Chapter 180: He Must Be a Saint!
"He killed him?"
The old man came to an awkward halt in midair.
He had thought Li Xun might be in danger. But now… it was clear he had overestimated the threat. With the Robe of Salvation on his side, there were very few under the Saint Realm who could break through Li Xun's defenses.
And if you added the Indestructible Golden Body to that…
Not even he could do anything to Li Xun. He couldn't kill him, couldn't wear him down. Aside from running away, there would be no other option.
After all, aside from the Robe of Salvation, Li Xun also wielded an offensive Supreme-Grade Dao Weapon—a jet-black halberd.
With such a weapon in hand, even a Divine Palace Realm powerhouse would have to seriously consider whatever they can survive a single hit from Li Xun.
"Senior, we meet again."
Li Xun turned around with a smile, his gaze landing on the old man who had now drawn close. He casually put away the halberd, his expression calm and relaxed.
There wasn't the slightest trace of the awe-inspiring force he had just displayed, the force that allowed him to kill a Divine Palace Realm expert with a single strike.
And that expert had been none other than a Duke of the Great Chu Dynasty!
"Yes… we meet again."
The old man forced a smile.
"Thank you, Senior, for lending a hand just now," Li Xun said with a nod, his tone sincere. "If not for your assistance, I might've run into some real trouble."
His gaze shifted slightly to the two heads the old man was holding—and he immediately understood what had happened.
Those two were clearly also Dukes of the Great Chu Dynasty.
Earlier, when Duke Qi had used a jade slip, he hadn't even bothered to hide it from Li Xun. So Li Xun had known about the reinforcements all along. He had been puzzled why they never showed up—until now.
So this was why.
They had already been dealt with.
To be more accurate—they had been sealed.
Their heads were intact, and their souls were still sealed within. But they couldn't escape, which made them no different from the dead.
"This old man was merely following my young mistresses's orders," the old man said, waving a hand dismissively. "Everything was done at her command."
Though his tone was casual, his emphasis on the words "young mistresses" was anything but. The meaning was clear as day:
My young mistresses has had your back all along.
"Heh."
Li Xun chuckled softly, offering no comment.
Then, with a flip of his palm, he summoned a jade bottle of pills and handed it over.
"Senior, you took on two Great Chu Dukes. I can see you suffered some injuries. Here—some healing pills. A small token of appreciation from me."
"Er…"
The old man raised an eyebrow, glanced at the bottle, then accepted it without protest.
"Then I won't be polite!"
The moment the old man took the pills, a voice echoed in Li Xun's mind:
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You've invested one bottle of Returning Origin Pills. Reward: One mid-grade spiritual treasure – the Seven-Slaughter Blade. Would you like to claim it?]
Li Xun ignored the system for now.
His eyes swept across the surroundings.
"Senior, since you've slain two of Great Chu's Dukes, you should be careful when returning to the Jade Capital City. They'll come looking for revenge."
"Don't worry," the old man said with a hint of pride.
"Although I'm only at the peak of the Divine Palace Realm, I'm well-versed in concealment techniques. Even a Saint wouldn't notice me unless they examined closely."
Then he looked at Li Xun with a more serious expression.
"But you, on the other hand…"
"From here, you'll need to travel another six million li west to leave the Great Chu Dynasty's borders. You'd best get moving. If you delay any longer, more experts from the empire will arrive."
"No."
Li Xun shook his head, his tone calm.
"Senior, you've misunderstood me."
Although Chu Lingyue had once been someone Li Xun had invested in, she had still gone out of her way to warn him back in Jade Capital City. Now, she had even dispatched a peak stage Divine Palace Realm powerhouse to protect him in secret.
Though Li Xun said nothing aloud, he had already engraved this kindness deeply in his heart.
If he hadn't known the dark secrets of the Great Chu Dynasty, that would've been one thing. But now that he did—he couldn't just turn a blind eye.
"Then what exactly are you trying to say?"
The old man looked puzzled.
"I suspect someone within the Great Chu Dynasty has colluded with the Otherworldly Demon."
Li Xun didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.
"Impossible!"
The old man's expression changed dramatically, drawing in a cold breath.
His voice turned grim.
The invasion of the Otherworldly Demons had been so long ago that many had forgotten they even existed. Today, even a single Blood Essence Stone was something most cultivators couldn't even hope to lay eyes on.
It was only recently that signs of the Otherworldly Demons had reappeared near the Profound Sun Holy Land, and only then did some people remember the ancient records mentioning them.
But that was all.
The Otherworldly Demons that appeared near Profound Sun were pitifully weak, the strongest of them are only at the Profound Elixir realm. Not even the Great Zhou Empire had paid them much attention—let alone other factions.
Most likely, outside of the Great Zhou, many powers didn't even know that the Otherworldly Demons had begun to invade again.
So now, hearing Li Xun make such a bold claim, the old man's first reaction was disbelief.
After all, the Otherworldly Demons were mortal enemies of this world.
Who in their right mind would take such a risk and collaborate with them?
"This is no trivial matter," the old man said solemnly.
"Can you be sure exactly who in the Great Chu is working with the Otherworldly Demons?"
"I can't say for certain," Li Xun replied after a moment of thought.
"But if I had to make an educated guess… it's most likely a Saint."
When he had slain Champion Marquis, a Saint's shadow had briefly appeared.
But that Saint's presence was terrifying—too powerful to get a clear look. All Li Xun could discern was that the figure was, without a doubt, a Saint of the Great Chu Dynasty.
What was suspicious was that this Saint had appeared almost immediately after the Champion Marquis died.
Li Xun had reason to suspect that this was the one who had gifted the Champion Marquis the Blood Essence Stone.
In fact, he even suspected that this Saint… was the Great Chu Emperor himself!
Although there had been no public news of the Emperor achieving sainthood, that didn't mean it hadn't happened in secret.
After all…
What if… this so-called Emperor is actually playing the role of the legendary villain?
The protagonist's halo might be formidable, but villains had their own kind of fate and fortune.
Before the villain falls at the protagonist's hand, they are often powerhouses blessed with great destiny, rising rapidly and posing immense threats.
After all, if the villain isn't strong, how can they pressure the protagonist to grow?
"A Saint, huh…"
The old man's mood turned heavy. He raised his head and looked at Li Xun.
"How did you come across this information?"
"I guessed."
Li Xun responded with just two words—and showed no intention of explaining further.
To deduce that a Saint of the Great Chu was collaborating with Otherworldly Demons just from a single encounter with the Champion Marquis… to most cultivators, that would sound utterly absurd—bordering on paranoid conspiracy.
It would seem far-fetched, almost like fantasy.
But they didn't understand the deeper mechanics of protagonist templates and villain templates.
Li Xun said nothing more. He summoned his Golden Divine Chariot, stepping aboard one step at a time.
As he ascended, he said:
"Senior, all you need to remember is that I have no reason to lie to you. That alone should be enough."
"I still need to return to the Profound Sun Holy Land. I take my leave today."
His voice drifted through the air.
The golden divine chariot transformed into a streak of divine light and vanished into the distant sky.
"Guessed…?"
The old man clicked his tongue.
He mulled over everything for a long moment before muttering to himself:
"Regardless of whether it's true or not… I need to prepare a way out—just in case."
"If what Li Xun says is true, then both my young mistresses and I… may be in grave danger."
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