Chapter 12: Fox Tail

This Li Changshou, why didn't he just follow one pair? Why did they have to split into three routes!

In the mist above Luanzhang Baolin, Jiujiu, sitting cross-legged on a gray cloud, was so furious that she kept patting her knees. She truly wanted to take a big gulp from her wine gourd to soothe the anxiety in her heart.

This training expedition had drawn so many disciples to Beiju Luzhou, including four precious talents from the sect who couldn't afford any mishaps...

Now, these five people had boldly divided into three paths, leaving Jiujiu feeling immense pressure.

Each one was...

Like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, young people unaware of the bitterness of "shit"!

But thinking back to when she was a young disciple herself, didn't she have the same high spirits?

Jiujiu casually pulled out her wine gourd, uncorked it, but after a slight hesitation, she plugged it back.

"Forget it, just hold on for another twenty days."

Due to the miasma's interference, even her Zhenxian realm immortal sense couldn't probe too far.

Fortunately, this was just the outskirts of Beiju Luzhou, where the poisonous beasts were not very strong, and there were rarely any human Qi refiners or demon clans active. The latter two, when entering, usually went deeper.

After thinking it over, Jiujiu turned to look at Yuwen Ling standing on the gray cloud behind her. She had considered sending him to follow Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing, which would ease some of her burden, but as the words reached her lips, she blinked lightly...

'Wine Shishu, those with unclear origins are always somewhat suspicious and shouldn't be trusted lightly.'

The words Li Changshou had transmitted to her when she kicked him echoed in her mind; although Jiujiu didn't fully agree, since this big guy seemed no match for her in her eyes.

For some reason, she hesitated.

'Forget it, for now, these five kids haven't gone beyond the range of my immortal sense, so there's no need to rush.'

Steering the gray cloud onward, Jiujiu turned back and said,

"Big guy, stay close to me."

"Rest assured, Immortal," Yuwen Ling cupped his hands and replied, maintaining a three-zhang distance as he followed on his cloud behind Jiujiu.

The five had chosen three different forks in the road, and as they went, the distance between them naturally grew.

After weighing her options, Jiujiu decided to temporarily tail Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er, as she felt more at ease with Yuan Qing and Youqin Xuanya.

As for Li Changshou...

Although Jiujiu was quite worried, she couldn't just abandon the pair and protect only this lone wanderer—it would be too obviously biased.

She planned to rotate tailing the three groups, making sure the protection time was evenly distributed!

According to the training expedition rules, sect immortals only needed to deliver the disciples to the destination and let them train inside without further interference.

As the saying goes, life and death are fated, and wealth is in the heavens; facing dangers helps disciples grow quickly, but it also carries the risk of losses.

In Jiujiu's immortal sense, Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing were swiftly heading toward their target area; the pond where the Yanhuo Mingxin Cao grew was one of the safer spots in Luanzhang Baolin.

Though the two dared not fly, their progress was still decent. They exchanged no words throughout, rushing one after the other, and easily handled any poisonous beast attacks they encountered.

'As expected, disciples from Potian Peak are the most reassuring.'

Meanwhile, Jiujiu could easily see Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er's situation below; the two were chatting as they walked, seeming to have a slight fondness for each other. Though they frequently faced attacks from poisonous beasts and insects, they handled them with ease—both had solid skills.

'Even though nothing major has happened, it still irks me for some reason.'

Jiujiu pursed her lips, wanting to check on Li Changshou, and shifted her immortal sense...

Gone!

Had he been torn apart by a poisonous beast so quickly? Or swallowed whole by some fierce creature?

Jiujiu furrowed her brows and immediately intensified her immortal sense search.

Wait, no—it was some kind of shield blocking immortal sense. She could still sense his aura to the north, and he was moving at high speed, charging forward nearly twice as fast as Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing!

'You idiot, a Hui Shen ninth-tier flying like that, rushing straight into the depths of Luanzhang Baolin—are you in a hurry to die?'

Jiujiu threw her head back in a silent roar, her already strained robes fluttering wildly.

She glanced at Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er, who were examining a poisonous flower, pointed her left hand forward, and swiftly drove the cloud toward Li Changshou's direction.

She'd drag this guy back and hand him over to Wang Qi for safekeeping!

But moments later, when Jiujiu caught up and hovered above Li Changshou, matching his speed as she looked down, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

This guy...

Seemed to be using a hidden trace talisman to mask his aura, which would help avoid detection by distant fierce beasts.

Moreover, Li Changshou wasn't recklessly flying; instead, he was using that quite advanced Youlong Tan Yun Step, creating afterimages with his feet and maximizing his Hui Shen ninth-tier cultivation.

Wait, that medicine cauldron on his waist...

Jiujiu sniffed the air and caught a strange scent, pondering for a bit before realizing.

It was Chiyang Dulong Xian?!

