Chương 62: Chapter 63: Crossing a Vicious Man

As Yu Meiren's aura faded, the pitch-black vortex spanning several zhangs shrank and expanded repeatedly, spawning fewer and fewer demonic phantoms.

"A mantis trying to halt a chariot. You think you can stop me!" Li Liwen let out an arrogant laugh, flinging several bursts of True Essence into the Buddhist bead. Powered by the influx of energy, the bead erupted in brilliant Buddhist radiance, incinerating every demonic shape surrounding it in an instant. Crack! At the same moment, the vortex shuddered violently, split open, and dissolved into nothingness. Yu Meiren's vitality plummeted, her figure growing far more translucent.

The Buddhist bead flashed and floated down to hover above her head, wrapping her in a shroud of holy light. Pain twisted Yu Meiren's features. Streams of miasma oozed off her body beneath the glow, her form fading further as if she would disperse at any second. Li Liwen nodded in satisfaction. If he hadn't chanced upon this Buddhist treasure, subduing this ghost thrall would have cost him great effort. With no obstacles left, it was time to claim his prize.

"Strike!" He wove a quick mudra, and a crimson flying dagger vanished in a streak of fire. A cold smirk tugged Li Liwen's lips. He could already picture Reyn's severed head, blood gushing from his neck. But the sneer froze on his face the next instant, replaced by raw, paralyzing terror. The fiery dagger halted abruptly three feet from Reyn's torso, pinned immobile by an invisible giant hand. Reyn's shut eyes slowly slid open, icy glints flickering within.

A crushing wave of spiritual pressure surged from his frame, like a slumbering beast rousing to bare its fangs.

"Flee!" Without hesitation, Li Liwen spun and bolted backward. He tore several talismans from his Storage Pouch and slapped them to his legs, boosting his escape speed by a third. Cold fury blazed in Reyn's gaze. He boomed, "You will not escape." Terror gnawed at Li Liwen as he ran, pushing his speed even higher. Suddenly he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face draining to ashen white. The Primordial Spirit he had branded into his Spirit Tool had been completely annihilated.

"He destroyed the Divine Sense sealed in my artifact in an instant—his Divine Sense strength is at minimum Late Foundation Establishment! He's far too powerful, I stand no chance. Run, run, run!" A translucent figure blurred into view before he could take another step. Reyn had cut off his path entirely.

"Fellow Daoist, hear my explanation! This must all be a misunderstanding. I arrived to find you gravely wounded and unconscious, ready to lend aid, only to spot this ghostly fiend at your side. I thought she meant you harm, so I fought her with no malicious intent whatsoever. Please see reason!" Trapped with no escape, Li Liwen groveled, his tone pleading and feigning wrongful grievance. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Reyn's lips curled into a frigid sneer. He said flatly, "Finished speaking? Then meet your end." Li Liwen sensed mortal danger the second Reyn's smirk appeared, yet his body stiffened before he could react. A tiny red dot bloomed between his brows, his life force snuffed out instantly, and his corpse crumpled toward the ground. Once Li Liwen fell, the overwhelming spiritual pressure rolling off Reyn receded like a tide. His complexion turned deathly pale, and he coughed up blood.

He had been mid-critical healing when forced to strike, worsening his internal injuries drastically. A needle-thin treasure, shaped like a woman's embroidery pin, flickered and merged into his body without a trace. Inside his Dantian, the Dan Treasure's outline grew even more faint; a few more uses and it would dissipate entirely. Reyn shook his head, pulled out several pills and swallowed them. His color improved marginally.

He landed on the ground, stripped Li Liwen of every Storage Pouch, then turned to face Yu Meiren.

"Thank you for your assistance earlier." Reyn hesitated briefly, speaking earnestly. If Yu Meiren hadn't bought him precious time, he could never have suppressed his wounds long enough to kill Li Liwen—he would have perished at the man's hands. Yu Meiren stared at him with complex emotion. Now drained of energy, the Buddhist bead lost its radiant glow, drifting unassumingly beside her.

"I have a question for you. You had no need to force a battle. If you'd merely raised a spiritual energy shield and waited a short while, most of your wounds would have mended. Why risk everything to fight?" Reyn paused, then replied sincerely, "You stood guard over me with your full strength. I could do no less in return. I live only thanks to your aid, and I swear I will spare no effort to help you fulfill your deepest wish someday." Yu Meiren laughed softly, her smile as radiant as a hundred blooming flowers.

She teased in a sweet, coquettish tone, "Such sweet words, little brother. You almost moved me. But since you speak so nicely, I'll gift you something fine. This bead is no ordinary trinket—that fool never knew how to unlock its power. Spend time refining it with Blood-Refinement, and you'll reap great rewards." She waved a hand, sending the bead floating to rest before Reyn. With another light laugh, her figure melted into his body and vanished.

Yu Meiren held a mysterious, formidable power, likely an ancient survivor from primordial times. Her standards were impossibly high, so her praise meant the bead held extraordinary worth. Reyn carefully retrieved a jade box from his Storage Pouch, placed the bead inside, sealed it with two talismans, and stowed it away, nodding in satisfaction.

"Two days have passed already. I need to hurry back—has Li Xiumei purged the toxin fully?" Reyn's brows knitted, yet his injuries prevented him from setting off immediately. Half an hour later, a streak of teal and red shot out from the forest, oriented itself, then streaked toward the horizon.

"It's been over two days, and he hasn't returned. Could he already be lost…" Worry clouded Li Xiumei's face as she kept glancing anxiously toward the cave entrance. Though she had cleansed the Bead of Indulgence's toxin from her system, most of her True Essence had drained away, leaving her severely weakened. After standing a short while, she sank onto the stone platform. Reyn's figure drifted into her thoughts, her gaze growing distant. Their first meeting had been at the Immortal Greeting Pavilion.

Reyn's aura-concealing technique was masterful, yet her unique sensing artifact picked up faint ripples of his hidden power. Curiosity spurred her to seek his company. The more time they spent together, the more extraordinary he seemed, deepening her urge to uncover his secrets. When the Bead of Indulgence's toxin took hold, panic drove her straight to Reyn's side. Her consciousness blurred afterward, yet she sensed the rough outline of events unfolding.

The memory of Reyn clashing fiercely with Xuan Liao to save her tangled her heart in conflicting emotions.