At the beginning, I cleaned the Sutra Library and completed the incomplete skills.

Chapter 196: A Way to Survive

Chapter 196: Leaving a Way Out

Li Lan's heart sank slightly upon hearing this, but his expression remained as calm as still water.

"Replying to Senior Executor Cui, this junior previously covered this cave dwelling with spirit stones for cultivation, simply improving the cultivation environment here."

Building a cave dwelling with spirit stones is not uncommon in the Cultivation World.

Many cultivators, when there is no Spirit Vein nearby,

often do this so as not to fall behind in their own cultivation.

Shancai Tongzi and that Red-Clothed Female Cultivator would also do the same.

They didn't understand what was so strange about this spirit stone cave dwelling,

or why this Executor Cui from the Human Emperor Hall suddenly mentioned it without cause.

But they soon understood.

Executor Cui curled his lips into a smile and said:

"The spiritual energy that hasn't dissipated here is still quite dense.

This is absolutely not something ordinary low-grade spirit stones can achieve.

What you used to cover this cave dwelling should be middle-grade spirit stones, right?

To be able to cover such a large area, it seems you have quite a few middle-grade spirit stones in your possession.

Tell me, where did those spirit stones come from?"

Li Lan's heart sank once again.

He cupped his fists and explained:

"Senior Executor Cui must be joking. Middle-grade spirit stones are quite rare even on the market.

How could this junior possibly possess such a rare item?

What was used to cover this cave dwelling were just some low-grade spirit stones.

Senior can feel free to inspect them thoroughly."

Saying this,

Li Lan stuffed a storage bag filled with low-grade spirit stones into the other party's arms.

But Executor Cui didn't even glance at it, staring straight at him with a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes:

"Perhaps you don't know, the cultivation technique this Executor primarily cultivates is quite special, and it is most sensitive to earth-attribute spiritual energy.

I can still distinguish the aura emitted by low-grade and middle-grade spirit stones.

These middle-grade spirit stones are extremely rare even for Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, and are not something you Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivators are qualified to possess.

obediently hand over all your middle-grade spirit stones,

and truthfully explain how you obtained these spirit stones,

and this Executor can consider compensating you with other cultivation resources as appropriate.

Otherwise, you know the consequences."

Executor Cui looked at the storage bag at Li Lan's waist, his eyes filled with greed.

The threat in his words was self-evident.

At this moment, he was no different from a rogue cultivator.

"This junior truly doesn't have any middle-grade spirit stones. Could it be that I previously offended Senior in some way?

This junior is willing to offer compensation. I hope Senior will be lenient and stop toying with this junior."

Li Lan didn't know if the other party was telling the truth or not, but he still pretended to be wronged.

But Executor Cui was completely unmoved. He seemed very confident in his judgment.

"Don't say this Executor didn't give you a chance.

Either hand over all the storage bags on your person and let this Executor take the spirit stones, or die here as a demonic cultivator.

Which path you want to take, choose it yourself."

Shancai Tongzi and the Red-Clothed Female Cultivator had remained silent the entire time.

Clearly,

they had been in the Cultivation World for a long time and were already accustomed to the Human Emperor Hall's arrogance.

Li Lan's expression changed slightly.

Neither handing over all his storage bags nor being labeled a demonic cultivator was acceptable to him.

Li Lan sighed and asked unwillingly:

"Can this matter be discussed further? We have no prior grievances. There's no need to force me onto a dead end, is there?"

However, Executor Cui couldn't be bothered to waste any more words.

His face had become quite impatient, and he said in a grim tone:

"Kid, this Executor is kind-hearted and has already shown you the greatest leniency by leaving you a way out. Don't be ungrateful.

With your cultivation level, what qualifications do you have to negotiate with this Executor?"

Upon hearing this,

Li Lan also fell silent and said nothing more.

Just as Shancai Tongzi thought the other party would eventually compromise, a sudden change occurred.

Li Lan didn't reach for the storage bag at his waist, but instead opened his mouth and spat out a small blue sword, which shot straight towards Executor Cui's face.

"Heh heh, bold indeed, to dare attack this Executor—"

The latter sneered repeatedly, but before he could finish speaking, his expression instantly changed drastically upon sensing the astonishing spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the small sword.

"Magical Treasure!"

He would never have dreamed that this Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator in front of him would actually have a complete Magical Treasure in hand.

In his panic,

Executor Cui didn't have time to think further and quickly summoned his Judge Cui's Pen.

However, although this item was quite effective against ordinary magical artifacts,

facing a Magical Treasure several grades higher, it was somewhat outmatched.

The milky white radiance shone down,

but it only slowed down the Qinghong Duan Shui Sword for a moment and could not completely restrict its movement.

Taking advantage of this gap,

Executor Cui quickly took out another talisman with extraordinary spiritual energy. Just as he was about to inject magic power into it,

a transparent thread-like object flew over and tightly hooked the talisman.

A tremendous force came from the thread,

caught off guard,

the talisman was almost pulled out of his hand and taken away.

Executor Cui followed the thread with his gaze and found that one end of the transparent thread was connected to a white-haired fisherman sitting in a scroll painting.

This was the effect of the Fishing in a Plate Diagram.

Seeing that there was no retreat, Li Lan no longer hesitated and immediately unleashed the Magical Treasure, his greatest reliance at the moment.

