Chapter 1606: Where Are My Things?

"What is this?"

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge focused their gazes on the blurry light-and-shadow image sketched out by Li Li Lingjing using phase force. The former hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to ask.

The thing vaguely looked like a strange butterfly, but not exactly the same, and because it was too blurry, they couldn't even make out its exact type.

Li Li Lingjing pondered briefly and said, "The information I've found is too sparse, but judging from a few clues, I suspect this thing might be a phase nature that the 'Pill Saint' once possessed."

"A butterfly-type phase nature."

"I think you might be able to mobilize the forces of the South Region's Wang Ting, search for everyone who possesses a butterfly phase, and then threaten them with death to see if it triggers any unusual reaction."

Hearing Li Li Lingjing's such extreme suggestion, Li Luo could only let out a dry laugh. Good lord, Cousin Li Lingjing's thinking was already getting dangerously close to that of an aberration.

"Her proposal isn't entirely without feasibility. We can ask the Eldest Princess for help, first search for those who possess a butterfly phase, and then test them one by one." Jiang Jiang Qinge thought it over and said.

Of course, Li Li Lingjing's suggestion of directly threatening them with life and death was dismissed. After all, if they really went too far, what would they do if the Pill Saint actually showed up and regarded them as enemies?

Were they supposed to go up against a Li Tianwang who had survived from ancient times?

Li Luo nodded and said, "Anyway, we have no other leads, so we can only try this for now. But the immediate priority is still to clear the Calamity first and deal with the Eight-Headed Dark Demon King so we have no worries left behind."

Only by restoring Great Xia to peace and unifying it could they devote themselves fully to searching for traces of the Pill Saint.

Jiang Jiang Qinge agreed as well. The Eight-Headed Dark Demon King was always a source of sleepless anxiety. If this peak Three-Crowned King-level being successfully descended, the entire Great Xia would be shrouded in its terrifying demonic might.

"In one day, Great Xia's South Region will launch a counterattack, charging straight at the former Great Xia capital city. I hope everything will be in time." Li Luo said in a deep voice.

Now that the Fox Charm King had been slain and suppressed by Li Luo, only the Three Evil Kings remained in this Calamity. Judging from the overall strength, they were already ahead, so they had to press the attack while the momentum was theirs, not giving the enemy too much breathing room.

"The Guiyi Hui won't let you resolve this Calamity so easily. They will surely interfere. But the others aren't worth fearing. Only the three of us who have refined and absorbed the 'Extremely Evil Seed' — myself, Shen Shen Jinxiao, and the Golden Armor man — pose a threat to you." Li Li Lingjing said calmly.

"Extremely Evil Seed? What is that?" Jiang Jiang Qinge asked, her willow brows slightly furrowed.

"You can think of it as a different sort of bizarre Holy Seed, except the side effects are greater. Once it backlashes, the Evil Seed will drain you into a pile of dry bones, and all your phase force and phase natures will become its nourishment."

Li Luo was somewhat shaken. This so-called "Extremely Evil Seed" was actually comparable to a Holy Seed? He knew very well how precious Holy Seeds were. Even the great Li Tianwang lineages only had one each, yet this Guiyi Hui could mass-produce them?

Were the foundations of this Guiyi Hui really that terrifying?

"After we absorbed the Extremely Evil Seed, our strength has reached the Pseudo King realm. If we combine our power with the help of the Evil Seed, we can even contend against a One-Crowned King." Li Li Lingjing said, selling out all the important intelligence from her side without the slightest psychological burden.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge exchanged a glance, their gazes turning slightly solemn. It was fortunate that Li Li Lingjing had delivered such intelligence. Otherwise, once the great battle began and Shen Shen Jinxiao lay in ambush to launch a sudden attack on them, it might have changed the course of the entire war.

"When the time comes, I'll help you kill Shen Shen Jinxiao and the Golden Armor man, but after they die, give me the Extremely Evil Seeds inside their bodies." Li Li Lingjing said calmly.

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Qinge couldn't help but press her red lips together slightly, looking at Li Li Lingjing with a rather peculiar gaze. Although she had long known that her relationship with Li Luo was very special, had it really gotten to the point where she could sell out her companions without hesitation for Li Luo's sake?

This relationship couldn't even be described as intimate anymore.

Yet oddly enough, it had absolutely nothing to do with intimacy either.

Li Luo, however, frowned upon hearing this and said, "Doing this won't arouse suspicion about you, Cousin Li Lingjing, within the Guiyi Hui, will it? This isn't good for you."

The Guiyi Hui was such a terrifyingly strict and airtight ancient organization that even the Academy Alliance had been driven frantic by them. Could Li Li Lingjing really hide this from the eyes of those Li Tianwang-level beings?

"It's fine. When the time comes, you can just beat me up and inflict serious injuries on me too. And you don't need to overestimate the rules within the Guiyi Hui. If I can successfully devour the Extremely Evil Seeds of those two, those Li Tianwang might value me even more. At worst, they'll just have me go kill one or two King-level powerhouses from the Academy Alliance to comfort the souls of Shen Shen Jinxiao and the other." Li Li Lingjing said calmly.

Li Luo opened his mouth, then closed it. It seemed that when it came to matters that had nothing to do with him, Li Li Lingjing's behavior was completely in line with the Guiyi Hui's style of doing things — bizarre and utterly ruthless, and could even exceed it.

"We'll talk about it when the time comes." Li Luo could only heave a sigh.

