by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
“It really is a pity. If you had just agreed to let us fight too, we really might have been able to kill him,” said Lu Fang-er with a bit of regret.
Meng Qi and Chu Yao nodded ever so slightly. If the three of them had fought back then, they probably would have had over eighty percent chance of killing Yin Luo.
Long Chen shook his head. “You’re looking down on Yin Luo too much. The fact that he was still able to continue running all this time means he still had at least a bit of energy kept in reserve. Although that little bit of energy isn’t much, he definitely had the assurance to bring down others with him. That was the reason I didn’t want you to participate in the battle. Yin Luo is a veteran fighter, and he isn’t afraid of death. If he really found there was no chance of him surviving, he would become crazy in his retaliation. This entire situation was something I anticipated, and to avoid his final deathblow, I was hoping to compete with him in terms of endurance at the end.”
Here, Long Chen sighed. “Unfortunately, I didn’t calculate how united the Corrupt path is. The people who came to assist Yin Luo ruined my plans.”
Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Lu Fang-er were profoundly shocked. Despite already seeing how terrifying Yin Luo was, it seemed they had still underestimated him. If Long Chen’s words were said by another person’s mouth, then maybe they would doubt them.
But these words had come from Long Chen. Perhaps only Long Chen had the qualification to properly evaluate Yin Luo.
Even Han Tianyu didn’t have that qualification. That was because in this world, only Long Chen had exchanged blows with Yin Luo three times.
Although Long Chen didn’t say some of his thoughts, the three of them knew that Long Chen would rather give up this chance to kill Yin Luo in order to make sure nothing unexpected happened to them.
“A top expert like Yin Luo has karmic luck supporting him, so how could he be so easy to kill? The fact that you could force him to this point is already amazing. Who else in either the Righteous or Corrupt path could force Yin Luo to this point?” Meng Qi couldn’t help but comfort him when she saw how despondent he seemed.
“Here. These are your battle spoils that I helped you collect.” Lu Fang-er handed over Yin Luo’s arm.
Looking at that arm, Long Chen couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “Last time I severed his leg, and this time I severed his arm. Could it be I only have fate with his body’s limbs?”
Lu Fang-er laughed, “Hehe, this is a symbol of your glory! Furthermore, there’s also a priceless teleportation talisman in its hand. At a critical moment, it can save your life.”
Yin Luo’s hand was holding a yellow, rectangular paper. Dense lines had been drawn on top of it that emitted an ancient, desolate aura.
“This is a teleportation talisman?” Long Chen carefully grabbed the teleportation talisman and found that although it looked like wooden paper, it was actually a paper made from animal hide.
He could smell the scent of beast blood coming from the lines on the page. The liquid used to draw these runes was also special.
“You better be careful with that. If you end up crushing it, it’ll instantly disappear forever,” teased Lu Fang-er.
Meng Qi smiled and said, “It’s not as exaggerated as Fang-er says. If you want to crush a teleportation talisman, you have to first use your Spiritual Strength to activate the marks on top of it. Otherwise, you won’t be able to crush it. That’s also why when Yin Luo tried to crush the teleportation talisman, I was able to use a secret art to temporarily seal his Spiritual Strength and make it impossible for him to activate it.”
Previously, Long Chen had already guessed that a top expert like Yin Luo would definitely have life-saving treasures like a teleportation talisman.
Meng Qi had said that she had the ability to make it so he was temporarily unable to activate a teleportation talisman, which is why Long Chen had been able to set his heart on killing Yin Luo.
And this was proof that Long Chen’s guess had been correct. But someone as domineering as Yin Luo wouldn’t prepare many teleportation talismans for themselves, as that didn’t suit their haughty nature.
The reason experts were called experts was because they believed more in their own strength than external objects. So, true experts usually disdained relying on life-saving measures that others tried to bestow to them.
That was because doing so might cause them to feel dependent on external strength, causing them to lose their courageous will. To Chosen, too many life-saving treasures was not always a good thing.
As a result, Yin Luo had only had a single teleportation talisman, so Long Chen really had bet correctly. Regretfully, a man’s plans cannot supersede fate’s plans. In the end, he had failed with victory in sight.
