Chapter 191: Returning After Departure

Li Daoye's expression turned ashen. Repressing his anger, he forced a smile. "Isn't this a bit too much? At most, you can take two, and we'll take one."

Li Xiuming smiled. "You're only at the third stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Technically speaking, you don't even qualify to accompany us. You can be considered fortunate to be even able to accompany me and my junior sister. Can you afford to be so greedy?"

Li Daoye couldn't help but curse. "Shameless!"

Li Xiuming's expression changed slightly.

In the next moment, terrifying spiritual energy surged from him. With a light palm, he sent Li Daoye flying more than ten yards away.

Li Daoye spurted out a mouthful of blood. "

Puff!

"

He lay on the ground, looking dispirited.

Li Xiuming looked at Fang Chen. "What about you?"

Fang Chen smiled. "You two can decide."

Li Xiuming nodded approvingly. "You’re quite sensible,” he said, then used his spiritual energy to pluck the three Vermilion Fruits.

Fang Chen approached Li Daoye and helped him up, lightly saying, "When you're relying on others, you should know how to read their mood. Luckily, he didn't kill you this time, but next time, he might take your life."

Li Daoye gritted his teeth. "Can you endure this, Fang Chen?!"

"It doesn’t matter whether I want to endure it or not, I

have

to endure it." Fang Chen smiled. "Let's go and catch up quickly. He has been keeping an eye on us. If we try to escape, he'll immediately make a move."

"That damn guy. He'll pay for this one day," muttered Li Daoye with resentment.

The four continued to explore the area, but after circling, apart from the three Vermilion Fruits they encountered earlier, there was not much of a harvest, not even a single spiritual stone.

During that time, Fang Chen glanced at a stone house as he passed by.

The item that Supreme Immortal Pudu asked him to retrieve was inside the stone house, and it required a specific method to open its hidden door.

"It's empty here. It seems that besides those three Vermilion Fruits, there's nothing else."

Li Xiuming stood at the entrance of the stone house, glanced inside, and shook his head slightly. "Wasted a trip for just three, one-hundred-year Vermilion Fruits. What a loss."

Li Daoye clenched his teeth in frustration when he heard that.

"Senior Brother, the map only cost us five low-grade spiritual stones. It's not a big loss," consoled Mi Sheng with a smile.

"That's true." Li Xiuming nodded slightly, then turned to Fang Chen and Li Daoye. "My junior sister and I will leave. Since you can't manipulate a sword and fly, we won't be traveling together from now on. Take care." After speaking, the two of them soared into the air and disappeared.

Seeing that scene, Li Daoye couldn't hold back his curses any longer. "Shameless scoundrels! They took advantage of us and left us stranded here!"

That ferocious flying beast had to be lurking nearby. As soon as the two left the mountain, they would undoubtedly encounter it. These two sect disciples were well aware of this, so it was clear that they were deliberately leaving them here to face death.

"Fang Chen, what should we do next? Should we wait here or...." Li Daoye looked at Fang Chen. "The door opens once every ten days. If we miss it, we'll have to wait another ten days."

"If that ferocious beast is waiting for us, we might not even be able to reach the exit," said Fang Chen with a faint smile.

Li Daoye's expression was grim. "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come in here."

It was too much of a loss. Not only did they lose the Purple Lightning Talisman, but he was also unreasonably attacked and injured. Not to mention that they might not even leave this place any time soon. This whole thing was a huge loss!

“However... I feel that this place is not simple.” Fang Chen changed the topic, his gaze landing on the stone house, a hint of a mysterious smile on his lips.

"Oh?" Li Daoye's expression changed, glancing at the stone house and then back at Fang Chen. A trace of suspicion arose in his eyes. "Lord Fang, did you discover something?"

"We’ll find out if we give it a try." Fang Chen slowly raised his hand, forming a special imprint as he circulated the spiritual energy inside of him.

The imprint fell on the stone house.

Boom!

The stone house was instantly enveloped in a brilliant golden light, and the house’s walls began crumbling down, transforming at a visible speed into a magnificent hall.

Li Daoye was dumbfounded. He never expected that the seemingly ordinary stone house had hidden treasures inside! Its previous appearance turned out to be a disguise, and it was, in fact, a grand hall!

After more than a dozen breaths, the golden light gradually dissipated.

Li Daoye's lips were dry. He subconsciously licked them. His gaze was fixed on the grand hall. "Lord Fang, there must be valuable treasures inside, right?"

Fang Chen smiled. "Go inside and take a look, and you'll know.”

It was then that a voice echoed out from behind. "Yeah. Go inside and take a look, and you'll know."

Li Daoye's hair stood on end, and he turned around abruptly.

Surprisingly, it was Li Xiuming, who was supposed to have left!

Beside him was Mi Sheng, looking at Li Xiuming with eyes full of admiration. "Senior Brother, you’ve guessed correctly. There is indeed something strange about him.”

The “him” here was definitely Fang Chen.

Li Xiuming smiled faintly. "It's simple, really. One of their companions was at the eighth stage of Qi Refining, yet even he couldn’t come here. While we, who could fly on swords, were only able to arrive here a step later than them. If you put this into consideration, you’ll naturally come to the conclusion that that kid knows his way around here."

He eyed Fang Chen with a smile. "Did I guess correctly?"

"Couldn’t we have just been lucky? " asked Fang Chen.

Li Daoye's expression was strange. Now that he thought about it as well, it did seem like Fang Chen was familiar with the route. There were several crises along the way that seemed to have been avoided by Fang Chen's timely detection and detours.

Li Xiuming lightly said, "In the world of cultivation, there is no such thing as luck. Every event has its cause. This hall was concealed by a special art. Even though I couldn't see any clues, you can accurately find them and know how to lift the restrictions. It confirms my speculation. So, tell me, what is your relationship with the owner of this place?"

"Sigh." Fang Chen sighed softly. "Since you have already guessed, I won't hide it. The owner of this place was a senior in my sect. He passed away not long ago and intentionally left some things for me."

A trace of wariness flashed in Li Xiuming's eyes before he smiled. "A senior in your sect? If that was true, then there ought to have been a cultivator at least in the Foundation Building Realm sent here with you. Since you don't want to speak the truth, then so be it. You two can go in first, and my junior sister and I will follow behind you. If there is any danger, we can cover for you."

Li Daoye was already cursing Li Xiuming in his heart. The other party was using them to test if there were any traps in this place!

Fang Chen pointed to Li Daoye. "He is already injured. If there is any danger, he won't be able to handle it. I'll go ahead and explore, and he can stay outside to guard the entrance."

"Lord Fang..." Li Daoye was stunned, and his eyes suddenly turned red-rimmed. His father had said that cultivators were all selfish, which now seemed like utter nonsense! Fang Chen was not selfish at all!

After some consideration, Li Xiuming nodded slightly. "That's fine."

"Stay outside. If there is any movement, escape on your own. Your cultivation level is too low, and staying here won't be of much use," instructed Fang Chen directly to Li Daoyie before stepping into the grand hall.

Li Xiuming and Mi Sheng exchanged a glance and then followed slowly.