Chasing Pursuers

"They don't have any powerful magic weapons. Ketu old dogs who've been stuck at their cultivation level for years and got struck by lightning and left penniless."

The flying sword you have at the Golden Core stage is alright; it's called Yin Tan. As for Flying Lotus, you can maintain it daily with Divine Hardness Qi and use it for self-defense.

Although this flower basket and this jade pendant are both low-grade Golden Core magic treasures, they are at least graded and can be used. Moreover, the flower basket contains spiritual plants, and the jade pendant has the effect of refining pure spiritual energy. Xiao Yu, you should wear them at all times; they will be beneficial to your cultivation.

As for the other items, they're either substandard or severely damaged and need repair. You have too many magical treasures and no money to maintain them. As for the Nascent Soul Stage level items, you can't use them now; they're just a burden. Just sell them for money and divide them among yourselves. Pick one you like, and don't regret it later. It's all fate."

"Yes, thank you for the gift, Immortal." "I will remember the Grand Master's teachings."

Nie Feilian and Xiang Xiaoyu were all smiles, picking up items one by one. Although Li Fan thought they were all useless junk, they were still treasures that the Divine Transformation cultivators carried with them. Even if they were damaged during their tribulations, they were still good things. Who wouldn't be happy to receive such a great opportunity for free?

Li Fan could tell that the two girls had gotten along well after a year of studying abroad, without any conflicts, rivalries, or backstabbing, so he wasn't worried about them.

Anyway, now we have to escort the moth ship back to Ink Bamboo Mountain. Although we killed four Divine Transformation, there might still be people eager to die. We can't just leave directly. Li Fan took out the storage magic treasures of the gods on the deck, calculated with his fingers, unsealed them on the spot, picked and chose. He gave the trash to the Kun to grow its body, and some useful materials to the Kun for storage.

He also found two rare and Heavenly Treasure suitable for the two girls to Foundation Establishment. He then instructed them on how to circulate their Qi and regulate their breathing. Under his supervision, they broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm. Afterward, he gave them each an outline of the Divine Cultivation Method.

The two girls have become sensible and know that their suffering has finally come to an end and that they are blessed with extraordinary destiny. Even Nie Feilian, who is usually so impulsive, seized the opportunity of the immortal's guidance and began to True Cultivator. Both of them have benefited greatly from this.

Seeing them diligently cultivating, Li Fan, reminded by Kun, also went into the cabin and released Princess Xiao Hanzhen of Xiangdong, treating her injuries and waking her up.

"Princess, how have you been? Do you still remember me?"

Xiao Hanzhen was so terrified that she shrank back against the wall, hugging her arms to protect her chest, looking completely shaken.

"Oh dear, don't worry, I've rescued you from Jiangling. We're still within Xun Kingdom's territory, but there are no large armies surrounding us anymore. We can escape to the South China Sea to avoid disaster by heading south. There are clothes and travel expenses here. Once you've rested, you can leave anytime."

Li Fan didn't want to upset her, so he decided to leave the cabin and let her rest alone for a while.

"Immortal, Immortal Master, please wait!"

Xiao Hanzhen seemed to realize what was happening, and upon discovering that her clothes hadn't been touched, she felt slightly relieved. Forcing a weak appearance, she lay on her side on the couch, her eyes reddening, and tears streamed down her face.

"I have suffered a great calamity and am now all alone, destitute and with nowhere to go. I beg the immortal master..."

Li Fan immediately interrupted, "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I heard that many Xiao Family have moved to Penglai in the East Sea to seek refuge. You can go and seek refuge with them."

Xiao Hanzhen was startled, then collapsed weakly onto the couch. "Oh dear, my head is so dizzy, perhaps from blood loss..."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. You're a Golden Core cultivator, after all, and you don't have any serious injuries like missing limbs. You'll recover quickly with some pills, and there won't even be any scars. I advise you to set off as soon as possible, otherwise, when Penglai is completely closed off and even cultivators stop receiving visitors, there really won't be anyone you can rely on."

Li Fan left the cabin without looking back.

Speaking of which, Xiao Yushi and the Ling sisters are both in Penglai. He wonders how they are doing. Although he wants to go back and see them, he's still wary of that old bastard Xianhua getting him arrested and thrown in jail to Xiantong company. Besides... Li Datang's body is barely cold, and he's already trying to steal someone else's wife? Wouldn't that raise some ethical issues...?

