Chapter 82: Misfortune

“How does it feel to be caught?” Longma, still brooding over the time Li Yuanfu ensnared him with a net of true energy, now looked at his adversary bound tightly and felt a surge of delight, almost wanting to leap with joy.

“It’s you!” Li Yuanfu stared at the arrogant Longma, intent on escaping the spiritual threads binding him, only to find them impossibly strong and sharp, giving off an intimidating aura.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the figure in black robes not far away. From her, he sensed the overwhelming presence of a mid-stage innate cultivator, and a sharpness like tens of thousands of swords.

That was sword intent!

“Black clothes, black robe, innate cultivation, potent sword intent… Could it be that you’re the senior sister of the Spirit Origin Sect, the genius Qiu Yingying?” Li Yuanfu had never visited the Spirit Origin Sect, but many of his clan’s younger members had joined it. From their discussions, he knew the senior sister was powerful and mysterious, always clad in black, rarely appearing before others.

“You’ve heard my name?” Qiu Yingying turned, her gaze commanding and forceful. “Who gave you the courage to covet my junior brother’s spirit beast?”

“This… is a misunderstanding!” Li Yuanfu felt a chill down his spine.

He enjoyed wandering, and the place he frequented most was the land of Gu Luo. Though his combat strength was average, he was at the pinnacle of the early innate stage, enough to thrive in the outer and intermediate zones, occasionally snatching a few human-level demon beasts to sell to cultivators in need.

Today, he spotted Longma from afar and mistook him for an unclaimed creature, so he attempted to capture him. Who would have thought he’d hit such a tough opponent!

Li Yuanfu wanted to explain, but Longma suddenly stood upright, stuffing his hoof into Li Yuanfu’s mouth.

With a sly grin, Longma said, “See, he’s gone silent. Looks like he knows he’s done wrong. In that case, let’s give him a chance to make amends.”

Li Yuanfu tried to protest, muffled and furious. Was he silent? He was about to explain, but Longma shoved his hoof in—what was the meaning of this?

He raged inwardly, biting down hard, only to find Longma’s hoof as hard as refined iron, hurting his teeth so much he almost wept.

“Since you have no objections, tonight you’ll be the one to attract attention.” Qiu Yingying exchanged a glance with Qingxi, both seeing the amusement in each other’s eyes.

Li Yuanfu didn’t know what “attracting attention” meant, but seeing the malicious smiles on their faces, he realized he was in for trouble. Yet, with his mouth blocked, he could only stew in his anger.

All day, Li Yuanfu suffered miserably.

Qingxi roasted a wild rabbit right in front of him, filling the air with a delicious aroma. What drove Li Yuanfu nearly mad was Longma eating the meat right before his eyes, smacking his lips loudly, making Li Yuanfu wish he could faint and escape this torment.

Night fell.

The moonlight was like water.

Qiu Yingying looked at the sky, which held only a few white clouds, and said, “Tonight, we shouldn’t fail.”

She turned to the tightly bound Li Yuanfu and said to Qingxi, “Soon, let him attract the attention of the King Kong Ape. You and I will quickly enter the central palace of Gu Luo. If the King Kong Ape pursues us, I’ll hold it off while you slip inside.”

“Understood!” Qingxi nodded, keeping Longma and the little King Kong Ape close.

After taking a beating from the little King Kong Ape, Longma was still timid but had no choice but to follow Qingxi.

Near midnight.

A few hundred meters from the central hall of Gu Luo’s palace.

Li Yuanfu was held in place by Qiu Yingying’s spiritual threads, eyes wide with terror as he looked around.

“You’re ruthless, sending me into such a dangerous place to lure the enemy!”

Though he’d wandered the land of Gu Luo many times, he’d never entered the palace area. Occasionally, he’d see a huge King Kong Ape appear—one swing of its club could send a person flying hundreds of meters.

Thinking of that scene, he shivered with fear.

“Help us lure the enemy, and your harm to Longma will be forgiven,” said Qingxi, giving him a “good luck” look before retreating with Qiu Yingying a hundred meters away.

“Roar!”

The King Kong Ape, Da Huang, detected Li Yuanfu’s aura and leaped hundreds of meters like a falling meteor, landing heavily before Li Yuanfu and raising a cloud of dust.

At that moment, Qiu Yingying released the net of true energy. She and Qingxi used the terrain as cover and dashed toward the central hall.

Freed from his bindings, Li Yuanfu trembled, terror-stricken, and fled desperately.

Da Huang did not pursue. Instead, after Li Yuanfu had run forty meters, he swung the iron club on his shoulder, sending Li Yuanfu flying with a gust of wind.

Only a scream echoed through the night sky.

“Weak!”

Da Huang retrieved his iron club, a mocking smile on his lips, his throat rumbling with rough human speech.

Though not a spirit beast, Da Huang’s cultivation had reached the peak of the Profound rank, close to Earth rank demon beasts, capable of uttering short phrases.

Suddenly, he heard the call of the Fire Fox on his shoulder and looked quickly in a certain direction.

He saw two figures sneaking through the ruins, using the terrain for cover. With his towering height—over ten meters from his giant transformation—Da Huang could easily spot them.

Those two were Qiu Yingying and Qingxi.

With the time Li Yuanfu bought, they had crossed over a hundred meters and approached the central palace.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!” The Fire Fox suddenly jumped up, pointing behind Qingxi.

There, a half-human-tall colt was racing wildly, tongue out and trembling. Atop its head stood a majestic golden-furred little monkey.

As if sensing Da Huang and the Fire Fox’s gaze, the little King Kong Ape grinned, baring its teeth and waving as if to say, “Brother, I’m back again!”

Da Huang snorted smoke from his nostrils, leaping a hundred meters, fury etched on his face.

The little King Kong Ape panicked, tugging Longma’s ear to urge him to run faster.

Longma felt the terrifying aura in midair, knees buckling in fright, almost stumbling. Yet suddenly, a warm current surged within him, washing away his exhaustion.

“Hahaha, I’m stronger now!”

Longma sped up, easily overtaking Qingxi and Qiu Yingying.

“I’ll hold off the King Kong Ape—go!” Qiu Yingying struck Qingxi’s shoulder, wrapping him in golden sword energy and speeding alongside Longma, together entering the palace in a flash.

Five waves of sword energy then swept out, crashing toward Da Huang.

“Hmph!” Da Huang scoffed, smashing the sword waves with a swing of his iron club.

On the other side.

Inside the palace, Qingxi quickly jumped down from the sword light, gazing nervously at the moonlight spilling through the gap.

To his dismay, just as the moonlight was about to fall on the golden stone walls, a patch of white cloud drifted overhead.

The moonlight vanished.

“Why am I so unlucky!” Qingxi sighed at the sky.

“Retreat!”

Qiu Yingying noticed the clouds above, realizing the mission had failed again. She unleashed five waves of sword energy across the ground, stirring up thick dust.

Da Huang swung his club, dispersing the dust, only to find Qiu Yingying had already withdrawn on a beam of sword light.