"What was he sneaking into the Great Wilderness Mountains for? It certainly couldn't be anything good!"
Ning Chuan thought to himself.
He did not draw close, following a short distance behind Li Yunfei, because the two middle-aged men with powerful auras accompanying Li Yunfei were both in the Spirit Sea Realm.
One was at the second level of the Spirit Sea Realm, and the other at the third!
Following too closely would make him easy to discover.
Meanwhile, the voices of Li Yunfei and the two middle-aged men reached Ning Chuan's ears.
"Second Young Master, the Purple Spirit Spring should be on that mountain up ahead!"
One guard took out an ancient sheepskin map, studied the surrounding terrain, and spoke to Li Yunfei.
"Hahaha... excellent! Once I find the Purple Spirit Spring, I'll be able to use its purple dawn spiritual energy to open my spirit sea in one fell swoop and break through to the Spirit Sea Realm. You'll both be richly rewarded!"
Li Yunfei spoke with tremendous excitement.
"Thank you, Second Young Master!"
Both guards smiled as they replied.
"Once I enter the Spirit Sea Realm, the Li Family will crush the Shen family in the Spirit-Seizing Battle a few days from now and take that spirit stone mine! Then I'll kill that useless Ning Chuan and seize Shen Qianxun for myself!"
A trace of icy killing intent appeared in Li Yunfei's eyes as he spoke coldly.
"Your talent is exceptional, Second Young Master. Killing a useless live-in son-in-law would be child's play! You could even become a disciple of the Black Tortoise Academy, just like the eldest young master!"
Both guards smiled and flattered him.
"Naturally! It's a shame those idiots, Li Cheng and the others, failed to beat Ning Chuan to death at the brothel that day. Instead, he ruined my plans! This time, I'll personally finish off that useless Ning Chuan!"
Li Yunfei sneered.
He had already made arrangements in secret. Once Ning Chuan killed City Lord Zhao's granddaughter through his treatment, Ning Chuan would be doomed, without Li Yunfei even needing to act.
"The Purple Spirit Spring? To think Li Yunfei discovered such a treasure site. Heaven has truly handed me a gift!
And you really were involved in Ning Chuan's death. What a fine scheme you've cooked up! You want to kill me? Perfect-I want you dead too!"
In the distance, Ning Chuan's eyes lit up as he thought to himself.
He had long suspected something was wrong with the incident at the brothel, where a jealous dispute with Li Cheng and several other collateral members of the Li Family had ended with him being savagely beaten. Li Yunfei really had been pulling the strings.
In truth, the original owner of this body had already been beaten to death. Otherwise, Ning Chuan could never have transmigrated into it.
Li Yunfei truly had a vicious heart. He deserved to die!
As for the Purple Spirit Spring, it was a naturally formed treasure site containing exceptionally pure purple dawn spiritual energy, which could help broaden one's dantian and open a powerful spirit sea. It was exceedingly rare.
Ning Chuan had never expected Li Yunfei to discover a treasure site like the Purple Spirit Spring.
Suppressing his killing intent, Ning Chuan followed Li Yunfei at a measured distance until they reached a valley.
This was the outer region of the Great Wilderness Mountains, where no powerful demonic beasts roamed. With Li Yunfei and his companions concealing their auras and proceeding cautiously, they reached their destination without mishap.
The valley was quiet and secluded, yet a hidden paradise lay within, with countless flowers in bloom, cascading waterfalls, and flowing springs-a breathtaking sight.
"Second Young Master, the Purple Spirit Spring is in the cave behind this waterfall!"
The guard glanced at the map in his hands and spoke excitedly.
"Good! You two stand guard here while I find the Purple Spirit Spring. Don't let anyone disturb my cultivation. Understood?"
Anticipation appeared in Li Yunfei's eyes as he addressed the two guards.
"Yes!"
Both men nodded respectfully.
Whoosh!
Li Yunfei used a lightness technique, pushed off the ground, and darted several zhang forward, plunging into the enormous waterfall and vanishing from sight.
"Is the Purple Spirit Spring right here?"
From behind a large boulder at the valley entrance, Ning Chuan watched Li Yunfei dart behind the waterfall.
An idea stirred in his mind.
If he wanted to find the Purple Spirit Spring, it seemed he would have to deal with these two guards first.
Generally, warriors who entered the Spirit Sea Realm possessed tens of thousands of jin of extraordinary strength, though those below the third level usually did not exceed a hundred thousand jin.
With the combat power Ning Chuan could now unleash, dealing with these two Spirit Sea Realm guards should not pose much difficulty.
"They'll be perfect for testing my current combat strength!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Ning Chuan's eyes, revealing a powerful fighting spirit.
Using the Wandering Dragon Movement Technique, he streaked into the valley like lightning. Blood and vital energy surged around him, accompanied by what sounded like rumbling thunder. He unleashed Thunderclap, driving a fierce palm strike straight at the two guards.
"Who's there?! You're courting death!"
