Anyone who has lived in the desert knows that the direction of the wind on the desert is constantly changing. Therefore, the sand pillars kicked up by the wind will only blow in one direction for a period of time. And often after a while, most of them will stop, and the sand will scatter randomly on the ground, waiting for the next gust of wind to come and kick up another cloud of dust.
But earlier, there was a sand pillar that had been rolling in one direction. It had been there when Ancestor Redfire's Divine Sense swept past. And just now, when he retracted his Divine Sense, while the sand pillars in other directions had either stopped or changed direction, that sand pillar seemed to still be drifting forward. And the speed of the sand kicked up by this gust of wind was much faster than the normal wind speed. All these abnormal signs could only mean one thing: someone was manipulating this gust of wind and sand.
Thinking of this, Ancestor Redfire quickly swept his Divine Sense in that direction again. A moment later, a smile appeared on his lips. 'This should be where you're hiding. But this concealment technique is truly remarkable. It must be a rare hiding divine ability. It seems I can't just kill you directly this time.' Ancestor Redfire looked into the distance, his eyes filled with greed. No amount of spirit stones could compare to a good magical treasure or a peerless divine ability. However, at this moment, he was only guessing and still couldn't be sure if that gust of wind and sand was truly a real scene caused by some accident.
If Li Yan knew that he had wasted the effect of his "Stealthy Night Art" due to his inexperience, he would probably regret it until his intestines turned green. No matter how clever he was, because he had grown up on the edge of a forest since he was a child, he knew very little about the common things in the desert. The only desert he had ever seen was one of a level magically created in the Wheel of Life and Death. If he were in a jungle today, with his understanding of the jungle's vegetation and some demonic beasts, he might have really escaped this time. This was experience, and it had nothing to do with being smart.
At this moment, because Li Yan and Ancestor Redfire were flying in different directions while chasing the puppet, they had pulled apart at a very large angle. With the time bought by the puppet, although Li Yan himself had only flown a little over three hundred li, close to four hundred, plus the distance the puppet had traveled, he was now more than four hundred and seventy li away from Ancestor Redfire. Even for a Golden Core cultivator, there were too many things to scan with their Divine Sense in this range. Even if Li Yan could just grasp the general direction and travel with the wind, making slight adjustments, although it might take longer to escape, he might have been able to deceive Ancestor Redfire's senses and get away. But now, it was not to be.
After confirming his suspicion, Ancestor Redfire laughed loudly and chased after Li Yan at top speed.
Sensing Ancestor Redfire rapidly approaching his location like a whirlwind, Li Yan knew that his "Stealthy Night Art" had been seen through. He simply stopped hiding his aura, and his body glowed brightly with spiritual light as he shot into the sky, speeding forward even faster. And as he flew, he constantly adjusted his direction, using multiple turns to slow down the other party.
"So you were hiding in the yellow sand after all." As Li Yan was flying, he heard a cold laugh. Ancestor Redfire's voice came from between heaven and earth. Ancestor Redfire, who had only been guessing before, saw Li Yan reveal himself and flee, and the greed in his eyes grew even stronger.
Li Yan was stunned. 'So he hadn't discovered my presence, or at least he wasn't sure. It's just...' Li Yan guessed that his hiding had been useful, but he didn't have time to think about what had gone wrong.
"Little friend, how about we make a deal? If you're willing to hand over this concealment technique, then this old man will let bygones be bygones and let you leave. How about it?" As Li Yan flew with his head down, a gentle voice suddenly came to his ear. Li Yan hurriedly looked back, but he didn't see Ancestor Redfire's figure. He was probably still quite a distance away, just using a thousand-li voice transmission. But this voice was filled with a gentle intent, making one feel as if they were basking in the spring sun, their heart filled with warmth. A face appeared in Li Yan's mind. It was Ancestor Redfire's appearance, but at this moment, Ancestor Redfire had no trace of his vulgar and fierce look. That originally ugly face was now, in Li Yan's mind, the appearance of a kind elder, making one feel a natural sense of trust.
