Not Quite

Even with Li Fan's current cultivation level, he could only barely use the <Profound Nether Ice River Escape Technique> seventeen or eighteen times, given its enormous mana consumption. Moreover, this escape technique wasn't just a matter of huge mana consumption; an excess of Profound Nether True Qi could also directly affect his physical body. Li Fan had previously discovered during his human experiment that using this escape technique too frequently could lead to a backlash of True Qi, potentially causing frostbite.

Fortunately, the drawbacks of the true qi reversal didn't affect Gonggong Dao Body at all. In fact, moving around in the icy river even moisturized the snake skin of Gonggong Dao Body, making it cool and refreshing, which was quite pleasant. As for the consumption of mana, that was also a problem that Li Fan could solve. He could just take some drugs!

His cultivation progress was too rapid; he still had about a hundred Nine Revolutions Mysterious Purple Gold Pill left to use. Although their effect on sustaining the life of Golden Core Stage cultivator was not ideal, their ability to replenish Qi and mana was still excellent. Anyway, he had an endless supply of pills; one pill allowed him to teleport around seventeen or eighteen times, and incidentally, even increase his proficiency in his teleportation techniques. Wasn't that wonderful?

While Li Fan was having a blast, things were disgusting at Taiping Temple.

She finally understood what the wickedness of the human heart truly meant. She had already thrown away 700,000 strings of cash and a Nascent Soul Stage magic weapon, yet this demon still wouldn't give up. Two eunuchs had been sacrificed for nothing. And every now and then, the demon would fly over and throw water cannons at the ship, leaving her, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, in a dilemma.

When she tried to fight, the demon didn't engage her at all. It would jump over her one moment and then jump back the next, arrogantly shouting "Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!" but it never stayed within her Divine Sense for long. She also had the Falling Sun Mirror in her hand, and for a time, even her flying swords couldn't deal with it.

She wanted to give chase, but the opponent's escape techniques were so powerful that she wasn't confident she could catch up. Moreover, she worried that this demon was so cunning, repeatedly luring her away, that there must be traps and ambushes behind it, so she dared not act rashly.

But she should try to escape; there are shady things on this ship, and she's never even piloted a boat before...

Thus, Taiping Temple had no choice but to hastily deploy its magical artifacts as a precaution, while studying the array formations and incantations on the flying boat and slowly steer it forward.

Li Fan also realized that the Taiping Temple's magical artifacts were protecting the entire ship and were unwilling to abandon it, so there must be many good things inside the cabin. So he changed positions several times, sneaking under the ship and deliberately using Profound Nether True Qi to bombard the bottom of the ship, in places that the banner magical artifacts could not protect.

Taiping Temple also discovered his intentions, but to everyone's surprise, her response was to take out another seventh-grade Nascent Soul Realm brocade handkerchief magic treasure and use it to cover the bottom of the ship!

A canopy hangs in the sky, a brocade handkerchief covers the boat, a bright mirror hangs above her head, a sword guards her waist, and she holds a jade bottle in her hand. My goodness, what a tycoon!

But... with so many high-grade magic treasures you have, why didn't you just use one to protect those two eunuchs?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Heh heh, they just can't bear to part with it. How can such a precious treasure be given to a servant? That's always been the way the Immortal Palace operates. They're only focused on preventing their subordinates from rebelling. Even Cultivation Method are broken down into several parts and distributed separately as rewards. Those two who just learned the true method are already being treated generously by their trusted confidants, you know? Never mind that. Did you see the jade Jade Hairpin she's using to tie her hair?'"

Jade Hairpin? Li Fan darted closer and glanced at it, then fled before the flying sword struck. It was a dragon-head hairpin, made of mutton-fat jade, its body shimmering and sparkling, with seven-colored light emanating from the Dragon Head.

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'That's a magic treasure of around the third rank, a rare Jade Dragon Hairpin. It can greatly reduce the consumption of Divine Sense. This person's cultivation foundation is not weak; he's a seasoned expert, and he also has many superior magic treasures protecting him. He can't be attacked by force.'"

