Chapter 861: This Should Be an Adequate Reason

Ye Mo saw that, despite killing Li Changsheng, the fire still burned. Shadowless, engrossed in its meal, risked injury, so Ye Mo summoned Winter's Arrival. A frigid blast instantly extinguished the flames, encasing Li Changsheng's charred remains in an ice cocoon.

Moments later, Shadowless, wobbly and exhausted, flew into Ye Mo's hand, instantly falling asleep. Ye Mo returned Shadowless to the golden page world and discovered that only a third of Li Changsheng's essence blood had been consumed. He sighed; a Golden Core cultivator was clearly beyond Shadowless's current capabilities.

Li Changsheng's death resulted from a confluence of factors, his weakened Three Birth Sword Ray being the least significant.

Ye Mo briefly scanned the unconscious Li Yuqian, then ignored her, immediately seizing Li Changsheng's storage ring. Several encrypted formations protected the ring, but posed no challenge to Ye Mo's skill as a formation master. He quickly decrypted the ring, his composure shattered by its contents.

The Cao Huan Fruit, even within its clear jade box, was breathtaking. Countless spirit stones—far surpassing his earnings from China Pharmaceuticals—lay within: tens of millions of low-grade, nearly a million mid-grade, and a thousand high-grade stones, the latter bringing him the greatest joy. Also present were over ten cultivation jade slips detailing cultivation methods, sword techniques, and high-level pill recipes; at least six spirit artifacts; and various materials.

Ye Mo gleefully pocketed Li Changsheng's ring; it was excellent business. After burning Li Changsheng's body with a fireball, he turned his attention to Li Yuqian, unsure how to proceed. Ruthlessness might have dictated killing her and taking her ring, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, given her kindness to Song Yangzhu and Ye Ling, despite her slight disdain for him. Remembering her role as their master, he administered a Lotus Life Pill. While a scarce recovery pill, his were of lower quality, yet sufficient to revive her. He only had three remaining.

Ye Mo consumed an essence recovery pill, intending to leave after Li Yuqian awoke. The desolate location, coupled with the risk of Li family retribution for killing three of their members, fueled his desire for a swift departure.

Li Yuqian soon awoke, her gaze falling upon Ye Mo. Remembering the events, she struggled to rise, then swallowed several pills. Fifteen minutes later, having digested the pills, she calmly addressed Ye Mo: "I am a Golden Core cultivator, possessing valuable items. Why didn't you kill me and take them?"

Ye Mo smiled serenely. "Your possessions do not interest me. Even if they did, I would not kill you."

Li Yuqian, astonished, inquired, "Why?"

Ye Mo rose, smiling. "Because you are Song Yangzhu and Ye Ling's master."

Li Yuqian was stunned by this simple explanation. She recalled her previous assessment at the Miao Shan market, deeming Ye Mo untalented, with no chance of encountering Song Yangzhu and Ye Ling again. Ironically, she had been saved by him, and the man she'd dismissed was now a peak Foundation Establishment level 3 cultivator, having recently slain a peak Golden Core cultivator. She acknowledged the absurdity of his power, understanding the difficulty of defeating Li Changsheng, even with her fire's assistance.

Seeing Li Yuqian's prolonged silence, Ye Mo added, "Though Song Yangzhu and Ye Ling have left the Zheng Yuan Sword Sect, you treated them well. I consider that reason sufficient."

"What? They left? What is this?" Li Yuqian exclaimed in shock.

This revelation made Ye Mo realize her prolonged absence from the sect. Li Changsheng's ignorance of the Li Bai brothers' deaths further underscored this. Ye Mo explained, "I killed Li Bailin and offended Li Bailsen. Then I killed Li Baisen, forcing me to flee."

"What? You killed Li Bailsen?" Li Yuqian grasped the enormity of Ye Mo's actions.

Ye Mo recounted the events. After a long silence, Li Yuqian offered, "It's unsafe for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to travel with them. If you trust me, take them back to the sect with me. I can guarantee their safety."

Ye Mo inwardly scoffed; she couldn't guarantee her own safety. Li Changsheng's assertion of the Li family's imminent control over the sect echoed in his mind.

Li Yuqian sensed his skepticism, replying calmly, "Do you think the Li family will attack the sect? Our sect has endured for generations. If we're aware of their plot and still can't counter it, the sect deserves to fall."

Ye Mo smiled without replying; returning with her was impossible. As he prepared to question her, a faint ray of fire landed before Li Yuqian, who immediately seized it—a flying sword message. Its urgent nature, evident in the fire's intensity, prompted Ye Mo to wait.

Li Yuqian's expression transformed drastically. After a long pause, she declared with disillusionment, "So that's it. Such a pity!"

"Li-Qianbei, what is wrong?" Ye Mo asked.

Li Yuqian inquired, "Ye Mo, where are you staying with Song Yangzhu and Ye Ling?"

Though puzzled by her question, Ye Mo replied, "I opened a pill shop in River State City, but may leave soon. Qianbei, how much do you know about the Li family?"

Li Yuqian shook her head. "You needn't worry about them. They're a thing of the past; they were annihilated by the sect yesterday."

Ye Mo rejoiced, relieved of the threat. He regretted his earlier disclosure of his location, questioning Li Yuqian's peculiar behavior and wondering about her potential interest in Li Changsheng's storage ring.