Chapter 659: Sharing Spirit Objects, Heading to Nanzhou (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Currently, the two of them had not yet completely shaken off the danger, and Li Xuanyi remaining in a coma was truly a source of immense worry for Song Qingming. Now that he saw the other party finally waking up, the pressure in Song Qingming's heart eased significantly.

Li Xuanyi opened her large eyes, first observing the surrounding environment, before asking Song Qingming in a somewhat weak voice: "Fellow Daoist Song, how long have I been unconscious?"

"Counting today, it should be seventeen days. Rest assured, we have already escaped the Demon Sealing Valley. This is the territory of the Cloud Water Sect in northern Qingzhou; the people from the Heaven Puppet Sect shouldn't be able to find us here in the short term."

Just as Song Qingming finished answering, seeing Li Xuanyi bracing herself against the bed to sit up, he hurriedly reached out to help. Unexpectedly, Li Xuanyi waved her hand at him with a smile, insisting on sitting up by herself.

Afterward, Li Xuanyi began attempting to circulate the magic power within her body. As a result, the moment she mobilized her internal power, her face turned pale, and she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, nearly collapsing again.

Seeing this, Song Qingming hurriedly stepped forward to support her, softly advising: "Fairy Li, your internal injuries have not yet recovered; you must not be in such a hurry to use your magic power!"

"I have yet to thank Fellow Daoist Song for your care over these many days; Xuanyi has been impolite!" After wiping a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth, Li Xuanyi gave a bitter smile and bowed slightly to Song Qingming.

"You and I have shared adversity; Fellow Daoist, please do not be so formal. To tell you the truth, if not for your strike that killed Duan Longshan, I, Song, would likely have found it very difficult to escape from the Heaven Puppet Sect that day. This debt of gratitude is one I should also remember."

"Furthermore, I had already promised you previously that I would return this item to you personally. If I didn't wait for you to wake up, wouldn't I be breaking my word?"

After Song Qingming finished speaking, a flash of spiritual light moved in his hand, and he took out the jade pendant Li Xuanyi had personally entrusted to him earlier, placing it into her hands.

Seeing this square jade pendant, a trace of joy immediately appeared on Li Xuanyi's face, and she carefully put it away.

"Fairy Li, forgive my presumption in asking, but when you killed Duan Longshan earlier, what kind of divine ability did you use to possess such great power, capable of killing a peak Jin Dan cultivator in one strike?"

"I, Song, truly do not understand. Since you possessed such a powerful divine ability, why had you never used it before? Could you perhaps enlighten me on this matter?"

Seeing Song Qingming looking at her with curiosity, Li Xuanyi smiled and waved her hand slightly: "Fellow Daoist Song has misunderstood me. How could a young woman like me possess such great ability to kill a peak Jin Dan cultivator?"

"The method I used earlier was merely a secret technique my Master left upon me. Once activated, it can unleash the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Even a peak Jin Dan cultivator, if hit head-on, would inevitably perish."

"That Duan Longshan knew I was severely injured and underestimated me for a moment, which is why he was caught off guard, allowing me to seize the opportunity to use the secret technique and kill him in one strike."

"The reason I could not use it before is that once this secret technique is unleashed, it requires the consumption of a vast amount of magic power. If I failed to kill the opponent in one strike, I would have fallen into a perilous situation."

"Previously, when Duan Longshan was fighting me, he remained on guard. Under those circumstances, I did not have much certainty, and thus could not make a move."

"Capable of unleashing the full-strength strike of a Nascent Soul cultivator... could Fairy Li's Master also be a Nascent Soul senior?" Upon hearing Li Xuanyi's explanation, a trace of awe appeared in Song Qingming's eyes as he looked at her.

To be able to place a method on someone else that could easily kill a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator—Song Qingming could guess without much thought that her Master was certainly at least a Nascent Soul cultivator with vast divine abilities.

Hearing Song Qingming's inquiry, Li Xuanyi did not answer directly, but merely nodded at him with a smile, acknowledging Song Qingming's guess.

