Chapter 51 The mantis stalks the cicada

The autumn wind is clear, the autumn moon is bright, it is another golden autumn.

The spirit jujube tree outside the gate of Black Magpie Mountain has borne fruit again.

The tree, over ten meters tall, was laden with fruit. From a distance, the fruit and green leaves complemented each other. Chen Songmei wanted to eat the spirit dates, so her four older siblings transformed into flying figures.

Chen Songmei stood beneath the tree as the fruit rained down. The small girl ran excitedly under the tree, chasing the sky full of spirit dates. In that moment, everything seemed peaceful and serene!

Inside the mountain, Chen Li transplanted the Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit into the Immortal Cave of the Great Sun Seed Jade. He wondered if watering it with the spiritual water from the Great Sun Seed Jade would hasten its ripening!

After all, it takes a hundred years for the flower to bloom and a hundred years for the fruit to mature!

However, perhaps because the Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit was different from other Spiritual Plants, the spiritual water poured onto the patterns on the green leaves did not elicit any special reaction.

Chen Li observed for a few days, but the ripening was not obvious.

Based on the experience of using the Great Sun Seed Jade's spiritual water to ripen Spiritual Plants—fifty days for a hundred-year medicinal herb—perhaps this method didn't apply to this tree. He needed to observe for a longer period.

He decided to leave it to time!

...

Inside the Pill Refining Residence, Chen Li restocked the medicine cabinet with ripened hundred-year qi overflowing grass.

Zhu Lingyue would come to refine pills whenever she had time. The two of them had a tacit understanding: Chen Li wouldn't ask where the medicinal herbs came from, and Zhu Lingyue wouldn't ask where they originated. Refining them was all that mattered!

The two sets of Fifth-level Demonic Beast bone and hide that Chen Li had purchased had already been fashioned into Fourth Grade Attack Formations.

His current cultivation level allowed him to inscribe Fourth Grade Formation Array patterns with ease and calm, as simple as drinking water or tea.

These past few days, he had begun studying the section on Fifth-grade Formations in his Master's 'Outline of Mid-tier Formation Array Inscription.' The bone and hide from the Sixth-level Demon Beast he bought could be used to create Fifth-grade Attack Formations.

A Fifth-grade Attack Formation—even a False Core Realm Cultivator, let alone an Early Stage Golden Core one, would only be able to flee upon seeing its energy!

Inside Black Magpie Mountain, at the Zizai Pavilion, Chen Li sat drinking tea while comprehending the Fifth-grade Formation.

Unlike the last time he studied a Fourth Grade Formation, where he remained awake for ten days straight, he now had time to study it slowly.

The Teleportation Array nearby brought forth Brother Ox and Chen Songxuan. At that moment, they saw that the expressions of the Second Brother, Chen Songxuan, and Brother Ox were extremely grim. A moment later, Chen Songxuan reported a situation.

"Father, the Second-Tier Defensive Array at Qingfeng Mountain was inexplicably destroyed by someone, and about one mu of spiritual grass in the eight acres of spiritual fields inside was trampled!"

Chen Li's expression changed, and he immediately knew who did it! Qingfeng Mountain bordered the ancestral land chosen by the Huang Family!

There was no need to guess; if it wasn't Huang Jin, it was them. Nothing happened for years, but as soon as they arrived, trouble struck?

"I will handle this matter. Do not go to Qingfeng Mountain for now!" Chen Songxuan looked at Chen Li’s calm face, and his worry subsided slightly.

After one person and one ox departed, Chen Li began contemplating how to eliminate these two. Now that they had shown their hand, he wasn't planning to wait any longer!

Rather than waiting for the enemy to strike first, it was better to eliminate the enemy first!

One day later, Chen Li left the mountain gate...

At this time, in a location belonging to the Yun Family.

Yun Chengyue had just returned from Qingfeng Mountain and reported, "Old Ancestor, the Formation Array at Qingfeng Mountain was destroyed by someone, and one mu of spiritual grass was ruined!"

"Is this true?" Yun Tiancheng was slightly surprised!

After confirming the matter, Yun Tiancheng sighed, "Alas, these are troubled times! This has flared up again. Our Yun Family, along with the former Luo Family, An Family, and Wang Family, lived in peace here for about a hundred years. In the last twenty years, we lost three families to one Demonic Beast disaster and one Possession by a demonic Cultivator. This new Huang Family is a powerful force; peace is hard to maintain!"

"Old Ancestor, which side do you think will win? The Chen Family? After all, they possess the means to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, something the Huang Family doesn't know!" Yun Chengyue offered a rational analysis.

