Chapter Sixty-Eight: Royal Gate Mountain

Looking toward the distant Carefree Peak, Li Xingyu naturally recalled how, a few years ago, he had first rescued the only daughter of the master of the Carefree Sect, and then, on another occasion, saved her and other disciples as well. Yet, he had also kept for himself the stolen jade ginseng he had retrieved from the Burrowing Rat, a treasure that belonged to the Carefree Sect. At this moment, he no longer knew whether he and the Carefree Sect were friends or foes, and suspected even the sect master was tormented by this ambiguous relationship.

He considered whether he should pay a visit to the Carefree Sect as he passed by their mountain. His hesitation did not stem from fear that they might harm him. Even if they no longer regarded him as a friend, they must realize by now that he had consumed the jade ginseng, and after the events at the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines, they were certainly aware of his strength and influence. It was unlikely they would become his enemy over something that happened years ago and had already been resolved. Rather, his hesitation arose from uncertainty about how to face Chen Jingrou, the sect master’s daughter. After his experiences with Mu Xueqing and Zhong Ling, he still did not fully understand why he attracted women so easily, but he was wary of inviting further trouble by becoming entangled with her as well.

Unable to decide, he planned to consult his map to see how far the road to the capital would take him from Carefree Peak, and resolved to walk for a while before making up his mind. Though his destination had always been the capital, he had avoided mapping out a precise route for fear of exposing his movements, and had only glanced briefly at the terrain ahead without any careful study. After taking out the map and locating his current position, he instinctively studied the surrounding area. As he did so, his expression gradually grew grave.

The map revealed that this place was called Imperial Gate Mountain—a fact of no small consequence. It was the only easily passable route from the southern to the northern regions of the empire. Since the Celestial Prairie was at the empire’s southernmost border and the capital lay far to the north, nearly all travelers from the south would have to pass through this mountain, hence its name: Imperial Gate Mountain.

There would be nothing noteworthy about this, except that several powerful factions knew of Li Xingyu’s journey to the capital, and this place was the sole passage to the imperial city. If anyone wished to ambush him, the odds of encountering an adversary here were alarmingly high. The Tianfeng family, in particular, with their deep understanding of the empire and their cunning, would surely recognize the significance of this place and might well lay in wait for him. At this realization, cold sweat broke out across his body. He quickly stowed the map in his ring, circulated his true essence throughout his body, cast a defensive spell to shield himself, and simultaneously employed Eagle Eye and Divine Sense to swiftly probe his surroundings.

His experience told him that if there truly was an ambush, it would be useless—and even more dangerous—to flee hastily. The best course was to shore up his defenses before any attack began and to search out any hidden threats without delay.

His gaze abruptly fixed on a spot some twenty zhang away, where he sensed a powerful and familiar presence. Realizing that there was only one person lying in wait, he felt a slight relief, though the shock left him drenched in sweat. He understood that, for more than three years, the absence of great danger had made him complacent. It seemed that on a place like Naster Star—or within the true cultivation world—one could never afford to drop their guard, lest a single moment of carelessness bring about ruin.

“Hahaha... So you really did pass this way. My long wait has not been in vain.” The voice rang out. “You are truly remarkable—to sense the danger here so swiftly, remain calm, and pinpoint my location rather than fleeing in haste. Outstanding, truly outstanding. Among the younger generation, I have never seen your equal, and your discernment surpasses even many grizzled veterans.”

This man had not attacked Li Xingyu immediately upon his arrival, believing that newcomers to any place were always on the highest alert, and that vigilance waned when departing. His original plan had been to strike from behind as Li Xingyu was leaving. But since he had now been discovered, continuing to lie in wait was pointless.

“So it is you after all. I must admit, your cunning and patience are impressive indeed—old ginger is hotter than young, as the saying goes. In the end, you deduced my route and managed to intercept me. But I am curious—are you truly so confident in your own cultivation? Having guessed my path, you dared to ambush me here alone?” Li Xingyu found that the speaker was indeed the black-clad cultivator from the Tianfeng family, whom he had encountered at the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines.

“You’ll know the extent of my abilities soon enough,” the black-robed man replied. “I know you are now at the early stage of the Spirit Condensation realm, but to me, that is nothing.” Without waiting for Li Xingyu’s response, he began circulating his own true essence. As his aura exploded outward, Li Xingyu immediately felt a crushing pressure: his opponent had reached the late stage of Spirit Condensation. Startled, Li Xingyu could not fathom how the man’s cultivation had advanced so far in such a short time. When they first met, he had clearly been at the early stage himself, and had he possessed such power then, he would never have yielded so easily. But there was no time to dwell on this; even retrieving the laser gun from his ring now posed a great risk, for he sensed that his opponent’s spiritual intent was firmly locked onto him. At the slightest distraction or opening, he would surely be struck with overwhelming force.

His opponent made the first move. Li Xingyu suddenly felt his body tighten, as if bound by unseen cords, while the black-robed man rushed toward him. Finding himself unable to break free at once, Li Xingyu responded by casting a binding spell at his rapidly approaching foe. The effect was slight: the black-robed man merely faltered for an instant before breaking free and closing in once more. Li Xingyu knew the limitations of his own binding spell and had never expected it to win him the fight; he only needed to buy himself a little time.

After casting the spell, Li Xingyu forcefully drew upon his true essence, his aura doubling in strength. Over the past three years, through cultivation and gradual absorption of the energy core within him, his own cultivation had broken through to the mid-stage of Spirit Condensation as the core shrank by another third. As this formidable aura burst forth, the binding spell on him collapsed under the dual assault of his true essence and released power. Regaining his freedom, Li Xingyu quickly sidestepped several paces, then unleashed his most powerful fireball spell at his opponent with all the true essence he could muster.

The black-clad attacker, rushing forward, suddenly saw a flash of fire before a massive fireball hurtled toward him. The heat rolling off it was so intense that even the ground beneath showed signs of melting where it passed. He had not expected Li Xingyu to wield such a powerful offensive spell, nor to have achieved mid-stage Spirit Condensation, and dared not face the fireball head-on. He swiftly dodged to the rear at an angle, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. Yet even passing close by the fireball caused his own true essence to fluctuate violently.

His own cultivation technique was a domineering one, relying on physical strength and abundant true essence for its main assaults, with limited spellcasting capability except at the highest levels. At lower realms, the spells it conferred were largely auxiliary. This was why he did not hide at a distance to launch a spell attack, and after revealing himself, relied on a simple binding spell before charging directly at Li Xingyu.

As he stopped at a distance, watching the fireball’s force ebb, Li Xingyu, now five zhang away, stopped as well, rapidly adjusting his breath. That attack had nearly exhausted all the mobilizable true essence in his body, leaving the remainder in chaos within his meridians, demanding urgent regulation. Had he possessed more experience in wielding true essence and applying spells in battle, he certainly would not have left himself so depleted. Alas, there was no “if” in reality; for now, he had lost the ability to continue fighting.

Third update of the day—there will be another chapter later! The author promises to exceed ten thousand words today; your support and recommendations are sincerely requested!
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