Chapter 1686
Intelligence
"The Pure Land sect set off overnight and arrived the next morning. They launched an attack with lightning speed, and Biyun Palace was no match for them."
"It is said that the mountain-protecting formation was forcibly broken in just a few hours, a large number of Biyun Palace disciples were killed, and Biyun Mountain became the residence of Qingjing Sect. The vast territory was also directly incorporated into Lichou Prefecture."
"The families and sects that originally relied on Biyun Palace either fled or died. Only a few forces survived and switched allegiance to Qingjing Sect."
Sun Yang quickly recounted the fierce battle, though of course, he was just a minor rogue cultivator and didn't know much about it.
This person was one of the cultivators who stayed in this abandoned market town. At the time, Li Zhirui thought that he had been in seclusion for a long time and would not be able to learn about the situation outside the market in a timely manner.
So he spent a few bottles of pills to hire some of these cultivators to act as his eyes and ears, collecting intelligence and information for him.
He also instructed them that if any major event occurred, they should ring the gate bell immediately to summon him.
At this moment, what Sun Yang said shocked Li Zhirui. The Qingjing Sect had actually wiped out a Golden Immortal Sect!
Could it be that the Qingjing Sect already knows the true identity of those 'monsters'—that they are actually from the Biyun Palace?
Or did they just randomly pick a target to intimidate the 'monsters,' and Biyun Palace was unlucky enough to be chosen?
Thinking of this, Li Zhirui's brows furrowed slightly.
Regardless of the reason, it seems unlikely that Lichou Prefecture will remain peaceful in the near future.
Based on his understanding of the surrounding forces, those 'monsters' definitely did not come from just one force, which means that Biyun Palace had several accomplices.
After the Pure Land sect eradicates it, will they find any evidence? And if they do, will they continue their actions?
Li Zhirui felt there was a high probability that he would take action, not only to save face but also to make up for the losses.
After all, more than a dozen markets and immortal cities have been breached so far, and all the spiritual items have been looted.
Not to mention the various losses caused by the large number of cultivators and merchants fleeing and retreating due to this disaster.
If the Qingjing Sect only tries to intimidate the real 'monsters' by destroying the Biyun Palace, in his view, this approach will only backfire, making those monsters more rampant and audacious, because they know that the Qingjing Sect cannot do anything to them.
So regardless of the reason, it will be difficult for Lichou Prefecture to remain calm in the coming period.
After a while, Li Zhirui came to his senses and saw Sun Yang still waiting respectfully in front of him. He said, "These twenty-odd bottles of Immortal-grade pills are your reward and this month's betrothal money. You don't need to come again in the future."
Although only a few days have passed this month, he has still generously provided plenty of pills, since he doesn't lack them.
"This……"
Upon hearing this, Sun Yang became terrified and almost knelt on the ground, saying, "Senior, is there anything we did wrong? Please tell us, and we will definitely correct it."
His humble attitude stemmed not only from Li Zhirui's generosity, but also from the presence of this mystical immortal, which gave them a strong sense of security in the dangerous and chaotic Li Chou Prefecture.
Li Zhirui shook his head and said, "It's not because of you. It's because Lichou Prefecture may become even more chaotic and dangerous in the future. Even I may not be able to protect myself. So, before the disaster breaks out, I plan to leave this place as soon as possible."
He hasn't encountered any bottlenecks in his cultivation yet, so there's no need for him to get involved in something so dangerous.
His most important task is to thoroughly understand the laws and improve his cultivation level!
"What!?"
Sun Yang froze, never expecting it to be for this reason.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
"You all better take care of yourselves."
After saying that, Li Zhirui took back his spiritual object, which then transformed into a ray of light that streaked across the sky and quickly disappeared.
Sun Yang returned to their temporary camp, carrying a large pile of pills and looking dazed.
"What? Are you scared by these precious pills?" A cultivator couldn't help but tease when he saw this scene.
"Hahaha……"
The others couldn't help but burst into laughter.