Huh? Why are you here again?

There are so many Nascent Divine Transformation in Hengshan! Two more have flown over to block the road. This time, they're not the kind of old foxes who're about to be struck by lightning and only know how to use underhanded tricks to harm people. They dare to fly openly into our sight to pay their respects, so they must be legitimate old Xuanmen Dao Breath with pure Daoist energy and profound skill.

"Shangqing Sanmao Jiuxiao Palace Zhi Ning." "Shangqing Sanmao Yuanfu Palace Zhi Ping."

Two Daoist priests arrived together, dressed in blue robes, wearing lotus crowns, cloth shoes, carrying wooden swords, and with long beards. Compared to Hengshan, their demeanor was more similar to that of the Lou Guan.

Li Fan also emerged from the clouds, bowing respectfully to them, "Qingyue Ink Bamboo Mountain Lou Guan Dao."

Zhi Ning, with his square jaw, spoke up, "I've come at someone's request to have a duel with you, fellow Daoist."

The thin-faced Zhi Ping did some quick calculations and nodded in agreement, adding, "If Lord Qingyue can defeat my fellow disciples, he can take these scaled insects and leave the country along with the princess on the ship."

... I'm handing that princess over to you, can you at least reduce the number of people I have to fight? Okay, I still need to take care of my sister-in-law.

Li Fan nodded in agreement, "Okay, it's a deal. Please make your move."

Are you coming to challenge me to a duel?

This time, they really followed the etiquette of the Daoist school; they were quite polite.

As mentioned earlier, magical duels are different from sword duels. They require casting spells, chanting incantations, and setting up altars and talismans. They emphasize surprise and secrecy, so the killers usually strike from the shadows.

However, the Nine Great Xuan Sects are closely connected. As long as they don't fall out, they will still show some consideration and often arrange a game, guess a number, or gamble, so that things don't escalate to the point of bloodshed and an unmanageable situation.

So when someone takes the initiative to come and challenge you to a duel, it actually means they have no intention of killing you and won't use their full strength. They're just showing you a couple of unique techniques to demonstrate their abilities, to give you a warning, and to let the loser know what's good for them.

So Zhi Ping slipped away and stood far away on the clouds to observe.

Zhi Ning drew his magic sword, his right hand forming a single hand seal, his left index and middle fingers gripping the sword. He drew the sword to the Seven Stars, performed the steps of the Big Dipper, and chanted incantations. In an instant, his entire body surged with Daoist energy, and thick, jade-green Daoist Dao Breath overflowed from his mouth and nose like magma. His breath landed on the wooden sword, causing the incantations on the sword's spine to light up and leap with dazzling green light.

"Fellow Daoist, beware! The Nine Heavens Star Chasing, Dharma Destroying, Demon Subduing Divine Power!!!"

Zhi Ning roared and thrust his sword at Li Fan's face. A line of blue light shot out from the tip of the sword, sweeping straight towards him like a comet!

Li Fan didn't dodge, not because he was careless, but mainly because he felt it wasn't necessary.

Although the blue comet was approaching swiftly, it was impossible to avoid without using any escape techniques, and its trajectory was unpredictable. Even after Zhi Ning unleashed his ultimate move, he Elder Gods sense, nervously making hand seals and staring at Li Fan. It seemed that this so-called "chasing stars and subduing demons" technique really did have some extra functions, such as maneuvering and tracking.

However, in essence, this ball of blue energy is still a Daoist technique refined from the energy of the Taiji Realm. And Li Fan's body, formed from the Tai Su Qiankun),

The blue star cluster struck Li Fan directly on the left shoulder. Although its power was still enough to break through a wall, it was like an ice ball being thrown into a frying pan, exploding half of his body and nearly causing his body to disintegrate and perish.

But in the next instant, the dust and pill fragments gathered back like clay, coalescing into Li Fan's Dao body. As a result, he took the hit head-on without suffering any damage!

"Ah! Boundless, endless, indestructible, and immortal!" Zhi Ning Ningzi was shocked, his mind wavering.