What Li Xuanyi said was actually quite similar to what Song Qingming had guessed over these past few days. At the time, after seeing her kill Duan Longshan in one strike, she had immediately fallen into a coma due to the massive loss of magic power in a short time.

Song Qingming also knew that the reason she was like this was certainly the result of forcibly using a secret technique, leading to a backlash of internal energy. He had just been unclear about what powerful secret technique she had used, which kept him curious.

In the cultivation world, it is not a rare occurrence for some high-tier cultivators to leave powerful secret techniques on their junior disciples who are still low in cultivation, as a precaution in case they encounter danger while out.

However, using such a method is a rather troublesome affair. Song Qingming had been in the Core Formation stage for many years, and he had only ever left one relatively low-tier protective method for Song Yuanhao.

After clarifying this matter, Song Qingming took out another storage bag from his person and placed it before Li Xuanyi.

"Fairy Li, inside here are the spirit objects I found on Duan Longshan. Some were already exchanged for spirit stones to purchase elixirs for your healing; the rest are all here."

"Although I was the one who retrieved this storage bag, you were the one who killed Duan Longshan after all. How about we simply split the contents inside equally? What do you think?"

Seeing the storage bag in Song Qingming's hand, Li Xuanyi was slightly surprised, and a look of appreciation could not help but appear in her eyes as she looked at him.

After killing Duan Longshan that day, Li Xuanyi had quickly fallen unconscious and had no idea what happened afterward. If Song Qingming hadn't taken the initiative to speak, she would have had no way of knowing that Duan Longshan's storage artifact had fallen into his hands.

In such a critical situation, it would have been perfectly reasonable and plausible for Song Qingming to make up a random excuse or simply say he was in such a rush to escape that he forgot about it.

The reason Song Qingming was so open-minded and willing to take out the spirit objects from Duan Longshan to share with Li Xuanyi was that he truly wanted to accept her as a friend.

Having cultivated for so many years, although Song Qingming was no saint, he was willing to be loyal and true to every friend who had treated him with sincerity.

Li Xuanyi had risked her life to kill Duan Longshan that day, which meant she had already entrusted her life and safety to Song Qingming. This was something Song Qingming could not shirk regardless.

Facing someone like Li Xuanyi who had already placed unconditional trust in him, Song Qingming naturally did not want to secretly take advantage of her. After all, when it came down to it, Duan Longshan had died by her hand.

Although Duan Longshan had many spirit objects, none were items Song Qingming was in dire need of. Between a pile of spirit stones and a friend who treated him with sincerity, Song Qingming still felt the latter was more important.

Seeing that Song Qingming was prepared to pour out the spirit objects from the storage bag to split them with her, Li Xuanyi hesitated for a moment before speaking to stop him.

"Fellow Daoist Song, I don't think it's necessary to split the things inside. This young woman has one more request. If you are willing to agree, then consider these items as a reward for you!"

"Fairy Li, there is no need to be so formal. Tell me what it is first; as long as it is within my power, I will certainly do my best!" Seeing this, Song Qingming stopped his spell-casting and responded with a smile.

A bitter smile appeared on Li Xuanyi's face: "Fellow Daoist Song also knows that my injuries are currently so severe; I fear it will take a year or two of recuperation to fully recover."

"The date I agreed with my family to return from my travels is approaching. I would like to ask you to help escort me back to Nanzhou. I wonder if you would be willing to do me this favor?"

"Escort you to Nanzhou... this, very well! I agree to escort you back. However, just for escorting you back, to receive all these spirit objects for nothing would be taking too much advantage of you."

"How about this! The spirit stones inside will all belong to you, and I will take the other spirit objects. This would be fairer for both of us. Fairy Li, what do you think?" Hearing that she wanted him to escort her home, Song Qingming thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Mm! Then I shall listen to Fellow Daoist Song; this young woman will not decline your kindness." Seeing Song Qingming agree to escort her back, a relaxed smile immediately appeared on Li Xuanyi's face.

With her injuries currently so severe, she could barely take care of herself alone here, let alone cross the vast majority of the "Donghuang Kingdom" cultivation world to return to Nanzhou.

If she were to encounter danger on the road through carelessness, or be tracked by people from the "Heaven Puppet Sect," she would likely be unable to handle even a formidable Foundation Establishment cultivator, leaving her at the mercy of others.

Currently, severely injured and without support here, it was truly difficult for her to trust others lightly. It was precisely for this reason that Li Xuanyi placed her hope in Song Qingming.

After all, through their contact over the ten-plus days since they had fallen into misfortune, she had already absolutely trusted Song Qingming's character. Otherwise, she would not have made the decision to entrust her safety to him during the subsequent pursuit and risked activating the secret technique to kill Duan Longshan.

As for why Song Qingming agreed so decisively, besides being unable to rest easy about Li Xuanyi returning alone, another reason was that among the remaining three places he needed to visit, one happened to be within Nanzhou.

In any case, bringing Li Xuanyi along for the journey would at most slow him down by a few months, which would not have much of an impact on his plan to find those two places.

Seeing Li Xuanyi agree to his proposal, Song Qingming smiled knowingly, took out over fifty thousand spirit stones from the storage bag in his hand, and after placing them into a different storage bag, handed it to her.

Seeing Song Qingming scrape together so many spirit stones from Duan Longshan, Li Xuanyi was also somewhat surprised. A trace of joy could not help but appear on her still-pale face, and her entire state immediately recovered quite a bit.

Just as Li Xuanyi was happily counting the spirit stones in the storage bag, a knock suddenly came from outside the door, interrupting the two who were talking.

Seeing this, Song Qingming hurriedly turned and walked to the door, carefully opening it to find that it was the restaurant waiter he had met downstairs just moments ago.

"Guest, our shopkeeper has already calculated your room bill. Are you checking out now?" "Oh! My apologies, I suddenly remembered I have some matters yet to attend to and need to stay here for two more days. Please trouble yourself to tell the shopkeeper."

Seeing that the waiter was here to urge him to check out, Song Qingming felt a bit awkward and shook his head at the other party, indicating he would stay for a few more days, and sent the waiter away.

According to Song Qingming's plan, he was originally supposed to leave today. However, now that Li Xuanyi had just woken up and was still somewhat weak, Song Qingming thought it over and decided to leave this place in two days.

"Fellow Daoist Song, although I cannot mobilize my magic power yet, I am already out of danger. If you are in a hurry, it is fine for us to leave now!"

Sitting on the bed, Li Xuanyi saw Song Qingming close the door and walk back, and immediately asked him, clearly having heard his conversation with the waiter just now.

Seeing this, Song Qingming hurriedly waved his hand at her with a smile: "Fairy Li, rest assured! This place is already tens of thousands of miles away from the Heaven Puppet Sect's territory. They certainly won't be able to find us here in the short term. It won't hurt to stay a few more days."

"Mm! Then Xuan Yi will listen to Fellow Daoist Song."

"."

After the two sat where they were and chatted for a few more sentences, Song Qingming suddenly remembered an incident that had occurred to Li Xuanyi earlier, so he pretended to be somewhat curious and asked, "Fairy Xuan Yi, just before you woke up earlier, a protective armor formed by green spiritual light suddenly appeared on your body, which was quite profound. May I be so bold as to ask, is this the cultivation technique you practice?"

Hearing Song Qingming mention the green spiritual light armor that had appeared on her, Li Xuanyi was slightly stunned at first, before she reacted and replied with a smile on her face:

"Fellow Daoist Song guessed correctly. This technique is a secret art passed down to me by my Master. However, my learning is not refined, and I have yet to cultivate it to completion, which is why I had not used it in front of you before. I did not expect that Fellow Daoist Song's cultivation base is so profound that you would actually be interested in this technique."

After Li Xuanyi finished speaking, the spiritual light in her hand moved slightly, and she gathered a cluster of the green spiritual light that had appeared on her body earlier in front of her, subsequently transforming it into a small, cyan-green flying sword.

