How Could He Let the Tiger Return to the Mountains?

Geluolan's residence was not far from the Military Governor's Residence; it was a courtyard that occupied a considerable area.

On either side of the gate stood two tall guards, both dressed as Marshfolk. The two were quite imposing, with stern faces and glaring eyes. They stared fiercely at passersby, creating an impression of tight security.

However, Qiu Yan could see a trace of deliberate imitation in this scene.

"These two guards are imitating the servants of the Military Governor's Residence's mansion, but while they are fierce, their aura is far inferior, and their cultivation is also not as good."

"Please come in, our prince is waiting for you inside."

Upon reaching the door, Song Gaosu stopped and gestured for Qiu Yan to go inside.

Qiu Yan didn't waste any time and strode away. The two guards tried to intimidate Qiu Yan with their eyes, but it had no effect on him at all.

As soon as he stepped over the threshold, the scenery ahead suddenly changed. It looked like a garden path, but Qiu Yan could sense a distorted artistic conception and flowing Spiritual Qi within it.

"Interesting. Judging from this setup, this Marshfolk prince has even set up Qimen Dunjia, which is almost like Dao Arts. No wonder Song Gaosu didn't come in with him."

Curse Arts are used to communicate with Spiritual Qi and release emotions and intentions, while Dao Arts can mobilize the power of the Five Elements and borrow the power of heaven and earth to resist the masculine Qi and Blood and qi to a certain extent, which is why they can exist in Wuxin City, which is heavily guarded.

After taking a few steps into the courtyard, Qiu Yan felt a gentle breeze blowing towards him, enveloping him. It was easy to miss if one didn't pay close attention.

"This Spiritual Qi has clearly been refined, containing a bewitching aura. If one is enveloped in it, it will cloud one's senses. Combined with the Qimen Dunjia here, one will immediately fall into an illusion from which it is difficult to extricate oneself. It seems that the Marshfolk Prince also has a master by his side. He wants to capture me as soon as he makes a move. However, I never thought that I could truly let bygones be bygones this time!"

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. A gale howled, sand and stones flew, and the once beautiful garden was instantly torn apart. It was shrouded in mist, giving it a mysterious and eerie feel.

Qiu Yan remained calm and Divine Ability Talisman flew out.

The talisman conveyed an aura of concealment and restraint. Then, crackling sounds emanated from Qiu Yan's entire body. His flesh trembled, his bones creaked, and his Qi and Blood surged. He opened his mouth and spat out a stream of energy.

The energy beam turned red and exploded, unleashing a shockwave and rich Qi and Blood that instantly shattered the gathered Spiritual Qi. A gap appeared in the illusion, shattering the Spiritual Qi around Qiu Yan and the aura surrounding him.

He seized the opportunity and kicked off!

Boom!

The ground trembled slightly, and Qiu Yan shot forward like an arrow, running along the crack and heading straight for the house in front of him.

The gap was brief; just as the current was about to surge back in, Qiu Yan raised his hand and flicked it. A dark talisman flew out, merging into the ground and transforming into a shadow that rapidly extended.

Qiu Yan remained silent, as if falling into water, and quickly sank into the shadows.

At this moment, the Spiritual Qi drawn by the array diagram closed up again.

In the house.

Geluolan sat in his chair and said in a low voice, "This Qiu Yan has repeatedly offended me. If we were in the tribe, he should have had his limbs cut off and fed to wild beasts long ago. But now we are on the territory of the Central Plains people, so we have to endure it. But we can't let him get away with it. If we capture him today and turn him into a puppet soul slave, Song Yuan might not be able to find out. Only then can I vent my anger."

Before him stood a withered old man in a black robe, hunched over. Upon hearing this, the old man replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, my Flying Sand Formation was Ancestral Gods. Once deployed, let alone Qiu Yan being just a scholar, even if he has achieved mastery in the Soul Dao, it will be useless. In this Wuxin City, Qi and Blood are everywhere, and Soul Dao cultivators dare not even Spirit Projection."

Geluolan nodded and said, "That's good. But Qiu Yan also showed off his skills earlier, which means he has some expertise in the Fate Dao. We still need to be careful."

The withered old man shook his head. "Cultivating the Fate Dao? Without refining the Wisdom Soul and developing the Fist Intent, one can only struggle temporarily. How can one break through a formation? You should know that my Flying Sand Formation... Hmm? Not good! This person actually has such methods!"

Before he could finish speaking, a shadow crept in through the crack in the door, filling half the room in the blink of an eye.

"This person possesses Divine Ability powers!"

The withered old man screamed and violently swung his hands. Crackling sounds came from his hands, and out emerged only bones, not flesh and blood. The joints extended outwards, instantly transforming into Root Bone whips, each ten feet long, which lashed through the air and slammed into the shadows on the ground.

Boom!

The ground shook, shattered, and cracked. These two bone whips looked light, but they were incredibly dense. When they fell to the ground, it was like two stone locks crashing down with tremendous force!

The shadow bounced off the ground after being hit, and a figure in a green robe flew out. It was Qiu Yan. He raised his hand and the shadow on the ground turned into a talisman, which Qiu Yan held in his hand. Then he opened his mouth and spat out another beam of energy!

Boom!

