This wasn’t something brute force alone could handle, because the bells didn’t respond properly to direct strength. But for Li Yanchu, it wasn’t a problem. Though his physique was overbearingly powerful and radiated yang energy, he wasn’t some simple-minded brute who only trained his body. He was a master of martial arts, someone who had cultivated top-tier techniques. He extended a hand, and from his palm burst forth a surge of powerful energy. Divine Astral Hands! Crane Control Hand, Dragonbind Hand! The massive, heavy ancient bell inside the Daoist temple hall was instantly enveloped in that gentle, flowing qi force, and lifted cleanly into the air. In no time, it was restored to its original position. If I had this kind of skill earlier, I could’ve made a fortune hauling bricks. Li Yanchu thought to himself. He would be the world’s strongest mover! Once he’d reset all the heavy ancient bells to their places, Li Yanchu lightly took a step, and his body soared into the air! He was riding clouds and mist, and his body was like that of an immortal! He continued ascending, rising nearly to the ceiling of the great hall. From above, he looked down at the arrangement of the ancient bells. In truth, even though he’d set them upright again, it was impossible to restore them to their exact original placements. He could only make out faint clues, and hints of their former pattern. Li Yanchu’s gaze darkened as he murmured to himself, “This looks like the Azure Dragon Seven Stars Formation.” Suddenly, violent sounds of combat erupted outside the hall. Li Yanchu reacted instantly, and with a single thought, he flew straight out from the side hall’s gate. The moment he left, he ceased flying through the air and instead used his most refined footwork, darting forward at top speed. Inside the main hall of the immortal's temple, a man and a woman were locked in a fierce magical duel. The woman wore a Daoist robe that outlined her graceful figure; her face was naturally beautiful, and her aura was cold and aloof. It was none other than Ding Rou, who had turned back and returned! The man stood tall and elegant, with fair skin and fine features. He was a refined and dashing gentleman, except his eyes burned red. That completely shattered the illusion of the charming nobleman from a troubled world. “Gongshu Peiyu?” Li Yanchu was a little surprised. He couldn’t understand why a descendant of the Gongshu family had ended up fighting Ding Rou! “I didn’t expect you to be a body of pure yin. Seizing your vessel will allow me to complete the yin-yang union and ascend to the peak of the second realm!” Gongshu Peiyu said coldly. Ding Rou’s delicate face turned frosty. “So this is what’s become of the Gongshu family? Even their disciples are this shameless? How laughable.” That line struck a nerve in Gongshu Peiyu. His blood-red eyes flared even brighter, and the once-handsome face contorted into something almost monstrous. He raised his hand, and a mechanism appeared; it swiftly assembled into a two-chi-long crossbow. Whoosh! A piercing sound tore through the air, and a sharp bolt traced a deadly arc across the sky. Ding Rou dodged to the side, but the sheer force of the bolt’s impact left her dazed and dizzy. This was a secret mechanism technique of the Gongshu family. If it weren’t for the fact that his secret mechanism beast had already been destroyed, Gongshu Peiyu would’ve taken Ding Rou down long ago. Ding Rou’s gaze chilled, and the horsetail whisk in her hand lashed out like a strip of flowing white silk and struck forward without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged over a dozen moves. The clash between them was fierce and overwhelming! Gongshu Peiyu seized an opening and unleashed another brutal shot! Ding Rou’s horsetail whisk was destroyed, and her entire body was blasted backward. Her robes were in disarray. Just arriving at the main hall, Li Yanchu heard their conversation and couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. No wonder Ding Rou drew so much attention! Even that Daoist Master from Mount Mao, Hong Baiwei, had probably noticed something unusual about her. But how had she ended up crossing paths with Gongshu Peiyu? Li Yanchu didn’t immediately make a move. He had already saved Ding Rou several times, and he couldn’t just keep running around cleaning up her messes. It was not like she was the innkeeper. But... The more Li Yanchu looked at Gongshu Peiyu’s current state, the more something felt off. Although he hadn’t spoken with him back when they explored the Daoist temple hall ruins together, from his demeanor, Gongshu Peiyu didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d