Kill Trap

That voice... Senior Bones.

Wang Jixuan's mind tightened. He immediately had the black dragon on his arm lie low, then looked up at the Fairy with the cute round face, his gaze still as gentle and respectful as before.

"This..."

Daoist Wang said softly:

"After thinking it over, this secret art is really meant for life-and-death battles. Using it for a demonstration would truly be a waste of spiritual power."

"Oh? It wastes spiritual power?"

"Yes," Wang Jixuan deliberately fed her misleading information. "The reason this demonic body possesses the combat strength of a True Immortal is that it sacrificed a million demonic monsters."

That was also the truth.

Only part of the truth.

Fairy Linglong did not press the matter. She merely nodded with a smile and sighed softly. "Ah, you must have suffered tremendous grievances as well. That makes sense. Since you are meant to be a variable, you must bear the crushing weight of the world's great fortune. Your trials are bound to be many."

"Fairy, let us continue cultivating."

Wang Jixuan took the initiative to seek instruction.

"Very well. Begin circulating your heavenly cycle, and I'll correct any possible errors or omissions in your cultivation bit by bit."

"Thank you, Fairy."

Wang Jixuan immediately entered meditation wholeheartedly, though the activated Strange Soul remained hidden on his shoulder, its dragon eyes fixed on Linglong.

Fairy Linglong smiled and sat down on a stone chair nearby, leisurely sipping tea as she began identifying and correcting flaws in Wang Jixuan's cultivation of the Azure Reed Art.

That left Daoist Wang somewhat puzzled.

This Fairy was genuinely teaching him how to cultivate.

Then why had Senior Bones warned him that she harbored killing intent toward him?

Though Wang Jixuan did not understand, he did not question the truth of Senior Bones's words. He cultivated and studied earnestly, maintaining the utmost vigilance at every moment.

In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.

"All right," Fairy Linglong said, stretching lazily.

Her figure had always been quite good—or rather, any woman who cultivated to immortality could make her outward appearance far from poor if she wished. Such a stretching motion naturally made for a rather pleasing sight.

Unfortunately, Wang Jixuan did not raise his head or open his eyes. He simply sat there in quiet meditation.

"Digest what you have learned for two days. I'll return to teach you in two days, and then I'll pass down some Immortal Methods to you."

Fairy Linglong put her hands behind her back and affected an old-fashioned sigh.

"How wonderful it would have been if you had been born in Wangxian Valley in the Immortal Realm. Wangxian Valley might even have gained a Golden Immortal patriarch."

Before her words faded, she transformed into a wisp of cloud and smoke and vanished from the pavilion.

The Heavenly Net Immortal Martial Hall general who had been hiding not far away revealed himself, nodded lightly to Wang Jixuan, and then disappeared.

Clearly, just as Fairy Linglong had said before, this general was specifically keeping watch over Fairy Linglong one-on-one.

Together with Senior Bones's warning...

Daoist Wang felt thorns pressing against his back.

The seemingly peaceful and warm Peach Blossom Grove now seemed to carry a more sinister air.

That night.

Wang Jixuan took the initiative to visit Amina's room.

Amina was truly surprised... This was Wang Jixuan's first late-night visit, and she could not help feeling somewhat nervous.

A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air.

Her porcelain-white skin was wrapped in a silver-gray silk nightgown, its folds filled with moonlight. That moonlight seemed like the unrestrained purity of her beautiful face, flowing straight into Wang Jixuan's eyes.

"Resting?"

"Mhm," Amina answered softly, stepping aside to make room for him.

Daoist Wang entered with his hands behind his back, then suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around Amina's slender waist.

Amina visibly tensed, but her powerful willpower restrained the urge to dodge backward. She let Wang Jixuan hold her and pull her into his embrace.

Daoist Wang casually placed more than a dozen layers of barriers around the place and had his Strange Soul, which possessed True Immortal combat strength, guard the surroundings of the pavilion.

Even a Heavenly Immortal would find it difficult to investigate this place now.

