Chapter 10

Liu Shaoyang hid behind a large tree, staring intently at the small building.

He had not informed anyone, partly to avoid alarming the snake in its lair, and partly because he wanted to claim the major credit for himself.

The moment the door opened, his eyes widened sharply, like those of a hawk. When he saw who came out, he was completely stunned.

That young man... Luo Chuan from the secondary residence? How could it be him!

Wasn't he stripped of his Qi Dan and locked in the backyard of the secondary residence?

Pang Guan... Could it be that he killed Pang Guan? Impossible! Even if his powers were still intact, he was only at the Small Dan Realm!

Staring at the young man who strode out, Liu Shaoyang's heart raced wildly, his hair standing on end. A sense of panic surged from the depths of his heart, but what terrified Liu Shaoyang was not Luo Chuan, but an unknown existence beyond his comprehension.

Liu Shaoyang had always been extremely admiring of the intelligence of the Third Young Master, Luo Jiang. In Luo Jiang's grand plan, the illegitimate son Luo Chuan was just a minor character, a useless pawn, whom even the always cautious Third Young Master paid little attention to.

But now, the pawn who should have been half-dead and imprisoned in the secondary residence was walking out of the young lady's room with a swagger.

Strange! Extremely strange!

He bit his tongue hard! After confirming he wasn't dreaming, Liu Shaoyang felt a complex mix of emotions, suddenly feeling that his forty years of life had been wasted.

In the White Jade Capital, Bai Yiqing, the beauty from the moon, descended from the moon.

Two years ago, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the whole country celebrated, and people gathered along the banks of the Yan Zhi River to admire the moon. Dressed in a simple robe, Bai Yiqing stood on a light boat, rowing upstream along the river. Her figure, like a fairy from the moon, captivated the Tang people on both banks. After that night, Bai Yiqing became famous in the White Jade Capital, known as the first beauty.

Not to mention Liu Shaoyang, every man in the White Jade Capital had fantasized about the mysterious and beautiful young lady of the Luo family. Everyone envied him, the guest of the Luo family, for his proximity to her, but who knew the pain of being so close yet unable to touch her.

Such a high and mighty beauty, combining purity and charm, had been claimed by a fifteen-year-old boy.

I never thought Bai Yiqing was also a lustful woman!

A strong sense of defeat rose in Liu Shaoyang's heart, and the panic subsided a bit. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! The good meat has been eaten by a dog!"

Though his voice was low, it did not escape Luo Chuan's ears. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Luo Chuan's five senses were far more acute than before.

Without hesitation, Luo Chuan sprang forward, moving like a startled horse, and soon approached the courtyard wall.

"Only at the Lesser Spirit Realm."

Judging Luo Chuan's strength, Liu Shaoyang turned from shock to joy.

"Where do you think you're running!"

Suppressing his laughter, Liu Shaoyang darted out. His body transformed into a black wind in mid-air, moving much faster than Luo Chuan, and in a blink, he reached the courtyard wall, pouncing on Luo Chuan.

Bai Yiqing had seen this scene from the window.

"Could it be that Pang Guan was really killed by him!"

Luo Chuan's strength surprised Bai Yiqing, but when Liu Shaoyang used the Seven Methods of Escape, her heart tightened.

In the Tang Kingdom, almost every alchemy and martial arts expert knew the Seven Methods of Escape, which had become a national skill. Bai Yiqing's grandfather once commented that while Tang's alchemy and martial arts could not lead to immortality, they were still extraordinary techniques. Among them, the Seven Methods of Escape were elusive, neither fully divine nor fully martial.

Bai Yiqing had studied the Seven Methods of Escape. Seeing Liu Shaoyang use the Wind Escape, her heart sank to the bottom. In the Seven Methods of Escape, the Wind Escape was second only to the Thunder Escape in speed, allowing one to cover ten steps in a snap, effortlessly.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Chuan and Liu Shaoyang leaped over the wall, with only half an arm's length between them.

"Bang!"

The sound of their clash echoed, and Bai Yiqing's face turned pale.

After a long wait with no further sound, Bai Yiqing lightly stepped out of the small building, her movements as fluid as flowing clouds, and approached the courtyard wall. Looking over, she saw ripples in the water channel on the other side, a trail of blood shocking to the eye, and a strong wind in the distant forest.

The water channel was about two horse lengths wide and three men deep, and in the dim night, it was hard to see the bottom.

"Escaped...?" Bai Yiqing's heart first relaxed, then she clenched her teeth, "Idiot! This water channel leads to the Yan Zhi River reservoir. What good will it do to run there?"

Breathing heavily, Bai Yiqing's chest heaved, and the two round, full peaks on her chest, which had been touched by Luo Chuan, throbbed painfully.

...

Like Bai Yiqing, Liu Shaoyang initially thought Luo Chuan was extremely foolish, but as he ran for five miles, his face grew increasingly grim.

"Come out, you coward!"

"Showing your head but not your tail! What kind of hero are you?"

"Boy, don't let me catch you! Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Hmph, if you don't come out, I'll go back and expose your scandal with the young lady..."

No matter how Liu Shaoyang cursed and provoked, Luo Chuan remained unmoved. With the Fetal Breath technique, he could stay underwater indefinitely. On the other hand, Liu Shaoyang, who couldn't swim, was wary of Luo Chuan's water skills and dared not enter the water, feeling increasingly anxious.

