Chapter 120: A Way Out

"Pursue!"

Seeing this, Li Changsheng felt a flicker of surprise, his gaze deepening. With a wave of his hand, he collected the shattered golden eggshell and gave chase after the little black donkey. Sword Elder and Zhao Wan'er followed closely behind.

As expected, this donkey was no ordinary beast. Despite Li Changsheng exerting his full spiritual energy while in flight, he found it surprisingly difficult to close the distance with his Half-Step Immortal cultivation base, even though the donkey appeared to be merely at the early stage of the Void God realm. This piqued Li Changsheng's interest, and he followed at a leisurely pace, his mind turning over various schemes.

Boom!

Before long, a towering pillar of water erupted from the ten-thousand-zhang surface of the Broken Immortal Lake!

"Hee-haw!"

A forlorn cry, sounding as if it lacked the love of any parents, echoed across the vast sky. The figures of the black donkey and Li Changsheng emerged. Trailing behind Li Changsheng were the cold-faced Zhao Wan'er and the phantom, eerie form of Sword Elder.

Roar!

At that moment, in the far distance, the clouds churned violently as a ferocious, golden-scaled flood dragon suddenly appeared.

"Who dares to harm my spirit beast?"

A youth in white stood atop the dragon's head, his expression grim. His voice, amplified by spiritual energy, boomed like rolling thunder. Li Changsheng and his companions glanced over, momentarily taken aback.

*Tsk...* This guy certainly puts on a grand show.

"Slay that beast," Li Changsheng said calmly, his tone indifferent. High profile or not, if you try to challenge me, you’re getting cut down.

"As you command."

Zhao Wan'er’s eyes flashed with a murderous light, and a violent aura surged around her. As the demonic blade *Extinction* materialized in her hand, a fierce, savage storm erupted in the area.

Boom!

Within a radius of ten thousand miles, dark clouds gathered. As dull thunder rumbled, the gale grew even more ferocious.

*Hisss...*

Noticing the drastic change in the environment, the youth in white atop the dragon felt his mind go blank. He drew a sharp breath, his heart churning with overwhelming terror. This level of power—it was at least the Half-Immortal realm. Had he run into a hard target? Should he run? He felt a surge of panic.

His mind raced, yet he kept his expression perfectly still. He stood proudly with his hands behind his back, gazing calmly at the indifferent Li Changsheng, as if he possessed an immense trump card.

*Stay calm, don't panic...* he thought to himself. *Intimidate him first, then find a way to escape.*

"Ding! Host has terrified the Child of Destiny. Bonus reward: 1,000 Destiny Points."

When the system's voice rang out, Li Changsheng nearly laughed aloud. Looking at the pompous youth above, he thought, *This brat really has a thick aura of pretentiousness.*

*Swoosh!*

At that instant, Zhao Wan'er flicked her wrist, and a blade strike cut through the air. A flash of purple-black light appeared, instantly piercing through the flood dragon beneath the youth.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the dragon exploded into a mist of blood, its soul annihilated instantly.

"Ding! Host has slapped the face of the Child of Destiny. Reward: 500 Destiny Points."

"Ding! The Child of Destiny's fear has reached its limit. Bonus reward: 2,000 Destiny Points."

*Open the attribute panel and scout this cultivator.*

Watching the youth above, who maintained his composure as if he didn't care at all about the death of his mount, Li Changsheng sneered internally. *The law of the jungle prevails. Since I've already offended him, I might as well wipe him out completely to avoid any future complications. His Destiny Points are even higher than Lin Hao’s of the Demon Immortal lineage; he must be carrying plenty of treasures. If I can't kill him outright, I'll grind him down slowly.*

*Hmm?*

As he pondered, a flash of surprise crossed Li Changsheng's eyes. The way the black donkey looked at this person was strange—three parts hesitant, seven parts bewildered. Could this be a beast from his past life?

With that thought, a smile curled on Li Changsheng's lips.

"Don't think about running; you won't get away," Li Changsheng said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Chu Tian’s heart sank upon hearing this, and he cursed his luck.

"I won't even mention your intentions; the mere fact that you dared to offend me is enough for you not to leave easily."

As a Half-Step Immortal, Li Changsheng easily perceived Chu Tian's true emotions. He sneered, his voice betraying no joy or anger.

