Druid Fairy

Chapter 106 Dragnet
Li Pingcan's figure flickered, transforming into a nightingale, soaring upwards and flying towards the cave of the Five Spirit Beasts.

"Immortal Night, why are you in such a hurry?"

Tiger was the first to come out to greet them, and he was surprised. Night Immortal Venerable was always calm and peaceful, but today he was completely different from usual.

The other spirit beasts, including Xiong Eryuan and the third-class spirit beasts, were also surprised. They had never seen the Night Immortal Venerable reveal such a clear and sinister aura, which made these overlords of the mountains feel a strange sense of unease.

"Gentlemen, I have a request to make."

"Please speak freely, Immortal Night."

"I'm going to wipe out a gang of villains at Black Cloud Temple, which is 300 miles away."

Li Pingcan's gaze swept over the Five Spirits. "I need you to do me a small favor. Guard the five mountain paths leading out of Black Cloud Temple and make sure not a single fly gets out."

After the deed is done, I will reward you handsomely and set up a hidden array in your caves, just like the one at Listening Wind Cliff.

Upon hearing this, Wu Ling's eyes lit up instantly.

They've been eyeing the Hidden Spirit Array for a long time; who wouldn't want their cave to be safer and more secluded?
"What are you saying, Immortal Venerable! Your business is our business, why talk about compensation!" Tiger said politely, his face contorted with laughter.

“That’s right!” Bai Hehe Si gracefully stretched his neck. “It is our honor to serve the Immortal Venerable.”

"It's nothing, we'll take care of it!" Xiong Er patted his chest and assured him, as if afraid that Li Pingcan would go back on his word.

"In that case, thank you all very much." Li Pingcan nodded slightly.

He knew in his heart that the people of the Wusheng Sect were unpredictable and might have some secret escape techniques hidden in their hands.

The five spirit beasts, being of one mind and positioned at the five corners, are essentially forming a net that can be cast from heaven and earth.

The five spirit beasts immediately obeyed the order without hesitation, transforming into five streams of light and silently infiltrating the mountains and forests surrounding the Black Cloud Temple, as instructed by Li Pingcan.

…………

Outside the Black Cloud Temple, deep in the dense forest.

Li Pingfu and Li Pingan had already been lying in wait, while Li Yuan, Xie Xiaodao, and several other trusted brothers used the hooting of owls as a signal to scatter and keep watch in various places.

Li Pingfu remained indifferent, concealing his aura as he observed the movements of Tingfeng Temple.

Li Ping'an then deduced the action plan for tonight, considering every possible change and how to deal with it.

"Big brother, second brother, I'm here."

The three brothers met, and a simple glance conveyed all their unspoken words.

The next moment, Li Pingcan looked into the distance at the Black Cloud Temple, which resembled a lurking beast in the night, and frowned slightly.

"A formation has been set up here."

"A formation?" Li Pingfu was taken aback. Although he was a master of innate level with keen senses, he did not notice anything unusual.

"Mm." Li Pingcan nodded.

"As long as an outsider steps within three hundred paces of the Taoist temple, the formation will be activated, not only firing a barrage of poisoned crossbow bolts, but also triggering the alarm bells inside the temple, alerting the enemy."

Li Pingcan explained, "However, the person who set up the formation was obviously a self-taught formation master who only knew the form but not the principle."

He looked at a few seemingly random rocks and a crooked old tree in the distance.

The array base is unstable, the flow of spiritual energy is obscure, and the nodes are so obviously exposed...

Was the person who set up the trap afraid that others wouldn't discover it was a trap?
Li Pingfu and Li Pingan were completely confused, but they understood one thing—their younger brother had a solution.

"I'll be right back." Li Pingcan moved swiftly, about to sneak over.

"I'll go with you, brother," Li Pingfu said, still worried.

“No need.” Li Pingcan waved his hand. “Making too much noise will only expose us. You can wait here for my signal; a cup of tea will suffice.”

Having said that, he seemed to blend into the night, and with a few leaps, he disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

Instead of directly destroying the nodes of the formation, he acted like a master locksmith, using his pure spiritual energy to subtly inject it along the original patterns of the formation, temporarily "deceiving" several key connection points.

The entire process was smooth and silent.

