Chapter 257: The Blind Man

The big black cat, seeing this, immediately trotted after him, staying glued to Li Muxian’s heels.

Li Muxian left the secret cave carrying the dark green jade stele; after a moment’s thought, he recalled what Fu Qiwén had said about the master teacher uncle of Luoshen Peak.

He planned to stroll around the main peak—if he could find that man, all the better; if not, he’d have no choice but to give up.

Thus, his mission at Luoshen Peak was essentially complete.

Li Muxian’s next plan was to return to Shangyang City and retrieve the two Heavenly Revelation Secret Vault keys hidden in the imperial capital.

Then…

After that, there would be many more tasks: continuing to search for the Heavenly Revelation Secret Vault keys, hunting for the Fire Kirin and Azure Dragon True Qi, comprehending the Talent Divine Stele, and more…

To pursue transcendence in martial cultivation, Li Muxian frankly admitted he was quite busy.

Yet aside from comprehending the Talent Divine Stele, the rest of the tasks could be delegated to others.

After all, according to their agreement, after destroying Luoshen Peak, the entire Great Li Tianjin Guard would now answer to him—finding a few items would be no trouble at all.

As for whether the Emperor Yuanwu might renege on this deal—well, let him try.

Thinking this, Li Muxian began wandering the main peak of Luoshen Peak, carrying the dark green jade stele; anyone who got in his way received no mercy—he dispatched them with a casual strike.

The big black cat, following beside him, had also taken its share of lives; yet Li Muxian noticed that aside from clinging to him inseparably, the cat spent most of its time glaring hungrily at the dark green jade stele in his hands, nearly drooling.

Not even half the main peak had been circled when the cat’s emerald-green eyes began rolling incessantly.

It then kept rubbing against Li Muxian’s pant legs, pointing its paws at the jade stele, then at its own back, and meowing incessantly.

Seeing this, Li Muxian narrowed his eyes slightly—and understood the cat’s meaning.

The cat was saying it found him carrying such a massive jade stele too exhausting, and suggested he place the dark green jade stele on its back so it could carry it and share the burden.

“Do all divine beings have this much cunning?”

Li Muxian patted the cat’s head, chuckled softly, and tossed the dark green jade stele onto its back.

Though the big black cat was robust, about the size of a large dog, the dark green jade stele was clearly much larger—it completely buried the cat beneath its bulk.

Yet the cat’s four paws stood perfectly straight, showing no sign of being crushed by the weight; instead, it meowed happily twice, trotting in circles on the spot, proudly bearing the stele.

Seeing this, Li Muxian made no move to reclaim the jade stele; having such a free laborer carry his burden naturally saved him considerable trouble.

Thus, Li Muxian continued wandering the peak alongside the cat now carrying the dark green jade stele.

The main peak was lined with countless stone steps, some sections extremely steep; yet the cat, burdened by the massive stele, never slipped, moving with uncanny agility and lightness, as if walking on flat ground.

…

Meanwhile, Sikong Xuan, determined to hunt down Yuwen Chengqing, relentlessly pursued him; two terrifying qi signatures chased each other through the deep mountains and dense forests.

Yet their cultivation speeds were nearly equal; thus, even as Sikong Xuan pushed himself to the limit, he could not land a single blow on Yuwen Chengqing.

As for Yuwen Chengqing, he had no intention of fighting Sikong Xuan at all—he simply fled without pause.

Soon, he arrived at the foot of a towering peak and halted, raising his head to squint upward.

Behind him, Sikong Xuan, seeing him stop, also gazed ahead at the majestic peak.

Instantly, his gaze sharpened—he recognized the peak as the main peak of Luoshen Peak Sect.

For a moment, Sikong Xuan’s snow-white eyebrows furrowed.

Logically, if Yuwen Chengqing truly wished to escape, he should flee beyond Luoshen Peak’s territory—only then might he have a slim chance.

Yet now, he had done the opposite—he had come to the very foot of the main peak, leaving Sikong Xuan utterly baffled by his intent.

At that moment, Yuwen Chengqing turned his head and glanced once at Sikong Xuan emerging from the night, said nothing, merely sneered, then vanished swiftly up the main peak.