In truth, they were very lucky, as they were hired by a generous Xuanxian cultivator, but they didn't have to do anything dangerous or arduous. All they had to do was gather some intelligence in exchange for a valuable elixir.
But Sun Yang did not smile; he still looked dejected.
At this moment, everyone realized that this was probably not a happy occasion, but rather some kind of trouble. Their initial joy suddenly plummeted.
"What's wrong?" a cultivator asked, his voice trembling.
“That senior has already left. He no longer needs us to gather intelligence for him. Before he left, he also told me that Lichou Prefecture would become more dangerous and chaotic, and that this place was not a good place to go.”
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned deathly pale.
Even Xuanxian (a high-level immortal) had to avoid his sharp edge. If these human immortal cultivators continued to stay in Lichou Prefecture, would they still have any hope of survival?
"Then let's leave quickly too."
After the pills were distributed, some left alone, while others traveled in groups. No one dared to stay in the abandoned market town any longer.
……
A gentle breeze swept across the land, flying eastward at an extremely fast speed.
If nothing unexpected happens, Li Zhirui will leave Lichou Prefecture quietly and without disturbing any living beings.
But then, a problem arose along the way!
On his journey, a Golden Immortal was hidden and discovered his presence.
I don't know what he was thinking, but he actually attacked me.
A beam of golden light pierced the sky and hurtled straight toward the vital spot.
Left with no other choice, Li Zhirui had to exit his flying state and dodge to the side at an even faster speed, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Without pausing for a moment, ignoring his rapidly declining magical power, he simply buried his head and fled into the distance.
Even at his peak, he couldn't possibly be a match for a Golden Immortal, let alone in other worlds where his strength was greatly suppressed.
Stopping and getting entangled with it would be the most foolish decision.
"Trying to leave? Stay here!"
The Golden Immortal hadn't expected his attack to fail. When he attacked again, he was somewhat enraged, and his attack became even more powerful.
Li Zhirui felt the threat rapidly approaching from behind, his heart pounding wildly. If he were hit, even if he didn't die, he would be seriously injured and difficult to treat!
The two were already vastly different in strength, and if he were to suffer further serious injuries, he would have almost no hope of survival.
"Drink!"
He suddenly stopped, turned around instantly, and roared, unleashing all his magical power. Countless giant trees rose from the ground, and endless vines intertwined and entangled, forming a dense forest before his eyes in the blink of an eye.
"Hmph! A mere trick."
The Golden Immortal said with great disdain. He then summoned a golden light, which split into countless points of light that flew towards the forest. During this process, they grew in the wind and transformed into countless incomparably sharp golden wheels.
Reed reed reed!
Wherever it passed, whether it was a large tree or a tough vine, it was instantly cut in half.
The vast forest was completely cleared away in a short time, leaving only a mess on the ground.
"Ok?"
But when he tried to find out who Li Zhirui was, he was surprised to discover that he couldn't find him!
Such a large person simply vanished into thin air, right under his nose.
His powerful divine sense searched every inch of space within a hundred miles, but he still couldn't find any trace of the other party.
However, he still didn't quite believe that the other party could escape so quickly; he was sure they were still hiding nearby and would show themselves after he left.
Thinking of this, the man decided to make a plan. He would pretend to leave, but actually hide nearby. As soon as the Xuanxian appeared, he could leave and take him down!
Why was he targeting Li Zhirui, this Xuanxian, in such a way? The reason is simple: it was an order issued by the Qingjing Sect!
Along the important roads leading out of Lichou Prefecture, there are Golden Immortals or several Profound Immortals lying in ambush, their purpose being to take action against unfamiliar high-level cultivators, either to capture them or to kill them outright!
The Pure Land school adopts a strategy of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."
This is clearly a hidden danger caused by the attack on the Immortal City by those 'monsters'.
Li Zhirui was unlucky enough to encounter a Golden Immortal cultivator. If it weren't for his personal space that allowed him to hide and save his life, any other cultivator would have been a corpse by now.
"call!"
Having already retreated into the space, Li Zhirui quickly calmed his mind. He wasn't in a hurry to leave and planned to recover his magical power before assessing the situation.
