Upon hearing these words, many of the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had extended their divine sense couldn't help but twitch their lips slightly.
Yang Yuqing, who had been about to say something despite being immobilized by the formation, was momentarily stunned.
While what he said wasn't wrong… still, facing a female Foundation Establishment cultivator like her, couldn't he show just a hint of pity or gentleness?
Li Ye couldn't care less about such things.
Female cultivators of the same realm often had their tempers, and in terms of looks, they weren't necessarily superior to his maids. Why bother currying favor with them?
With that spare time, wasn't it far more enjoyable to joke and play around with a few gentle and obedient maids?
Casually dispelling the array that bound the woman, Li Ye said flatly:
"Now that you're back in the market, Fellow Daoist Yang, do as you please... but if another conflict arises, I won't intervene so freely again."
"I will abide by the rules of this place," Yang Yuqing replied, slightly annoyed, as she pulled her bamboo hat back on to cover her face.
Nodding slightly, Li Ye didn't linger. He turned into a streak of spiritual light and flew off.
As she watched Li Ye exit the marketplace and sensed lingering divine senses still observing her, Yang Yuqing's expression shifted beneath the hat.
Not daring to delay, she immediately took flight, heading straight for the cave residence she had rented.
She was seriously injured, and with Li Ye having left, if any of the Foundation Establishment cultivators lingering nearby had malicious intent, she wouldn't be able to resist.
Only by returning to the rented cave and once again becoming a guest under Li Ye's protection, even if in name only, could she deter others from acting rashly.
"How dull…"
Standing at the edge of the street, Deng Tiancheng looked toward the marketplace entrance, now returned to normal, and shook his head in disappointment.
He had hoped to witness how Li Ye would wield the grand formation in combat, but not only did Quan Chaoliang retreat decisively, Li Ye also had no intention of pressing the fight it all ended so peacefully!
...
"Hmph! That Quan Chaoliang knew full well this was my first time hosting an auction, and he still dared to ambush someone outside and ruin my plans… he truly deserves to die!"
A cold glint flashed in Li Ye's eyes, though his spiritual light and presence had been completely suppressed, his aura entirely hidden.
Under the dual concealment of his breath-suppressing secret art and a talisman, he was completely undetectable.
In his hand, a Tracking Gu trembled slightly, guiding him by following a lingering trace of spiritual energy, flying swiftly in a specific direction.
This auction's primary purpose aside from gathering various items for his own cultivation was to make a name for himself, to establish a network.
That way, even while residing deep in the mountains, commissions for pills would keep coming, bringing him all sorts of benefits.
Had Yang Yuqing truly been slain by Quan Chaoliang just outside the marketplace, this auction would have carried a stain.
Others would begin to look down on him, seeing him as weak giving rise to thoughts and schemes that had previously been held back, bringing him trouble for no reason.
And all of that would've been because this man couldn't resist lust!
Moreover, Quan Chaoliang already had a terrible reputation he wasn't the kind to let things go.
Now that Li Ye had publicly stopped him, their relationship had soured. If chaos erupted in the Chidi Mountains in the future, it was highly likely that man would take the opportunity for revenge.
Given all that, if Li Ye didn't take this chance to finish him off once and for all, he'd be going against his principles of caution.
"It's a pity he didn't make the first move and even backed down right away. Otherwise, I could've dealt with him on the spot using the formation…"
Li Ye's tone held a trace of regret, but as he saw the Tracking Gu react more and more intensely, a slight smile appeared on his face.
"But now works just as well!"
...
"Damn it! Had I known that woman was so capable of escaping, I never would've made a move on her!"
Quan Chaoliang's body shimmered with a soft pink spiritual glow as he flew at a casual pace out of the Chidi Mountains, appearing completely harmless.
He cursed under his breath, a trace of regret in his expression.
Not only had he failed to capture the woman today, but he had also ended up offending Li Ye.
Even if he had other plans in the future, it was unlikely Li Ye would ever give him the chance to get close again he'd missed a golden opportunity to fleece a fat sheep.
Truly a case of "trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead."
"Hmph! Li Ye…"
A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes. "You'd better run the Chidi Mountains like a fortress, and never leave that grand formation of yours…"
"Otherwise, the moment I get the chance, I'll make you pay back today's loss in full with interest!"
Just the profits involved in this one auction had been shockingly immense.
Quan Chaoliang didn't even dare to imagine the full extent of Li Ye's wealth.
If he could get his hands on it, the benefits to his cultivation would be massive perhaps even saving him over a decade of bitter training!
The very thought made Quan Chaoliang lick his lips unconsciously, greed blazing in his eyes.
Suddenly, his divine sense stirred something that had triggered it. His instincts screamed of mortal danger.
Without thinking, he dodged instinctively in one direction.
But it was useless!
The moment he reacted, the scene around him changed. Lush green trees rose, mist surged, and an endless barrage of branches and vines lashed toward him.
"Li Ye, you dare kill me!?"
Quan Chaoliang roared, immediately summoning a shield wreathed in flames to protect himself.
Blazing fire surged outward, incinerating the first wave of branches and vines into nothing but dissipating spiritual energy.
He summoned his Peach Blossom Fan and merged it with the spiritual light around him, sending waves of peach-colored mist rapidly spreading outwards.
Of course, he didn't believe this peach blossom miasma could affect a respectable second-rank alchemist like Li Ye. His real intent was to interfere with Li Ye's spiritual perception, giving himself a chance to spot a weakness in the formation and escape.
But before he could even catch his breath or find a gap in the formation…
A sudden surge of yellow sand erupted within the array. It twisted into countless shapes, mingling with the vines and branches, attacking him from all sides.
While his Flame Shield was effective against the formation's wood-based elements, it was immediately suppressed when faced with this earth-element spiritual artifact.
Worse still, the sand and vines alike targeted the peach blossom miasma indiscriminately. Even if he could temporarily mask his presence, there was no escaping the overwhelming assault!
The torrents of yellow sand surged in, easily snuffing out the flames and piercing through them, rushing straight at Quan Chaoliang's body.
He tried to shrink his Flame Shield, hoping to buy a little defensive space to retreat.
But the assault hit with full force. The shield was instantly shattered, and even his protective spiritual light was on the verge of collapse!
Only the low-grade spiritual artifact the Peach Blossom Fan barely held out.
But it was never meant to be a defensive treasure. At this point, it was just struggling to hold on to its quality.
Now, Quan Chaoliang finally panicked.
"Li Ye, we have no personal grudge! Why are you trying to kill me?!"
But Li Ye's only reply was a barrage of talismans. Spell after spell surged forth, sealing every last opening between the grand formation and the yellow sand gourd's reach completely blocking any path of escape.
With that, Quan Chaoliang had no strength left to resist.
"Don't kill me! I can give you... no!"
His scream was cut short as a blade formed from yellow sand cleaved off his head.
"I didn't even get the chance to use my puppet battle formation. He's even weaker than I expected."
Li Ye stepped calmly out from the illusory woods, then suddenly paused, glancing toward a certain direction with a flicker of thought.
With that, he swept up Quan Chaoliang's body and remains, and with a sharp whoosh, the formation flags returned to his side. As the formation dissolved, Li Ye vanished without a trace.
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