txolops Chapter 284 Retreat, Note 1
Chapter 284 Retreat, Note 1
Li Ping has ample flexibility.
This is mainly reflected in the fact that it becomes stronger when facing weaker opponents and weaker when facing stronger ones.
If he faces a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he will strike without hesitation; if he faces a cultivator of the same level, he will be cautious; if he faces a high-level cultivator, he will run away immediately.
For example, right now.
If Qu Youkong takes a tough stance or even attacks directly, Li Ping will decisively back down and run away.
But since Qu Youkong was wary and had softened his stance, Li Ping felt there was no need to back down immediately; he could now express his toughness to a certain extent.
Having a principled attitude and maintaining the rigid temperament of a rogue cultivator who has reached the Core Formation stage will save him a lot of trouble when dealing with other forces in the Western Wilderness in the future.
Of course, one must maintain a balance; becoming a strange old monster is acceptable, but becoming a demonic old devil is not.
Those who follow the demonic path are people everyone should kill.
The cultivation world is no different from the mortal world; being a "nice guy" is never a compliment.
The only downside to becoming a monster is that other real people can't go on any adventures or explore caves.
Given a choice, I probably wouldn't team up with an old monster.
However, Li Ping didn't care about this. Even if someone invited him to go on an adventure, he wouldn't dare to accept.
He has always preferred to cultivate in seclusion and dislikes participating in activities such as exploring ancient caves and grottoes.
Thinking of this, Li Ping chuckled: "Hehe... My newly acquired maidservant hasn't even entered my room yet, and Fellow Daoist Qu says you can just look at her like that? Lifting her robe...hehe...what if my maidservant isn't the fugitive you're looking for?"
Qu Youkong felt troubled when he saw that Li Ping had almost explicitly stated his intention to "pay more".
If he could confirm that the person under the black robe was Meng Qingyi, he would kill him directly. Offending a rogue cultivator was one thing, but the sect would handle the trouble.
It is expected that Li Ping will break his promise and get involved in the struggle for Immortal City, and then he will have no face to cause trouble.
But if he kills him and finds out it's not Meng Qingyi... then he's just wasting his time.
Thinking this, Qu Youkong was too lazy to continue arguing with Li Ping. He took out a green hairpin-shaped magic artifact from his storage bag and looked at Li Ping, saying, "If your maid is not the person I am looking for, I will turn around and leave. Consider this second-grade top-quality magic artifact a gift for your maid!"
"Is that so..." Li Ping smiled, seemingly pleased to have outmaneuvered Qu Youkong.
He sighed inwardly, "Fellow Daoist Meng, this is all I can do to help you. I hope you have a smooth journey ahead."
"Wanjun, since Fellow Daoist Qu is so curious about your appearance that he has gone so far as to offer a second-grade top-quality magic artifact as a gift, why don't you lift your robe and let him see?" Li Ping nodded slightly to Meng Wanjun beside him.
Hearing Li Ping's gentle voice, Meng Wanjun's fear gradually subsided, though her voice still carried a slight tension: "Yes, young master!"
After saying that, she slowly lifted her head covering, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face with skin as smooth as jade, delicate features, bright eyes, and white teeth.
In terms of appearance, Meng Wanjun and Meng Qing are somewhat similar, but overall, Meng Wanjun is far superior to Meng Qing in his youth.
However, Qu Youkong had no time to pay attention to Meng Wanjun's beauty. After seeing Meng Wanjun's appearance clearly and noticing that the aura emanating from her was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, his expression immediately turned ugly.
When he looked up and saw Li Ping smiling at him, he knew perfectly well that he had been tricked by Meng Qingyi and Li Ping.
Li Ping was simply trying to attract his attention and leading him in circles, while Meng Qing was secretly making his own moves and had probably already left the Cloud Mist Mountain Range!
He was furious: "Li Daoyou's methods are unforgivable; I, Qu, will remember this!"
After saying that, he threw the green hairpin in his hand onto the flying boat, and then turned and left without hesitation.
He needed to hurry back to the Immortal City to see if he could mend the situation.
……
As he watched Qu Youkong's figure disappear into the horizon, a thoughtful look appeared in Li Ping's eyes.
The Core Formation Realm cultivator was no fool; Qu Youkong easily saw through his little trick and left with a harsh remark as he departed.
From Ziyun Valley's perspective, his assistance in helping Meng Qingyi break free from their control meant that he was on the opposite side of their family.
However, he didn't openly oppose Ziyun Valley; instead, he played a game of cat and mouse, which was acceptable on the surface.
If a Foundation Establishment cultivator dared to treat Purple Cloud Valley so lightly, they would naturally be doomed.
However, as a Core Formation cultivator, he holds a relatively high position in the cultivation world. Given his status and strength, he can barely cover up his actions in such borderline situations.
Just like before, Qu Youkong did nothing to him because of this.
At most, he would feel angry that he was not as skilled as his opponent, and would try to sabotage him when the opportunity arose in the future.
They won't specifically mobilize the entire sect's resources to deal with him.
"In the end, I still offended someone!" Li Ping sighed inwardly.
Meng Qingyi was, after all, a friend of seventy years, and his relationship with the Meng family patriarch was also quite good. This was his way of returning a favor.
Regardless of whether Meng Qingyi forms his core or not, he will no longer interfere in the affairs of the Immortal City.
"Senior, the magical artifact."
As Li Ping pondered, a weak voice sounded behind him.
He turned around and saw it.
It turned out that Meng Wanjun was respectfully presenting the jade hairpin magic artifact that Qu Youkong had thrown onto the flying boat.