Quite a few experienced onlookers revealed knowing smiles.

Fairy Linglong quietly cursed, "Little lecher," then continued holding an ancient scroll and studying it carefully.

Inside the room, Wang Jixuan Breathed a Sigh of Relief and lowered his head to look at Amina, whose breathing had already become slightly unsteady in his arms.

She seemed to have Had a feeling and raised her head to look at Daoist Wang, her shining eyes filled with unconcealable nervousness.

Had it been Daoist Wang when he had first arrived at Fortress No. 76, he likely would have released Amina immediately and taken half a step back.

But Daoist Wang had loosened up considerably today. Knowing how she felt about him, and that he himself felt some longing for her, he followed the trend and gently pressed his fingers down. Even through her nightgown, he could feel the smoothness of her skin.

"Mmm..."

Amina tightly pursed her lower lip and whispered, "I'll go Take a Bath..."

"Cough, there's no need for that."

Wang Jixuan smiled and released her.

Amina could not help feeling somewhat disappointed, her eyes gaining a trace of unease.

"I needed a proper excuse to set up the barriers. Peony is with me too. There are some matters we need to discuss."

With that, Wang Jixuan pulled Peony out of a Storage Magic Treasure.

The advantage of a Mechanical Spirit Body like Peony was that any Storage Magic Treasure could hold her. There was no need to use a special Storage Magic Treasure meant for living beings.

Amina adjusted herself within a second, returning to her usual cool demeanor as she asked softly, "What happened?"

"It's Fairy Linglong." Wang Jixuan let out a soft breath and began with Senior Bones's warning from the Moon God Palace.

After listening to Wang Jixuan's account, both Peony and Amina frowned in their own ways.

"This Linglong is bad?"

Amina was somewhat confused.

"Though I do not possess the ability to read hearts, my intuition is fairly sharp.

"From what I sense, Fairy Linglong is not a cunning villain. But she does indeed seem to have something on her mind, and she is somewhat deliberately cheerful."

Wang Jixuan leaned back in his chair as though all his strength and means had been exhausted.

During the day, he had to cultivate while constantly guarding against Fairy Linglong. It had truly taken a great deal of effort.

Amina asked, "Any other information?"

"No." Daoist Wang merely shook his head. "Senior Bones's warning, the fact that Heavenly Immortal Gu Zheng from the Immortal Martial Hall is secretly watching Fairy Linglong, and Fairy Linglong's killing intent toward me. Right now, this is all we know."

Amina crossed her arms and paced back and forth, muttering, "In that case, when Fairy Linglong left in the evening and Heavenly Immortal Gu Zheng took the initiative to show himself and meet you, that was also a warning?"

"This is bad!"

Peony slapped her forehead and widened her eyes. "We need to leave quickly!"

Wang Jixuan asked in confusion, "Leave? Is it that urgent?"

"It really is urgent, Boss!"

Peony spoke quickly.

"Based on the information we currently know.

"Gu Zheng is an immortal of Heavenly Net, and all Heavenly Net immortals are watched by Heavenly Net's Heavenly Dao. Let us assume Gu Zheng is here to protect us. Then doesn't his constant surveillance of Fairy Linglong prove that Fairy Linglong has a problem?

"Gu Zheng knows Linglong has a problem.

"The Heavenly Net higher-ups who sent Gu Zheng naturally know Linglong has a problem too.

"Yet although the Heavenly Net higher-ups know Linglong has a problem, she still appeared here, even becoming your cultivation guide and gaining the chance to approach you at close range.

"Doesn't that mean... the Heavenly Net higher-ups are not of one mind? At the very least, they disagree on how to deal with you, Boss.

"The confrontation between Gu Zheng and Linglong is a reflection of the internal confrontation among Heavenly Net's higher-ups."

Amina asked, "Can't Heavenly Net's Heavenly Dao control Heavenly Net's higher-ups?"

Peony said, "Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Grand Beginning Golden Immortals are probably difficult to control."