That's definitely not something you can do by force. He bombarded the ship with water cannons for ages, and even though he used his fists, feet, and Daoist power to blast it around, he couldn't damage the ship in the slightest. Moreover, seeing that all those magical treasures he unleashed were dazzling and unwavering, it seemed that it was probably thanks to that Jade Hairpin that the delay had lasted so long. Yet, Taiping Temple showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Why don't you try a sudden attack and use your flying sword to cut off her Jade Hairpin? You can then use the Snake Shadow Sword to dodge her mirror light. I will teach you the <Dark Underworld Dividing Light and Shadow Illusion> technique, which can create six water shadow clones. It's just a fleeting illusion, without any real combat power, but it's not easy to see through.'"

"So, the real target is the Jade Dragon Hairpin on her head, but to be on the safe side, we should use two swords. One sword to assassinate the main body and attract her attention, and the other sword to ambush the target... I'll prepare."

Li Fan chewed on the pill to regulate his breathing, closed his eyes to meditate, and studied illusion techniques in his mind, trying to prepare for a simulated battle. Both <Dark Underworld Dividing Light and Shadow Illusion> and <Beichen Killing Sword. Snake Shadow Sword> were newly learned Daoist techniques, their mastery was not yet refined, and they were both deceptive and cunning methods. Given the style of the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, it seemed they didn't like such clever tricks; unless the tortoise shell of the Taiping Temple was too hard to pry open, they probably wouldn't be willing to pass on their techniques.

However, it must be said that in many situations, using both conventional and unconventional methods to win, and having two or three unorthodox moves to catch the enemy off guard, can indeed be much more effective. Li Fan even thought that he could try a close-range assault, taking advantage of the Taiping Temple's lack of proficiency in the five close-range arts, and using the Dog Flying Disc to control her, to forcefully take her head.

However, Profound Heaven Sword Intent did not approve of such a risky move, believing that the opponent likely possessed numerous protective Nascent Soul Nascent Soul Stage treasures, making a one-hit kill difficult. Charging too close was far too dangerous.

After considering it for a moment, Li Fan decided to play it safe for the time being, taking into account that he still had to fight Jade Toad Granny.

So he took out the Demon-Slaying Sword, prepared for the attack, and with a hand seal, drew out an icy river in the sky, which rushed straight towards the treasure ship!

Taiping Temple saw the ice line approaching from afar and knew that the demon god was coming to harass her again. Of course, she didn't put away her protective magic treasure. Anyway, the demon god's Profound Nether True Qi was suppressed by the jade bottle in her hand, so she continued to sail south and didn't bother to deal with the demon god.

As a result of this momentary lapse in concentration and lack of preparation, Li Fan used his escape technique to rush straight to the deck, and with a sharp shout, unleashed a Sword Light!

Seeing the distinct shape of the Demon-Slaying Black Sword, a dark streak of light trailing through the air, its surging sword energy piercing through the protective scarf and crashing down upon them, Taiping Temple was immediately taken aback. "Which disciple of the Ink Bamboo Mountain did you kill? They even have flying swords!?"

However, she was still able to shout and interrogate, clearly still having something to rely on. She splashed the jade bottle in her hand, creating a torrent like a tidal wave that almost sent the oncoming demon flying into the sky. It actually blocked the Sword Light!

Li Fan pointed again, and with the Ruyi Sword Scripture Sutra, the Demon Slayer leaped and slashed down from a different direction!

Taiping Temple raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing something, "You're just a Gonggong! Where did you learn sword techniques!"

She immediately blinked, and the bright mirror on her forehead floated into the air, shooting out a beam of light that fixed the demon in mid-air, making it impossible for him to break free!

"Die--!" Li Fan made a sword incantation with one hand and swung his mist whip wildly with the other. At the same time, he also created two palms and used the palm technique of Pifeng Biyue to bombard the enemy with true energy!

However, when the whip and palm strikes hit the banner, they only make the banner sway, having no effect whatsoever!

Wow, how come this top-grade magic weapon is so tough?! It's unshakeable!

"Hmph! You came here to die, so don't blame me!" Taiping Temple made a hand seal and pointed, causing the sword hanging beside him to tremble, ready to be drawn!

