Hearing the voices and the approaching footsteps, Xiao Qian gritted her teeth and left through the back door without looking back.
Soon, Ying Chang arrived at the secret chamber and was startled to see the disheveled Lu An.
He quickly stopped Fang Ling behind him and said, "Uh, Brother Lu is resting. Let's not disturb him."
With that, he took Fang Ling and walked towards their residence.
Fang Ling looked puzzled. Resting? After such a fierce battle last night, with even a Foundation Establishment cultivator falling, Lu An actually managed to sleep?
No matter how much she questioned, Ying Chang didn't answer, and eventually, she had to give up.
After a while, Lu An woke up slowly.
Since his cultivation was weaker than Xiao Qian's, he woke up much later, in the evening.
He looked around at the chaos and was immediately startled, suddenly recalling the tender moments of the previous night.
"Didn't kill me… Xiao Qian, I wonder if that's her real name."
The image of Xiao Qian's face lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
After a while, he shook his head, tidied himself up, and went to find Ying Chang and the others.
"Brother Ying, how was the battle last night?"
Seeing him approach, Ying Chang had a teasing smile on his face.
"I'm not sure how the battle went, but it seems you had a good time."
Lu An's face turned red instantly. It was rare to see him stammer, and he didn't say a word.
Ying Chang also put away his joking demeanor and said seriously:
"Yesterday, the four of us at Foundation Establishment besieged the two of them and severely injured one. However, later a Foundation Establishment cultivator came to their aid, which is why we couldn't keep them all here."
"But we pursued them, and the previously injured person received further severe damage. He probably won't survive for long."
Lu An breathed a sigh of relief. The Ding family's people were elusive and unpredictable; dealing with them would be challenging if they targeted him specifically.
Now that one of them had been dealt with, they would likely lie low for a while. However, a more intense retaliation might follow.
Strengthening his abilities was a pressing matter!
Lu An pondered for a moment and said:
"Brother Ying, since the situation is settled for now, why don't we prepare and head to Mount Mangdang for training tomorrow?"
Ying Chang nodded in agreement:
"I had the same thought."
At that moment, Fang Ling arrived.
"Brother Lu, why haven't I seen Xiao Qian? Wasn't she captured by the Ding family yesterday?"
Lu An's face turned awkward, and he quickly came up with an excuse:
"She was frightened yesterday and went to stay with distant relatives."
Fang Ling grumbled:
"This child, leaving without a word. I really cared for her in vain."
"But it's also true that an ordinary person following us through dangerous situations is indeed risky."
Fang Ling was a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Although she complained, she still cared about Xiao Qian.
Lu An nodded. He did not mention that Xiao Qian was an assassin from Lingxiao Pavilion. Since everyone had been getting along well recently, revealing this would only cause unnecessary sadness.
Ying Chang seemed to have noticed something. "Going to distant relatives? What a coincidence."
Was the person from last night Xiao Qian?
He was somewhat surprised, but since Lu An was unwilling to elaborate, he did not press further.
"Have you decided on the demonic beasts you want to deal with?"
Lu An nodded and replied:
"I've reviewed the Demonic Beast Chronicle from Sister Ling and have a general understanding. This trip will primarily target the demonic beasts related to the talisman materials."
"This will save costs and also achieve the purpose of training."
Lu An visited Uncle Zhao and Ju Yuan Studio to say goodbye. Since this journey would take a while, it was better to inform them in advance.
However, when he went to find Li Ziyou, he discovered that the Li family was on high alert, as if facing a great enemy.
After waiting for a while, Li Ziyou finally came out of the Li residence, looking somewhat grim.
Lu An frowned and asked:
"What's the matter? Why the urgency?"
Li Ziyou glanced around and, seeing no outsiders, replied:
"Don't mention it. Do you remember the jade coffin sent by the Ding family on the day of the Young Master competition?"
Lu An nodded; he certainly remembered. The elders of the Li family had been furious at the sight of it.
"Does the jade coffin have some kind of problem?"
"Indeed. I suspected that the Ding family's ancestor had malicious intent."
"That jade coffin was connected to a Soul Tomb secret realm, accessible only to souls."
"It was filled with various violent and restless souls that attack anyone they see. It was terrifying."
Lu An was intrigued and asked:
"What did the Ding family give you this for? Isn't it enough to avoid entering it?"
Li Ziyou became quite agitated when mentioning this.
"That's what should be the case, but considering that secret realms often contain rare treasures, our clan leader couldn't resist the temptation and sent his soul to explore."
"At first, he didn't pay much attention when he saw only Qi Refining period souls. But as he went deeper…"
"He didn't expect to encounter many Foundation Establishment period souls deeper inside. He realized the danger too late and tried to retreat, but it was too late."
"Under the siege of many souls, he exerted all his strength to escape, but his soul was severely damaged and will likely not last many years."
