Another Heavenly Book Acquired

Having shaken off his pursuers, Li Fan used his underground escape technique to return via a detour. He discovered that the other 'Blood Hand Demon' had also sensed the danger and had retreated earlier. After dispersing the enemy, the other Divine Transformation from Wangwu Mountain also returned to reinforce the area. Together with a group of Nascent Soul Stage cultivators and personal guards, they first escorted the Gao family's sons to a nearby Imperial Guards's ship for temporary refuge.

This time, he was unexpectedly punched by the personal guard and suffered a hidden loss. Li Fan's Blood God Child was also quite exhausted. At this time, there were people from Wangwu Mountain Fourth Department, and several flying boats from the Immortal Palace also rushed to provide support. Considering that Gu Panpan was safe and sound, while Li Wugou was being chased and was on the run, Li Fan did not linger here and turned around to help Li Wugou escape.

Now that Li Fan has mastered his divine skills, he can basically come and go as he pleases with tasks of this difficulty. Even if he kicks down a door and barges into a banquet to break into Gao Wan, no one can stop him.

But the Ghost-Faced Granny didn't have that ability. Her current level was only below average in the Xuanmen sect. Although she had the Emei Flying Sword, and most people couldn't defeat her in a one-on-one fight, she still had to retreat when surrounded. At this moment, she was caught up by her pursuers. There were at least six Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, including a true disciple from Wangwu Mountain and a rogue cultivator from Hebei who had been recruited by a powerful clan. The group was riding on their magical light, closely chasing after the assassin and encircling her from three sides, narrowing the encirclement and forcing Li Wugou into the mountains.

When Li Fan arrived, Li Wugou was already being pursued and engaged in a fierce battle with a group of pursuers, and she couldn't break free.

The two pursuers were disciples of the Xuanmen sect from Wangwu Mountain, dressed in identical white and green robes. The man and woman were probably fellow disciples or Dao Companion. They were simultaneously unleashing blue-green Daoist flames while wielding flying knives and magical pearls to attack. Although their skill was not necessarily much higher than Li Wugou's, they supported each other as if they were telepathically connected. Their attacks were well-coordinated and continuous. One would regulate his breathing while the other launched a fierce attack, one would make hand seals while the other provided support. This forced Li Wugou to be unable to get close or escape. He could only maneuver at low altitudes to dodge the bombardment of Daoist techniques and magical treasures.

But Li Fan could see that she had only used the divine weapon as a sharp blade before, and now she was only using the Sword Light to cover her body. She didn't want to, or rather, dared not, truly use the power of the four flying swords of Emei. She was probably afraid that people would recognize her and that Wangwu Mountain would figure out her background.

Tsk, even at a time like this, she's still acting all coy. It seems that Granny Ghost Face is still affected by her experiences as a rogue cultivator. She's already losing her nerve when she sees a true disciple of the Xuanmen sect.

But while she refused to kill, others wouldn't hold back. Just then, another group of pursuers arrived. One of them was a skinny monk riding on a giant vulture, his lower body wrapped in a red cloth. Chunks of flesh had been ripped from his chest, arms, and ribs, leaving large, bloody scars that looked utterly disgusting.

Another was a black-clad ascetic, sporting a beer belly and a face full of fat, who flew in like a witch riding a broomstick on an iron rod as thick as a forearm. These two were clearly rogue cultivators recruited by the Gao family, probably ordained at Tianlong Mountain. Although their magic weapons were rubbish and they were a bit slow, their strength was quite astonishing, both at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage Divine Transformation stage. Li Fan could tell at a glance that they were definitely experts from the Buddhism.

As soon as they entered, they saw that the assassin was already entangled by a pair of Dao Companion from Wangwu Mountain, and they attacked without saying a word.

The monk let out a strange cry, grabbed the iron rod between his legs, and charged straight at Li Wugou, swinging it to strike! The iron rod grew longer in the wind, reaching a length of ten zhang, and with a loud boom, it shattered the mountaintop, sending rocks flying everywhere, forcing Li Wugou to use his sword to pull himself up and avoid the blast of sand and stones.

Unexpectedly, this pot-bellied monk was extremely agile, his giant staff seemingly as light as a feather. In a flash, he closed in and swung the staff, aiming straight for Li Wugou's face!