“Long Chen, you can keep this teleportation talisman. It might save your life,” said Meng Qi.
Long Chen had forced Yin Luo into miserable straits. Previously, he cut off his leg, and now he cut off an arm. Yin Luo’s hatred for Long Chen must have sunk into his bones by now.
Since Yin Luo had fled, then once he broke through to Bone Forging, he would definitely come looking for Long Chen. So, this teleportation talisman was the most important to Long Chen.
“I don’t need it. One of you can keep it since you need it more than me.” Long Chen shook his head and handed over the teleportation talisman.
“Long Chen, don’t be so stubborn. Once Yin Luo breaks through, he’ll definitely come to get revenge on you. So, you’re the one who needs the teleportation talisman the most,” advised Meng Qi, sounding a bit displeased.
“That’s right Long Chen, you have to keep this teleportation talisman. Otherwise, we’ll get angry with you,” said Chu Yao, equally dissatisfied.
They had all seen how terrifying Yin Luo was. Despite being in such a superior position, they still hadn’t been able to kill him.
Once he broke through, who knew what level his strength would explode to. Just thinking about it gave them chills.
“It doesn’t matter if he breaks through. If it was before today, I would definitely have to run and hide from him. Hehe, but now, I don’t have to fear him,” laughed Long Chen.
With the Qilin Fruit, he should at least be able to form an embryonic form of the Alioth Star. With both stars’ power, which was equivalent to two Dantians, then even if he couldn’t beat him, he still wouldn’t need to fear Yin Luo.
“Sister Fang-er, of the three of you, you’re the weakest, so you can keep this teleportation talisman.” Long Chen pushed the teleportation talisman into Lu Fang-er’s hands. Seeing the three of them were about to continue arguing, Long Chen waved his hand. “I have my own life-preserving measures, so you don’t need to decline. Otherwise, it’ll get awkward.”
Seeing how obstinate Long Chen was being, the three of them felt a bit helpless. Long Chen’s character was just like that. Once he decided on something, only a few people could make him change his mind.
“Sister Fang-er, you should just take it,” advised Chu Yao.
Lu Fang-er shook her head. “Even if Long Chen doesn’t want it, I don’t want it either. Junior sister, you can have it. You need it more than me.” Chu Yao hastily shook her head, but Lu Fang-er pressed the teleportation talisman into her hand. “I’m a Beast Tamer, and so I don’t fight in close quarters. Furthermore, I’ll be with Meng Qi now. With her present, there are not very many people that can threaten me.”
Chu Yao still wasn’t sure. She was about to hand it to Meng Qi when Meng Qi took the initiative to say, “I already have one, so you should keep it.”
“Just keep it. This can count as big sister’s gift to you,” Lu Fang-er held Chu Yao’s hand and laughed.
Chu Yao felt extremely moved inside. A single teleportation talisman was far too expensive. But now it seemed she couldn’t even give it away. She could only keep it and remember this favor in her heart.
“Let’s go find a secluded place. I’ll let you see a priceless treasure.”
Now that
the teleportation talisman had found an owner, Long Chen smiled and brought the three of them away. He needed to find a place to refine the Alioth Pill.
Chapter 379 A Difficult Problem
“Seriously?!”
Long Chen’s expression was incredibly ugly as he stared at the Qilin Fruit in his pill furnace. At this time, the Qilin Fruit had been turned into a paste, but he was unable to refine it into powder.
Yesterday, Long Chen and the others had found a secluded cave. Long Chen had shown the Qilin Fruit to the three women, causing them to let out startled cries.
Long Chen’s luck had to be heaven-defying. He had actually managed to find something as rare as the Qilin Fruit. At the same time, they almost felt sorry for Yin Luo since he had lost such a priceless natural treasure.
Long Chen had waited a full day before his mood gradually returned to calm from his excited state. He had finally started to refine the Alioth Pill today.
All the Alioth Pill’s other medicinal ingredients had long since been completely gathered with Elder Sun’s help. They had already been turned into medicinal powders that were just waiting for the Qilin Fruit.
