Chapter 3

Dodged it

"Hahaha, I didn't expect you to be such a bold and lecherous little devil. You're right up my alley, hahaha..." Wanxiu Laoguai's low voice suddenly stopped, and he looked at Lin He with an incredulous expression, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

"You... You... Immortal Drunk, this old Daoist will destroy you, making you cease to exist..." Wanxiu Laoguai roared, but before he could act, a loud boom echoed, and a thunderous explosion rose from the ground, followed by a thick white smoke and a pungent, foul smell. Wanxiu Laoguai, who had just been hit by the invisible Immortal Drunk, thought it was a more vicious poison gas and quickly leaped into the sky. Looking down, he saw that the boy and the girl had vanished.

The cultivation world is a place where reason is not always respected. Even under the protection of a sect, one's survival depends on one's talent. For someone like Lin He, who had been abandoned, the survival crisis was even more intense. Since he couldn't cultivate Qi, he had to find another path. Over five years, besides alchemy and artifact refinement, Lin He focused on all sorts of unconventional skills and tricks. Despite his small spatial bag, it was filled with various life-saving methods. Just now, he had used flattering words to confuse Wanxiu Laoguai and then secretly released the invisible Immortal Drunk. This substance posed little threat to a Golden Core cultivator, not enough to kill, but it could reduce their cultivation to half. This was very dangerous, as a Golden Core cultivator with only half their power could easily be targeted by other cultivators of similar or even lower levels. After all, Golden Core cultivators usually have some protective treasures.

Even with only half their power, it was still far beyond what a novice like Lin He could handle, so hiding was the only option. Using the cover of the foul-smelling smoke, Lin He quickly unfurled a cloak, which he spread to cover the stunned Yun Xiangyi. He pressed her to the ground, and she instinctively tried to resist, but he whispered quickly in her ear, "If you want to live, don't move and hold your breath."

This cloak was something Lin He had traded for with thirty Yuan Qi Pills in the black market and then re-refined with some additional materials, turning it into a cloak that could change color to match its surroundings. Once it covered both of them, they blended seamlessly into the environment, making it impossible for Wanxiu Laoguai, who was now in the sky, to notice anything.

The whole process seemed simple, but to Wanxiu Laoguai, it was a shocking experience. The boy was definitely not a novice; otherwise, he wouldn't have such a collection of magical treasures, from Immortal Drunk to the vicious poison gas. Moreover, he could hide his cultivation level from Wanxiu Laoguai's eyes, indicating he was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator. To be a Foundation Establishment cultivator at such a young age, his background must be quite formidable.

Wanxiu Laoguai, who was used to being in control, was naturally shaken by this unexpected turn of events. If he knew Lin He's true background, he wouldn't have let him off so easily. But with the wrong assumption, he believed the boy had fled. A Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't dare to challenge a Golden Core cultivator, and skilled cultivators always have some desperate measures in times of crisis.

The boy must have fled to avoid a fight! Wanxiu Laoguai thought, and seeing someone far away flying on a sword, he felt a bit frustrated. He thought to himself, "Maybe the boy is hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment to release more vicious magical treasures. I'll let him go this time, but if I meet him again, I'll definitely kill him."

With this poor excuse, Wanxiu Laoguai left.

Under the cloak, it was pitch black, and Yun Xiangyi's mind was in chaos. Facing a Golden Core cultivator, the one who stepped forward to save her was a cultivation failure. A waste of five years, unable to even reach the second level of Qi cultivation, had saved her from a Golden Core cultivator today, while the inner disciple, Master Sizhong, who was favored by her master Wan Chongshan, had fled without a trace. In the past, they had been affectionate, but in times of crisis, he had abandoned her.

Yun Xiangyi's mind was a mess, and she lay on the ground, not noticing the young man lying on top of her. In the urgent situation, Lin He had no time to think and pressed the dazed Yun Xiangyi to the ground, lying on top of her. The position was somewhat suggestive.

At first, it was fine, but as time passed, the close contact with her firm and elastic thighs became unbearable. The faint fragrance from her body kept entering his nose, and the softness beneath him made it hard for Lin He to remain unaffected.

Time passed slowly, and they couldn't make a sound or see outside, so they had to stay hidden. Gradually, Yun Xiangyi calmed down and noticed the situation. Unable to speak or move, she could only endure the heat from the hard object pressing between her thighs. Fortunately, neither of them moved, so there was no further friction, and the situation didn't worsen.