Inside the Taoist temple, the Wusheng sect members responsible for monitoring the array were completely focused, yet they didn't notice anything amiss.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Pingcan reappeared.

"All done," he said easily. "We can go in now."

Is this solved?
Li Pingfu and Li Pingan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Contrary to their expectations of hardship and danger, the operation seemed far too simple. They didn't even see what their third brother had done before the road was already clear.

…………

"Get ready to take action!"

At Li Pingfu's command, his trusted brothers moved like arrows released from a bow, silently rushing into the Black Cloud Temple.

"who!?"

"Enemy attack!"

Chaos erupted inside the temple as a dozen or so Wusheng sect members dressed in black, armed with weapons, rushed out of the various rooms. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a sinister face, who was none other than the Wusheng sect's holy envoy who had come to make contact.

The envoy's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at Li Pingfu bursting through the door.

An innate master!

A storm raged within him.

It must have been that incompetent Zhou Tong who failed in his duties and exposed his whereabouts. But what's even more terrifying is that the outer perimeter security array didn't react at all!

What does this mean?
This means that there is a master in the opposing camp who can silently break through the formation he set up!

Finished!

The two words flashed through the Holy Envoy's mind instantly.

What kind of powerful figure did Zhou Tong, that incompetent fool, offend? How could he possibly have the power to send a master of formations to help him?

This configuration is enough to attack even some small cultivation families!

Without a second thought, he shouted sharply, "Form ranks! Kill!"

The Wusheng sect members were well-trained and remained calm despite their initial shock. They quickly formed a simple combined attack formation, their blades flashing and their killing intent rising as they surrounded and attacked Li Pingfu.

"A bunch of chickens and dogs!"

Li Pingfu was burning with rage. Now that he had seen his enemy, he would no longer hold back. Like a tiger descending a mountain, he charged directly into the battle formation.

In an instant, the wind howled from the punches, and the sound of bones shattering was incessant.

Every punch and kick from Li Pingfu contained a violent innate true energy. When the cultists slashed at him with their knives and spears, they couldn't even break through his protective true energy. Instead, they were shaken so badly that their tiger's mouths split open and their weapons fell out of their hands.

Li Pingfu's fists, however, were like battering rams; a single blow could cause injury or death.

It was almost a one-sided massacre!

The envoy's eyelids twitched violently. Without hesitation, he turned and fled towards the back hall of the Taoist temple.

If we can escape, these people will pay back a hundredfold for what we owe them today!
However, as soon as he turned around, he found that his path was blocked by a figure in blue.

It was Li Pingcan.

"Where are you headed in such a hurry?"

Li Pingcan looked at him with a smile, but in the eyes of the Holy Envoy, that smile carried a strong killing intent.

"Go away!"

The Holy Envoy was furious. He could only sense a faint martial arts aura from Li Pingcan, not even at the Divine Fiend Realm.

This insignificant nobody dares to block my way!?
Without saying a word, a dark light flew out from his sleeve, transforming into a ferocious black snake that opened its blood-red maw, bringing with it a foul, poisonous stench, and lunged at Li Pingcan's face.

This is the "Poisonous Rope," a treasure he has refined for many years. It is extremely poisonous, and even ordinary innate masters would suffer from its poisonous effects if bitten, greatly diminishing their combat power.

Faced with this fierce attack, Li Pingcan neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his hand casually.

[Elemental Absorption]!
The moment the black snake artifact touched his palm, the poisonous aura on it melted away like ice and snow, and was rapidly absorbed and transformed by an invisible force. Even the spiritual light contained within the artifact itself dimmed a bit.

Li Pingcan even felt that his magical power had increased slightly as a result.

"What!?"

The Holy Envoy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. His prized poisonous magical artifact had actually been caught by the other party with his bare hands? And it seemed that not only had it not harmed the other party, it had actually "recharged" the other party!
What kind of sorcery is this?!

The holy envoy was horrified. Before he could retrieve his magical artifact, he quickly formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

"Blood Soul Curse!"

He suddenly pointed out, and a blood-red talisman appeared out of thin air, carrying a strange power that could erode the soul, and imprinted itself on Li Pingcan's brow.

This is a secret incantation of the Wusheng Sect, extremely vicious, specifically designed to attack a person's soul. "Well done!"

