Dawn Mountain.
"Quick—"
The atmosphere in the world made Li An’s skin crawl. He felt as if he had turned into a leech, pulled from water and thrown to bake under the sun, completely exposed.
Li Nianxue saw Li An’s serious demeanor and knew something extraordinary must have happened. She immediately took out a Teleportation Talisman and activated it on the spot—
The power of the Immortal Talisman affected the void. The Teleportation Talisman was of very high level, and the figures of Li An and Li Nianxue faded from the scene instantly—
"Something’s wrong!"
However, just as they were about to leave, Li An sensed something amiss...
The next moment, when space stabilized once again, Li An and Li Nianxue found themselves in an abyss.
This abyss was shrouded in clouds and mist, with severe toxicity. Even a Celestial Immortal arriving here would likely be corroded, but both Li Nianxue and Li An had cultivated the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill and were unafraid of the poison, so they rushed straight in.
At the bottom of the abyss, there was a pile of scattered rocks, among which lay some ghastly white bones. Li Nianxue said:
"I’ll quickly open the entrance to the Saint Realm—"
She had begun to act, swiftly moving the scattered stones on the scene.
Meanwhile, Li An turned and scattered several Array Plates from his hand, securing the Golden Immortal Treasure and the Celestial Corpse Small Sword obtained from Zhao Tong. He knew his intuition couldn’t be wrong; just as they left, someone must have pursued them.
"Old friends visiting, why lay down so many things?"
A faint voice arose, causing Li An’s hairs to stand on end!
Out of the mist stepped a woman. This woman looked exactly like Shangguan Xiaoxiao, because this body was indeed that of Shangguan Xiaoxiao.
Only, her demeanor was entirely different from Shangguan Xiaoxiao’s, cold and unfathomable.
Shangguan Shengxian!
Had she really come here?
Li An was on high alert but didn’t make a move against this "Shangguan Shengxian" in front of him, for he had already noticed this person was merely a puppet, not the real one.
This meant she herself was still hidden in the shadows?
As expected, Shangguan Shengxian was deeply scheming.
Li An said in a deep voice, "So it’s you... How could someone like me, Li An, warrant such measures from you?"
"You’re mistaken; it’s not us searching for you, but the departed realm that’s searching for you."
"Shangguan Shengxian" smiled slightly and said, "We stepped in to help block the departed realm for you. Otherwise, the one you’d be facing now wouldn’t be an old friend but something truly terrifying."
"Since you’ve come, why not show yourself for a meeting? A mere puppet, isn’t that a little too stingy?" Li An spoke, ready to give it his all.
Shangguan Shengxian said, "No need for such repetitive probing; my true body isn’t here. It has gone to the Spirit Realm, to find your puppet."
"If my true body didn’t leave deliberately to some other place, you’d still have no escape."
Li An said, "...What do you want me to do?"
Although he remained on guard, his mind was racing, already realizing that Shangguan Shengxian’s arrival was likely as a friend, not an enemy, not here to kill him.
"When you achieve the Golden Immortal realm, open this brocade pouch, and you’ll naturally know—"
"Shangguan Shengxian" flashed a light in her hand, and an item directly went into Li An’s hand. He accepted it; it was indeed a brocade pouch. He didn’t dare open it but continued to fix his gaze on Shangguan Shengxian.
Who knew if Shangguan Shengxian was attempting to distract him intentionally? Was it to attack him just as he checked the brocade pouch?
Regardless of what Shangguan Shengxian said, he would throw this brocade pouch away later.
To him, Shangguan Shengxian was like a venomous snake, dancing with such a snake was too challenging, too dangerous.
"Li An, oh Li An, as the heir of the Purple Fairy, too many want to find you in this world. Some tribulations have already manifested. Alone, you can’t withstand them nor survive. Cooperate with me, and perhaps, you’ll have a sliver of hope..."
Shangguan Shengxian smiled slightly and said, "Believe it or not, it’s up to you."