156: escape

At this time, the Huai'an Prince's Mansion had already issued a warrant for Gu Yuchuan's arrest. For a power with a Nascent Soul Stage powerhouse, using Karma to calculate the identity of an enemy was a simple matter. They easily learned Gu Yuchuan's identity; however, because he was protected by Luck, they couldn't pinpoint his exact location, allowing him to run for a while rather than being caught immediately.

The one pursuing him was the mansion's butler, Liu Zhong—the same man who had secretly looked the other way to let Ning Zhi escape. He was filled with deep regret. He had originally wanted his Young Miss to live the life she desired instead of being forced to marry someone as a concubine, but he never imagined that his Young Miss would actually fall.

His heart was filled with grief, even giving rise to several Heart Demons. Since he was the one who let Ning Zhi go, he was convinced he was a sinner who had to take responsibility. Had it not been for the need to capture Gu Yuchuan, he would have already committed suicide to atone for his sins; after all, he had watched the Young Miss grow up.

He chased all the way, getting closer and closer to Gu Yuchuan. Gu Yuchuan could also feel a Golden Core Stage expert pursuing him. However, since there were no marks on his body, he wasn't in a hurry. He simply found a large tree on the spot, hollowed it out, and hid inside.

This path could be considered a main road with many Cultivators. Liu Zhong couldn't easily determine which one was his enemy; he would only sense it upon actually seeing him.

He passed right by Gu Yuchuan without stopping for a moment. About an hour later, Gu Yuchuan emerged. He changed direction and continued to run.

By the time Liu Zhong realized something was wrong, another half-day had passed. Gu Yuchuan had already run quite far and was only a day's journey away from Chaoyang City. However, Liu Zhong's pursuit was very fast, and he finally caught up to Gu Yuchuan half a day later.

Finding that he could no longer escape, Gu Yuchuan simply stood still. Liu Zhong's eyes were blood-red; he no longer looked like a high-and-mighty Golden Core Stage Cultivator, but more like a malevolent ghost from Hell.

“Snake Demon, I've finally found you. You killed the County Princess of our Prince's Mansion and still hope to live? Wishful thinking. What were you thinking, daring to do such a thing? I will make you regret it. I will place your Soul over demonic fire so that you suffer endless pain for all eternity.”

Gu Yuchuan wasn't particularly afraid and even mocked his opponent: “Why shouldn't I have killed her? Her own strength was insufficient, and she couldn't defeat me. That is her own problem.”

His words drove Liu Zhong completely into a frenzy. He struck out with a blast of fire. Although he didn't use any profound Spells and was only a Golden Core First Layer Cultivator, there was a fundamental difference between the Golden Core Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage. While there are Prodigies in the Qi Refinement Stage who can fight Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators, Prodigies in the Foundation Establishment Stage who can take on Golden Core Stage Cultivators are extremely rare—practically non-existent. Clearly, Gu Yuchuan at the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment was still far from that level.

His Golden Light Incantation transformed into a treasure Pagoda atop his head, but that seemingly ordinary fire still knocked him to the ground. He felt a metallic sweetness in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Snake Demon, weren't you very arrogant? Is this all your methods amount to? Then prepare to die.”

His tone carried the joy of successful vengeance, but Gu Yuchuan showed no fear. Instead, he burst into laughter: “What if I say you cannot kill me?”

His voice held a hint of provocation, as if he didn't fear the Golden Core Stage Cultivator before him whom he completely couldn't defeat.

Although Liu Zhong didn't know what trump card the other party held, he understood the principle that delays bring change. It was better to just kill him directly.

He raised his hand, and mana condensed within it. Gu Yuchuan felt the pressure of death from it.

Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and a voice rang out across the entire Qingyun Realm: “From this day forth, the Human and Yao Races establish a peace treaty. Cultivators with a gap of a major Realm may not kill one another. If Cultivators of the same Realm have grievances, they must first apply for a duel; only after the application is successful can they seek revenge. Violators shall be executed without mercy, and the powers behind them shall also be implicated. This pact is jointly signed by the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Xuan Shui Venerable of Mount Shu, Emperor Yongzhao of the Great Yong Dynasty, the Yao Sovereign, and the Nine-Tailed Fox Immortal. Violators will find no possibility of survival within the Qingyun Realm.”

Instantly, Liu Zhong froze, unable to release the mana in his hand. He couldn't understand why the Human Race would sign such a treaty with the Yao Race. However, his Young Miss could not have died in vain. His face was twisted with various conflicting emotions as he once again condensed mana in his hand.

Gu Yuchuan spoke up at that moment: “Do you still dare to act? Look at what I have in my hand—the Yao Sovereign's Token. My identity is no mere wild minor demon. Killing me today would indeed be easy, but at such a sensitive time, if you dare to strike, not only you, but the Prince's Mansion behind you and even the entire Great Yong Dynasty will suffer losses because of your actions. Whether your Prince's Mansion will even continue to exist might be another matter entirely.”

Liu Zhong finally dissipated his mana. He was the butler of the Prince's Mansion, and the interests of the mansion had to come first. He could not cause the entire mansion to fall into ruin just to avenge the Young Miss.

His voice was heavy, as if he wanted to devour Gu Yuchuan: “Snake Demon, just you wait. I will not let this go. One day, I will kill you with my own hands.”

With that, he departed immediately. He knew he could do nothing today, and staying would be useless other than to frustrate himself. Thus, he did not hesitate for a second.

Gu Yuchuan felt a layer of cold sweat on his back. Although he had seen this outcome in the simulator, it had only been a single sentence and hadn't felt as dangerous as it did now. A Golden Core Stage Cultivator was far stronger than him; he would likely need to reach the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment before having even a slight ability to challenge one.

He sighed and prepared to continue his journey. He could feel the weakness of his cultivation. Although his talent was good and he was among the strongest in his Rank, his cultivation had not truly reached a proficient level yet; he was still in the lower layers of the cultivation world. While not at the very bottom, he wasn't much better. He urgently wanted to advance to the Golden Core Stage; only then would he truly have power over his own destiny.

However, he believed that day was not far off. After returning from the dragon gate, his Bloodline and cultivation would both see significant growth. The materials he needed for advancement had already been promised by the Yao Sovereign, so his breakthrough would be very smooth.

He composed himself and continued toward Chaoyang City; he was going to pick up his Disciple.