Wang Jixuan asked, "Then who do you think sent Linglong here, Peony?"

"Heavenly Net's higher-ups, without question."

Peony spoke quickly.

"Linglong herself mentioned that Heavenly Net's higher-ups Acted personally and went to Wangxian Valley, asking them to send out a Heavenly Immortal.

"Linglong was clearly the one chosen.

"With Heavenly Net's Heavenly Dao watching over them, Heavenly Net's higher-ups may want to kill the Boss, while Heavenly Net's immortals cannot Act personally. Taking this opportunity to use Immortal Realm Wangxian Valley's hands to eliminate a disciple from Lower Realm Wangxian Valley would be perfectly reasonable."

Amina sighed. "Then what do we do? Do we flee directly?"

"We can't escape." Wang Jixuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Even those Heavenly Net members who do not intend to kill me likely still want an obedient variable. Having occupied high positions for so long and grown accustomed to controlling everything, they would not pity cultivators from the Mortal World struggling as we do."

Peony muttered quietly, "Did Elder Shao get involved in this?"

Wang Jixuan shook his head. "I don't know. Personally, I lean toward no."

"We still cannot Lowered Guard," Peony said. "Boss, why don't you ask that senior?"

"All right."

Wang Jixuan pondered for a moment.

If he wanted to break this deadlock now, he truly could only rely on Senior Bones from the Moon God Palace.

After Peony's analysis, even his Dao heart had become somewhat unsettled.

The tree wished to be still, but the wind would not cease.

"Amina, let me use your bathroom."

"Okay."

A moment later, Daoist Wang hid inside the bath barrel, hugged the Stone of the Past, and called out softly several times.

A vortex appeared on the surface of the Stone of the Past and drew a wisp of Wang Jixuan's primordial spirit inside.

Only a few minutes passed.

Wang Jixuan shuddered, stored the Stone of the Past in the deepest part of his Storage Magic Treasure, and looked at the translucent golden leaf that had appeared in his Left Hand. He softly let out a breath.

No matter what, he now had one more means of counterattack.

He went outside to find Peony and finalized their subsequent plan.

When Fairy Linglong passed down Dharma for the second time two days later, she might attack Wang Jixuan. Wang Jixuan would deliberately reveal an opening then and invite Fairy Linglong to make her move.

If she truly attacked, Wang Jixuan would use the Strange Soul Puppet and the leaf given by Senior Bones to make One Gamble against her.

General Gu Zheng would most likely intervene, but Wang Jixuan could not stake his life and death on someone else.

In matters like this, relying on himself was the most reliable option.

What Peony needed to do was let Zheng Shiduo and the others know about this over the next two days without alerting Fairy Linglong. During the second lesson, they would need to enter subspace in time to hide, leaving Wang Jixuan to face the enemy alone.

The gap between an Integration Realm cultivator and a Heavenly Immortal was truly enormous.

The Heavenly Immortal Realm had nine grades, and there was also a saying here that each grade was a heavenly chasm.

Wang Jixuan's Strange Soul Puppet, with its True Immortal combat strength, could only exchange a few simple blows with her.

When Wang Jixuan left Amina's room, he gave her a look.

Amina understood. She took a deep breath, making her cheeks flush, then deliberately tousled her long dark-blue hair. A lazy charm appeared Between the Brows as she Raised Hand and pulled down her collar, biting her Lips hard until they reddened.

Wang Jixuan removed the barriers and recalled the Strange Soul.

He looked back once, and slight ripples rose in his Dao heart.

Unfortunately, this setting and atmosphere were not the time for romance.

Amina leaned against the edge of the Door Frame, watching Wang Jixuan leave.

Fairy Linglong, who was holding a scroll and studying it, pursed her lips and muttered, "Didn't use an Immortal Technique? It did not even last an hour."

Fortunately, Daoist Wang had not Heard her.

The peaceful two days passed in a flash.

