Fox Tail

Fox Tail

"Why did Li Changshou split into three groups instead of just following one pair?"

Amid the clouds and mist above the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma, Jiu Jiu sat cross-legged atop a Gray Cloud, angrily slapping her knee again and again. She truly wanted to take a swig from her wine gourd to ease the worry in her heart.

For this Training Assembly, she had never expected so many disciples to come to the Northern Continent of Julu. Four of them were treasured Immortal Seeds of the sect. Nothing could go wrong...

Yet these five had boldly split into three groups, putting Jiu Jiu under tremendous pressure.

Every last one of them was...

Newborn calves unafraid of tigers, youngsters who didn't know the taste of shit!

But then again, hadn't her own ambitions been just as high when she was still a junior disciple?

Jiu Jiu casually took out her wine gourd and pulled the stopper, but after hesitating slightly, she plugged it back in.

"Forget it. I'll endure for another twenty days."

Because of the miasma, even Jiu Jiu's immortal consciousness at the True Immortal Realm could not probe very far.

Fortunately, this was only the outskirts of the Northern Continent of Julu. The poisonous beasts here were not particularly strong, and Human Race Qi Refiners or Demon Race members rarely appeared here either.—If the latter two entered this place, they would usually head deeper inside.

After considering it, Jiu Jiu turned to look at Yuwen Ling, who stood on the Gray Cloud behind her. She had wanted him to follow Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing, which would relieve much of her burden, but when the words reached her lips, Jiu Jiu blinked lightly...

Martial Uncle Jiu, those of unknown origins are always somewhat suspicious. You must not trust them too easily.

Li Changshou's Sound Transmission, spoken when she had kicked him flying, echoed in her heart again. Though Jiu Jiu did not quite agree with it—after all, the big fellow behind her seemed utterly harmless in her eyes.

Still, for some reason, Jiu Jiu truly hesitated.

Forget it. These five little ones are still within the range of my immortal consciousness for now. There's no need to panic yet.

Guiding the Gray Cloud onward, Jiu Jiu did not forget to turn back and say, "Big fellow, stay close."

"Rest assured, Immortal," Yuwen Ling replied with a cupped-fist salute. Keeping a distance of thirty feet, he rode his cloud behind Jiu Jiu.

The five had chosen three different branching paths, so naturally they grew farther apart as they traveled.

After thinking it over, Jiu Jiu chose to follow Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er for the time being. She was more at ease about Yuan Qing and Youqin Xuanya.

As for Li Changshou...

Though Jiu Jiu was rather worried about him, she could not possibly abandon the pair to protect a lone wanderer like him. That would make her favoritism far too obvious.

She planned to trail all three groups in turns. At worst, she would divide the time spent protecting each group evenly!

According to the rules of the Training Assembly, the immortals of the sect merely brought the disciples to their destination and let them enter to train. They were not meant to interfere too much.

As the saying went, life and death were fated, while wealth and honor rested with heaven. Dangerous situations could help disciples grow quickly, but they also carried the risk of losing disciples.

Within the reach of Jiu Jiu's immortal consciousness, Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing were rapidly heading toward their intended area. The pond where the Flame-Averting Heart-Clearing Grass grew was considered one of the safer places in the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma.

Though the two did not dare fly through the air, they still traveled quite quickly. They barely spoke throughout the journey, one rushing ahead and the other following behind. Even when poisonous beasts occasionally launched sneak attacks, they dealt with them easily.

As expected, the disciples of Sky-Breaking Peak are the most worry-free.

Jiu Jiu only needed to lower her gaze to see Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er's situation. The two chatted as they walked, seemingly harboring just a tiny bit of affection for one another. Though they frequently encountered attacks from poisonous beasts and poisonous insects, they handled them calmly. Their strength was quite respectable.

Nothing much is happening, yet somehow this annoys me.

Jiu Jiu curled her lip and shifted her immortal consciousness to check on Li Changshou...

He had vanished!

Had he been torn apart by poisonous beasts already? Or swallowed whole by some ferocious beast?

Jiu Jiu frowned deeply and hurriedly intensified her search with her immortal consciousness.

No, something was blocking immortal consciousness. She could sense that this fellow's aura was to the north and moving at high speed. His forward speed... was nearly twice as fast as Youqin Xuanya and Yuan Qing!

You bastard, you're only at the Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation, yet you're flying full speed into the depths of the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma. Are you rushing off to die?!

Jiu Jiu threw back her head in a silent roar, and her coarse linen robe, already on the verge of bursting, shook wildly.

She glanced at Wang Qi and Liu Yan'er, who were studying a poisonous flower, then pointed forward with her left hand and guided her cloud swiftly toward Li Changshou.

She would catch that fellow and stuff him back with Wang Qi to be watched!

But a moment later, Jiu Jiu reached the sky above Li Changshou and matched his speed. After looking down for a while, her brows furrowed ever more deeply.

This fellow...

He seemed to be using a Concealment Talisman to hide his aura, allowing him to avoid being detected by ferocious beasts at a distance.

Moreover, Li Changshou was not recklessly flying through the air as he traveled. Instead, he used those remarkably sophisticated Dragon Roaming Cloud Probing Steps. Afterimages even formed beneath his feet as he pushed his Ninth Stage of Spirit Transformation cultivation to its limit.

No, the Medicine Cauldron hanging from his waist...

Jiu Jiu sniffed the air and caught a faint, strange scent. She lowered her head in thought for a moment before realization dawned on her face.

It was Crimson Sun Poison Dragon Saliva?!

The Crimson Sun Poison Dragon was born in the North Sea and loved devouring demon beasts, poisonous beasts, and ordinary living creatures. But because it was too brutal and slaughtered everywhere, it damaged the already meager fortune of the Dragon Clan. Tens of thousands of years ago, it had been thoroughly purged by the Dragon Clan.

