novelPairMe Chapter 1431 Rumors
Chapter 1431 Rumors
Upon hearing the report, the old woman slowly opened her eyes, which were devoid of pupils, only filled with a deep darkness. "Ancient alchemy inheritance... interesting." Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together. "Those two good-for-nothings from the Mo and Huang families couldn't even handle a mere brat. They've truly disgraced my temple."
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate will immediately send more men!" the black-robed old man said in a panic.
“No need.” The Shadow Priest waved his hand. “A mere pill pavilion is not worth the temple’s great effort. However, since this person can make the Mo and Huang families so wary, he must be extraordinary. Pass on my order to activate Project Dark Raven.”
"Project Dark Raven?!" The black-robed elder trembled. "But High Priest, isn't that plan to..."
"Execute it," the Shadow Priest coldly interrupted him. "I want to make Li Daofeng a puppet of my temple without him even realizing it. His alchemy, his fortuitous encounters, everything about him... will all be used by my temple!"
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!" The old man in black robes kowtowed deeply, then turned into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.
Several days later, some strange rumors began to circulate in Fengyun City.
Some say that the reason why Li Daofeng's pills were so effective was because he added the essence of demonic beasts to the pills during the refining process, and that long-term use would cause people to lose their minds.
Some say that many innocent girls are imprisoned in the basement of the Pill Pavilion and used to refine evil pills.
Even more extreme, some claim to have personally witnessed Li Daofeng secretly meeting with members of the demonic path.
These rumors initially appeared sporadically, but quickly spread like wildfire throughout the city. In an instant, the cultivators who had previously flocked to the Pill Pavilion began to hesitate, observe, and some even went to the pavilion to return their pills.
Li Daofeng naturally noticed this media offensive targeting him. He sneered, "So you finally can't hold back and have to make a move?"
He didn't choose to deny the rumors, because in this information-isolated world, the more he explained, the more guilty he would appear. He took a more direct approach.
He publicly refined a batch of "Mind-Clearing Pills" and invited several renowned rogue cultivators from the city to try them on the spot. The pills not only brought immediate relief and refreshment but also temporarily enhanced one's spiritual awareness; the effects were immediate.
"Look, everyone," Li Daofeng said loudly, "if my pills were truly made using evil methods as the rumors say, how could they possess such pure medicinal power?"
Facts speak louder than words. Those who had personally experienced the effects of the elixir immediately stepped forward to testify for Li Daofeng. The momentum of the rumors was instantly curbed.
However, Li Daofeng knew that this was only the first step for the temple. The real killing move was yet to come.
Sure enough, on the very night the rumors subsided, a mysterious man in black quietly sneaked into the backyard of the Pill Pavilion and left behind a jade slip as black as ink.
Li Daofeng picked up the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and his expression instantly became extremely solemn.
The jade slip contained only one sentence: "At midnight three days from now, at the top of Tiankui Cliff, hand over the elixir formula, or die."
The signature is an image of a raven with outstretched wings—the very symbol of the temple's "Dark Raven" assassins!
Li Daofeng gripped the jade slip tightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Want to play? Then I'll play with you to the very end!"
Three days later, the night was as dark as ink.
Li Daofeng set off alone on the mountain path leading to the summit of Tiankui Cliff. He brought no one with him, for he knew this was a battle he could only face alone.
Tiankui Cliff is the highest mountain near Fengyun City. The cliff top is constantly swept by howling winds, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to stand.
When Li Daofeng reached the top of the cliff, he saw three dark figures who had been waiting for a long time. They were shrouded in black robes, wore raven masks, and exuded a chilling aura. They were all experts at the half-step Saint Realm!
"Li Daofeng, you're right on time." The leader of the men in black said in a hoarse voice, "Hand over the pill formula, and I'll give you a quick death."
"Just the three of you?" Li Daofeng stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind. "You think you're worthy?"
"Arrogant!" The three attacked simultaneously, three black blades tearing through the night sky, carrying a strong aura of death, and slashing straight at Li Daofeng.
Li Daofeng neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed a punch with all his might, channeling his profound inner energy!
"boom!"
The golden fist energy clashed violently with the black blade light, unleashing a deafening roar. A gust of wind swept through, shattering the surrounding rocks.
The three Dark Raven assassins were forced to retreat, horrified. They hadn't expected this legendary young man to be so terrifyingly strong!
"Attack together! Kill him!" the lead assassin shouted fiercely.
The three pounced again, unleashing a bizarre combined attack technique. Their figures intertwined, and their blades flashed like a net, completely sealing off all of Li Daofeng's escape routes.
A sharp glint flashed in Li Daofeng's eyes; he knew he could no longer hold back.
"Here comes the sword!"
With a soft shout, the Qingyang Sword automatically unsheathed and landed in his hand. In an instant, an extremely sharp sword intent soared into the sky, even splitting a gap in the dark clouds.
"Today, I will use your blood to commemorate the founding ceremony of my Heavenly Evolution Sect!"
Li Daofeng transformed into a golden lightning bolt, charging into the net of blades. He wielded the Qingyang Sword, each strike imbued with his profound understanding of the "Break" technique.
"Breaking Army Style!"
"Soul-Shattering Style!"
"Destruction Style!"
The three moves were unleashed in quick succession, the sword light as swift as a dragon, unstoppable.
"Puff puff!"
Three muffled thuds sounded, and simultaneously, thin lines of blood, as fine as hair, appeared on the throats of the three Dark Raven assassins. Their movements came to an abrupt halt, and the horror in their eyes froze into eternity.
The corpses fell to the ground, their black robes billowing in the wind, revealing the raven tokens hanging from their waists.
Li Daofeng sheathed his sword, his expression calm. He knew that killing these three assassins would only provoke a more violent retaliation from the temple. But he had no other choice.
Just then, he suddenly sensed an extremely faint soul fluctuation emanating from one of the corpses, attempting to escape into the distance.
"Trying to run?" Li Daofeng sneered, reaching out to grab the wisp of soul fluctuation in his hand.
He recognized the technique; it was the temple's unique "soul-guiding technique," which could transmit the images of the dying person back to headquarters.
Li Daofeng didn't crush it directly; instead, a cunning glint flashed in his eyes. He carefully altered some of his memories and injected them into it.
In this fabricated memory, he appeared unusually disheveled, seemingly having only managed to win with the help of a mysterious powerful figure, and revealed that he was about to leave Fengyun City to seek refuge in the south.
After doing all this, he released his grip, letting the wisp of soul energy dissipate in the wind.
"Temple, I hope you like this great gift I've given you." Li Daofeng gazed at the southern night sky, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
He knew that an even greater storm was brewing. And he and his Tianyan Sect were prepared to meet all challenges.