Chapter 400: Chapter 26: Villainous Old Thief (Part 2)

Boom~

However, just as the earth spike was about to touch Xu Xiaochun, a powerful pressure suddenly erupted.

The pressure not only swept the earth spike away but also created a gust of air, making it hard for the middle-stage Qi Cultivation masked cultivators to stand steady, causing them to retreat.

"What is this?"

"Has an expert arrived?"

"Retreat!"

...

In an instant, the crowd descended into chaos.

By the time the dust raised by the air gust dissipated, the crowd had already retreated several feet, vigilantly keeping Xu Xiaochun at the center.

At this moment, the crowd finally saw the change around Xu Xiaochun clearly.

They saw a three-zhang tall phantom standing above Xu Xiaochun.

Its face was gentle, and its posture calm, but it carried the majestic aura of a Core Formation True Man, clearly revealed to be Li Ji’an’s true form.

Refining the Split Soul Secret Technique with a Soul Jade meant one couldn’t disguise the appearance, otherwise, with Li Ji’an’s nature, he wouldn’t want to show himself, especially to strangers posing a life-or-death threat to his apprentice.

"Young friend, cultivation is not easy, do not make a mistake, retreat from here, and all will be forgiven!" The phantom of Li Ji’an issued a low yet extremely intimidating voice of warning.

This was also a setting of the secret technique for refining the Soul Jade, meant as a prerequisite for a final strike.

At the time of refinement, Li Ji’an only intended to use it to preserve Xu Xiaochun’s life.

"Hmph! No need to panic, everyone. It’s just a Split Soul Secret Technique, merely a wisp of that old man’s soul, its power less than one percent!" The Foundation Establishment cultivator, staring for a moment, spoke to comfort the crowd.

Then, he rose into the air, flying to a position higher than Li Ji’an’s phantom, and pointed his magic hammer at it.

"Old thief! You dare to intimidate with merely a wisp of a soul, others may fear you, but I, Yuan, do not!"

After the phantom spoke those words, it fell silent, as it was just a preset condition.

However, on the flying boat racing ahead, Li Ji’an’s eyelid twitched slightly.

There was a feeling of encountering a protagonist from a novel.

And it seemed he had become the elder that protagonists confront after defeating the younger ones in those novels.

"Bang!" Seeing the phantom not responding, the young Foundation Establishment cultivator immediately took the initiative, extending his magic hammer into the wind and smashing it towards Li Ji’an’s phantom.

The wisp of the soul in the phantom was shattered by this strike.

Even Li Ji’an’s true form felt a slight tremor in his Sea of Consciousness, experiencing a faint backlash.

"Hall Master Yuan has destroyed the True Man’s split soul, impressive!"

"Hall Master Yuan is mighty!"

"Hahaha, not afraid even in front of a True Man, Hall Master Yuan truly deserves to be a prodigy!"

...

As the phantom shattered, cheers erupted around.

Xu Xiaochun’s face grew darker, his eyes glaring venomously at the Yuan-named Foundation Establishment thief leader.

Immediately, the Soul Jade in his hand shattered, and a fire arrow shot towards the Yuan-named Foundation Establishment thief leader.

Its speed was as fast as lightning, carrying Li Ji’an’s pressure, leaving the Yuan-named cultivator with no way to dodge, forcing him to brace his hammer in front while activating his body-protecting dharma shield to endure.

Having shattered the phantom with one strike, Yuan Ting felt smug, but sensing this fire arrow, he was suddenly aghast.

"Bang!"

The fire arrow flashed by.

Yuan Ting’s magic hammer broke in two, and his body-protecting dharma shield only lasted three breaths before shattering.

Fortunately, just as the fire arrow, having been weakened to eighty percent of its power, was about to pierce through his body, a circle of blood-colored ripples spread from his chest, forming a blood-red shield, barely blocking the arrow.

Though he avoided the fate of being pierced through, he was still sent flying several feet by the pressure carried by the arrow, his gut churning, making him cough out a mouthful of bloody foam involuntarily.

"Go!" At this moment, a bright ribbon flew from Guo Wanzhi’s sleeve, wrapping around Xu Xiaochun and fleeing towards the direction of Biyun Sect.

"Chase!" Yuan Ting, enraged, wanted to pursue immediately, but once again, due to the turmoil of his magical power, he spewed a mouthful of blood mist.

"Quickly, go after them, don’t let them escape!" With no other choice, he ordered his subordinates to chase, while he hurriedly sat down to readjust his breathing.

Li Ji’an’s split soul had dissipated, and this was the last scene seen.

"This child must not be allowed to live!"

Simultaneously, he thought of the Liu Family’s vassal family that had changed its name to Tang, the Young Master of that family, Tang Yu.

In his understanding, perhaps being forced to flee from home was also due to the invisible pressure from Li Ji’an.

"That kid wouldn’t see me as Tang Qun’s backup and blame me for his leaving home, right?"

He shook his head immediately. With Gugu and Little Fire Spirit around, even after Rejuvenation, he wasn’t worried about such juniors seeking revenge.

