Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery
Chapter 185 - 157: The World is Treacherous

Chapter 185: Chapter 157: The World is Treacherous

"No way, how unlucky!"

Chen Li sighed inwardly, silently chanting a spell, and quickly deployed the Golden Light Body Protection Skill, wrapping himself up tight.

The adversary halted.

For a moment, the atmosphere became tense.

"It’s you!" Ke Xian’s eyes revealed a trace of ferocity as he said with a playful tone, "Heh heh, bet you didn’t expect to run into me again!"

"Fellow Daoist Ke, it’s all a misunderstanding. I have modest cultivation and try my best just to protect myself when I’m out and about, how could I dare to rashly offer help." Chen Li lowered his stance, cupped his hands, and carefully said.

Feeling frustrated inside.

Your conflict between Hongshan Sect and Heavenly Star Sect has nothing to do with me.

"Actually, you didn’t need to struggle with life and death, but if you had just held him back a little, Sheng Liwei wouldn’t have escaped, now should I blame you?" Ke Xian stared at Chen Li, slowly taking a step closer, taunting.

Like a cat toying with a mouse.

At those words, Chen Li became extremely alert inside.

Sensing danger.

This place was a primeval forest, with no traces of humans, where one could die without anyone knowing, and it was clear that the other party already had murderous intent:

"What do you mean by this? I have urgent matters to attend to, so I won’t chat with you any longer, farewell."

Chen Li’s expression cooled, and he began to back away step by step, preparing to leave the place.

"Heh heh, thinking you can leave? Can you? Stay!"

Ke Xian no longer pretended; his face suddenly turned, releasing the imposing aura of a mid Foundation Establishment stage, and before his words had even finished, a flying sword transformed into a streak of light and raced towards Chen Li, and before the sword even arrived, the invisible sharp energy silently split nearby branches into two.

Even the Golden Light Body Shield began to ripple slightly.

Luckily, Chen Li was well-prepared, his figure flickering as he dodged the flying sword.

Since he couldn’t escape, he had no choice but to engage in combat.

His meridians rapidly circulating Gang Qi, his figure swift as lightning, he leaped towards a large tree; but just as he reached it, goosebumps shot up and in the next instant, the tree was completely sliced by the flying sword, narrowly missing him as it passed by his side.

Although Chen Li was unharmed, the max-level Golden Light Body Shield shattered like a soap bubble, torn in an instant by the flying sword.

He was taken aback.

"What a frightening flying sword!"

In the midst of the chaos, he quickly took out a Golden Light Body Protection Talisman to shield his body and, while moving at high speed, silently chanted a spell.

The flying sword moved like a fleeting shadow, rapid as a startled swan.

Even Chen Li could only see a blurry afterimage.

In less than a second, he faced five attacks and could only desperately dodge and run for his life.

Invisible Sword Qi cut through the air.

Countless leaves whirled in the sky.

One tree after another fell.

The sound thundered.

Just before his Invisibility Technique was complete, Chen Li dashed behind a large tree and suddenly vanished completely.

"Boom!"

The large tree was swept down by the pursuing flying sword.

However, there was no longer any sign of Chen Li.

The flying sword hovered midair, buzzing like a swarm of bees!

Where did he go?

Ke Xian’s gaze scrutinized his surroundings tightly, his expression grave.

Not only could his eyes not see, but even his Spiritual Sense couldn’t find the slightest trace of his opponent.

Yet a nebulous sense of danger made it clear to him that his opponent had not gone far but was nearby.

Invisibility Technique? Earth Escape Skill?

Or an Illusion Technique?

His heart sank.

"I see you!" Ke Xian shouted loudly, trying to intimidate, as his flying sword instantaneously swept over the surrounding trees, felling them one after another.

"Come out!"

"It was just a joke earlier."

As time ticked by, the sense of unseen danger became ever closer, making him feel the threat on his back.

He had seen mid Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Returning True Sect and originally thought that a junior at early Foundation Establishment like Chen Li would be easy to capture. In such a desolate, uninhabited place, killing someone would just be that—killing them.

But he hadn’t expected him to be so difficult to deal with, totally beyond his expectation.

He was starting to regret his actions.

If he had known it would turn out like this...

"Crack!"

A dry branch snapped, the sound faintly ringing out.

But to Ke Xian’s ears, it was like the booming of a drum.

"It’s here!" Ke Xian suddenly looked over.

And then he shockingly realized that, without his knowledge, his opponent had nearly approached within arm’s reach.

Before he could react,

He saw an incredibly dazzling light flooding his entire vision, and in its midst, a faint silhouette approached him from within the radiance, like a fleeting shadow, reaching him in an instant.

"Bold!"

Ke Xian roared, fearless, acting on instinct as he slammed his Gang Qi-concentrated palms hard onto the Green Jade Sword.

A loud "thud" resounded.

Air currents surged around them.

The sword and the palm met briefly and then separated.

The shock left Chen Li’s palms somewhat numb. He swept away his opponent’s palm with his sword and then aimed another slash towards his throat.

But once again, it was blocked by Ke Xian’s palms.

In a flash, they had already exchanged several quick blows.

Not only was his opponent’s cultivation profound and his strength immense, but he was also battle-hardened, his palm techniques refined through countless trials, each move unpredictable and highly skilled.

His Gang Qi-concentrated palms could withstand Chen Li’s second-order mid-grade sword, without being at a disadvantage.

Chen Li was on the offensive, Ke Xian on the defensive.

Both moved rapidly, exchanging blows like phantoms, faster than lightning, and within the span of a single breath, they had already clashed over a dozen times.

