Chapter 486 - 264: Training in the Secret Realm, Imparting the Cautious Way

"Sigh, it’s all my fault for being too greedy. I found a Treasure inside this Array..."

The woman let out a deep sigh, and a glittering, golden Crystal Stone materialized in her hand.

Star Gold Stone.

A Tier Two Top Grade Treasure!

A piece of Star Gold Stone this large was worth at least ten thousand Spirit Stones!

Su Qingxue’s eyes focused. This item could be used to forge a Tier Two Top Grade Gold Element Spiritual Sword, which was exactly what she needed.

The woman inside the Array lamented, "Sigh, if I hadn’t been so greedy, I wouldn’t be trapped here. What’s the point of getting a Treasure if I’m not going to live to enjoy it?"

Su Qingxue immediately tried to comfort her. "Don’t lose hope, Daoist. It’s just a Tier Two Low Grade Array. I have a way to break it."

"Daoist, are you serious?"

"I am!"

"Oh, that’s wonderful!"

Joy filled the woman’s face, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

"Daoist, if you can save my life, I’m willing to give you half of this Star Gold Stone!"

Hearing this, Su Qingxue was secretly delighted.

’Saving a life and getting a Treasure—it’s killing two birds with one stone.’

She took out an Array-Breaking Treasure and was about to step forward to break the Array.

But just then, Li Chang’an reached out and stopped her.

"Don’t be rash. Things are not always as they seem."

"As they seem?"

Su Qingxue paused, understanding what Li Chang’an was implying.

She looked around but still couldn’t find anything suspicious.

The woman in the Array was indeed grievously injured, her life hanging by a thread.

If she didn’t receive treatment, she would probably die within half an hour!

"Elder Li, don’t worry. I’m not that easy to fool!"

Su Qingxue clutched the Array-Breaking Treasure tightly, still determined to save the woman.

Li Chang’an said in a grave voice, "Qingxue, if the person in the Array is a Tribulation Cultivator, you’ll be throwing your own life away."

"Elder Li, she’s so badly injured. How could she be a Tribulation Cultivator?"

"Anything is possible in the Cultivation Immortality Realm. I myself know several ways to fake a serious injury. Do you want me to list them for you?"

"No, Elder Li. Saving her is what’s important."

Su Qingxue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She felt Li Chang’an was being overly cautious.

She couldn’t help but recall what the outside world said about Li Chang’an.

’Turtle!’

Although she had expected it, she never imagined Li Chang’an would be this wary. He was more of a turtle than an actual turtle.

’Sigh, the Cyan Cloud Sect has countless Celestial Prides, but my master didn’t choose any of them, picking Elder Li instead. He might be handsome and have a refined air, but his personality is really not very likable...’

Su Qingxue sighed to herself.

At that moment, the woman let out a soft, pained groan. Her aura weakened considerably, and her injuries seemed to have worsened.

She begged, "Daoist, I’m willing to swear on my Dao Heart! I’m definitely not a Tribulation Cultivator! I was truly just trapped here by accident!"

"Don’t worry, Daoist, I’ll save you."

Seeing that the woman’s life was on the line, Su Qingxue couldn’t help but feel anxious.

She threw Li Chang’an’s warnings to the back of her mind and immediately deployed the Array-Breaking Treasure in her hand.

This Array-Breaking Treasure was Tier Two Low Grade, a perfect match for the Array.

The moment it struck, the entire Array froze for an instant, and its hidden Array Patterns flickered into view.

Su Qingxue immediately struck, erasing several Array Patterns and creating a flaw in the Array.

She entered the Array and asked with concern.

"Daoist, are you all right?"

"I’m fine! Thank you for saving me, Daoist!"

The woman’s face was full of gratitude, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She held out the Star Gold Stone to Su Qingxue and said, "Daoist, I can never repay you for saving my life. Please, take this entire Star Gold Stone."

"This... How could I possibly accept?"

Su Qingxue looked hesitant. Although she desperately wanted it, she still politely refused.

After all, they had agreed she would only take half.

After some back and forth, she accepted the entire Star Gold Stone.

Feeling its heavy weight in her hand, she couldn’t help but rejoice inwardly.

’Using this Star Gold Stone as the main component, along with some easier-to-find supplementary materials, I’ll have enough to craft a Spiritual Artifact perfect for me.’

’This Star Gold Stone is an unexpected bonus from this trip. It’s a good thing I didn’t listen to Elder Li, or I would have gotten nothing.’

Su Qingxue congratulated herself in her mind.

Just as she was about to put the Star Gold Stone away, she suddenly felt it grow scorching hot in her hand.

’This is bad!’

Her expression changed drastically. She instantly realized there was something wrong with the Star Gold Stone!

But before she could throw it away, there was a loud BOOM! The entire Star Gold Stone suddenly shattered, erupting with a blast equivalent to a strike from a Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Su Qingxue couldn’t react in time. She took the full force of the blow, her body trembling violently as she was sent flying backward, crashing hard against a massive boulder.

Under normal circumstances, even if the blast didn’t kill her, she would have been severely injured.

She had already braced herself for death.

But then she suddenly realized she didn’t feel the slightest bit of pain.

’I... I’m not dead? I’m not even hurt?’

Astonished, Su Qingxue looked down at her body.

Surrounding her were strange, intricate contraptions that had appeared out of nowhere. Though she couldn’t discern their Tier, they had blocked all the damage for her.

"Come!"

Li Chang’an raised his hand and beckoned.

The contraptions carried Su Qingxue over to his side.

Then, the contraptions all detached, coalescing into a single sphere that bobbed gently in the air beside them.

Su Qingxue was shaken to her core. She had never seen such a strange and wondrous Treasure.

"Elder Li, did you save me?"

"Mm."

Li Chang’an gave a slight nod.

Su Qingxue couldn’t help but lower her head and apologize in a small voice.

"Elder Li, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have ignored you."

After this deadly crisis, how could she not understand that the plea for help had been a trap from the very beginning?

The woman hadn’t been seriously injured, and the Treasure wasn’t a Star Gold Stone but a disguised Killing Artifact.

"It’s all right. Just be more careful in the future."

Li Chang’an smiled, his tone gentle, without a hint of blame.