Chapter 446

Li Rui watched the change in Yuan An's expression, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"He's a good seedling."

He evaluated him thus in his heart.

Since Yuan Dingting had asked him to temper Yuan An's character, he naturally had to do his best; after all, that was the eleventh-ranked person in the world.

In his view.

Yuan An was already quite good.

But he was just stubborn, insisting on wanting to shed his status as a prince and walk the Jianghu as an ordinary person.

Is that something you can just decide to be ordinary about?

Yuan An was destined never to experience the days of struggling for a single steamed bun.

Li Rui knew.

Don't let Yuan An's usual gentle demeanor fool you; this kid actually had very high aspirations.

He wanted to replicate his father's path.

But with a different background, it was destined to be impossible to be the same; experiencing life and actually living it are two different things.

And there was no need for it.

In Li Rui's view, what Yuan An should do is learn how to utilize his own advantages.

Everyone has their own path.

Rising against the wind is certainly legendary.

But starting at the pinnacle and crushing everything along the way by leveraging that power is not a bad way either.

As far as he knew, the Great Shaman of the Wu Kingdom was born into the most noble status in the Wu Kingdom, never suffered a day in his life, and yet still reached the pinnacle.

Suffering for the sake of suffering is truly inferior.

He had been watching most of the time, looking for an opportunity to enlighten Yuan An.

Today was a good opportunity.

Yuan An seemed to have realized something.

He straightened his expression and bowed deeply to Li Rui: "Thank you, Master, for your guidance."

Today, his Master had spoken with unusual seriousness.

The Master he had called before was because Yuan Dingting had told him to.

Only after today was it a title he called voluntarily.

Li Rui turned slightly to the side, not accepting Yuan An's bow, and chuckled: "The Prince will understand these truths sooner or later; I am merely stating them in advance."

Yuan An, however, did not think so.

Otherwise, there would be no such thing as "enlightenment" in this world.

Martial arts and cultivation require guidance, and character is the same.

Both are equally priceless.

About ten days passed.

Yuan An ran up the mountain excitedly: "Master, something has happened."

Li Rui looked at the excited Yuan An.

Something happened, what is there to be happy about?

However, considering the other party was a prince, he asked kindly: "Your Highness, what has happened?"

Yuan An: "Master is truly a genius at calculation. A few days ago, a team of Qingwei Sect disciples went to investigate the case of the demonic cultivators in the village. Guess what? They all went and never returned; it is highly likely they are in grave danger."

The reason he was so excited.

Was likely because he truly felt how to correctly utilize his own status.

If he had insisted on pretending to be an ordinary person, perhaps he would have been among those who disappeared this time.

Yuan An was reviewing the situation.

But Li Rui had to think about much more.

Yuan An's status could be ignored, but his own status could not be overlooked.

This matter did sound suspicious.

Generally speaking, there is a distinction between immortals and mortals; righteous cultivators of immortal sects are warned by their elders before entering the sect not to slaughter mortals indiscriminately.

As for demonic cultivators, they don't have so many rules.

But generally, they wouldn't slaughter mortals either.

Unless it was useful.

For example, refining a soul banner.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes; if it was truly as he thought, then it was indeed necessary to ask Daoist Zi Yang to pay more attention.

As for himself.

He certainly wouldn't put himself in danger.

First, the demonic cultivators were in the Wu Kingdom; second, those who disappeared were Qingwei Sect disciples. The words he told Yuan An applied just as well to himself.

It was merely a precaution, to prevent that demonic cultivator from truly refining a magic treasure like a soul banner and drifting into the Yu Kingdom to stir up trouble.

The next day.

Li Rui sent Liu Tiezhu to Daoist Zi Yang Peak to invite Daoist Zi Yang to Changqing Peak for a drink.

After the last incident.

The relationship between Daoist Zi Yang and Li Rui had become much closer.

Taking advantage of the gap while drinking.

Li Rui chatted and told Daoist Zi Yang about the demonic cultivators in the village.

Daoist Zi Yang heard this.

He immediately thanked Li Rui profusely and stated directly that he would definitely ask the sect's experts to investigate.

