“Master, rest assured. Once this Disciple obtains the Hundred Flowers Token and releases Luo Hongyan, I will surely rescue Master and restore your freedom, avenging you.”
“The Hundred Flowers Token should be carried by that little snake at all times. It’s colorful all over, so Disciple, don’t get it wrong.”
Dan Ji did not forget to remind him.
But Changqing asked in confusion.
“This Disciple personally saw Liu Lu swallow the Hundred Flowers Token. It should be a large piece of armor, rough on the surface, milky white all over, emitting a faint white glow. Did Master remember incorrectly?”
“Hmm?”
His words plunged Dan Ji into confusion for a moment. She murmured.
“Could it be that she lied to me back then? Yes, it must be so. It seems this little snake is more cunning than I imagined…”
Then she was relieved.
“No matter, as long as you can confirm that the Hundred Flowers Token you obtain is real. Once spiritual power is injected into the Hundred Flowers Token, it will take people out of here. This cannot be faked.”
“It’s getting late now. You must leave here before that little snake returns. You don’t need to come again three days later, to avoid any further complications. I will just wait for you to fulfill your promise.”
“Wait.”
Changqing was not in a hurry to leave.
“Master, can this Disciple come to see you again in three days? Master possesses vast Divine Abilities and countless Imperial Spirits. This Disciple wishes to obtain a few Imperial Spirits that can protect my life.”
“Oh?” Dan Ji didn't expect Changqing to make such a request.
However, she wasn't repulsed by his greed. Greed was one of the common qualities among Evil Path Cultivators.
“This is a small matter. I will bestow upon you the Flying Whirlwind Spirit, the Blood Healing Spirit, and the Blood Storage Spirit. The Blood Storage Spirit is within your Earth Palace Viscera. The Blood Healing Spirit is a Low-Grade Mystic Spirit, requiring thirteen acupoints. The Flying Whirlwind Spirit and your original Bone Spike Spirit are both Lower Grade Yellow Spirits, both only requiring one acupoint. You are at the Second Level of the Moment Realm cultivation, so you should still have five acupoint vacancies. I have as many of these low-grade Imperial Spirits as you want. Come back in three days to choose carefully.”
Changqing bowed in gratitude, then left the Blood Pool.
Along the way, his mind raced, pondering how he could simultaneously deal with Dan Ji and Liu Lu.
Even though Dan Ji had not shown any malice towards him so far, he was still determined to Seal Dan Ji.
This had nothing to do with good or evil. He had no sense of belonging to this world, nor did he claim to be a righteous defender of the Dao. He didn't care about Dan Ji's good or evil, right or wrong.
He simply did it for self-preservation.
But the Blood Oath Spirit had been cast, and he had to release Dan Ji. This was a foregone conclusion.
Originally, he had fantasized about Liu Lu and Dan Ji perishing together, but reality was cruel. The strength of these two was as different as heaven and earth. Perhaps Liu Lu had won against Dan Ji once through insidious means, but she would absolutely not win a second time.
Furthermore, Dan Ji would only be facing Liu Lu, who had used the Blood Demon Spirit and was like a walking corpse. In this state, Liu Lu's strength was also severely weakened.
It seemed the only way to deal with Dan Ji was to use the special poisonous spirit on Liu Lu, as she had mentioned.
But how could an Imperial Spirit with such Heaven-Defying effects be used by a mere Cultivator at the Second Level of the Moment Realm?
Things seemed to have fallen into a deadly stalemate.
A day later, Liu Lu went to the cave where the humans were imprisoned to Cultivate in seclusion again. Luo Hongyan seized the opportunity to find Changqing and discuss countermeasures.
“Your cultivation has actually increased so quickly!”
Luo Hongyan's first reaction upon seeing him was surprise.
“Perhaps I have extraordinary talent, but I just hadn't found the right path before.”
Changqing chuckled self-deprecatingly.
“Don’t be so nonchalant. The more evil the Cultivation Technique, the faster the cultivation speed, and similarly, the greater the price paid. You haven't paid any price yet, perhaps you just haven't realized it. What if in the future…”
Changqing couldn't help but think of the torment of acupoint Breakthroughs and Cultivating the Earth Palace Viscera, falling silent for a moment.
Seemingly noticing his change, Luo Hongyan seemed to understand something. She reached out, a little hesitant, but still gently stroked his cheek.
Their similar heights and similar touch immediately made Changqing recall his past with Ye Qinghe on Earth. Unconsciously, his eyes became a little moist.
Luo Hongyan didn't know what he was thinking, only guessing that he had suffered some hardship during his cultivation. She said softly.
“Did that Old woman make you suffer a lot?”
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me that you went down the Evil Path with her and cultivated some Blood Law.”
“After we get out, no matter what, I will help you find a Soul Cleansing Dew to help you dispel this Evil Path cultivation. I won't let you suffer anymore.”
Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, Changqing's gaze returned to calmness. He ruffled Luo Hongyan's hair and comforted her.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just that when I was cultivating, I was soaking in the Blood Pool, and that Old woman’s blood was so fishy and smelly, it disgusted me.”
Saying that, he even pinched his nose and made a funny expression, which made Luo Hongyan quite helpless.
“How can you be so carefree? The time for Liu Lu’s soul exchange is getting closer and closer. Aren’t you worried that the plan will fail? What if Dan Ji turns hostile after being released?”
“Don’t worry, I probably have a plan, but you have to do an experiment with me first.”
“Experiment? What do you mean?”
Changqing flicked his wrist, and an Imperial Spirit emitting a milky white halo appeared in his hand.
“Do you remember it?”
Luo Hongyan took the Imperial Spirit that Changqing handed her and sensed it for a moment.
“Isn’t this the Bubble Spirit you gave me back then?”
“Yes, but you said at the time that this kind of Imperial Spirit was a small trinket you casually refined, and it would dissipate after a few uses. When you gave it to me, you said that the spiritual power in this Bubble Spirit was already depleted and it was not far from dissipating.”
Luo Hongyan was a little puzzled.
“Yes, that’s right. I refined this Imperial Spirit, so don’t I know it?”
“But on the way back to the Dan Room from Liu Lu’s Immortal Cave, I used it once to conceal my figure. On the way to Liu Lu’s Immortal Cave for the second time, I used it once. On the way back, I used it again.”
Changqing smiled mysteriously.
“But you see, does it show any signs of dissipating?”
Luo Hongyan observed carefully, but saw that the small Bubble Spirit was steadily emitting a soft milky white halo. Although not strong, it was extremely stable.
An Imperial Spirit that was about to dissipate should be like an old man on his last legs, with dim light and weak aura.
She was a Spell Cultivator and had a deep understanding of Imperial Spirits, not to mention that this Imperial Spirit was refined by her own hands. Naturally, she could tell at a glance that this was definitely not an Imperial Spirit that was about to dissipate.
“What’s going on? This Imperial Spirit is only meant to be used a few times before dissipating. I discovered its flaw when I refined it; there’s no way to replenish its spiritual power. It’s useless after it’s used up. Did you modify it?”
“Is it possible that it’s not as complicated as you think?”
Changqing smiled slightly.
“Hmm?”
“Have you never thought that perhaps, when you gave it to me, it was a brand new, vibrant Imperial Spirit?”
Changqing’s words plunged Luo Hongyan into deep thought. After a long time, she suddenly looked up, her pupils shining with an expression of disbelief.
The two looked at each other, understanding each other's meaning without words.
“I suspect that Dan Ji lied to me about something very important.”