Chapter 4: An Ephemeral Gazes at the Azure Sky

From childhood, the idea that “immortals” ruled this world had been deeply ingrained in their minds. Now, an immortal had been slain with a single punch by Li Ji’an, an ordinary mortal with whom they had spent countless days and nights. This outcome shattered their understanding completely.

It also left the faces of the others burning with embarrassment. When the young immortal master had previously claimed that the power of blood and qi was useless for cultivating immortality, they had felt disappointed but also secretly delighted. It wasn’t that they were particularly malicious—it was simply human nature. After all, Li Ji’an's martial prowess had overshadowed them for more than a decade. At twenty-seven, he had achieved perfection in his blood and qi, mastered external techniques, and ranked among the top ten grandmasters—his strength even surpassed the patriarchs of their own families. They hadn’t even dared to compare themselves to him.

Suddenly, the possibility of surpassing him had crossed their minds—who wouldn’t entertain such thoughts?

But now, they finally understood that before they had ever seen an immortal, their view of Li Ji’an was like a frog gazing at the moon from the bottom of a well. And now, after witnessing him, it was as if a mayfly looked up at the vast sky.

“Scoundrel! I’ll tear you to pieces!” From afar, one of the combatants, sensing the upheaval, screamed furiously, his eyes bloodshot.

“Don’t lose focus!” another urgently rebuked him.

Meanwhile, a masked cultivator below, spattered with his companion’s blood, immediately fled in terror. Fear had shattered his courage, just as it had for the “blood slave” before him, frightened by the overwhelming physical strength of the body cultivator.

“So this is what immortals are? Ha… Haha…” One of the immortal seedlings, watching the mask-wearer’s retreat, was moved to tears by disappointment and self-mockery, suddenly feeling that his childhood dream of becoming immortal had been destroyed.

Li Ji’an gave him no chance to escape. With a flicker of his feet, he appeared behind the fleeing man like a ghost, shattered his protective shield with a punch, and then pierced the man’s chest with a sword formed from his qi and blood, granting him a relatively peaceful death.

A quick search of his body yielded nothing but the flying sword—he carried no storage pouch like the young immortal master. Li Ji’an was uncertain whether it was due to poverty or a deliberate choice for the mission. The man he had punched to death hadn’t even possessed a flying sword.

“So it’s you!” Suddenly, a powerful shockwave erupted from the three fighters in the distance. The young immortal master’s stone seal, unable to withstand the assault, exploded; the aftershock dispersed the concealing auras of two “tribulation cultivators,” revealing their true forms.

“Guangling, don’t blame us. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for your stubbornness,” the elder quickly regained composure and sighed.

“You still have a chance. If you repent, Fifth Uncle guarantees you’ll be safe!” The burly, bearded middle-aged man spoke urgently.

“I’m stubborn? Hmph! I say it’s you who betrayed the family! You’re the ones who should repent!” The young immortal, blood spilling from his lips and his personal artifact destroyed, cried out in grief and anger.

“Nonsense! We’re doing this for the family! Otherwise, disaster is inevitable!” the elder rebuked passionately.

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“Ha ha ha, I know—of course I know. You’re acting righteous, but it’s all for your own selfish interests. Just do it. When I reach the underworld, I’ll report your crimes to our ancestors!”

Seeing Guangling give up resistance, the burly man hurried to say, “Guangling, you’re too young. You’ve been deceived; he’s the selfish one!”

“No more words—since he refuses to repent, we can’t be blamed. Kill him!” The elder slapped his storage pouch, and his personal artifact flew out.

Earlier, to conceal their identities, they hadn’t used their personal artifacts nor their best techniques.

“Wait, let me try again to persuade Guangling!” The burly man, even more anxious, hurriedly blocked the elder’s view.

“You—”

In that instant, as the burly man blocked the elder’s sight, Guangling’s gaze sharpened, his expression hardened, and he reached for his storage pouch.

“Those who betray the family deserve to die without a burial! You all must perish!”

Boom—

Guangling produced another talisman—not the water-screen talisman seen before, but a fiery red jade. As he activated the talisman, a colossal fire dragon burst forth, a hundred feet long.

In an instant, the sky seemed to become a sea of fire, and the dragon’s roar blotted out the sun.

…

Three breaths later, the fire dragon vanished.

Three black figures crashed down from above.

The burly man, hit first, had a charred back and no sign of life.

The elder’s body was half bone, barely alive, holding onto his final breath.

He looked mournfully at the dead burly man before him, his face full of sadness. “How many times have I told you—once the fight begins, never show mercy. You just never learned…”

Then he glanced toward Guangling, who was coughing up blood, his chest pierced by a long spear still emitting wisps of black smoke.

“Heh—so in the end, we miscalculated. That old monster actually gave you such a precious talisman… What a pity… Still, it’s not a total failure. At least, for ten years, he won’t have any blood slaves…”

Amid his sorrow, he turned to see Li Ji’an and his companions and smiled.

In this endless sandstorm, they could never get out alone.

Guangling suddenly spat blood. “Ha ha ha, traitor! With your stupidity, how could you fathom the wisdom of the patriarch? I will bring them back…”

Before he finished, the elder’s eyes widened.

Guangling had produced a porcelain bottle from his storage pouch, and as he tilted it, a lustrous green pill emerged.

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“A Resurrection Pill!”

“He… He actually gave you a Resurrection Pill!”

This time, the elder was truly in despair.

With a Resurrection Pill, Guangling could not die.

So…

“You must die!” The elder, nearly dead, now surged with a final burst of energy, dragging his charred half-body forward.

Guangling, terrified, swallowed the Resurrection Pill in one gulp and summoned the last trace of mana from his dantian to resist.

The Resurrection Pill could preserve one’s life source when gravely wounded, but it was not a miracle cure. If he suffered a fatal blow now, he would still die!

“What are you all waiting for? Kill him quickly, or we’re all doomed!” As his last mana faded, Guangling shouted at Li Ji’an and the other four.

“Brother Li…” The four immortal seedlings snapped out of their stupor, no longer dreaming of immortality, but once again looked to Li Ji’an for guidance.

A smile flickered on Li Ji’an’s lips as he led the four forward.

“Hurry! They’re traitors from our clan, here to kill you. Kill him, and I’ll take you to cultivate immortality!” Guangling, barely holding on, urged them again.

Li Ji’an looked apprehensive. “But… he’s an immortal. What if…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already gravely wounded him. His dantian is depleted, and he’s just a trapped beast. Without mana, he’s no different from a mortal—kill him!” Guangling’s tone grew more forceful.

Li Ji’an still hesitated, cautiously asking, “Does the immortal master have any techniques to know it was me who killed him? If his kin seek revenge…”

“Coward! If I ask you to kill him, I’ll handle any consequences. Besides, we don’t have such techniques!” Guangling was nearly beside himself with rage.

“What about his companions? Could they sense his death and track me down for vengeance?” Li Ji’an persisted.

“You! Hmph, there’s no such magical power. If you don’t act now, I won’t teach you immortal arts!” Guangling was nearly overwhelmed.

Li Ji’an slowly exhaled. “I see… Now I understand.”

With those words, he slowly walked toward the pair.

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