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Chapter 172: Speed Is the Key

Although a prototype magical treasure is powerful and has no limitations on the number of times it could be used, it is quite taxing for someone at the late Foundation Establishment stage, especially in terms of the burden it places on one\'s spiritual sense.

Earlier, when his magical treasure prototype was tied up by Fairy Shi\'s talismanic treasure, he was unable to wield any other magical weapons. Even using high-quality offensive talismans became strenuous, forcing him to rely solely on defensive talismans.

The advantage of a talismanic treasure is that it requires only a small amount of spiritual power to activate and is less taxing on the spiritual sense compared to a magical treasure prototype. However, the downside is that talismanic treasures have limited uses and are not very cost-effective.

"Getting one through regular channels is difficult," Song Wenshu shook his head. "Each talismanic treasure corresponds to a Core Formation cultivator\'s magic treasure, and they are all traceable. I only have one, which I keep for self-defense while on patrol."

Even if he went to great lengths to get a talismanic treasure, if Senior Brother Zhuo were to use it for future offenses outside, wouldn\'t it expose him?

"Here, take this quasi-third-rank escape talisman, Senior Brother Zhuo. It should be useful," Song Wenshu said, taking out a talisman.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Song," Senior Brother Zhuo replied with a smile, accepting the talisman and handing Song Wenshu a pouch filled with spirit stones.

A quasi-third-rank escape talisman was equivalent to the capabilities of a Fake-Dan level Immortal. If he had possessed this talisman earlier, he wouldn’t have had to pay the heavy price of burning his life force to use the Blood Shadow Escape.

"So, how are your preparations for your Core Formation going?" Song Wenshu asked.

"Not good. I can\'t find the key materials. I’m just gambling on the black market, and so far, I’ve only managed to acquire less than thirty percent of what I need..." Senior Brother Zhuo replied with a bitter smile. "It\'s different for you, Junior Brother Song. With the backing of the Flame Departing Palace and support from higher-ups, as long as you save enough spirit stones and contributions, it\'s much easier to obtain the Crystal Condensation Pill and other Core Formation spiritual items."

...

A few li away, Lan Chang\'an listened carefully to their conversation.

"Good thing I held back earlier, the water here is a bit deep."

During his fight with the Night Fisherman, he had already sensed that this person\'s cultivation technique was far from ordinary, perhaps even surpassing that of Jin Yun Valley’s elite Foundation Establishment cultivator, Zhao Siyao. This was completely unlike a loose cultivator.

The collaboration between the righteous and the dark side was something Lan Chang\'an had seen frequently in his past life, so it didn’t surprise him.

Judging from their conversation, Song Wenshu and the fleeing "Night Fisherman" had a close relationship.

Song Wenshu had considerable influence within the Flame Departing Palace, although he might not be a direct disciple of an inner sect elder, but certainly someone with ties to the higher-ups.

The strength and techniques Lan Chang\'an displayed earlier were already at the limit of what a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator should be capable of.

Having only been a second-rank superior-grade talisman master for a few years, it would have been inappropriate for him to take out any quasi-third-rank talismans, which are equivalent to Fake-Dan cultivators or talismanic treasures.

Unlike Fairy Shi, who had been in the late Foundation Establishment stage for many years and was already known as a quasi-third-rank formation master, Lan Chang\'an was only a superior second-rank on the surface. If not for the limitations of her cultivation, her actual attainments might be comparable to a third-rank formation master.

If he had gone overboard just now and killed the Night Fisherman, he would most likely make Song Wenshu harbor a grudge, and might even enter the line of sight of the higher-ups of the Flame Departing Palace.

...

In the underground cellar within the ruins, Song Wenshu and Senior Brother Zhuo were wrapping up their conversation.

"It\'s not wise for you to appear in public right now, so in a few days, I\'ll visit Wuqi Mountain to help you feel out their stance. I believe they won\'t dwell on this matter," Song Wenshu said as he stood up.

"Alright, it\'s not safe to stay here any longer. I\'ll find a place to heal up. After a few years, I\'ll return to the area under your patrol, Junior Brother Song," Senior Brother Zhuo said with a chuckle, his spiritual power having recovered somewhat.

Song Wenshu was the first to return to the surface, cautiously scanning the surroundings to cover Senior Brother Zhuo’s exit.

"They haven\'t caught up after all this time. It seems the two peak masters of Wuqi Mountain were misled or have given up," Senior Brother Zhuo glanced in the direction of Wuqi Mountain, barely able to conceal the hatred in his heart.