Li Fan cupped his hands in greeting, "It is indeed a superior Dao technique. If you were to unleash your full power, you might be able to pierce through my protective celestial armor in one go."

Li Fan wasn't bluffing. If this old Daoist had made sufficient preparations, using array altars and cloud-script magic treasures for enhancement, the Nine Heavens Chasing Star strike could indeed destroy his Tai Su Qiankun outer shell, but penetrating the star core would be highly unlikely.

Zhi Ning lowered his head dejectedly, sheathed his sword, and said, "I never imagined your technique was so powerful. I have lost."

Zhi Ping, who had only flown quite a distance, saw that it was over and had no choice but to fly back to find a replacement.

"Fellow Daoist, since you have obtained the supreme Dao transmission of the Emei Heavenly Book, then I would also like to invite you to take a look at the Daoist methods of the Shangqing Heavenly Book, the Yuanfu Star Book!"

Zhi Ping pulled a black umbrella from his sleeve, opened it, and flicked it towards the sky. In an instant, the sky was covered with clouds, and the clear sky became a starry night. The Milky Way in the sky was dazzling, with countless stars, like a shower of fire, intertwined together. At a glance, it became countless star symbols and star arrays, layer upon layer, endless. It was obviously a mysterious and profound Zhou Tian Star Array!

"Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist!"

What's even more terrifying is that Li Fan could tell that this umbrella was at least a 'Divine Transformation Stage One' 'Umbrella Lord'. If it were to set up this Zhou Tian Star Array to trap Li Fan, and it was probably similar to the Emei Yin-Yang Micro Dust Array, then with a turn of the umbrella handle, the Zhou Tian stars would shift and change positions, changing the array and stars at any time, altering the heavens and the earth. If one tried to break the array head-on, even a slight delay in calculation could result in being directly transformed, sealed, and killed by the array, making it extremely dangerous.

Although Li Fan's arithmetic skills have improved somewhat, they are still not good enough to break this kind of star array. If someone had shown this skill before, he would have been completely helpless.

But now, he's gained a higher-dimensional perspective. To use an imperfect analogy, his brain may not understand, but his eyes aren't blind. Now, he can see this maze and that formation from 'heaven,' so breaking them is a piece of cake.

So Li Fan laughed and Gu Guan Method to explore the path. He entered the star array and circled around. Without really calculating, he subconsciously went wherever he felt a way through, and then he simply circled out.

"Hiss... This is too fast! How is this even possible?!"

Alas... the Emei Daoist, his reputation is well-deserved, I have lost."

Zhi Ping's worldview was completely shaken. He hung his head in dejection, folded his umbrella, and bowed in defeat.

Since they were so polite, Li Fan couldn't just rip their heads off and plant them in the yard, so he returned the courtesy.

"You two are too kind. Today, I have witnessed the power of the Supreme Purity methods and deeply appreciate the profoundness of the Sanmao methods. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely visit your mountain to pay my respects and seek your guidance."

Zhi Ping and Zhi Ning exchanged speechless glances. They never expected that the two of them couldn't even stop Li Fan for a moment. As a prestigious sect, they were concerned about their reputation and couldn't bring themselves to fight, so they made way for Li Fan to sail past.

Of course, things won't end that simply.

Fairy Silk is a strategic resource, and the Three Realms hold annual meetings to distribute the profits. Now that the world is in chaos, Hengshan will certainly not let the Xie Family, these moths, slip away easily under its nose.

Sure enough, the third wave of pursuers arrived soon after.

"So, is this a sword duel or a magic duel? Whatever you prefer."

Li Fan wasn't just pretending, but he could see that Hengshan really didn't want to officially break ties with Ink Bamboo Mountain and fight on multiple fronts, so they were hesitant to act rashly.

However, if it's just a friendly spar without any deadly intent, there are probably very few people in the world who can reliably defeat Li Fan. Moreover, the fact is that even Zhi Jingzi, the strongest attacker from Hengshan, couldn't break through his star core. So unless the head of Shangqing Sect or Daoist Sixuan of Hengshan personally intervenes, others probably really have no way to deal with him.

And this time, they were clearly not there for a fight.

A female Daoist priest at the Transformation Stage stood at the bow of the ship, followed by four or five Shangqing cultivators as escorts. A flying treasure ship had arrived to conduct a transaction.

