Chapter 165: Chapter 124: The Hunt (Part 2)

After ’watching’ Xiaowa, Li Mu ’looks at’ Xiaojin again.

In a valley, Xiaojin is entangled in a battle with a chunky black python.

The half-yard thick Black-Scaled Demon Python tightly wraps around Xiaojin, binding him like a ’zongzi’, squeezing with all its might.

However, the python’s body seemed to be hugging a block of ’Profound Iron’, as its enormous body creaked and groaned, but couldn’t tighten an inch, let alone strangle it.

Indifferent to the constricting serpent on its body, Xiaojin firmly grips the upper and lower jaws of the Black-Scaled Demon Python, forcing them apart, both sides locked in a struggle.

“Roar!”

Xiaojin lets out a furious roar, his arms bulging with muscles, and forcefully pries them apart.

With a ’pop!’ sound, the upper and lower jaws of the Tier Three Black-Scaled Demon Python are pulled apart in two, in great agony, the giant serpent’s body involuntarily releases its tight grip on Xiaojin.

When the enemy is weak, strike to kill!

With an angry face, Xiaojin swings his fist, pounding relentlessly on the Black-Scaled Demon Python’s head, blow after blow, until it breathes its last.

Soon, Xiaojin drags the Black-Scaled Demon Python’s corpse back to the campsite in big strides.

Seeing this scene, Li Mu smiles slightly, no longer concerned with these savage creatures, leaving them to hunt Demon Beasts.

Li Mu takes out a Storage Bag, retrieves some Refining Materials, conjures a mass of Five Elements Spirit Fire, and focuses on Artifact Refining.

The Tier Two and Tier Three Demon Beast Group near the Needle Peak Mountain Range fell into misfortune, encountering a reckless Demon Ape and a sinister Earth Beast assault.

Be it Demon Beast Groups or solitary High-tier Demon Beasts, they are hunted down one by one.

The Demon Beast corpses pile higher and higher.

Two days swiftly pass by.

The Demon Beast corpses stack up like a mountain, enough to last them half a month for meals!

Li Mu casts a spell to freeze the Demon Beast Meat, stores it in the Storage Bag, then commands the Light Spiritual Ship to head back home.

During the flight, Li Mu’s Divine Sense is fully expanded, cautiously avoiding any potential dangers, ensuring to steer clear of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs; the journey back to the sect is virtually danger-free.

“Hmm! What’s going on?”

Li Mu’s heart trembles violently. On the way back to the sect, two hundred miles away, his Divine Sense detects the Qing Xuan Sect’s Divinity Transformation Ancestor—Qingfeng Ascendant, confronting a stunning Female Cultivator in midair, discussing something in a rather unfriendly tone, as if ready to fight at any moment.

Li Mu immediately retracts his Divine Sense Projection, not daring to probe further.

The stunning Female Cultivator exudes a faint, indiscernible Demon Qi, charming and graceful. Li Mu vaguely guesses her identity—indeed, she’s a Transformed Great Fox Demon.

Upon discovering the beautiful woman’s ’real identity,’ Li Mu recalls the Three-tailed Little Fox Demon from the last Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion auction.

As expected!

She’s here for revenge!

They wouldn’t start fighting, would they?

Should I leave the sect for a while to avoid this?

Li Mu furrows his brows, caught in a dilemma.

The Spirit Plants on Moon Pearl Peak directly relate to his opportunity to promote to Golden Core; he can’t leave them behind, so Li Mu can only patiently await the outcome.

With a Transformed Great Demon and a Divinity Transformation Ancestor involved, Li Mu dares not use his Divine Sense to keep track in real-time. If the ’Star Concealment’ Divine Sense could not hide from one or two of them, they might trace it back, putting him in grave danger.

Got it!

Li Mu has a sudden inspiration, thinking of using a Spiritual Object to continue ’observing’ the movements of the two significant figures.