The air burst, shaking the entire house. The withered old man was thrown backward by the impact, Root Bone whips lost their aim.

"Using qi to harm others? You've refined your Three Souls, the Qi Soul!"

Seeing this, Geluolan came to his senses and recognized Qiu Yan's methods. He was surprised because he had met Qiu Yan before and knew that the other party had some attainments in the path of Life Cultivation. However, the fluctuations of his aura were only at the level of refining two souls. But now, Qiu Yan had unleashed a method that could only be used after refining Three Souls!

"So you concealed your cultivation level earlier; it seems you had ulterior motives!"

As he shouted, Geluolan's body surged with energy, his True Qi gushing from his pores and gathering under the guidance of his hands. Then, he thrust out with his palm, causing the air to churn and envelop Qiu Yan.

This Marshfolk prince's cultivation level was actually such that he had refined Three Souls and mastered True Qi!

On the other side, the bone whip lashed out, revealing the outlines of various poisonous insects and creatures, and a viscous substance resembling a swamp was already rolling towards Qiu Yan.

A pincer attack!

Qiu Yan simply raised his hand and flicked it, imprinting the Divine Ability Talisman of "Near and Far" onto Geluolan's body. Then, with a flip, he nimbly moved between the two bone whips.

As soon as the talisman arrived, Geluolan's figure twisted rapidly, pulled into it, and disappeared without a trace.

"Prince!"

The withered old man cried out, but remained focused, manipulating the bone whip with incredible agility.

Seeing Qiu Yan weaving through the gaps between the two whips, he was not surprised but delighted. "You scholar, you actually walked right into my trap, falling into the clutches of my Soul Whip. As long as you are grazed, the damage to your flesh and blood is secondary; your soul will be invaded and infected first, making it difficult to fight back!"

As he spoke, the bone whip cracked and split open, from which countless tiny poisonous insects crawled out, buzzing and flying like a black mist, trying to envelop Qiu Yan!

"Um?"

Qiu Yan sensed a strange fluctuation from the insect mist. In a Shrinking Earth to Inches, green light flickered beneath his feet. He moved like lightning, instantly appearing before the withered old man, startling him.

"You..."

The old man had just opened his mouth, but only managed to utter one word when Qiu Yan formed a hand seal and spat out a flame.

The fire, once it touched the withered old man's body, was like boiling oil; it burned rapidly and spread throughout his entire body in the blink of an eye.

Raging fire!

Sizzle!

Eerie sounds emanated from various parts of the withered old man's body, accompanied by wisps of blue smoke. The smoke was filled with all sorts of thoughts and emotions.

"This person is also someone who has condensed the Earthly Soul, but he has integrated his own soul into his spirit and refined his bones. I don't know what method he used, but just now when he lashed out with his bone whip, there were fluctuations of thought mixed in, as if he were releasing Curse Arts, turning his hands into Law Artifact."

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Qiu Yan opened his mouth and blew, extinguishing the flames on the withered old man's body.

Despite being scorched by the flames, the person did not show many burn marks, but appeared weak and listless, as if the fire had burned not flesh and blood, but the soul.

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man.

"You summoned me here, and the moment I entered, you used some strange magic to trap me. I don't think it's for reconciliation. I won't argue with you. Let's take you all down first, and then we can talk about other things."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and slapped the withered old man on the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Both this person and that Marshfolk prince are connected to other deities. Killing them rashly will only bring more trouble. It's better to use them as pawns and extract their value from them."

Lost in thought, Qiu Yan grabbed the withered old man by the neck, lifted him up, then turned and stepped forward. He was pulled by an invisible force into the dark talisman that Near and Far.

Within the talisman, the scene inside the room remained the same, only now shrouded in a thin layer of smoke.

As Qiu Yan carried the withered old man in, a beam of energy shot towards them. Qiu Yan was not surprised. He swung his arm and swung the old man's body, striking the beam of energy.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the old man tumbled and flew out, while the energy beam vanished without a trace.

Qiu Yan kept walking forward.

Ahead stood Geluolan, his face grave.

Seeing Qiu Yan approach, he slowly retreated, saying, "I thought you were like other scholars, full of empty talk, but I never expected you to possess such hidden skills! Not only are you accomplished in martial arts, but you are also proficient in Divine Ability arts!"

Qiu Yan replied, "Reasoning is only for those who are willing to listen; otherwise, it's just empty talk. And what use is it, no matter how right the reasoning is, if there's no real strength to back it up? I wonder, little prince, are you willing to listen to my reasoning now?"

Upon hearing this, Geluolan became even more wary, but then glanced around a few times, his gaze sweeping over the unconscious, withered old man, before finally lowering his head. "This time it was my fault, there won't be a next time."

He actually gave in.

Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "You are a man of unwavering resolve, not one to give up easily, but a shrewd and ruthless leader who knows when to yield. How could I let a tiger return to the mountain? Besides, my target this time is the deity behind you."

"What? You're going to attack? Don't forget who I am. Behind me is an entire tribe, your court..." Geluolan was startled, raising his head to try and explain, but all he saw was a Knot Cord. (To be continued)

ps: Thanks to "Starry Sky Mystery", "kai Te" and "Difenda" for their monthly votes!