Lu An was taken aback and asked quickly:
"Is it that serious?"
Li Ziyou's expression showed sadness as he nodded.
"Those souls absorb life essence using ancient soul cultivation techniques, making them extremely difficult to guard against."
"Moreover, the soul is the most vulnerable part of a cultivator. Once it is severely injured, it is very hard to recover."
Lu An was slightly shaken. Soul cultivation—could this be the tomb of some ancient soul cultivator?
He was currently practicing soul cultivation techniques himself. If that was the case, it would be a missed opportunity to pass up.
Furthermore, whether it was Soul Devouring or the Soul Nourishing Art he practiced, he needed spiritual nourishment.
Even if the secret realm had no treasures, those restless souls were still of considerable value to him.
However, with his current cultivation level, if he ventured in recklessly, it would likely be a one-way trip. Careful planning was necessary.
He maintained his composure and said:
"It seems the Ding family must have entered and found that there were no treasures inside, which is why they gave the jade coffin to you."
"They were certain that your clan leader would be tempted and enter to investigate. This was a deliberate strategy."
Li Ziyou agreed with this assessment but noted that discussing it now was of little use.
"With the clan leader injured, our Li family will likely have to stay low for a while."
"We only hope that the news doesn't spread too quickly, giving us more time to prepare."
Lu An understood. As the top cultivation family in Guguan County, the Li family relied on their clan leader's late Foundation Establishment stage cultivation.
With the clan leader severely injured, other families would likely become restless.
"If there's anything you need, Brother Li, feel free to call on me."
Li Ziyou looked grateful but then shook his head.
"The clan leader still has a few years left to live, so other families probably won't dare to act recklessly for now. However, in the future, it might become difficult."
"I didn't expect that just after becoming the Young Master, I would encounter such trouble."
Lu An sighed, offered some words of comfort, and then asked:
"What do you plan to do with the jade coffin?"
"With this situation, there's not much to deal with. The clan leader plans to handle it secretly to prevent the souls inside from leaking out and affecting our clan members."
Lu An pondered for a moment and said slowly:
"Not to hide anything from you, Brother Li, I have some interest in this coffin. If you don't plan to keep it, perhaps you could give it to me. I'm willing to purchase it with spirit stones."
Li Ziyou was quite surprised and raised his voice:
"Are you crazy? There's nothing in it but residual souls. Why would you want it?"
Lu An smiled slightly. Residual souls were dangerous to others but were a great supplement for him.
Seeing that Lu An was determined, Li Ziyou pondered for a moment and said:
"This shouldn't be a problem. The clan leader didn't intend to keep it. As the Young Master of the Li family, I should have some say in this matter."
"But I'll need some time and will notify you later."
Lu An was delighted and nodded:
"Alright, then I'll await your good news."
Li Ziyou acted quickly, bringing the jade coffin the next day. He also advised Lu An to be cautious and, if necessary, to find a place to bury it.
Lu An agreed and, after handling it for a while, stored the jade coffin away.
Given his current low cultivation level, it was not suitable for him to enter it just yet. It was better to focus on training and improve his cultivation before attempting to investigate it.
In a shadowy location, two old men stood by a corpse, their faces filled with sorrow.
"Old Third, didn't you trap Fang Ling in that Yin-Yang Phoenix Formation? How did she end up joining the battle?"
The Ding family head frowned and scolded.
The Third Elder looked puzzled and said:
"I don't know what happened. I had confirmed repeatedly that there was a female Foundation Establishment cultivator in the center of the formation, so I activated it."
"I didn't expect that person wasn't Fang Ling, and the information we received didn't mention a second female cultivator around Lu An."
He felt a bit wronged. The unexpected situation wasn't his fault; it was due to inaccurate intelligence.
The clan head, however, was unrelenting, his voice cold:
"If it weren't for your mistake, with my and Second Brother's strength, dealing with three Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't have been a major issue, and Second Brother wouldn't have been severely injured or killed."
"Eldest Brother, discussing this now is pointless. We should focus on what to do next."
The clan head knew that complaining was futile, but the loss of his second brother, with whom he had shared many years, led him to express some grievances.
"The jade coffin has been delivered to the Li family. After so many days, it should have had some effect."
"I wonder if that old man from the Li family has entered the coffin. It seems we need to investigate."
"You go and find out the situation. I will spread rumors; if other families learn that he is injured, they won't sit idly by."
"As for Lu An, with so many experts around him, we'll deal with him later."
The Third Elder nodded and went to handle the tasks.
Mount Mangdang.
After several days of travel, Lu An and Ying Chang finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
In fact, given their speed, it shouldn't have taken this long. However, Ying Chang had been instructing Lu An on the precautions in the mountains and how to handle various demonic beasts, which delayed their journey.