Li Mu controls the Light Cloud Spiritual Ship to halt, invests his Divine Sense into the Nine Treasures Spirit Pearl, and summons a Butterfly Puppet smaller than a palm.

Li Mu checks the Puppet Array Pattern of the Butterfly Puppet, attaches his Divine Sense, and releases it.

Earlier, Li Mu specifically requested a Top-Grade Spirit Stone from Gongsun Chu, cutting it into dozens of small pieces, embedding them into the Puppet Array Hub, enough to power it to fly two or three hundred miles away.

Quickly, the Butterfly Puppet’s bone wings flap with high frequency, ’swoosh’, it shoots like a speeding arrow, and in the blink of an eye, disappears into the horizon.

The Butterfly Puppet’s flying speed rivals a Tier Four Flying Sword, covering the two hundred miles in less than a quarter hour.

Li Mu’s Divine Sense attaches to the Butterfly Puppet, quietly approaching the Divinity Transformation Ancestor and the stunning Female Cultivator’s confrontation location, perching on a tree branch a mile away, watching the negotiation.

…

The negotiation is nearing its end.

“Fellow Daoist Jin Ling, this matter has nothing to do with our sect. Stop pestering here. If you don’t leave, don’t blame this old man for being rude!” Qingfeng Ascendant bellows angrily.

“Hah! Old Ghost Qingfeng thinks one word will get you off the hook? It’s not that easy! If anything happens to my son, your Qing Xuan Sect better prepare for a funeral!” The captivating woman coldly glares at Qingfeng Ascendant, sneering disdainfully, speaking decisively.

As her words fall, the captivating woman’s figure flickers like the wind, vanishing without a trace in front of Qingfeng Ascendant.

Watching the captivating woman leave, Qingfeng Ascendant frowns in contemplation, then suddenly leaps up, disappearing towards Qing Xuan Sect’s direction.

Upon ’seeing’ this scene, Li Mu couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

The two powerhouses ultimately did not clash, but the threat from the other side was not a bluff. The hidden danger of annihilation facing Qing Xuan Sect was no trivial matter!

Li Mu immediately decided that once the Purple Sun Reishi and Yin Soul Fruit matured and he successfully advanced to the Golden Core stage, he would jump out of the pit that is Qing Xuan Sect and find an unclaimed Spirit Peak to plant Spirit Plants.

As his cultivation improved and after practicing the Star Nebula Visualization Method, Li Mu gradually gained the confidence to leave the sect.

Li Mu continued to maneuver the Light Cloud Spiritual Ship, projecting his Divine Sense, and cautiously flew to where the Butterfly Puppet landed, collecting it into his Storage Bag.

Finally, before sunset, Li Mu returned to Moon Pearl Peak.

Afterward, besides receiving and delivering artifact refining tasks, and taking the two youngsters on a hunting trip after half a month, Li Mu continued to lie low on Moon Pearl Peak.

During this time, Li Mu frequently extended his Divine Sense, allowing him to often discover Qing Xuan Sect disciples being ambushed by Nine Demons Sect disciples. Unable to bear it, Li Mu would release his Flying Sword to rescue them from afar while also collecting the Storage Bags left behind by the Tribulation Cultivators, earning considerable spoils.

The rescued Qing Xuan Sect disciples were all thrilled, grateful for the sect, and more cohesive than ever.

“Have you heard! Elder Feng acted again, Senior Brother Zhao Cheng and the others from White Cloud Peak were rescued. This time, there were nineteen Demon Cultivators ambushing them, and all were killed!”

“Was it really Elder Feng? Last time, Lin Xuan and the others said Elder Ning helped them!”

“It’s not true! Elder Chen already asked the Sect Master, and Elder Ning is in seclusion! How would he have time to help Junior Brother Lin and them?”

“Then it must have been Elder Feng who took action!”

“Regardless of which elder took action, it’s worth celebrating. Time and again, they have struck a blow to the arrogance of the Nine Demons Sect disciples, just thinking about it is satisfying.”

