On Little Jade Peak.

Fire swords danced and array formations rotated as two figures battled back and forth in midair.

Today wearing an ice-blue long dress, Youqin Xuanya remained as naturally beautiful as ever, a peerless beauty of her generation.

Before the thatched cottage, Little Senior Aunt and junior sister sat at a low table, both looking up at the scene, with snacks and tea constantly at hand.

Whenever Youqin Xuanya flew over their heads, Little Senior Aunt would exclaim “Wow!”…

“Little Xuanya is wearing…!”

Ling’e quickly interrupted: “Senior Aunt!”

“Ah, hehe, Little Xuanya is just as beautiful as yesterday.”

In the air, Li Changshou smiled as he activated his talisman arrays, relying on nimble movements to shift position, appearing to be trading blows evenly with Youqin Xuanya, but in reality…

He was constantly being chased and attacked.

Following Senior Aunt Jiuzhou’s instructions, although Youqin Xuanya only used eighty percent of her power, she still deployed all her magical treasures, taking each practice session seriously…

The talismans for the arrays were consumable items, and though cheap, after several days of combat, Li Changshou felt some pain at their loss.

Their little ‘poor’ peak valued every bit of resource!

However, this current bit of wastage was worth it.

…

In the skies above a dense forest near a market town at the border of the North and South Continents.

A cloaked figure flew past on a cloud, and not long after, another figure pursued…

The two figures looked extremely similar.

The one who passed first was naturally the paper avatar Li Changshou used to impersonate Daoist Kuai Si;

The one behind was the real Daoist Kuai Si, whom Li Changshou hadn’t stopped monitoring for a moment.

After waiting for over ten years…

This chase spanning who knows how many tens of thousands of miles…

The target was lured out so easily that several of Li Changshou’s long-planned alternative methods never got the chance to be used.

There was no sense of matching wits with a worthy opponent.

Although the opponent looked down on him, Li Changshou took his opponent very seriously.

Li Changshou hadn’t set any ambushes or array formations in this direction, as that might have triggered the other’s spiritual sense;

Similarly, Li Changshou was also suppressing his killing intent at this moment, thinking of some friendly exchanges with the other party to prevent any premonitions.

Glancing at the sensing stone, Li Changshou already had his moment to strike, as there were now very few people paying attention to them…

No rush, better to be even more careful.

His immortal consciousness never stopped scanning the environment for hundreds of miles around, from high in the sky to thousands of feet underground;

Li Changshou’s mental power was fully engaged, constantly calculating and deducing.

While one paper avatar was here drawing out the snake, another paper avatar was in a different direction even further away, releasing a third paper avatar and eight original paper people, quietly preparing what would later become the ‘main venue’…

Half of the treasure materials accumulated from these dozen years of pill refining profits and monthly sect allowances were here.

To give Ling’e a sense of participation, Li Changshou had even withheld several months of her allowance, having her exchange it for some materials used in crafting the grand array’s foundation.

Of course, Ling’e didn’t know what her senior brother needed those materials for, but when her senior brother had needs, she served his efforts.

Li Changshou liked maintaining initiative but didn’t like actively inviting karmic entanglements.

Today, as Li Changshou took the initiative to act, he had already made thorough plans, as well as subsequent countermeasures.

Though he couldn’t say he was completely certain, after all, this Daoist he was targeting was also a disciple of the Human Dao school;

But now that the target had taken the bait, his confidence could barely be counted as ninety-eight percent.

…

These two figures flew a thousand miles one after another, and Daoist Kuai Si’s killing intent toward the person impersonating him grew increasingly intense.

It was obvious he had plenty of experience in killing for treasure and stalking – while following behind, he maintained a precise distance, neither too far nor too close, showing very experienced technique…

After flying twelve hundred miles, Daoist Kuai Si began quietly increasing his speed, continuing to conceal his aura fluctuations, inconspicuously approaching from the side and rear.

Just as Daoist Kuai Si was about to strike at the paper avatar impersonating him ahead;

What Li Changshou cared about was that – at this moment, there were no more immortal consciousness probes on several sensing stones.

Stalking and killing were something common in this town mixed with humans and demons, nothing unusual.

The paper avatar disguised as Daoist Kuai Si secretly opened a porcelain bottle, continued flying forward several hundred feet, and then suddenly turned to look behind.

To the side and rear, a thousand feet away;

Daoist Kuai Si frowned and stopped.

But then, Daoist Kuai Si gave a cold laugh and slowly rose into the air, maintaining the same height as his impersonator.