Both guards' expressions changed abruptly.
They had been standing guard for Li Yunfei and had never expected someone to launch a sudden lethal ambush.
Caught off guard, they hurriedly mobilized their spiritual energy and thrust their arms forward to meet Ning Chuan's attack.
Ning Chuan's palm strike targeted the stronger guard at the third level of the Spirit Sea Realm, intending to finish him first.
Bang!
The incomparably fierce palm strike slammed into the guard's arms, tearing through their spiritual energy barrier like a storm sweeping away rotten wood. It shattered both arms, then crashed into his chest without losing momentum!
"Urgh..."
The third-level Spirit Sea Realm guard spewed a mouthful of blood. His chest caved in, and he flew backward, smashing hard against the nearby cliff face.
He was clearly breathing out far more than he was breathing in.
Hearing an attack whistle through the air, Ning Chuan did not hesitate. He used the Wandering Dragon Movement Technique, shifting like a long serpent in an instant to evade the other guard's attack and dart away.
"Who are you? You dare kill a member of the Li Family? No one can protect you!"
The remaining guard was shocked and furious, his eyes brimming with icy killing intent.
When he saw that Ning Chuan was only at the ninth level of the Meridian Opening Realm, he found it even harder to believe.
Since when could someone at the ninth level of the Meridian Opening Realm possess such terrifying strength, severely injuring a third-level Spirit Sea Realm warrior with a single strike?
"Die!"
Ning Chuan roared, his gaze icy. He had no intention of wasting words. His blood and vital energy churned as he unleashed another Thunderclap palm strike!
The Great Wind Thunder Palm was undeniably fierce and best suited to close combat. The sensation of such immense power set Ning Chuan's blood boiling, driving his fighting spirit to its peak.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The other guard was only at the second level of the Spirit Sea Realm. After barely managing to exchange a few palm strikes with Ning Chuan, he took a blow to the back of his head before he could even draw the long saber strapped to his back.
Crack!
The force of the Great Wind Thunder Palm penetrated his skull and pulverized his brain. He spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsed, and died!
"The Second Young Master won't spare you!"
The third-level Spirit Sea Realm guard glared fixedly at Ning Chuan and roared those words. Then his arm fell limp, and the last trace of life left him.
Just like that, Ning Chuan had slain two Spirit Sea Realm warriors!
"Spirit Sea Realm warriors really are formidable!"
Ning Chuan shook his slightly numb arms and breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he seemed to have killed two Spirit Sea Realm warriors in just a few moves, the Great Wind Thunder Palm consumed tremendous amounts of blood and vital energy. More than half of his reserves had been drained.
Moreover, Spirit Sea Realm warriors had opened their spirit seas and could wield spiritual energy. Though Ning Chuan had forcibly killed them with his unmatched strength, his arms were painfully sore and numb.
Strands of spiritual energy pricked like steel needles, leaving Ning Chuan's palms red.
"With my current cultivation, I can kill any warrior at the third level of the Spirit Sea Realm or below! But against someone above the third level, I'm probably no match!"
Ning Chuan thought to himself, gaining a clearer understanding of his strength.
Although this was his first time killing anyone, Ning Chuan felt no discomfort. Instead, he felt an exhilarating sense of release.
This life-and-death struggle, with every blow striking flesh, set his blood boiling, as though a warrior's bloodline had awakened within him.
"Next is Li Yunfei!"
A cold glint flashed in Ning Chuan's eyes. Using the Wandering Dragon Movement Technique, he darted toward the enormous waterfall!
He felt neither regret nor compassion.
Those who killed would themselves be killed!
Li Yunfei had targeted him several times, seeking his life and coveting Shen Qianxun. Ning Chuan likewise wanted to eliminate the threat once and for all.
A cave lay behind the waterfall.
Ning Chuan cautiously entered the cave. After advancing several dozen zhang, the space before him suddenly opened up.
It was a vast underground cavern. At its center lay a purple spiritual spring shrouded in violet mist, with a purple lotus faintly visible floating within it.
Strangely shaped stalactites surrounded it.
Li Yunfei had already jumped into the Purple Spirit Spring and was cultivating by absorbing its pure purple dawn spiritual energy.
As though sensing someone's arrival, Li Yunfei abruptly opened his eyes.
When he saw Ning Chuan before him, shock and disbelief filled his face. "Ning Chuan, what are you doing here?"
At the same time, he realized something was wrong. His two guards were standing watch in the valley. How could Ning Chuan have made it here?
Had the Shen family found this place?
His heart sank.
"Li Yunfei, I never expected you to find a treasure site like the Purple Spirit Spring! To thank you, I've decided to make this your burial place. How does that sound?"
Ning Chuan spoke with a smile.
"Ning Chuan, you're courting death!"
Murderous intent filled Li Yunfei's eyes. With a sudden thrust of his feet, he shot out of the Purple Spirit Spring and hurled a punch at Ning Chuan!
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