Li Yanchu's gaze fell upon the immortal apricot tree. Its grotesque, twisted roots burst from the ground, lunging toward him. A layer of pure yang qi shield flared to life in front of him, a perfect counter to the tree's yin-natured roots. “A sacred tree has turned demonic, sullying this Blissful Land. You deserve annihilation!” Li Yanchu let out a thunderous roar. His entire body crashed forward with unstoppable force, hurtling toward the corrupted apricot tree like a battering ram. Divine Astral Hands! Iron Mountain Slam! The blue stone tiles beneath his feet split and shattered, as if a dragon-elephant had descended. The evil wood was immediately snapped apart by his charge, and the immortal apricot tree toppled with a crash. Chen Yang's eyes went wide with disbelief; this tree could drain a person’s essence and soul, yet it had no effect whatsoever on Daoist Master Yanchu. What he didn’t know was that Li Yanchu was equipped with powerful spiritual treasures and a profoundly tempered, unshakable soul. How could such a thing possibly steal his spirit? Just then, the apricot tree transformed, turning into an enchanting, seductive woman with stunning features and waist-length hair. She exuded an almost overwhelming allure. Chen Yang, a Court of Judicial Review officer who had slain many fox spirits and vengeful ghosts, found himself breathless. He had never seen a woman this dangerously seductive. Even his breathing turned ragged, and his gaze burned with desire. But Li Yanchu remained unmoved, his eyes cold as frost. “A wicked spirit like you dares try to bewitch me? How audacious!” The seductive woman vanished instantly. At this time, Li Yanchu was constantly surrounded by the warming lightning aura of his fourfold enhanced Five-Lightning Talisman. Such evil charms stood no chance. Naturally, he was also imbued with a strong aura of lightning arts. Coupled with Daoist mantras and incantations, he instantly shattered the immortal apricot’s evil spell. The heat in Chen Yang’s eyes faded just as quickly, but he couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear. The White Tiger Formation, set using this corrupted immortal plant as its core within the Daoist temple hall, was terrifyingly powerful. A moment’s carelessness, and one could fall right into its trap. Li Yanchu raised his left hand and brought out the Eight Trigrams Mirror, flashing it suddenly. Whoosh! A brilliant white beam shot forth instantly. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel·fıre·net Bang! The immortal apricot was struck directly, and its previously ethereal, immortal aura vanished without a trace. Soon, it was replaced by a chilling, twisted presence. On its head-sized fruit, strange patterns appeared, resembling veins or sinews, making it look profoundly unnatural and eerie. Li Yanchu shook his head slightly. He had thought it was a rare divine treasure, the kind found only in legends. Who would’ve thought that after a thousand years, it would turn into such a grotesque, demonic creature? The immortal apricot began to emanate bursts of sinister qi, and suddenly, all the killing aura between Heaven and Earth began to converge on this location! Anyone using Qi Sight would see the area’s spiritual field dyed a bloody red, and the killing aura soared into the sky. Li Yanchu once again raised the Eight Trigrams Mirror, and a beam of divine light struck out. This time, a misty barrier formed around the immortal apricot, blocking the divine light completely. “Well done! For a plant spirit to reach this level, you do have some skill,” Li Yanchu spoke in a low, steady voice. Just when Chen Yang thought even Li Yanchu might have trouble dealing with this demonic immortal apricot, Li Yanchu suddenly summoned an ancient seal. The ancient seal expanded against the wind, transforming into a radiant and imposing great seal. A surge of divine fire erupted forth, instantly engulfing the demonic immortal apricot, whose aura had been steadily rising. Boom! A deafening roar echoed through the heavens and earth. The divine fire devoured the corrupted immortal apricot, burning the entire tree to ash. + 8,000 merit points! Li Yanchu’s gaze sharpened slightly, though his expression remained calm. This Heaven-Illuminating Seal had been retrieved from within the Baxia stone statue found in the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting. Now, having entered another Blissful Land and burned away a demonic entity, it could be said that cause and effect had come full circle. Li Yanchu withdrew the Heaven-Illuminating Seal, then let out a resounding shout, “Old dog, get out here and die!” His voice carried the power of