In the depths of the forest, covered in snow, night birds were startled and occasionally flew out, blocking the half-moon.

Luo Chuan swam underwater, his face pale, his chest aching.

Liu Shaoyang's palm strike contained over forty years of strength, equivalent to ten thousand pounds. Even a two-meter-tall bronze lion at the gate of the secondary residence could not withstand such a blow.

If it were the old Luo Chuan, he would have been dead. Fortunately, he had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, and his physical body had been initially tempered, blocking forty percent of the force. The True Fire and True Water then blocked another forty percent, leaving only twenty percent to invade his internal organs. Even so, the nearly two thousand pounds of force left Luo Chuan severely injured, his internal organs nearly shattered, and his body almost disintegrated.

The water was icy cold, and the cold air invaded his body. Combined with the upstream current, Luo Chuan felt his injuries worsening and urgently needed to find a place to recover.

However, Liu Shaoyang followed closely, and if he emerged from the water, he would surely fall into his hands. Thinking of Liu Shaoyang's notorious deeds, Luo Chuan shuddered.

The water channel led to the Yan Zhi River reservoir, located in the eastern suburbs of the city, providing water for the imperial court to water flowers and grass. The reservoir was vast, looking like a city from a distance and a deep abyss up close, a massive structure that, under the moonlight and snow, resembled a fierce beast crouching in the fertile fields, eyeing the city.

By the moonlight, Liu Shaoyang saw the figure fall into the reservoir and couldn't help but laugh.

"By the time the reservoir is drained at dawn, where will you hide? I hope you're still alive then. Though I'm not picky, I have no interest in playing with a dead man."

Liu Shaoyang's face twisted into a sinister smile, imagining the scenarios of capturing and tormenting Luo Chuan.

He walked leisurely toward the reservoir, feeling elated, unaware that someone else was on the reservoir's shore.

Li Quanfu crouched behind a large rock on the west side of the vast reservoir, his face changing constantly.

As soon as Luo Chuan left the secondary residence, Li Quanfu followed. Though he initially lost him, Li Quanfu quickly guessed Luo Chuan's destination. When he arrived at the main residence's backyard, he saw Luo Chuan escape into the water. Fortunately, Luo Chuan's underwater speed was not fast, allowing Li Quanfu to keep up.

At this moment, Li Quanfu's feelings were particularly complex. He was worried about Luo Chuan's safety but also resented his rash actions. Li Quanfu could see through Liu Shaoyang's plan; once dawn broke, the reservoir would be drained, and Luo Chuan would meet his end.

What would he do then? Staying with the Luo family would inevitably drag him into the disaster, so the best option was to leave!

What a pity, just one step away from immortality, yet it was not to be!

Li Quanfu's face showed regret as he stood up to leave this place of trouble.

After taking two steps, he stopped.

"Fine! There are only two hours until dawn. I might as well wait a bit longer!"

Neither Liu Shaoyang's smugness nor Li Quanfu's distress escaped the notice of the man standing on a high hill north of the reservoir. The man stood under the moonlight, his face obscured by shadows, revealing only a chiseled jaw and a tall, slender figure.

He stood straight on the hill, his gaze sweeping the surroundings, as if searching for something. Neither Li Quanfu nor Liu Shaoyang noticed his presence.

...

With a splash, Luo Chuan fell into the reservoir, his body cold and stiff, his limbs weak, and his head dizzy.

After swimming underwater for over ten miles, Luo Chuan had exhausted all his strength. His internal organs were dim and lifeless, and the True Fire and True Water had slowed down, leaving him on the brink of collapse. Soon, he sank to the bottom, the water pressure heavy like a small mountain, unbearable.

Though his body had lost sensation, Luo Chuan's mind was exceptionally clear.

I've survived countless near-death experiences; this pain is nothing!

Luo Chuan opened his eyes with determination, shouting in his heart.

As if in response, the previously sluggish True Fire and True Water gradually regained their vitality, accelerating and forming a water-fire vortex.

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound echoed from the water-fire vortex, and streams of vital energy flowed from hidden corners of Luo Chuan's body, nourishing his dry internal organs. At the same time, warm currents rose from below, seeping into his pores, warming his skin, flesh, and bones.

The water-fire vortex spun faster, driving his strength to increase. Luo Chuan could vaguely sense something brewing in the vortex. If this continued, he would be able to condense True Qi in three to four days.

Luo Chuan felt a sense of joy.

Only by condensing True Qi would he truly enter the first stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. With his current strength, he was already on par with the Lesser Spirit Realm, and once he condensed True Qi, his power would advance further.

However, that would take three to four days, and the immediate problem was that the reservoir's water level would drop in a few hours, leaving him nowhere to hide.

His intuition told him that Liu Shaoyang was waiting for him on the shore.

Thinking of the fate that awaited him if he fell into Liu Shaoyang's hands, Luo Chuan shuddered with fear.

I can't just wait here!

A sense of urgency filled his heart, and Luo Chuan bit his lip, searching through the memories of the Nine Dragon Lord for a cultivation method or combat technique he could use now. However, he found none. The Nine Dragon Lord's killing techniques required advanced cultivation.

Luo Chuan racked his brain for a way to escape, unaware that as the warm currents spread from his body, the soil beneath him began to soften and crumble.

Splash!

The sand and soil caved in, revealing a large pit.

Under the immense water pressure, Luo Chuan fell into the mud pit.

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