MTLNOVEL Chapter 312: Net of Schemes
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"Who dares trespass in Gutian Immortal City? Identify yourself, foul demoness!"
From within the immortal city, three True Dan cultivators flew out: one at the late-stage Core Formation and two at the mid-stage Core Formation.
Moments ago, the city's great formation detected an unusual disturbance caused by a fierce fight within the city. Just as they were preparing to dispatch people to investigate, an imposing Core Formation Great Cultivator suddenly descended upon them. To their surprise, it was an absolutely stunning and elegant female cultivator.
"I am the Peacock Saintess of Beast King Valley," the woman spoke with a serene but commanding tone. "Just now one of my men died within the immortal city. I hope that Your Excellency will cooperate with me to apprehend the true culprit."
The Peacock Saintess was adorned in a dazzling, multi-colored robe resembling a peacock’s plumage. Her snow-white lotus-like feet stepped on air as if she were an elegant, noble peacock surveying the cultivators of this desolate barren land.
Though lowering herself to such a place, her ethereal beauty and charm carried a mix of holiness and seduction. She directed her gaze toward the late-stage Core Formation puppeteer with a mechanical arm. With a faint, confident smile, she exuded a sense of majesty and disdain.
"Presumptuous!"
The puppeteer with the mechanical arm had a dull expression and an indifferent tone. He was the type of cultivator deeply absorbed in his craft, unaffected by beauty or charm—a true "iron-willed man."
"How dare you, a demonic cultivator, meddle in Gutian Immortal City's affairs? Whatever disturbances have occurred in the city, I will personally investigate. You will wait outside the city!"His words were cold and unwelcoming, filled with suspicion and disdain for the Peacock Saintess.
The disturbance within the city might very well be a case of the "thief crying thief," with this demonic woman attempting to disrupt the current order of Gutian Immortal City.
As for Beast King Valley and the Six Demonic Sects, the cultivators of Fengyuan Kingdom barely paid them any attention.
This was a desert region that had remained uninvaded for tens of thousands of years. Such lands lacked fear or reverence for the Six Demonic Sects.
Moreover, the puppeteer city lord’s inheritance came from the Thousand Mechanism Sect, a high-tier faction located in the Two Teachings’ territory.
The Five Poisons Sect and the Thousand Mechanisms Sect were the top forces in the Great Qing Eastern Region, and even the demonic sects were unwilling to easily mess with them.
"You ignorant frog in the well! Don’t blame this saintess for being merciless when I raze your Gutian Immortal City to the ground!"
The puppeteer city lord’s scornful words infuriated the Peacock Saintess. Her eyes glimmered with a chilling light.
To think that she, a noble figure of such high status, would be disrespected and dismissed in this backward and ignorant cultivation region!
"Demonic witch, such arrogance!"
The puppeteer city lord and the two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators exchanged looks, finding the Saintess's claims laughable and absurd.
Gutian Immortal City was was a high-level immortal city that ranked in the top three of the Outer Sect Alliance, protected by a third-rank superior-grade formation. Even if several late-stage Core Formation cultivators came, they wouldn't be able to breach it head-on.
However, just as their mocking words fell, their faces changed drastically.
The Peacock Saintess's body radiated a tri-colored radiance. Her spiritual pressure surged, surpassing that of an ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivator, sending waves of unease through the hearts of all present.
With a graceful movement of her lotus-like fingers, she began chanting an obscure incantation, summoning a long golden-bronze staff adorned with three magnificent wings. The spiritual fluctuations emanating from it clearly indicated that it was a superior-grade magical treasure.
Buzz!
In an instant, golden light burst forth, majestic and brilliant, resembling a peacock spreading its tail feathers. The display was both mystical and awe-inspiring.
This was none other than the Peacock Saintess's life-bound treasure—Peacock Plume!
"Unleash!"
The Saintess’s slender jade finger pointed forward, and three golden feathers, each stretching over twenty zhang, cut through the air. The distorted space around them shimmered with forbidden energy as the feathers streaked toward the three True Dan cultivators of Gutian Immortal City.
"This witch is terrifying!"
The three True Dan cultivators immediately activated their magical treasures and puppets, attempting to block the razor-sharp golden feathers unleashed by the Peacock Plume.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three blinding explosions of spiritual light shook the skies, shattering the clouds above. The chaotic storm of spiritual power rippled outward, colliding with the city’s defensive formation and causing visible ripples.
