“What dense spiritual qi!”
Li Qingshan strode up the main road, making his way into the valley. The spiritual qi was so dense that simply taking in a breath was refreshing. Compared to this, his dwelling in the Chain mountains was absolutely horrible.
There were not a lot of towering trees in the valley, making it seem very open. The two sides of Savage mountain that stood several thousand meters tall were covered in various kinds of vegetation, as well as green pine trees, strange jagged rocks, the cries of birds, and fluttering butterflies.
A few streams meandered among the mountains, turning into a waterfall and cascading down. It passed through the clouds and mist and landed in the jade-green pool, creating a splash of water like jewels and pearls.
The view was so beautiful that it resembled a wonderland.
Within this “wonderland” sat a huge city. The row upon row of structures all had their own styles. There were both temples of the wilderness constructed from huge boulders, as well as prominent buildings built from logs. Paintings and symbols were present everywhere, leaving the colourful charm of the south on full display.
Unless they had seen it with their own eyes, no one could imagine that this was the infamous Lair of Demons of the southern region, inhabited by a group of lawless demonic cultivators who were notorious even in this land of wilderness. When villains outside were compared to them, they seemed as pure and compliant as children.
Li Qingshan appreciated the scenery happily as if he was looking at his new home.
When he walked into the city, the bustling streets and alleyways immediately fell silent. Gazes of judgement, caution, and hostility were cast over from the structures on the two sides of the road.
Li Qingshan’s smile died down slightly. He could sense the existence of various formations in the surroundings, or more accurately, he had already stepped into numerous formations.
Regular sects all placed emphasis on external defences, constructing a protective formation for the sect and closely controlling those who entered. They would not set up as many obstacles inside, so their disciples could move about and mingle freely.
However, the Lair of Demons was different. This was a mixture of various people, and they came and went often. Even the eight cave masters were vigilant of one another, so there would only be more conflict between their disciples and lackeys.
Because of the blood oath, the cave masters still maintain peace on the surface at the very least, but to the demonic cultivators beneath them, fighting was commonplace. They often broke into battle over the slightest disagreement. Not only would the cave masters stand by, they even hoped to see more of it. The incapable had no right to reside in the Lair of Demons.
This was the principle of survival for demonic cultivators. The inferior would be eliminated like refining gu. There was no trust or friendship between people, only vigilance and taking advantage of.
Wild beasts marked their territories with urine, while cultivators used formations. Every single structure had one formation operating within it at the very least. A large region of structures would even be enveloped by a large-scale formation.
This place probably has the greatest formation density in the world. Fortunately, this place is a blessed land, which is why these formations can operate. Their power should be far more terrifying than normal too. It’s no wonder that they’re bold enough to open a corner gate and let me in. They’re basically letting me walk into the trap. They’re still not activating it. Is it because they’re waiting for me to venture even deeper?
Heh, if I were just Li Qingshan, then I’d probably be done for. After slumbering for all these years, it’s about time I let out Northmoon so that he can stretch a bit!
A child’s bawling suddenly erupted up ahead. Li Qingshan went over, only to see a child in red clothes with a tiger hat on his head sitting on the ground, crying away in the centre of the street. He cried very vigorously and loudly, which was slightly eerie in this silent city.
“Little one, why are you crying?” Li Qingshan asked with a smile. He even crouched down as if he did not notice the eerie danger within at all. He had always been gentle towards children.
“My puppy is going to die!” The child continued to weep with his head lowered.
“Oh, where’s your puppy then? Let me take a look. I might be able to save it!”
“It’s useless. You’re dead for sure!”
The child suddenly raised his head. His rosy face was sunken and twisted in a vicious way that completely conflicted with his age.
With that, an invisible, mysterious power immediately latched onto Li Qingshan’s body and invaded deeply into his soul.
A curse!
It was one of the methods of attack that was the most difficult to guard against. Often, it could kill and harm the opponent unknowingly. Once entangled with a curse, it would basically be ten times more troublesome than being poisoned. However, the conditions to cast a curse were extremely strict too.
After saying that, the child immediately bled from all of his orifices and died. Clearly, he was just a puppet, and he was very likely one of the conditions to cast the curse.
Li Qingshan’s smile vanished. The spirit turtle suppressed it, and his soul cleared up. The curse vanished.
“Fuck, is the difference in cultivation really too big?”
A blind old man in rags with a cane in his hand grumbled. He felt his curse fail and swore inside.
But that was fine. As the first person bold enough to launch a direct attack, his actions would definitely earn praise from the cave masters. Even if the curse had failed, the enemy was unable to do anything to him.
Boom!
Fierce winds with wooden splinters filled the room. A huge hole appeared in the thick wall.
Li Qingshan pierced through over a dozen walls and seven or eight formations, arriving there and staring at the blind old man coldly.
“Who’re you? What are you trying to do?” The blind old man trembled and retreated. “I’m just an old blind man on the brink of death!” He even put on an act as if he had nothing to do with this, but he was filled with fear inside. Just how did he know it was me? My curse shouldn’t have left behind any traces at all!
“Don’t worry, I’ve always been a person who respects the old and cherishes the young. Come, give your cane to me. Today’s weather is quite nice, so I’ll take you out for a stroll!”
