Chapter 150: No Need for Plots, Strength Breaks All

If she was unlucky enough to run into a Tier Three Demon King in the Black Dragon Mountain Range, it would all be for nothing.

Li Chang’an could only wish Zheng Qingqing good luck.

’I hope she doesn’t run into any demon beasts that are too powerful.’

Before he knew it, evening had fallen.

Li Chang’an bid farewell to Zheng Qingqing, returned to his residence, and continued to temper his body.

’There are nine stages of Body Refinement, and the pain of each is more intense than the last. No wonder so many cultivators can’t persevere.’

He frowned slightly, his entire body submerged in a medicinal bath.

The pain of the ninth stage was almost too much for even him to bear.

Left with no other choice, he could only distract himself by reading through the Spirit Doctor’s legacy.

Just then, a divination suddenly manifested, indicating that an enemy was about to attack.

[Divination has been refreshed]

[Today’s Divination: Auspicious]

[A puppet carrying an Array-Breaking Treasure will launch a sneak attack. The puppet possesses thirty percent of the strength of an Early Stage of Foundation Establishment cultivator. It will be destroyed by the Profound Water Turtle, and you will obtain many precious Puppet Materials.]

’Thirty percent of the strength of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator?’

Li Chang’an was secretly astonished.

’A puppet like that should be at the threshold of Tier Two.’

’The materials required to build it must be incredibly precious and expensive.’

’Who’s rich enough to use such an expensive puppet against me?’

Li Chang’an pondered for a moment.

’The only ones who could afford a puppet like this are most likely Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators.’

’That instantly narrowed the list of suspects.’

’It’s either the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Cao Family or Huang Feng’s master, Murong Kang.’

’Of course, Chu Xiong is also a possibility.’

’With a mind like Chu Xiong’s, he probably couldn’t come up with such a plan. If he really wanted to get me, he’d most likely do what he did last time: barge in and try to break the array with brute force.’

Li Chang’an shook his head slightly. ’It’s unlikely to be Chu Xiong.’

’Oh well. No matter who it is, since they’re coming, they can leave their treasure behind!’

The divination had mentioned two kinds of treasures.

One was the materials from the puppet itself.

The other was the Array-Breaking Treasure it carried.

Both were quite valuable.

’I’ve spent a lot of Spirit Stones recently. This is a perfect chance to recoup some of my losses.’

...

「Late at night.」

「At the foot of Yellow River Mountain, inside Huang Feng’s residence.」

Murong Kang walked over to Huang Feng’s sickbed and took out a Small Jade Bottle from his Storage Pouch.

Though his expression was cold, his tone carried a hint of concern.

"Feng’Er, this is a Vessel Continuation Pill. It works wonders for damaged meridians. Swallow it, and I will help you guide its medicinal power."

’It’s a Vessel Continuation Pill.’

Huang Feng was deeply moved.

He knew that Vessel Continuation Pills were incredibly expensive. There were only a few even in the Treasure Vault of Yellow Crane Immortal City. The materials required for refining these Elixir Pills were simply too rare; even a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator would struggle to gather them all.

Murong Kang must have paid an enormous price to obtain this Elixir Pill.

"Master, this disciple is foolish. I’m truly not worthy of such a sacrifice."

"Don’t be ridiculous!"

Murong Kang chided, his face stern.

"Swallow this Elixir Pill at once!"

"Yes, Master."

A hundred emotions welled up in Huang Feng’s heart as he took the Elixir Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

Murong Kang placed his hand over Huang Feng’s Dantian and sent a sliver of Magical Power into his shattered meridians, slowly guiding the pill’s potency to repair them.

The entire process was exceedingly long and required immense concentration.

There could be no room for error.

As time wore on, even a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator like Murong Kang began to feel the strain.

About an hour later.

His face had grown pale, beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and even his arm had begun to tremble slightly.

A short while later.

Murong Kang withdrew his hand and sighed.