Li Fan had been waiting for this moment. He spat out a rainbow-colored breath from his mouth and took the opportunity to slip through the gap in the forcibly opened banner, aiming straight for the neck of the female Daoist priest in front of him!

Taiping Temple was only slightly surprised. Suddenly, the mirror on his forehead turned and emitted eight beams of light, which were about to shine on Zhu Hong and freeze the flying sword in place!

In that instant, she suddenly froze, her Dao Breath caught in her throat, and the mirror light vanished without a trace!

It was the Profound Heaven Sword Intent that made its move!

"Die!" Seeing this golden opportunity, Li Fan unleashed his full power, slashing with his sword, whipping with his whip, and blasting with his palms, all aimed directly at Taiping Temple!

But unexpectedly, it still didn't work!

Although Taiping Temple was temporarily under control and Mingjing lost her ability to defend against the flying sword, the magic weapon, the banner, did not lose its effectiveness. Instead, it suddenly burst forth with a brilliant light, blasting away the whip and palm strikes again!

The Demon-Slaying Sword fell, aiming for Taiping Temple's brow, but was unexpectedly blasted away by the swaying and flashing of her earring!

Zhu Hong had no choice but to cut off a strand of hair from Taiping Temple's forehead, and with a single sword stroke, he slashed a mark on the Jade Dragon Hairpin, knocking the hairpin askew. He then knocked her to the side on the deck, her hair disheveled, and finally achieved his goal!

The two sword strikes were so close that they wouldn't have been fatal at all, but the blows that hit her head really terrified Taiping Temple! She screamed and threw out a handful of talisman flags, creating a dense protective barrier that covered the entire deck!

Seeing that this guy had a lot of magical treasures protecting him, Li Fan knew that he had no chance this time. He reached out and retrieved two flying swords, then turned around and used his escape technique to create distance again.

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, tsk, this is a bit tricky. How come there are so many good things... Could it be that all the treasures of the Li Country have fallen into her hands...?'

"Holy crap, the Demon Slayer got a horn chipped off! Demon Slayer!!"

Li Fan was stunned! Really?! Is that earring that amazing?!

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Alright, flying swords are bound to bump and bruise, after all, the opponents are all Nascent Soul Stage level beings.'"

However, the fact that it would willingly sacrifice itself to protect its master suggests that it might have developed sentience...

Holy crap... how am I supposed to fight this...?

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Don't panic, go and check again; she should be even more frightened.'"

So Li Fan flew back again and sure enough, he saw Taiping Temple sitting on the ground with disheveled hair and a deathly pale face.

The wealthy man looked up sharply and was indeed startled by the icy river that Li Fan had created while flying around. He thought Li Fan had some other trick up his sleeve. Not feeling at ease after activating a bunch of magic arrays, he immediately took out six magic treasures to protect himself: a jade pendant, a jade ruyi, a jeweled lamp, and a gold bracelet.

Well, they're all at the Nascent Soul Realm. Xuan Tian didn't call them trash, so they're not trash...

Li Fan turned and left, "... Fine, you're fucking awesome."

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Hehe, she panicked. Don't worry, just check on her every now and then. Sooner or later, her energy and spirit will be exhausted.'"

It was obvious that Taiping Temple had lost her composure. It had probably been hundreds of years since she had been beaten so badly that her hair was disheveled and she had fallen to the ground. Now she didn't even dare to sail the boat. She stopped the boat, set up a spell array, and took out a bunch of magical treasures to hold her ground and wait for reinforcements.

Are we just going to let it drag on like this?

At this moment, Li Fan suddenly detected the aura of the Ink Bamboo Mountain Wood Kite nearby. Was it Liu Qing Ma Kui had arrived in the vicinity and were trying to contact him?

After all, his Ice River Escape Technique made such a big commotion, leaving ice streaks in the sky one after another. The two of them were also searching nearby, so it would be strange if they didn't notice the unusual activity here.

In any case, the Taiping Ship was unable to break through the defenses in the short term, and the ship had stopped. It seemed that the Taiping Temple was really planning to form a defensive formation on the spot and wait for reinforcements.