Li Wugou was shocked to see this. He knew that this monk was a close-combat protector with profound skills. If he were to be hit, he would either die or be seriously injured. Even if he was only entangled, he would still be injured by the Xuanmen's hidden spells and hand seals. He dared not hold back any longer. "Frost Wind Cold Rain--!" Deli shouted, drew his two swords, flicked his blue sword with his left hand, and deflected the iron rod under his body to avoid the heavy blow. He thrust his white sword with his right hand, and in an instant, three sword shadows were thrust out, aiming straight for the monk's left eye, heart, and navel. It was hard to tell whether they were real or feints, forcing him to withdraw his hand.

Li Wugou's reaction showed he had considerable experience in martial arts combat, but unexpectedly, the monk didn't dodge at all! He let the white sword stab three bloody holes in his body, and without any reaction, he grabbed the iron rod and counterattacked! Using brute force to overcome skill, ignoring the cooperation of swordsmanship, he struck Li Wugou's side with the rod!

The Dao Companion from Wangwu Mountain completely disregarded the rules of the martial world, seizing any opportunity to gang up on her, wielding magical weapons, and launching sneak attacks from behind! They smashed a pearl into the back of her head and slashed at her calf with a flying knife, determined to kill Li Wugou!

"Ahh--!"

Caught in a pincer movement and trapped in a desperate situation, Li Wugou could no longer hide. With a shrill scream, she suddenly flashed forward, unleashing her true energy! She wielded her twin swords wildly, employing every skill imaginable, using Daoist swordsmanship to fend off the combined attacks of the three masters. She even launched a counterattack, taking advantage of the fact that the Xuanmen Dao Companion's coordination was disrupted by the presence of a fat monk, forcibly carving a gap in their seemingly hopeless situation. She leaped into the air, forcefully breaking free from the encirclement! With a powerful leap, she prepared to escape!

However, there was no escape. The skinny monk, who had remained invisible throughout the fierce battle, was now prepared with an incantation. He pulled a piece of intestine from the bloody opening in his abdomen, held it in his hand, muttered an incantation, and then stuffed the small piece of intestine into the vulture sitting below.

The vulture suddenly became incredibly energetic, its body radiating golden light. It transformed into a black shadow and pounced straight at Li Wugou was caught off guard, knocking her down from mid-air! Moreover, one of its claws ripped open her shoulder, sending her plummeting to the ground with broken bones and flesh.

The vulture launched a sneak attack with its claws, causing Li Wugou to suffer a tremendous shock to his lungs and internal organs. He was severely injured and lost consciousness, his life hanging by a thread. It seemed he was about to be smashed into mincemeat by the iron rod and flying knives.

But just then, her night clothes were torn by the eagle's claws, revealing the Yaksha tattoo on her back. When everyone present saw this, they all looked surprised. The Dao Companion from Wangwu Mountain exchanged a glance, immediately took hands, and simultaneously unleashed a blue-green fire serpent that rushed straight towards Li Wugou, intending to grind her to dust!

But the Black-Headed Monk let out a strange cry, spewing out a plume of purple smoke from his mouth and nose, which collided with the fire snake and exploded! At the same time, he swung his staff wildly, dispersing the wind, fire, and smoke, and with a thrust of his belly, he stood between Li Wugou and the Dao Companion.

"How dare you! You pig-like creature, you dare to stop me! Get out of here!"

The female cultivator from Wangwu Mountain angrily cursed.

The male cultivator immediately retrieved the pearl, released a protective qi shield in front of himself and his Dao Companion, and stared menacingly at the thin monk on the other side, who already held a piece of his intestines in his hand.

"What do you mean by Tianlong Mountain?!"

The skinny monk stroked the bald head of the vulture beneath him, "This man is a wanted criminal who attempted to assassinate the prince. If we can capture him alive, we should. Why are you two considering killing him to silence him...?"

"None of your business!" the female cultivator continued her tantrum.

The male cultivator sneered, "Heh, my Xuanmen sect can shatter her physical body, bind her true soul, and confine her in the furnace for three to five days to train her. We'll have no trouble making her speak. If you two masters don't have such abilities, then you should step aside to avoid damaging the harmony between our two families and ruining your lifetime of cultivation!"

Without saying a word, the Black-Headed Monk pulled out his belt, took out a bag, covered Li Wugou's head with it, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and left, completely ignoring the Dao Companion from Wangwu Mountain.

"How brave! Die!"

Enraged, the female Three Corpses pointed her finger, and her magical flying knife erupted with lightning and fire as she slashed towards the Black Monk's neck.