Wu Kingdom, a village.

"Strange, why did the Qingwei Sect actually send a Fourth-Rank to investigate?"

Wan Gui Daoren hid in the mountain forest outside the village, squinting his eyes as he looked at the several Daoists who were carefully inspecting the now deathly silent village.

That's right.

He was the human-puppet demonic cultivator of the village that the Qingwei Sect disciples were investigating.

Wan Gui Daoren considered himself cautious.

He had only attacked some mortals, and previously the Qingwei Sect had only sent some outer sect disciples.

He didn't expect that this time they would send the top talents from the inner sect to investigate.

He certainly didn't put a Fourth-Rank in his eyes.

But he knew that before the Qingwei Sect issued a mission, there was usually a rating.

Missions of different danger levels involved disciples of different strengths.

Suddenly sending a Fourth-Rank this time

"Could it be that the Qingwei Sect has already sensed something?"

The Qingwei Sect had many strong experts.

If he were discovered, once surrounded by those Daoists, he would find it hard to escape death.

Wan Gui Daoren had been watching from the shadows.

Until he watched the Qingwei Sect group leave.

Only then did he look thoughtful.

"It seems this matter cannot be delayed; I must find a way to refine Li Rui in advance."

After thinking it through.

Wan Gui Daoren did not return to the village but instead headed toward the direction of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

"You mean you didn't find that demonic cultivator?"

Li Rui was somewhat surprised.

This day.

Daoist Zi Yang came to Changqing Peak on his own to find him for a drink, and the two chatted about this matter.

"Yes, I ordered my eldest disciple to go and check. That demonic cultivator is cunning; he had already abandoned everyone in the village and turned them into corpses, while he himself had long since fled."

"These demonic cultivators are truly ruthless."

Daoist Zi Yang said.

He added another sentence: "Currently, it seems that the demonic cultivator was afraid, so he chose to cut his losses to survive."

Li Rui listened quietly.

It certainly looked as Daoist Zi Yang said: the demonic cultivator was afraid, so he abandoned the village and fled.

He took a small sip of wine, thoughtful.

Daoist Zi Yang: "That demonic cultivator is a scourge to the world; my Qingwei Sect is a renowned immortal sect, so we naturally won't let him go."

The matter of the demonic cultivator was passed over.

Daoist Zi Yang brought up another matter:

"By the way, Brother Li, regarding the matter you mentioned before, I went to ask Elder Fu. He said it is indeed the Spirit Brilliance Array that Brother Li wants, but Elder Fu requires ten high-grade spirit stones before he is willing to trade."

Ten high-grade spirit stones!

Li Rui chuckled.

That was truly a lion's opening of the mouth.

Although the Spirit Brilliance Array was a Third-Rank array, it was one of the more obscure types among Third-Rank arrays, and its value was not high.

You have to know, most Third-Rank arrays only cost five or six high-grade spirit stones.

Daoist Zi Yang also knew it was somewhat outrageous and gave a bitter smile:

"Brother Li, you also know that array masters are often obsessed with studying arrays, and their temperaments are mostly strange."

Li Rui still cupped his hands:

"I have troubled Brother Zi Yang with this matter."

"It was just a casual mention, how could it be a trouble? It's just that I feel ashamed for not being able to help Brother Li."

Daoist Zi Yang waved his hands repeatedly.

Afterward.

Li Rui never mentioned the array matter again.

As for why he sought to buy an array from Daoist Zi Yang, on the surface he said the Yu Kingdom imperial court needed it, but in reality, it was because his own array mastery was about to break through.

This day.

On Changqing Peak.

Li Rui pushed the door open and walked out, looking at Liu Tiezhu, who was swinging a large hammer in the courtyard.

Ever since coming to the Qingwei Sect.

Most of the time, besides smithing, Liu Tiezhu spent almost all his time practicing hammer techniques.

Although both of them had learned Tiekuang's Hammer Qi Method.

But if you were to compare them.

Li Rui's Hammer Qi Method had long since dissolved into the formless, grasping only the true intent; by comparison, Liu Tiezhu was much purer, having learned both the intent and mastered the form.