Chiyang Dulong was born in the North Sea, feeding on demonic beasts, poisonous beasts, and ordinary creatures, but due to its extreme violence and widespread killing, which harmed the already dwindling dragon clan luck, it had been heavily purged by the dragon clan tens of thousands of years ago.

This Chiyang Dulong Xian wasn't a rare treasure, but it was still quite valuable. Who knew where Li Changshou had gotten it from...

With this thing on him, ordinary poisons wouldn't dare approach, which explained his brazen rush forward.

Jiujiu raised her eyebrows slightly and muttered, "This guy has made a lot of preparations. It seems he really has an urgent need for some medicinal herb. I wonder what he's after?"

From behind came Yuwen Ling's rough voice: "Immortal, why not go down and ask?"

"No need. If they only cultivate under sect protection, they'd just become useless trash even if they ascend," Jiujiu stretched lazily and glanced at Yuwen Ling behind her. "Let's go, we'll check on your princess. Don't go around saying I'm a biased shishu."

Yuwen Ling quickly nodded in agreement, showing a touch of urgency, which fit a loyal guard's reaction.

However, as Jiujiu turned and flew away, a black beetle flew out from near Yuwen Ling's leg and burrowed into the gray cloud beneath them.

This action was so subtle and timed when Jiujiu was using her immortal sense to check on the other four disciples that, despite her higher cultivation, she didn't notice it...

After the two left, the beetle continued speeding through the gray mist, closely tailing Li Changshou.

...

"Hmm?"

Li Changshou looked up at the sky as he dashed along, vaguely sensing something unusual, as if a pair of eyes were watching him.

But upon careful probing, he found nothing amiss.

Shishu?

Probably not—this gaze carried hostility.

Following the principle of better safe than sorry, Li Changshou stopped, quickly formed hand seals, and chanted incantations. The gray-black ground in front of him rippled slightly.

He stepped forward and sank into the earth, vanishing in an instant.

Five Elements Escaping Technique: Earth Escape.

A moment later, Li Changshou emerged from a patch of grass fifty li away. The poisonous insects and beasts gathered around scattered in all directions.

The feeling of being watched had vanished.

Li Changshou quickly oriented himself and continued running, pulling two talismans from his sleeve and sticking them on the outside of his thighs, boosting his speed even more.

Shenxing Qianli Fu—a common talisman that enhances running speed, typically for novice Qi refiners just entering the refining realm.

Li Changshou had already determined that their group of five would encounter some unexpected events.

Luanzhang Baolin was dangerous, but this was just the outer outskirts of Beiju Luzhou. As long as a Fan Xu realm Qi refiner was cautious, they could handle it—Beiju Luzhou's notorious reputation was the main deterrent.

But that Yuwen Ling who appeared out of nowhere...

And the seemingly amiable Yuan Qing...

The outwardly cold but likely straightforward Youqin Xuanya...

The princess, worldly royal power...

Li Changshou pieced together a clue in his mind, growing more convinced that something was bound to happen.

The mastermind behind this probably thought they had covered every angle, but having a worldly royal guard like Yuwen Ling show up midway instead of going directly to the sect for help from the elders to stop Youqin Xuanya's outing didn't make logical sense...

Forget it, none of this has anything to do with me.

Li Changshou glanced at the simple map he pulled out while running, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

If he had any other choice, he wouldn't risk coming to such a perilous place—it completely went against his life philosophy of hiding away in the mountains until old age.

But for his master...

"Taishang Laojun above, may all causes avoid me, and all evils stay away!"

With a light shout, Li Changshou perked up and continued dashing through the poisonous fog-filled black forest.

Yet, after a short while, he felt that subtle sense of being monitored again.

Frowning slightly, he thought to himself that this was troublesome. This time, Li Changshou didn't reveal more escaping techniques but instead checked the combat items in his storage treasure, while his spiritual sense began searching for a suitable ambush spot.

He was cautious, but not cowardly—the two were different.

For the next extended period, Li Changshou only had this feeling of being watched without any ambushes or attacks.

After two full days and nights of heightened alertness, during which he used Earth Escape several times, the sensation persisted.

Li Changshou calculated his current position; he had already delved deep into Luanzhang Baolin, likely beyond the range of Jiujiu Shishu's immortal sense.

He hadn't stopped once and felt no fatigue—years of endurance training had paid off significantly.

Suddenly...

Killing intent?

His spiritual sense, spread out, detected no threats; the other party clearly had ways to evade detection.

Glancing at the source of the killing intent—the dark forest to his left—Li Changshou kept charging forward. But with his left fingertips, he subtly released threads of transparent silk, while his right hand inconspicuously stirred up a light breeze...

Detection tool: Chong Tong Three-Headed Spider silk.

Soon, a somewhat blurry image formed in Li Changshou's mind.