27: Chapter 27: The Search for the "Tai Xuan Divine Technique"

After leaving the group, Li Yuan headed northwest from Da Shun, intending to leave the borders of the Shun Kingdom.

Over there was still a region where many small countries gathered and survived.

The land was barren, resources were scarce, and there was nothing worth fighting over.

Li Yuan also knew little about that area, only that it was called the bitter cold lands by Da Shun.

But according to that treasure map, he had to head northwest. The clues for the Tai Xuan Divine Art clearly pointed in that direction.

Activating his Qinggong Evasion Technique, Li Yuan set off on his journey.

In the desolate wilderness, Li Yuan didn't hold back, moving swiftly.

When nearing towns, Li Yuan prepared to stop again, reverting to appearing like an ordinary person.

Many such settlements had experts hiding within them.

If an unfamiliar Martial Artist of high skill appeared, others would likely fear he was there to cause trouble and would come to investigate.

He was merely passing through and didn't want to complicate matters.

Another significant problem was Li Yuan's current strength, which was already formidable.

His Qinggong Evasion Technique was even comparable to that of a Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortal.

If others saw an unknown expert of such caliber suddenly appear in Da Shun, they would undoubtedly launch an investigation.

An Eighth-Grade Expert of such power was enough to upset the balance of many forces.

Therefore, while traveling, Li Yuan would still maintain a somewhat low profile.

He remained neither arrogant nor impatient, keeping in mind that his enemies were forces capable of commanding Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortals.

Traveling through the night, relying on his top-tier Qinggong Evasion Technique, Li Yuan had already re-entered the territory of the Shun Kingdom and covered a great distance.

At dawn, the Qianqiu Mountain group discovered the situation.

Li Yuan was missing.

A servant going missing was not a major event.

But under these circumstances, it was easy for everyone to suspect Ruan Xingqiao had acted.

Despite the Elders' strict prohibitions, she had still stubbornly proceeded.

The servant's disappearance was minor; challenging the Elders' authority and disobeying her Elders' arrangements were the real issues.

Before even having breakfast, Ruan Xingqiao was taken for questioning.

"I did intend to subdue him last night, to force some information from him."

"But when I went to find him, he had already vanished."

"Where he is now, I do not know."

This answer only fueled the Elders' anger further.

"Do our words as Elders truly carry less weight than a fart!"

"Ruan Xingqiao, Qianqiu Mountain has spoiled you too much, letting you learn to act lawlessly."

"Upon returning, you are confined for six months, not a day less!"

Elder Xue Song was not merely angry; he even wanted to physically discipline her.

He hadn't realized before how deeply she was entangled with Meng Guidu.

If Ruan Xingqiao were to succeed as an Elder, it wouldn't be surprising if she sacrificed Qianqiu Mountain's interests for Meng Guidu's sake.

Hearing Elder Xue Song's words, Ruan Xingqiao did not argue or refute.

In her heart, she had secretly made a resolution.

She would uncover the person who had acted against Meng Guidu and give him an explanation.

This person wasn't Li Yuan, but Li Yuan definitely knew clues.

Li Yuan's current disappearance didn't mean she had no chance to find him again.

Even if the person behind this had an extraordinary status, she, Ruan Xingqiao, would still confront and deal with them.

If her strength was insufficient, she would cultivate and train desperately.

Even if it meant exhausting her talent and potential, she would not hesitate!

Ruan Xingqiao swore this oath to herself, her heart resolute.

From this moment on, she decided to keep certain thoughts buried deep within and rebuild a good image in front of her Elders.

Only by reassuring her Elders could she implement some of her plans.

Thinking of this, the hatred in her heart for Li Yuan grew a few degrees stronger.

Meng Guidu's incident was definitely connected to Li Yuan.

The key was that Li Yuan kept hiding, denying her even the chance to ask for information or clues.

If she caught Li Yuan, she had even thought of how to torture him before taking his life.

The Qianqiu Mountain group continued their journey back.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan had already reached the northern part of the Shun Kingdom.

The physique of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist was also sufficiently robust.

Activating his Qinggong Evasion Technique, he could run for a full day and night without issue.

Feeling somewhat tired, Li Yuan casually found a patch of wasteland to lie down and rest.

This leg of the journey took about five days.

After leaving the Shun Kingdom, crossing two mountain ranges, he finally arrived at the location indicated on the treasure map.

This treasure map was marked quite clearly, and Li Yuan could understand it.

Precisely because it was so clear, he felt worried.

Could someone have known about this location in advance and set an ambush here?

Upon nearing the area, Li Yuan began searching for traces and tracks in the surroundings.

Having learned the Tracking and Tracing Technique, and being an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist himself,

aside from a Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortal exceptionally skilled in concealment, no one should be able to escape his notice.

Proceeding with utmost caution, after half a day of investigation, Li Yuan confirmed no one was there.

He proceeded to the location marked on the treasure map. It was extremely open, with not even much grass on the ground.

It was a mining area; the ground beneath his feet was covered with some type of Ore.

Could the Tai Xuan Divine Art be hidden beneath this Ore?

That didn't seem quite right...

Li Yuan examined the treasure map closely. In the upper right corner, there was a small hand-drawn illustration.

It seemed to depict Water this treasure map.

The material of the treasure map was also not ordinary paper; it could withstand being watered.

Thinking of this, Li Yuan suddenly realized.

He then scraped a fair amount of powder from the Ore beneath his feet and mixed it with water.

He then used this water to watering the treasure map.

As Li Yuan had anticipated, under the effect of this water mixture, the treasure map began to change.

A new map was revealed!

No wonder those Ninth-Grade experts fought over this treasure map instead of simply copying it.

Without the original map, even finding this place would be meaningless.

It seemed the one who arranged all this had prepared thoroughly.

Holding the new treasure map, Li Yuan continued northward.

The location on the map was roughly another day's journey away.

Continuing north from the Shun Kingdom, the surroundings felt increasingly desolate.

Cities grew farther apart. No wonder those large nations paid little attention to such places.

Forget farming; even various medicinal herbs were unwilling to grow here.

For Martial Artists cultivating and training, aside from Cultivation Techniques and experience, the Support of Medicinal Pills was very important.

In these places, even low-quality qi and blood pills were probably expensive.

After traveling a good distance further, passing through a gorge and even traversing a waterfall,

that night, after emerging from a certain cave, Li Yuan found himself in a very wide-open area.

Having learned the Tracking and Tracing Technique, his sense of direction was precise.

But now, he wasn't even sure where he was.

To get out, he probably had to retrace his steps.

However, the more complex it was, the more Li Yuan felt he was on the right path.

A top-tier Cultivation Technique like the Tai Xuan Divine Art would be suspicious if it were too easy to obtain.

He continued forward according to the map's direction.

The bright moon hung in the sky, illuminating the surroundings tonight so brightly that night could be traveled as if it were day.

After about half an hour, Li Yuan keenly detected the commotion of pursuit and combat to his right front.

Leaping forward, under the moonlight, five assassins in tight-fitting clothes were chasing one person.

The one being chased was a woman, with the strength of a third-grade Martial Artist.

Even under the moonlight, her attire could be seen as noble.

The five assassins also possessed third-grade strength; intercepting and killing her would be more than sufficient.