Chapter 161: Despair

Time reversed!

The ancient elder, who had been sitting motionless in the Grand Void Temple crafting an array plate, suddenly heard a commotion outside.

He assumed it was He Pingsheng returning, and habitually did not use his spiritual sense to check.

Yet when he saw his son Wuwei enter, the old man's mouth dropped open: "You… how did you get here?"

"Good! Good, my own father!" Wuwei leapt up in fury: "Didn't you say you were going into seclusion?"

"Didn't you say after seclusion you'd go kill the two Nascent Soul experts of the Beast Taming Immortal Sect? You lied to me!"

"You lied to me!"

"Old bastard… what are you really up to?"

"Are you planning to pass the Grand Void Great Mystery Scripture to that kid surnamed He?"

The Grand Void Elder's gaze sharply contracted, revealing a murderous light in his eyes as he stared at the key to the array in Wuwei's hand: "Where did you get this array key? Where is He's boy now?"

"Don't worry!" Wuwei said. "He's perfectly fine. He sent me to find you!"

"What?"

The Grand Void Elder sensed something was wrong.

His vast spiritual sense erupted outward, sweeping over the entire Grand Void Sect.

Too late—He Pingsheng had long since activated his invisibility mode, motionless, not a single speck of spiritual power leaking out.

How could the Grand Void Elder possibly spot He Pingsheng's trail?

In utter shock, the old man stepped forward and vanished from the hall.

When he reappeared, he stood atop Xiuzhu Peak.

He knew He Pingsheng originated from Xiuzhu Peak; perhaps there, he might find some trace.

He questioned several disciples on Xiuzhu Peak, none knew where He Pingsheng had gone—except one girl who told him that early that morning, He Pingsheng's two snow phoenixes had flown southeast.

The elder did not dare delay, racing southeast without pause.

Simultaneously, his overwhelming spiritual sense surged wildly across the land.

Finally, after flying for a quarter-hour, he spotted the two snow phoenixes.

But atop them sat not He Pingsheng, but a hideous, fat corpse of a man.

The fat man, upon seeing the elder, deliberately sent a message back.

At that moment, the Grand Void Elder finally understood.

"Damn it…" he smacked his forehead: "I've been tricked by this brat… damn it all, lived a lifetime, and now at death's door, outwitted by a kid with no beard!"

"Hehehe… hehehe…"

The Grand Void Elder chuckled, then instantly teleported a myriad of zhang away.

Repeating this continuously, after a dozen teleports, he arrived back at the Grand Void Sect.

…

On the other side, He Pingsheng flew his flying vessel forward at high speed.

So fast that after one day, he had traveled tens of thousands of li.

Only when he landed at a human settlement and inquired did he learn that in this single day and night, he had already crossed the border of the Daoxuan Alliance.

He Pingsheng deeply understood the terror of a Nascent Soul elder, so he dared not stop, immediately launching his flying vessel and fleeing again.

One day!

Two days!

Three days!

Finally, after flying for over ten days and changing direction multiple times, he reached a distance he deemed safe.

Night fell!

Deep within the endless mountains, He Pingsheng dared not fly at night—should he encounter powerful beasts, he'd die without even knowing how.

Forget it!

Find a place to rest first.

Tomorrow, seek out a human settlement, inquire about the location of cultivators, then decide what to do next.

Don't be an idiot and wander into some deadly place—that'd be the end.

He Pingsheng descended from the void, casually found a cave, blocked its entrance with stones, then sat cross-legged.

After half a month of constant travel, he was utterly exhausted, yet could not sleep; in the dead of night, he pulled out his storage pouch and spilled its spirit stones onto the ground with a clatter.

A huge pile.

Tens of thousands.

These spirit stones were all he had accumulated over the years.

Of course, "accumulated" was not quite accurate—mostly they came from killing others and seizing their treasures.

He had killed Xiao Bu Fan, the Foundation Establishment cultivator Changping Daoist, Yude, Linglong, Luoyu, and others—gathering plenty of spirit stones.

"Hehehe…" He Pingsheng stared at the mountain of spirit stones, his confidence returning: "With so many resources and the Treasure Basin in hand, how could I ever lack elixirs for cultivation?"

From now on, the world is vast—I can go anywhere.

After speaking, he lay down on the pile of spirit stones and began to snore loudly.

After all, he hadn't slept for over ten days, living in constant tension—even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his spiritual sense was worn thin.

That night he dreamed: the Grand Void Elder transformed into a demon, lunging at him with a bloodied maw and fangs.

He Pingsheng jolted awake in terror.

Upon waking, he found himself still lying atop the pile of spirit stones, and finally relaxed.

But the next moment, he sensed something was wrong.

Slowly opening his eyelids, he saw the surroundings glowing brightly.

He Pingsheng snapped his eyes fully open—and found himself inside a dark, oppressive hall.

The hall flickered with dim lights; ahead on the steps sat a golden throne.

In the throne lay an ancient, dying old man.

Cold sweat poured down He Pingsheng's spine as he reached out and pinched his thigh hard—then cried out in pain.

It wasn't a dream.

The old man on the golden seat stirred, opened his eyes, and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Awake?"

He Pingsheng ignored the Grand Void Elder and reached out again, digging his nails into his thigh.

Still painfully real.

Damn it… finished… not a dream—I've been captured again.

Fled for over ten days, only to be snatched back in one night.

And I still don't even know how?

This…

He Pingsheng's gaze toward the Grand Void Elder was filled with terror.

And despair.

Even my brilliant escape plan failed—how could I ever escape again?

Finished.

"Wandering around with so many spirit stones, thinking you've earned the right to stand in the cultivation world?" The Grand Void Elder rose from his seat. "They say He Pingsheng is a kind-hearted man—but now I see you're anything but!"

"Your schemes are quite intricate!"

"First, you tricked Wuwei into distracting me, then hid yourself silently, making me believe you'd fled!"

"Then, while I was away searching for you, you ran in the opposite direction!"

"Perfect design. Perfect plan!"

"You even calculated human psychology perfectly!"

"Too bad!" The Grand Void Elder shook his head, his long eyebrows swaying before his chest. "Too bad your cultivation base is too low—if your level were higher, or if your flying artifact were more advanced, you might have actually escaped!"