Li Yan's speed couldn't help but slow down. That voice continued to ring in his mind. "Little friend, in fact, this old man has no ill intentions. I was only acting on orders before. But now that I see that you are a dragon among men, meeting me is also a kind of immortal fortune. Why don't you stop, and I will give you a great fortune, which will be of great benefit to your future Golden Core formation. The only condition is to let me have a look at your immortal art."
Ancestor Redfire's voice was persuasive. Li Yan's expression became more and more dazed. In the end, his body stopped completely. A voice kept ringing in his mind. 'Give him the "Stealthy Night Art," give him the "Stealthy Night Art"... As long as I give it to him, not only will my life be safe this time, but I will soon be able to form a Golden Core. That's the Golden Core stage! How many Foundation Establishment cultivators have failed to achieve this fortune in their entire lives, and now it's within my grasp. Give him the "Stealthy Night Art"...'
As Li Yan stood there motionless, Ancestor Redfire in the distance was overjoyed. He knew his Soul-Hooking Grand Art had taken effect, and in a little while, he would be able to capture Li Yan alive. By then, whether Li Yan was willing or not, everything would be up to him. Under a Soul-Search, any secret would be revealed.
Ancestor Redfire's Divine Sense was firmly locked on Li Yan. Li Yan, standing dazedly in his original spot, stared blankly into the distance, muttering to himself, "I will have an immortal fortune, I will form a Golden Core, I will form a Golden Core, I must not... must not..." In Ancestor Redfire's Divine Sense, he heard Li Yan muttering about forming a core and sneered inwardly. But at the end, Li Yan's continuous "must not" left Ancestor Redfire puzzled.
Li Yan continued to talk to himself. "Must not, must not, absolutely must not hurt him..." Just as Ancestor Redfire was puzzled, a considerable spiritual pressure suddenly appeared in his Divine Sense. Then, on his path forward, three hundred zhang away from him, with a loud rumble, a dark object that looked like a small mountain shot out from the ground and stopped in mid-air. Ancestor Redfire was startled. What was this thing? It was only a few hundred zhang away from him, yet his Divine Sense hadn't detected it at all. He hurriedly focused his eyes and saw a huge, dark inkstone floating in the air, with the momentum of a mountain. It was the Pine-Inkstone, another magical treasure that Li Yan had just obtained. At this moment, illuminated by the sun and moon on both sides, it was shining brightly.
Feeling the pressure emanating from the small mountain-like inkstone, although it was only a low-grade magical treasure, any magical treasure was a rare find even for a Golden Core cultivator. Moreover, from the pressure emanating from this magical treasure, Ancestor Redfire could clearly see that it was a peak low-grade magical treasure. Its power was definitely not something that could be described with the word "decent." However, for now, the Pine-Inkstone was not a big threat to Ancestor Redfire. It all depended on whose hands it was in. Ancestor Redfire believed that if he could possess this item, he could definitely unleash its full power.
Just now, as he had been bulldozing his way through, when he passed that area, this treasure must have suddenly attacked. Ancestor Redfire believed that with his Golden Core cultivation, he would definitely be fine, but it would have caused him some trouble. It seemed that this treasure itself had a concealment function. Otherwise, how could it have escaped his Divine Sense? In that case, the value of this treasure was several ranks higher.
Now it seemed that the kid had been mesmerized by him and couldn't extricate himself from the illusion of forming a core, so he had even canceled the ambush he had set up.
Ancestor Redfire narrowed his eyes and pointed. The Pine-Inkstone, like a moving small mountain, whistled and arrived in the air in front of his head. Ancestor Redfire formed a hand seal, and the Pine-Inkstone rapidly shrank in an instant, shrinking to the size of a normal inkstone in the blink of an eye, and then floated in front of him.
