Chapter 440: Chapter 440. Setting Up a Trap

Daimu’s previously brilliant golden eyes were now a bit murky. Those eyes stared at the burning Longevity Tree. All the remaining fruits on that tree had been ruined. The only intact ones were with Amon.

Daimu turned in Amon’s direction. Hatred and anger filled its mind. When it spoke, its voice was as if thunder from heaven.

“Traitorous scum! I spared your life and befriended you. This is how you repay my kindness? I will tear you limb from limb…!!”

Amon ignored the threat. His flying speed riding the flying sword art could rival a Peak Mystic Stage cultivator. Daimu couldn’t catch up to him in its weakened state.

Despite its rage, Daimu could still think. It observed Amon’s flying speed and made an estimation. It came to the same conclusion as Amon. It couldn’t catch up. It was surprising that a Beginning Mystic Stage cultivator like Amon could move so fast in the air. Even so, there was no way it would let Amon off. As long as Amon carried the Longevity Fruits, it would know his position even if he fled to the world’s edge. The question was whether it could live long enough to carry out its vengeance.

Daimu looked down at the still-burning tree. It blew, and a large amount of water spilled out of its mouth. The water doused the fire burning the Longevity Tree. It descended and assessed the damage.

The tree was gone, for sure. Its fruits were scattered on the ground. A few didn’t seem too charred. Its tentacles picked up those fruits. After checking those fruits, it confirmed none of them were still good. However, those fruits had good sides not touched by the flames or explosions.

Daimu proceeded to consume the good parts. Even if the fruits could not provide the full effect of restoring its vitality for half a month, they should help him survive for at least a few days more. It ate not just the good part from one fruit, but several.

It felt its inside burning as its body tried to absorb the energy from the fruits. Normally, eating several fruits at once was harmful. However, since it only ate partially from each fruit, it should be fine. With the current situation, it was willing to take a gamble.

The burning sensation slowly subsided. Daimu felt its strength slowly returning. The color returned to its pale scales. It didn’t feel as old anymore.

It turned in the direction Amon had fled to and growled. “Run, little human. I want to see how long you can keep running. I don’t believe I can’t catch up to you before my time expires!”

*

Amon glanced back when he arrived at Changxiu City. He was going full speed all the time. He didn’t see anything suspicious in the direction of Basou Forest. He let out a relieved sigh and landed.

Although he returned to this city safely, he knew it was not the time yet to relax. He knew Daimu would come for him, even when he was inside a human settlement, just like how it came for Xiong Bao more than seven years ago.

During the day he first visited this city, he collected various information. The information was not only about Xiong Bao and the Basou Forest but also general information about this city and its denizens. He now stood in front of a store in a busy business district. The store was large. It sold a variety of materials for engraving and formation-making.

A store attendant approached Amon and offered assistance. “Can I help you, sir? Are you looking for a particular material? We also sold books teaching the theories of engraving and formation-making. They are on the third floor.”

“I’m looking for Nan Li,” Amon uttered.

“Uh, do you have an appointment, sir?” The attendant asked.

“Yes, here it is,” Amon gave her a small pouch filled with aer stones.

“Um…, wait here, sir. I will go and ask the mistress.” She scurried away and went up the stairs. Amon didn’t wait there. He followed her.

The attendant went up to the third floor. The floor up there looked more like a bookstore. It was filled with rows of bookshelves. The attendant disappeared behind a door beside a counter. At the counter sat two people. One was an elderly man who was writing a book. The other was a muscly man who looked like a guard. Amon used his Mystic Sense to scan the two. The elderly man was someone at the Strength Stage, while the muscly man had the cultivation of the Peak Transformation Stage.

Amon waited by the counter.

Not long after, the attendant came back out. She said with an apologetic face, “I’m sorry, sir. The mistress is busy today. Perhaps I can schedule you for tomorrow morning?”

“No,” Amon said. He walked past the attendant. The attendant was speechless by his action. She stared at him with a baffled expression.