But when he had started to refine the Qilin Fruit, Long Chen had become flabbergasted. The Qilin Fruit in his pill furnace refused to have its essence extracted. Instead of turning to powder, it melted into liquid and condensed into one entity instead of scattering.
“My Pill Flame is too weak for this. If I forcefully refine it like this, then the majority of the Qilin Fruit’s essence will be lost. That’ll be a complete waste of this natural treasure.” Long Chen put away his Pill Flame and placed the half-refined Qilin Fruit into a jade bottle.
Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Lu Fang-er were outside the cave. They had found an empty region and laid down a blanket, on top of which they had placed quite a few snacks. They chatted as they ate. Long Chen didn’t know what they were saying, but bell-like laughter would occasionally tinkle out.
Hearing that laughter, Long Chen’s depression lightened a great deal. He didn’t disturb them. He just silently watched.
Their smiles were like blooming flowers, their voices like birdsong. Long Chen’s heart was filled with tranquility as he enjoyed this feeling. This sensation was far too rare for Long Chen, and he cherished this moment.
Boom!
Long Chen had just been silently watching them when an explosive sound came from within his body. A powerful aura surged out and into the heavens.
“I’ve advanced!” Long Chen was delighted. Now he had advanced to the third Heavenstage of Tendon Transformation. His spiritual qi had become much stronger again, and at the same time, he noticed his tendons had become even tougher. His body brimmed with power.
“Long Chen, you’ve advanced?” The three women immediately noticed the distant Long Chen, their expressions stunned. Long Chen was just leaning against the cave right now, and he hadn’t made any preparations for this advancement. Such a breakthrough was far too shocking.
Long Chen shot out his palm and found that he now possessed a terrifying strength that could cause space to constantly rumble. It was as if space was unable to handle his power.
“Yup.” Long Chen smiled slightly and walked over to them. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to sit on the grass.
“Hey, why aren’t you coming onto the blanket? The ground’s dirty,” said Chu Yao.
“Don’t worry about it. My clothes aren’t much cleaner than the ground,” laughed Long Chen.
“We’re sitting on the blanket, but you’re weirdly sitting on the ground. Hurry up and get on here,” smiled Meng Qi.
“Cough, the main thing is that my feet stink,” said Long Chen awkwardly.
“...”
The three women were all barefoot. Naturally, Long Chen wouldn’t feel good about stepping on the blanket with his dirty feet. That was especially true since it had been many days since he had washed his feet, moreover, he had already fought several intense battles. And if he were to take off his shoes, then probably he himself wouldn’t be able to endure the foul stench.
Speaking of feet, Meng Qi and the others immediately reddened and hid their bare feet under their robes. That made Long Chen grumble inside that it was a shame. He hadn’t even had a chance to get a good look.
“Wait, Long Chen, didn’t you say you needed to refine pills? Why’d you come out so soon? Did you fail?” Meng Qi hastily broke the awkward atmosphere.
They had all been told by Long Chen that he was supposed to be refining and would only come out after a certain amount of time. That was the only reason they were amusing themselves on the blanket.
“I didn’t necessarily fail, but I didn’t succeed either. My Pill Flame isn’t strong enough, and so I can’t refine the Qilin Fruit’s essence. I had to stop.” Long Chen shook his head.
Seeing that Long Chen was a bit disheartened, the three of their hearts all sank slightly. Although Long Chen hadn’t said what pill he was refining, they could tell from his previous unconcealable excitement that it had been extremely important to him.
“Long Chen…” Meng Qi wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn’t know what to say.
Long Chen laughed, “I’m fine. Right now, I don’t have a good flame, but it’ll be fine once I find one.”
“Long Chen, sorry… I didn’t know…” Lu Fang-er said apologetically. Only now did she realize that the Scarlet Blaze Lion’s beast flame must have been extremely important to him.
But now the Scarlet Blaze Lion had already become her housepet. It was no longer just a Magical Beast, but a companion. She couldn’t sacrifice a companion just to give Long Chen a beast flame.