No sooner had Yuwen Chengqing disappeared than Sikong Xuan arrived at the mountain’s base; he stopped, gazed upward at the retreating figure, his expression uncertain.

Though Fu Qiwén had already sent word that the Eighth Imperial Prince had already slain the Luoshen Peak sect leader and four venerables,

this was still the main peak of Luoshen Peak—one of the Four Great Sects, the very core of its foundation.

Even if those five top-tier cultivators were dead, it was impossible to guarantee no other formidable experts remained on the main peak.

If he rashly entered alone, he might well walk into a tiger’s den and never return.

“A man about to die has no need to overthink this. If there truly are experts here, let old man see just how strong they really are.”

Yet Sikong Xuan quickly made his decision—he had come to settle his own desires, to fight one last great battle before death.

Meeting an even stronger expert was, in fact, a fortunate thing.

Without hesitation, Sikong Xuan continued chasing in the direction Yuwen Chengqing had vanished, disappearing beneath the main peak’s base.

Soon after, Yu Mianjiao and Ouyang Mingqi arrived in quick pursuit.

Both halted simultaneously at the mountain’s base, raised their heads, and their faces darkened with solemnity.

Yu Mianjiao frowned slightly and said:

“Master Yuwen seems to have deliberately lured Master Sikong here—there must be something amiss on this peak.”

Hearing this, Ouyang Mingqi’s expression turned thoughtful; he murmured:

“Sister, have you ever heard rumors within the sect about Master Yuwen?”

Yu Mianjiao turned to look at him, then narrowed her eyes slightly and said:

“Are you referring to the rumor that Master Yuwen, with mediocre talent, remained obscure and unremarkable for years, yet suddenly broke through and ascended to the Eighth Peak’s seat?”

Ouyang Mingqi nodded, then stared at the dark main peak before them and said:

“It was once rumored that Master Yuwen’s rapid rise to peak seat within just a few years, despite average talent, was due entirely to something he encountered on this main peak.”

“It is said that Master Yuwen once had a miraculous encounter here—he met a hidden, reclusive supreme martial expert of the sect, who not only bestowed upon him a divine martial pill but also personally guided his cultivation. That is why Master Yuwen suddenly astonished everyone, surpassing all other gifted disciples in the sect.”

Saying this, Ouyang Mingqi shook his head:

“Of course, there is no denying that Master Yuwen’s own relentless diligence and obsession with martial cultivation were indispensable to his achievements.”

Hearing this, Yu Mianjiao pondered briefly, then looked at Ouyang Mingqi and said:

“So you believe this rumor is true?”

Ouyang Mingqi shook his head:

“I’m not certain—but whether it’s true or not, perhaps we’ll know if we follow along.”

With that, he moved instantly, continuing to pursue Sikong Xuan.

Seeing this, Yu Mianjiao frowned slightly but said nothing, following after him.

With the sect leader and four venerables dead, Luoshen Peak’s destruction was inevitable; even if hidden experts remained on the main peak, they could not change the outcome.

In Yu Mianjiao’s view, Yuwen Chengqing’s actions held little meaning.

Not long after, Yuwen Chengqing’s figure darted rapidly through the sprawling, interconnected halls of the main peak.

He passed through several secluded groves and gardens, finally arriving outside an unassuming ancestral shrine pavilion on the peak’s rear side.

This shrine was not Luoshen Peak’s main ancestral hall, but a place where memorial plaques were erected for ordinary disciples who had rendered notable service to the sect.

Thus, it was not only remote but rarely visited—its surroundings appeared utterly desolate, nearly devoid of life.

Yet the pavilion’s interior and exterior were spotlessly clean; not a single fallen leaf remained on the stone steps, and the slate tiles flanked by stone lanterns gleamed without a speck of dust.

“Elder?”

Yuwen Chengqing landed gracefully at the foot of the pavilion’s steps, then bowed respectfully toward the interior.

He was unsure whether anyone was inside—but he dared not step a single inch into the pavilion.

Yet after waiting a while, the pavilion remained pitch-black, utterly silent, with no response at all.

Yuwen Chengqing’s brow furrowed; at that moment, Sikong Xuan arrived from behind.

His aged figure landed soundlessly on the stone ground several zhang away, then his gaze swept over Yuwen Chengqing and the pavilion.