About an hour later, he formed hand seals and quickly used a secret technique to investigate the situation outside.
"what?"
In Li Zhirui's view, nothing seemed amiss; the outside was deserted, and it appeared that the Golden Immortal had long since departed.
But for some reason, the situation around him was somewhat different, with an indescribable strangeness.
For safety's sake, he decided not to leave his personal space immediately, but to wait until the situation outside returned to normal.
"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've checked on the growth and distribution of the spiritual creatures in the space," Li Zhirui suddenly thought to himself.
Anyway, the situation outside is a bit strange right now, so it's not suitable to go out. We can't cultivate in the space either, so this period of time is perfect for taking a stroll around the space.
The spiritual materials he used for alchemy were all picked, preserved, and categorized by the demon spirits after they matured.
However, Li Zhirui had not paid attention to the specific growth of the spiritual creatures for many years. He had not even inquired about those precious spiritual creatures and spiritual roots, leaving them entirely to the demon spirits to handle.
Anyway, they can't leave the space, and if they want to do anything, they can't hide it from Li Zhirui.
You must understand, he is the master of space, and every inch of land in space is within his control.
The fact that the spirits in the space can grow so well is not only due to the special effects of the space itself, but also largely thanks to those demon spirits.
Without their meticulous care, assistance in the breeding, gathering, and preservation of the spirits, the spiritual beings in the space would never be as orderly as they are now.
Moreover, many tasks will fall to Li Zhirui, thus reducing his cultivation time.
"Thank you for your hard work." He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the demons.
To express his gratitude, he specially prepared several kinds of elixirs for them to help them cultivate.
To be honest, the demons' cultivation level is relatively low; they're only at the Loose Immortal Realm so far.
Even though they are naturally long-lived, they will eventually reach the end of their lifespan. Therefore, helping them improve their cultivation level and extend their lifespan is, in a sense, Li Zhirui's way of thinking about himself.
"If you feel you are about to break through, you can contact me and I will let you out to undergo tribulation and break through in the void."
"Yes, thank you, sir!"
A certain demon spirit held the pills and said with a grateful expression.
Although they live in a space where there is no danger, it does not mean that they have no pursuit of cultivation.
If given the chance, who wouldn't want to roam freely through the void, possessing immense power and a profound realm?
Of course, the spirits were well aware that they could never escape the space in their entire lives, making it almost impossible for them to achieve such a goal.
Li Zhirui was unaware that the pills he had given them, along with his words, had stirred up their thoughts.
"I'll have to trouble you all in the future."
After saying that, he used his secret technique once again to check the situation outside and see if it was time to leave.
……
While Li Zhirui was refining elixirs.
"Did he really escape?"
In the Myriad Realms, Yuanji, the Golden Immortal cultivator who was staking out Li Zhirui, waited for most of the day. He tried every method imaginable, but he never saw Li Zhirui appear, nor did he find even the slightest trace of him.
Although he didn't quite believe it, it was the truth, and he had no choice but to accept it. He left dejectedly and returned to the place where he had been lying in wait.
But Yuanji was still concerned about the situation not far away. If anything happened, he could take action immediately, perhaps to stop it, or perhaps for some other reason.
In short, he was unwilling to easily let go of this place where doubts lingered in his mind.
But as time went on, no matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to give up all his ideas.
Meanwhile, the Pure Land School began summoning them back to their monasteries.
"Unfortunately, we still couldn't catch that Xuanxian."
After leaving, Yuanji left behind a regretful remark before transforming into a ray of light and flying away.
But what he didn't know was that less than a quarter of an hour after he left, Li Zhirui's figure slowly appeared.
"That person is finally gone!"
He sighed, but dared not linger, lest the other party return.
At the same time, he learned from this experience and planned to leave Lichou Prefecture via a secluded path.
The next instant, Li Zhirui transformed into a beam of azure light, but quickly merged into the天地间 (heaven and earth), and flew away at top speed. (End of Chapter)