Li Qingshan grabbed the old man’s cane with one hand and gripped his thin, stick-like wrist with the other hand, basically dragging him back along the path he had come.
The demonic cultivators watched in fright as he passed through their homes one by one. The blind old man trembled, which was no longer an act. He was actually filled with fear, but he dared not fight back.
Arriving on the main street, beside the child’s corpse, Li Qingshan said calmly, “Here, open up!”
The blind old man could tell he was up to no good, so a string of mysterious and obscure words erupted from his mouth.
With a spurt, the cane was planted in his mouth!
“What a good old man!”
Li Qingshan shoved the twisted, knotted cane into the old man’s body inch by inch, doing so until it emerged from the other side and plunged into the ground.
However, he was still alive. Although it pierced many of his organs, even reaching his dantian and sea of qi, he was still a cultivator after all. His figure that was already hunched over curled into a ball from the pain.
“If anyone touches him, they’ll be accompanying him!”
Li Qingshan said and left behind a strange marker, drawing over the gazes in the dark. He continued on his way. Many figures that were ready to strike from the structures on the two sides shrank back.
Li Qingshan could feel his mood improve greatly. He walked for a little longer. Right when he was about to reach the end of the valley, he stopped instead, raising his head and looking at the tall tower on the mountain. Five pairs of eyes looked back at him from afar.
The spiritual qi in the air became even denser. This region located at the bottom of the valley also happened to be the centre of Savage mountain, where spiritual qi and the beauty of the place gathered. The dwellings of the eight cave masters were established here too. Regular disciples and lackeys could only construct their dwellings to the two sides of the mountain peak.
This was like the bottom of the pocket, the end of the traps. Regardless of the quality, scale, or the powers they could unleash, the formations cast down here could not be compared to the formations in the city. Even if they did not fight, they could still trap a second heavenly layer cultivator or a Daemon Commander.
The five cave masters were all waiting for Li Qingshan to take another step forward. Then it would be his death!
A great battle was on the brink of erupting!
But Li Qingshan refused to budge. He simply stood there with a smile stretched over his face.
“Esteemed guest, why don’t you come up the mountain for a talk so that you can tell us your intentions?” The Gentleman of Heavenly Blubber’s voice rang out from the tower.
Li Qingshan finally moved, but not forwards. He made a turn and headed towards the left.
It was a building that stood around thirty meters tall called “Drunken No Return”. It was a fancy place with carved beams, painted rafters, overhanging eaves, and protruding corners. With a gentle breeze, the wind chimes sang. It was so delicate and magnificent that it did not seem like a creation of the south. Moreover, they clearly knew about Li Qingshan’s arrival, but the restaurant was bold enough to remain open.
“Sir, bring me some alcohol!”
Li Qingshan stepped through the door. There was not a single person in the restaurant, but many of the tables still had alcohol and food. Only a girl around sixteen or seventeen stood behind the counter, click-clacking away with her abacus. She struck it a few more times before finally raising her head as if she had reached a satisfying result. She smiled. “There are no sirs here, only a ma’am. Sir, can’t you tell the difference between a man and a woman?”
She was pretty, bold, and feisty. With a shake of her head, the silver jewelry on her head jingled. She made her way out from behind the counter. She was dressed in a green, embroidered top and a patterned skirt.
“I don’t care whether you’re a man or a woman. I only care if your alcohol is any good or not. If it’s no good, I’ll tear your place down!”
Li Qingshan arrived at the central table and sat down. He thought, The Lair of Demons really is filled with masters. I just killed one and here comes another. Of course, if they weren’t capable of something, they’d never have the courage to face me. Though, she probably isn’t as young as she looks!
“How vicious of you, sir! I have plenty of fine alcohol here, enough to guarantee you’ll go home drunk. Though, you’re not seeing our cave masters, but coming to drink in my humble store instead. Don’t tell me you’re afraid and want to muster up some courage?” The boss of the store smiled. She seemed very innocent and curious.
As long as it was a man, they would hate it when someone called them cowardly and afraid, especially when it came from a beautiful woman!
Li Qingshan also happened to be a man. He shook his head. “You can’t say that. It’s not that I’m afraid of your cave masters. Your cave masters are afraid of me!”
“How come?” The boss of the restaurant moved her hips and made her way over, directly sitting down in front of Li Qingshan and leaning over.
“I’m the guest. They’re the host. There’s one of me and eight of them. I’m sitting in the main room of their home right now, yet they’re afraid to come out of their bedrooms to see me. They’re shy and timid like little girls. Tell me, just who’s afraid of who?”
Li Qingshan smiled.
“Oh you, I really can’t beat you in an argument, can I? If you want to drink then drink, but let’s settle the bill first!” The boss leaned forward and arrived before Li Qingshan, talking gently and showing off the gully on her chest.
“I’ve only just sat down. I haven’t even touched a cup of tea, so where did the bill come from?”
“My place was originally filled with people. It was exactly your arrival that drove them away suddenly. None of them have paid for their alcohol and dishes. Tell me, aren’t you supposed to pay this bill?”
Li Qingshan smiled. “I’ve come to dine and dash. I won’t even be paying my own bill, let alone theirs.”
The woman’s face changed. “There still hasn’t been anyone bold enough to go without paying my bills here!”