At the same time,

he continuously patted his other hand on his storage bag,

taking out items such as the Fishing in a Plate Diagram, Silver Light Needle Treasure, Great Red Kasaya Treasure, Mourning Stick Treasure, and Meng Blood Talisman Treasure.

Li Lan's consistent principle was:

If he didn't strike, so be it, but once he did, he must put the opponent to death!

The talisman in his hand was tightly entangled by the transparent thread.

Although it hadn't been snatched away yet, it was impossible for Executor Cui to use it again.

In his urgency,

he could only pat his storage bag again and summon a spear-shaped magical artifact.

Clang!

The spear and the sword collided squarely.

But the difference in quality between the two was too vast.

That spear magical artifact couldn't even block for a moment,

and shattered into pieces under the sword's edge.

Crack!

The Qinghong Duan Shui Sword whistled past, and the light shield activated by Executor Cui's protective spiritual artifact also shattered in response.

Amidst the rampant sword energy,

his right arm was churned into a bloody mist.

Executor Cui formed a hand seal, leaving a layer of skin behind,

and his entire body, covered in blood, appeared a zhang away.

At this moment,

the look in his eyes when he looked at Li Lan no longer held any arrogance,

but was instead filled with terror.

How could he not be terrified?

Looking closely,

the magical artifacts around Li Lan were all extraordinary items, with Treasures, Talisman Treasures, and Magical Treasures readily available.

Looking back at himself,

although he was an Executor of the Human Emperor Hall, he only had the Judge Cui's Pen, a reward from above, that was presentable.

Although the two sides were at the same cultivation stage,

the difference in magical artifacts was like heaven and earth, with no comparability whatsoever.

Executor Cui finally sobered up at this moment, realizing that he had kicked an iron plate.

Seeing this situation,

he quickly cried out for mercy:

"Fellow Daoist Xu... no, Senior Xu, wait!

This matter can still be discussed! I don't want those middle-grade spirit stones anymore!

Please, Fellow Daoist Xu, leave a way out for this Cui!"

But Executor Cui's plea for mercy was met only by Li Lan's indifferent gaze.

As an Executor of the Human Emperor Hall, he was all too familiar with this kind of look.

It was a kind of disdain that superiors held for lower-level cultivators,

and also the indifference that living people held for the dead.

Clearly,

in the other party's eyes, he was already a dead man.

Watching the blue sword Magical Treasure swirl and fly towards him again,

Executor Cui's heart tightened instantly, and he even spoke somewhat incoherently.

"No—you can't kill me, I'm an Executor of the Human Emperor Hall, I'm from the Cui clan of Pingxiang—"

But before he could finish speaking,

the blue sword Magical Treasure flashed and pierced through his body.

Executor Cui immediately widened his eyes in disbelief.

As life drained away,

the last thought that surfaced in his mind was:

It turns out that the path he had been relentlessly pushing the other party towards was not the other party's, but his own...

The Qinghong Duan Shui Sword trembled slightly,

and Executor Cui's body was instantly churned into a bloody mist.

By now,

Li Lan's method of destroying corpses and traces was already extremely skilled.

Seeing that the other party was completely dead, with no possibility of survival, he formed a hand seal and turned the edge of his various magical artifacts towards the remaining two people.

From the moment Li Lan attacked to the complete annihilation of Executor Cui,

everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Shancai Tongzi and the Red-Clothed Female Cultivator hadn't even reacted to what was happening,

and Executor Cui had already become a soul under the sword.

Seeing Li Lan's gaze fall upon them at this moment,

Shancai Tongzi shivered and immediately his legs went weak, kneeling down and begging for mercy:

"Senior, please spare my life!

It was Executor Cui who coveted your middle-grade spirit stones, it has nothing to do with me!

The reason I came here was merely under his coercion, it was a helpless act!

Senior, if you can spare my life, I can take you to find the whereabouts of that Li Jiangchuan!

This junior knew this person in the past and understands him quite well. If you spare my life, I can tell you everything about him!

Senior has been in seclusion for a long time and may not know, capturing this Li Jiangchuan alive, whether in the Human Emperor Hall or the various great clans, can earn extremely generous rewards!

Those cultivation resources are also of great benefit to a Foundation Establishment Stage expert like you!"

Shancai Tongzi was eager to demonstrate his value,

spilling out everything he thought would be beneficial to Li Lan like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

"Reporting the whereabouts of Li Jiangchuan and exposing the assassin of a Human Emperor Hall Executor will both be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill, right?"

Li Lan suddenly said this without cause.

Shancai Tongzi didn't understand the reason for a moment and answered blankly:

"That's right, Senior, what do you mean by that?"

"That is the reason for your deaths."

Li Lan's divine sense moved,

and the Qinghong Duan Shui Sword immediately cut Shancai Tongzi and the Red-Clothed Female Cultivator into several pieces.

The speed was so fast that the two didn't even have time to react at all.

After doing all this,

Li Lan spat out a jet of flame to erase the last traces left by the three, collected the storage bags, talismans, and other valuable items,

completely destroyed this cave dwelling, and then quickly floated away.

At this moment, Li Lan's situation in Jiuhua County was very dangerous,

which forced him to assume the worst about others.

Both Shancai Tongzi and the Red-Clothed Female Cultivator were Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivators, and the temptation of the Foundation Establishment Pill was too great for them. It was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't report his whereabouts because of it.

Li Lan was an exceptionally cautious person,

and naturally would not do something as foolish as placing his life in the hands of others.