Chapter 263: Chapter 196: Did Li An Ever Truly Love?

The life essence cannot deceive.

Moreover, Li An and Tan Qingxue were indeed too familiar with each other!

In the Qingyang market, the two were once a married couple for many years, with intimate relations deeply entwined. Later, Li An encountered Tan Qingxue once again at the Beast Taming Jiang Clan.

Thus, the moment Luo Yuan met her, he immediately recognized her.

In fact, Luo Yuan’s disguise was excellent, making it almost impossible for ordinary people to notice. Even Li An, might have brushed past Luo Yuan in the crowd without realizing it.

Why was Tan Qingxue here?

Li An pondered.

At the Jiang Clan, Shangguan Xiaoxiao once said that Tan Qingxue had something on her!

At that time, she wanted to acquire the Divine Bird’s blood from the Jiang Clan, as if the object on her needed to merge with it.

Upon reflection, after the failure at the Jiang Clan, it was only natural for her to seek powerful Spirit Beast blood in the Celestial Killer Mountain range!

She came to the Celestial Killer Mountain range and found Lady Shee as a puppet, with the goal of seizing the Celestial Demon Treasure Blood?

Very possible.

No wonder Lady Shee could undergo demonization and dared to plot against Mountain Master Bai…

With Tan Qingxue’s help, Lady Shee might just succeed.

Simultaneously, Li An understood why Lady Shee had been probing his Spirit Bird; even Jiang Ribai could sense something. Tan Qingxue had studied the Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow closely, so despite his excellent disguise, her slight awareness was only natural.

“Alright, Mountain Master, please follow me–”

“Luo Yuan” respectfully extended a hand, and then everyone stepped forward, with Tan Qingxue exploring positions like Kan and Zhen. Occasionally, one or two people were needed to enter and verify.

However, as “Luo Yuan” now led the situation, he no longer allowed Lady Shee’s people to be the vanguard; the cannon fodder was selected from Zhou Libai’s side.

Zhou Libai’s face grew increasingly ugly, and the Great Lizard also showed dissatisfaction, but now that Mountain Master Bai finally saw hope to break the array, she naturally ignored these trivial matters.

Seeing Tan Qingxue probing the array, Li An gained new insight into Shangguan Xiaoxiao.

Tan Qingxue’s mastery was evident, clearly the entity attached to her was extraordinary, yet she couldn’t precisely grasp directions and could only seek the general path, using lives to test it. But Shangguan Xiaoxiao could directly indicate the path!

The difference between the two was like clouds and mud.

Two hours later.

With beads of sweat covering his forehead, “Luo Yuan” finally trembled as he said, “Mountain Master, the path has been identified; we can enter from here, but we need to be extra cautious along the way…”

Mountain Master Bai was overjoyed upon hearing this and said:

“Great Lizard, Xiaoli, you two follow me in–”

After pausing, she suddenly said, “Luo Yuan, Shee Anrong, you two also come with me.”

Evidently, Mountain Master Bai was quite cautious. After all, if she didn’t take Lady Shee and Luo Yuan along, what if there were any issues with the path?

Both Lady Shee and Luo Yuan stepped forward.

Immediately, the five of them entered the black mist, with Luo Yuan leading the way.

…

The five figures were quickly obscured by the mist, becoming invisible.

Outside, Zhou Libai led the crowd, waiting anxiously.

Suddenly, from the center of the black mist, a startled cry rang out, followed by a surge of powerful spiritual power–

“What’s happening?”

Everyone was shocked.

At this moment, Shee Anqi suddenly spoke, “Brother Lin–act now!”

She tossed out a jade array plate.

Li An also immediately infused spiritual power into the jade talisman!

Instantly, the array plate boomed, and the grand array instantly descended, enveloping everyone present!

This was a Rank Four grand array.

“Shee Anqi, what are you doing?”

“Are you crazy?!”

“No, they’ve betrayed us–”

All the cultivators present turned pale and hastily took action. For a moment, the glow of various magical artifacts shone brightly, talisman lights flickered, and Spirit Beasts roared.

However, this grand array was incredibly formidable, consisting of one Rank Four mother array and five Rank Three sub-arrays. The mother and sub-arrays overlapped and reinforced each other, and even with a hundred experts present, it was difficult to break through.

Moreover, aside from Li An, there were three other True Core cultivators aiding the array, indicating that Lady Shee had other loyal confidants besides Li An.

The five True Core cultivators sustained the vast array, each quickly consuming their Spirit Stones!

While maintaining the array, Li An suddenly whispered, “Anqi, the situation inside is unknown. I can hold this array alone; you quickly take the others in to support your sister!”

Shee Anqi shook her head, “No, with one Rank Four array and five Rank Three sub-arrays, you can’t manage it alone…”

“Help your sister!”

Li An’s whisper was earnest: “Go quickly, I have many Spirit Stones on me, I can manage… rest assured, even if I die, I won’t let these people leave the array, but over there with your sister, their opponent is Mountain Master Bai, every additional person is an extra strength!”

“If Mountain Master Bai doesn’t die, we all die; if she dies, these people won’t matter–”

Li An’s words struck a chord in Shee Anqi’s heart. Her biggest concern right now was her sister’s safety. She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, “Zhou Chang, Wang Hao, come with me, Qin Shidao, stay here and assist Lin An!”

Saying this, she and the other two rushed into the black mist.

With three people gone, only Li An and another cultivator were left struggling to sustain the array. Under the attacks of many cultivators, the grand array was nearly on the verge of collapsing.

Yet it was never breached!

The reason was none other than Li An’s overpowering mid-stage Golden Core strength, providing an endless supply of spiritual power without a hint of stagnation, coupled with the exquisitely crafted array itself, which was a top-grade trapping array among Rank Four!

