Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 182, Battle 181! (5,000 words in this chapter)
"The Explosive Qi Pill truly lives up to its reputation as a fifth-tier pill; its effects are indeed extraordinary."

On a crisp autumn morning, the dew carried a chill.

Li Cunxiao stood in the courtyard of the escort agency, sensing the true energy flowing through the seven meridians in his body, with faint steam rising from his ivory-white skin.

The Qi-accumulating Pill commonly used by martial artists of the Yellow Court is a fourth-tier pill.

Generally speaking, a martial artist's realm and the grade of a medicinal pill often correspond.

The higher the grade of the elixir, the stronger the corresponding martial artist, and naturally, the more precious it becomes.

Although the Explosive Qi Pill is a fifth-tier pill, it was actually developed specifically for martial artists with the Yellow Court level.

Or rather, it was specifically developed for disciples of major sects.

Accumulating true energy to impact acupoints and then opening up the meridians is a gradual process.

Although the Qi Accumulation Pill can accelerate the accumulation of true qi, it can only shorten this time by a maximum of one-third.

For ordinary martial artists with the Yellow Court skill level, this method, though slow, is safer.

After all, a runaway internal energy could very likely cause a martial artist to become possessed by a demon.

But the prodigies of sects and aristocratic families are different.

The techniques and martial arts they practice are refined and improved generation after generation, and with various means to protect their minds, the risk of ordinary martial artists falling into demonic possession is almost negligible for them.

In order to shorten this difficult period, the Explosive Qi Pill was created.

Its ingredients are precious, enough to meet the threshold of a fifth-grade pill; but its effect is entirely used to increase the true qi of a Huangting martial artist, and even a single pill can open up a meridian.

If we only consider the cost, this approach is not cost-effective.

However, for geniuses who are racing against time, saving more time and energy to prepare for the more important True Form Realm later on makes the Explosive Qi Pill very worthwhile.

"One Qi-Boosting Pill is equivalent to ten or twenty Qi-Accumulating Pills, saving me half a month's effort."

"If this medicine can be enough."

Recalling the exhilarating feeling of opening up the Spleen Meridian of Foot Taiyin in one go last night, Li Cunxiao felt a sense of satisfaction, but he also knew that this was not realistic.

Since we met that senior, he has acquired everything: martial arts, magical treasures, and elixirs.

Previously, Qi-accumulating pills were given out in several bottles, but these Qi-exploding pills were given out one by one.

Its preciousness needs no further explanation.

After a moment of contemplation, his distracting thoughts gradually dissipated. Li Cunxiao's attention slowly returned to the internal energy within his body.

When the Yellow Court is fully developed and the true energy is abundant, it can be released externally, unlike before when it could only be attached to the body for use.

"Rotating wheel!"

With a soft shout, the Flame-Mao True Qi surged from his palm like a burning flame, instantly transforming into a spinning fire wheel the size of a human head.

Li Cunxiao felt that his internal energy had not been depleted much. Knowing that his internal energy was far superior to that of ordinary people because of the wooden dragon, he simply put in a little more effort.

With a loud bang, the crimson Flame True Qi surged and exploded, revealing an iron-colored wheel, as large as a millstone, which slowly turned amidst the flames.

The iron wheel looks real from a distance, but upon closer inspection, you can still see that it has no texture and is obviously not made of metal.

"Try something else?"

With a thought, the iron wheel suddenly spun rapidly, and the flames beside it surged even more fiercely, turning into a fireball.

The next moment, a dark red giant python emerged from it, coiled around Li Cunxiao's body, and flicked its fiery tongue.

This is the Infernal Fire Gun.

"Change again."

Another thought struck him, and the fire serpent suddenly opened its massive jaws, from which a ferocious claw emerged, as if to tear him in two.

The fire serpent dissipated, revealing a one-horned dragon formed from bluish-gray flames.

This dragon was noticeably thinner than the fire serpent, not particularly thick. Li Cunxiao was also very familiar with the bluish-gray flames; they were the unique deathly aura of the Burning Wood Blade.

"It's probably because the Burning Wood Blade is only at the minor completion stage that it's smaller than the Fire Serpent."

Li Cunxiao seemed to be deep in thought. Just then, the door of the house next door opened, and Mu Cha walked out, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

But when he saw the bluish-gray flame dragon encircling his elder brother, like a god descending from heaven, his eyes and mouth widened, and he couldn't help but stretch his neck.

"Wow!!!!"

Seeing this, Li Cunxiao couldn't help but smile. With a gentle push of his palm, the bluish-gray horned dragon "swam" out, covering a distance of about ten feet.

