Chapter 96

Ning Qianxue fell into the lake, not far from Song Li. He silently swam over and grabbed the Fairy Ning, who was sinking to the bottom. Seeing Ning Qianxue up close, Song Li felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him, leaving him dazed and unsure of the time. He had expected her to be beautiful, but not this beautiful. In the face of such unimaginable beauty, any words of description seemed pale and powerless. Especially now, with her delicate brows slightly furrowed, she looked so pitiable that it stirred a strong sense of protectiveness in Song Li!

No matter what the cost, he could not let Ning Qianxue be taken by the old monster above. With a thought, Song Li took out a "One Thought Talisman" from his inner clothing and crushed it without hesitation. Fortunately, he had not taken off all his clothes when he entered the water, so he still had the talisman with him. If he had been completely naked, it would have been too late to retrieve it. As soon as he left the water, Li Kangtian would notice him, and with a flick of his finger, the old monster could crush him to death, leaving no chance to crush the talisman.

These jade talismans were given to him by his elder brother Li Jing for protection. They were limited in number, and each one crushed was like losing a life. But to save Ning Qianxue, Song Li resolutely crushed one. He knew that his elder brother Li Jing would soon arrive, and with his abilities, he should be able to deal with the old monster surnamed Li.

After crushing the jade talisman, Song Li dragged Ning Qianxue under the lotus leaves and waited for rescue.

After being unconscious for a while, Ning Qianxue gradually woke up, stimulated by the cool lake water. Upon waking, she found herself hiding underwater, held in the arms of a bare-chested stranger, and was startled. She tried to break free from Song Li's embrace, but her body was weak after her Golden Core was damaged, and her movements were feeble.

Seeing that she had woken up, Song Li quickly put his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. He then pointed to the surface of the water, indicating that the old monster was still guarding above and that she should stay still if she didn't want to be caught.

Through the gaps in the lotus leaves, Ning Qianxue saw Li Kangtian standing in mid-air, hands behind his back, his gaze scanning the lake surface, as if waiting for her to surface.

Thinking of the tragic fate that awaited her if she fell into the hands of the old monster, Ning Qianxue couldn't help but shiver and stopped struggling, allowing the young man to hold her.

A moment later, a figure flew over from a distance, and before they could be seen, a voice was heard: "Which blind fool is trying to harm my second brother? Watch me crush his head!"

Hearing this voice, Song Li was overjoyed. The One Thought Talisman had indeed worked, and his elder brother had arrived so quickly.

He surfaced with a splash, waving vigorously at the figure and shouting, "Elder Brother, I'm here!"

Ning Qianxue, leaning softly in Song Li's arms, saw a lotus leaf on his head with a frog squatting on it, its belly puffing up and down, looking quite comical. She couldn't help but laugh, but then she froze, her heart surging with shock: What's happening to me? I've practiced the Zuo Wang Zhen Jing for over twenty years, and my mind has long been as still as an ancient well, without joy or sorrow. I can't even remember the last time I laughed. Why did I laugh so easily this time? Because the frog looked comical? Is that really so funny?

The Zuo Wang Zhen Jing teaches one to sit and forget emotions, pursuing the Dao with a single-minded focus. Once the seven emotions and six desires return, and one cannot reach the state of forgetting emotions, the hard-earned cultivation of over twenty years would be ruined by a heart demon. At best, it would render one's cultivation useless, and at worst, it could be fatal. Ning Qianxue was genuinely alarmed and quickly calmed her mind, restoring her ancient well-like composure.

Li Jing, seeing his second brother suddenly surface, bare-chested and holding a white-clad woman, was slightly stunned, even though he had lived for hundreds of years and seen much. He was secretly amused, never expecting his young brother to be playing in the water with a beautiful girl. Truly, he was a precocious child.

Li Kangtian, seeing Song Li suddenly emerge from the water, was taken aback, blaming himself for being too overconfident and not using his divine sense to scan the surroundings earlier. If he had, the boy would have been exposed long ago.

Li Jing had sensed Li Kangtian from a great distance. Strong beings have a special aura that can sense each other. Without deep enmity or special reasons, one strong being would generally avoid another, as no one wants to unnecessarily make a powerful enemy. On his way, Li Jing had been puzzled about who would dare to come and stir up trouble knowing Li Kangtian was there. Now he understood—it was the boy in the water who had called for help.

When Li Jing and Li Kangtian's eyes met, they both paused.

"Who would have thought that the blind fool who dared to provoke my second brother is you, old man. Li Laoxie, haven't the cold poisons of the Xuan Yin Seven Fiendish Magic Powers tortured you to death yet? And you still have the nerve to come to the capital to cause trouble?" Li Jing glanced sideways at Li Kangtian, snorting coldly.