The guard stood up when he saw Amon attempt to enter the backroom without permission.

Before the guard realized, Amon’s hand was on his shoulder. He felt searing pain where Amon touched him. His legs lost strength, and he dropped back onto his seat.

“Do not get up,” Amon warned. He released his Mystic Stage aura while he spoke.

Those actions convinced the guard not to stand in his way. He let go of the guard’s shoulder and walked in.

In the backroom was a small workshop. At the center of the room was a large table. A middle-aged woman was busy scribbling something on a piece of paper half as large as the table.

When she heard someone coming in, she scolded, “Didn’t I say no one may disturb–”

She stopped speaking when she saw that the person who entered the room was a stranger.

“Who the hell are you?” She asked.

“A customer,” Amon answered. “Are you Nan Li?”

“I am. Who permits you to enter?”

“I permit myself,” Amon replied. “The words on the streets say that you are the best engraver and formation sage in this city. Is that true?”

“Who is asking?” Nan Li asked.

“My name is Hei Lin,” Amon gave her his disguised name. “I’m looking for someone capable of making a formation that can dispel an illusion or mind influence. The formation must also be concealed from getting detected by cultivation senses. Do you have the expertise to do that?”

“I don’t receive orders like this, Hei Lin. Go and make an appointment, then we shall…”

Amon placed a large stack of aer stones on the table. That shut her up real quick. Her eyes were glued to the stack of aer stones.

Amon scoffed in his mind. The rumor he heard about this woman was true. She was an expert-level engraver and formation sage, the best in this city, but she was also infamously greedy.

“Well, I guess I can spare some of my precious time for someone with a deep pocket like you,” Nan Li said. Her tone had changed. “You mentioned something about a formation to dispel illusions and mind influences?”

“I did. Do you know of a formation with those kinds of effects?” Amon asked.

“I know one or two,” Nan Li answered.

“Can you complete the formation within six hours?”

“I can, but the materials needed for that formation are pretty rare. So, the price will be…”

“I want you to make three such formations. I will pay you this amount of aer stones for each formation,” Amon referred to the stack of aer stones on the table.

Nan Li’s eyes lit up. This meant she would get three times the stack of aer stones on the table. She thought at first that stack was all Amon had, and he put them all out to entice her. She didn’t believe he had more.

“If you can complete them before sunset, I will add another stack,” Amon added.

“That… I can start working right away! Where do you want me to place this formation?” Nan Li asked with enthusiasm.

“Follow me,” Amon told her.

*

That night, in the Sweet Sour District of Changxiu City, the streets were not too crowded, but they were also not too quiet. The district was not a prime location for nightlife, but it had a few entertainment venues, so some people still frequented it during nighttime.

In this district, there was a small inn called Healthy Bed Inn. The previous owner had just sold the inn earlier today. He sold it because someone offered him a good price. This inn was not the only business he had, and it was not doing too well lately, so he was happy to part with it while he could make a profit.

He was now celebrating his earnings inside a restaurant opposite his former inn. He invited his friends to celebrate with him.

“I can see you are very happy with the transaction, Dou Ma. What kind of person did you sell that inn to? Maybe the new owner will turn it into a place where we can get a special service, eh? Hehe. If so, I’m going to be a regular.”

“Don’t you already have a favorite place at Windy Brothel?” Dou Ma replied. “I don’t think the new owner will turn it into a place you are expecting. He has been acting strange since he bought the place.”

“What kind of strange?” His friend asked.

“He had someone engraved a formation on the three entrances into the inn. Weird stuff if you ask me. I don’t think–”

He didn’t complete his sentence because a loud ringing sound echoed throughout the place. It was so loud that probably the whole city heard it. Following that ringing sound was a roar. They looked out the window at the source of the roar.

What they saw was a huge spirit beast that looked like a cross between a fish, a snake, and an octopus floating before the entrance of Dou Ma’s old inn.

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