Song Wenshu wanted to offer some words of caution but ultimately sighed and remained silent. Knowing Senior Brother Zhuo’s vengeful nature, any attempt to dissuade him would be futile; he was certain to seek revenge on Wuqi Mountain in the future.

Song Wenshu escorted Senior Brother Zhuo for several hundred li before they parted ways at a mountain range.

Song Wenshu then returned to the law enforcement cultivator\'s station, while Senior Brother Zhuo flew toward the northeastern region of Liang Kingdom, heading toward the territory of the Mo Family, one of the seven great families.

He changed his appearance, removing his hat and black robe, and transformed into a well-dressed young man in his twenties with a handsome, jade-like face.

...

The night had passed, and it was now dawn.

Half an hour after parting from Song Wenshu, Senior Brother Zhuo, still not fully healed, was flying at a speed only slightly faster than that of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Suddenly, the sound of something slicing through the air approached from ahead. A streak of light drew closer at a steady pace.

Senior Brother Zhuo grew wary.

After sensing that the approaching figure had the spiritual power of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, he relaxed slightly.

In his current condition, he might struggle against an experienced mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, requiring the use of his trump cards to win. An early Foundation Establishment cultivator, however, posed much less of a threat and was unlikely to be associated with the three peak masters of Wuqi Mountain.

As the streak of light drew nearer, Senior Brother Zhuo was taken aback.

The approaching figure was a female cultivator dressed in black robes, with a delicate and elegant appearance, her eyes as deep as autumn waters, and a graceful, alluring figure.

"Pei Qiuyan?"

Senior Brother Zhuo recognized her immediately.

They had once chased the Pei siblings near Wuqi Mountain, but due to the intervention of Flame Departing Palace cultivators, the injured Pei Qiuyan had narrowly escaped.

The black-robed female cultivator looked unwell. Upon seeing Senior Brother Zhuo, she also appeared wary and cautiously distanced herself from him.

Her cautious behavior lowered Senior Brother Zhuo\'s guard.

"This woman\'s injuries don\'t seem light..."

His spiritual sense confirmed that she was indeed the same Pei Qiuyan he had pursued before, with no sign of deception.

Unexpectedly encountering her while injured himself, Senior Brother Zhuo’s thoughts raced. If he were at full strength, he would have captured her without hesitation. But now, with his strength at less than fifty percent, it wasn’t the right time to make a move.

However, Pei Qiuyan was also injured, making her vulnerable. The chances of successfully capturing her were high.

This situation left him conflicted.

Having such a beautiful woman to serve him during his recuperation would make his time in hiding much more bearable.

In the end, reason barely prevailed.

Senior Brother Zhuo reluctantly withdrew his spiritual sense and gaze. If he looked at her any longer, he feared he wouldn’t be able to resist making a move.

"Hmph! Lecher! What are you staring at?"

The black-robed beauty snapped, displeased with Senior Brother Zhuo\'s probing gaze.

Her voice, however, sounded coy and sultry, tinged with both reproach and allure in Senior Brother Zhuo\'s ears.

"Hm?"

For a moment, Senior Brother Zhuo\'s mind wavered, his heart burning with desire.

In his vision, Pei Qiuyan suddenly appeared seductive, her hair disheveled, her dress half undone, revealing large patches of her pale, smooth skin.

"Wait! This is an illusion..."

Even in his weakened state, Senior Brother Zhuo quickly realized what was happening and bit down hard on his tongue.

The sharp pain helped him break free from the illusion.

The next instant, he felt a fragrant wind rushing toward him at a terrifying speed, surpassing even that of a Fake-Dan Immortal.

It was even faster than when he had used the Blood Shadow Escape.

"You..."

As the cold, beautiful face rapidly closed in, Senior Brother Zhuo\'s heart skipped a beat, an indescribable sense of absurdity and terror washing over him.

In a panic, he activated his protective barrier and reached for an item hidden in his sleeve.

Boom! Crack!

The protective barrier, strong enough to withstand attacks from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, shattered like a bubble the moment it was struck by her "delicate fist."

"Ah..."

Senior Brother Zhuo screamed in agony as if struck by a human-shaped dragon. His entire body was thrown back dozens of zhang, the impact nearly knocking him unconscious, his mind going blank for a moment.

Crack!

His internal organs were ruptured, and his bones snapped.

Through the intense pain, he coughed up blood, barely clinging to consciousness.

Just as he was about to channel his mana, he found himself unable to do so.

His dantian was completely lifeless and unresponsive.

"Don\'t bother struggling. That punch has already crippled your cultivation."

A cold female voice reached his ears.