“Sister Fang-er, you’ve misunderstood. The Qilin Fruit is extremely special, and probably even the Scarlet Blaze Lion’s beast flame is not necessarily strong enough to completely bring out its essence. In any case, we still have plenty of time. I can find a more suitable beast flame,” said Long Chen.
For Long Chen to put it like this allowed Lu Fang-er to feel much better, but she also didn’t know what to do. In fact, in her despondent mood, she actually began to cry.
“Ah, don’t cry, Fang-er. We’ll move out right now to help Long Chen find a beast flame. At the same time, you can also help me keep an eye out for some powerful housepets,” consoled Meng Qi.
Only then did Lu Fang-er feel a bit better. That made Long Chen feel extremely embarrassed. Seeing the three of them quickly tidying up, he could only set off with them.
“The Forest of Darkness is extremely vast with high mountains and dense forests. There are definitely countless powerful beasts within. We’ll definitely be able to find what we need,” smiled Chu Yao.
Long Chen also comforted Lu Fang-er with a few sentences before summoning out Little Snow. He and Meng Qi jumped onto Little Snow’s back.
As for Chu Yao, she didn’t say anything and merely followed Lu Fang-er onto her Scarlet Blaze Lion. But during that process, she occasionally smiled and winked at Long Chen.
That action of hers caused Meng Qi to blush. Lu Fang-er and Chu Yao were purposely giving Long Chen and Meng Qi a chance to be alone together. They let the Scarlet Blaze Lion take the lead while Little Snow followed from a distance.
At first, Meng Qi was clearly a bit nervous. But Long Chen purposely inquired a few questions about soul arts, causing her to gradually relax.
“Long Chen, I really have to thank you for that soul nourishing pill. At that time, my soul energy had just been on the verge of a breakthrough. Your soul nourishing pill made my foundation even more stable. Even my master said my soul energy had reached a pinnacle.” Meng Qi was still grateful about that matter.
“Between the two of us, we have no need to treat each other as outsiders. I’m working hard to chase after you, so how could I not put in a bit of capital?” laughed Long Chen.
Meng Qi reddened even more and rebuked, “You’re not allowed to talk nonsense.”
Seeing that Meng Qi wasn’t accustomed to th
is kind of joking, Long Chen hastily changed the subject. “How does your master treat you?”
Hearing this question, a bit of worry appeared on Meng Qi’s face. But she instantly concealed it. “My master treats me extremely well. Practically, all the Wind Spirit Pavilion’s resources are at my disposal.”
Long Chen just looked at Meng Qi. Meng Qi’s heart quivered. Being stared at by Long Chen, she felt as if all her secrets were laid bare in front of him.
Just who was Long Chen? How could he possibly not be able to see through the change in Meng Qi’s expression?
Even without Lu Fang-er’s warning, he would still have been able to sense Meng Qi’s mental state. However, since Meng Qi refused to say it, he had no way to force her.
Gently helping brush back a few strands of her hair that had been blown astray by the wind, Long Chen said, “If you don’t like the Wind Spirit Pavilion, just tell me. I’ll welcome you at any time. Although I don’t have much to offer you, I can offer you my everything. Although I’m not strong enough, I will use my life to protect you. I will not let you suffer any wrongs.”
“Long Chen…”
Feeling Long Chen’s soft actions, hearing his warm voice, Meng Qi couldn’t hold back anymore and threw herself into Long Chen’s embrace, gently sobbing.
Fragrance filled Long Chen’s nose. However, there were no wicked intentions in his heart. He only felt endless pity for Meng Qi. He tightly held her to his chest.
“When the secret realm closes, come with me to the Xuantian Monastery. Although the Xuantian Monastery is also not a perfect place, at the very least, I have many trustworthy people there,” said Long Chen.
After sobbing for a while in Long Chen’s embrace, Meng Qi finally gently withdrew and nodded. “Just give me a bit of time. I need to say goodbye to my master. As a person, I have to finish what I started. After all, the Wind Spirit Pavilion has been nurturing me for so long. I can’t leave without saying goodbye.”