However, its tail was still attached to Li Cunxiao's palm and could not be separated.

Mu Cha curiously touched the wooden dragon, but when his fingers brushed against it, it was just an illusion, like trying to grasp a spider web, seemingly there but not there.

The Burning Wood Blade Qi, which is clearly a deathly aura that destroys life, did not cause any abnormalities in the hands of Mu Cha. This is actually a manifestation of Li Cunxiao's meticulous mastery of true qi.

"It's a pity. Releasing true energy outwards is ultimately too rigid."

"If you want to control it, you can only adjust the amount of force within a distance of about ten feet."

"If it is released, it will travel about three zhang in distance, but once it is released, it will be impossible to control."

"Only by opening the eight extraordinary meridians and transforming true qi into form can one freely manipulate the form of true qi according to one's will."

"True energy is like an extension of limbs; threading a needle is a piece of cake. In fact, if one has enough true energy, it is not impossible to condense wings."

Recalling the various wondrous uses of true qi transformation mentioned in Qici's words last night, Li Cunxiao felt an even greater longing to open the eight extraordinary meridians.

"That senior last night said that all those who go fishing are old foxes."

"With powerful backers, it's good to resolve these hidden dangers."

After pondering for a while, he finished having breakfast with Zhang Lishi's family and then packed all his equipment.

Ostensibly, they were going to Tiangu Temple, but in reality, once they left the city, they headed straight towards Pingdingshan.

Although he had powerful backers, Li Cunxiao did not let his guard down. He carried the Cloud-Stepping Boots, the Purple Flame Serpent Spear, the Dragon Sparrow Blade, and pills for healing and restoring true energy with him.

The red horse maintained a steady pace, leaving a trail of dust on the official road.

After the dust settled, some ordinary-looking martial arts practitioners trailed far behind, their eyes gleaming.

"Is it that Li Cunxiao?"

"There's no mistake, that magnificent steed is the only one of its kind in the city."

"This person always keeps to himself and rarely goes out; we've never had a chance to find him alone before. Judging from the direction he's heading, is he going to Pingdingshan?"

"Is this a fraud?"

"So what if it's a trap? We live on the edge, aren't we prepared for this?"

"Oh? I didn't know you, spider, had become so bold?"

"A single fifth-grade pill is enough to make us risk everything. Besides, Li Cunxiao is only at the Yellow Court Realm. How much stronger can he be? If you guys don't go, I'll go first."

Originally, these people were quite far apart and wary of each other.

But once the first person caught up with Li Cunxiao's retreating figure, the rest of them couldn't hold back any longer. They all moved with lightning speed, releasing their inner energy to power their feet, and quickly chased after him.

"They took the bait so easily?"

Li Cunxiao appeared to be simply traveling, but in reality, he remained highly vigilant about what was behind him.

He didn't have any supernatural vision; it's just that when they were about 20 miles from the city, they were still hiding, but the closer they got, the more blatant they became.

A dozen or so figures, some on horseback and some on foot, followed closely behind.

However, to their surprise, the horse's horsepower far exceeded their expectations, and its speed far surpassed that of the group.

If Li Cunxiao hadn't deliberately controlled his speed to lure these people away, they would have been helpless to watch him ride off without being able to do anything.

"Something's not right. This kid is deliberately keeping us in suspense. We're less than ten miles from Pingdingshan. Could there really be an ambush?"

"Impossible. I specifically inquired before I set off. None of the experts in Tiangu Temple have left, and the deacons at the Huangting realm are all tied up with trivial matters. Only Li Cunxiao is there."

"Could there be other helpers?"

Some people gave up, and by the time they finally reached the foot of Pingdingshan Mountain, only half of the pursuers remained; the more cautious ones had all left along the way.

These five or six people were either stuck at a bottleneck and desperately needed elixirs, or they were full of confidence in their cultivation levels; none of them were easy to deal with.

Seeing that no one was around, the group unleashed their true energy, their speed skyrocketing. Their bodies were covered in true energy, resembling five or six streaks of light as they rapidly darted into the mountains. "Strange, could this person also be skilled in stealth techniques?"

The assassin nicknamed Spider wasn't the fastest among them, but he was the first to catch up and the one who stayed the tightest.

However, after Li Cunxiao rode up the mountain, in the blink of an eye, that large living person disappeared without a trace, and there was not a single hoofprint left on the ground.

"But they are still newcomers from major sects. Compared to us seasoned veterans, they are still too green."