Crack! Crack!
Two third-rank puppets and one magical treasure were shredded and sent crashing down by the Peacock Plume.
The two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators were gravely injured, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths. One was sent flying backward, while the other collapsed into a deep crater.
Only the puppeteer city lord with the mechanical arm managed to withstand the attack. However, the two heavily-armored third-rank middle-grade puppets in front of him sustained considerable damage.
In a single strike, the Peacock Saintess overwhelmed the three True Dan cultivators of Gutian Immortal City, severely injuring two of them.
The cultivators within Gutian Immortal City were left in utter shock and disbelief.
The puppeteer city lord’s face darkened. With a wave of his hand, he slapped his storage pouch, summoning a howling blue wind that spread out tens of zhang around him. The spiritual pressure of his late-stage Core Formation cultivation filled the air.
Whoosh!
Amid the howling wind, a massive blue serpent puppet over ten zhang long emerged, stirring a freezing storm that spanned hundreds of zhang as it crashed toward the Peacock Plume in the sky.
"A third-rank superior-grade puppet?"
The Peacock Saintess's eyes narrowed slightly as she controlled her radiant Peacock Plume, which clashed head-on with the blue serpent puppet.
Amid the cries of a peacock, the golden-bronze magical treasure, radiating golden light, slashed downward like a peacock displaying its magnificent tail. The shimmering golden feathers cut deep grooves into the icy armor of the blue serpent puppet, leaving its scaled surface riddled with gashes.
The screeching sound of metal grinding against metal unsettled the cultivators nearby, leaving their hearts racing and their blood churning.
"This witch is no ordinary Core Formation Great Cultivator. Attack together!"
The puppeteer city lord directed two additional third-rank middle-grade puppets to join the assault.
Meanwhile, the two injured mid-stage Core Formation cultivators also re-entered the battle, activating their magical treasures and puppets to support the city lord.
On the side of Gutian Immortal City, their puppetry techniques and numbers gave them a significant advantage.
The Peacock Saintess’s lips curled into a mocking smile as she lightly patted her spiritual beast pouch, summoning two third-rank demonic beasts with earth-grade bloodlines to deal with the overwhelming number of puppets.
"Activate the great formation and kill this witch!"
Seeing the puppeteer city lord and his allies being suppressed, the formation master within the city immediately activated the offensive power of the great formation.
Zzzzt!
The formation glowed brilliantly, manifesting thick lightning bolts as wide as water barrels. Each bolt carried the destructive power of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and struck directly toward the Peacock Saintess.
The tide of battle began to turn.
The Peacock Saintess was forced to respond seriously, her figure transforming into a streak of radiant light as she dodged the relentless bolts of lightning. Despite her strength, she found herself gradually overwhelmed.
After all, she was only a Core Formation cultivator. No matter how powerful she was, it was difficult to contend against the might of an entire immortal city.
...
Inside Gutian Immortal City, at a luxurious teahouse.
On the third floor by the window, a wandering merchant wearing a conical hat leisurely sipped tea, observing the fierce battle unfolding outside.
"Heh, an evenly matched fight, huh? Trying to bait this Immortal into taking action?"
Through his puppet clone's shared senses, Lan Chang'an was well aware of what was happening in Gutian Immortal City.
The Peacock Saintess would never have imagined that Lan Chang'an’s true body was still in Xuan Yin Pavilion and had never even set foot in Gutian Immortal City.
Using just two puppet clones, Lan Chang'an had lured and killed Black Crow Immortal to avenge Zhao Siyao.
The sensory perception of his puppet clones was equivalent to that of a peak Core Formation cultivator.
Meanwhile, high above the city, hidden within the clouds, the faint aura of a Five-Colored Peacock flickered in and out of existence, also detected by Lan Chang'an’s puppet clone.
Based on Lan Chang'an’s usual style, he would take advantage of the Peacock Saintess being restrained to eliminate the Five-Colored Peacock first before turning his attention to the saintess herself, working with Gutian Immortal City to bring her down.
This approach was safe and reliable.
However, this time, Lan Chang'an had no intention of taking action.
The Five-Colored Peacock had risen to the late third rank, making it even harder to deal with than before. Furthermore, it was under its master’s orders and likely on high alert.
