Chapter 175: Planting a Hidden Piece
Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Planting a Hidden Piece
After much thought.
Li Ping returned the silver page recording the refining method for the All Heaven Star Banner to his Storage Bag.
No matter how powerful this set of Magical Treasures was, thinking about it was pointless before he reached Core Formation. It was better to focus on the tasks at hand.
With a push of his Divine Thought, the Flying Ship beneath his feet shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, speeding toward Fenglan Immortal City.
Several days later, Li Ping finally returned to the Immortal City, weary from his journey.
Early the next morning, the well-informed Yu Menghan came to his door, bringing the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly.
The two of them sat down in the pavilion.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you’ve been gone for almost two years." As she spoke, Yu Menghan’s expression was rather reproachful.
Seeing her like this, Li Ping chuckled. "Fairy Yu, well, I’m back now, am I not?"
Yu Menghan took out the Celestial Profound Crystal sealing the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly and placed it on the table. She blinked and said, "I’ve been worried about you this whole time, Fellow Daoist, afraid some accident had befallen you."
Li Ping smiled faintly and said nothing more, instead immediately starting to treat the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly.
’He considered that a great war might soon erupt in the Western Wilderness. If that happened, he might be forced into a strategic retreat and would no longer have time to treat Yu Menghan’s Spirit Beast.’
’It was best to finish the treatment as soon as possible and get his hands on the Thousand-Year Ironwood.’
So, this time, he directly infused the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly with three times the usual amount of his Nourishing Life Skill Power.
The more Nourishing Life Skill Power he infused, the better the healing effect, naturally.
When Li Ping withdrew his palm, a faint aura of life emanated from the Celestial Profound Crystal.
Sensing this emanating life aura, Yu Menghan was overjoyed. She quickly placed her hand on the surface of the Celestial Profound Crystal and sent a thread of her Divine Sense inside to inspect it.
After a long while, she withdrew her hand in satisfaction. The effect of this treatment was far better than she had expected.
But along with her delight, she worried it might be her imagination.
When it came to professional matters, one had to ask a professional’s opinion.
If anyone understood the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s condition best, it would definitely be Li Ping, the one treating it.
So, she couldn’t wait to ask, "Fellow Daoist Li, I sense that the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s aura has grown much stronger. Why is that?"
’Of course, Li Ping knew why its aura had strengthened so much. He’d just infused it with three times the usual amount of Nourishing Life Skill Power; how could the effect not be good?’
’But he couldn’t tell her that, or the fact that he’d been slacking off before would be exposed.’
He wiped the sweat from his brow, thought for a moment, then explained, "The effect of this treatment was indeed several times better than before. I’m not sure of the specific reason myself. Perhaps the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s will to live is strong, and it has been working hard to restore its own Origin during this time, creating a synergistic effect with my treatment."
"Is that so..." Yu Menghan murmured, looking thoughtful.
But the next sentence he spoke made her beam with joy.
Li Ping said with a smile, "Don’t worry, Fairy, this is a good thing. I originally estimated it would take about four more years of careful treatment for the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly to fully recover, but now it seems that perhaps only one year will be enough."
He smiled and said, "Congratulations, Fairy. By this time next year, the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly will be able to recover to its peak condition."
No patient wants anything less than an early recovery, and Yu Menghan was no exception. Hearing that the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly could be cured three years ahead of schedule put her in a wonderful mood.
She not only gave Li Ping two precious Spirit Fruits to help him replenish his depleted energy.
She also promised to bring him the Thousand-Year Ironwood during their next session.
This was, of course, a welcome development for Li Ping.
...
After leaving Li Ping’s residence, Yu Menghan finally let the irrepressible joy fade from her face, her expression turning pensive.
’According to my original agreement with Fellow Daoist Li, the ten-year treatment course should have been completed two years from now. But since he was away for two years, the course should have been extended by two years.’
She thought silently as she walked, ’But what a coincidence. The Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly’s own will to live made it desperately restore its Origin, which then combined with Fellow Daoist Li’s treatment, causing a four-year course to finish in just one year.’
’In this way, even though Fellow Daoist Li was away for two years on business, the actual treatment time wasn’t extended. In fact, it was shortened by a year.’
Thinking of this, she smiled faintly and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Li, oh, Fellow Daoist Li, don’t you think this is a bit too much of a coincidence? Little Die, what do you say?"
At her words, wisps of life force pulsed from the Celestial Profound Crystal, as if in response.
What Li Ping didn’t know was that Yu Menghan’s anxiety over the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly wasn’t because the spirit insect was so precious.
It was because this was her Lifebound Spirit Insect, refined with a Secret Technique since it was an egg and inextricably linked to her very life.
This method of nurturing a Spirit Beast was different from a normal Spirit Beast contract.
Because it was a Lifebound Spirit Insect, she gained immense benefits every time the Seven-Color Illusory Light Butterfly advanced in rank.
But there is a downside to every advantage.
While the Lifebound Spirit Insect’s advancement allowed her to gain great benefits through her Secret Technique and even made it much easier for her to break through major cultivation realms...
...if the Lifebound Spirit Insect died, she would be shackled for life, unable to ever break through to a new realm again.
