An Invitation to Leave the Mountain

In the Imperial Capital, there was a gambling den.

"Beat him! Doesn't he even know who owns this gambling den? How dare he cheat here?"

Amidst a flurry of blows, an old man in Hemp Robe emerged from the gambling den's entrance, standing there with his hands on his hips and shouting, "Don't spout nonsense! When have I ever cheated at gambling? You just wait, if I don't bring this casino down, I'm not a member of the Ji family!"

"Still dare to spout nonsense? All of you, get them! I'll take responsibility if you kill them!"

A group of thugs from the gambling den, armed with clubs, filed out.

Upon seeing this, the old man in Hemp Robe vanished in a flash.

At the entrance of an alley three miles away, Li Shi'an stopped Ji Dai, both amused and exasperated.

"What's the deal with you, a Dao Fire Realm Cultivator, spending your days in brothels and gambling dens?"

The old man in Hemp Robe chuckled and said, "That's what it means to live. If you were like me, spending your days in quiet contemplation and reading, that would be a boring life."

Li Shi'an said, "Then you don't need to cheat when you gamble, do you?"

The old man in Hemp Robe glared and said, "You're Prince, but don't spout nonsense. Do you call this cheating? It's just quick reflexes. Besides, I didn't use my cultivation to bully them."

Li Shi'an shook his head and smiled, then said seriously, "Alright, let's get down to business. Zuo Qiu has appeared in South Goose Path. Blood Blade Sect Leader Duanmu Xuanyue, has been killed, and the Blood Soul Saber in his hands has fallen into Zuo Qiu's hands. It seems that his injuries have almost healed. Moreover, according to the news brought back by Miaoxuan, the Trial Day will end on the eleventh day of the eleventh lunar month, much earlier than we originally expected. There are only two months left now. I believe that he will definitely not let this go so easily."

The old man in Hemp Robe, Ji Dai, also stopped smiling and frowned, saying, "Then how can we deal with him? You sent out a message, but none of the old fellows responded. It seems they have passed away. If he recovers from his injuries, apart from being in the Capital where we can rely on the power of the imperial city to fight him, the two of us alone are simply no match for him."

Li Shi'an smiled bitterly. Although they were all at the Dao Fire Realm, the gap between him, Ji Dai, and Zuo Qiu was too great.

"Unless the one from North Spring Mountain is willing to come out of seclusion, there might still be a chance. But speaking of this Young Master Gu's strength, how should I put it... it's a bit strange."

Li Shi'an knew what the old man in Hemp Robe was talking about. The news that the two from the Lingxu Sect had gone to North Spring had naturally reached the capital. Including the mysteriously disappeared Gong Xin and Yue Hong, who was suspected of being killed by him.

Of the four Dao Fire Realm Cultivator from this realm, three died at his hands, and the other was forced to retreat due to defeat.

Li Shi'an had previously met Gu Yuanqing. When Zuo Qiu attacked, Gu Yuanqing didn't even dare to step outside the mountain gate's Array Formation, and he was helpless against Zuo Qiu outside the mountain.

But now, all of these people have died outside the mountains.

Li Shi'an considered for a moment and said, "The Emperor originally intended to send Little Xu Zi from the palace to North Spring Mountain, but now that Zuo Qiu has appeared, he will inevitably come to the vicinity of the capital. Every Grandmaster is very important to our Great Qian, so I will go to North Spring Mountain myself and have a chat with this young friend Gu. As for the area around the Imperial Dynasty, I would appreciate it if you could keep a close eye on things."

The old man in Hemp Robe untied the gourd from his waist, took a large gulp, and said, "Go. Although I'm not good at fighting, even if Zuo Qiu is from Outsider from Beyond, he won't be able to get close to the Imperial Dynasty silently."

A day later, the Horned Dragon Horse, carrying a cart full of books and Capital's fine wines and delicacies, headed towards North Spring Mountain.