Having learned his lesson, Ancestor Redfire, when facing a poison cultivator's item, had already closed all the acupoints on his body, and had even stopped breathing. He wouldn't touch the inkstone with any part of his body. The spiritual energy shield around him was flashing with a red light. He carefully scanned the inkstone with his Divine Sense. As for Li Yan in the distance, he was firmly locked on by another wisp of his Divine Sense. If there was any abnormality, his reaction would be instantaneous.
Ancestor Redfire didn't want to keep an unknown magical treasure by his side. He had already suffered a loss at Li Yan's hands once; how could he dare to do something stupid without checking it first? Ancestor Redfire's Divine Sense repeatedly scanned the Pine-Inkstone. If he found any of Li Yan's refined essence blood or Divine Sense on it, he would not hesitate to erase it. After all, removing the mark left by a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a trivial matter that only took a thought.
After repeatedly scanning with his Divine Sense, Ancestor Redfire was somewhat delighted. 'That kid is too deep in the illusion. He must be afraid of hurting me and losing his chance to form a Golden Core. The moment he took out the magical treasure, he had already withdrawn his Divine Sense. In that case, without Divine Sense or spiritual energy control, any magical treasure is absolutely incapable of attacking.'
'And this magical treasure is actually an unrefined item. In that case, this kid shouldn't have had it for too long. Then he must have his own magical treasure on him, plus that profound concealment technique. This time I've really hit the jackpot. Heh heh heh, I wonder which major sect or great family he's a disciple of, and how he met Huchen Wuding. But as long as I do this without leaving any traces, I will be the biggest beneficiary. Hahaha...' Ancestor Redfire's heart burned with excitement.
Just now, when the Pine-Inkstone shot out from the ground, he had sensed that Li Yan's Divine Sense had left the Pine-Inkstone as soon as it came out. And when he had taken the inkstone, Li Yan's Divine Sense had not followed. It had just stayed there foolishly. It was clear that Li Yan had completely lost his consciousness, and all his actions were just subconscious behaviors in the illusion.
Ancestor Redfire was even more convinced that Li Yan was a disciple from a major sect or a cultivation family out on a training expedition. Otherwise, with the wealth of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could he casually take out a Rank Two puppet and a peak low-grade magical treasure? The fact that this magical treasure was not refined could only mean that Li Yan had probably just obtained it or bought it from somewhere. He must still have a Natal Magical Treasure.
After confirming that there was no trace of Li Yan's Divine Sense on the magical treasure, Ancestor Redfire was mostly relieved. At least at such a distance, without Divine Sense, Li Yan's spiritual energy could not control this inkstone to attack. In that case, the magical treasure itself posed no threat to him.
Although Ancestor Redfire had confirmed that there was no Divine Sense or spiritual energy from Li Yan on the magical treasure, he still did not let his guard down. But just as he was about to continue wrapping the inkstone with his spiritual energy to further check for any colorless poisons, he felt the inkstone floating in front of him suddenly burst out with a dazzling white light. This white light came suddenly, without any warning, and did not even produce the slightest spiritual energy fluctuation. Although Ancestor Redfire had been on his guard, he was still caught off guard. The thought "Not good!" had just flashed through his mind when a world-shaking explosion occurred. A ball of dazzling light spread out from where Ancestor Redfire was standing. In an instant, like a falling star emitting the final brilliant light of its life, it illuminated a radius of several hundred li. The white light dyed half the sky, and for that moment, the sky was as bright as the midday sun.
And hundreds of li away, Li Yan, who had been standing there foolishly, muttering to himself, no longer had a trace of his dazed expression. The moment the white light burst out, he had already withdrawn the Divine Sense that had been lingering near Ancestor Redfire. At the same time, his body glowed brightly with spiritual light, and he turned into a long rainbow, once again desperately streaking towards the horizon.
The echo of the explosion lingered for a long time before disappearing from this part of the world. But at this moment, several shrill screams from Ancestor Redfire were heard. The tragic cries echoed through the heavens and the earth, traveling far and wide in the empty desert, like the unwilling roar of a wounded beast before its death.