"With time, location, and strategy on my side, how will you fight me without the assistance of a divination master?"
As the battle outside raged on, Lan Chang'an casually enjoyed the Peacock Saintess’s performance.
Surrounded by Core Formation cultivators, puppets, and the city’s formation, the Peacock Saintess was visibly struggling. Sweat dotted her forehead as she gasped for breath, retreating as she fought.
Rip!
Her multi-colored robe was torn by an ambush from a magical treasure, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin on her chest, stained with blood and scorch marks.
"Her acting is so over-the-top!"
"But, sacrifices for the sake of art... I can understand that!"
In truth, Lan Chang'an’s original plan had been to escape. He hadn’t planned to stick around to witness such a spectacle.
After all, the Peacock Saintess doesn’t play fair!
...
After the Peacock Saintess and her party stepped into the Fengyuan Kingdom, Lan Chang'an's divination finally produced an accurate result.
This sense of impending crisis far surpassed the time when the Peacock Saintess had pursued him in the past!
At Lan Chang'an's current level, the only means that could threaten him was at the Nascent Soul level.
As a mere Core Formation mid-stage cultivator—only someone whose brain is waterlogged would dare to go head-to-head with a near Nascent Soul-level combatant.
With his experience across multiple lifetimes, Lan Chang'an had long learned a core truth about the cultivation world: bullying the weak is the way to survive.
Unless someone was a "child of destiny" who could constantly defy the heavens and challenge opponents of higher realms, it was foolish to gamble with even the slightest risk.
Even if the risk was only ten percent, Lan Chang'an wouldn’t dare take it—unless there was an opportunity to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, only then would the benefits outweigh the risk.
When it came to fighting the Peacock Saintess head-on, however, the risk was far greater than ten percent, and his odds of victory at best were a coin flip.
The stakes were high, and the reward was pitifully low.
Ultimately, Lan Chang'an chose not to flee because he realized that "time and place" were on his side.
Several months ago, he had begun to feel as if he were guided by divine favor—his calculations were unnervingly accurate, and every step went smoothly.
Although his cultivation level was not superior to the Peacock Saintess, he could discern every detail of her plans and movements with near-perfect precision.
This newfound sharpness wasn’t due to any sudden burst of brilliance on his part.
At that time, Elder Shi had not yet perished.
Elder Shi, also a third-rank superior-grade divination master, was even more skilled than Lan Chang'an.
Through careful observation, Lan Chang'an faintly discerned that the invisible forces of fate in the Fengyuan Kingdom were somehow intertwined with his actions, empowering him and making his divinations almost effortless.
Whenever the matter involved the Peacock Saintess or Beast King Valley, his predictions were unfailingly smooth and accurate.
Eventually, Lan Chang'an realized the truth: an unseen hand was pushing events from the shadows.
After a moment's thought, he immediately understood the reason.
Lan Chang'an couldn't help but smile.
He didn’t even need to perform a divination to guess the probable cause:
First, lack of respect. The Peacock Saintess and her Nascent Soul-level grandfather elder had not shown the appropriate reverence for the supreme Heavenly Master of the Fengyuan Kingdom, a figure revered as untouchable within this region.
If Lan Chang'an were in their place, with his three lifetimes of experience, he would have visited the Ice and Snow Sacred Mountain and brought generous gifts in person.
By paying proper respects and observing the necessary courtesies, even if the Heavenly Master harbored dissatisfaction with Beast King Valley’s activities in his territory, he would have been less inclined to act against them in secret.
But the Beast King Valley was a top-tier demonic sect, notorious for its domineering and arrogant nature. It clearly didn’t regard the Fengyuan Kingdom as worthy of its attention.
The Heavenly Master didn’t directly target the Peacock Saintess. However, the heavenly fortune of the Fengyuan Kingdom was controlled by the Heavenly Master, and just a slight push from him could make things much smoother for her enemies.
After all, Beast King Valley would never be able to trace such subtle actions back to the Heavenly Master. At most, they would blame the direct perpetrator and deal with them instead.
Secondly, the demonic sect's invasion of the Righteous Dao Alliance has created ripples of threat. Although Fengyuan was protected by the vast deserts and dangerous terrain, the demonic sects’ activities posed a potential threat to the region.
Therefore, the Heavenly Master was naturally wary of Beast King Valley and inclined to favor their enemies.