Daoist true speech, and even through layers of space, it made the feng shui master tremble with fear! Li Yanchu struck with a single slash, and a deep ten-zhang-long chasm tore open across the ground. The sheer force was astonishing! Although he didn’t specialize in feng shui and couldn’t pinpoint the “anchoring objects” used in the formation, he had studied Daoist formations and understood one crucial truth: all feng shui formations relied on the environment for their layout. The anchoring object was just one element of the whole. Chen Yang, the young feng shui expert, stared blankly as Li Yanchu smashed the courtyard into ruin with his overwhelmingly violent saber qi. He was dumbfounded. But very quickly, he understood what Li Yanchu was doing, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “You can break a feng shui formation... !?” The feng shui master hiding in the shadows had the exact same feeling. “What the hell is this monster!?” Li Yanchu’s blood and qi surged, and his muscles burst with explosive power. Soon after, his thick and blazing internal force radiated from his body. He was, without exaggeration, a walking siege engine in human form. A thunderous noise echoed throughout the Daoist temple, so loud it even alarmed terrifying beings lurking in the darkness. A shrill, piercing howl rang out from the distance. It was filled with boundless resentment, as if something had been suppressed for thousands of years and was now stirring. Chen Yang’s expression changed drastically, but Li Yanchu remained completely unfazed. His saber qi howled like a hurricane, ravaging the entire Daoist temple. A disheveled figure was suddenly forced out of hiding; it was the same feng shui master who had earlier appeared so calm and aloof. Now, his face was covered in blood, his mind in disarray. “You little brat! You cursed brat!!” He absolutely never expected to encounter someone like Li Yanchu, who consecutively dispelled both the earth-borne killing intent and the human-borne killing intent within the White Tiger Formation. And even more absurdly, he had brutally destroyed the formation by sheer force. A murderous gleam flashed through Li Yanchu’s eyes. Without a word, he slashed down with his saber and killed the feng shui master on the spot! The surrounding aura of death began to fade, and it was no longer as heavy and suffocating as before. Chen Yang’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “He actually placed the core of the White Tiger Formation... on himself!” Even with all their long-standing grievances, Chen Yang couldn’t help but feel a degree of admiration for the feng shui master’s skill. In the art of feng shui, I’m still far from his level. “Daoist Master Li, thank you for saving my life!” Chen Yang cupped his fists toward Li Yanchu. Li Yanchu replied calmly, “No need to be so formal, Brother Chen. Just don’t blame me for being too quick to strike. That feng shui master’s methods were too insidious, so it’s better to eliminate the threat completely.” “He was a disciple of Master Qingwu. By seniority, I should call him ‘Senior Brother’. His feng shui abilities were indeed near divine. But today, he met you, Daoist Master.” If Chen Yang had admired that feng shui master’s skills, then toward Li Yanchu, what he felt was fear. He was a pinnacle martial artist versed in profound Daoist arts, wielding formidable treasures, and possessing a ruthless, unorthodox killing intent... He was terrifying. Chen Yang had seen countless prodigies in his years at the Court of Judicial Review, and he himself was one of the most outstanding among the younger generation. But in his eyes, none of them were as frightening as this young Daoist. Li Yanchu frowned slightly, curious as he asked, “Brother Chen, aren't you a disciple of Mount Longhu?” Chen Yang smiled and replied, “I have many masters. My second master taught me the art of feng shui, and he’s the closest to me. He and Master Qingwu are both of the same sect, and I’m his final official disciple.” Li Yanchu nodded in understanding. It made sense now; there was no reason why he would practice both martial arts and Daoism when others usually only specialize in one. It seemed that the long-standing grudge Chen Yang mentioned earlier came from his second master. However, Li Yanchu didn’t pry into the private matters of others. This was a bitter feud, and it seemed like whatever had happened back then had been extremely brutal. At that moment, a terrifying aura shot up into the sky from within the dark figure, as if a fierce encounter had taken place. The sound of an explosive clash could be heard, accompanied by the faint echo of Buddhist chanting.