Noticing the barely perceptible broken marks in the grass blades and smelling the fresh grass juice, the spider's lips curled into a cold smile, and a layer of dark purple true energy covered the surface of its hands and feet.

With a leap, his fingers and soles touched the tree trunk one after the other, but without making a sound or shaking, not even the leaves trembled.

He moved through the forest on all fours, like some kind of insect, so fast and quiet that even the birds in the trees seemed unaware.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he found Li Cunxiao in a clearing in the woods.

The opponent had a knife and a spear stuck in the soil on either side of its body, and its leisurely appearance made Spider's heart skip a beat.

Did he deliberately lure me here?
impossible
"Now that we're here, let's get started. There will be other people coming later."

As Li Cunxiao spoke, his golden eyes, like the glow of the sky, locked onto a certain location in the forest without hesitation.

This kid has such a keen sense of perception.

The spider knew it had been exposed, but it wouldn't foolishly reveal itself as the other party had suggested. Instead, it moved through the forest in a specific order, emitting elusive sounds as it did so.

"Li Cunxiao, you're just lucky to have joined a major sect and possess extraordinary talent. Do you really think you're invincible among your peers?"

"Invincible? That's unlikely."

Li Cunxiao listened intently to the sounds of breaking grass and trees in the surrounding bushes; clearly, the others who came later did not possess the spider's stealth capabilities.

"At most, they'll be hard-pressed to defeat!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Cunxiao suddenly drew his Dragon Sparrow Blade, unleashed his true energy, and in an instant, a three-zhang-long bluish-gray wind blade swept out.

Its speed was so fast that the spider was terrified. Its legs bent and stretched like a grasshopper, and it leaped into the air ten meters high.

boom!
Within a radius of three zhang, a large number of trees broke and fell from near their roots, their broken surfaces withered and crumbled, as if they had been scorched. This was the effect of the Burning Wood Blade Qi combined with the Small Yaksha Blade.

Trees fell, and dust was dispersed by the sword energy, allowing Li Cunxiao to clearly see the crisscrossing dark purple true energy threads in the forest.

Its winding path subtly forms a circle, while the end connecting the different silk threads is linked to the wrists of the spider's arms as it leaps into the air.

Li Cunxiao was somewhat surprised.

True Qi manifesting in form? The extraordinary meridians opened?
Some guesses came to mind, but seeing how the other party hurriedly dodged the burning wood blade energy, it seemed that their strength was not that great.

Moreover, in my perception, the threat to me is not great; it feels like I'm only at the level of opening ten or eleven proper channels.

Is it because the martial arts techniques have something special about them, because of the demon?
"Are you a spider?"

Spider's face turned ashen upon hearing this. He himself was not at the peak of the Yellow Court, let alone having opened the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

The Great Perfection of the Yellow Court is something that the geniuses of the Holy Lands strive for, but for independent martial artists, it is a gateway to hell.

Even advancing to the True Form realm peacefully is a luxury; who would bother to open up the Eight Extraordinary Meridians?

Spiders are said to "weave webs to kill," hence the name "Weaving Killer." The formation of a web from true energy is entirely due to the characteristics of its techniques and martial arts.

Relying on this true energy spider web killing method, Spider's more than ten years of assassin career, while not without defeat, has seen him escape unscathed on many dangerous occasions.

Unexpectedly, the young man before him saw through the Luo Wang's methods at a glance, and he was immediately filled with shock and anger:
"You're the pig! What are you all waiting for? Attack!"

With a roar, a series of explosions erupted from the surrounding woods, and streaks of sword light shot out, all aimed at Li Cunxiao in the center of the clearing.

"Well done!"

Holding the gun in his right hand, crimson Flame True Qi surged in, and purple flames instantly rose and exploded on the dark purple gun barrel.

The trident swept across the air, leaving a distorted arc in its wake. Immediately afterward, a three-zhang-long fire python materialized, opening its bloody maw before the horrified eyes of the crowd.

With his left hand, the Dragon Sparrow Blade unleashed a tornado of blade energy that surged into the snake's body. The giant python inhaled sharply, swallowing all of the dozens of attacks.

"what?!"

Everyone was shocked, but the next moment, the Crimson Flame Python suddenly exploded. Before the assassins could even rejoice, the five fiery pythons that split off followed Li Cunxiao's flashing figure and enveloped everyone's heads.

"Ahhhhh!!!!"

Screams rose and fell, and under the shadow of life and death, the light emitted by various true energies was like a torch as tall as a person, burning fiercely.