Lan Chang'an knew that he was, to some extent, being used by the Heavenly Master.
However, all under Nascent Soul were ants, and the Heavenly Master was not only a Nascent Soul powerhouse but a fourth-rank grandmaster of divination, fully qualified to see everything under the sun as pawns.
At the very least, Lan Chang'an was aligned with the Heavenly Master’s interests for now, and their goals coincided.
With the Heavenly Master’s subtle assistance, Lan Chang'an could only go along with the flow, borrowing the momentum to his advantage.
If he went against the Heavenly Master’s will, it could lead to unnecessary conflict, leaving him caught between two opposing forces and ultimately gaining nothing.
...
In the end, the Peacock Saintess was no match for the overwhelming forces of Gutian Immortal City. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, she was forced to retreat, injured and disheveled.
"Turtle Lan! How long do you plan to hide?!"
The Peacock Saintess’s robes were in disarray, her expression icy cold. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth before flying into the Nine Fiery Heavens.
Elder Shi and Black Crow Immortal were both dead.
She had fought bitterly against the cultivators of Gutian Immortal City, and she was separated from her Five-Colored Peacock as well.
Even in this rare moment of opportunity, Lan Chang'an had chosen not to act.
"Turtle Lan is so cautious… he lacks confidence. His true strength must be inferior to mine. Even if he’s a reborn cultivator, his potential is limited. He’ll never reach the Nascent Soul stage."
"Or perhaps…" Her eyes gleamed with sharp insight. "He divined my trump card."
The Peacock Saintess fell into deep thought, recalling Elder Shi’s final prophecy before his death.
Elder Shi had been pessimistic about this expedition and had tried to warn her of something.
Every step they had taken in Fengyuan Kingdom seemed to have been predicted by Lan Chang'an in advance.
No matter how great her power, she couldn’t unleash her full potential in this land.
"You can run, but you can't hide."
Resolving to abandon any hesitation, the Peacock Saintess steeled her will and dismissed her doubts.
She gave up trying to pressure Gutian Immortal City further and instead flew toward the northern part of the Outer Sect Alliance.
Within the city, Lan Chang'an’s remotely controlled puppet clone suddenly sensed a shift in the situation.
Without hesitation, he deactivated their puppet cores, allowing the two clones to enter a dormant state.
Fortunately, before the battle concluded, the puppets had already been hidden within the hidden areas of Xuan Yin Pavilion, where they were shielded by barriers that blocked spiritual sense.
Moments later, the injured city lord, accompanied by elite patrolling cultivators, began searching the area.
"Interesting…"
For the first time, the city lord’s normally dull expression revealed a flicker of curiosity.
With his powerful spiritual sense, he scanned the surroundings, his gaze pausing momentarily on Xuan Yin Hall, the subordinate establishment of Xuan Yin Pavilion.
The city lord had a unique puppetry technique that allowed him to sense the presence of high-tier puppets nearby—provided they were active.
The high-tier puppet he had sensed earlier carried extraordinary craftsmanship, sparking both admiration and intrigue in the city lord’s heart.
...
Xuan Yin Pavilion mountain gate, guest elder’s abode.
Lan Chang'an withdrew his consciousness from remotely controlling the puppet clone.
“That old city lord has some impressive tricks up his sleeve. His third-rank superior-grade puppet is practically at the pinnacle of its rank, and it also incorporates the techniques of exotic spirit puppets.”
Lan Chang'an didn’t know much about the city lord of Gutian Immortal City, other than that his surname was Gu and that his puppetry inheritance came from the Thousand Mechanism Sect.
That Blue Jiao Puppet especially caught Lan Chang'an’s interest—it was fully capable of matching a late-stage Core Formation master.
Before the puppet’s puppet core ran out of energy, it could even suppress someone like Fang Zhen, a newly advanced late Core Formation cultivator.
“Ten days from now, the peacock will come knocking.”
After half an hour of meditation, Lan Chang'an performed another divination. This time, he obtained a clear result:
Not only did he confirm the event, but he also pinpointed the exact time with terrifying precision.
This level of accuracy was all thanks to the mysterious hidden assistance he had been receiving.
“The Heavenly Master of Fengyuan Kingdom knows very little about my true capabilities. Even as a fourth-rank divination grandmaster, he cannot divine the existence of the Nine Seal Stele or the Xuanmu Vine Gourd.”