Before his body could hit the ground, it was caught by a woman\'s hand, her fingers gripping his neck as she applied a restrictive spell on him.

The black-robed beauty floated in mid-air, a slightly oversized green talisman attached to her ribs, emanating spiritual energy that faintly surpassed the quasi-third rank.

The woman before him, disguised as Pei Qiuyan, was obviously Lan Chang\'an using the "Hundred Illusions Mask."

This time, to capture a heavily injured late Foundation Establishment cultivator, Lan Chang\'an had tried a new approach.

That approach was pure speed!

Using a well-nurtured acceleration talisman, his speed reached terrifying levels, and when combined with his late-second-rank physical strength, the result was a highly effective ambush.

Even if the target had a soul-protecting artifact and was fearless of the top second-rank Heart-Illusion Talisman, there was no escaping the deadly strike that came with the swiftness of a thunderbolt.

...

"Who... who are you?" Senior Brother Zhuo asked, his voice filled with despair as he stared at the cold, beautiful woman in front of him.

His cultivation had been crippled, and he was like a mortal being toyed around by an immortal cultivator\'s spell, he felt his heart sink to the bottom of an abyss.

His spirit was crushed as he stared intently at the cold, beautiful woman before him. All he wanted now was to know the truth.

The real Pei Qiuyan, even if there was ten of her, they wouldn\'t be a match for this woman in front of him.

Her sheer physical strength alone was comparable to a late-second-rank demonic beast, and the speed she displayed surpassed even that of an ordinary Fake-Dan cultivator.

"Who I am doesn\'t matter," the black-robed beauty said coldly as tapped Senior Brother Zhuo\'s mute acupoint.

She then removed his storage pouch and took out two talismans hidden in his sleeve.

Both of these talismans turned out to be quasi-third-rank, including one escape talisman and one attack talisman.

Just these two talismans alone were enough to compensate Lan Chang\'an for the losses he had incurred in today\'s battle.

Lan Chang\'an didn’t immediately check Senior Brother Zhuo\'s storage pouch. Given the Night Fisherman’s reputation and his dealings with the righteous path, his wealth surely exceeded that of an ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After confirming that Senior Brother Zhuo had no other hidden tricks, Lan Chang\'an stuffed him into a large burlap sack.

After cleaning up the scene, Lan Chang\'an quickly left the area with Senior Brother Zhuo in tow.

From the moment he appeared to the moment he captured Senior Brother Zhuo, only a few breaths of time had passed, and there had been minimal disturbances during the brief skirmish.

Lan Chang\'an had kept a close watch with his spiritual sense, ensuring no other cultivators were in the vicinity.

...

After flying for several hundred li, Lan Chang\'an found a secluded spot where he finally began to break the restrictions on Senior Brother Zhuo\'s storage pouch.

Senior Brother Zhuo\'s injuries were severe, and fearing he might die, Lan Chang\'an even used his Evergreen Technique to treat his wounds.

It wasn’t out of kindness that he did this.

In this life, Lan Chang\'an had decided to proceed with caution and leave no loose ends.

Thus, when he was certain that Senior Brother Zhuo held a grudge against him and would seek revenge in the future, Lan Chang\'an didn’t hesitate to strike him down.

Even knowing that Senior Brother Zhuo had connections with the Flame Departing Palace, Lan Chang\'an didn’t shy away.

The reason for capturing him alive rather than killing him outright was part of a calculated strategy.

"Perhaps this man once committed some crime in the Flame Departing Palace and because he had a high-level background, he was able to muddle through by faking his death, now serving as a black glove for certain individuals within the palace," Lan Chang\'an inferred as much from Senior Brother Zhuo\'s conversation with Song Wenshu.

Since Senior Brother Zhuo wasn’t officially part of the Flame Departing Palace anymore, there likely wasn’t a soul lamp tied to his life in the sect. He must have taken careful measures to erase his tracks.

However, there’s always a risk, however small.

When dealing with a Nascent Soul-level sect like the Flame Departing Palace, Lan Chang\'an knew he had to be meticulous.

To ensure that Senior Brother Zhuo’s death could not be linked back to himself or Wuqi Mountain, Lan Chang\'an needed to be thorough.

If Senior Brother Zhuo died, it would complicate matters.

No matter what, it would be difficult to completely clear all suspicion from Wuqi Mountain. After all, he had just been hunted by the peak masters of Wuqi Mountain and was left gravely injured.

But capturing him alive changed everything!

Lan Chang\'an could now control the timing and location of Senior Brother Zhuo’s death.

He could even carefully arrange the circumstances to ensure someone else took the fall for him.