A Bountiful Harvest

A single strike succeeded!

In the shadows.

Li Chang'an let out a sigh of relief.

"Luckily, this man didn't have any particularly good Defensive magical artifacts. Otherwise, a fierce battle would have been unavoidable."

Da Huang had fired that Ghost Needle just now.

Da Huang was stronger than this Rogue Cultivator.

However, in a head-on fight to the death, it would have been difficult to determine the victor in a short time.

The longer it dragged on, the more likely something unexpected would happen.

"There's one enemy left. He shouldn't be difficult to deal with."

With a thought from Li Chang'an.

The High-grade Defensive Puppet appeared and arrived before the black-robed cultivator's corpse.

To prevent any mishaps.

With a swift lift and fall of his blade, he severed the man's head.

Only then did he begin searching the man's body for valuables.

"This man's weapon is a High-grade First Tier Water-element magical artifact, the 'Layered Wave Ring.' His Defensive magical artifact is a High-grade Soft Armor. Neither is worth little, and there are quite a few pills and Talismans in his storage bag as well..."

Li Chang'an made a rough tally.

As expected of a late Qi Refining stage cultivator.

All the treasures on his body, added together bit by bit, were worth more than two thousand Spirit Stones!

"These past days, my fortune has shrunk considerably from making Puppets. At last, I've made a substantial haul."

Looking at the treasures in the storage bag, Li Chang'an was especially pleased.

This sort of killing and plundering was far more profitable than honestly drawing Talismans.

Afterward.

He put away the black-robed cultivator's head and slapped out a Talisman, burning the corpse into drifting ash.

"Zheng Ling'er ran quite fast."

Li Chang'an glanced back.

Though the black-robed cultivator had already been killed, Zheng Ling'er had not stopped.

She was still fleeing for her life, without the slightest decrease in speed.

After all.

She had no way of knowing.

Which side the unfamiliar powerful cultivator who had killed the black-robed man was on.

Perhaps the other party intended to save her, or perhaps the other party simply wanted to kill both of them.

"Not foolish, at least. She's cautious by nature."

Li Chang'an nodded slightly.

"Time to check on Zheng Songhe."

His figure flashed as he sped toward that area.

At this moment.

Zheng Songhe was still locked in a grueling battle with another black-robed cultivator.

Rumble!

Mana surged as water and fire crashed against each other.

At first, he had still been able to suppress the black-robed cultivator.

But as the effects of the Spirit Burst Pill weakened, his aura began to grow unstable.

He could not hold on much longer.

"In the end, this old man fell short by a step."

Zheng Songhe's face was deathly pale. He knew that he was doomed to die today.

The black-robed cultivator also noticed his condition.

He immediately let out a strange laugh.

"Hehe, old bastard, why has your Mana grown weaker?"

His eyes were cruel, and his attacks became ever more vicious.

Zheng Songhe gradually found himself unable to endure.

His Mana continued to weaken.

If nothing unexpected happened, this fight would end in just a few more breaths.

But...

At that very moment.

The black-robed cultivator's expression changed. Every hair on his body stood on end as he caught the scent of death.

"Ambush!"

His reaction was extraordinarily fast, his entire body bending forward.

He actually avoided the Ghost Needle fired by Da Huang.

"Who is it?"

The black-robed cultivator was furious as he unleashed two Artifact shields to protect himself.

He then activated more than ten High-grade First Tier Defensive talismans.

He looked around, his gaze fierce and Ominous.

"You cowardly wretch, do you only dare hide in the shadows and launch sneak attacks?"

In the shadows.

Li Chang'an was secretly surprised.

This man's reaction speed truly exceeded his expectations.

"This man must fight people often. Otherwise, he could never have developed such swift reactions."

Li Chang'an pondered.

His earlier successful strike had involved a measure of luck.

At the time, that black-robed cultivator had been pursuing Zheng Ling'er and had let down his guard.

"Since the ambush failed, I'll use another method."

