Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Left Lightning, Right Fire, Smelting Demons

In the courtyard.

In response to Li Ping’s teasing, Master Hu, who was usually so easygoing, now wore a very strange expression.

He completely ignored Li Ping’s jest. Instead, he tossed a fist-sized, blood-colored crystal sphere straight into the air. The sphere shot upward. The moment it touched the protective light barrier of the cave-dwelling’s array, a bloody mist billowed out. It spread rapidly, blanketing the light barrier and the ground, enclosing the entire dwelling and forming a sealed space of blood-red fog.

Once this was done, Yan Kun finally looked up at Li Ping, his tone sinister. "There. Now no one will disturb us. No need for tea. I came specifically to send Fellow Daoist Li on his way—"

His sinister voice cut off abruptly!

When Yan Kun got a clear look at Li Ping’s situation, the words caught in his throat. He couldn’t utter another sound. The spiritual sense in his heart screamed a frantic warning.

In that instant, the sense of danger he felt from Li Ping was no less than what he had felt when he previously considered meddling in a battle between Golden Core cultivators!

...

Because Master Hu had repeatedly tried to lure him out of the city before, Li Ping had always been vaguely on guard against him.

So, the moment he saw Master Hu’s strange expression, he had discreetly begun to back away.

By the time Master Hu threw the blood-colored sphere to seal the area, his rampant malice was almost completely unconcealed.

Li Ping retreated rapidly to put distance between them. Facing a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he didn’t dare be the least bit careless. In an instant, he had taken out his entire stockpile from the last four years!

Nearly a hundred Tier Two Middle Grade Blast Flame Talismans and Tier Two Middle Grade giant Thunder Talismans hovered on either side of his head. With but a single thought from his Divine Sense, all their stored power would erupt at once!

If they were in an open area, even with several times as many Spirit Talismans, Li Ping would have no way of dealing with a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s speed was so terrifying that his Spirit Talisman attacks would never be able to catch up.

But this wasn’t an open area. It was a sealed space of only a thousand *mu*!

In an environment like this, just how terrifying would the destructive power be if nearly a hundred Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans were detonated?

Li Ping’s gaze was cool as he looked at Master Hu, who was less than twenty *zhang* away. It seemed as if in the next second, a single word would escape his lips: "Detonate!"

...

Yan Kun’s face was stiff. He deeply regretted coming to bother this coward before he left.

He cursed himself inwardly again and again. He shouldn’t have gotten cocky!

’In the Cultivation Realm, people with fortuitous encounters appear one after another. I’m not the only one with secrets!’

’This Fellow Daoist Li before me can pull out nearly a hundred Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans in an instant!’

’He definitely didn’t buy these Spirit Talismans. There’s nowhere you can buy so many Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans. Even if you could, the price is not something an Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could afford!’

’There’s only one possibility: he himself is a Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman Maker!’

’Although I don’t know how Li Ping managed to become a Tier Two Middle Grade Talisman Maker in such a short time with his Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation!’

But Yan Kun knew this was not the time to dwell on it. If he made one wrong move, he would be meeting his end right here, today!

’I still have to become a Core Formation Cultivator and live for five hundred years! How can I die here without a sound?’

Yan Kun looked at Li Ping and forced a smile onto his face. "Fellow Daoist Li, you’re still young. Don’t do anything rash. If you activate the power of these Spirit Talismans, I will surely die, but you won’t be able to escape either. We can talk things over slowly."

"Weren’t you just saying you were going to send me on my way?" Li Ping’s voice was laced with mockery as his gaze swept over the bloody mist enveloping his cave-dwelling. "I never knew that Master Hu, famous in the Immortal City for his easygoing nature, was actually a Demon Cultivator. Heh... Talk slowly? What is there for me to say to a Demon Cultivator like you?"

Seeing Li Ping willing to talk instead of immediately detonating all the Spirit Talismans, Yan Kun breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately admitted his mistake. "It was I who had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai. As long as you’re willing to let me leave, Fellow Daoist Li, I am willing to compensate you to make up for my error."

As a Demon Cultivator, knowing when to yield and when to stand firm was a basic quality.

Seeing the situation was not in his favor, Yan Kun immediately showed weakness. Of course, this was just a stopgap measure!

’My identity has been exposed. I can’t just leave like this.’

’If I leave without getting rid of Li Ping, I’m afraid the moment I step out of this array, he’ll alert the Immortal City.’

’At that point, I’d still be a dead man!’

...

Li Ping looked at Yan Kun, his expression unchanging. "Speaking of which, I am rather interested in Fellow Daoist Hu’s true identity. I wonder if you would be willing to enlighten me."

Yan Kun was busy devising a way to deal with Li Ping. Hearing his question, he quickly smiled and said, "This is all just a misunderstanding between us. As for my identity, there’s no harm in telling you. I am a disciple of the Blood Shadow Sect from the Jiuche Kingdom. I came to the Immortal City to..."

In order to lull Li Ping into a false sense of security, Yan Kun had no intention of hiding anything and recounted his identity and purpose in full detail.

As Li Ping listened, it all clicked into place. He finally understood why the man had been targeting him.

But he really wanted to tell him: ’You’re overthinking it. I don’t actually know anything.’

But now, things had escalated to this point, and he knew the other man’s true identity. Reconciling and letting him leave was impossible.

If his opponent was on guard in the future and came for revenge, Li Ping would never get such a favorable environment to strike again!