Li An’s intent in asking Shee Anqi to leave was not genuinely to help Shee Anrong in taking down Mountain Master Bai.

The battle between Mountain Master Bai and Tan Qingxue would unlikely be influenced by a few True Core cultivators.

Furthermore, having personally gone in once, he knew that without guidance and direction, Shee Anqi and the other two cultivators would likely stop midway, unable to advance deeply!

This outcome was exactly what he wanted!

After all, with Tan Qingxue and Mountain Master Bai in a standoff, Tan Qingxue, being prepared, would probably win.

But would Li An be safe even if she won?

Not necessarily!

To keep things secret, would she eliminate everyone, including Li An and others? It wasn’t impossible.

Therefore, Li An intended to have Shee Anqi leave so he could control the array personally.

If Tan Qingxue emerged and intended to eliminate witnesses, Li An could open the array.

Among the hundred True Core experts, with several Nascent Souls, if chaos erupted, Li An would have a chance to escape.

Moreover, Li An had Shee Anqi bring along several other cultivators, which served a special purpose.

Shee Anqi was Lady Shee’s younger sister, considered a core figure, so even if Tan Qingxue won, she likely wouldn’t kill her.

And as for Zhou Chang and Wang Hao, whom Shee Anqi brought along, like Li An, they were merely trusted subordinates and expendable pawns, so if Tan Qingxue intended to kill to silence witnesses, Zhou Chang and Wang Hao would definitely die.

…These were all decisions Li An could make amidst this chaos!

Of course, he was also considering, what if Tan Qingxue failed and Mountain Master Bai won?

In that case, Mountain Master Bai would also win horribly!

Seriously injured.

Li An would most likely still be able to escape.

Sweat dripped continuously from his forehead as he struggled to maintain the grand array…

Finally, in the depths of the black fog, everything calmed down, as if the battle had ended.

“Lin An, you bastard… ”

“When I get out, I will skin you alive!”

The many cultivators trapped in the Rank Four array were somewhat helpless at the moment.

This Rank Four array was too powerful, extraordinarily formidable, even among them, several Nascent Soul Level cultivators could not break through it for a while.

Li An stood absolutely still, completely tense, his Divine Sense fully released to capture the slightest hint of aura.

…

And at this moment.

In the depths of the black fog.

An unparalleled beauty was bathing in a river of blood.

She lay flat, allowing the shallow blood to submerge her face, her clothes cast aside, left untended.

Lady Shee was lying on the body of a large white python, shockingly consuming its blood and flesh alive, a truly astonishing sight.

Nearby, grievously injured and bound, Xiaoli sat by the corpse of the Great Lizard, sobbing silently, looking at the white python, eyes filled with despair and heartbreak…

Mountain Master Bai’s true body…

Was a white python.

She was already dead!

The brook babbled gently.

Blood flowed across her body as Tan Qingxue slit her veins, letting her own blood pour into the blood river, while she opened her delicate mouth, absorbing the river water.

She chose the same method as the Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow before—blood exchange!

As more Celestial Demon Treasure Blood entered her body.

Bizarre changes began to occur on Tan Qingxue’s body.

Snow-white fur sprouted on her skin.

Tails emerged from behind her.

Her pupils suddenly became vertical slits, appearing… like a fox’s eyes.

Yet at this moment, an inexplicable tear quietly fell from her eye…

“There’s no need to struggle… you can leave this world now.”

A woman’s voice sinisterly echoed in her mind: “You should have died long ago; it was I who let you live until now. As repayment, naturally, your body should be mine! One shouldn’t be too selfish; you ought to repay me by letting go of your obsessions!”

Within her Spirit Platform, in the fire of her soul, two Primordial Spirits entwined.

One Primordial Spirit was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, draped in a snow-white robe, full of allure, with icy skin and jade bones, a peerless beauty that would drive any man in the world mad with desire. Astonishingly, she also possessed three fluffy tails!

Fox Demon!

And the other Primordial Spirit belonged to Tan Qingxue herself, now extremely weakened, nearly fading away under the pressure of this Great Demon’s Primordial Spirit…

“No…”

She seemed to want to struggle further, but as the Celestial Demon Treasure Blood coursed into her, her original blood disappeared, and she felt her connection with her body weakening, almost losing all control of herself…

Could it be, today is the day she finally dies…

Perhaps, just as the Fox Demon said, she should have died long ago…

At the brink of death, she suddenly began to recall her life, everything flooding in…

At seventeen or eighteen, she was chosen to enter the Profound Yang Sect, and due to her talent with Talismans, she joined the Talisman Hall, but later failed in the competition and was exiled to Qingyang Marketplace…

Qingyang Marketplace…

On the verge of death, thinking of the events in Qingyang Marketplace, she inexplicably felt a tinge of sweetness, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared at the corners of her mouth…

In this life, perhaps those were the most fulfilling and happiest years?

Even though there were only flowers without fruit.

Even now, it remains a beautiful memory…

She couldn’t help but think of that person…

Where is that person now? Is he, always so cautious, still alive?

Did he truly ever feel anything for her?

Li An…did you ever love me?

She believed there must have been some true feelings at least… otherwise, why would he save her during the Profound Yang Sect’s catastrophe?

Thoughts flashed by.

She was about to die…

But just at this moment…

“No… what is this aura? Why… can’t I control it?!”

The Fox Demon’s voice suddenly became somewhat panicked.

Meanwhile, the increasingly faint Tan Qingxue instantly felt a mysterious aura enter her body, naturally reconnecting with her soul, revitalizing her…

This aura…

In her daze, it seemed to take her back to the past.

That year, when she went out exploring, only to be ambushed by the Demon Sect, severely injured, nearly on the brink of death…

Yet saved by Li An.

That time,

Just like, this moment!

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep