Chapter 66: Exotic Velvet Romance Chrysanthemum

"Alright! In that case, once this young lady catches him, I will show him how we deal with people like him!"

Seeing their hard-earned efforts yield rewards only for someone else to step in and reap the benefits first, Shui Yunzhi and the members of the Confucian Academy were burning with an anonymous rage. Should Li Xuan fall into their hands, the consequences could be easily imagined.

However, in the eyes of Tang Ruoxian and Jiang Qingyue, since Li Xuan had successfully diverted the disaster and freed himself from the pursuit of the Crimson Flame Blood Python, it would be equally difficult for the others to capture him. At the same time, this also concealed the fact that Li Xuan hailed from the Saintly Way Academy.

Better to avoid extra trouble; they could only hope that Li Xuan would hide far away.

Just as Tang Ruoxian and Jiang Qingyue were about to leave, they were blocked once again by Shui Yunzhi, who said, "You cannot leave. The Great Rift Ruins are fraught with perils. With our superior numbers, we can certainly ensure your safety, and it will also uphold the friendship among the Four Great Academies!"

Shui Yunzhi's words undoubtedly meant detaining the two young women as hostages.

Tang Ruoxian said coldly, "To detain us as hostages and yet speak of it with such high-sounding righteousness—the Confucian Academy certainly has a broad-minded bearing!"

Shui Yunzhi let out a cold snort, offering no further explanation as she turned her back to Jiang Qingyue and Tang Ruoxian.

Source energy surged around Tang Ruoxian as she declared, "And what if I refuse?"

Jiang Qingyue was equally formidable and overbearing, stating, "In your dreams! This young lady is not someone you can just push around!"

The two women were exceptionally aggressive, refusing to give Shui Yunzhi even the slightest shred of face.

Shui Yunzhi raised her knife-cut lotus-like jaw and said, "Since you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for being unpolite!"

With that, the members of the Confucian Academy once again surrounded Jiang Qingyue and Tang Ruoxian, eyeing them covetously.

Suddenly, an overbearing voice came from the ancient forest in the distance: "Let's see who dares! Do you think the Saintly Way Academy has no one left?"

Several figures shuttled through the ancient forest, leaping like hares and falcons, and in the blink of an eye, several figures appeared behind Jiang Qingyue and Tang Ruoxian.

In the sky, source light materialized, tearing through the void like a stream of light.

Kong Sheng looked at Jiang Qingyue with pity and said, "Yue'er, I'm late!"

Prince Zifan also wore a infatuated expression as he said, "Xian'er..."

Tang Ruoxian turned away, her face covered in frost, and said, "Are you trying to disgust me to death?"

While they were speaking, the students of the Saintly Way Academy swarmed in, matching the other side in both numbers and strength.

Shui Yunzhi's black-and-white distinct pupils constricted as she said, "Remember your words. Once that brat falls into my hands, I will make him regret ever being born into this world!"

With a wave of Shui Yunzhi's delicate hand, the main force of the Confucian Academy quickly vanished from sight, undoubtedly tracking down the clues left behind by Li Xuan.

"Yue'er, what happened?"

Jiang Qingyue pouted her cherry lips and said, "We just got bullied, that's all! It's no big deal!"

Tang Ruoxian's face remained as cold as frost as she said, "We'd better follow the map and avoid stirring up unnecessary complications!"

Mentioning the map, the group sketched out the patterns they had memorized, only to find that they differed vastly and went in completely opposite directions, making it impossible to find a way out.

Kong Sheng sighed and asked, "Where is Li Xuan? Wasn't he with you?"

Jiang Qingyue pouted her cherry lips and muttered, "Don't mention that bastard. Who knows where he went running off to at a time like this!"

"What?"

Kong Sheng was stunned into a daze. The Great Rift Ruins were fraught with danger, yet he actually went off running wild. He had seen people who didn't value their lives, but never anyone so audacious.

Tang Ruoxian took a deep breath through her delicate nose and said, "I refuse to believe that without the butcher Li, we are forced to eat hairy pigs! We'll follow right behind the Confucian Academy!"

Jiang Qingyue's eyes lit up, and she instantly understood Tang Ruoxian's intention, chiming in immediately, "That's our only option!"

Naturally, Jiang Qingyue and Tang Ruoxian would not reveal that Li Xuan had ambushed the Confucian Academy, lest loose lips cause the incident to be blamed on the Saintly Way Academy.

Thus, the two groups of people marched one after the other, toiling through the depths of the ancient mountains.

They remained at peace with each other for the time being, and the Confucian Academy did not come forward to pick a fight.

Right under the noses of everyone and in full view of the Confucian Academy, Li Xuan had successfully rescued the Crimson Flame Blood Python, plunging underground together with it. After employing the arts of the "Qingnang Codex" to heal its wounds, he let it move about freely.

Concealing his own aura, Li Xuan silently followed behind.

Although the Crimson Flame Blood Python was severely injured, its speed was extremely fast.

Following closely behind, Li Xuan simultaneously employed the "Divine Mobility Incinerating Shadow Technique" and the "Wind-Chasing Technique" to barely keep up, while wiping away any traces left behind by the beast.

After following it for three full days and nights, Li Xuan saw an ancient mountain from afar.

Jagged rocks and gnarled ancient trees dotted the landscape; exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed in competition, while priceless heavenly treasures shone with a verdant, dewy luster. Rosy clouds drifted upward, and mist locked the sky.

The mouth of the mountain swallowed and exhaled the essence of the sun and moon, encompassing the cosmos and absorbing diurnal and nocturnal splendor.

Li Xuan's fatigue from the past many days was swept away in an instant, replaced by a surging tide of joy.

He saw the Crimson Flame Blood Python slowly crawling toward the mountain entrance, occasionally looking back and sweeping its massive tail to erase the tracks behind it.

Certain that no one was following, it darted into the mountain entrance in a flash.

Li Xuan slowly climbed upward, stopped at the edge of the mountain entrance, and peered inside.

Indeed, just as Li Xuan had guessed, the mountain entrance was the lair of the Crimson Flame Blood Python.

At this moment, the heavily wounded python was curled up, its scarred body wrapped around a stone pillar.

The stone pillar was crystal clear with bright patterns running through it like blood vessels, flowing with the essence of the sun and moon and radiating waves of rosy light.

Atop the stone pillar grew an "Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus," its roots deeply embedded in the pillar as it continuously absorbed the essences of heaven and earth.

The Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus was entirely crimson, as if born within molten magma. Four lotus leaves had already blossomed, looking breathtakingly beautiful.

Li Xuan looked at the remaining stone pillars; each pillar bore an Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus. The only difference was that those lotuses were still tightly closed buds, requiring a long time before they would bloom.

The Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus was a top-tier heavenly treasure, a miraculous medicine capable of bringing the dead back to life even in mythological eras, something many cultivators could hard-pressed to lay eyes upon once in a lifetime.

Even if found, they were usually guarded by powerful savage beasts.

However, things were not absolute; as formidable as the Crimson Flame Blood Python was, hadn't it also fallen victim to a human cultivator's ambush and lay there at death's door?

Li Xuan was not greedy—though there were three thousand li of weak water, he would only take a single ladle!

Concealing his aura, Li Xuan drifted forward and landed before the Crimson Flame Blood Python. Rather than taking advantage of its cultivation to steal the lotus, he channeled his source energy and used the "Wind and Thunder Clash" technique to treat the python's wounds. Only after its vital energy had recovered slightly did he say, "Brother, I truly apologize. Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life, and I pity that your cultivation has not been easy. I will take only one Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus. I hope you won't mind—since you are about to cultivate into a spirit, you must learn to share!"

Gathering his courage, Li Xuan placed one Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus into his own qi sea. Instantly, the essence of heaven and earth surged through his limbs and bones, leaving his entire body feeling remarkably comfortable, and he felt his source energy rise to a higher level.

Li Xuan seemed to enter a profound state of being, feeling as though an epiphany was within reach, yet he forcefully suppressed the sensation.

At that moment, the Crimson Flame Blood Python opened eyes the size of lanterns, glared at Li Xuan, and bared its grim, venomous fangs. Its heavy breathing sent chills running all over Li Xuan's body.

That was all it did. The python plunged back into a dormant state, allowing Li Xuan to take the Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus.

Li Xuan originally wanted to take a few more, but alas, a true man must honor his word and not be insatiably greedy.

"Farewell!"

Li Xuan cupped his fists, intending to leave.

Suddenly, an aged voice echoed in his ears: "Human, you may pluck a few more, for you are the most magnanimous gentleman I have ever seen!"

Hearing this, Li Xuan stepped back in shock and exclaimed, "Is that really alright?"

The aged voice rang out once again: "Indeed. I am about to transform into a flood dragon, and the Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus is of no further use to me. But for you... I grant you permission to pluck nine Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus flowers. Now go!"

Overjoyed, Li Xuan immediately plucked eight more Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus flowers and deposited them into his qi sea. Cupping his fists once more, he said, "Many thanks!"

Li Xuan soared into the air, vanishing from the mountain entrance, and completely wiped away all traces of his arrival and departure using the "Mountain and Marsh Qi Link" technique.

At the same time, Li Xuan set up hundreds of concealment source runes, thoroughly hiding the tracks of the Crimson Flame Blood Python.

As he departed, the words "Many thanks!" echoed in his ears.

Finding a quiet spot, Li Xuan rested briefly, channeling his source energy to refine the nine Exotic-Plumed Blazing Lotus flowers so they would fully merge with his bloodline and remain hidden.

As his source energy surged, dark thunderclouds rolled and heavenly lightning roared; he hurriedly suppressed his source energy, terrified of drawing down a heavenly tribulation.

Recalling the ancient map and connecting it with the news Wang Teng had sent back earlier, Li Xuan confirmed his bearings and set off once more.

Along the way, Li Xuan encountered neither terrifying savage beasts nor any traces of humans; instead, he grew increasingly uneasy.

According to the projections, the last place Wang Teng appeared should be a location called the Undying Spring.

The further Li Xuan walked, the more bizarre it felt. There were no signs of human presence whatsoever. Could the projection released by that brat Wang Teng have been manufactured by someone else?

The enmity between Li Xuan and Wang Teng had reached an irreconcilable point; regardless of any hidden motives, he had no choice but to go.

In the distance, a wisp of source energy rose from the Undying Spring, churning and rolling as a figure materialized.

It was the projection of an ancient god, clad in golden armor with a solemn expression, gripping a golden sacred sword tightly and thrusting it fiercely into the ground before him.

The ancient god's face was ferocious, as though he was expending all his divine might to seal away an unknown demon god.

The reason the Undying Spring was called "undying" originated from a sacred ground of the mythological era—the Spring of Immortality.

Because of an alien invasion, the Spring of Immortality had been attacked and turned into a dead zone, yet it still nurtured the lingering soul of an ancient god.

Therefore, fragments of the ancient god's soul must remain within the Undying Spring, intimidating any who came to explore.

Consequently, the surroundings were littered with bleached bones—some as massive as the skeletons of savage elephants and dragons, others as small as water buffaloes and qilin.

The Undying Spring was quite literally a forbidden zone for life.

Li Xuan grew even more suspicious that there was something wrong with the projection Wang Teng had sent back, but since he had already arrived at the Undying Spring, not going inside seemed unjustified.

However, the moment Li Xuan took a step forward, ancient source runes blazed like a prairie fire, burning fiercely.

At the same time, an overwhelming pressure swept over him like a tidal wave.

Li Xuan cried out, "No, divine blood is burning!"