Seeing Yuwen Chengqing’s reverent demeanor toward the pavilion, his clouded eyes flickered, and he spoke in a low tone:

“Yuwen Chengqing, you’ve finally stopped running—have you found someone to help you defeat old man?”

Hearing this, Yuwen Chengqing’s expression shifted slightly; he glanced back at Sikong Xuan.

Yet here, he no longer spoke of surrender.

First, he had pleaded it many times before, but Sikong Xuan had insisted on killing him—useless.

Second, he feared uttering surrender here might offend the elder inside the shrine.

So Yuwen Chengqing’s face hardened; he spoke coldly:

“Your Great Li imperial court has been tyrannical beyond reason—attacking Luoshen Peak without cause, without justification, slaughtering our disciples—truly cruel and brutal!”

Of course, Yuwen Chengqing was not speaking to Sikong Xuan—he was speaking to the elder inside the shrine.

He feared the elder, who had secluded himself here to cultivate, rarely interacted with outsiders, and might still be unaware of what had befallen Luoshen Peak.

Yet Yuwen Chengqing did not reveal that the sect leader and four venerables had been slain.

He did not know the elder’s true nature—if he heard such a shocking news, he worried the elder might abandon him entirely and flee immediately.

At that moment, Sikong Xuan, hearing Yuwen Chengqing’s grandiose words, frowned—but did not dwell on them; he sneered:

“Luoshen Peak will be annihilated tonight. If you wish to resist to the end, call out your allies—I’ll kill them all, and let you perish together with Luoshen Peak!”

Yuwen Chengqing said nothing, his gaze flicking toward the pavilion.

Yet inside, there was still no movement—as if no one was there.

His expression darkened; he sighed inwardly, then turned to face Sikong Xuan, his face cold:

“Since you’ve chased me relentlessly and insist on killing me, I have no choice but to fight back—let me test your skills.”

Hearing this, Sikong Xuan stroked his beard, his eyes flicking between Yuwen Chengqing and the pavilion; he narrowed them and said:

“It’s about time. Running like a stray dog—what kind of hero is that? Better to fight old man head-on, at least show some spine.”

With that, Sikong Xuan struck suddenly—his martial qi surged violently into the sky.

He thrust out a palm; the entire night sky blazed with azure light, and dozens of palm prints, three zhang wide, wrapped in vast heavenly qi, instantly appeared above Yuwen Chengqing’s head, then crashed down upon him and the entire area—including the pavilion.

Sikong Xuan had deliberately targeted the pavilion as well.

Rather than let the hidden ally lurk in the shadows, waiting to ambush later, he preferred to force them out into the open—clear the battlefield, fight without restraint.

At this moment, facing Kong Xuan’s attack, Yuwen Chengqing’s eyes flashed with a sharp gleam.

He immediately raised one palm, and the surging true qi around him, like roaring rivers, transformed into dozens of massive qi waves surging upward, all meeting the palm prints Kong Xuan had launched.

In an instant, the sky above the small shrine erupted with wind and swirling clouds; the two powerful forces intertwined, instantly forming a colossal vortex hundreds of feet tall that whipped up the mist from the mountains and the branches of surrounding trees into the heavens.

Even the stone steps and flagstones, the stone pillars on the ground, seemed ready to be ripped upward by the vortex.

But at that very moment, a faint sigh emerged from within the small shrine’s ancestral hall, echoing in the ears of Kong Xuan and the others.

The next instant, the green-brick steps and stone pillars that had been about to be swept away all settled back onto the ground, perfectly aligned and undisturbed in their original positions.

From then on, no matter how the vortex of entwined forces roared and churned, it could no longer budge even a single inch of the green-brick pillars before the shrine.

Sensing this, Kong Xuan and Yuwen Chengqing both narrowed their pupils and simultaneously halted their attacks.

In an instant, the entire area around the small shrine fell utterly silent; even Yu Mianjiao and Ouyang Mingqi, who had just arrived from behind, halted their steps at a distance.

All eyes turned toward the interior of the small shrine, each filled with wariness.

At that moment, an old blind man in gray robes, hunched and leaning on a cane, slowly stepped out from within the shrine.

(End of Chapter)