When Li Chang’an saw the flame burning ever brighter, he resorted to his old method. Using his formidable spirit and profound soul as a razor-sharp blade, he forcefully peeled it from the back of his hand.
The Soul Fire flew into midair.
Li Chang’an glanced down at the back of his hand. There were no visible marks, yet he felt as if the flesh there had curled and been roasted to a blackened crisp.
It was invisible to the naked eye.
Only through his spirit and soul could he perceive the injury.
Li Chang’an let out a self-deprecating smile.
He was just about to put the Soul Fire away when, at that very moment, a pale, withered hand shot out from over the surrounding wall, snatching at the Soul Fire!
Li Chang’an had already been on high alert.
Therefore, he reacted in less than 0.01 seconds, thrusting out his own arm. Despite this, the speed of the withered hand’s owner still far exceeded his expectations.
Even though he had been prepared, by the time his hand arrived to intercept, the withered palm had already snuffed out Lu Shang’s Divine Soul Flame in midair.
Li Chang’an’s pupils contracted.
He stopped trying to block the hand and instead tried to seize the person himself.
But the person was incredibly fast.
Their hand was quick to extend and just as quick to retract!
Before Li Chang’an could even touch the corner of their sleeve, the person had already withdrawn their hand and turned to leave.
Unwilling to let them escape, Li Chang’an opened his mouth and spat a jet of flame.
The attack was so sudden that the owner of the withered hand had no time to prepare and was hit squarely by Li Chang’an’s blast of fire.
This was a Cultivator’s Fireball Skill.
Though the Technique had a simple name, nothing involving Cultivators was ever truly simple!
However, even after taking a direct hit from the Fireball Skill, the speed of the withered hand’s owner did not decrease in the slightest.
"A Cultivator? Damn you!!"
The hoarse voice was laced with the sound of gritted teeth.
The person seemed wary of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace’s territory.
Even when Li Chang’an attacked with a Cultivator’s Technique, the person showed no intention of retaliating or staying. After spitting out that one resentful curse, they vanished completely from Li Chang’an’s sight.
The entire exchange happened too fast for an ordinary person’s eyes to follow.
Although Li Chang’an could see it clearly, he hadn’t had time to react or prevent it.
He looked down at the extinguished flame. The intruder had clearly only snuffed out the separated wisp, yet in doing so, had also extinguished the rest of the Soul Fire that Li Chang’an had previously peeled off Li Yuanqing.
Li Chang’an never imagined that the spoils of war already in his grasp could be so thoroughly obliterated. His expression was indescribably foul.
Fortunately, before the intruder had destroyed all traces of it, Li Chang’an had already inspected the Soul Fire, inside and out.
Otherwise, after all his painstaking effort to finally fleece the Child of Destiny, for it all to end in a fruitless endeavor—Li Chang’an would have been absolutely livid.
He glared in the direction the withered figure had vanished, his expression a mixture of shame and fury. He held the gaze for a long moment before finally relaxing.
Although it was his first time seeing that person, Li Chang’an didn’t find them unfamiliar.
The Techniques and skills Lu Shang had used to escape earlier were identical to those of the person just now.
It was obvious. The intruder was most likely the Guardian that the World Consciousness had prepared for Lu Shang, or perhaps even an incarnation of the World Consciousness itself.
They had gone to such great lengths just to obliterate this wisp of Soul Fire.
’It seems this Soul Fire can’t be exposed just yet!’
A thousand thoughts raced through Li Chang’an’s mind, but after a long while, he found he had no clear leads. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
First, and most importantly, he had to increase his strength.
The power levels in this world were simply too high.
As things stood, Li Chang’an felt he wouldn’t be completely safe even if he broke through to the Martial God realm. The strength of that withered old man alone was unfathomable.
The man had not only snatched something from right under his nose but had also escaped completely unscathed.
That wasn’t something an ordinary Martial God could accomplish.
At the very least, that grand-master of his, Li Lin, couldn’t have done it.
Besides increasing his strength, he had to continue searching for any trace of Lu Shang.
Even if he couldn’t eliminate the Child of Destiny right away, Li Chang’an had to find ways to fleece him for all he was worth.
If nothing else, the Cultivation Method for the Divine Soul was a treasure that held a fatal attraction for Li Chang’an. Given the chance, he would absolutely seize it.
The final matter also needed to be moved up on his agenda.
Li Chang’an had heard about Immortal Skills ever since he’d arrived in this world, but even now, he had no idea what they even were.
He needed to find a way to put some pressure on his grand-master and get him to hurry up and ask their legendary founding ancestor—the one who had established Great Zhou and subsequently ascended.
After clearly laying out everything he needed to do, Li Chang’an slowly let out a long breath.
To avoid being startled by another sudden attack, he scanned his surroundings. Only after confirming that he didn’t feel any prying eyes did he pick up a book from the shelf and begin to read.
At the same time, a message from the Rebirth Mark slowly materialized in his vision.
[Ding! You have succeeded in Defying Fate!]
[At ten years old, you used your younger brother, Li Yuanqing, to outwit the Child of Destiny, Lu Shang. You successfully defeated him at the Martial Dao Tournament and seized a portion of his fortuitous encounter!]
[Rebirth evaluation has increased. You have received an additional 50,000 Rebirth Points!]
Outwitting the Child of Destiny had earned Li Chang’an a cool fifty thousand Rebirth Points. This Child of Destiny was truly a massive treasure trove, always providing unexpected ways for Li Chang’an to fleece him.
A smile involuntarily touched the corners of Li Chang’an’s lips.
He couldn’t wait to meet Lu Shang again.
...