He was the most worthy successor of Tiekuang's Hammer Qi Method.

"Master."

Seeing Li Rui come out, Liu Tiezhu put down the large hammer in his hand and said with a grin.

Li Rui: "Tiezhu, prepare the carriage, we're going out for a walk."

"Alright."

Liu Tiezhu agreed without even thinking: "Master, where are we going?"

"Let's go to Qinghe."

That day.

The two of them went down Changqing Peak.

But what puzzled Liu Tiezhu was that Li Rui actually told him to deliberately slow down; just leaving the Ten Thousand Mountains took a full seven days.

The carriage moved extremely slowly.

The four hooves of the spirit horse tapped on the official road, walking leisurely.

It was almost no different from a donkey pulling cargo.

Liu Tiezhu sat outside the carriage, holding a bamboo whip he had gotten from somewhere.

The one pulling the carriage was a spirit horse.

It was extremely intelligent and was a top-grade spirit horse selected from the Imperial Horse Bureau of Annan Town, so it didn't need to be whipped or driven at all.

It was just that Liu Tiezhu wanted to indulge in the thrill of being a coachman.

At this speed, it would take at least another five or six days to reach Qinghe.

Although Liu Tiezhu didn't know why his Master wanted to do this, as long as he could leave the Qingwei Sect, he was ten thousand times willing.

"Truly bored to death."

At this time.

Li Rui, inside the carriage, was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, his hands pinching, and his dharma seals constantly changing.

Seven or eight small array flags were floating in front of Li Rui.

Looking closely, it was actually in secret harmony with the art of the Big Dipper stars.

The next moment.

Li Rui's sleeves moved without wind and began to flutter.

However.

What blew the sleeves up was not the Changqing Qi, but the array intent.

Li Rui pinched the hand seals, and the speed became faster and faster; if an array master were here, they would definitely recognize this as the long-lost Lotus Heart Array.

But in an instant.

"Rise!"

Following Li Rui's soft shout.

A Third-Rank Lotus Heart Array was actually set up by him inside the carriage.

Forming an array in a single thought!

Third-Rank Array Master!

A Third-Rank array master is like a martial artist reaching the Profound Realm.

It represents the ability to connect the array with heaven and earth, and the power of the array will undergo earth-shaking changes.

Another thought.

The small array flags actually shrank in an instant, and finally turned into seven small dots that landed in Li Rui's palm.

If Ke Chuan were here.

Seeing this scene, he would definitely be shocked beyond measure.

Just because Li Rui had only just broken through to the Third-Rank, yet he was already able to achieve void array setting, which only Second-Rank array masters could do!

Looking at the small array in his palm.

The corners of Li Rui's mouth lifted slightly.

It's done!

From now on, he no longer needed to slow down and could completely achieve the array moving with him.

This was also a method Li Rui had derived from the Array Shifting Method after years of contemplating the Array Dao.

Void array setting is an ability that only Second-Rank grand array masters can possess.

As a newly broken-through Third-Rank array master, it was naturally impossible for him to completely look down on the Second-Rank, even with the East Heaven Gate.

This is equivalent to the Profound Realm crossing levels to challenge the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm.

It could also be like speaking the law of heaven.

It was simply impossible.

Li Rui could do it, first because the East Heaven Gate truly gave him extraordinary talent, and second because he was actually taking a shortcut.

His void array setting range was extremely small.

It could only protect his own body.

It couldn't compare to those great mountain-protecting arrays; additionally, he could only cast the Lotus Heart Array.

Other arrays wouldn't work.

The restrictions were extremely large.

But for Li Rui, it was already enough.

From now on.

He no longer needed to worry about his secrets being seen through by others.

This instant.

Li Rui only felt his whole body was relaxed, and he couldn't help but smile more, and finally even laughed out loud.

Liu Tiezhu outside the carriage heard the laughter inside.

He couldn't help but scratch his head:

"Master, what happy thing happened?"

Li Rui: "Nothing, nothing."

The carriage finally arrived at Qinghe City.

But what Liu Tiezhu didn't expect was that Li Rui didn't return to the Annan Town camp, but instead took Liu Tiezhu to a secluded alley to drink noodle porridge.

