A powerful force struck from behind Li Lanxiu, its sound sharp and urgent, like a whip cracking overhead.
He withdrew his hand from Chu Yue's and brought out his fan, slicing through the fog with a flash of clear light. A thick, green vine, as thick as a wrist, snapped in two.
In that brief moment, he lost his "guardian."
A rustling sound came from all around him. The vines on the ground undulated like green waves, rapidly coiling towards him.
Li Lanxiu frowned. He detested these vines, they were so dirty and disgusting when they wrapped around you.
He leaped into the air, his fan unfolding and folding swiftly. The fan bones transformed into a flurry of silver light, severing large swathes of vines.
More vines burrowed out of the soil, swarming towards him like locusts. He cut down countless vines, but gradually found it difficult to keep up. His foundation was too weak, and the spiritual energy in his dantian was running low.
Just as his spiritual energy was depleted, a vine silently wrapped around his ankle from behind and yanked him into the air.
Before he could hit the ground, more vines seized the opportunity to pounce, wrapping around his wrists and ankles, binding him tightly.
Li Lanxiu struggled, but the vines tightened their grip. His face turned slightly pale, and he felt a wave of nausea.
The vines dragged him deeper into the fog.
A giant old tree stood in the depths of the forest. Two sharp, green eyes glinted from the cracked bark of the tree, watching him with an indistinct gaze as he approached.
He was dragged before the tree yao. A long, pale green branch descended from the tree, gently brushing against him as if to sniff him out. The two green eyes widened, and a hoarse voice said, "I can smell you. You smell so... delicious."
Li Lanxiu turned his head away in disgust. His cloud-patterned silk boots had fallen off somewhere, and his bare feet, white and delicate, were bound by the thick, green vines. His round nails gleamed with a pearly luster, as beautiful as exquisite porcelain meant for display.
The tree yao gazed at him greedily, mumbling, "You smell so sweet. Your flesh must be delicious."
Li Lanxiu gathered the last of his spiritual energy and struggled against the vines binding his limbs. The soft, delicate skin of his wrists and ankles turned red from the tight bindings.
The tree yao scanned his entire body and paused at his mask. It used the vines to pry off his mask, but Li Lanxiu dodged, and a vine pushed his head back.
"Hmm?"
The tree yao extended a newly grown, tender vine, lightly brushing his face as if savoring him. "For a beauty like you, it would be a pity to eat you. How about you stay here with me?"
Li Lanxiu's stomach churned. That was worse than death. He frowned and muttered, "Disgusting! Get lost!"
The tree yao narrowed its eyes fiercely. The vine slid down his face and onto the collar of his robes. Just as the vine was about to burrow under his collar, the delicate tendrils touched something cold and hard.
The vine recoiled as if burned, and the tree yao's entire body of lush leaves rustled and fell.
The surrounding fog churned violently, as if screaming silently.
A powerful dragon aura emanated from the scale, causing all the nearby yao to tremble, as if they were witnessing the presence of their supreme being.
Fear and shock were evident in the tree yao's green eyes. Its hoarse voice rose to a shrill pitch, "You're the yao king's...boy!"
The vines abruptly released Li Lanxiu. The old tree yao quickly retreated into its trunk, and its green eyes vanished without a trace.
The fog in the forest rapidly receded from around Li Lanxiu, revealing a wide, ancient path. As the fog cleared, the air became fresh, and the trees on either side of the path retreated, no longer blocking his way.
Li Lanxiu picked up the mask from the ground and put it back on. The grotesque mask was terrifying, revealing only pitch-black, dot-like eyes.
"You disgusting yao, you think you can just get away with that?" He gathered spiritual energy in his palm, infused it into his Coldiron Fan, and swung it, sending a cold light slashing at the tree yao's roots.
"Ahh!" The tree yao let out a shrill cry, as if it had been castrated. A thick, green liquid spurted out from the severed wound.
Li Lanxiu was satisfied. He stroked the scale on his chest and tucked it deep into his clothes.
He had thought that Bai Ying's scales were impervious to blades and fire, but it turned out they could also frighten yao.
"Is Li-shidi waiting for his bondservant here?" Jiang Jiusi guessed.
Li Lanxiu gave a noncommittal "Hmm."
Jiang Jiusi lifted his robe and sat on a nearby boulder, saying casually, "This place is full of danger. I'll wait here with you, Shidi."
Li Lanxiu raised an eyebrow, looking at him. If he wanted to wait, let him wait.
They didn't wait long before Chu Yue emerged from the illusory forest.
Upon seeing Li Lanxiu, his expression changed slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Young Master Li."