"I am willing to offer compensation; I only hope you will grant me a path to survival," Chu Tian said, a flicker of sharp light in his eyes. After a pause, he bowed respectfully with cupped hands.

"If you cannot produce something that interests me, your life ends here today."

Li Changsheng’s gaze was disdainful, his voice indifferent, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

"The ruins of the gods beneath the Demon-Cultivating Sea—does this information carry enough weight?" Chu Tian said, his eyes deep and voice low. With a wave of his hand, a jade slip flew toward Li Changsheng. If not for the immense pressure Li Changsheng exerted, he would never have surrendered this. He had no other choice.

"It is enough."

Li Changsheng took the jade slip with an indifferent expression, but a smile touched his lips. "You are so sincere; I fear it's not just to ensure your own safety, is it?"

The black donkey's reaction to this person’s approach had already told him everything. Coupled with the youth's bizarre behavior, it was clear something was amiss.

Chu Tian’s heart sank again, but he wore a look of helplessness and bowed deeply. "Since you have already discerned it, I will not hide it. This beast was encountered when I first entered the path of cultivation; we have been together for several years. We have shared life and death, and I have never treated him poorly with pills or medicine. Furthermore, he is greedy, and his cultivation is actually stronger than mine. If you let us go today, I will surely offer a generous gift in the future. Please, show mercy..."

The youth in white spoke with a reverence that bordered on groveling, his eyes filled with such sincerity that it almost seemed genuine.

"Very well, you may go."

Li Changsheng acted as if he had just realized something, but he was sneering internally. *A reincarnated Pill Demon? Those who claim to be gods and seal demons are ancient powerhouses who wouldn't even look twice at an Ancient Realm peak expert, let alone care about a donkey. This is just a stalling tactic.*

*Besides, anything that a former powerhouse would value so highly could hardly be an ordinary beast. He puts on quite a performance.*

"Thank you, kind sir."

Chu Tian was stunned, appearing almost unable to believe it. After a brief pause, he bowed deeply once more, though a trace of wariness flickered in his eyes. Just as he was about to reach out to collect the black donkey, a familiar, forlorn cry erupted!

"Hee-haw!"

The black donkey’s eyes suddenly shone with intense brilliance, as if it had spotted a peerless treasure. With an excited cry, it transformed into a black shadow and bolted toward Li Changsheng!

"You... you, you, you!!!"

Seeing this sudden turn of events, Chu Tian was completely dumbfounded. When he saw the object floating quietly before Li Changsheng, his eyes became bloodshot. As his body trembled, he wore an expression of profound agony.

What Li Changsheng held was the reward from the system: a Seedling of the World Tree! Though called a seedling, it remained in the form of a seed. It was crystal clear, swirling with divine light, and exuded a terrifying vitality. One look was enough to tell it was no ordinary item.

It was precisely this that had lured the black donkey to pounce toward Li Changsheng!

"You lowly scum! Such base behavior! Disgusting! Revolting!"

Seeing this, Chu Tian realized Li Changsheng had been playing with him all along. His eyes turned crimson, and he cursed with immense hatred, not daring to delay a second longer. He transformed into a white light and, with a *bang*, vanished into thin air. Even his aura became untraceable.

"Ding! Toying with the Child of Destiny. Bonus reward: 500 Destiny Points."

*Runs fast, doesn't he? That donkey, I'm afraid you two will never be together again.*

Li Changsheng smirked with disdain. As he watched the approaching donkey, his cold smile deepened. He flicked his finger, and a turbid, illusory droplet of water flew toward the donkey's mouth.

The droplet was illusory and difficult to detect with divine sense. Though the donkey sensed it, it paid no heed. But the next second...

"Hee-haw!!!"

A shrill, miserable cry, lacking the love of any parents, echoed as intense fear filled the donkey's eyes. In less than a moment, the donkey—no, the entire creature—vanished! Not a trace of its aura remained.

"Ding! Severed the fortune of the Child of Destiny. Chu Tian’s Destiny Points reduced by 5,000. Bonus reward granted to the host."