Second-tier magic artifacts were of little use to Li Ping. He glanced at Meng Wanjun, whose face was flushed with nervousness.
Having just faced a Core Formation cultivator, this girl must have been terrified.
He smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Qu said this magic artifact is a gift for you, so please accept it."
"Ah~ me."
Meng Wanjun's face showed a struggle. She, a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator, naturally wanted a top-grade magic weapon.
However, she shook her head firmly and refused, saying, "This magical artifact was given to you as an apology, senior. How could I, Wan Jun, dare to take it? Please accept it, senior."
After that, no matter what Li Ping said, Meng Wanjun stubbornly refused to accept the magic weapon.
Li Ping was speechless, and in the end he had no choice but to accept the jade hairpin as a magical artifact.
Feeling the weight lift from her grasp, Meng Wanjun almost simultaneously showed a relieved expression.
Looking at Meng Wanjun, Li Ping pondered how to deal with her next.
He was going to check the location of the teleportation array himself, and since the teleportation array was crucial for his smooth travel between the Great Zhou and the Western Wilderness, he couldn't let anyone know about it casually.
Therefore, he could not bring Meng Wanjun with him.
However, monsters roam freely in the Cloud and Mist Mountains.
In particular, in order to confuse Qu Youkong, they have already ventured tens of thousands of miles into the Cloud Mist Mountains, and have been traveling through areas teeming with high-level demonic beasts.
If Meng Wanjun were to return alone, she would likely become food for the monsters.
After pondering for a moment, he smiled and said, "Young friend Meng, I need you to do something for me. Would you be willing?"
Upon hearing Li Ping's words, Meng Wanjun's expression turned solemn: "Senior has done a great favor for my Meng family. Please feel free to ask me anything, and Wanjun will certainly do my best for you."
Li Ping smiled and nodded: "That's good."
Whoosh!
The flying boat immediately changed direction and flew towards a valley more than ten miles away.
While controlling the flying boat, Li Ping explained to Meng Wanjun what she needed to do: "Young friend Meng, I will set up an array in the valley later. One of my spirit beasts is searching for spiritual objects in the Cloud Mist Mountains. If it returns, you can open the array and let it enter."
Li Ping wanted to master the True Scripture of Ink Clouds, but he was still missing one piece each of the three grades of spiritual materials: gold, water, and fire. The Cloud Mist Mountains were not lacking in such spiritual materials, and he planned to have the Earth Spirit Rat search for them in the mountains to see if it could find them.
The Earth Spirit Rat possesses the ability to escape through earth, making it quite safe for it to travel alone in the Cloud Mist Mountains.
The reason Li Ping is having Meng Wanjun control the third-order formation to provide him with a safe zone is actually to buy insurance.
"Yes, no problem!" Meng Wanjun nodded emphatically.
Li Ping smiled and nodded: "That's good."
Soon, the airship came to rest above a secluded valley.
Li Ping put away the flying boat and flew down with Meng Wanjun. Then he used the Devouring Yuan Sword to open a spacious cave along the stone wall of the valley. Inside the cave, he set up the third-order formation he had obtained from the secret realm cave and taught Meng Wanjun how to control the formation to enter and exit.
Meng Wanjun looked with some curiosity at the core array plate of the third-order array and the spirit eye jade inlaid on the array plate.
Li Ping noticed her gaze, but didn't say anything.
For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a treasure like the Jade of the Spiritual Eye is undoubtedly a hot potato. Once exposed, it could easily lead to their death.
However, a Core Formation cultivator is qualified to possess such a treasure.
Other Core Formation cultivators, upon seeing that Li Ping possessed a Spirit Eye Jade, would at most marvel at his good fortune and wouldn't entertain the idea of snatching it.
After all, the spiritual energy provided by Li Ping's Spirit Eye Jade is only equivalent to a low-grade third-tier spiritual land, barely enough to support the cultivation of early-stage Core Formation cultivators, and not even as effective as a third-tier spiritual vein.
"Have you remembered how to open the array entrance?" Li Ping asked Meng Wanjun with a smile.
Meng Wanjun nodded emphatically: "Yes, Wanjun has remembered!"
Having witnessed Meng Wanjun's skillful manipulation of the formation, Li Ping patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist. A stream of earth-yellow light flew out from the pouch and landed in front of Li Ping, revealing the shape of an earth spirit rat.
"This is your spirit beast, senior." Meng Wanjun looked at the earth spirit rat standing and bowing on the ground with curiosity.
Li Ping took out a bottle of Beast Feeding Pills, fed them to the Earth Spirit Rat, and then commanded it through his consciousness to search for spiritual materials in the nearby area, and to return to the formation if it encountered danger.
The earthworm squeaked incessantly, "The worm guarantees to complete the mission, master, please rest assured."
Whoosh!
The next moment, the Earth Spirit Rat's nostrils twitched slightly, as if it had discovered something, and it disappeared underground.
After giving Meng Wanjun some more instructions, Li Ping quietly left the cave and flew towards the teleportation array location marked on the map.
Meng Wanjun was left alone inside the formation.
Only when she was alone could she gradually calm down.
Meng Wanjun was left alone inside the formation.
Only when she was alone could she gradually calm down.
Only then did she have time to worry about her master's safety: "Master has to cross the country to go to Donghua Mountain. I hope everything goes well for her."
Her initiative to divert her master's attention seemed dangerous, but compared to the situation her master faced and the pressure he bore, it was nothing.
Originally, her master didn't have to do these things, but she still did them resolutely.
Everything Master did was for the sake of the family.