The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Wan Huaiyi clutched his bleeding shoulder and coughed violently twice, his body hunching over with each cough.

He walked unsteadily to Liu Jiangjiang and looked down at her.

Liu Jiangjiang trembled and bit her lip, remaining silent.

"Junior sisters, out of consideration for our past relationship, I will spare your lives today."

"Those two idiots just passed out. You should get some sleep too."

After saying that, he tapped his fingertip lightly before Liu Jiangjiang could react.

Liu Jiangjiang's body went limp, and she completely lost consciousness.

Wan Huaiyi bent down and reached into the unconscious Liu Jiangjiang's arms, groping around for a while.

It wasn't that he had any romantic intentions; he simply pulled out a jade pendant that gleamed with a bluish light with a rough motion.

That was a protective spirit jade possessed only by direct disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect. It contained a strand of spiritual power from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Once crushed, it could not only protect the body but also send a message to the sect.

"Click."

Wan Huaiyi used two fingers to squeeze the jade pendant, creating a crack.

A strong cyan light barrier opened up, enveloping the three people lying on the ground.

Xu Changqing, watching from the shadows, saw clearly that this man was meticulous in his work and that it was not advisable to stay here for long.

He held his breath, lightly touched the ground with his feet, and floated backward.

As long as he retreats into the reeds, under the cover of night and with the help of the complex waterways, even if Wan Huaiyi were born in the Year of the Dog, he wouldn't be able to find him.

One step, two steps.

Just when Xu Changqing thought he was about to disappear without a trace.

"Fellow Daoist, you've been looking around for so long, are you just going to leave like this?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Xu Changqing's ears.

Xu Changqing froze, his foot hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to land or retract.

Wan Huaiyi, clutching his still bleeding left shoulder, slowly turned around, his emotionless eyes fixed on the withered willow tree where Xu Changqing was hiding.

"Come out. It wouldn't be proper for me to physically summon you."

Xu Changqing sighed inwardly.

There's no escaping it now.

Although Wan Huaiyi was injured, Xu Changqing knew he couldn't have done what Wan Huaiyi had done, taking down two late-stage Qi Refining disciples with those two moves.

Moreover, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; who knows what other tricks this ruthless person is holding?

Xu Changqing simply walked out from behind the tree in a generous manner, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect from a distance.

"Just passing by, nothing more."

Xu Changqing's voice was hoarse, and he deliberately lowered his voice.

"I am just a wandering cultivator making a living in the Great Swamp. I saw some commotion here and took a few more glances out of curiosity. Since you are dealing with family matters, I will take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Wait a minute."

Wan Huaiyi took a step forward, the ice beneath his feet making a screeching sound.

"Judging from your attire and the way you walk, you don't seem like a rootless wanderer, but rather a local who knows this area well."

Xu Changqing's heart skipped a beat.

This person has a sharp eye.

"What does Fellow Daoist wish to do?" Xu Changqing stopped in his tracks, his right hand already gathering spiritual energy in his sleeve.

Wan Huaiyi twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat sinister smile.

"I'm injured, and the sect's people will be here soon. I can't run far."

He looked directly at Xu Changqing, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I need a place that is absolutely safe and that no one would expect me to go to in order to recover."

"Take me to your house."

Xu Changqing's eyelids twitched violently.

Bringing home a traitor from your sect who betrayed his master and ancestors?

This isn't bringing people along; it's inviting a living Yama (the King of Hell) to take home and worship.

Once the Qinghe Sword Sect finds out, every single one of the dozens of members of the Xu family will be reduced to ashes.

"Fellow Daoist is joking."

Xu Changqing chuckled twice, his body tense.

"My humble abode is simple, situated on a deserted island nearby. I have an eighty-year-old mother to care for, and infants crying for their mothers..."

"I didn't discuss it with you."

Wan Huaiyi interrupted him, a dark red bead appearing in his hand at some point, emanating a chillingly violent aura.

"This is the 'Thunderflame Pearl,' a low-grade, second-tier, one-time-use weapon."

"If you refuse, fellow Daoist, we can just perish together. Anyway, I've already gained an extra life."

Xu Changqing felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the bead.