So Li Fan simply abandoned the Taiping Ship, transformed back into human form, and flew on his sword to meet up with the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Just as he Sword Light, he heard Liu Qing and Ma Kui discussing, "Over there, the Daoist energy is so intense; I wonder which powerful figures are fighting like that."

"His movement technique is so amazing, but I've never heard of any predecessors in the Li Country who used such a unique escape technique. Could he also be a master from the Central Plains?"

Li Fan chuckled, about to go up and show off a bit, and then invite his fellow disciples from Ink Bamboo Mountain to share the goods from Taiping Ship.

Upon seeing him arrive, Liu Qing went straight to the point, saying, "Junior Brother Li, we've found Jade Toad Granny's whereabouts."

Was the timing really that bad?

Li Fan frowned and asked, "Is it nearby?"

Ma Kui said, "I found the trail of its hunting. I've chased that toad a few times. Based on its habits, its nest should be about a hundred miles to the south, quite a distance from here. It probably opened up its cave near the Spirit Cave."

Li Fan hurriedly took out the spiritual vein map given to him by Daoist Tian Shu. The three of them compared it with the map and, referring to the direction of the Taiping Ship's journey and the waterway of the previously discovered landing point, roughly estimated that Jade Toad Granny was most likely hiding at Spirit Pool node near one of the river mouths and islands.

Liu Qing nodded and said, "Send a talisman to notify the mountains. We'll take action once reinforcements arrive."

Li Fan asked curiously, "Is this all? This area is still a bit too large, aren't we going to continue exploring the area?"

Ma Kui shook his head. "After dealing with it for so long, it recognizes our faces. Moreover, I'm afraid that if we get close to its Divine Sense range, it will detect us in advance."

"After all, it's Divine Transformation stage demon king; this is all we can do. Later, our disciples from Ink Bamboo Mountain will arrive and set up an array to surround this area within a hundred miles, searching for its traces bit by bit."

It actually recognizes faces? Quite shrewd. But then again, Transformation Stage's Divine Sense naturally has a far greater range of detection than an ordinary person, and its whip is still in Li Fan's hand; getting too close would probably alert it immediately... Hmm?

Etc!

This might be an opportunity!

Li Fan stroked his chin and thought for a moment before saying, "I'll go. I'll go alone to investigate the Jade Toad Granny's whereabouts. If she's still around, she'll probably show herself."

Liu Qing frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting now? That's a ruthless demon who kills without hesitation. He's long since lost all humanity. Aren't you just going to your death by yourself?"

"No, not only will Jade Toad Granny not kill me, but if she really is hiding here, she won't run away. She might even show herself to meet me, because she must have seen this face of mine before."

Li Fan took out the Jade Toad Granny's whip, then removed his veil, revealing the face of a member of the Li family.

"Because in Jade Toad Granny's eyes, I am not a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain who is chasing her, but a person who came to deliver goods from the Liqiu Palace!"

It was the messenger from Taiping Temple who was ordered to bring this token to them!

I brought it what it was waiting for, so why would it kill me!

Yes! Let's use the Taiping Ship to play a game. Jade Toad Granny has risked lying in wait in Lei Marsh for so long, she's bound to take the bait this time!

"Let's take this opportunity to wipe out all the culprits behind the anti -Ink Bamboo Mountain alliance!"

Liu Qing and Ma Kui stared at Li Fan, frozen in place for a long while...

"... Was I just daydreaming, or did he skip over a bunch of crucial cause-and-effect statements?"

"Wait, is Taiping Ship from Dayefang in Changsi City?"

"Jade Toad Granny also buys things from those unscrupulous merchants? Are you sure she won't renege on her debts?"

"And what exactly is the Anti- Ink Bamboo Mountain Alliance?"

Li Fan sighed. It's probably that frustrating when others are still scheming on the first level while you're already at the atmospheric level.

Sigh, no wonder they're constantly being schemed against by other groups. The fighting spirit of these bumpkins from Ink Bamboo Mountain is truly far inferior to that of the cunning and scheming people from the Central Plains.

No problem! This time, let me show you what a professional demon-slaying and righteous warrior looks like!