If Chen Li had not completed marrow refinement, making his senses sharp and giving him control over his strength and faster reactions than an average early or even mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, he might have already been defeated.

In fact, in such a dangerous close-quarters battle.

For Chen Li, it was a first.

In the past, his enemies had either been crushed by his strength or assassinated.

He usually defeated his foes with one move, rarely ever needing a second.

The scent of death lingered, igniting Chen Li’s blood to boil and his scalp to tingle.

"Die!"

Chen Li silently chanted a spell, his long sword flashing like lightning combined with the Scolding Skill. He launched a fierce attack.

Regrettably,

the once unfailingly effective Scolding Skill had no effect this time - his opponent was unmoved, as if a gentle breeze had brushed past, not even causing a flicker of distraction.

This move was futile.

Chen Li used the Flash Skill again.

Continuous flashing.

As expected, it had a clear effect.

The opponent’s movements became visibly stiffer. While Foundation Establishment came with Spiritual Sense, it ultimately couldn’t replace eyesight. With their vision limited, their reactions were greatly impaired, and they nearly got hit by the sword several times.

Seeing this, Chen Li began a frenzied assault, his long sword striking like a violent storm, as swift as lightning.

"Bang bang bang..."

Sweat formed on Ke Xian’s forehead as he fought while rapidly retreating, constantly trying to create some space.

However, Chen Li was relentless, not giving him a moment’s respite.

Completely suppressed, Ke Xian could only defend passively, devoid of any other thoughts, unable to afford even a moment of distraction.

A large tree, sliced in half by the Sword Qi.

It had not yet fallen.

When it was silently severed into several sections.

Constant defense will inevitably lead to loss; after another Flash Skill, Ke Xian finally revealed a fatal flaw.

"Boom!"

Chen Li’s figure flickered to dodge the opponent’s bare hand, and at the same time, a sonorous stabbing sound, like a viper’s bite, pierced through the defense, striking the right shoulder and leaving a blood hole the size of a baby’s fist.

This thrust firmly secured the victory.

The wound on the shoulder, with the continuous bleeding, made Ke Xian’s attacks and defenses increasingly feeble, slowly becoming overtaxed.

After barely blocking a few moves,

Ke Xian’s left shoulder was severely injured again.

"You..." Ke Xian finally felt despair, but he had barely uttered a word

when his forehead was pierced by Chen Li’s sword.

Immediately following, another streak of sword light arrived.

The Sword Qi twisted.

The head soared into the sky.

"Thud,"

Ke Xian’s head fell from the sky to the ground, his bleeding eyes wide open, stubbornly staring at Chen Li, unwilling to close.

Indignant!

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

"Still dare to glare at me!"

A flicker of cruelty crossed Chen Li’s heart, and he stepped forward to brutally stomp down.

"Bang!"

The entire head was crushed under his foot, and the aftermath scattered in a burst of red and pink!

After that, he cast several Evil-Breaking Skills in succession to eliminate any and all potential threats.

"Sigh!"

Only then did Chen Li completely relax, feeling as if his whole body was drifting, his feet light as if stepping on cotton, with lingering fear and relief in his heart. This battle was really too dangerous, a gamble with his life, survival hanging by a thread.

He stood in place, catching his breath for a while.

As his boiling blood gradually cooled, he then approached the corpse, starting to search the body.

He hadn’t done this in years, and he felt his movements were becoming somewhat rusty.

Chen Li quickly found two storage bags, and beyond that, nothing else.

Then, Chen Li searched the surrounding area, picking up the flying sword that had already fallen to the ground.

"Hiss!"

Chen Li carelessly touched the blade of the flying sword and ended up cutting his finger.

"This flying sword, it’s probably not an ordinary one!"

He played with it for a while, then put the flying sword into his own storage bag.

What a pity, the robe was destroyed during the fight; otherwise, it would have been a gain.

"I can’t leave this corpse! There are too many spells like the Resurrection Skill that allow the dead to speak," he thoughtfully considered how to eliminate the risk.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator was not an insignificant Loose Cultivator; their death wouldn’t simply pass unnoticed.

Moreover, he was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator - a pillar of his sect. Certainly, the Golden Core Ancestors of the Hongshan Sect would pay attention to his demise.

Yet, for that he had little worry.

First, he always wore a disguise when he was out, and this place was a primeval forest, with no one aware that it was he who committed the act.

Second, his opponent had been in a conflict with Sheng Liwei from the Heavenly Star Sect.

In recent years, the two sects had been fighting non-stop, reportedly several Foundation Establishments had died, forming deep enmities. Another death would just seem normal, and given the circumstances, the Hongshan Sect would probably not personally verify with the Heavenly Star Sect, making it an excellent scapegoat.

As for the third reason, he was no longer without status himself.

Besides, he was just a humble early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, not established for long. Even if it was suspected that a Returning True Sect disciple had done it, it would never be suspected to be him.

"Cremation is too conspicuous and troublesome..."

A thought struck Chen Li’s mind, and he came up with a plan. He dragged the corpse and the crushed head and stacked them together, casting five or six Ice Skills.

Once the body was completely frozen,

he stepped forward to shatter the ice corpse, even the hard bones were crushed into fine powder from the vibration of his Gang Qi, ground to dust.

Chen Li picked up the tattered robe from the ground, shook it out with force, and put it into his storage bag, planning to throw it away somewhere else later.

As for the dust, there were countless scavengers in the forest. He estimated that in less than a day, little trace would remain here.

To be cautious, Chen Li then used the Traction Skill to further destroy the scene of the battle.

"That should do it," Chen Li surveyed the area and silently thought to himself.

He rose into the air and headed for home.