obsess over women. Being cold-hearted to the extreme was more his style. Even if he was pursuing Ding Rou for her pure yin essence and wanted to forcibly take her virgin essence for some yin-yang union, it shouldn't have led to this kind of behavior. That gaze was openly lustful, and entirely unrestrained, and it was obvious that something had overtaken him. Whether it was desire or madness, he was clearly no longer in control. Even Zhu Fugui, who was downright obsessed with women and couldn’t take his eyes off Ding Rou, had never looked at her like this. “Eh?” Li Yanchu suddenly remembered something. Ever since we met again, Zhu Fugui seemed to have completely lost interest in Ding Rou... He was focused solely on scheming for immortal fortune. Looking at Gongshu Peiyu’s bloodshot eyes, a contemplative light flickered in Li Yanchu’s gaze. A lustful demon was now only plotting over immortal fortune, while a cold, aloof nobleman’s son had fallen into lust and obsession. This faint but undeniable sense of incongruity made Li Yanchu’s brows furrow slightly. He thought of the inner demon he’d seen on Zhu Fugui, and the scene suddenly felt eerily familiar, like he’d witnessed something similar somewhere before. Suddenly, Li Yanchu’s eyes lit up. “This is somewhat like the situation of the Southern Guardian Marquis, who practiced the Three Corpses Severing Art!” Back when he descended into the grand tomb, he had encountered the mysterious young expert, the Southern Guardian Marquis. He’d had to kill him three times in a row! Zhu Fugui wasn’t the same case, of course. But it was this memory that suddenly helped Li Yanchu piece things together. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel[f]ire.net “So that’s it... This must be the method of that great demon,” He murmured softly to himself. Ding Rou’s horsetail whisk had been destroyed, and she was now at a disadvantage. When she saw Li Yanchu appear, she felt a flash of joy. But then she remembered how he’d previously looked down on her bad luck, and so she said nothing nor cried for help. After all, Li Yanchu had no obligation to save her. He’d already saved her life multiple times, and she hadn’t even had the chance to repay him yet. She still owed him a Daoist temple divine artifact, too. Though her name bore the character "Rou"[1], Ding Rou was anything but fragile deep down, and she had a core of resilience. With both hands forming a seal, she launched one divine killing technique after another. But, Gongshu Peiyu’s crossbow bolts were simply too powerful. She had lost her protective artifacts in the previous fights within the Blissful Land, and now she could hardly withstand his attacks. A fragment of stone even slashed her arm open, blood streaming down her sleeve. Meanwhile, Gongshu Peiyu’s arm lit up with bronze mechanisms, transforming it into something that looked like it was forged from solid iron. With a single motion, he reached out, grabbing straight at Ding Rou.The force was fierce and strong enough to shatter metal and split stone. Ding Rou’s eyes turned cold as her body continuously retreated backward. At that moment, a figure flashed by, it was Li Yanchu! A qi shield formed from his Primordial Chaos Technique appeared in front of him. Gongshu Peiyu’s bronze arm slammed into the qi shield barrier, producing a deafening sound like clashing metal. “It’s you!? Get out of my way!” Gongshu Peiyu barked coldly, his eyes bloodshot. Li Yanchu's gaze was icy, his face expressionless. I deliberately left Ding Rou behind, intending to explore the Daoist temple hall alone... But you damn bastard, you brought her back, and now you're trying to humiliate her right in front of me! If he ignored this, Li Yanchu wouldn’t just be cold-hearted, he’d be downright callous. Killing intent radiated from Gongshu Peiyu, and his bronze arm howled through the air with heavy wind force as he smashed it again toward Li Yanchu’s qi shield! A thunderous resonance like great bells and bronze drums echoed through the heavens and earth. Gongshu Peiyu staggered backward three heavy steps. His arm went numb, and the bronze mechanism visibly loosened, even cracking in places. Li Yanchu had just activated talismanic armor, and with its enhancement, his qi shield was impenetrable. Gongshu Peiyu’s mechanical arm couldn’t break through at all. Instead, it ended up damaged from the recoil. “There’s no grudge between us. Leave now, and I won’t kill you,” Li Yanchu said in a deep voice. “You think you can play the hero saving a beauty?” Gongshu Peiyu sneered viciously. He drew out his divine crossbow. 1. 柔 Rou means “gentle.” ☜