At that point, he would be the one with no way out.

Letting the man leave now would be no different than letting a tiger return to the mountains!

’Today, Hu Feng must die!’

At this thought, Li Ping actually broke into a smile. "So that’s how it is. Fellow Daoist Hu, if you’re dealing with that woman Dai Sangyu, I couldn’t be happier. It seems this really is all a misunderstanding between us."

"Yes, yes... It’s all a complete misunderstanding between you and me, Fellow Daoist Li!" Yan Kun said with an obsequious smile. "Actually, though I may belong to a demonic sect, my heart is with the Righteous Dao. Fellow Daoist Li, you and I have known each other for years, you should know my character. The only reason I came to the Immortal City is because when you’re in a demonic sect, you have no choice in your own affairs..."

"Right, you just said you were willing to compensate me," Li Ping interrupted, his gaze falling on the two Storage Bags hanging from Master Hu’s waist. "In that case, could I trouble you to toss all of your Storage Bags over to me? You wouldn’t be reluctant to part with a few possessions, would you?"

Hearing Li Ping demand all of his Storage Bags, Yan Kun was stunned for a moment, but then he immediately nodded. "Of course, of course. As they say, ’a smile can erase old grudges.’ Mere worldly possessions are not worth mentioning... Here, catch, Fellow Daoist."

With that, he actually took the two Storage Bags from his waist and threw them directly toward Li Ping.

The two Storage Bags became two streaks of light. Across the short distance of twenty *zhang*, they arrived in the blink of an eye. The two bags couldn’t help but draw Li Ping’s attention!

And just as Li Ping reached out to catch the Storage Bags—

BOOM!

Yan Kun stomped his right foot violently on the ground, creating a deafening roar. Using the force of that stomp, he transformed into an afterimage, appearing before Li Ping as if by Instant Teleportation, his hands like dragon claws aimed to tear Li Ping in two.

’Not good!’ Yan Kun cursed inwardly. The thing he had torn in half wasn’t Li Ping at all.

Somehow, Li Ping had already moved at high speed to dodge his attack, leaving only an afterimage behind!

Sweeping the area with his Divine Sense, he immediately saw that after catching the two Storage Bags, Li Ping had transformed into a streak of blood. Not only had he dodged the attack, but in a flash, he was already standing at the very edge of the array’s boundary. A pair of Blood Wings on his back were slowly dissipating!

"That’s our sect’s Blood Wing Escape Skill!" Yan Kun’s eyes flew wide open, but before he could react further...

Li Ping’s calm voice echoed from the distance: "Detonate!"

Instantly, guided by Li Ping’s Divine Sense, the nearly one hundred Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans hovering in the air all began to shine with a brilliant light. The Spiritual Pressure faintly emanating from them was enough to make Yan Kun’s heart pound with fear from a single glance!

’Dammit, he’s trying to take me down with him!’ Yan Kun cursed inwardly. He had no time to chase Li Ping, nor could he get far enough away.

He could only cover his head with his hands, turn his back to the epicenter of the talisman explosions, and activate his Cultivation Technique to its full potential, attempting to withstand the power of nearly fifty Blast Flame Talismans and nearly fifty giant Thunder Talismans with his Dharma Body alone!

’Block it! You have to block it!’ Yan Kun roared in his mind.

...

Standing at the edge of the Array, Li Ping’s expression was equally grim. Although he wasn’t at the center of the explosion, the entire cave-dwelling was only a thousand *mu* in size. The force of the attack reaching him was considerably less than what Yan Kun faced, but it was still terrifying!

"Block!" Li Ping slapped his Storage Bag. A streak of light flew out, expanding to several *zhang* in height and completely enveloping him. It was none other than the Tier Two Upper Grade Dharma Artifact he had recently refined, the Turtle Spirit Shield.

Under the infusion of Li Ping’s Magical Power, a dense, dark cyan halo instantly appeared on the surface of the Turtle Spirit Shield.

...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! ...

Amidst the ceaseless explosions...

Flashes of lightning and fire intertwined. With the spot where Li Ping originally stood as the epicenter, the thousand-*mu* space was instantly engulfed by giant bolts of thunder and blazing flames.

The terrifying lightning and fire raged madly, destroying everything in the cave-dwelling. The palace was turned to charcoal, the Spirit Medicines were reduced to ash, and the pond water evaporated...

A full hour passed before the terrifying commotion caused by the erupting thunder and fire finally subsided.

...

In a world of ash.

COUGH COUGH...

At the edge of the cave-dwelling, a figure, blackened from head to toe, slowly pushed himself to his feet.

This figure was Li Ping, and his condition could only be described as abysmal.

His legs were little more than bone. His arms, chest, and face were covered in large, blood-caked craters, and his internal organs were severely damaged.

During the explosion, his Tier Two Upper Grade Turtle Spirit Shield hadn’t managed to last until the end. However, it had withstood the initial explosive impact of all the Spirit Talismans detonating at once; the damage after that was more sustained.

What Li Ping had feared most was being killed instantly by that first wave of impact.

Fortunately, the shell taken from the Tier Two Late Stage Turtle Demon was hard enough. It successfully blocked a huge portion of the impact before being completely destroyed.

After that, relying on the healing properties of his Nourishing Life Skill Power, Li Ping continuously repaired his body and managed to survive!

He had even managed to protect his Storage Bags, and they remained completely intact.

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