“Fellow Daoist,” Daoist Kuai Si said calmly, “impersonating this poor Daoist and parading around – perhaps you should give me an explanation?

Since we’ve formed this karmic bond, today, I’m afraid we must settle this matter.”

The fake Kuai Si’s expression changed, slowly retreating in the air, cupping his hands toward Daoist Kuai Si, saying: “Fellow Daoist, please don’t blame me. I did this only for convenience, with no intention to offend.”

“For convenience?”

Daoist Kuai Si advanced on his cloud, his hand behind his back already gripping a long sword and a flying shuttle, immortal power already flowing into the magical treasures…

The fake Kuai Si’s face showed a hint of panic, speaking again: “Fellow Daoist, I merely impersonated you, and haven’t sullied your reputation – surely this doesn’t warrant such a reaction.”

“Heh,” Daoist Kuai Si narrowed his eyes, the flying shuttle already vanishing from his hand.

This flying shuttle seemed capable of concealment, now making a wide circle to secretly approach the fake Kuai Si’s back.

Li Changshou’s mouth twitched – this fellow was also skilled in underhanded methods…

Hmm… why say ‘also’…

Unfortunately, although Daoist Kuai Si had this flying shuttle treasure, he still lacked vigilance…

Normally it was difficult to use poison in the air, requiring some time and easily detected by the other party;

But at this moment, as these two figures – one retreating, one advancing – with Daoist Kuai Si using most of his attention controlling that flying shuttle…

Suddenly there came a whooshing sound as the flying shuttle materialized behind fake Kuai Si, carrying blazing flames as it struck toward the fake Kuai Si’s head.

Daoist Kuai Si’s lips showed a cold smile, but this smile immediately froze.

The person impersonating him suddenly burst with energy, rising from early-stage True Immortal to late-stage True Immortal!

Just as his flying shuttle was about to strike the other’s head, a large hand reached back, immortal power gathering in the palm, grabbed the flying shuttle and extinguished its immortal flames.

“Fellow Daoist,” the fake Kuai Si gripped the constantly vibrating flying shuttle and said coldly, “It seems you and I must indeed settle this matter today.”

Daoist Kuai Si’s expression changed, and without saying a word, his form immediately retreated sharply!

But before he could turn around, having only retreated about a hundred feet, his vision suddenly went black, and he plummeted headfirst…

His primordial spirit grew confused, and his consciousness was interrupted.

The fake Kuai Si quickly flew forward, one hand gripping the flying shuttle, one hand grabbing Daoist Kuai Si, instantly sealing all of Kuai Si’s cultivation power;

Rapidly descending into the forest below, they disappeared using earth travel.

The first step… went quite well.

Although it was just ambushing a True Immortal, he had still paid attention to acting and script, calculated the other’s reactions, and displayed perfect poisoning technique…

A moment later;

Twenty-five hundred miles away from that market town, in the deepest part of a desolate valley concealed by array formations.

…

Pain, excruciating pain in his primordial spirit…

Daoist Kuai Si awoke from unconsciousness, feeling as if he had experienced a terrible nightmare;

In the dream, scenes had flashed through his mind, as if someone had been searching through his memories.

But in reality, from when he was drugged unconscious until now, only about half an incense stick’s time had passed, and he had indeed been subjected to soul-searching techniques.

To be thorough, Li Changshou had to verify whether this was indeed the person who had harmed his master;

Though soul-searching was somewhat against heaven’s will, it wasn’t difficult to master – Li Changshou had seen it in an ancient text fragment.

Searching for a soul was better than killing the wrong person.

However, if he hadn’t searched…

Li Changshou, such a gentle, refined, and principled young man of the Human Dao school, almost immediately scattered this fellow’s ashes!

Though Crossing Heaven Gate was only a medium-ranked immortal sect, it had many members, and inevitably would produce a few bad elements – this could be understood…

Quick action and immediate escape had always been Li Changshou’s strict requirements for himself.

But this time, because he had prepared isolation arrays in advance here, and needed to leave some ‘evidence,’ while also giving his enemy some unpleasant experiences, he spent a bit more time.

Now, as Daoist Kuai Si awoke and completed his internal inspection…

“No… my primordial spirit…”

Daoist Kuai Si called out weakly, his originally proper middle-aged face completely pale, his eyes first vacant, then greatly alarmed.

His primordial spirit had withered!

