Cultivation is just so scientific!
Chapter 686 - 389: Zang Yun_2

Chapter 686: Chapter 389: Zang Yun_2

Such a treasure as the ’Seven-leaf Jade Lotus,’ he chose to hand it over to Great Elder Fan Xi, hoping that Great Elder Fan Xi could advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. Even if he couldn’t advance, the ’Seven-leaf Jade Lotus’ could be exchanged for resources that might help Great Elder Fan Xi advance to the False Infant stage.

Compared to advancing to the Nascent Soul, advancing to the False Infant had a much higher success rate.

Everything had been planned, and he wasn’t just waiting to die; instead, he was using a Sect treasure he held to strive to prolong his life.

As long as no external enemies attacked the Sect Formation, he wouldn’t meddle in external matters.

However, he had never imagined that, when he woke up from his seclusion, he would hear that Great Elder Fan Xi had been killed, and they hadn’t even managed to retrieve the body.

He flew into a rage within the Sect and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Being the most important combat force of the Sect and nearing the end of his lifespan, he naturally couldn’t just leave the Sect to find Li Shiming.

He had many things to arrange, for this expedition might very well mean he would never return to the Sect.

His body could only support acting once, which caused him to be delayed at the Sect for a while before he set out towards Li Shiming.

Li Shiming soared into the air, he stood on top of the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array, stepping outside the protection of the Formation.

When he was still over three hundred li away, Elder Zang also spotted Li Shiming.

Elder Zang, while at the Sect, had found information about Li Shiming, especially since the Sect Formation had recorded Li Shiming’s features.

So when he saw Li Shiming in the sky, he recognized him at a glance.

Seeing Li Shiming as if he were waiting for him, he felt puzzled and couldn’t help but slow down.

Li Shiming looked at Elder Zang with a smile, appearing completely confident.

He waved his hand, and the isolating effect of the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array was turned off, almost unmistakably releasing the immense aura of two Nascent Soul Ancestors and one False Infant Ancestor into the sky.

Elder Zang was stunned, his first reaction was to turn and flee, he even didn’t have time to collect up the Flying Boat Magical Treasure, he directly let his False Infant Body take his physical body to flee with all his might.

He understood that Li Shiming had found help, thinking about Li Shiming’s identity, the number one Alchemy Master of the Beishu Continent, it wasn’t impossible for such a cultivator to have two Nascent Soul Ancestors and one False Infant Ancestor come to his aid.

Of course, if he were to sense more carefully, he would realize that one of the Nascent Soul Ancestors and the False Infant Ancestor only had the hollow auras of bodies, lacking both Nascent Soul and Fake Infant auras.

However, the aura of Venerable Huijing was too terrifying, masking the situation of both the Nascent Soul Body and the Fake Infant Body.

Li Shiming smiled faintly, this was something he had already expected.

He truly didn’t intend to fight with Elder Zang, although the Heavenly Ghost could manipulate the False Infant Body, it was only for show and couldn’t sustain in battle.

The situation of Venerable Huijing wasn’t good either, participating in a battle with unhealed injuries could worsen his condition.

His injuries were already extremely difficult to recover from, and worsening them might mean it could take several hundreds of years to heal.

Therefore, unless there was an extremely dangerous situation, Li Shiming would not let Venerable Huijing take action.

Li Shiming waved his hand to collect up the False Infant Body and the Nascent Soul Body, along with the Heavenly Gang Four Phase Array Plate. With one hand, he grabbed Venerable Huijing’s body, then used ’Step by Step Lotus.’ As he passed the Flying Boat Magical Treasure left by Elder Zang, he conveniently collected it.

In the sky, the drone directed him towards Elder Zang’s escape route, his ’Divine Sight’ also allowed him to see Elder Zang’s form.

As long as Elder Zang didn’t exceed a thousand li range, he could track him.

To prevent Elder Zang from returning to Mingxin Sect, he fully activated ’Step by Step Lotus,’ intercepting before Elder Zang on his way back to the Sect.

This made Elder Zang even more terrified. He didn’t understand how many Nascent Soul Ancestors Li Shiming had managed to enlist.