"Then I'll be going." Li Li Lingjing said.

Li Luo hurriedly said, "Cousin Li Lingjing, be very careful over there. If you really can't bear it anymore, come find me. I'll do everything I can to help you!"

Li Luo's face was reflected in Li Li Lingjing's eyes. She seemed to smile — a rare occurrence — and her voice grew much softer: "Li Luo, you staying alive well is the greatest help you can give me."

Her figure retreated backward, merging into the shadows. Space twisted, swallowing her figure completely.

A cold, sinister ripple quietly vanished.

Li Luo stared at Li Li Lingjing's disappearing figure and sighed wistfully. He didn't know how much further Li Li Lingjing could walk down this road leading into darkness, but if she kept walking like this, Li Luo worried she would eventually lose herself.

Would the Li Li Lingjing at that point still be the Li Li Lingjing he knew?

"She's using herself as bait, embodying the darkness, and you are the one point of redemption and hope deep in her heart. She relies on that single bit of light to guard her last shred of clarity. So just as she said, as long as you stay alive and well, she won't be eroded by the darkness and turn into a complete monster." Jiang Jiang Qinge, who was holding Li Luo's hand at his side, comforted him.

Li Luo nodded lightly, then gathered his thoughts and said to Jiang Jiang Qinge with a leering smile, "Sister Qing'e, the night is deep. Let's rest too!"

Jiang Jiang Qinge, however, gave him a look and said irritably, "Not in the mood anymore. I'm going to cultivate."

With that, she turned around and headed straight for the cultivation room.

Staring at her graceful, slender back, Li Luo couldn't help but thump his chest in frustration. Cousin Li Lingjing, you really picked the worst possible moment to show up. Can't you hide a little better next time?

The frustrated Li Luo could only leave the pavilion and wander around the old residence.

Then he spotted Bai Bai Mengmeng, carrying a jade box, dressed in a white gown, her big dewy eyes seeming as if they could speak, heading toward the Spiritual Water Marvelous Light Room.

The moment Li Luo's gaze fell on Bai Bai Mengmeng, he seemed to suddenly remember something. He immediately took a step forward, his figure appearing in front of Bai Bai Mengmeng like a ghost.

Bai Bai Mengmeng in the corridor was also startled by Li Luo's sudden appearance. Her utterly pure little face first went pale, and only after recognizing it was Li Luo did she pout in mild annoyance, baring her little white teeth in a cute, fierce way.

"Bai Mengmeng, your phase nature — if I remember right, it's a butterfly phase?"

Li Luo stared at Bai Bai Mengmeng with an unusual look in his eyes and suddenly asked.

Bai Bai Mengmeng was startled, then nodded and said, "Yes, it's the Water Nightmare Butterfly phase. It's already at lower eighth grade now, much improved from when we first met."

Li Luo narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze sizing up the pure, delicate girl before him — slightly petite, but grown into a graceful and lovely young lady.

"Captain, what are you trying to do?"

Seeing the look in Li Luo's eyes, Bai Bai Mengmeng's little face turned slightly red, and she took a small step back while hugging the jade box containing the Spiritual Water Marvelous Light.

Li Luo's expression turned serious as he extended his palm.

"Hand over the Ten Thousand Phase Golden Core."

Bai Bai Mengmeng was stunned. She reached into her bosom and fumbled around, finally pulling out a golden bead with a rough, mottled, utterly wretched-looking surface, and placed it in Li Luo's hand.

"Here you go."

Li Luo was also stunned. He stared wide-eyed at the mottled, dim golden bead in his hand, which didn't even have the slightest ripple of energy, and couldn't help but say, "What is this?"

"I don't know." Bai Bai Mengmeng said, her face a picture of innocent, pure bewilderment, utterly enchanting.

Li Luo said irritably, "What nonsense."

He wanted to toss it aside casually, but since it had been pulled from the other's embrace after all, he simply tucked it away.

Bai Bai Mengmeng, on the other hand, adorably puffed out her cheeks and said righteously, "Isn't it because the captain said something incomprehensible first?"

Li Luo irritably reached out, pinched her cheek, gave it a hard tug, then muttered something under his breath and turned to leave.

Bai Bai Mengmeng rubbed her pinched-red cheek, watched Li Luo's retreating back, and said angrily, "What a rude captain."

Then she too headed toward the workshop where she usually researched Spirit Water Odd Light, a place that belonged solely to her—no one in the entire House Luolan House would come to disturb her there.

Bai Bai Mengmeng stood before the worktable and began flipping through the high-grade Spirit Water Odd Light recipes Li Luo had brought back for her from Inner Shenzhou. She gradually immersed herself, and her originally dewy, sparkling big eyes slowly grew oddly vacant, a strange luster gathering deep within her pupils.

A very special emotion of focus welled up from within.

At this moment, Bai Bai Mengmeng had once again entered that peculiar state. In this state, the efficiency of her deduction of Spirit Water Odd Light recipes would reach a terrifying level.

From a certain angle, it was somewhat similar to Jiang Qing'e's "Divine Sense" state, but its effect was applied to the research of Spirit Water Odd Light.

No one knew how long this state lasted. Suddenly, Bai Bai Mengmeng reached into her embrace and fumbled around, but couldn't pull anything out. So in her vacant, focused big eyes, a trace of strange bewilderment seemed to surface.

A faint, low voice echoed through the empty workshop.

"Where are my things?"