"Xuan Ancestor Yuanjun Great Heavenly Venerable, Nine Heavens Zong Xin, greet Junior Brother Li. I have come here with great honor to ask if you could spare half of the Spirit Moth for me."

This female Daoist priest had a kind and benevolent face, a dignified appearance, and a rather amiable demeanor, but she was quite blunt and went straight to the point.

As she waved her hand, the cultivators from Hengshan opened the hatch of the treasure ship, revealing piles of spiritual materials, pills, ores, precious stones, and gold and silver jewelry. Many of these items might have been hastily gathered from the military camp.

It seems Hengshan didn't expect to be forced into this situation.

"Zong Xin, you are too kind. I, Qingyue, was entrusted by a friend to look after these immortal pets. I have been constantly concerned about whether they are well-fed and warmly clothed, fearing that I might neglect them and miss one, which would be difficult to explain to my friend when I return them. How could I possibly take them out and trade them with others? How could I live up to the trust and expectations placed upon me by my dear friend! Please do not mention this matter again!"

Li Fan scanned the entire ship full of garbage with his Divine Sense and indicated his refusal.

Zong Xin remained unfazed, her gentle smile unchanged, as if she were wearing a mask.

"Lord Qingyue is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, truly a role model for us all. This humble nun deeply admires him. However, Lord Qingyue, you may not know this, but I cultivate in the Yellow Court Palace. My master, Immortal Zixu, is currently refining a new elixir, which requires ninety-nine spirit silkworms as ingredients. I humbly request Lord Qingyue's assistance. We are all fellow practitioners of the Xuanmen, and my Yellow Court Palace lineage will forever remember your kindness today."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan laughed and said, "Oh dear, you should have said so earlier! It turns out that Purple Void Dao Lord personally requested them. How could I possibly trouble the venerable Daoist to personally ask for such mere moths, and even offer any token of gratitude? No need, no need, really no need. It would be too embarrassing."

Master Zong Xin said, "... Hehe, what the Divine Lord says is true. I was overthinking it. Well then, for the sake of the Dao Lord, I'll exchange this boatload of mountain goods for your sixty spirit moths, is that alright? The Divine Lord should give a definite answer. Whether it works or not is just a matter of a word. This humble nun is merely a messenger."

Li Fan shook his head. "This is just a small token of my gratitude. I don't want to put the nun in a difficult position. But since you insist, out of respect for the Dao Lord's golden words, and considering we are all comrades of the Xuanmen sect and exemplars of the righteous path, I'll take a small loss and do you a favor by having you raise the twelve moths. Remember to pay me back!"

Zong Xin Lord, please don't joke around."

Li Fan rolled his eyes at her. "What? You don't want it? Then why are you wasting my time talking nonsense? Don't you know my time is precious? How many more groups are behind us? Why don't you all hurry up and attack together?"

"..." Zong Xin Zongxin was silent for a moment, then smiled gently, "The Divine Lord is right. It was I who misspoke. Twelve it is, it's a deal."

Li Fan picked his nose. "Wait, I've changed my mind. Ten, please."

Zong Xin's smile froze, and she turned and left.

Li Fan waved his hand, "Hey, hey, don't go! I broke my promise, okay? Twelve is fine, you guys made a killing, I lost big time!"

With her back to Li Fan, Abbess Zong Xin's chest heaved violently several times before she regained her composure, turned around, smiled politely, and bowed with her palms together.

"Thank you for your guidance, Divine Lord. Zong Xin and Yellow Court Palace will remember it."

Li Fan smiled and waved his hand, "It's enough that Yellow Court Palace remembers this kindness. As for you, Abbess, I'm still young, we're not suitable for each other."

Zong Xin took a deep breath, closed her eyes, stood still, and regulated her breathing. The veins on her temples throbbed for a while before they subsided.

Standing to the side, Li Fan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment, as if he had learned the <Yellow Court Inner Landscape Technique>.

It seems so because we can't rule out the possibility that the Divine Transformation cultivators of the Yellow Court Palace might practice Cultivation Method from other sects. Anyway, let's wait for the update and confirm with the system what was copied this time.

Overall, this was alright; rounding up, it's barely a loss.