Li Shi'an arrived at the foot of the mountain first. Standing atop the Dangling Goose Mountain Waterfall, he stared at the Mountain scenery opposite him, stunned.

He was very familiar with North Spring Mountain, but the North Spring Central Mountain in his eyes had changed drastically, and seemed to be dozens of feet taller than before.

This made Li Shi'an doubt his own eyes!

"How could there be such a change in just a few months, not some Seas Change into Mulberry Fields period of time?"

Li Shi'an stood atop the waterfall for a long time before frowning and leaping down, releasing his previously restrained aura as a signal to Gu Yuanqing in the Mountain that he had arrived.

Gu Yuanqing had already sensed Li Shi'an's arrival. Only after feeling the released aura did she open her eyes and walk out of the courtyard.

Li Shi'an entered North Spring Central from the Cliff face. As soon as he entered, he felt the Spiritual Qi permeating the Mountain, which made him even more astonished.

"This Spiritual Qi... even Lingxiao Mountain on Guixu Island can't compare to this place, right? How is this possible? Even if that Spirit Spring were to revive, it couldn't possibly reach this level, could it?"

The higher Li Shi'an went, the denser the Spiritual Qi became. It felt as if every breath he took made his True Essence more abundant.

Upon reaching the summit, he even wondered if he had left this world and arrived in Outer Heavens.

He stood at a distance for a long time before he finally gathered all his thoughts, took a deep breath to restore the tranquility of his Dao Heart, and strode towards Gu Yuanqing's Courtyard.

A moment later, Gu Yuanqing stood in front of the Courtyard gate, cupping his hands in greeting and saying with a smile, "Senior Li, it is an honor to have you here. I apologize for not welcoming you from afar."

Li Shi'an approached and looked at Gu Yuanqing with a slightly complicated expression, thinking of the entanglement between Gu Yuanqing and Li Miaoxuan. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, sensing Gu Yuanqing's aura, and cupped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, young friend Gu. Your Dao Resonance aura is becoming increasingly dense, and with the Spiritual Qi of this mountain, a breakthrough in your cultivation is just around the corner."

"Then I'll take your kind words, senior. Please come in."

Gu Yuanqing invited Li Shi'an into the courtyard. During their pleasantries, he fetched a pot of water from inside the house. With a thought, he used his Object Control Method to make the water in the pot boil out of thin air.

He gestured for two teacups, poured tea into them, and said with a smile, "Senior, please try this tea."

Li Shi'an picked up the hot tea, took a sip, and felt the tea was fragrant and refreshing. A surge of Spiritual Qi entered his stomach and spread throughout his body.

"Is this the Spirit Spring Water? It seems that this Spirit Spring in the Mountain has truly been revived. Young friend Gu, living in this mountain is truly enviable." Li Shi'an exclaimed again.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Didn't I say before that you are welcome to come and stay anytime, senior?"

"Old Man would like to, but the time is not right."

"What do you mean by that, senior?"

"Zuo Qiu has reappeared, and with the trial drawing ever closer to its end, he won't give up so easily. Therefore, Old Man 've come here to invite you, young friend, to come down the mountain and join us in besieging and killing Zuo Qiu." As he spoke, Li Shi'an looked into Gu Yuanqing's eyes.

Gu Yuanqing frowned upon hearing this and remained silent for a long time.

Li Shi'an sighed in Old Man, "I misspoke. If young friend Gu is in a difficult position, please pretend I didn't say anything. I came here today on behalf of the Emperor to deliver some things, which should be brought up the mountain this Old Man. I won't bother you any longer. Thank you for this cup of Spirit Tea."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shi'an stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Gu Yuanqing stood up. "Please wait a moment, senior."

Li Shi'an was overjoyed. "Young friend, are you willing to go down the mountain?"

Gu Yuanqing already had a way to decline, so he shook his head and said, "I am the only one who controls the Array Formation on this mountain. If I leave, it would be handing it over to someone else, so please forgive me, senior. However, I have something I can give you, senior, that might be of some help."

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