Seeing this cyan-green spiritual light appear again, Song Qingming's gaze was instantly and firmly attracted to it, but the expression on his face did not change much, and he still tried his best to maintain a plain look.

After a good while, Li Xuanyi dispersed the cyan-green flying sword in front of her, transforming it back into a strand of spiritual power to be retracted into her own body.

Only then did she slowly say: "I am truly sorry. I have already taken an oath before my Master that I cannot teach this set of techniques to others without his permission.

If Fellow Daoist Song is truly interested, after we return to Nanzhou, you can come with me to see his elderly self; perhaps he might agree to teach the technique to you."

Song Qingming, who was still deep in thought, heard Li Xuanyi's words and hurriedly shook his head slightly, saying:

"Fairy Li is overthinking it. I have merely seen similar techniques before, which is why I was curious for a moment. I do not have any intention of coveting this secret art of yours. I hope Fairy will not misunderstand me."

The reason Song Qingming was somewhat curious about this secret art of Li Xuanyi's was that he saw the protective armor formed by the green spiritual light that automatically appeared on her body before she woke up, which was very similar to a secret art called "Mysterious Light Armor" within the "Jade Profound Scripture" that he himself had practiced. This was why he had mistakenly thought for a moment that the other party had also practiced the "Jade Profound Scripture."

However, having just seen Li Xuanyi use that cyan-green spiritual light within her body again, Song Qingming observed it carefully and discovered many differences within it, which confirmed that he should have been mistaken.

Unlike the "Jade Profound Scripture" that Song Qingming practiced, although the appearance of this secret art Li Xuanyi practiced looked seventy or eighty percent similar, after it was used, Song Qingming could clearly feel that other attributes of techniques were mixed into this spiritual light.

Even the color of the spiritual light would change as the form changed, sometimes deeper and sometimes lighter, which was also very obviously different from the "Jade Profound Scripture" that Song Qingming had practiced for many years.

Although Song Qingming already regarded Li Xuanyi as a friend, the secret regarding the "Jade Profound Scripture" on his body had always been regarded by him as being as important as his own life and family assets.

Except for Huang Siyuan and Song Qingyu, who had supported each other with him for nearly two hundred years, Song Qingming had never revealed anything about the "Jade Profound Scripture" on his body to anyone for so many years.

Therefore, Song Qingming had just pondered for a moment and still did not take the initiative to show Li Xuanyi the Mysterious Light Armor on his own body, only using the excuse that he had seen similar techniques before.

Regarding this, Li Xuanyi also nodded slightly and said: "The cultivation world is so vast that there are countless techniques similar to each other. It is not a strange thing for Fellow Daoist Song to have seen similar techniques."

"Fairy Li, these are some healing elixirs I helped you buy over the past two days, all paid for with the spirit stones from Duan Longshan's body. You should keep them first.

See what other elixirs you need and tell me. While we haven't left yet, I will go out and help you buy some more, so as to save you the trouble of finding them on the road after we leave this place."

After explaining this matter to Li Xuanyi, Song Qingming immediately changed the subject and took out several bottles of healing elixirs from his storage bag and handed them to her.

Now that Li Xuanyi had already woken up, she no longer needed Song Qingming to help her cast spells at all times; she could refine the elixirs herself, which would allow her to heal the injuries on her body faster.

"Mm! Then I will trouble Fellow Daoist Song!" After Li Xuanyi took these elixirs and glanced at them, she hurriedly nodded and smiled slightly, expressing her gratitude to Song Qingming.

Subsequently, she took out a piece of white paper, wrote down several types of healing elixirs on it, and handed it to Song Qingming.

After Song Qingming left with the note she had written, Li Xuanyi, sitting in the room, recalled in her mind the matter of Song Qingming asking her about her technique earlier, and she could not help but reveal a trace of doubt on her face.

"How could he have just happened to have seen a similar technique?" — Three days later, a white escape light flew over a small mountain in the northern part of Qingzhou.