It was for this very reason that some people, who didn’t dare act against her because of her background, instead targeted her Lifebound Spirit Insect.
’Whether this Fellow Daoist Li is just habitually cautious and was deliberately hiding his true abilities, or he had some breakthrough after finding an opportunity on his trip, it has nothing to do with me.’ A smile graced Yu Menghan’s lips. ’As long as Little Die can be healed, that’s all that matters.’
...
After seeing Yu Menghan off, Li Ping went to Immortal Peach Mountain to pay the rent for the past two years.
To his surprise, he saw the Meng Clan Ancestor at the management office.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you’re back." The Meng Clan Ancestor stood up to greet him, but his expression was clearly weary, as if he was overwrought with worry.
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but Li Ping smiled and nodded. "I’ve come to pay the rent I owe for the last two years. Please don’t hold it against me, Fellow Daoist Meng."
"Fellow Daoist Li is an old tenant of Immortal Peach Mountain. The rent is no issue." The Meng Clan Ancestor waved his hand, instructed an attendant to bring tea for Li Ping, and then invited him to sit.
After sitting down, Li Ping took out two hundred colorful Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and placed them on the table. "Fellow Daoist Meng, please count them."
The Meng Clan Ancestor nodded and forced a smile. "I trust your character, Fellow Daoist Li. There’s no need to count."
As he spoke, he swept the Spirit Stones on the table into his Storage Bag.
Just then, the attendant brought the tea.
Having been away from the Immortal City for nearly two years, Li Ping was in no hurry to leave. He chatted idly with the Meng Clan Ancestor while probing for information about the situation within the city.
When the recent situation in the Immortal City was mentioned, the Meng Clan Ancestor could only manage a wry smile and glossed over the topic, unwilling to discuss it in detail.
’After Dai Sangyu took control of the Immortal City,’ Li Ping guessed, ’given her petty nature, she’s probably targeting the Meng family and other Heroic Clans that have clashed with her in the past.’
But since the Meng Clan Ancestor was unwilling to elaborate, he didn’t press for more information.
As they were chatting, the Meng Clan Ancestor suddenly slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot! Next month is Qingyi’s wedding day. Fellow Daoist Li, you must come to the wedding banquet."
Saying this, he took a gilded invitation from his Storage Bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Li Ping.
Li Ping observed that the Meng Clan Ancestor’s hands trembled slightly as he took out the invitation.
Clearly, Meng Qingyi’s marriage was a huge blow to him.
"Alright, I will definitely attend the wedding." Li Ping accepted the invitation from the table.
Next, the Meng Clan Ancestor politely inquired about what Li Ping had gained on his trip.
Of course, Li Ping wouldn’t reveal his true experiences. He only said that he had to go to Jixia in search of a Spiritual Material he urgently needed.
He stayed in Jixia for nearly two years but ultimately came up empty-handed and could only return to Fenglan Immortal City.
Hearing this, the Meng Clan Ancestor repeatedly comforted Li Ping, telling him not to worry and that he would get what he sought sooner or later.
Looking at how the Meng Clan Ancestor had aged so much from his ordeals...
Then, he thought back to how Dai Sangyu had interrogated him with a sword at his throat, and how she had forcefully blocked him from joining the Immortal City for her own inexplicable reasons.
Although he hadn’t really wanted to join the Immortal City, actively refusing and being driven away were two entirely different things.
Dai Sangyu’s actions toward him could only be described as arrogant trampling and humiliation.
At this moment, seeing the Meng Clan Ancestor’s weary appearance, an idea inexplicably popped into Li Ping’s mind.
"Fellow Daoist Meng," he began, his voice tinged with concern. "While I was in Jixia, I heard some startling news. I’m not sure if it’s true, but since your family is large and has much to lose, it’s better to prepare early."
Hearing this, the Meng Clan Ancestor looked up in surprise. "For you to say so, Fellow Daoist Li, makes me rather curious. What news could make you so uneasy?"
Li Ping shook his head and immediately recounted in detail the rumor he had spread across the three kingdoms of Yan, Liang, and Qi.
"The four sects of the Demon Dao would ally with the Tuluo People?" The Meng Clan Ancestor seemed to find it hard to believe. "By allying with an Alien Race, aren’t they worried about asking a tiger for its hide?"
Li Ping sighed. "What do people of the Demon Dao care for ethics or principles? Everything they do is for their own benefit. In their eyes, there is no distinction between the Human Race and Alien Races."
"If this is true, then I really must start preparing. After all, if faced with such immense pressure, even Jixia would probably have to seal its gates and defend itself. The Demon Dao Cultivators could march right in..." As he spoke, the Meng Clan Ancestor suddenly trailed off.
Li Ping stood up. "Fellow Daoist Meng is right. Once this happens, the Western Wilderness’s Cultivation Realm will likely be plunged into chaos. It will be every man for himself then."
"You make a good point, Fellow Daoist Li." The Meng Clan Ancestor frowned.
"Well, I won’t disturb you any longer. As for this matter, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You should prepare early, Fellow Daoist Meng, lest you be caught off guard." With that, Li Ping took his leave.
But the Meng Clan Ancestor seemed oblivious to his departure, lost in thought.