This realization led Lan Chang'an to speculate that the Heavenly Master did not have an accurate assessment of his actual strength.
Under normal circumstances, even if Lan Chang'an could muster the combat strength of a Core Formation Great Cultivator, he would face a life-and-death crisis in such a situation and would have no choice but to flee.
Perhaps the Heavenly Master’s expectations for him weren’t particularly high.
If he could simply make the Peacock Saintess suffer a series of setbacks, lose subordinates, and return in disgrace, that would already serve as a small yet effective punishment.
Over the next ten days, the Peacock Saintess remained vigilant, setting up surveillance between the immortal city and the nearby oases.
Using the innate abilities of her Myriad Spirits Dao Psysique, she controlled swarms of insects and beasts to scout for any traces of movement.
She stationed herself in an area off the direct route between the locations, taking a more roundabout path.
Additionally, she left behind various insects and birds to monitor Gutian Immortal City discreetly.
“You really think I went to Gutian Immortal City?”
Lan Chang'an chuckled and shook his head.
From an omniscient perspective, one might find the Peacock Saintess’s actions foolish and laughable.
But considering that she was completely ignorant of Lan Chang'an’s actual methods and had lost Elder Shi’s guidance, her actions were understandable.
With time, place, and fate on his side—and with the Heavenly Master’s subtle protection—the difference in information between them was almost like a dimensional gap in strategy.
This allowed Lan Chang'an to fully appreciate the terror of being up against a true divination master. The cost of such mastery was high, but the rewards were equally profound.
Even though the Peacock Saintess possessed far greater raw power, every one of her actions was foreseen and countered, forcing her into a reactive and disadvantageous position.
Ten days later.
Just as Lan Chang'an had foreseen, the Peacock Saintess arrived exactly on time at Fragrant Grass Oasis.
A clear and icy peacock cry echoed in the air.
Hovering above the oasis was a majestic and elegant Five-Colored Peacock, its radiant plumage shimmering in the sunlight. However, one of the three feather crests on its head was noticeably smaller than the other two, marking it as newly regrown.
A woman draped in a multi-colored feathered robe floated in mid-air. Her bare feet, white as jade, stepped on the void, exuding an aura of nobility. Her bright, moon-like eyes gazed coldly at the preemptively activated third-rank formation below.
Within the oasis, the female cultivators of Xuan Yin Pavilion remained calm and composed. They guarded the inner regions of the sect and channeled their spiritual energy into the defensive formation.
Three True Dan female cultivators, along with numerous Fake Dan and Foundation Establishment cultivators, worked together to push the sect’s grand formation to unprecedented levels of power.
The Peacock Saintess furrowed her brows, a flicker of unease flashing through her heart.
The third-rank formation was undeniably powerful, counting as a superior product among middle-grade formations. Ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivators would find it nearly impossible to break through.
However, the Five-Colored Peacock had restriction-breaking powers. With its innate abilities and its master’s various techniques, the formation would inevitably fall—it was only a matter of time.
What truly troubled the Peacock Saintess was the realization that Lan Chang'an had anticipated her every move.
Now that she had arrived before the gates of Xuan Yin Pavilion, displaying overwhelming dominance, how would Lan Chang'an respond?
She considered countless possibilities in her mind.
But when the moment came, reality once again surpassed her expectations.
...
The tranquil sound of a zither filled the air, like the flow of a serene mountain stream, drifting softly to the ears of the Peacock Saintess.
Buzz!
The shimmering light of the formation before her twisted, and a large gate slowly opened.
The Peacock Saintess was momentarily stunned.
Beyond the gate, a picturesque scene unfolded. By a mountain spring, a pavilion stood in serene beauty. Inside, a man and a woman sat calmly, one playing chess, the other plucking the strings of a zither, as trails of sandalwood incense spiraled into the air.
The man, dressed in a simple green robe, radiated an aura of elegance and refinement. Holding a black chess piece between his fingers, he gazed thoughtfully at the chessboard before him.
The woman in an ethereal palace gown, with ribbons of silk gently swaying, was breathtakingly beautiful, her noble demeanor and graceful elegance a sight to behold.
“Saintess, you’ve come from afar. Why not join us for a chat?”
The refined man in the green robe robe smiled warmly, his voice carrying a calm confidence. At the same time, he placed the black chess piece onto the center of the board—where it was immediately surrounded by an array of white pieces.