Li Pingcan's eyes lit up. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, extending his finger as well. A sacred and warm soft light flowed from his fingertip.

[Nature's Divine Grace]!
"Buzz!"

The moment the crimson rune touched the holy radiance, it was like a red-hot iron falling into ice water; with a "sizzle," a puff of black smoke rose, and it vanished without a trace.

That pure, natural power that wards off evil spirits and exorcises demons is the nemesis of such sinister spells!
"puff!"

With the spell broken, the Holy Envoy was struck as if by a heavy blow. His soul trembled, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning ashen white.

He stared in utter horror at Li Pingcan, this seemingly ordinary young man who effortlessly deflected his two deadly attacks with a mere gesture.

This is hardly the work of a martial artist!
This is clearly a highly skilled cultivator whose cultivation far surpasses his own, a master of disguise who is actually a wolf in sheep's clothing!
The Holy Envoy was utterly terrified. He had lost all will to fight and had only one thought in his mind!
escape!
He suddenly pulled out the last talisman from his pocket. This talisman was light gold in color, and the runes drawn on it were far more complex and profound than the previous poison talismans, emitting a strong spatial fluctuation.

A first-grade superior talisman, the Thousand-Mile Talisman!
This is his biggest trump card, a precious talisman that would make even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators envious!

If this operation were not crucial, the Holy Church would not have bestowed this talisman upon them.

"You brat! Just you wait! I swear I won't rest until I avenge this!"

The holy messenger let out a venomous roar and crushed the talisman without hesitation.

"Buzz!"

A soft golden light instantly enveloped him, his figure began to become ethereal and transparent, and the surrounding space distorted accordingly.

"They really have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

Li Pingcan's eyes narrowed; he hadn't expected the other party to possess such a treasure.

"Little brother! Don't let him get away!"

Seeing this, Li Pingfu shouted urgently, "Letting such a ruthless evil cultivator escape will cause endless trouble!"
However, the reason why the Thousand-Mile Talisman is so precious is because of its powerful effect; the speed of spatial teleportation is so fast that it is impossible to keep up.

The holy envoy's figure vanished completely in the golden light.

Li Pingfu was extremely anxious, but he saw that Li Pingcan was calm and composed. He simply looked up at the mountains and forests of Heiyun Temple and said calmly, "Don't worry, brother, he can't escape."

Knowing that cults were cunning and treacherous, he had already prepared a backup plan, but he was puzzled by something else.

The Wusheng Sect's influence in Yunshui County was at most a small branch, and in theory, it was absolutely impossible for them to possess a precious first-grade high-quality talisman like the "Thousand Mile Talisman".

The identity of this holy envoy is probably not as simple as that of an ordinary branch leader.

…………

On the edge of the forest, in a secluded clearing.

Space distorted for a moment, a golden light flashed, and the holy envoy's figure appeared in a disheveled state.

He staggered a few steps, then fell to the ground with a thud, panting heavily, his face filled with relief and lingering fear at surviving the ordeal.

"That was close! That was close!" He clutched his chest, still shaken.

That top-grade first-tier Thousand-Mile Talisman was his ultimate life-saving trump card, which he had obtained after countless efforts and achievements. He never expected that it would be lost in this small Yunshui County.

The thought of that mysterious youth who could catch his magical artifact with his bare hands and break his spell with a wave of his hand filled the Holy Envoy with an uncontrollable fear and resentment.

'Just who is that kid? A powerful cultivator pretending to be weak while actually being strong? Or is there some terrifying entity behind the Li family that we don't know about?'

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He felt that Yunshui County had become a place of hidden dangers and intrigues, and that if he stayed any longer, he might be completely swallowed up.

The envoy calmed himself down a little, and a sense of pride rose in his heart.

So what if a martial artist with innate talent is strong?

So what if the formation master is incredibly skilled?

Compared to spatial treasures like the "Thousand-Mile Talisman," it is ultimately beyond our reach.

'Forget it, let's leave here first and report this to the Holy Lord. That good-for-nothing Zhou Tong almost got me killed!'

He straightened his tattered robes, checked his bearings, and prepared to leave this place of trouble.

However, as soon as he lifted his foot, an indescribable, terrifying pressure descended like an invisible, ancient divine mountain!
"Ok?"