With a thought from Li Chang'an.

That High-grade Defensive Puppet immediately appeared.

It wore a bamboo hat and was completely shrouded in a Magic Robe, making it impossible to tell that it was a Puppet.

"Late Qi Refining stage!"

Sensing its aura, the black-robed cultivator's heart sank.

A High-grade First Tier Puppet, when properly controlled, was already comparable to a late Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Moreover, the materials used for Li Chang'an's Puppet were exceptionally fine.

The aura it released at this moment.

Was several degrees stronger than that of the black-robed cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist, this is a grudge between Black Wind Mountain and the Zheng Family. Are you sure you wish to interfere?"

The black-robed cultivator was already thinking of retreating, remaining extremely vigilant.

Li Chang'an did not answer.

He raised a magical artifact with his backhand and charged straight at the black-robed cultivator.

Seeing this.

Zheng Songhe was overjoyed.

"Thank you for your aid, Fellow Daoist! Once this battle ends, my Zheng Family will surely repay you generously!"

The black-robed cultivator's face darkened, and he had no choice but to respond.

In the blink of an eye.

The two had exchanged more than ten moves.

During that time.

The black-robed cultivator's expression grew increasingly unsightly, for he had realized just how troublesome this Puppet was.

"Could this man be a Body Refining cultivator? Why is he so hard to fight?"

The Spells he cast only made the Puppet Body tremble slightly when they landed.

They could not even force it back half a step.

"Damn it, I can't drag this out any longer!"

The black-robed cultivator hastily retreated and stopped tangling with him.

If this continued.

The Zheng Family's other cultivators would arrive.

By then, even if he sprouted wings, he would not escape.

"I, Black Wind Mountain, will remember what happened today!"

His expression was savage as he threw down this threat.

Then.

His entire body transformed into a streak of Flowing Light and sped into the distance.

"Trying to run?"

Li Chang'an's expression turned cold as he stared in the direction the man had fled.

This Puppet Body remained where it was.

In secret.

He controlled another Puppet skilled in speed and chased after him together with Da Huang.

Not far away, Zheng Songhe swallowed several Healing Pills.

He remained on guard and cupped his hands toward Li Chang'an.

"Thank you for saving me, Fellow Daoist."

"A small effort. It was only right."

Li Chang'an replied.

The two then exchanged a few words.

During this time, Zheng Songhe intentionally probed Li Chang'an's identity.

But Li Chang'an did not reveal it.

At this moment.

The black-robed cultivator was still fleeing.

Seeing that no one had caught up.

He secretly let out a breath of relief and was about to take out a pill and swallow it.

Suddenly.

His Heart Sense flared, and he felt a deadly chill rushing toward him.

"Not good!"

Another ambush!

He hurriedly drew in a breath, bending his whole body once more.

He barely avoided the incoming Ghost Needle.

But what he never expected was.

That following the Ghost Needle was a vast net that blotted out the sky.

"Shadowless Net!"

His face turned deathly pale.

He had no time to dodge, and his entire body was trapped within the net.

No matter how he struggled, he could not break free.

In the blink of an eye.

The Shadowless Net completely tightened, leaving the black-robed cultivator within utterly unable to move.

"This combination of the Shadowless Net and Ghost Needle is truly useful."

Li Chang'an remarked as the Puppet Body appeared.

The black-robed cultivator immediately glared with eyes wide in fury.

"Who exactly are you? Why are you opposing my Black Wind Mountain?"

Li Chang'an did not answer.

He stepped forward and directly tossed the man into the Spirit Beast Bag.

After this.

He and Da Huang sank deep underground.

Within an enclosed underground space, he released the man.

"I have questions for you."

Li Chang'an's tone was cold as he began interrogating him.

This man was no unyielding bone.

Before long.

He confessed everything.

"Black Wind Mountain has seven late Qi Refining stage cultivators. I rank sixth, and my subordinates all call me the Sixth Boss."