Morning light spilled down, and birdsong filled the Peach Blossom Grove. The grand formation covering the valley operated as usual.

When Wang Jixuan arrived as promised, Fairy Linglong had already been waiting in the pavilion for a long time.

Several colorful butterflies fluttered around Linglong, making her quite eye-catching.

"How was your understanding of the points I instructed you on last time?"

"This disciple has basically comprehended them all." Wang Jixuan cupped his fist in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, Fairy. Otherwise, who knows how many detours I might have taken in the future."

Linglong smiled. "If you had ascended normally, you would have entered the Earth Realm of the Feather God Palace. According to the rules, you would also have needed to cultivate in Wangxian Valley for one hundred to three hundred years."

"And then?" Wang Jixuan asked with interest.

Linglong said, "And then you would need to register with the Feather Immortal Army of the Feather God Palace and earn resources for your future cultivation."

Wang Jixuan: ...

So he really would be going to become cannon fodder and a hired thug for the Feather God Palace.

"All right, you can explore those things yourself after reaching the Immortal Realm. You are now one of Heavenly Net's people. Once you reach the Immortal Realm, Heavenly Net will directly protect you. If you want to interact with the Feather God Palace, you will probably have to wait until you become a Heavenly Immortal or Golden Immortal."

Linglong sighed lightly.

"A variable like you should cultivate extremely fast."

Wang Jixuan sat upright on the meditation cushion In Front Of Linglong.

According to the plan, he needed to give Linglong some chances to attack today.

But before that, he had to determine whether the Heavenly Immortal general Gu Zheng was nearby.

The Strange Soul extended its Immortal Sense and searched everywhere...

He was there.

Moreover, Gu Zheng was currently hiding behind a peach blossom tree, only about a hundred zhang away. The general's entire body was taut, as though he might launch an attack at any moment.

Wang Jixuan's mind settled completely.

Meanwhile, Zheng Shiduo and the others had already Gathered Together, playing cards and fooling around in a house at the edge of the Peach Blossom Grove.

Next, all he had to do was follow the plan and lure Fairy Linglong into attacking...

What if she refused to attack?

Wang Jixuan had indeed considered this possibility. Perhaps Fairy Linglong was too cautious, or perhaps Senior Bones had sensed wrong and the source of the Killing Intent was not Fairy Linglong. Or perhaps Fairy Linglong had found her way back, and the conscience in her heart had awakened...

In any case, if she made a move, he would fight.

If she did not, Wang Jixuan would take the initiative to test her and see if he could bluff her.

"Come."

Fairy Linglong motioned for Wang Jixuan to rise.

"The last time I taught you cultivation methods, that was imparting the Dao. Today, I will teach you techniques suited to the Azure Reed Art. This is imparting methods.

"You had best be prepared.

"When my master taught me techniques, she gave me a brutal beating. I will not let you off easily today."

Wang Jixuan smiled and cupped his fist. "Fairy, please show mercy. I am only a Mahayana Cultivator; I cannot withstand your torment."

In fact, his Mahayana Stage had only been reached incidentally when the Strange Soul Puppet took form.

Fairy Linglong took out two treasured swords and tossed one to Wang Jixuan with a smile. "Our Wangxian Valley has a sword song that safeguards the sect. It is renowned even in the Immortal Realm. This is the Azure Reed Sword Song. If you can attain minor mastery of it, it should basically be enough until the Heavenly Immortal Realm."

She lightly shook the blade, and strands of sword intent circled around them.

Wang Jixuan felt waves of melancholy rise in his heart, as though he had nothing to rely on and was wandering alone between heaven and earth.

It could even affect one's emotions?

What formidable sword intent.

Daoist Wang did not dare be careless. As he carefully observed and memorized the sword intent, he also kept Staring At Fairy Linglong's movements.

Suddenly.

"Oh, teaching a lesson? Would this Old Man be allowed to sit in and listen?"

Elder Shao's Clone rode the clouds over from the side, a somewhat stiff smile on his lips.