He didn’t know what had happened, but his primordial spirit had directly dropped in level, curled up and powerless, with barely any immortal power remaining in his body;

Nine long nails were inserted into his immortal body, sealing his purple palace, mystic apertures, celestial spirit, and nine other vital points, which were also the source of his extreme pain…

Not only that, clusters of earth vein turbid qi had somehow invaded his immortal body, polluting his immortal light, and those three dao flowers that hadn’t yet had the chance to bloom were now withering…

In this instant, Daoist Kuai Si knew he had been crippled.

His dao foundation was destroyed!

Daoist Kuai Si’s eyes turned red as he cursed: “Who! Who are you? How can you be so vicious!”

Suddenly a figure emerged from the ground in front, wearing black clothes, with a narrow face, surrounded by clusters of black qi, giving Daoist Kuai Si a cold smile.

Daoist Kuai Si was visibly stunned, immediately recognizing this person, and couldn’t help cursing: “So it’s you!

After taking my spirit stones and precious materials, how dare you go back on your word and ambush me like this!”

This person was none other than the centipede demon that Li Changshou and Senior Aunt Jiuwu had casually eliminated at the pleasure house that day.

Of course, this was also Li Changshou using a paper avatar to impersonate.

Since he had never heard the centipede demon speak, Li Changshou could only say hoarsely: “The other side offered more.”

“I shouldn’t have trusted someone like you! What could that mere Turbid Immortal give you!”

Suddenly, Daoist Kuai Si noticed something amiss.

He had never revealed his appearance before the centipede demon…

Rumble!

Thunder sounded overhead, and Daoist Kuai Si looked up to see the sky somehow already covered in black clouds.

The Daoist’s face grew even paler…

The dark clouds pressed very low, lightning flickering across them, streams of spiritual energy gathering from all around, the lightning continuously concentrating.

Not far away on the grassland, a large hand reached out and collected a previously placed sound and image ball.

—This sound and image ball was to prevent later events from growing too large and alerting Human Dao school experts to investigate the matter.

Though the probability was extremely low, it still needed to be considered thoroughly.

The paper avatar disguised as the centipede demon gave a cold laugh, slowly stepped back twice, its face gradually changing, then raised its hand to adjust its features, transforming into Daoist Kuai Si’s appearance before his eyes.

Daoist Kuai Si raged: “You!”

“Look up,” the paper avatar pointed to the sky.

Within the array, Daoist Kuai Si looked up, and the dark clouds above all flashed at once, countless lightning bolts suddenly erupting, merging in the air into a pillar of lightning!

Like the heavenly river opening its gates, like the sea of lightning surging.

The lightning flashed, directly engulfing Daoist Kuai Si who knelt there looking up…

Three Absolutes Thunder Array!

This was the strongest of the few lightning arrays Li Changshou could arrange, and also the closest to the immortal ascension tribulation.

The array base and array disk had been refined long ago, here he had only quickly placed them and used several small spirit-gathering arrays to rapidly collect spiritual energy.

This grand array had a total of three waves of lightning;

When the first lightning pillar fell, Daoist Kuai Si had no immortal power to resist, his immortal body was blasted apart, his primordial spirit directly torn, and the ground was split open with a huge hole;

While he was still barely conscious with the slightest feeling remaining, Li Changshou triggered the second wave of lightning to bloom, and the lightning pillar struck again…

Li Changshou secretly lamented that this still wasn’t a true immortal ascension tribulation, lacking that power that could instantly turn cultivators to ash.

After the third wave of heavenly lightning, only half of Daoist Kuai Si’s charred corpse remained.

Li Changshou’s consciousness dwelled in the paper avatar, which had now walked to Daoist Kuai Si’s corpse, silently thinking:

‘Dao foundation destroyed, facing heavenly lightning.

You should have experienced that taste now.’

With a wave of his sleeve, several paper people tumbled out, quickly cleaning up the array formations’ remnants;

Then three soul-capturing pearls were thrown out, frantically absorbing the remaining soul from the corpse.

This time, there was no step of chanting sutras for the crossing;

Li Changshou couldn’t possibly let this person have any chance of reincarnation.

As compensation, Li Changshou first burned it once with Three Realms True Fire, then once with ghostly cold fire;

Finally still not feeling at ease, he released two soul-devouring insects, letting these two poisonous insects linger near the ashes on the ground for a while.

Afterward, he also ignited the poison insects with Three Realms True Fire…

Li Changshou scattered the ashes on the ground, his gaze showing slight relief, his heart feeling somewhat lighter, vaguely gaining some insights.

But this time, he could only refuse the enlightenment, as there were still many aftermath matters to handle…

Killing an enemy was easy, but handling the aftermath required careful arrangement.