Yun Tiancheng pondered silently for a moment. "Let's hope it's the Chen Family!"

...

Five days ago, Huang Jin went to the Boundless Forest to hunt the Lu Family members who were hunting beasts there.

Five days later, inside the Immortal Cave, Huang Jin returned from the Boundless Forest. The two were also extremely pleased; the first step of their plan had been successfully executed.

Among the Lu Family members hunting beasts this time was one Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator. Huang Jin directly disposed of the body to cover his tracks. Looking at the Qi Refining Cultivator he had tortured to death, he felt extremely satisfied!

Unconsciously, the conversation turned to Chen Li.

"Father, five days ago, when you were leaving, I deliberately destroyed the Second-Tier Defensive Array at Qingfeng Mountain and trampled one mu of spiritual grass in the mountain!"

"Let Chen Li suffer a setback first. Chen Li will definitely come knocking. At that time, we'll just say that wild boars broke through the Second-Tier Defensive Array and ravaged the things inside the mountain!"

Huang Jin burst out laughing, "Excellent! Wild boars breaking through a Second-Tier Defensive Array? Your boy will surely infuriate Chen Li to the point of exploding!"

"If he dares to make a move then, we will teach him a harsh lesson, and he will look even more pathetic then, hahahaha!" Huang Qingbin grinned widely.

...

However, five days had passed, and the Second-Tier Defensive Array at Qingfeng Mountain had already been re-established. They hadn't seen Chen Li come to their door, which made Huang Qingbin feel like he had punched cotton—unsatisfying.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Huang Qingbin muttered, "Don't tell me Chen Li went to the Lu Family to file a complaint?"

Huang Jin laughed, "It's useless even if he goes to the Lu Family. There's no concrete evidence. We can just say wild boars destroyed it, haha!"

Two more days passed. The Chen Family remained silent, and Chen Li did not come over. At this point, both of them considered Chen Li a coward.

This made Huang Jin look down on Chen Li even more. Simultaneously, another piece of news spread.

The Lu Family sent a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator to lead Family members to investigate the missing kin in the Boundless Forest!

Huang Jin was overjoyed upon hearing the news! He immediately prepared to follow them again!

At this moment, about one li outside the Huang Family ancestral land, in a patch of grass, Chen Li had been staking out the location for seven days.

These past few days, he noticed that every time Huang Qingbin went out, he would go to watch the Lu Family ancestral land. Two days ago, Huang Jin returned from the Boundless Forest, and right after, news spread that the Lu Family's kin had gone missing in the Boundless Forest.

Chen Li couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, making a bold guess!

There was a very high probability that Huang Jin and his father were plotting to take over the Lu Family!

Would Huang Jin abandon being a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan to be a Qi Refining Immortal Clan? He didn't believe Huang Jin's style was to keep a low profile and develop secretly like himself!

At this point, Chen Li felt even more composed. He thought of a plan that didn't require him to act personally.

Chen Li infiltrated the Lu Family and told the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator his suspicions, also revealing that Huang Jin's actual cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Stage. As long as the Lu Family wasn't foolish, they would make some arrangements!

One day ago, in a secret chamber of the Lu Family, the Sixth Brother, a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator, was reporting this matter to his Foundation Establishment older brother.

"Big Brother, that Huang Jin is very likely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator! And he is plotting against our Lu Family! The matter of the missing kin in the Boundless Forest might be related to him!"

"You received this news from someone who infiltrated our Lu Family to inform you. He actually wasn't discovered by me!" Lu Xilou's expression shifted repeatedly, seeming unable to believe it!

"The Cultivator who infiltrated the Lu Family must be at least Ninth Layer of Qi Refining or above. Our Family ancestral land's Defensive Formation Array didn't show the slightest fluctuation! This person must be proficient in the Dao of Formations!"

"Never mind whether this person's information is true or false for now; the fact that our kin are missing is true! If his speculation is correct, our Lu Family absolutely cannot sit idly by!"

"We will do this..."

The two began plotting in the secret chamber, leading to an interesting phenomenon observed on this day.

On this day, six hundred kilometers within the Boundless Forest.

The Lu Family's Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator was found leading a group of Lu Family members to scout ahead, with Huang Jin following behind the Lu Family's Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator. Lu Xilou, in turn, followed Huang Jin by a li, and Chen Li, with his Divine Sense reaching three li away, followed Lu Xilou by another li.

Chen Li kept his Divine Sense fully open, observing the three groups ahead while staying trailing behind them.

The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole is behind. Who will be the true oriole today?