*This donkey is indeed not simple.*

As the system’s voice faded, a deep light flashed in Li Changsheng’s eyes. He allowed himself a faint, imperceptible smile. *Greedy? Go get along with those little fellows in the Underworld River for a while...*

With that thought, his smile grew broader. Sword Elder and Zhao Wan'er stood by with calm expressions. Having witnessed Li Changsheng’s heaven-defying capabilities before, they had become somewhat immune. In other words, no matter what bizarre thing happened to their master, they would no longer be shocked. After all, their Young Master was simply too profound... impenetrable... truly impenetrable.

At that moment, Li Changsheng’s expression suddenly darkened. With a wave of his hand, twelve jade slips appeared around him. They were blue-green, filled with mysterious energy. These were the Soul-Binding Jade Slips of the Twelve Imperial Guards!

*Crack... crack...*

In the span of a single breath, all twelve slips shattered!

*Twelve Void God peak experts, just like that, cut down?*

Li Changsheng’s face was as gloomy as water, and a murderous intent brewed in his heart. *Twelve pigs at the peak of the Void God realm would take half a day to slaughter! I want to see which great family is responsible for this.*

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he took a step, and his figure vanished instantly. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhao Wan'er and Sword Elder followed closely.

The Qingling Realm was neither too large nor too small. Besides the ancient Li family, there were five other top-tier families. Beyond them, there were only the dying ancestors of great sects clinging to life. These individuals and forces all possessed existences beyond the level of Earthly Immortals. And only those at the level of Earthly Immortals could easily wipe out Void God peak experts.

Excluding the great sects and families, Li Changsheng could think of no one else with the audacity to act.

*Move against my people? This debt must be settled!*

With that, his murderous intent surged. Shortly after, the void within the One-Sword Sect trembled. A noble figure in black-and-gold embroidered robes stepped out with an indifferent expression. Without delay, Li Changsheng spread his divine sense, instantly engulfing the entire sect. A dark look flashed in his eyes, and he stepped forward, vanishing again.

When he reappeared, he was in a stinking water dungeon. Only a mist of blood remained; not a single person was left.

"Your aura still lingers. Let's see where you can run."

He sneered, and a phantom river suddenly surged behind him. With a *whoosh*, a powerful, profound energy circulated. Thousands of illusory threads emerged from the Underworld River. Twelve faint, fading threads of causality were revealed, all connecting to the blood mist that had yet to dissipate. The other ends of these threads pointed toward the far east.

*A remnant of the Dao Immortal line? The Wang family?*

Li Changsheng’s eyes flashed with a cruel, mocking smile. *Those who kill will be killed in turn.* Li Changsheng didn't claim to be a good person, but he was certainly not one to commit evil for no reason. Whether it was Lin Hao or Chu Tian, he had always been on the defensive. If they hadn't been so persistent, they never would have fallen into his trap.

But then again, since things had reached this point, there was no point in saying more. He would find this person and shatter his soul. Anyone who dared to block his path would be eradicated!

"Young Master."

The void behind him trembled as Zhao Wan'er and Sword Elder emerged. They bowed respectfully, their expressions grave. Their master was noble and indifferent, but he was fiercely protective of his own. The death of the twelve guards would surely bring another storm of blood.

"Follow me to the Wang family!"

Li Changsheng’s tone was cold, almost heartless. As he spoke, he stepped forward and flew rapidly toward the east. Zhao Wan'er and Sword Elder did not dare to delay and followed immediately. However, before they left, Sword Elder quickly crushed a jade slip...

...

The three of them traveled with immense speed, leaving Chu Ridge in no time. After about half an hour of flying east, a vast expanse of mountains appeared before them.

The area was filled with treacherous peaks and deep ravines, with layers of ridges overlapping. Pine and bamboo surrounded the mountains, and endless clouds and mist gathered in the shape of a dragon. Everything was lush and vibrant, and as a gentle breeze blew, a faint, fragrant scent filled the air. It was a place of transcendent purity; one look was enough to tell it was not of the mortal world.

However, this beautiful scene was shrouded by a massive curtain of light, as if a giant dome had sealed the entire mountain range tight. Faint lightning flickered within, resembling a mountain-protecting formation. As blue light shimmered, it emitted an incredibly noble aura. It felt as if it were a place where the Blue Heaven resided, where the Great Dao constantly dwelled. Even low-level cultivators would be intimidated by the aura radiating from that blue barrier.