Did Li Shiming not know that enlisting Nascent Soul Ancestors required a price? For his mere False Infant, one Nascent Soul Ancestor was enough, so why bother enlisting so many Nascent Soul Ancestors to deal with him?

Elder Zang was like a headless fly, scurrying all over the place, yet he dared not return to his sect.

He had thought about it; if he truly returned to the sect, he feared he would lead several Nascent Soul Ancestors there.

As long as he didn’t return to the sect, he believed the sect wasn’t worth the Nascent Soul Ancestors’ effort to deal with, at least there was still hope for its survival.

Li Shiming followed behind Elder Zang, the faint Nascent Soul Aura emanating from Venerable Huijing made Elder Zang dare not pause for even a moment.

Li Shiming didn’t press Elder Zang too close; he was very aware that if he pushed too hard, Elder Zang might fight desperately.

It was by maintaining this distance that he could give Elder Zang a sliver of hope for escape.

Li Shiming was like a herder, and the Nascent Soul Aura from Venerable Huijing was the whip in his hand, constantly lashing at Elder Zang, driving him to continue fleeing.

This chase went on for three two-hours, Elder Zang didn’t dare to venture deep into the ocean, and could only flee around Sky Sea Island and its vicinity.

As time passed, his speed also grew slower.

The escape was consuming him heavily, making his already limited lifespan near its end.

His face grim, he stopped; he didn’t want to run anymore. Regardless of whether he was caught, his lifespan was fast depleting and he was soon to die.

He looked back to see which Nascent Soul Ancestor’s aura had been tracking him constantly, desiring to see who was pursuing him.

Given the pursuer’s speed, they clearly could have caught up with him through Nascent Soul Emergence, yet they played with him like a cat with a mouse.

Li Shiming noticed that Elder Zang had stopped, and his ’Divine Sight’ allowed him to clearly see every detail on Elder Zang’s face, that deadly aura of a draining lifespan enveloping it.

He hesitated slightly, connected with Venerable Huijing through Divine Thought; Venerable Huijing reached out and grabbed his arm, appearing as if he was leading him in flight.

Afterward, without using ’Step by Step Lotus’, Venerable Huijing flew with Li Shiming towards Elder Zang.

"Venerable Huijing, why are you dressed like this?" When Elder Zang saw Venerable Huijing, he recognized him immediately.

Li Shiming was also taken aback; he had disguised Venerable Huijing completely, changing his hair and even his face, altered by Venerable Huijing himself.

But he quickly realized that cultivators recognize each other not by appearance or physique, but by sensing each other’s aura.

Elder Zang must have had dealings with Venerable Huijing before, to recognize him by his aura.

"I never expected Venerable Huijing to change his appearance to serve others. After my departure, Mingxin Sect will degrade to a medium-sized faction. I hope Venerable Huijing, considering our past relationship, will spare Mingxin Sect. I am about to die soon; this is my last request before death!" As the deathly aura intensified on Elder Zang’s face, he looked at Venerable Huijing with a hopeful gaze and made his final plea.

Venerable Huijing nodded slightly, of course, this was according to Li Shiming’s directions.

Seeing Venerable Huijing nod, relief washed over Elder Zang’s face, and his death aura rapidly spread throughout his body.

His lifespan was already nearing its end, and after the prolonged escape, he was on the verge of death.

Upon seeing Venerable Huijing and having his plea accepted, his last will to live disappeared, and death followed.

Li Shiming hadn’t expected Elder Zang to die so readily; he thought it would take more time, and he had been considering how to deceive Elder Zang further.

His Divine Thought reached out, catching Elder Zang’s body as it began to fall.

Li Shiming had not anticipated that Elder Zang, whom he had considered a formidable enemy, would be resolved without even a fight.

This was the first time he had seen a cultivator die of old age right before him.

Among cultivators, Elder Zang was considered fortunate, for he lived out his entire lifespan.

Many cultivators die in adventures, battling spirit beasts, dangerous environments, and fellow cultivators for resources, so living until natural death is considered a blessing.