"The potency of this one Vessel Continuation Pill isn’t enough. I will find you a few more."

"Master, your grace is immense. This disciple does not know how I can ever repay you."

Looking at Murong Kang’s pale face, Huang Feng was moved beyond words, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.

A rare smile touched Murong Kang’s lips, and his voice was gentle.

"Feng’Er, once you’ve recovered, you must dedicate yourself to your training. As long as your Cultivation becomes high enough, that will be all the repayment I need."

"Master, rest assured, I will train diligently from now on!"

Huang Feng swore an oath in his heart.

If his meridians could be healed, he would devote himself entirely to his cultivation and never disappoint his master again.

Nearby.

Huang Liang watched the scene, also moved beyond measure.

’Having a master like him is truly the greatest fortune of my life.’

Murong Kang seemed strict with them, but he actually cared for them deeply—far more than the masters of many other cultivators.

After all, there was a common saying in the Cultivation Immortality Realm: "A master opens the door, but you must enter by yourself."

After taking on disciples, many cultivators would only give them a Spiritual Land to train on and a Cultivation Technique, and then bother with them no further.

Xu Fugui’s master, Wang Fu’an, was a prime example.

But Murong Kang was different.

He frequently checked on his two disciples’ cultivation progress and took great care of them, treating them as if they were his own flesh and blood.

He even intended to deal with his disciples’ enemies for them.

"Feng’Er, tonight will be Li Chang’an’s last."

"Master, are you really going to act yourself?"

Huang Feng was worried.

Even Chu Xiong had failed to kill Li Chang’an; he was afraid that Murong Kang might also meet with an accident.

"Shouldn’t we use some kind of strategy to lure Li Chang’an out of Yellow Crane Immortal City, and then..."

"There’s no need for such trouble!"

Murong Kang cut him off.

"Feng’Er, you must remember this: in the face of absolute power, all schemes are meaningless!"

"Yes, I understand."

"Rest assured. That puppet has thirty percent of my strength. A mere Qi Refining Cultivator has no hope of stopping it. Once the array is broken, Li Chang’an’s death is certain!"

...

The night deepened, and a bright moon hung high in the sky.

All of Yellow Crane Immortal City had fallen silent.

At that moment, Li Chang’an was already hidden deep within his array.

The Profound Water Turtle was concealed in a corner of the courtyard.

Before long, the Thundercloud Annihilation Array was suddenly triggered.

’He’s here!’

In the next instant, a figure completely shrouded in a black robe slipped quietly into the courtyard.

The moment it appeared, it triggered the array’s killing formation.

However, it was prepared. It released several treasures to temporarily hold off the array.

Then, it took out a treasure that looked like a chessboard and gently placed a black stone upon it.

CLACK!

With that soft clack, everything in the courtyard instantly froze. The very air seemed to solidify, and the array ground to a halt. An eerie silence descended.

’This Forbidden Spirit Chessboard really works like a charm!’

Murong Kang sneered and put the chessboard away.

With the array gone, Li Chang’an was nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter in his eyes!

But just as he was about to enter the house,

a terrifying Water Element Technique, filled with unimaginable power, instantly blasted through the Protective Treasures around him and slammed heavily into his body.

BOOM!

The puppet shuddered, unable to react.

In an instant, it was blown to smithereens, exploding on the spot into a pile of broken parts.

It was all over in the blink of an eye.

Murong Kang had no idea where the enemy was or even who it was, and just like that, he lost control of the puppet.

"How is that possible?"

Back in his residence, Murong Kang’s face was ashen with disbelief. With a single slap, he shattered the Jade Table before him.

"It must be Pei Yingyao! She must have left some kind of protection for Li Chang’an!"

The power that had just appeared was far too tyrannical—it was genuine Foundation Establishment Power. How could his puppet possibly withstand that?

What he’d said earlier was right.

There was no need for schemes when strength could crush everything.

Except,

the one who was crushed wasn’t Li Chang’an, but he himself!