This Crimson Sun Poison Dragon Saliva was not some rare treasure, but it was still quite valuable. Who knew where Li Changshou had gotten a piece of it...

With that thing hanging at his side, ordinary poisonous creatures truly would not dare approach him. No wonder Li Changshou dared charge forward so recklessly.

Jiu Jiu raised a brow and muttered, "This fellow made quite a few preparations. It seems he really does have an urgent herb he wants to find. What is he looking for?"

Yuwen Ling's rough voice came from behind her. "Why not go down and ask him, Immortal?"

"No need. If one cultivates only under the protection of the immortal sect, then even after becoming an immortal, one will be nothing but useless dim sum." Jiu Jiu stretched lazily and glanced at Yuwen Ling behind her. "Come on. Let's go check on your princess. Don't say behind my back that I, as her martial uncle, am playing favorites."

Yuwen Ling immediately nodded in agreement. He looked somewhat anxious, which fit the reaction a loyal guard ought to have.

Yet when Jiu Jiu turned and flew into the distance, a black beetle flew out from beside Yuwen Ling's leg and burrowed into the Gray Cloud beneath his feet.

The movement was far too subtle, and he had acted while Jiu Jiu was using her immortal consciousness to inspect the other four disciples. Though Jiu Jiu's cultivation far exceeded Yuwen Ling's, she failed to notice his small action...

After the two flew away, the beetle continued speeding through the gray mist, closely following Li Changshou's figure.

"Hmm?"

Li Changshou looked up at the sky. While racing forward, he faintly sensed something unusual, as though a pair of eyes in the air were watching him.

But after examining his surroundings carefully, he found nothing out of the ordinary.

Martial Uncle?

Probably not. That gaze carried hostility.

Following the principle that it was better to believe it existed than risk believing it did not, Li Changshou stopped. His hands rapidly formed seals as he chanted under his breath. Fine ripples suddenly appeared over the gray-black ground ahead.

He stepped into them, and his body swiftly sank into the earth, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Five Elements Evasion Techniques, Earth Evasion.

A moment later, Li Changshou emerged from a patch of grass fifty li away. The poisonous insects gathered nearby, along with several poisonous beasts, immediately fled in all directions.

The feeling of being tailed had indeed disappeared.

Li Changshou swiftly identified the surrounding terrain and lowered his head to continue running. He casually took out two talismans from his sleeve and affixed them to the outer sides of his thighs, increasing his speed by another measure.

Thousand-Mile Speed Talismans—fairly ordinary talismans that enhanced the user's running speed. They were generally prepared for low-level Qi Refiners who had only just entered the Qi Refining Stage.

Li Changshou had already determined that their group of five would definitely encounter some unexpected event during this journey.

Though the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma was dangerous, this was merely the outermost fringes of the Northern Continent of Julu. As long as a Qi Refiner at the Void Returning Realm was somewhat cautious, they could handle it. The Northern Continent of Julu was simply infamous for its dangers.

But Yuwen Ling, who had suddenly appeared midway...

Yuan Qing, who always seemed so kind...

Youqin Xuanya, who appeared extremely cold on the surface but likely had little scheming in her heart...

Princess Longji, Mortal World royal authority...

Li Changshou pieced together a thread of clues in his mind and became increasingly convinced that some sort of story would surely unfold here.

The person plotting behind the scenes believed their calculations left nothing unaccounted for. Yet having a Qi Refiner general from the Mortal World royal authority appear midway, rather than directly going to the immortal sect to explain the situation to the sect elders and stop Youqin Xuanya from leaving, was inherently illogical...

Forget it. None of this had anything to do with him.

While running, Li Changshou took out the simple map and gave it a glance, a trace of helplessness appearing in his eyes.

If he had any other choice, he would not have wanted to risk entering such a dangerous place. It completely violated his life creed of hiding in the mountains until old age and death.

But his master...

"Taiqing above, untouched by a hundred causes, let all evils flee!"

With a quiet shout, Li Changshou steeled himself and continued racing through the black forest filled with poisonous miasma.

Yet after only a moment, Li Changshou once again felt that subtle sensation of being watched.

His brows creased slightly, and he silently called it troublesome. This time, however, Li Changshou did not reveal any more evasive techniques. Instead, he checked several items meant for combat within his Storage magic treasure, while his spiritual sense began searching for a suitable ambush location.

He was cautious and prudent, but he was not timid or afraid of trouble. There was still a difference between the two.

For quite some time afterward, Li Changshou merely retained that feeling of being watched. He encountered neither ambush nor sneak attack.

He remained tense for two full days and nights, using Earth Evasion several times, yet the sensation of being tailed persisted.

Li Changshou calculated his current location. He had naturally gone deep into the Treasure Forest of Chaotic Miasma and should already have left the range of Martial Uncle Jiu Jiu's immortal consciousness.

He had not rested for even a moment, yet he still did not feel tired. The perseverance training he had maintained for many years was proving remarkably effective.

Then, suddenly...

Killing intent?

Li Changshou's extended spiritual sense detected no threat whatsoever. The other party clearly possessed a means of avoiding spiritual sense detection.

His gaze swept toward the source of the killing intent—the dark forest to his left. Li Changshou continued sprinting ahead, but the fingertips of his left hand lightly rubbed together, scattering strand after strand of transparent, web-like silk around him. At the same time, his right hand secretly stirred a faint breeze on the other side...

A superb tool for detection: Silk of the Three-Eyed Spider with Double Pupils.

Before long, a somewhat blurry image emerged in Li Changshou's mind.