Li Yan hadn't extended his Divine Sense too far earlier, so he wasn't sure if they had spotted him and deliberately come over, or if they had fled here by chance. If it was the former, Li Yan's hatred for them would be an understatement. That's why he turned and left before the beautiful woman could finish speaking, having no intention of getting involved.
Seeing that the human cultivator she had finally encountered, one she had even met before outside the pagoda, had no intention of helping, the beautiful woman clamped her red lips shut and quickened her flight. Of course, she maintained her original course and had no intention of chasing after Li Yan. Her eyes were just filled with despair, and a single crystalline tear rolled down her cheek.
Seeing that the beautiful woman was so sensible, Li Yan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and prepared to get away from the two even faster. But though he wanted to leave, he couldn't. At that moment, a cold voice rang in his ear.
"Brat, since you've seen us, why are you leaving? Intercept her for me from the front, and I'll spare your life."
Li Yan, in mid-flight, was stunned. The Rhino-Horned Green Python was actually ordering him to intercept the beautiful woman. Its tone was very forceful, filled with a sense of disregard for life. This was understandable, as the aura Li Yan was emitting was that of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. In the eyes of the Rhino-Horned Green Python, he was someone it could kill with a spit.
In its eyes, if Li Yan obeyed and went to intercept a Pseudo-Core cultivator at her wit's end, he would likely be killed or crippled in a single exchange. But so what? As long as he could block the woman for a moment, it was confident it could poison her again at close range. The beautiful woman in front had been hit by its sac poison, but she hadn't yet reached the point where she couldn't use her Spirit Power.
She was relying on a jade comb, which had blocked most of the Rhino-Horned Green Python's attacks. Moreover, a desperate Pseudo-Core cultivator's speed and life-or-death tactics were exceptionally fierce, making it impossible for the python to subdue her for a while without hurting her.
Gazing at the woman's full figure and exposed skin, a flash of heat crossed the Rhino-Horned Green Python's cold eyes. It had been a long time since he had met a human cultivator who caught his interest. Besides, he had been in seclusion for a long time and needed to release his long-suppressed desires.
So he didn't want a corpse. He wanted warm, supple jade, the long-awaited pleasure of the immortal song.
As for that male cultivator, he would just swallow him dead or alive later. The essence blood of a human cultivator was a great supplement. In its view, Li Yan would surely obey his command without hesitation, because the man's cultivation was simply too poor. If it wanted to kill him, it could catch up and do so in an instant.
The beautiful woman, fleeing for her life, was horrified when she heard the green-robed cultivator's words. If the human cultivator to her side really did intercept her, with the poison in her system, she would surely be unable to get past him in one blow. A moment's entanglement and the green-robed cultivator would catch up instantly. At that point, would she really have to self-destruct?
But she was unwilling. She had sold almost all her possessions to buy the Netherworld Order at a high price. There was still someone outside who needed her to save them.
This was also why she hadn't chosen to self-destruct the few times she had almost fallen into the green-robed cultivator's hands. She had been holding on bitterly, looking for a chance to escape. But now, her body was growing hotter and hotter, her mind was becoming unclear, and her body was going soft. The person in front of her didn't have a high cultivation, but he was still capable of blocking her.
When the beautiful woman first saw Li Yan, she had also felt a flicker of joy. But after seeing his cultivation level, although she asked for help, she felt that even if he were willing, there wasn't much hope. But if they joined forces, they might be able to fight off this demonic beast. Then there might be a chance to escape with their lives.
When Li Yan refused, she gave up the idea. She was a proud person and wouldn't drag someone else down to shield herself unless she was truly desperate.
But there was still a force driving her to leave this pagoda. She had already obtained what she needed, and there was hope for the person she needed to save. How could she be resigned to such an outcome? The thought of the consequences of falling into the green-robed man's hands filled the beautiful woman with both shame and anger.
At this moment, Li Yan, who was flying to the side, seemed to have paused. A fierce glint flashed in the beautiful woman's eyes.
But the result was not what either of them expected. Li Yan, in mid-flight, after hearing the Rhino-Horned Green Python's words, had only paused for a moment before suddenly accelerating and flying forward again.
The green-robed man's face instantly darkened. He shouted, "Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Then I'll capture you both!" That insignificant human cultivator dared to ignore his words. With a shake of his body, a green shadow stepped out from the green-robed man and chased after Li Yan.
Li Yan noticed the movement immediately. Although he wanted to leave, his Divine Sense was always paying attention to what was behind him. When he saw a green shadow seem to separate from the green-robed man, he was first startled. Upon closer inspection, he found that the separated green shadow looked exactly like the green-robed man, just that its expression was a bit dull and not very lively. But its speed in pursuing him was not slow at all.
This sudden development gave Li Yan a shock. The first thought that came to his mind was to run fast, because a term had sprung from the depths of his heart at the same time: "External Avatar." That was a great supernatural art that only Nascent Soul cultivators could use. For it to suddenly appear on a second-tier demonic beast, how could Li Yan not be terrified?