The Peacock Saintess's gaze narrowed.
His chess play clearly implied a trap—a deliberate invitation into a carefully laid ambush.
For suspicious cultivators, even those with greater strength, such blatant games of manipulation might give them pause, leaving them hesitant to step into such an obvious snare.
But to the Peacock Saintess, this was nothing more than a petty attempt at psychological warfare.
Feigning mystery!
With a calm demeanor, the Saintess floated a foot above the ground, her lotus-like feet never touching the earth as she stepped gracefully through the gate opened by the formation.
“Turtle Lan, saving me the trouble of breaking your formation? At least you’re self-aware,” she remarked indifferently, her spiritual sense sweeping the surroundings repeatedly in search of traps.
Her investigations quickly revealed another layer of invisible formations behind the two figures. A small-scale fourth-rank illusion array concealed the presence of Xuan Yin Pavilion’s female disciples, hiding them completely from the Saintess’s view.
The Peacock Saintess had to admit, with the aid of a fourth-rank illusion array, coupled with the combined efforts of two Core Formation Great Cultivators, the opposition could indeed create some trouble for her.
"Turtle Lan?"
The woman playing the zither, Fairy Ni Yue, looked up in surprise, her clear eyes glancing toward the man seated beside her, known to her as Mister Xu.
For years, they had been as close as lovers, sharing a deep bond of trust and companionship. Yet now, this derogatory nickname "Turtle Lan" caused her to feel a flicker of doubt.
Could the man she had shared her heart with really be… a thousand-year-old turtle?
"Speak Directly"
The Peacock Saintess sat down on the opposite stone bench, her spiritual sense still on high alert for potential schemes such as poisoned tea.
“A mere third-rank formation clearly cannot stop the Five-Colored Peacock nor the fourth-rank Demon King in your spirit beast pouch!” Lan Chang'an said casually, pouring tea for the Saintess as though entertaining a guest.
“You…” The Peacock Saintess’s eyes turned sharp, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for the teacup.
Whoosh!
The scalding tea evaporated instantly, her spiritual energy dispersing the steam as her palm froze mid-air.
A fourth-rank Demon King!
Even Fairy Ni Yue’s delicate fingers, plucking the zither, faltered for a moment. A cold shiver ran through her entire body, spreading from the soles of her feet to her very core.
A fourth-rank Demon King was a mountain-sized force of destruction. It could obliterate Xuan Yin Pavilion in its entirety and level Gutian Immortal City without resistance.
And now, this terrifying Demon King was right here, contained within the Saintess’s spirit beast pouch, inside their sect’s gates.
"You... you even know that!"
Lan Chang'an, his expression calm, continued to smile as he added, “I also know that this Demon King is a gift from your grandfather, a Nascent Soul elder. It fought on the battlefield for decades and has been recovering for only two or three years, it has yet to return to its full strength.”
Lan Chang'an wore a faint smile, his expression inscrutable under the astonished gazes of the two women.
As she observed the composed young man in azure robes, Fairy Ni Yue’s heart remained calm.
She thought to herself: Mister Xu is a remarkable figure of this era. If he dares to let both the Peacock Saintess and a fourth-rank Demon King inside, he must have a countermeasure in place.
The Peacock Saintess remained silent for several breaths, her eyes flickering with indecision. She did not deny it.
This was her thought as well.
Lan Chang'an had predicted every move, even seeing through her trump card. Now, as he openly unsealed the gates to face her directly, it must mean he had something up his sleeve.
“I understand the knot in your heart, Saintess,” Lan Chang'an said with a light chuckle, stroking his chin as he gazed at her.
The Peacock Saintess, despite her stunning beauty and regal demeanor, bit her silver teeth tightly.
This knot in her heart… even such a private matter had been divined by Lan Chang'an.
Was there anything about her that he didn’t know?
Her aura fluctuated slightly as her thoughts raced.
“This so-called knot…” she said coldly, “is simply to kill you.”
The Peacock Saintess’s anger surged as she clenched her fists. Even something so personal and deeply rooted in her psyche had been laid bare before this man.
Seeing her agitated reaction, Lan Chang'an allowed himself a slight smirk. He’d successfully baited her.
Truthfully, Lan Chang'an was feeling somewhat uneasy deep down.