He instantly sped towards the direction of Xu Xiaochun sensed.

Currently, the head thief at the Foundation Establishment Stage was injured and couldn’t pursue Guo Wanzhi and Xu Xiaochun for a while.

Although Guo Wanzhi was not skilled in Magical Combat due to her personality, she was a twenty-two strands Fire Element Upper Grade Spirit Root, reaching the late stage of Qi Cultivation, with pure and potent Magical Power.

If she were to fly with full speed, typically other late-stage Qi Cultivators couldn’t catch up.

Now that there weren’t any Foundation Establishment pursuers, it was very likely she could shake off the few late-stage Qi Thief Cultivators behind.

However, with Xu Xiaochun, whose Dantian Magical Power was sealed, as a burden, it wouldn’t be so easy.

The Dantian sealed by a Foundation Establishment stage, Xu Xiaochun couldn’t unlock it on his own.

Fortunately, as long as that Foundation Establishment cultivator hadn’t recovered, Guo Wanzhi might be able to hold on until Li Ji’an arrives.

Over half a month had passed, with Li Ji’an sparing no expense with Spirit Stones, coupled with Guo Wanzhi coming towards Biyun Sect’s direction, they could meet in four or five more days at most.

"I’ll make it!"

Four days later, Li Ji’an sensed Guo Wanzhi’s presence as expected.

His Divine Sense swept over, finding Guo Wanzhi’s exquisite yellow Magic Robe damaged in multiple places, her face pale, and her Magical Power fluctuating unstably.

Yet she still tied Xu Xiaochun tightly with a silk Magical Artifact, and worried he might be harmed by the pursuers behind, she bound him in front of her.

The pursuers behind also had unstable auras, nearly exhausted.

However, the Foundation Establishment thief head was fast approaching, and once caught, the two of them would face disaster.

"Hmph!" Li Ji’an no longer concealed, coldly snorted from high above.

His voice conveyed for thousands of miles, full of pressure.

"Master!" Guo Wanzhi and Xu Xiaochun were overjoyed.

"Escape!" The pursuers were shocked and hurriedly turned to flee, even faster than when pursuing.

Especially the Foundation Establishment thief head, he almost exploded with speed.

"Quick, put me down." Xu Xiaochun’s face blushed, not wanting Li Ji’an to see him like this.

"Master has already seen!" Guo Wanzhi softly reminded.

The next moment, Li Ji’an’s Flying Boat descended over the two.

"Master, you finally came, we were terribly bullied!" Xu Xiaochun hurriedly knelt, his voice full of tears.

He didn’t realize the Soul Jade given by Li Ji’an could monitor his actions in real-time.

"Ah~ This time not bad, you didn’t tarnish the Sect’s reputation, and you didn’t forsake the fellowship." Li Ji’an responded with a smile while activating Magical Power to unlock the Dantian restriction.

Then he looked at Guo Wanzhi: "Good, but you must cultivate some body-protecting techniques in the future; the Cultivation Realm is deceitful and unpredictable, no one knows what changes the next moment might bring. Having an extra technique might save a life."

"Wanzhi thanks Master for his life-saving grace and dutifully follows Master’s teachings!" Guo Wanzhi remained respectful and courteous.

"Master, quickly catch those thief cultivators, I think they’re not simple, there might be a big power behind them." Xu Xiaochun was eager to prevent the thief cultivators from escaping.

Li Ji’an nodded, come aboard.

They were merely Foundation Establishment Junior Cultivators, unlikely to escape his Divine Sense range.

"Eh." Yet, after bringing Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi aboard the Flying Boat, and just traveling a short distance, Li Ji’an suddenly felt a familiar Secret Technique on both.

Upon investigation, Li Ji’an’s expression changed slightly.

No wonder previously Xu Xiaochun was hidden inside that tree hollow, yet was easily discovered.

It turned out both Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi still had traces of Blood Attraction Secret Technique within their bodies, albeit very faint, but given his proficiency in "Thousand Mechanisms Blood Attraction," he was certain.

This Secret Technique was obtained from the Blood Spirit Saintess in Boundless Domain back then.

In those days, the Blood Spirit Saintess locked onto Li Ji’an and Qin Henian thousands of miles away using this Secret Technique.

"Demon Cultivators from Boundless Domain?" Li Ji’an easily dispelled the Blood Attraction Technique within the two thanks to his mastery of the Blood Attraction Secret Technique at the Second-Layer Peak, his expression shifted slightly.

Initially, he had little interest in this group of thief cultivators, now he had an exploration urge.

Because if even the Blood Spirit Sect had invaded Celestial Cyan Domain, the Corpse Puppet Sect might also have come, thus the threat from Golden Puppet Holy Monarch was imminent.

Thinking of this, the Flying Boat suddenly accelerated.

Soon, a group of thief cultivators, including the Foundation Establishment thief head, were all captured by Li Ji’an without effort and thrown onto the Flying Boat.

"Where are you from? What are your intentions?"