Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Buying the Space Painting

“Sure enough, Chen Dailv is up to tricks, I guessed right.”

On the road, Zhong Li silently thought to herself.

Previously, when Zhong Li killed Murong Yan, he only then realized she was a Demon Cultivator.

This showed that Li Xiuyuan had never leaked his identity information.

Moreover, each time she met with Li Xiuyuan, Zhong Li had a strange feeling, as if she and Li Xiuyuan had become one type of person.

Then, she extended her spiritual sense and thoroughly examined Li Xiuyuan.

Only then did she discover that within Li Xiuyuan’s soul, there was a mysterious will imbedded that was akin to what she had in her own mind.

At this point, she understood that it must be Chen Dailv who turned Li Xiuyuan into a puppet.

Understanding the matter of the puppet, with Zhong Li’s experience in the arena, she naturally guessed that the true immortal realm’s Murong Yan was deliberately lured in by Chen Ansheng, aiming to use her hand to kill him.

However, there was one thing Zhong Li had yet to figure out.

In her understanding, puppets are emotionless and ignorant, merely following the master’s commands as soulless beings. How did Chen Dailv manage to make Li Xiuyuan communicate with her so expressively?

“I’m afraid it’s some profound secret method; I must figure it out someday.”

Zhong Li thought this but knew now was not the time.

As the top genius of Qian Yue Cave and a candidate for the position of chief disciple, Murong Yan’s sudden disappearance would surely cause a huge uproar.

And before uncovering the secret of the forbidden area, Zhong Li could not leave and definitely couldn’t expose herself, so she had to return to the outer sect immediately to replace the low-level puppet clone she left in the sect.

…

After Zhong Li left.

Chen Ansheng sighed softly, “From now on, it’s better not to compete in wits and courage with others; I’m not worthy.”

The cultivators of the celestial realm are extremely complex.

Others are seasoned veterans, while he is just beginning his journey in celestial cultivation; how could he possibly compete with them?

Then, Chen Ansheng sat down cross-legged.

He had been practicing the Spirit-nourishing Method for some days, making minor progress, and when circulating his blood energy, he could do so two or three times faster than an ordinary celestial being.

“If Murong Yan is dead, Qian Yue Cave will definitely investigate thoroughly. I need to be cautious and not cause any trouble.”

Chen Ansheng thought to himself.

However, he wasn’t overly concerned; as a weak beginner, no one would suspect him.

As for the Demoness, she has plenty of ways—Chen Ansheng needn’t worry about her exposing him.

After two days of training in the old house.

Chen Ansheng didn’t feel much improvement in his realm, but his physical strength and spirit seemed to have changed somewhat.

Cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight; take Ji Ziling, for example, who has been immersed in spiritual energy since childhood yet is only at the ninth stage of the celestial realm.

“It’s the third day; I should ask if the Immortal Treasure Pavilion has found that space painting.”

Chen Ansheng opened his eyes, controlling the puppet Li Xiuyuan to rise and head towards the Immortal Treasure Pavilion.

On the way to the pavilion, Chen Ansheng deliberately listened to the conversations of other disciples, hoping to hear discussions regarding Murong Yan’s disappearance.

As a result, he gleaned nothing.

“With someone at the True Immortal realm, who often secludes himself for cultivation, his disappearance for a few days probably won’t attract anyone’s attention.” Chen Ansheng clicked his tongue, dismissing the matter.

At the Immortal Treasure Pavilion.

“The young master has arrived.”

The shopkeeper of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion smiled and greeted when he saw Li Xiuyuan.

“The shopkeeper remembers me?” Li Xiuyuan asked.

“Of course, young master! The painting you asked this old fool to find has been located; please see if it’s correct.”

The shopkeepers of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion are beings with strong spiritual power; as long as they’ve seen something once, they can recall it for hundreds of years, let alone three days.

“Good, please unfold it for my viewing.”

“Please take a look, young master.”

The shopkeeper waved his hand, and a painting unrolled in the air.

That painting depicted an unparalleled man wearing a raincoat and a conical hat, standing in mid-air.

Dense clouds gathered in the sky, and a vicious lightning resembling a demonic dragon coiled around him.

“The black lightning tribulation indeed matches the description in Long Xu’s self-transmission.”

Having roughly confirmed this, Chen Ansheng controlled Li Xiuyuan to examine the geographical features beneath the sky.

The so-called space painting is a work that embeds scenes into a small space using celestial thoughts, allowing viewers to rotate the painting and see everything around them.

Under the oppressive sky, there lay a stretch of undulating mountains.

Among those mountains stood a hundred-story tower, radiating golden light, making it particularly eye-catching.

“If that tower is still there, I should be able to lock onto it and thus penetrate the Nether Realm!” Chen Ansheng thought hopefully.

Then, Chen Ansheng controlled Li Xiuyuan to purchase this space painting.

It cost a total of eighty celestial crystals, and Chen Ansheng generously gave an extra ten as thanks to the shopkeeper; after all, there may be other matters needing his assistance in the future, and leaving a good impression never hurts.

After securing the space painting, Chen Ansheng controlled Li Xiuyuan to bring it to himself.

Above a palace in the outer sect.

Ji Ziling went to the core hall to search for Murong Yan but failed to find him, thinking that since the chief assessment was about to take place, he must have gone into seclusion.

On her way back, she passed through the outer sect area and happened to see Li Xiuyuan walking out from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion.

With nothing better to do, she decided to secretly observe whether Li Xiuyuan was taking his business seriously.

Therefore, she concealed her aura and followed Li Xiuyuan into the bamboo forest.

Chen Ansheng walked out of the house and into the courtyard.

“Get in here!”

Chen Ansheng shouted at Li Xiuyuan.

This was the rule he set for himself: no matter when or where, to treat the puppet’s body as a normal person.

After all, there were many powerful cultivators in this spirit cave, and it was hard to guarantee that no one would extend their spiritual sense to investigate.

“Brother Chen, I brought what you wanted,” Li Xiuyuan said with a grin.

“You’re quite sensible, get in here.”

“Alright.”

Chen Ansheng opened the prohibition and quickly pulled Li Xiuyuan inside, then shut it.

At that very moment, Chen Ansheng sensed something unusual.

“There’s someone nearby spying on me!” Chen Ansheng was surprised internally, but outwardly remained calm: “When I lifted the prohibition, it seemed that person tried to rush in, hence they leaked a fluctuation of their spiritual energy. They must want to come and kill me!”

Chen Ansheng spread out his spiritual sense, searching around.

In the celestial realm, due to the overwhelming laws of heaven and earth, Chen Ansheng’s spiritual sense could only cover a distance of about ten zhang.

The other party seemed to be deliberately hiding, thus he found nothing.

But no matter who it was, Chen Ansheng acted as if nothing had happened.

He entered the house with Li Xiuyuan; the protective prohibitions inside were much stronger, making it almost impossible for outsiders, except for experts at the level of the Demoness, to penetrate their spiritual sense.

Chen Ansheng collected the space painting and some celestial crystals from Li Xiuyuan.

Then, he gave Li Xiuyuan a good beating and chased him out.

“Scram! If you buy me another substandard pill next time, I’ll kill you.”

“Yes, yes, yes! I was wrong, Brother Chen.”

Then, Chen Ansheng let Li Xiuyuan out of the courtyard.

Not far away in the dense bamboo grove, Ji Ziling observed everything: “What an arrogant bastard, you won’t be able to jump around for long, hmph.”