The fourth-rank Demon King, with its mountain-like physique and unmatched power, was an unstoppable force of destruction. Even at seventy to eighty percent of its full strength, it was not something Lan Chang'an could confront directly.
The only chance he had was to rely on hit-and-run tactics, creating enough distance between the Demon King and the Peacock Saintess to exploit their vulnerabilities.
A head-on confrontation? His odds were dismal.
Fortunately, the Demon King lacked the intelligence and mobility of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, the psychological advantage was entirely his.
The Saintess had been outmaneuvered at every step. Her movements, her tactics, even her hidden cards—all had been predicted and countered.
By this point, her confidence had been shaken.
No matter how much strength she had, what courage could she muster when her every move was laid bare?
Lan Chang'an quietly congratulated himself. At this rate, her resolve would crumble before any fighting even began.
...
"Unraveling your heart's knot doesn’t necessarily require killing me," Lan Chang'an said in a calm, measured tone. "You and I fighting to the death would only be a fifty-fifty gamble. Why not avoid unnecessary risks?"
As he spoke, he retrieved two items from his storage pouch: one was a silver ring, the other, a sealed peacock feather.
Shriek!
The Five-Colored Peacock hovering in the mist-filled sky let out a piercing, shrill cry the moment it saw the sealed feather.
“Turtle Lan, what are you trying to do?” the Peacock Saintess demanded coldly, her sharp gaze narrowing as she began to piece together the implications.
“These two items—Saintess, you can reclaim one of them," Lan Chang'an said, his voice laced with a subtle smile. "But only in exchange for something of equal value."
"Only one?"
The Saintess's mind raced. If she could recover both items, it would be a small concession from Lan Chang'an in this duel of wits.
First, it would help her resolve the knot in her heart and erase some of the humiliation she had suffered.
Second, regaining the peacock feather would restore part of the Five-Colored Peacock’s lost essence, potentially elevating its strength to the height of a heavenly-bloodline great demon.
The Five-Colored Peacock wasn’t merely her battle companion—it was tied to her core cultivation technique and represented her hope of further advancement.
“Unless the Saintess can produce an Infant Transformation Pill, only then could we negotiate for both items,” Lan Chang'an added with a light laugh.
Infant Transformation Pill?
The Peacock Holy Maiden sneered.
As someone of noble birth with outstanding talent and unparalleled achievements, she had indeed been promised one of Beast King Valley’s precious Infant Transformation Pills for her future breakthrough.
But to trade it now? Impossible.
“I want the peacock feather,” she finally declared, casting a glance at the Five-Colored Peacock still circling anxiously in the clouds. Her decision was swift and resolute.
“No problem,” Lan Chang'an replied, his smile widening. “In return, I only want the fourth-rank spirit wood branch that you carry.”
The Peacock Saintess’s expression darkened, a trace of anger flashing across her otherwise flawless face.
“Fourth-rank spirit wood branch? You have the gall to demand such a thing?” she said, her voice tinged with indignation.
“This crown feather is priceless to your heavenly-grade Five-Colored Peacock,” Lan Chang'an replied in a leisurely tone, as if discussing something trivial.
The fourth-rank spirit wood branch was valuable—it could help the Five-Colored Peacock recover, which served as both a sanctuary and a source of sustenance.
“Fine! You win this round!”
Reluctantly, the Peacock Saintess handed over the fourth-rank spirit wood branch. It radiated a potent spiritual pressure, with vibrant wood-element energy flowing from it.
In truth, this exchange was within her expectations. Her earlier anger was nothing more than an act for appearances.
The branch was valuable, but it wasn’t a rare Soul-Nurturing Wood, the kind renowned in the cultivation world for its extraordinary properties. It was simply a fourth-rank spirit material, typically used to craft magical treasures or inscribe high-grade talismans.
The trade was completed quickly, with both parties keeping their wariness in check.
The moment the Peacock Saintess retrieved the feather, she turned without hesitation and flew out of the oasis.
High above, the Five-Colored Peacock let out a joyful cry, its calls echoing through the sky. The Saintess’s mood lightened slightly, as though the knot in her heart had partially loosened.
Before leaving, she cast a lingering glance at the silver ring in Lan Chang'an’s hand, her expression unreadable.
“When the Five-Colored Peacock regains its full strength and my mastery of the Beast Harmony Technique reaches the next level, I’ll have the foundation to break into the Nascent Soul realm.”