Song Qingming, who was standing on the "Phantom Boat" and controlling the flying boat with all his might, had by now transformed into the appearance of a strange middle-aged man, while Li Xuanyi, who was sitting behind him, had now restored her original female attire, and the clothing on her body had also been changed into a black plain long dress.

After staying in the market for two more days, seeing that the injuries on Li Xuanyi's body had gradually improved, Song Qingming did not delay any further, took her with him, and left this market, preparing to send her back to Nanzhou first.

Nanzhou is located at the southernmost end of the "Donghuang Kingdom" cultivation world, and its area ranks second among the thirteen states of Donghuang Kingdom, even larger than Ningzhou, which Song Qingming had visited.

Because it is adjacent to the "Star Fall Sea" and occasionally suffers from the harassment of sea demon beasts, Nanzhou is relatively more chaotic than other places in the middle of the "Donghuang Kingdom" cultivation world, and it is not as peaceful as places like Ningzhou in the interior.

Originally, Song Qingming had also planned to go to Nanzhou last, but because of a fortuitous coincidence, he took on the task of escorting Li Xuanyi, so he could only temporarily change his own plan.

After leaving that market, Song Qingming did not go directly south nearby, but first detoured a long distance from the east before he began to turn the flying boat and head straight south.

Li Xuanyi, who had already become accustomed to Song Qingming's cautious way of doing things, naturally did not raise any objections to this. The two had only recently formed a life-and-death feud with the people of the "Heavenly Puppet Sect," and at this moment, they also had to be a little careful.

Fortunately, the two of them, who were nervous all the way, did not encounter any trouble, and in less than two months, they successfully passed through the entire Qingzhou, which also made Song Qingming and the other somewhat surprised. It seemed that the people of the "Heavenly Puppet Sect" had not sent cultivators out to search for their tracks this time.

It was just that Song Qingming and the others did not know that the "Heavenly Puppet Sect" not only did not pursue this matter and send people to track them everywhere, but even the news of Duan Longshan's death was directly blocked by them, and they directly and forcibly suppressed this matter.

Although Duan Longshan and the others were Jin Dan Elders in the "Heavenly Puppet Sect," the other Jin Dan cultivators in the sect, and even the two Nascent Soul Supreme Elders, were unaware of what happened in the "Demon Sealing Valley."

The matter of going to track Song Qingming and the others to snatch the "Flame Spirit Water" and the secret recipe in Li Xuanyi's hands was entirely a decision made by Duan Longshan and the others themselves, who were eager for merit and acted behind the sect's back.

After Duan Longshan died that day, although Chen Zifeng escaped back, he could not explain the matter clearly for a while, and being frightened and somewhat panicked, he simply described Li Xuanyi as a strange Nascent Soul cultivator.

Learning that the sect's elder had killed someone to seize a treasure and had actually encountered the intervention of a Nascent Soul cultivator, the people of the "Heavenly Puppet Sect," although they had the heart to avenge Duan Longshan, knew they were in the wrong and did not dare to make the matter public for a while.

The two sect Supreme Elders were even more furious because of this, and they punished Chen Zifeng and several others, including Liang Daosheng, who had participated in the "Demon Sealing Valley" operation, to go into seclusion and reflect on their mistakes.

The reason the "Heavenly Puppet Sect" was like this was not that they really felt that Duan Longshan and the others had done something wrong, but because this matter involved a Nascent Soul cultivator, and they did not want to form too deep a grudge with a strange Nascent Soul cultivator because of such a matter where they were in the wrong.

Of course, Song Qingming and the other, who were already far away from the "Heavenly Puppet Sect," naturally did not know about these things. For them, being able to escape from Qingzhou safe and sound could already be considered the greatest of fortunes in misfortune.

After being far away from the danger of the "Heavenly Puppet Sect," Song Qingming slowly set his mind at ease and lowered the speed of the flying boat under his feet.

Next, although there was still a long way to go before reaching Nanzhou, fortunately, they did not need to worry about potential dangers at all times, nor did they need to hide during the day and travel at night to avoid those markets where cultivators gathered. (End of chapter)