This is what it means to have nothing to lose and nothing to fear.

This madman is really daring to blow things up.

"Don't act impulsively."

Xu Changqing took a deep breath and raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

"Since you think so highly of me, then please follow me."

While saying this, Xu Changqing's heart was in turmoil.

Bringing this person back to the Xu family is too risky.

But if I don't bring it, I'll die right now.

At this critical juncture, Xu Changqing could only place his hopes on his old buddy who had never let him down.

While maintaining outward composure, he spared a sliver of his mind to delve into his consciousness.

The Heavenly Mirror hangs amidst the mist.

There was no time to speculate on any detailed fortune or misfortune, as Wan Huaiyi was staring intently at them.

"By the Heavenly Mirror, if I bring this person back to the Xu family and hide him, could the Xu family face annihilation?"

Xu Changqing asked a very general question, seeking only the simplest answer.

As long as he can get a definite answer, he can grit his teeth and keep the person calm.

however.

The mist on the mirror churned, then golden light flowed.

[Deduction begins]

[Prediction: The auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of taking in Wan Huaiyi.]

[Time required: One and a half hours.]

Xu Changqing stumbled and almost stepped into an ice hole.

An hour and a half?

Three hours?!

I'm just asking if he's dead or alive, and you're going to take three hours to figure it out?

Just how much karma is Wan Huaiyi carrying?

Could it be that this guy not only betrayed his master and ancestors, but also dug up the ancestral graves of the Qinghe Sword Sect?

He would have to spend an extra half hour traveling, instead of the one hour he would have spent traveling.

"Fellow Daoist, what's wrong?"

Seeing Xu Changqing's unsteady stance, Wan Huaiyi behind him immediately asked alertly, raising the Thunder Flame Pearl in his hand slightly.

"It's alright, it's alright."

Xu Changqing steadied himself and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"There are many underground rivers around here, and the ice is thin. I almost slipped and fell just now."

He was inwardly groaning.

Three hours.

It takes at most an hour to fly directly back to Cangwu Island from here.

If he were to take the person back directly, and the final result from the Heavenly Mirror was "extreme misfortune," then he would be personally sending his entire clan to the executioner's block.

We absolutely cannot go back directly.

It has to be delayed.

The results will be available after the Tongtian Mirror is completed.

Xu Changqing's mind raced. Looking at the vast darkness ahead, he suddenly turned and headed towards the most complex rocky beach to the east.

"Fellow Daoist, this way."

Xu Changqing pointed to the obviously longer route, his tone sincere.

"At night in this swamp, the wind direction is unpredictable. We have to follow the wind ridge, otherwise the scent we leave behind will be easily tracked."

Wan Huaiyi frowned and glanced at the road.

He was not familiar with the terrain around the swamp, and at this point he could only trust the local bully to some extent.

"Don't try anything funny."

Wan Huaiyi snorted coldly and followed closely behind Xu Changqing, maintaining a safe distance of three zhang.

Xu Changqing led the way, walking with extreme caution.

They would stop every now and then and tap on the ice, saying they would listen to the sound of the water to determine direction.

After a while, they circled around a large rock twice, saying they were trying to avoid some kind of residual formation.

"Fellow Daoist, this place is called 'Bewitching Valley.' It was a battlefield in ancient times, and it's filled with yin energy. We should go around it."

Xu Changqing talked nonsense with a straight face, leading Wan Huaiyi in circles.

Wan Huaiyi could endure it at first, but as time went on, his face became increasingly pale, and the pain from the wound and blood loss were making his patience run out.

"How much longer are you going to go around in circles?"

Wan Huaiyi stopped in his tracks, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Why do I feel like we've been here before?"

Xu Changqing stopped and pointed to an identical black stone in front of him, his expression unchanged and his heart not skipping a beat.

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but this is the power of the Bewitching Sweep. It looks the same, but in reality, every step is fraught with danger."

"Just a little while longer, we'll be out soon."

Xu Changqing offered words of comfort, but inwardly he was praying frantically.

Heavenly Mirror, Heavenly Mirror, hurry up!

The Thunder Flame Pearl in my ancestor's hand is almost touching the back of my head!