"Shopkeeper, two bowls of noodle porridge, two white pancakes."

Li Rui familiarly found a corner seat and sat down.

The carriage was parked by him outside the alley.

The owner of the noodle porridge shop was an honest middle-aged man.

"Alright."

Just after responding.

Two bowls of steaming noodle porridge were served, along with two white pancakes that looked very pleasing and were larger than a face.

"Hmm, still the same taste as before."

Li Rui praised.

If he remembered correctly, he had already outlived four generations of owners of this noodle porridge shop.

Liu Tiezhu finished eating quickly and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

He had originally wanted to wait for Li Rui to finish eating and then go to Annan Town, but he didn't expect Li Rui to use the last bit of white pancake to wipe the bowl clean and eat it.

He clapped his hands:

"Let's go, let's head back."

Liu Tiezhu habitually said: "Alright, but it's been a long time since I've seen Senior Brother."

But he heard Li Rui say: "Who said Annan Town? We're going back to the Ten Thousand Mountains."

Hearing this.

Liu Tiezhu was instantly dumbfounded.

Traveling thousands of miles, just for a bowl of porridge?

Li Rui smiled.

He didn't say anything either.

Little did he know, on the way here, he had incidentally broken through his array mastery.

"Hehe, Lord Li, how do you have time to come?"

Ke Chuan looked at Li Rui, who had stepped down from the stopped carriage, and greeted him with a smile.

Ever since Zhu Gan's breakthrough failed.

He had become much more irritable.

Besides the three guards including Ke Chuan, he would beat and scold others at every turn; it was said that every once in a while, quite a few maids and servants in the mansion were beaten to death for a small mistake.

His temperament had changed drastically.

To avoid the trouble, Li Rui came to the spirit mine less often than before.

"Mr. Ke."

Li Rui cupped his hands.

Ke Chuan looked Li Rui up and down: "Lord Li, your array mastery has improved again. I said before, that Array Shifting Method is a minor path; don't spend too much effort on it."

He naturally couldn't see Li Rui's true array mastery.

But he could also sense that there had been progress.

Li Rui chuckled and nodded: "I have indeed had some realizations recently."

He naturally wouldn't tell Ke Chuan.

In just over a decade, his array mastery had already caught up to Ke Chuan's hundred years of painstaking research.

After some pleasantries with Ke Chuan.

He returned to the residence at the spirit mine.

Seeing the Evil Puppet Array again, the feeling was vastly different.

If it was before, it was like looking at flowers in the fog, unable to see clearly, only able to take shortcuts and delay, but now... the situation was vastly different.

Every foundation of the Evil Puppet Array was seen clearly by Li Rui.

Suddenly.

Li Rui's brows furrowed slightly.

"That evil array master has been here?"

He sensed that the Evil Puppet Array in the residence was several times more ferocious than before, clearly having been reinforced by that evil array master.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

Afterward, he came to the entrance.

Taking advantage of the gap while talking to the two guards at the entrance, he calmly sensed the aura within their bodies.

His heart sank.

Those two had already been refined into human puppets.

And the means were extremely sophisticated; it was likely that even they themselves hadn't discovered it.

Li Rui had originally left behind means to delay the effect of the Evil Puppet Array on the two, so they wouldn't have fallen for it so quickly.

It must have been that evil array master who acted personally.

"No patience left?"

Li Rui walked back into the room.

Dangerous cold light flashed in his eyes.

Ten Thousand Mountains, a secluded mountain forest.

"You mean, Li Rui went to the spirit mine again?"

Wan Gui Daoren, who was meditating, slowly opened his eyes.

That young Qingwei Sect cultivator stood in front of him, answering respectfully: "Yes, he has been there for three days."

"Good, very good."

The corners of Wan Gui Daoren's mouth lifted slightly.

"You"

"Can be free now."

He saw Wan Gui Daoren's large hand reach toward the young Qingwei Sect cultivator.

The young Qingwei Sect cultivator's pupils were instantly occupied by fear, but no matter how he struggled, his body couldn't move even half a step.

Pfft!