However, inside the fire serpent's body, the living hell was like snake venom, disturbing everyone's true energy and blood energy.
The Black Rope Hell resembled countless slender snakes, squeezing and deforming the protective true energy.

Finally, the Hell of All Union was activated, and five enormous fire serpents intertwined tightly, squeezing each other desperately as if they were mating.

It was as if a giant mountain was exerting immense pressure from every angle, causing the bones to crack under the unbearable strain, and blood to flow from the seven orifices.

The situation reversed instantly. The spider, who had been watching from the sidelines, changed his expression drastically and poured out the true energy in his dantian without regard for anything else. Suddenly, the ground around him lit up with the purple light of true energy, and the spider web instantly contracted, encompassing Li Cunxiao and all the assassins.

Seeing the trees snap as if cut by a sharp blade wherever the purple spiderweb passed, everyone's expression changed.

If the spider web closes, they will all be torn to pieces!
"Damn it, do you want to kill us all too?!"

"Li Cunxiao, stop now! Do you want to die with us?!"

"If you don't withdraw the true energy you've applied to us, you won't be able to withstand the spider's fatal attack!"

Seeing the crowd in a noisy commotion, Spider remained unmoved, even increasing the speed and intensity of his internal energy output, his eyes fixed on Li Cunxiao, who was holding a gun in one hand.

Suddenly, the other party released the Dragon Sparrow Blade in his right hand, raised his arm, and swirled his fingers around it like a roulette wheel.

The next moment, amidst the flames, a colossal iron-gray wheel appeared behind the celestial beings. As it turned, the beings of Jambudvipa (the southern continent) offered their praises, and the power to suppress mountains and seas erupted instantly.

The spiderweb, powerful enough to cut through iron and stone, was instantly torn to shreds, and the spider coughed up blood, stiffening for a moment as if struck by lightning.

Meanwhile, Li Cunxiao, who was launching attacks on both sides, seemed to be exerting no effort at all. The blood-red flames on his spear surged wildly, and the five fire snakes instantly grew larger.

The five people didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were instantly blasted into pieces by the immense pressure and high temperature.

"Wait, wait, Li Cunxiao, don't you want to know who wants to kill you?"

Spider felt his dantian was completely empty, and a look of panic appeared on his face, but his left hand steadily and quietly took out pills from the small bag on his body.

This unexpected setback was truly beyond our expectations.

Although they were all independent practitioners whose skills and martial arts were far inferior to those of the true disciples of Tiangu Temple, they were all at the Yellow Court Realm, so the difference between them wasn't that great.

Moreover, these six assassins were all at least at the Great Completion of the Yellow Court Realm. Who would have thought that in just two months, this young man would be able to fight six of them single-handedly?

It's only been two months since Li Cunxiao was promoted to the Yellow Court level, right?

What a monster!
As the spider watched Li Cunxiao approach, it mentally cursed the ancestors of everyone in Fanlou for eighteen generations.

A minor mastery of the Yellow Court Technique? Even a mastery of the Yellow Court Technique would likely not be enough to deal with these assassins as easily as the opponent!
"Then tell me, who sent someone to kill me?"

Upon hearing this, the spider was overjoyed and coughed as it tried to get up, but in reality, it was trying to swallow the pill by hiding its position.

But the next moment, a gentle breeze brushed his face, and although the pill had clearly entered his mouth, his eyes saw the round pill leaking out from under his neck.

"How could it leak?"

The head hit the ground with a dull thud. The cut of the neck was clean, yet wrinkled, like dried bacon.

Li Cunxiao sheathed his bluish-gray Dragon Sparrow Blade, which was wreathed in flames, with a crisp click.

Looking around at the large pool of blood, he let out a long breath.

"Phew~ Is it over already?"

"Bald monk, is that all?"

Taiyi and the monk Qici stood on the mountaintop, but everything in the forest was clearly visible to them.

Seeing Li Cunxiao swiftly and decisively defeat the six people, the old Taoist priest even felt a sense of pride.

'After my disciple switches to practicing the true arts of Taoism, he will surely become even stronger than he is now.'

Upon hearing this, the senior monk simply smiled and pointed.

Following the direction of the finger, my gaze fell upon the mountainside of Pingdingshan, where I saw a middle-aged monk rushing towards me.

The surging true energy was released outwards, and wherever it passed, the soil cracked and dented, like the marks left by a giant python.

His eyes were bloodshot, his mind was showing signs of madness, and he kept muttering:
"Zhang Lishi, today I will make you taste the pain of losing loved ones and falling into despair!"

(End of this chapter)