"I was wondering who was so bold as to come and seek death knowing I was here. It turns out it's you, you old不死鸟. You have only about ten years left to live. Instead of finding a place to eat and wait to die, why are you still wandering around?" Li Kangtian retorted without hesitation.

Ning Qianxue and Song Li exchanged a glance and quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened. They hadn't expected that Li Jing and Li Kangtian were old acquaintances.

Although Ning Qianxue didn't know who Li Jing was, the powerful aura he emitted was no less than Li Kangtian's, indicating he was at least a peak Golden Core cultivator! She now understood that this ruddy-faced old man had been summoned by the young man to save her. Despite her outward calm, she couldn't help but feel a warm glow inside.

"Li Laoxie, since you've come to the capital to look for a beating, I don't mind helping you loosen your bones. Come on, let's have a good fight!" Li Jing, who hadn't fought in a long time, looked at Li Kangtian with shining eyes, like a wolf that hadn't eaten for days seeing a large piece of fatty pork.

"Damn, do you think I'm afraid of you? We've been fighting for over a hundred years, and when have you ever had the upper hand?" Li Kangtian was not to be outdone. He and Li Jing were natural enemies, and whenever they met, it was like a clash of thunder and lightning, destined to result in a fierce battle. Over the past hundred years, they had fought hundreds of times, each battle causing the sky to darken and the earth to shake, with neither gaining the upper hand.

"Let's go somewhere else to fight, so we don't disturb my second brother and the girl's intimate moment." Li Jing nodded at Song Li, signaling him not to worry and to do as he pleased, whether it was playing in the water or courting the girl. Then he waved at Li Kangtian and shot off. With Li Jing as his opponent, Li Kangtian lost interest in Ning Qianxue, knowing that since Li Jing was their ally, he had no chance of taking her away.

Li Kangtian understood the old man's strength better than anyone.

The two powerful beings left one after the other, and the valley quickly returned to its former tranquility.

Song Li, still holding Ning Qianxue, leaped out of the water and glided over the lotus leaves, heading for the waterfall. Ning Qianxue was startled when he carried her towards the waterfall, unsure what he was doing. Even for a Golden Core cultivator, colliding with rocks was not a pleasant experience. Moreover, with her keen eyes, she could see that the young man was only at the fifth level of the Qi Induction stage, making any collision with rocks like hitting a stone with an egg. Ning Qianxue had successfully built her foundation at the age of ten, and Song Li reaching the fifth level of Qi Induction at his age was considered very fast compared to most cultivators, but it was still far behind Ning Qianxue. However, if Ning Qianxue knew that Song Li had advanced from the second level of the beginner stage to the peak of the fifth level of Qi Induction in just over half a year, she would have been truly impressed. This speed was much faster than hers! At this rate, he could achieve foundation building within a year, while it had taken her seven years to do so!

However, after passing through the waterfall, the scene before them suddenly opened up into a spacious natural cave. The waterfall provided a perfect cover, and no one would have guessed such a wonderful place existed. Ning Qianxue let out a light "hmm" and curiously examined the various stalactites in the cave.

She could feel the abundant spiritual energy in the cave, and since all mountains and waters have spiritual veins, this cave must be the source of the spiritual vein of the Holy Lion Mountain. The cave was spacious, beautiful, and rich in spiritual energy, making it an excellent place for cultivation. She hadn't expected the young man to be so good at finding places.

Song Li placed her on a stone bed and smiled. "Extend your hand, I'll check your pulse."

Ning Qianxue looked at him and asked coolly, "Are you a doctor?"

Song Li laughed. "No, I'm an alchemist. Let me introduce myself, I'm Song Li, a senior alchemist." Under Ning Qianxue's inquisitive gaze, Song Li couldn't resist showing off a bit. Ning Qianxue's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Even someone as cold and composed as her was moved by the title "senior alchemist." How old was this young man to already be a senior alchemist?

Even a cultivation prodigy like her, if compared with a senior alchemist, would likely be chosen as the latter. She was strong only for herself, but a senior alchemist could significantly enhance the overall strength of a family or even a sect. The choice was clear.

Any alchemist was also the best doctor, and Ning Qianxue knew this. She extended her arm as instructed, and Song Li took her pulse, feeling the internal damage in her body. He then sighed and let go of her arm.

"How is it? Is my injury serious? How long will it take to recover?" Ning Qianxue couldn't help but ask.

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(End of the excerpt)