Chapter 383 – Climbing up the Green Vine Mountain Again (2/2)

“If that’s the case, I don’t have to worry.”

Yu Shukuang patted his chest, guaranteeing that he would take care of everything and that Li Qingshan had nothing to worry about.

“Oh right, you’re acting like you don’t want Zijian to know. Are you looking down on me?” Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow.

“How can you say that…” Yu Shukuang immediately behaved like he had been wrongly accused of a tremendous crime, but he wiped his brow inside. Li Qingshan seemed like a very reasonable person, but he definitely was not a good or honest person. He was someone who could be truly cruel.

“Alright, alright. I’m just kidding with you. You don’t have to be so nervous. I’m going to go. Oh right, if things aren’t going well on the Green Vine mountain, feel free to come to Clear River city to seek shelter under me.” Li Qingshan patted Yu Shukuang’s shoulder with a smile and signalled at Xiao An, who was waiting at the bottom of the mountain. He took off on a cloud.

“Is it a trap?” Xiao An asked.

“Most likely. The old bastard is far too composed.”

“Are you still going to go?”

“Of course. I need to see what kind of trap it is at the very least.” Li Qingshan smiled. If the trap was too simple, it might end up being ripped to shreds by the wild beast.

The cloud turned towards a lake. Deep within the mountains and forests, there was no one around at all. Li Qingshan flattened all the ripples from the lake such that its surface became like a mirror, a perfect reflection of the sky.

Li Qingshan stood in the centre of the lake as his red hair danced.

“Watermirror’s Image!”

Ripples appeared, and the water became agitated, remaining like that for quite a while.

A hand extended out from the centre of the ripples, pushing off the surface of the water and leaping up. Scarlet eyes shone like fire, and the red hair danced around. He was even stronger and more nimble than the past.

After reaching the third layer of the Spirit Turtle’s Method of Sea Suppression, his daemon core had turned into a turtle shell, and Li Qingshan’s daemon qi had become even more powerful. Following this, the power of his Watermirror’s Image had become greater. It was almost twice as strong as the mirror clone from before.

Otherwise, with his original mirror clone, it probably would not even have been enough to deal with the Green Vine Elder, so there would be no point in investigating at all.

A crescent moon hung in the sky, surrounded by many stars.

The security on the Green Vine mountain was lax. Only a single protective formation operated constantly, such that even Hua Chengzan had managed to infiltrate this place in the past, let alone a Daemon General. All of this basically pointed to something being amiss.

Two patrolling disciples discussed quietly,

“Senior brother, has third senior brother and the others returned?”

“They haven’t. They’re probably going to be labelled as deserters. The daemon is far too scary.”

“If you’re so afraid, why’d you return? Are you afraid of being hunted down by the sect? Don’t tell me you’re taking the master-disciple relationship seriously!”

“What would you know? I’m not afraid of being hunted down by the sect at all. It’s just far too difficult being an independent cultivator. Even master is brave enough to return, so why wouldn’t I be too?”

At this moment, a figure emerged from behind a tree and appeared on the mountain path.

“Who is it!?” “Senior brother, I- I think that’s daemon qi!” “Oh no, it’s a daemon!”

They finally made out the person using the moonlight. They did not see a pair of sharp horns on his head, nor did they see an ice blade in his hand. They did not take note of any special features. They only saw a pair of scarlet eyes flickering in the darkness, giving them an impression even deeper than the moon and stars.

Li Qingshan did not disguise himself at all, whether it was his daemon qi or figure. He just walked up the mountain like that.

The two disciples stood on the path and stared at him as he walked over towards them. Even their courage to flee or to seek help had collapsed. They felt like they were watching a mountain collapse on them.

“Excuse me,” Li Qingshan said softly after arriving in front of them.

Only then did the two of them return to their senses. They scampered out of the way, just watching helplessly as Li Qingshan continued his way up. They glanced at each other before rushing down the mountain together.

The Green Vine mountain was just too dangerous. They would never return, even if their lives depended on it!

In the main hall, the Green Vine Elder snapped open his eyes, which shined in the darkness and flickered with unease. He only settled down after looking around.

Li Qingshan had only just reached the mountainside when all the disciples had already become alarmed.

Diao Fei was covered in cold sweat as he forcefully composed himself, barely able to rile together all the disciples. Since the sect master had not fled, he could not flee. However, all he was bold enough to do was watch from afar as Li Qingshan made his way to the mountain top.

“Green Vine you old bastard, today is the day you die!”

Li Qingshan’s lips curled into a smile, revealing his long teeth as he called out. It boomed through the clouds as daemon qi surged into the air, making the entire mountain shake.

“How dare you, wretched daemon! You’ve killed my fellow cultivators, and you’ve insulted my sect. Today, I will make you witness my power!” The Green Vine Elder responded in a similarly loud manner. “All disciples of the Green Vine mountain, disperse into the distance. There is no need for you to interfere. Watch as I slay a daemon!”

In the hall, two voices conversed.

“Is it his real body?”

“From the daemon qi, I think so?”

With a swing of the ice blade, Li Qingshan pointed it at the ground and climbed up several hundred stairs with a single step, causing three long, red and blue streaks to tail behind him. He arrived on the peak in a flash and shattered the ground. His blade rose up, pointing towards the sky.

A blade of light whistled through the air, illuminating the gloomy hall and the Green Vine Elder’s sunken face.