The envoy felt a chill run down his spine; a powerful sense of impending death instantly gripped his heart.

He suddenly raised his head, his pupils shrinking sharply.

In the moonlight not far ahead, a massive, striped tiger, larger than anyone could imagine, was crouching quietly.

The tiger's fur gleamed, the "king" character on its forehead was clearly visible, and its golden eyes, gleaming with indifference and majesty in the night, were staring at him with great interest, like a cat watching a mouse that had wandered into its territory.

"A spirit... a spirit beast!?"

The envoy's mind went blank with a "buzz".

In the next instant, four figures suddenly appeared from four directions: a crane spreading its wings, a mountain ape leaping, a black bear stomping the ground, and a spirit deer radiating nine-colored light... forming an encirclement.

The envoy was immediately dumbfounded!

Five spirit beasts, to make matters worse!

In an instant, a pressure several times more terrifying than the innate pressure he faced from Li Pingfu, like a tangible mountain, slammed down on his soul.

Faced with this oppressive force originating from the depths of his bloodline, his proud mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level was like a candle flickering in the wind, and even his magical power could not circulate smoothly.

This is no ordinary spirit beast!
That pure and powerful aura clearly belonged to the king of the mountains!
'How is this possible? How could such a powerful spirit beast exist in such a remote and impoverished place? And why did it happen to appear at the exact spot where I teleported?'

The envoy was instantly overwhelmed by fear. He couldn't understand, and he didn't have time to think. His survival instinct made him instinctively reach into his robes again, only to find them empty.

The Thousand-Mile Talisman has already been used.

"Roar!"

Tiger let out a deep roar, as if a thunderclap had exploded in the Holy Envoy's mind.

It slowly stood up, taking elegant yet imposing cat-like steps, and approached step by step.

The Holy Envoy was terrified, and he screamed in a fierce but cowardly tone, "Beast! How dare you! I am the Holy Envoy of the Wusheng Sect. If you harm me, my sect's Holy Master will tear you apart, skin you alive, and destroy your soul!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of human disdain and mockery appeared in Tiger's golden beast eyes.

It was as if it were saying: You? You think you're worthy?

The next instant, Tiger's figure moved.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, just an extremely fast afterimage.

The envoy only felt a blur before his eyes, and a foul stench rushed towards him. Before he could even summon his magical artifact, a tiger's claw, covered with thick pads of flesh yet containing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, had already casually patted his chest.

"boom!"

There was a muffled sound.

The envoy felt as if he had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer, his vision filled with stars and the world spinning around him.

He didn't even utter a scream before his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Tiger Great flicked its paws dismissively, as if it had merely swatted away an annoying fly. It licked the dust off its paws, then grabbed the Holy Envoy by the collar and, together with the other four spirits, ran toward the location indicated by Night Immortal.

…………

"Thank you all for your help."

Li Pingcan, transformed into a nightingale, descended from the sky and landed on Hu Da's head, nodding slightly to the five spirit beasts.

"You're too kind, Immortal Night! It's nothing to mention."

Tiger said in a deep, gruff voice, but his claws did not loosen at all. Instead, he pressed down even more, causing the holy envoy who was trying to escape to let out a pig-like scream of pain.

Seeing this, Li Pingcan stopped being polite and took out a green leaf imbued with the scent of the Mulberry Spirit Tree from his pocket, handing it to the Five Spirit Beasts.

"This is the 'Tracing Leaf,' on which I have drawn an array. If you hold this leaf, you will not be misled by the illusion array of Mount Ling and can return at any time."

"Thank you, Immortal Venerable Ye!"

The five spirit beasts were overjoyed and carefully took the leaf, as if it were a priceless treasure.

Although everyone here is a "homebody" and rarely leaves Mount Ling, staying voluntarily and being trapped are completely different concepts.

To them, this tiny leaf is far more valuable than any rare and precious treasure, meaning they have true freedom!

With both the Hidden Spirit Array and the Leaf Tracking Technique, this trip was truly worthwhile.

Night Immortal is so generous! Not only is the task easy, but the reward is also excellent!

For a moment, the Five Spirits had only one thought in their minds.

Serving the Night Immortal is really great!
(End of this chapter)