Chapter 455: Hidden Agendas! Gray-Robed Elder! Middle-Aged Dead-Faced Man! Cuihua Guards the Mountain Gate!

Many cultivators whispered and speculated among themselves. Those who had witnessed Li Yanchu suppress the Arhat and taotie manifestations within the Blissful Land now immediately gave up the idea of seizing the Blood-Qi Pill.

They didn’t even dare to snatch it inside, and now that they were out, it was not like they had been drinking to the point of clouding their judgement. To go snatch the young Daoist’s Blood-Qi Pill, wouldn’t they be seeking death?

Still, the dense life essence naturally drew some envy and fear. Some of the elder monsters had never seen Li Yanchu before, yet the sheer potency of this life essence was enough to make them desperate. For longevity, for defying heaven, these beings were willing to pay unimaginable costs. Especially the older monsters knew well that consuming such a pill could cause unexpected consequences, so caution was mandatory.

Perhaps the body would explode, and then the person consuming the pill could be eaten, their bones boiled into soup, or even refined into a human pill with miraculous effects.

At this time, several streaks of light flew toward the mountains of Wei City.

Li Yanchu’s choice to enter the mountains had a strategic effect, for example, delaying others who might try to intervene... and also a positive effect: it kept ordinary people away. Otherwise, a magical duel could easily cause casualties.

Inside the cave, Li Yanchu slowly opened his eyes. His blood and qi surged abundantly, enveloping his entire body. The sight was imposing, visually striking.

Simply put, it resembled a Super Saiyan[1] transformation, except his hair hadn’t changed... As the Blood-Qi Pill was absorbed, his aura continued to climb.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The powerful beats of Li Yanchu’s heart reverberated like deafening thunder, echoing through the vast, deep cave. A surge of yang blood qi spread explosively, heating the air intensely and causing waves of scorching heat to ripple outward.

Cuihua, guarding the cave entrance, froze in alarm, her fur puffing up. “What’s happening?!”

Her first thought was that Li Yanchu might be in trouble. She tried to approach using a teleportation technique, but was driven back by the overwhelming yang blood qi.

Cuihua was stunned.

Such a violent aura!?

“I’m fine. Guard the cave entrance, don’t let anyone disturb me!” Li Yanchu’s calm and steady voice echoed from within the cave.

Hearing this, Cuihua confirmed that he was safe and turned to leave, taking her position at the cave entrance.

Li Yanchu had a premonition that after the Blood-Qi Pill was fully absorbed, his physique would reach a terrifying new level. This process absolutely could not be interrupted, or the pill’s effect might be compromised.

***

An elderly gray-robed man, his face lined with deep age spots, disregarded the depletion of his internal cultivation and spent a drop of his own vital blood, all to arrive early at the source of this dense life essence. His movements were paradoxically slow yet fast at the same time.

With each step spanning seven or eight zhang, his aura exploded, and soon he stood before the mountain cave.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The ferocious beats of Li Yanchu’s heart, combined with the dense life essence saturating the air, made the near-death elder’s eyes light up, and a flash of clarity shone through his murky eyes.

He was extremely old. If it weren’t for using secret techniques to feign death and sleep inside the coffin, he might have long since exhausted his lifespan and died.

To sustain himself, he had devoured several young people, a practice widely whispered about in this circle as a longevity secret. Ten years ago, he could no longer resist and broke his moral boundaries, and he embarked on the path of consuming humans to extend his life. Combined with the special coffin that kept him in a deathlike state, he had masked himself from heavenly observation, barely surviving to this day.

However, after entering the Blissful Land, he had found nothing and was forcibly expelled. This time, the gray-robed elder swore he would not miss the opportunity. He had to obtain this intensely potent life essence!

Compared to before, the elder’s age spots had grown deeper, and decay spots had begun appearing on his arms. By now, this body was extremely rotten. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he produced from his bosom a coffin nail, a length of hemp rope, and a jar of century-old corpse oil. Resolutely, he approached the cave, intending to use these dark implements to suppress the cultivator inside and seize the divine item.

Suddenly, the gray-robed elder stopped in his tracks, as an orange cat was staring at him coldly at the cave entrance.

“Where did this beast come from?! Get out of my way!” The gray-robed elder’s hoarse voice was grating and sharp.

He waved his hand, and a stench-laden, malevolent wind surged toward the orange cat.

Hiss!

The orange cat swiped its claws, and three sharp qi blades tore through the dark wind and struck the elder squarely in the chest.

Crack!

A heart-guard mirror on the elder’s chest cracked, and he looked down in disbelief. This mirror had been excavated from the tomb of a founding duke, and he never imagined a mere cat could shatter it!

Surging with energy, the elder slammed out a palm. But the orange cat swiped again, and the qi blades collided with the palm force!

Bang!

The collision exploded, shattering both the wind and blades. The gray-robed elder staggered, his face dark and dripping with sweat. He had hoped to extend his life and seize the divine artifact, yet before he could confront the rightful owner, he was stopped by a single orange cat?!

“You little beast! Today I’ll tear you to pieces!” the elder roared.

Just then, the peculiar hemp rope in his hand seemed to come alive, slithering out to ensnare Cuihua. The rope exuded a thick aura of death, clearly once used for hanging, and not just one victim.

Seeing this, Cuihua swiped her claws, clashing with the gray-robed elder as her sharp qi blades flashed relentlessly. Her speed was immense, so much so that none of the elder’s ancient, deadly attacks could touch her.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man with a corpse-like face and his hands hidden in his sleeves avoided the struggle between the cat and the elder, rushing toward the cave’s interior at incredible speed.

But Cuihua was faster! A residual afterimage appeared before growing instantly, and she manifested a massive body, like a sentient divine beast. Her enormous form blocked the entire cave entrance as a fierce aura radiated from her body.

With that, the middle-aged man with the corpse-like face was forced to halt. Cuihua’s cold gaze locked onto him, sending a wave of unease through his mind.

“Old Mo, this cat isn’t ordinary. Should we join forces to kill it? Otherwise, we won’t be able to enter this cave!” the middle-aged man said grimly.

“All right!” The gray-robed elder, known as Old Mo, nodded.

Thus, these two merciless killers unleashed their abilities, confronting Cuihua together.

Cuihua felt a twinge of surprise, as these two were extremely powerful! She had increased her cultivation while at Qingyun Temple, and she could hold her own against one of them, but against both, she was clearly outmatched, especially now, as she had to prevent them from entering the cave.

After all, cats were not naturally resilient or highly defensive creatures.

1. Super Saiyan is a fictional transformation from the Dragon Ball anime and manga series that dramatically increases a Saiyan's power. The transformation is characterized by the user's hair standing on end and turning yellow or gold, and their eyes becoming greenish. ☜