A little delay was no big deal. At least, Lu An's theoretical knowledge had increased significantly, and now he just needed practical experience.
"Brother Lu, the demonic beasts in this mountain are mostly at the Qi Refining stage, which is quite suitable for you. Even if you encounter ones at the ninth level of Qi Refining, I'll ensure your safety."
"So, your task is to find and kill these demonic beasts without worrying about their cultivation level."
"But I suggest you start with the lower-level ones and progress gradually to maximize the effectiveness of your training."
Lu An nodded; Ying Chang's advice was in line with his thoughts.
The two entered Mount Mangdang and began searching for traces of demonic beasts.
Ying Chang acted only as a bodyguard, remaining silent throughout and allowing Lu An to take the lead.
Although Mount Mangdang had many demonic beasts, its vast area and the fact that many beasts had their own territories made them not so easy to find.
After half a day of searching, Lu An finally noticed a clue.
He crouched down, looking at a large pile of beast dung, and murmured:
"Feces from a first-stage Triangle Demon Bull, looks like it was just deposited. The bull shouldn't be far off."
"The blood of this bull can be used to draw Giant Strength Talisman, and its sharp horns are valuable for refining materials. Luck is on my side."
First-stage demonic beasts, known as Qi Refining beasts, vary greatly in strength. Lu An was uncertain about the exact level of this demon bull.
"Let's track it down."
He took a talisman from his storage bag, ignited it with his fingers, and then inserted it into the beast dung.
The talisman flew around the dung and, after a brief pause, shot off in a specific direction.
Without hesitation, Lu An followed.
This talisman, known as the Scent Seeking Talisman, was a common first-stage talisman that could track scents within a certain range.
It could find the general direction of demonic beasts, cultivators, or even certain items.
Of course, this required a medium to trace, such as the dung from the demonic beast.
Lu An followed the Scent Seeking Talisman for several miles before finally spotting the Triangle Demon Bull.
The bull stood about six or seven feet high, its thick fur covering its entire body like armor. Its large head had three sharp, shining horns that were quite intimidating.
"A Triangle Demon Bull at the fifth level of Qi Refining, which matches my cultivation level."
He regularly sparred with Ying Chang and could handle those at the sixth level of Qi Refining with ease. However, real combat was different, and there was still a considerable gap between the two.
Lu An remained cautious and recalled the characteristics of the Triangle Demon Bull.
Once prepared, he took out a Concealment Talisman, applied it to himself, and quietly approached the demon bull.
The Triangle Demon Bull was focused on grazing, creating a clearing on the ground with each bite and completely unaware of Lu An's approach.
Once he was close enough, Lu An suddenly attacked, drawing out his Soul Devouring Sword and striking at the Triangle Demon Bull.
"Clang!"
A loud crash echoed, and Lu An felt a numbness in his wrist, nearly losing grip on the Soul Devouring Sword.
"The defense is astonishing!"
He was startled. Before he could react, the demon bull roared angrily and swung its thick tail at him.
Lu An blocked with his sword, but the scenery in front of him rapidly retreated as his body was thrown backward.
He flipped in mid-air, stabilized himself, and slid a full ten zhang before coming to a stop.
Seeing truly was different from hearing; the Triangle Demon Bull's strength was indeed impressive, even more so than Ying Chang.
However, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything, and Lu An soon discovered its weaknesses.
The bull's strength was great, but its body was extremely cumbersome. As long as he maneuvered well, he should be able to handle it.
The Triangle Demon Bull didn't give him more time to think and charged at him at high speed.
Lu An was not at all flustered. When the bull was close, he suddenly exerted force with his legs and dodged to the side.
He then leaped and landed on the bull's back.
The bull, furious, charged wildly, knocking down large trees in the mountain, but it couldn't shake Lu An off.
Lu An naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He cast Fireball Spells one after another, bombarding the bull's back.
A smell of burning hair filled the air, but its tough hide remained completely undamaged.
At this point, Lu An was also somewhat exhausted and knew he couldn't delay any longer. He took a deep breath, aimed at the bull's eyes, and thrust the Soul Devouring Sword deeply.
"Roar—"
The bull cried out in pain, going into a frenzy. Lu An grabbed one of its horns with one hand and hung onto it.
With his other hand, he withdrew the Soul Devouring Sword, giving it a slight swing, and slid down to the bull's belly.
He gathered all his strength, and the Soul Devouring Sword shone with a brilliant light as he slashed at the bull's weakest spot on its belly.
In an instant, blood gushed out, and the white, internal organs spilled onto the ground.
Lu An, caught in the spray, was drenched but didn't mind at all, instead showing an excited expression.
The bull staggered forward a few steps before finally collapsing with a loud thud.
Then, applause rang out as Ying Chang's figure appeared from nowhere.
"Well done. You managed to take down this Triangle Demon Bull without using talismans, but there's still much to improve."
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