The ascetic didn't flinch, letting her chop off his head with a single stroke, yet not a drop of blood flowed. He simply shook his belly, and another one grew out of his torso.

"You demon, you're courting death!" the female cultivator roared, drawing her Thunder Talisman, but her Dao Companion stopped her.

It turned out that the third group of pursuers had arrived at this time. This time, it was a Nascent Soul General from the Gao family, wearing heavy armor and holding a bow, and a personal guard with a white hat, carrying a horse-slaying Zanma Knife. He was also at the Nascent Soul Realm. Although he was not the one who threw the halberd to force Li Fan back, no one dared to ignore these guards. The two of them were riding the Ba Fu of the Ba Mansion that ate dragon meat. Although they were not as fast as magic weapons, they were still quite fast.

Upon seeing the Gao family, the Black-Headed Monk immediately opened the bag, revealing the unconscious Li Wugou to claim credit. The leading Nascent Soul General was overjoyed to have gotten the credit for nothing.

"Hahaha! Many thanks to the fellow Daoists from Wangwu Mountain and Tianlong Mountain for their help! To capture the assassin alive, the young master will surely reward you handsomely!"

When the cultivators from Wangwu Mountain saw that the Gao family had arrived, they knew that things had come to this point, so they suppressed their anger and withdrew their magical artifacts.

"You pig-like thing, remember this!"

The monk didn't say much, seemingly unwilling to delve any further. He simply handed the cloth bag to his personal guard.

Then a bloodied hand snatched the bag from the guards before they could reach it.

"Ahem, everyone, this person is someone I have a connection with."

The general, his personal guards, monks, ascetics, male cultivators, and female cultivators—six people in total, twelve eyes—stared intently at the humanoid blood-red figure. For a full three breaths, not a single person uttered a sound, not even a loud breath could be heard, as if time itself had been frozen.

Li Fan looked at this, then at that.

"I said, 'I'll take this with me. I don't think anyone will object,' right?"

Silence remained.

Li Fan felt a little embarrassed by such courtesy.

"Then I'll take that as your agreement. Thanks, go back, everyone."

The two cultivators from Wangwu Mountain immediately vanished in a flash, without looking back. The general and his personal guards spurred their horses at breakneck speed, as if they were afraid their parents would lose two more legs. The ascetic monk, however, was quite polite, both clasping their hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "Thank you for sparing our lives, Divine Lord."

Seeing that the two could still communicate, Li Fan smiled kindly and pointed to the tattoo on Li Wugou's back, asking,

"What on earth is this thing?"

The ascetic spoke, "A treasure map."

Holy crap? A treasure map? What's hidden inside?

The monk added, "It is said that these are rare treasures looted from the Demon Race's temple during the Northern Expedition's three northern Northern Expedition. The Grand Commandant attempted to hide these treasures, but was killed by assassins from the Immortal Palace. Grand Commandant trusted subordinates then tattooed the locations of the various treasures on the backs of their children and secretly sent them back to Hebei. The ruler of Gen Country only found a portion of them, yet he was able to use a single province to confront the imperial court. Therefore, many people still haven't given up searching for these treasures."

Li Fan asked out of curiosity, "Aren't you envious?"

The monk clasped his hands and said, "Fame, fortune, sensual pleasures, and the suffering of flesh and blood are all fleeting, like passing clouds and smoke, nothing but illusions."

The monk glanced at Li Wugou, then at Li Fan, and said, "I am from Hebei. I will not kill the orphans of the Northern Expedition."

Li Fan nodded and waved for them to leave. However, he was not in a hurry to wake Li Wugou. He waited for a while longer, about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Then, a flash of light appeared, and a masked Daoist nun appeared in front of him.

Li Fan bowed and said, "Han the Divine Lord, how have you been?"

The Daoist nun, Han Xiangmo of Emei, narrowed her eyes, stared at the blood-red figure before her in silence for a moment, and then asked, "May I ask which fellow Daoist is here?"

Li Fan smiled, glancing at Li Wugou, "Could it be that the Divine Lord came here for this person?"

Han Xiangmo, being the kind of person who disdained to hide anything, said, "Indeed, my unworthy disciple still has some worldly ties to settle. Once she has finished her business and resolved her karma, I will take her back to Emei."