Lin He silently prayed that Yun Xiangyi wouldn't kill him to keep the secret. The feeling of being pressed between her thighs was quite comfortable, but he quickly dismissed the thought, slightly adjusting his position to avoid the sensitive area. He was sure that Wanxiu Laoguai was nearby. He had only been hit by a small amount of Immortal Drunk, and the foul smell was just to scare him, created by adding eel blood and stinky fish powder.

Straining his ears, Lin He listened carefully and finally heard someone speaking, "Is that so? Where is Wanxiu Laoguai?"

"Father, that old monster must have taken the Southern Sect's female disciple back to enjoy. We should attack his place."

The voice was unfamiliar, and Lin He guessed it was from the Northern Sect, probably the disciples who had gone for reinforcements. It was strange that even if the Southern Sect's disciple was captured, the Northern Sect's people were there.

"The Southern-Northern Competition is coming soon. You should go back and focus on your cultivation. I know what happened today. You were attracted to the Southern Sect's female disciple and made lewd remarks, which led to the conflict. A common disciple of the Southern Sect, and the young experts of the Northern Sect couldn't even win. It's embarrassing. Wanxiu Laoguai won't get away; we'll tear down his Green Cloud Temple sooner or later."

Lin He heard a few swooshing sounds, and everything returned to silence. Wanxiu Mountain was vast, and this valley was uninhabited. He didn't know why Yun Xiangyi and Sizhong had come here. Carefully lifting a corner of the cloak, he observed for a while and confirmed that no one was around. He then lifted the cloak and quickly stood up. Yun Xiangyi remained on the ground for a moment, calming herself before sitting up. Just as she was about to speak, Lin He said, "Second Senior Sister, we didn't meet today, and nothing happened. You hid yourself during the chaos. Here, take this. Use it to create smoke and hide. A high-level cultivator happened to pass by, and that's why Wanxiu Laoguai couldn't succeed."

Yun Xiangyi now held a small, smooth black ball, looking at Lin He in confusion.

"It's easy to use; just throw it on the ground. It doesn't smell good and has no killing power, just to scare people. The ones who came earlier were from the Northern Sect, and no one from the Southern Sect came. I'm worried... but never mind. Senior Sister, take care. Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

With that, Lin He squatted down, attached a speed-enhancing talisman to his leg, and shot off into the forest, leaving a faint shadow. Yun Xiangyi, still in shock, watched him go. Lin He didn't have a flying sword and had to rely on other means to move. She hadn't seen him in five years, and he had learned a variety of strange skills.

After a while of thinking, Yun Xiangyi decided to trust Lin He. After all, he hadn't abandoned her in that situation, making him more trustworthy. As for Sizhong, she would deal with him later.

Without a word, Yun Xiangyi flew back to the sect. Hidden in the forest, Lin He sighed when he saw her leave. The fact that no one from the Southern Sect came didn't mean Yun Xiangyi was unimportant; it meant that Sizhong had given orders to the other disciples not to mention what happened today. Once Yun Xiangyi returned and exposed Sizhong, Master Wan Chongshan, who valued the Southern-Northern Competition, would likely smooth things over. Both were inner disciples personally taught by the master, and the seeds of hatred had been planted, making it hard for the Wanxiu Sect to remain peaceful.

"Whatever, it's none of my business. I'll continue my collection."

Just as Lin He made up his mind, he felt a warmth in his chest. Looking down, he saw a small, fist-sized, round stone house hanging from his neck, which was continuously emitting heat. Lin He was puzzled and examined it closely. This thing had been around his neck since he was a child, and his adoptive mother, who had found him, didn't know what it was made of. It was definitely something left by his biological parents, but it looked ordinary, a black oval object hanging from a red string, and it had never changed.

As Lin He observed, the black oval pendant became increasingly hot, almost too hot to touch. He quickly placed it on the ground and watched it from a crouched position. It wasn't about his bravery but the fact that this object was his only hope of finding his biological parents, and he wouldn't discard it unless absolutely necessary.

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As Lin He watched, the black oval pendant continued to heat up, and he could feel the ground beneath it becoming warm. He wondered what was happening and decided to wait and see.