But very quickly, Li Yan calmed down. He first dismissed his own thought, feeling it was too absurd. It was just a second-tier demonic beast. This should be one of the beast's innate abilities.
Cultivating an External Avatar was too difficult. Even a high-level cultivation method like that was likely extremely rare even in the Malevolent Spirit Sect. At least, Li Yan had never heard of any ancestor in the sect who had mastered such a great supernatural art. This art wasn't as simple as just splitting the body in two to increase combat power.
Not to mention that this high-level cultivation method was so rare as to be almost extinct, the avatar itself was said to require rare materials compatible with the main body. Otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve a state of one mind and unified soul.
The next moment, Li Yan confirmed his thoughts. The green shadow's speed was still noticeably different from the green-robed man's. Its body also gave off an illusory and ethereal feeling, and the aura it emanated was only at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment.
Feeling the aura rapidly approaching from behind, Li Yan frowned. He wasn't currently pushing the Cloud-Piercing Willow to its full potential because he was in a forest. To use it at full power, he would have to fly high into the sky, but that would inevitably make him a conspicuous target and might even attract the attacks of other demonic beasts.
At his current flight speed, although he wouldn't be caught by the green shadow for the time being, it was only a matter of time. In that case, a battle would be unavoidable.
But by then, Li Yan would be less of a threat. After all, he was still too close to the Rhino-Horned Green Python's main body, and that beast looked ferocious. Li Yan felt he had some confidence in dealing with an unknown phantom of the Rhino-Horned Green Python. It was at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, and even if it could fight above its rank, it would at most be at the Pseudo-Core realm. While he couldn't say he was confident he could kill the green shadow, Li Yan was quite certain he could injure it and then escape.
Thinking of this, Li Yan continued to fly forward through the forest, with the green shadow in hot pursuit. On the other side, the Rhino-Horned Green Python's main body didn't even glance in their direction. With a wicked smile, it continued to chase after the beautiful woman.
...
This was beside a pool at the foot of a mountain. A dense forest formed a semicircle around the clear pool. Li Yan was currently standing expressionlessly on the open ground in front of the pool. Opposite him, the green shadow stood suspended in the air.
"Why did you stop running?"
"You really are a lingering ghost, to have chased for so long!" Li Yan said lightly.
"Should I call you smart, or stupid? If you had just intercepted that person, you could have lived. But you chose to defy my command. Low cultivation, and a low-grade brain to match. With your meager cultivation, this is as far as you can run."
As soon as the words fell, green Qi surged from the green shadow's body. A cold glint flashed in its eyes, and in a flash, it was in front of Li Yan. Its whole body had turned a strange, oily green. It quickly raised its left hand and extended a long, thin finger. The nail at its tip grew explosively to a foot long. The translucent green nail, sharp and glistening, slashed towards Li Yan's neck.
At the same time, Li Yan also raised his right hand. The Li Fire Profound Yellow Fan appeared in his grasp. A Flying Sickle Blood Mantis flew out from it—the one at the initial-stage of the second tier.
The moment it saw the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis, a flash of contempt crossed the green shadow's eyes. A mere initial-stage second-tier demonic beast, and an artifact spirit refined from a single demonic beast soul at that, was being used to block him. With one slash of his finger, he would cut it in two.
Sure enough, the moment the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis flew out, it still looked ferocious. But upon seeing the green shadow, a look of fear immediately flashed in its eyes. The suppression of rank among demonic beasts was irresistible. But under Li Yan's urging, the brand planted on the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis still made it immediately raise its two massive mantis blades.
Li Yan performed another hand seal. The hesitation in the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis's eyes vanished. It turned to the side, and its twin blades, carrying a heavy aura of blood, met the green nail that was already upon it. With a loud "clang," the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis, which had appeared quickly, was sent flying back even faster.
It wasn't cut in two by the nail as the green shadow had expected, but was merely sent flying. All of this happened in a very short time. Seeing this, Li Yan couldn't help but nod.
It was just as he had expected. The blood river in the Li Fire Profound Yellow Fan was very strange. When he was refining the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis, he had discovered that their bodies were covered in what seemed to be a thick blood shell, which was unusually hard. Li Yan had tried attacking it and could only knock the mantis back, unable to break through the blood shell for a while.
However, if the Flying Sickle Blood Mantis left the Li Fire Profound Yellow Fan for more than half a tea's time, the blood shell on its body would slowly disappear, as if absorbed into its body. It would then need to return to the blood river and soak for a day before it could regrow.
This was somewhat similar to the Li Fire in the fan, and it was all related to that blood river. This made Li Yan extremely curious about the origin of the blood river, but there was no one to reveal its secret to him.
To be unable to kill the essence soul of an initial-stage second-tier demonic beast in one blow stunned the green shadow. The next moment, its eyebrows shot up. As a powerful existence on the second level of the pagoda, it had actually misjudged.
It raised its sharp claws again, this time extending two fingers, like two curved, sharp hooks. Like an eagle's talons, they slashed towards Li Yan's forehead. If it hit, it would likely leave two penetrating holes in Li Yan's skull.