Elian sighed after hearing what Wei Xuyuan said, patting his shoulder to comfort him.
"Brother Wei, don't lose hope. Perhaps there will still be opportunities to replenish your vitality and extend your lifespan. With your current condition, if your lifespan is extended, you'd have an 80–90% chance of breaking through to the Purple Mansion next time, even without external aids."
"You don't need to console me," Wei Xuyuan said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
"Treasures to extend lifespan are incredibly rare, and with my Wei clan's current state, how could we afford such a thing?"
Elian's eyes flickered, and he spoke earnestly.
"When we braved together back in the day, you told me you genuinely considered me a friend, and I do regard you as one as well."
"I heard that in Wei Kingdom, there's a longevity spirit apricot that can extend life by ten years per fruit. I'll go to Wei Kingdom to purchase it for you. Meanwhile, you should return to Yu County and await good news."
"This…"
Wei Xuyuan hesitated for a moment before finally bowing down to the ground.
Elian quickly helped him up, saying, "Brother Wei, why such a gesture?"
Wei Xuyuan, choking with emotion, grasped Elian's hands with tears streaming down his face.
"I've made friends with dozens of people in my life, thinking my connections vast, yet none have treated me as sincerely as you have. If I can break through to the Purple Mansion and live for another 200 years, I swear, I'll repay you for this life-changing favor with everything I have."
"You're being too serious, Brother Wei," Elian replied with a smile, helping him up.
"The journey ahead is long and treacherous. Please take care of yourself and recover your essence."
"…"
After parting ways with Wei Xuyuan, Elian wasted no time and set off with the little girl, Yaya.
Initially, Elian had planned to travel together with Wei Xuyuan. If Wei Xuyuan had successfully broken through to the Purple Mansion, having him as a companion would ensure safety along the journey, and even someone like Deng Yuanwu would hesitate to act.
However, with Wei Xuyuan's breakthrough attempt unsuccessful, the situation had changed. Although Wei Xuyuan's vitality was near that of the Purple Mansion, the severe depletion of his life force after burning his essence during the attempt left him in a precarious state. If forced into combat, it would further drain his vitality, putting his life at risk.
Elian understood that he was being targeted by the Deng clan cultivators. To avoid bringing trouble to Wei Xuyuan, he used the pretext of acquiring the longevity apricot to part ways.
Meanwhile, not far from Market, Deng Yuanwu noticed something amiss.
"Only two days? How could they have left so soon?" The Deng clan elder frowned, his expression serious.
"The man is unfamiliar to anyone in Wei Kingdom. Such a short time isn't enough to uncover his background."
"Hmph."
Deng Yuanwu snorted coldly, brimming with confidence.
"At best, he's a Foundation Establishment cultivator, merely at the eighth level. Does he think he can escape my grasp?"
"Let's catch up with him first."
"…"
"They dare to pursue me."
Elian had flown more than 3,000 miles with Yaya when he noticed two streaks of light following behind. His brows furrowed, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes, though he suppressed the murderous intent rising within him.
The Deng clan was, after all, a Golden Core family. With his current strength, it was best to avoid provoking them if possible.
Thinking this, he increased the speed of his Fiery Void Sword, its radiant light cutting through the air as he tried to shake off his pursuers.
"A third-tier celestial sword."
Deng Yuanwu's eyes lit up with greed. A third-tier lower-grade celestial sword was worth at least 50,000–60,000 spirit stones, a treasure he didn't even possess.
Seeing Elian about to escape, Deng Yuanwu turned to his elder cousin and shouted, "Brother, use your Sky Traversing Boat! Don't hold back now!"
"Fine."
The elder cousin responded, producing a three-inch miniature boat. It was a third-tier flying artifact. When activated, it expanded to a full foot in size, carrying the two men as they chased after Elian.
The small treasure boat's speed was extraordinary, designed for combat and pursuit. It kept up with the Fiery Void Sword's pace with ease.
Seeing them gaining on him, Elian's expression darkened. Even at full speed, the Fiery Void Sword, capable of covering 30,000 miles in a day, could not shake them off.
For over a month, the chase continued through mountains and plains. Elian attempted several times to lose them, but they always managed to catch up.
Finally, they entered the depths of the Blackhawk Ridge in the Azuregreen Mountain Range, and the pursuit still showed no sign of stopping.
"They still won't give up?"
"Flying with a sword depletes my spiritual energy, but their treasure boat uses spirit stones for fuel. At this rate, I'll exhaust my energy first."
A fierce glint flashed in Elian's eyes. Seeing that they continued their pursuit, he finally resolved to fight.
Swallowing a Vitality Pill to restore his energy, Elian glanced back at his pursuers. His sword light intensified as he plunged deeper into Blackhawk Ridge, covering over 100,000 miles before halting in midair. Slowly, he took out his last two Vitality Pills and consumed them, replenishing his spiritual energy to peak condition.
Spotting him, Deng Yuanwu caught up, laughing loudly.
"Run! Why don't you keep running?"
Clang—
Before Deng Yuanwu could finish his taunt, a radiant blue sword light expanded, slashing toward them with a resounding clang.
"Careful!"
The elder cousin immediately activated the defensive array of their treasure boat, forming a protective barrier that managed to block the Fiery Void Sword.
But Elian's sword was no ordinary weapon. The thirty-foot-long sword light struck repeatedly, causing the barrier to tremble under the assault.
"This boat's defense array is weak; it won't hold for long," the elder cousin said gravely, casting the water-element Divine Thunder spell.
The cousin, Deng Yuanjie, was not as renowned as Deng Yuanwu but was still the son of a Purple Mansion elder. Supported by his father, Deng Yuanjie had once attempted to break through to the Purple Mansion, managing to connect four Purple Mansion meridians.
The Divine Thunder he cast resembled a celestial river falling from the heavens, a remarkable display of power.
"Hmph—"
Elian's gaze turned frosty. Though water countered fire, Deng Yuanjie's Divine Thunder, powered by spiritual energy rather than true essence, could not rival the might of the Fiery Void Sword.
The blazing sword light surged, erasing the Divine Thunder and slashing once more toward the treasure boat's barrier.
"How can a mere eighth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator be this strong?"
"To wield a third-tier natal sword… Could he possess some kind of Dao constitution?"
Deng Yuanwu's arrogance faltered, replaced by a mix of shock and envy.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D