His head exploded in an instant.

Red and white matter splattered all over the ground, and the young cultivator's corpse collapsed to one side with a thud.

He was already dead beyond any doubt.

After doing all this.

Wan Gui Daoren smiled even more.

How cautious he was in his actions.

He naturally couldn't leave any future trouble for himself.

Ever since he discovered that the Qingwei Sect might have already discovered him, he had been planning to close the net early.

Anyway, Li Rui had already been in the Evil Puppet Array for several years.

He had already been more than half transformed.

He specifically reinforced the Evil Puppet Array, so that he could forcibly refine Li Rui.

Coupled with the Illusion Array, as long as it was done quickly.

The strong experts in the Yu Kingdom spirit mine wouldn't discover it.

Once successful, he would directly flee far away, completely leaving the Qingwei Sect's region, perhaps directly heading to the Northern Plains to join the Arctic Immortal Sect.

By then, even if the Qingwei Sect had heaven-defying abilities, they wouldn't be able to do anything to him.

Since he was going to leave.

Then naturally he couldn't leave any handle on himself.

His only handle in the Qingwei Sect was this young disciple who had been refined into a human puppet.

Wan Gui Daoren secretly said it was a pity:

"I originally wanted to let you be an inner sect disciple, but you didn't have that fortune."

Planting an inner sect disciple was of no small use to Wan Gui Daoren.

But compared to Li Rui, he still chose to give up.

Kill to prevent all accidents.

After doing all this.

Wan Gui Daoren headed toward the direction of the spirit mine.

Tonight.

Li Rui must be refined into a human puppet!

Yu Kingdom spirit mine.

Squads of soldiers patrolled the camp.

The defense was strict.

This was the Fifth Prince's arrangement; that demonic chaos had passed for several years, and normally it should have been relaxed, but Zhu Gan became even more intense, instead becoming even more demanding and strict.

The soldiers underneath were all miserable.

But unfortunately, Zhu Gan's status was too noble, and no one dared to resist.

Inside a grand mansion.

The courtyard was pitch black.

There wasn't a single lamp.

Liu Tiezhu had been sent by Li Rui to Yuan Xiong's mansion, and in the large mansion, there was only Li Rui alone.

How could it not be desolate?

At this time.

Li Rui was sitting cross-legged on a cushion.

Meditating with his eyes closed.

At the same time.

Outside the mansion.

A man in black slowly walked toward the mansion gate.

The two guards who were originally guarding the gate and chatting and laughing, their expressions instantly became dull, as if they had lost their souls.

The man in black didn't even speak.

The two took the initiative to open the door.

Wan Gui Daoren revealed a satisfied smile; they had all been refined into human puppets, so in front of him, they naturally only had obedience left.

Just like this.

Without any obstruction, he entered the mansion.

Even the patrolling guards couldn't see a single clue.

Reaching the center of the courtyard.

Wan Gui Daoren narrowed his eyes and looked toward a room.

That was exactly Li Rui's room.

The doors and windows were tightly closed, and it was pitch black.

A ruthless look flashed in his eyes, and without a hint of hesitation, he immediately began to pinch dharma seals, operating the Evil Puppet Array and the Illusion Array.

If there were no accidents.

Li Rui today was already deeply rooted in evil.

As long as he forcibly refined him with great magic power, Li Rui would have no chance to resist.

He had long since understood.

Li Rui had only broken through to the Profound Realm for a little over a decade; at this age, he was at most at the initial stage of the Profound Realm.

And he was at the upper stage!

Not to mention he had painstakingly set up the Evil Puppet Array.

Li Rui being refined was not wronged at all.

But just as Wan Gui Daoren activated the array and prepared to refine him, he suddenly showed a look of astonishment on his face.

He was surprised to find.

Li Rui was not in the room at all.

At this time, in the room, there was only a yellow paper riddled with holes eroded by the evil aura of the Evil Puppet Array.

Substitute Talisman!

Wan Gui Daoren's pupils instantly contracted, and his face became ugly to the extreme.

At this time.

A figure sounded from behind him.

"Finished?"

"Then it's my turn."

(End of chapter)