“One day, this seat will use the Spirit-Taming Ring to leash that bastard and make him crawl at my feet!”
With that final thought, the Peacock Saintess leapt onto the back of the Five-Colored Peacock. The majestic demon bird spread its wings and carried her away, becoming a black dot on the horizon before vanishing entirely.
“Mister Xu,” Fairy Ni Yue said softly, watching as Lan Chang'an carefully stowed the silver ring. “Letting that woman go... isn’t that planting the seeds of future disaster?”
“The timing isn’t right. For now, we’ll let her off the hook,” Lan Chang'an replied, his expression as serene as ever.
Killing the Peacock Saintess wasn’t impossible, but the risks involved were too great.
Her identity was too special.
If she died, Beast King Valley would surely launch an investigation, leading to a large-scale manhunt.
The ideal scenario would be to plant a Gu restriction in conjunction with the Spirit-Taming Ring to subdue her completely.
However, with a fourth-rank Demon King by her side, killing her was already difficult—capturing her alive was nearly impossible.
...
On her way back, the Peacock Saintess paused briefly at the site where Elder Shi had fallen.
“Fifty-fifty odds,” she murmured, a faint frown creasing her brow.
Elder Shi had warned her before his death that the success rate of this venture wouldn’t exceed fifty percent.
Now, even Lan Chang'an had uttered a similar phrase.
Her opponent had seen through all her trump cards, while she remained clueless about the hidden depths of his abilities.
Faced with an uncertain confrontation, the Peacock Saintess had chosen to retreat while she still had something to gain.
At the very least, this journey hadn’t been a total failure.
Two months later.
The Peacock Saintess traversed the endless desert of the Fengyuan Kingdom, eventually reaching the border between the Liang Kingdom and the Jing Kingdom of the Righteous Dao Alliance.
Beyond this spiritual energy barren region lay the Chen Kingdom, a domain controlled by Beast King Valley.
Hmm?
Suddenly, the Peacock Saintess slowed her flight.
Atop a distant mountain peak stood a man with an aura of overwhelming menace, his long black hair flowing freely in the wind.
Clad in the robes of a demonic sect leader, his sharp eyebrows slanted like swords, and his deep black eyes resembled icy, bottomless pools.
“Liang Shaotian! The Righteous Dao Alliance’s number one Core Formation cultivator?”
The Peacock Saintess’s heart sank.
How could she coincidentally meet the Xuan Yin Sect Master here? This person was her arch-nemesis on the demonic invasion battlefield.
“Peacock Saintess, I’ve been waiting for you!”
Liang Shaotian’s voice was magnetic and chilling, his thin lips curving into a mocking smile.
“You think you alone can take me down?” the Peacock Saintess retorted, though unease had begun creeping into her heart.
“What if you add us?”
From all directions, streaks of light descended upon the barren borderlands.
Each light carried the unmistakable spiritual pressure of a Core Formation Great Cultivator.
And then, from a distance, a suffocating wave of power rippled through the area—this was the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Old Ancestor Heavenly Net!”
The Peacock Saintess’s composure cracked as her gaze landed on a handsome, green-haired man surrounded by a cloud of spiritual energy. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to the infamous Xie Wuji whom Lan Chang'an had seen back then.
But it wasn’t over.
From the east, another overwhelming spiritual aura approached, this one even more domineering and fiery than that of Old Ancestor Heavenly Net.
“Six Sun True Monarch of the Golden Sun Sect!”
In an instant, the Peacock Saintess found herself surrounded by two Nascent Soul powerhouses and several late-stage Core Formation cultivators.
“Just her? Didn’t the intel say there was another Nascent Soul True Monarch with her?”
“Little girl, as the Saintess of Beast King Valley, what are you plotting by infiltrating so deeply into our Righteous Dao Alliance territory?”
“Could it be that Beast King Valley intends to break the truce? Capture her first and deal with the rest later!”
The two Nascent Soul cultivators spoke coldly, their expressions sharp and imposing.
“Lan… Lan Chang'an…”
The Peacock Saintess’s face turned pale, and a look of despair filled her eyes.
Only now did she finally understand Elder Shi’s dying words.
The true danger was not in her confrontation with Lan Chang'an—it was on the way back!
On the way back, she had fallen into the terrifying, inescapable net woven by Lan Chang'an’s calculations.
(End of chapter)