“Who can argue! If it weren’t for Senior Brother Ruo Tian and Senior Brother Yun returning from the frontier, those Nine Demons Sect disciples wouldn’t dare to show their faces and ambush us!”

“Thanks to the ancestor for saving us; otherwise, I would have been long dead!”

“Indeed! The sect’s grace is beyond repay!”

…

As more disciples were rescued, the inner sect disciples of Qing Xuan Sect speculated among themselves about which ancestor took action, each filled with immense gratitude, eager to repay the favor with their lives.

Qing Xuan Sect, Seven Main Peaks – Cyan Profound Peak, Sect Master Hall.

Sect Master – Qing Yi and other Nascent Soul True Monarchs, along with sect elders, were also discussing this matter.

Recently, sect disciples have encountered repeated ambushes by Nine Demons Sect disciples, a very serious matter. However, there were some things worth celebrating, as an unknown predecessor helped timely, rescuing them on more than a dozen occasions, killing several batches of Demon Sect disciples. This huge achievement, mystery shrouded in a veil of anonymity, is indeed a bizarre affair.

“Uncle-Master Feng said he had nothing to do with this. It’s a good thing, why doesn’t whoever among you did it just admit it?” Sect Master – Qing Yi looked at the Nascent Soul Elders, smiling as he asked.

“Senior Brother, stop asking! If it were us, we’d have admitted it openly the first chance we got! Why would we hide?”

“Exactly! It’s not even something shameful!”

“If I did it, I’d have kept all those Tribulation Cultivators’ treasures. This isn’t how I operate!”

…

All Nascent Soul True Monarchs shook their heads, denying. Helping disciples wasn’t anything bad, and if they had done it, there would be no reason to hide it.

“If it wasn’t you, then who? Based on the disciples’ encounters and rescue timing and locations, this person’s Divine Sense cultivation is not weak! Their Divine Sense cultivation surpasses mine.” Sect Master – Qing Yi furrowed his brows, a puzzled look on his face.

Upon hearing this, all Nascent Soul True Monarchs also frowned.

Within the sect, the two most likely Supreme Elders were either in seclusion healing or outright denied being involved.

However, those most likely in the sect were all present and denied it!

So, the question arises!

Who came to the aid of over a dozen sect disciples?

“Could it be that Uncle-Master Ye returned and did this?”

“What are you thinking! Uncle-Master Ye went to Celestial Profound Sword Sect, how could he return?”

“That’s why he may be helping secretly, not daring to show his face!”

“Alright, don’t mention Uncle-Master Ye’s affairs anymore, it’s ultimately a good thing, if disciples inquire again, just attribute it to Uncle-Master Feng, let’s not worry any further!” Sect Master – Qing Yi concluded the discussion.

“However, the Nine Demons Sect has become increasingly aggressive lately, you all should keep an eye on any disturbances within the Sect Domain if you have the time. Moreover, I’m considering strengthening the sect’s patrol forces, …” Sect Master – Qing Yi stated, looking at the elders.

…

Soon, the Qing Xuan Sect leaders took proactive measures in response to the disruptive intrusions by the Nine Demons Sect disciples, dispatching numerous Patrol Guards throughout the domain under their control.

However, all of this had nothing to do with Li Mu, not affecting his life in the slightest.

Li Mu spent most of his time keeping a low profile on Moon Pearl Peak, occasionally hunting with the two youngsters, always fully extending his Divine Sense to stay clear of any potential trouble.

Regarding the ’rescue’ gratitude, which was attributed to Elder Feng by the sect, Li Mu did not mind in the slightest, not caring for such illusory fame.

’Rescuing’ sect disciples was merely something Li Mu did as a reflexive action out of disdain for Demon Cultivators.

Whatever the future holds for Qing Xuan Sect, Li Mu was indifferent, as long as his Spirit Field was undisturbed and his secluded cultivation was uninterrupted.

Time flew by, thirteen years passed.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep