Ten Thousand Miles of Escape [Seeking Votes and Collections]

Chen Gongmin and Wei Yanzi were discussing how to help this fellow sect female immortal heal her injuries.

Li Ping'an held the map, his thoughts racing continuously.

The heavily injured female immortal's two sentences were interpreted by Li Ping'an as such:

'I originally intended to return to the sect using the Sect Return Token, but was blocked by the formation and thus teleported here.'

'Don't worry about me, leave quickly.'

Senior Qing Su showed no hint of joy at being rescued; instead, she urged them to leave quickly?

Something was wrong!

Li Ping'an suddenly looked up, his handsome face full of seriousness, nearly shouting, "Go now!"

The two Daoist priests beside him frowned at him.

Li Ping'an said firmly, "There might be a large group of experts chasing her, and they've sealed off her path back to the mountain! We need to erase all traces here and leave immediately, or it'll be too late!"

Daoist Priest Chen asked, "This? Ping'an, why are you suddenly saying this..."

"Will the two of you trust me?"

Wei Yanzi immediately nodded, "Yes!"

"Deacon, later use a spell of True Fire to burn down this Daoist temple!"

"Burn, burn down our place?" Chen Gongmin's eyes widened. "Isn't the enemy not here yet? I don't need to sever my worldly ties just now!"

"Once the strong enemy arrives, we won't be able to escape either."

Li Ping'an took out a magical pouch emitting a soft Immortal Light from his sleeve and said quickly:

"Deacon, this item is a treasure I prepared for catching spirit pets; it can hold living beings. For now, let's put Senior Qing Su inside!

"We need to find a way to contact the sect, but we can't use the Message Transmission Jade Talisman right now—it's too easily intercepted by those with ill intent.

"The sect's experts must also be searching for Senior Qing Su. We just need to get her through this crisis and rendezvous with them!"

Wei Yanzi seemed somewhat distracted, muttering, "Why would she attract such powerful enemies? Even immortals of Myriad Cloud Sect get hunted?"

Li Ping'an thought: ...Then how did she get those injuries!

"Maybe it's related to the Ancient Ruins in the East Sea."

Li Ping'an added a few more explanations:

"I observed the injuries on Senior's body earlier. They were likely inflicted by multiple people attacking her in a very short time. Several wounds overlap, and the residual Dao Rhymes are varied.

"Perhaps this Senior seized some kind of heavy treasure, became a target for everyone, and barely escaped using the Sect Return Token while being surrounded."

Wei Yanzi sucked in a breath of cold air, "Right! There's an indescribable spiritual power inside her, merging with her Nascent Soul!"

Wei Yanzi had snapped back to his senses.

If it was really as Li Ping'an said, then countless strong enemies would inevitably flood in from the East Sea direction.

Li Ping'an leaned down beside the female immortal and said softly, "Senior, have you been hit by any mark technique, or a tracking Gu insect?"

The female immortal's lips parted slightly, forming the word "No," and then with great effort, she said, "Go."

This was clearly someone with a strong-willed nature.

Wei Yanzi didn't dare delay. He took Li Ping'an's 'Spirit Pet Bag,' said "Forgive me" to Qing Su, covered her body with immortal power, and stored her inside.

A moment later.

A ball of orange flame surged up from the Daoist temple, but the firelight was completely concealed by the surrounding formation.

Wei Yanzi activated the Rainbow Light technique, grabbing Li Ping'an with his left hand and Chen Gongmin with his right, and fled at full speed toward the Southwest Direction.

On Li Ping'an's advice, they found an abandoned temple near a large city. Wei Yanzi used his immortal power to carve out a simple cave abode underground, using the mundane world's turbid qi as cover.

The three discussed briefly and decided not to send out any jade talismans. Instead, Daoist Priest Chen would head north, try to return to the sect or contact the sect's experts, and then come back to meet them.

Li Ping'an had actually planned to deliver the message himself, but both Wei Yanzi and Chen Gongmin stopped him.

Wei Yanzi said seriously, "Ping'an, you're only at the Light Condensation Realm. Your flying speed is too slow. Even a straight trip back would take ten days, not to mention having to watch out for all kinds of strong enemies along the way. Stay by my side and don't wander off anywhere."

Chen Gongmin also said, "I may not be an immortal, but I'm at least at the seventh level of Void Refinement Realm. I'm not lacking in adaptability."

Li Ping'an didn't insist. He took out the map and planned two relatively safe routes for Chen Gongmin. Chen Gongmin memorized them and quickly left.

No sooner had Daoist Priest Chen left than Wei Yanzi hadn't even had time to recover his expended immortal power.

Li Ping'an hugged a round, ball-shaped Immortal Treasure, pondered for a few moments, and said:

"After Much Thought, I still feel it's not safe enough. Deacon, how about we move six hundred li southeast underground and settle beneath the area near the next big city?"

Wei Yanzi frowned, "Ping'an, I know you're cautious by nature, but this... Could it be that you don't trust Chen Gongmin?"

"Daoist Priest Chen and I have known each other for years. How could I not trust him?"

Li Ping'an said:

"A Heavenly Immortal's power can move mountains and drain seas. If the enemy captures Daoist Priest Chen, they could easily pry into his mind.

"Deacon, you only entered the Immortal Realm two years ago. My cultivation is low and I haven't even completed Foundation Establishment. If we face an enemy above the True Immortal level head-on, there's a ninety-nine percent chance we'll die!"

"Life is what matters—we can't be too careful right now!"

Wei Yanzi sighed with a laugh. "I've truly boarded your pirate ship. That's all, that's all—I'll do as you say."

With that, Wei Yanzi went through another round of trouble, taking Li Ping'an and the female immortal who had been stowed in the Spirit Pet Bag, and traveling underground by burrowing.

Wei Yanzi originally had a bit of an immortal's bearing, instinctively wanting to soar through the sky and ride the clouds;

but under Li Ping'an's earnest persuasion, this Origin Immortal Realm Daoist gradually grew accustomed to drilling through the earth. If he could find an underground river, he would use his own immortal power to cast the Water-Controlling Concealment Technique, leaving not a trace behind.

Once they found a new hiding place underground, Wei Yanzi, following Li Ping'an's instructions, carved out two simple cave abodes.

The first cave abode was three hundred zhang deep underground. They deliberately placed two empty jade bottles that had held immortal pills, along with a strip of cloth stained with the female immortal's blood.

This was clearly a decoy.

The second cave abode was a thousand zhang deep, hidden within the folds of the earth's veins, where Wei Yanzi carefully set up an immortal power barrier.

This was their true hiding spot.

After finishing all this, Wei Yanzi sat on a small stool Li Ping'an had brought out, and a faint, peculiar... sense of security stirred in his Dao heart.

Wei Yanzi asked curiously, "Ping'an, have you been hunted often before?"

Chased!

Li Ping'an smiled bitterly. "I just value my life. The things I prepared before leaving have all come in handy."

"You're way too practiced at fleeing for your life!"

Wei Yanzi chuckled, then remembered something. He took the Spirit Pet Bag from his sleeve, muttered "my apologies," and placed the severely injured female immortal onto the carpet Li Ping'an had laid out.

Her immortal body's injuries had recovered a great deal;

though still covered in blood, most of the terrifying wounds from before had begun to heal.

Li Ping'an observed the Heavenly Immortal Dao Body's healing ability with keen interest, his eyes full of admiration.

"Ping'an, you're the junior!"

Wei Yanzi frowned and said:

"Don't stare at a senior of the sect like that. It's a bit improper."

Only then did Li Ping'an remember that this was a female immortal. He cupped his hands and made a Daoist bow.

"Oh?"

Wei Yanzi frowned and pulled a thin jade slip from his sleeve. The jade slip trembled lightly, then shattered.

The Origin Immortal's expression froze instantly, his face turning pale...

"The formation at that Daoist temple has been broken... Many immortals swept past that place... At least three or four Heavenly Immortal auras!"

Wei Yanzi swallowed his saliva, turned his head to look at Li Ping'an, and said firmly:

"Ping'an, you need to leave now! They'll definitely be searching everywhere for us next! This place won't hide us for long!"

Li Ping'an, on the other hand, was quite calm. He asked with a smile, "Deacon, why not keep this senior here and leave together with me?"

"Abandoning a fellow disciple—that is unrighteous!"

Wei Yanzi sighed:

"I may not carry much weight in the sect, and I don't know this Immortal Qing Su from Colorful Cloud Peak, but I absolutely cannot bring myself to abandon a fellow disciple!"

Li Ping'an asked again, "Then why does the Deacon urge me to leave?"

Wei Yanzi was stunned.

Li Ping'an said seriously, "Deacon, think of it the other way. This group of immortals has already charged into the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty. Their immortal sense probes a thousand li. Right now, they're likely interrogating disciples of the Myriad Cloud Sect stationed everywhere in this area. How could I possibly escape? If I flee now, how would my father and I ever show our faces in the sect again?"

"Sss—"

Wei Yanzi drew a sharp breath.

"That's true as well."

Li Ping'an smiled. "Deacon, have you forgotten? I still have this."

He took out his Myriad Cloud Return Sect Token.

"If I want to leave, I can use this to return directly to the mountain, with no formation blocking me.

"I just calculated carefully. When this Senior Qing Su used her Cloud-Returning Token, she must have been inside the ancient ruins, so the formation blocked her.

"Right now, I'm actually safe."

"Right, I almost forgot you have one of those too. That puts my mind at ease."

Wei Yanzi finally relaxed, grinning as he said:

"You're still young, with a good life ahead of you to enjoy. I've already broken through to Origin Immortal, and I'm content with no regrets.

"So, what do we do next?"

Li Ping'an said in a low voice, "Deacon, your immortal power is our main reliance. Besides that, I have a way to gain us an extra bit of help."

"What is it?"

Li Ping'an took out the jade thumb ring his father had given him long ago, retrieved the brocade box from within, and revealed the pill bestowed by the Golden Immortal grandmaster.

The rich fragrance of the pill, mixed with a hint of obscure Dao rhyme, swirled back and forth within this narrow cave abode.

Wei Yanzi's eyes went slightly blank.

Golden Immortal Great Medicine!

A life-saving immortal pill refined by a Golden Immortal!

Just by sensing the Dao rhyme of this pill, Wei Yanzi immediately recognized its preciousness.

"Ping'an, this is a Golden Immortal Great Medicine..."

"I have several kinds of immortal pills on me that can save the life of a Foundation Establishment Qi cultivator."

Li Ping'an crouched beside the female immortal and said in a low voice:

"To use a pill like this without waste, I'd need to be in the True Immortal Realm.

"My mind is made up, Deacon, say no more. If Grandmaster were here, he surely wouldn't stop me either."

After saying that, he brought the pill to the female immortal's lips and pressed gently.

A faint immortal light flickered to life within the cave abode.

Dong—dong—

The bell sound that suddenly rang out from the main peak of the Myriad Cloud Sect startled the living beings on every peak.

Flocks of immortal cranes circled above the forested peaks, and figures flew out one after another from their cultivation dwellings, converging toward the main peak.

On Colorful Cloud Peak.

"Ningning!"

True Immortal Qing Xu had changed into a gray Dao robe, holding the Cloud-Turning Fan, an immortal treasure she had refined for years, her face full of solemnity as she said:

"A few days ago, ancient ruins emerged in the Eastern Sea. Your martial uncle Qing Su took first place and obtained a great opportunity, but was besieged by immortals from various sects. Now she's severely wounded and missing!

"The Sect Leader is furious and is summoning the immortals within the sect to go out and rescue her together.

"You cultivate peacefully in the mountains. Your master wants to see who dares to bully our Myriad Cloud Sect like this!"

"Master!" Mu Ningning was full of worry. "You must take care of yourself!"

"Don't worry!"

Qing Xu sighed and muttered quietly:

"Fights over treasures in ancient ruins are common. We got the better end of the deal this time, so the immortals from other sects are resentful. As long as we make a big show of force, these people will naturally back off."

Mu Ningning finally relaxed.

Judging by her master's stance just now, it looked like she was about to go fight to the death.

"Your master is going now. You cultivate peacefully on your own."

Qing Xu said with worry:

"Your martial uncle Qing Su cultivates the Pure Heart Dao. She's never been too good at talking to people.

"Don't let her usual cold, aloof, and arrogant demeanor fool you. Your master entered the mountain around the same time she did, so I know it all clearly—she simply doesn't know how to converse with others.

"Alas! Who knows where the Sect Return Token teleported her off to!"

Mu Ningning stared blankly at her master's figure as she rode away on a cloud, then returned to her prayer mat, took out a small wooden puppet from her sleeve, placed it in front of her, and sat down to meditate alongside it.

In the bamboo forest at the back mountain of the main peak.

Li Dazhi was disturbed by the bell sound and slightly raised an eyebrow, as if about to wake from his meditative absorption.

"Just focus on your cultivation and that will be enough."

Daoist Master Kongming said slowly:

"The immortals of the sect obtained a treasure from the ancient ruins and were attacked by a group. The Sect Leader is summoning the immortals from each peak to go out and rescue them.

"You concentrate on your ascension."

"Master," Li Dazhi said in a low voice, "Your disciple feels like he's lacking some insight. He always feels that he's just one thread short."

"Keep waiting," Daoist Master Kongming said warmly. "Ascension to immortality has never been easy. This is no longer a threshold that can be crossed by talent alone. You need resonance with the Great Dao. You will naturally be able to do it."

"Yes."

Li Dazhi let out a gentle breath, but his mind was still somewhat unsettled.

Daoist Master Kongming understood his disciple well. He took out the Yin-Yang Mirror and thought to check on Li Ping'an's safety, but his wrinkled old face clearly stiffened.

The Yin-Yang Mirror had failed?

There were only two possibilities for this situation:

Either the other Yin-Yang Mirror was too far away, or it was inside a great formation that blocked all detection.

After all, this was just a communication treasure he had casually refined back in the day, not some spiritual treasure. It was very easy for it to malfunction when interfered with by various formations.

Daoist Master Kongming pondered briefly, saying nothing to Li Dazhi. Instead, he directly issued a telepathic command to the current Sect Leader of the Myriad Cloud Sect in the hall, instructing them to keep an eye on Li Ping'an's safety and whereabouts when heading south.

The Sect Leader, having received the Founding Ancestor's order, summoned two Inner Sect Elders and asked them to proceed ahead to search for traces of Li Ping'an near Wan'an City.

Half an hour later, Immortal Light surged from the Myriad Cloud Sect as hundreds of immortals transformed into Rainbow Lights and sped toward the coast of the Eastern Sea.

The turn of events caught the Myriad Cloud Sect Leader off guard.

Two hours later, news arrived from the two Heavenly Immortal Elders who had rushed to the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty:

The Treasure-Hunting Immortals had pursued Qing Su into the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty, injuring over a hundred stationed disciples there—though fortunately, most had not been killed outright.

The Myriad Cloud Sect immortals immediately changed course, veering from the coast of the Eastern Sea toward the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty.

Upon hearing the news, most of the immortals chasing Qing Su scattered, though a stubborn few refused to give up, searching everywhere for any clue or trace.

After a full day of this chaos, the Myriad Cloud Sect immortals had intercepted and slain dozens of enemy immortals, confirming that Qing Su was currently hiding within a mortal immortal dynasty.

By this point, only the Sect Leader and a few Inner Sect Elders knew that Li Ping'an, who had been undergoing the Outer Sect Trial, had also vanished—suggesting some kind of intersection between Li Ping'an and Qing Su.

What happened next left the Myriad Cloud Sect immortals rather embarrassed...

They turned the Linzheng Immortal Dynasty upside down, yet could find neither Li Ping'an nor Qing Su.

Two days passed like this until Chen Gongmin arrived at the Myriad Cloud Sect, finally bringing accurate news—Li Ping'an and Wei Yanzi had rescued Qing Su and were hiding from the pursuit of numerous experts.

But when several Myriad Cloud Sect Elders, accompanied by Chen Gongmin, reached the first hiding spot Li Ping'an and the others had used, they found the Underground Cave Abode already shattered, with traces of Dao Rhyme from three or four Heavenly Immortals lingering at the scene.

Qing Su's trail was elusive;

Li Ping'an's whereabouts were unknown.

For a time, the entire Linzheng Immortal Dynasty fell into a strange, tense atmosphere.

Immortals flew chaotically through the skies, mortal soldiers searched house by house, and the hearts of the people in a hundred great cities were filled with unease.

Meanwhile;

On the coast of the Eastern Sea, in a large Market Town not far from where the Ancient Ruins had emerged.

Li Ping'an, now wearing a different face, sat inside the Spirit Gathering Formation of an upper-room Inn, pondering his next move.

They should have shaken off the pursuers by now. The next step was simply to bring Qing Su safely back to the sect and complete the mission.

'I wonder what kind of reward the sect will give me.'

Three feet in front of Li Ping'an sat a Female Immortal in an ice-blue dress. The gruesome wound on her shoulder was slowly healing, wisps of Black Qi seeping outward.

"I owe you a life."

The Female Immortal's tone was somewhat cold.

"You flatter me, Senior," Li Ping'an said with a smile. "Just repay me with a Golden Immortal Life-Preserving Pill someday."

"Mm."