Li Lanxiu waved him over and briefly recounted the encounter with the tree yao.
Chu Yue moved closer but kept a distance, looking at the red marks on Li Lanxiu's wrists and ankles. His dark eyes narrowed slightly. "You're injured?"
"Just minor wounds."
Li Lanxiu looked at him playfully. He wasn't a monster, so why was Chu Yue so distant?
Could it be that he hated him so much that he had slashed at him countless times in the illusion and now felt guilty?
Jiang Jiusi sized up Chu Yue. The person Xue Wujiu favored was indeed extraordinary. He was clearly a young talent. Knowing full well who he was, he asked, "Is this gentleman your bondservant, Li-shidi?"
Chu Yue glanced at him and said indifferently, "Chu Yue of Violetstage Peak."
Li Lanxiu folded his arms and watched, as if waiting for a good show. In the original story, Jiang Jiusi liked Su Shiyan, and becoming rivals with Chu Yue could only end badly.
Jiang Jiusi, backed by the Jiang family, a prominent clan, had sought revenge after his incident. But then he had hit it off with Chu Yue and become fast friends, causing his revenge plot to fizzle out.
"So it's Chu-shidi. I'm Jiang Jiusi. I've heard a lot about your exceptional talent, Chu-shidi. Now that I've met you, I can see why." Jiang Jiusi said sincerely.
"Jiang-shixiong is too kind," Chu Yue replied, his gaze lingering on the red marks on Li Lanxiu's wrists, his expression somewhat complex.
Li Lanxiu smirked, saying playfully, "I hear that Jiang-shixiong is a top disciple of Thousandchance Peak and has already reached the initial stage of Nascent Soul. Your swordsmanship is unparalleled throughout the world."
Jiang Jiusi smiled slightly and looked at Chu Yue with deeper admiration. "Those are just idle rumors. Chu-shidi is the true genius."
Xue Wujiu had given him a third task: to "recruit" Chu Yue as a disciple of Thousandchance Peak. To do that, he first needed to befriend Chu Yue. Only as good friends would his words hold weight.
Since escaping the illusion, Chu Yue had been feeling unsettled and had no intention of chatting with Jiang Jiusi. He remained silent.
At that moment, two cultivators emerged from the fog of the illusory forest. One was Chuxuan of Violetstage Peak, a handsome man in white robes with a cheerful demeanor.
The other, slightly older and with a dignified and aloof expression, carried a sword wrapped in cloth. He was Lian Jianqing of Surfoot Peak, one of the twin heroes of Conundrum Sect, on par with Jiang Jiusi.
Seeing Li Lanxiu's condition, Chuxuan teased, "Shidi, how did you lose even your shoes?"
Li Lanxiu glanced at him and tilted his chin. "Shouldn't Shixiong introduce us?"
Chuxuan replied, "This is Lian-shixiong of Surfoot Peak. We met outside the illusory forest and decided to travel together."
Lian Jianqing bowed to everyone, saying solemnly, "Lian Jianqing of Surfoot Peak."
Jiang Jiusi and Lian Jianqing, being old acquaintances and heroes who admired each other, walked together and began chatting.
Chuxuan took another pair of boots and a box of ointment from his storage ring. Walking over to Li Lanxiu, he said with a light smile, "Shidi, let me apply some ointment for you."
Li Lanxiu sat on a boulder by the stream and casually asked Chu Yue, "What level are you in your swordsmanship?"
"Tenth level," Chu Yue replied calmly, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Chuxuan who was kneeling beside him.
Chuxuan applied the ointment to Li Lanxiu's ankle, cupping his foot with one hand. His fingertips paused on the delicate skin for a moment before gently massaging the ointment into the red marks. His movements were gentle, and he caressed the red marks repeatedly, as if he couldn't bear to exert any more force.
Lowering his eyes, he concealed his turbulent emotions. He became more and more careful with his movements, as if he feared he would lose control.
Li Lanxiu nodded, seemingly satisfied with the rapid progress. Casually, he asked, "What about your heart method?"
Chu Yue, still watching Chuxuan's actions, replied with a hint of annoyance, "Tenth level."
Jiang Jiusi watched intently, the ointment seeming to create a thin layer of pearl-like luster, making Li Lanxiu's skin appear smooth and translucent. The golden ring on his ankle swayed gently, incredibly attractive.
"Hmph! Spoiled brat, needing his shixiong to apply ointment for such a minor injury," Lian Jianqing muttered, frowning as he watched Chuxuan's submissive demeanor.
He sighed and said, "Such a kind and honest person, and yet he lets Li Lanxiu bully him?"
Thanks for translating! I’m really enjoying the story so far
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