Tu Longjian, dressed in black, lowered the long hammer resting on his shoulder and stored it in his storage pouch before stepping forward. He glanced at Li Yuanjiao and thought to himself, Back then, I only saw the light of this artifact but never met this benefactor in person. It's possible he was already killed and the artifact was taken. I'll need to test him carefully to avoid any mistakes.
He stepped forward, cupped his fist slightly, and greeted softly, "Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
The figure shrouded in the Profound Patterned Spirit Mist remained highly alert, immediately putting away the jade bottle and turning toward Tu Longjian. A slightly hoarse voice emerged from within the mist, "I have gathered enough of this fire baleful qi. The rest is yours."
He seemed unwilling to cause trouble and gave a short response before turning to leave. But Tu Longjian couldn't let him go so easily. He stepped forward again, smiling as he said, "Fellow Daoist, do you recall the heir of Slaughter Jun? We met briefly on the borders of Profound Peak back then."
Tu Longjian kept his words vague, fearing the man might have killed his benefactor and stolen the artifact. The figure in the mist paused briefly and asked doubtfully, "You... are Tu Longjian? You have already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm!"
Hearing this, Tu Longjian did not relax his guard. Many people knew his name. He cautiously replied, "Senior, do you recall the spell I carried with me back then? What kind of spell was it?"
Li Yuanjiao hesitated for a moment. He of course remembered the Yang Nourishing Technique , a spell his family had used to convert Long Marching Fire Essence into a usable Grade Four cultivation method. Using a slightly uncertain tone, he replied, " Yang Nourishing Technique ?"
"Ha!" At this confirmation, Tu Longjian finally felt sure he was speaking to the right person. Genuine joy lit up his face as he exclaimed, "Senior, I have been searching for you everywhere!"
The Profound Patterned Spirit Mist around Li Yuanjiao's figure dissipated slightly, revealing his appearance. He studied Tu Longjian carefully for a moment before saying softly, "Your accomplishments now are a continuation of Slaughter Jun Dao lineage. That is a good thing."
Rather than emphasizing the favor he had done, Li Yuanjiao chose to highlight his connection to the Slaughter Jun Dao lineage. After all, the reason he had spared Tu Longjian back then was due to his ties to the Dao lineage. Hearing this, Tu Longjian's eyes reddened slightly. He nodded and said, "Indeed. If my master and elders could see the man I have become today, they would surely smile. That would be enough for me."
After a brief pause, Tu Longjian retrieved a reddish token from his robes. Black on the top and red on the bottom, its flowing lines caused Li Yuanjiao to narrow his eyes slightly. Tu Longjian gently held the token aloft, performing a hand seal as he activated it, and asked, "May I ask senior's name?"
The fire baleful qi immediately surged toward the token, pouring into it in a steady stream. Within a few breaths, the baleful qi was completely absorbed. Tu Longjian put the token away, and only then did Li Yuanjiao fully disperse the mist concealing his face.
"Li Yuanjiao," he answered.
Tu Longjian looked him over, finding that Li Yuanjiao's demeanor matched his expectations. Smiling, he asked, "Senior, are you here at Green Pine Temple hoping to enter the grotto heaven?"
Li Yuanjiao replied softly, "Just trying my luck. The grotto heaven is not something one can enter at will... If I cannot gain entry, collecting some spiritual qi would suffice."
Tu Longjian nodded and said in a quiet tone, "If senior is interested, why not join forces with me for a few days on the island? It might serve as mutual support."
Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Do you have any companions? If we are to join forces, please introduce them."
Tu Longjian chuckled and said lightly, "This junior has traveled alone and has no companions."
Li Yuanjiao was somewhat surprised. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded and said, "Very well. I too am alone. Allow me to attend to something, and I will return shortly."
"Please go ahead, senior," Tu Longjian said with a humble fist cup. He watched as Li Yuanjiao flew off on the wind, then sat cross-legged, deep in thought, His cultivation method is rather ordinary, with nothing particularly remarkable. At most, he seems like a clan cultivator... Back then, I was just a lowly Qi Cultivator, my talents yet undiscovered. It shouldn't have been possible for someone to have schemed against me in advance.
Tu Longjian stroked his chin as he thought to himself, This is a matter of life and death. Having a helper is always good... Even if I can't escape in the end, leaving treasures or other things to repay a favor is better than letting the Daoist Masters have them.
As Li Yuanjiao rode the wind away, he too was mulling things over with some surprise.
Tu Longjian had not suggested bringing him into the grotto heaven, and Li Yuanjiao wasn't in a rush. Staying close to Tu Longjian was enough, as the young cultivator was already a focal point of many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators' attention. It was only a matter of time before he entered the grotto heaven.
To Tu Longjian, Li Yuanjiao likely appeared to be just a clan cultivator. Perhaps Tu Longjian was planning to wait for the grotto heaven to manifest more clearly before pretending to enter it by chance.
But given the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators' careful arrangements, Tu Longjian likely had a method to bring a few disciples into the grotto heaven. Yet, he appeared to have no companions, which was curious.
Pondering this, Li Yuanjiao soon found Li Qinghong.
The grotto heaven was incredibly dangerous, so it was impossible for Li Yuanjiao to bring the Immortal Mirror inside. Without saying much, he handed the artifact to her and said softly, "There may be Purple Mansion Realm cultivators guarding the perimeter of the island. Be vigilant."
Li Qinghong understood Li Yuanjiao's concern: using the Immortal Mirror to detect spirit treasures could appear as though she possessed foreknowledge, potentially arousing suspicion. She nodded and replied softly, "I understand."
Li Yuanjiao took off, soaring into the sky and gradually disappearing. Li Qinghong remained at her post amidst the waves for a while before returning to her temporary dwelling on the sea.
Li Yuanjiao's errand took only a few hours, and he soon returned to Green Pine Island. He found Tu Longjian holding a golden hammer in one hand and a small storage pouch in the other, examining it carefully.
A headless corpse kneeled before Tu Longjian, its body covered in green spots emitting a strong pine-like fragrance. In the brief moment since Li Yuanjiao landed, the spots had begun sprouting, growing into small branches and leaves.
As Li Yuanjiao descended, Tu Longjian cupped his fist slightly and said, "An unwise fool crossed my path earlier. I have already dealt with him."
He chuckled and added, "The grotto heaven is about to manifest, and the activity in the great void will surely be spectacular. Even if a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator dies, it will not cause much of a stir, which saves us from drawing unnecessary attention."
Li Yuanjiao nodded, glancing at the corpse. Whatever anomaly the body had caused had been suppressed, leaving no clue of the deceased's cultivation level. Tu Longjian approached with a cheerful expression and said, "Senior, why not walk with me around the island?"
————
At the edge of the island, Li Xuanfeng stood silently in midair, holding his bow without speaking. On the ground below, Zhong Qian and Kan Ziyu were carefully arranging a formation. Nearby, Lin Chensheng hovered in the air, observing quietly.
Lacking knowledge of formations, both Li Xuanfeng and Lin Chensheng merely waited. Zhong Qian and Kan Ziyu remained deeply focused on their work. Suddenly, Lin Chensheng's low voice echoed in Li Xuanfeng's ears, "Daoist Xuanfeng, are you a branch of Daoist Master Yuan Su's lineage?"
Li Xuanfeng remained unmoved, responding softly with a voice carried by mana, "That is correct. May I ask where you are from?"
Lin Chensheng's expression remained calm as he replied, "I am the nephew of Daoist Master Houfu."