Good heavens, so Li Wugou became Han the Divine Lord's personal disciple! No wonder he got away with such a terrible mistake. With Han the Divine Lord's intervention, an army of 100,000 would be annihilated, and even the Divine Transformation demons would be killed with a single slap. How could the Gao family possibly survive? According to the principle that a master can intervene in the death of his disciple, perhaps if we had waited a little longer, and Han the Divine Lord had arrived, this whole thing would have actually happened...

"In that case, please have your disciple taken back by the Divine Lord. To be honest, her skills are too poor; she couldn't even hold off four people. She's far inferior to my disciple. She needs more training!"

Li Fan casually made a couple of boastful remarks, but seeing Han the Divine Lord frown, he was afraid of angering a master of this level. He really couldn't withstand a single palm strike from the other party, so he dared not pretend any longer and immediately fled.

In short, Li Wugou has survived her ordeal. As for Gu Panpan, with her fellow disciple Jing Yao by her side, she probably won't face any trouble from the Gao family.

Moreover, this incident has escalated quite a bit. The group that attempted the assassination was a delegation from the Gao family of Gen Province, a Hebei warlord who had finally submitted to the imperial court and was also an ally that the Grand Tutor had been trying to win over. The Three Palaces had to make some gesture, sending troops to wipe out the assassins from the Demonic Sect and appease the local warlords.

Therefore, Li Fan could not linger nearby. He secretly sent his clone back to Sanyuan and hid in the old canal that was being dredged, to avoid trouble for the time being.

As for the main body of Yuntai Peak, there's not much interesting plot. It's mostly about playing chess, doing math problems, chatting, and engaging in academic pursuits. Actually, when it comes to the Grandmaster Exam, the important thing isn't solving puzzles set by teachers with a single correct answer, but rather solving naturally occurring puzzles without a standard solution. So, what pleases the judges isn't how many points you get, but what new challenges you can present to them.

This was simple for Li Fan. Of course, the comprehensive exam was also quite easy with the system's assistance, but the Grandmaster exam was even easier. What's the most popular topic on Yuntai Peak right now? Tai Su Dao! Li Fan could just throw out a few of his topics and be done with it. Anyway, he had all sorts of <Yuan Shi>, Heavenly Book Magic Puppet, and methods of human transformation; all he lacked were fellow practitioners to complete and improve the equations and formulas to increase the success rate of the Tai Su method.

However, to be fair, while the old Xuanmen sect can be truly inhumane when it comes to academic research, they are also incredibly serious. Now, Li Fan's lectures at Yuntai Peak are packed to capacity, with Divine Lords and True Lords from various sects coming to support him. In fact, he is already considered a pre-ordained Grandmaster.

But this was just to pass an exam, so Li Fan wasn't really giving a sermon. He was simply discussing academic insights he'd gleaned from the book, like how to extract and utilize malevolent energy, or which meridians and acupoints would cause organ mutations. But everyone listened intently. Even some sect leaders condescended to come and listen, squatting in a corner, scribbling and drawing in their notebooks. This made Li Fan's hair stand on end. Yes, I'm talking to you, Manifest!

"Greetings, Daoist Master. I heard you've been in seclusion, cultivating diligently. How come you have time to attend this gathering at Yuntai Peak? Besides, there are seats available; why have you been squatting in the corner all this time..."

Even though he could tell that what appeared on Yuntai Peak was not the real person, but rather a primordial spirit avatar of the other party, Li Fan still dared not be negligent and was extremely wary of this Penglai Sect Leader.

After all, he's not the reckless naiveté he used to be. At least he has a basic understanding of what the Four Hundred and Eightyfold Gang Fist is all about. Honestly, with just this guy, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Penglai Mountain to secure a place among the Nine Great Xuan Sects.

Manifestation glanced at Li Fan, stood up, stroked his beard, and smiled, "I heard you've acquired another scroll of heavenly scripture? Let me see it."

Who the hell told you that?! And who the hell comes to our door asking for things? Am I your father?! Have you no shame?!

Li Fan mentally cursed the other party, then sighed and obediently handed over the "<Sighing at the World's Inaction>".

The manifestation glanced at him with a look that said, "You're a promising young man," took the Heavenly Book without any hesitation, and then returned something to him.

"I'm not taking yours for nothing; consider this a trade."

What the heck? Are elementary school students exchanging pornographic books?

Li Fan looked at the manifestation with a puzzled expression, then looked down at the jade slip shoved into his hand.

<The Supreme Xuan Girl of the Nine Heavens's Secret Manual for Slaying Evil>

Holy crap! The Xuan Girl Heavenly Book has been added to my collection!