The Demon Eye of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Chapter 7 Plotting to Seize the Foundation Establishment Pill

Time flew by, and news of the opening of the Seven Crimson Forbidden Zones quietly spread throughout and around Yellow Maple Valley. Mu Chunfeng knew in his heart that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

These past few days, he has been loitering around the Hundred Machines Hall, waiting for Han Li to come and register his departure from the valley.

That day, Mu Chunfeng, as usual, pretended to be on his way to Baiji Hall, and sure enough, he bumped into Han Li who was heading there from afar. He went up to him and helped Han Li complete the registration procedures for leaving the valley. After leaving Baiji Hall, Mu Chunfeng looked at Han Li beside him and asked, "I wonder where Junior Brother is going? If it's on the same route, we might as well travel together for a while, so we can look out for each other."

But Han Li is Han Li after all. Even though the two had been fellow disciples for the past three years and had a fairly close relationship, he was unwilling to easily reveal his whereabouts and only politely declined.

Seeing this, Mu Chunfeng didn't ask any more questions. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parted ways.

Mu Chunfeng immediately summoned the Azure Leaf magic weapon, which transformed into a streak of azure light and flew straight toward the Yellow Maple Valley market.

Besides keeping an eye on Han Li's movements, he also took the opportunity to visit Wanbaolou to acquire a trump card to deal with the dangers of the forbidden area.

Before long, Mu Chunfeng arrived at Huangfeng Valley Market.

Looking at the place where he grew up, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and regret.

He didn't encounter any acquaintances along the way, so he first returned to the small courtyard where he used to live, changed into ordinary clothes, and went straight to Wanbaolou.

He had frequently come here in previous years to sell talismans in exchange for elixirs, so he was already very familiar with the place. Upon entering, he instructed the servant to inform Manager Wan, and then went straight to a private room on the second floor.

A moment later, Manager Wan pushed open the door and entered. Mu Chunfeng smiled, stood up, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Manager Wan, long time no see." Manager Wan grinned when he saw him: "Young Mu, here to sell talismans for pills again?"

"That's not for today. The talismans will still be sold, but I also need to buy a few other things."

"Buying something?"

Manager Wan's eyes lit up immediately. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "You've finally seen the light! You know things are better at Wanbaolou now? You used to be so stingy, refusing to buy anything but pills. Today you're finally willing to bleed a lot? Don't worry, I'll show you today and make you spend a fortune!"

"Alright, then I'll wait and see."

Mu Chunfeng smiled slightly. The two sat down and drank two cups of tea. After Mu Chunfeng explained his needs, Manager Wan immediately got up and went to fetch the goods with great enthusiasm.

In no time, Manager Wan returned with a smile, and with a wave of his hand, a warm jade box landed on the table.

He sat down, took a sip of tea, and said mysteriously, "Young man, this is a truly valuable item, a powerful weapon and trump card for those in the Qi Refining stage. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to refine, and this is the only one of its kind in my Wanbao Pavilion."

Curious, Mu Chunfeng reached out and took the jade box, opening it to find it lined with red velvet. In the center lay a purplish-black bead the size of a longan, its surface smooth and lustrous, with occasional flashes of fine electric arcs.

"This is... Heavenly Thunder Child?!"

Mu Chunfeng's pupils contracted slightly, and she spoke in a daze.

"Haha, not bad! You've got good taste, kid."

Manager Wan clapped his hands and laughed, "This thing is incredibly powerful. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be instantly annihilated if they took a direct hit from it. In the Qi Refining stage, calling it an unbeatable trump card wouldn't be an exaggeration, would it?"

"nice one."

Mu Chunfeng closed the jade box, looked up and asked, "How many spirit stones does this item cost?"

Shopkeeper Wan's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Young Mu, we've been doing business together for years, so I won't overcharge you. One price, two thousand spirit stones!"

"Two thousand spirit stones? Manager Wan, are you trying to fleece me like a fat sheep from the outer sect? No way, one thousand spirit stones at most."

"Pooh!"

Manager Wan nearly spat out his tea, glaring and sneer, "You brat, who cuts prices in half like that? A thousand spirit stones for a Heavenly Thunder Seed? Dream on!"

"One thousand one hundred." Mu Chunfeng continued to raise the price without changing his expression.

"No!"

"One thousand and two!"

"No way!"

"One thousand and three."

"You're dreaming!"

"Fifteen thousand a day. One more spirit stone and I'll turn around and leave."

Mu Chunfeng put down the jade box and said calmly, "Old man, don't think I don't know the market. Although this thing is not easy to make, it is not that there is only one of its kind. Not to mention that this thing is a one-time use item."

"Alright, alright, fifteen hundred it is!"

Manager Wan feigned reluctance and waved his hand, "Considering how many good talismans you've supplied to Wanbaolou in the past, I'll take this loss and sell them to you!"

Mu Chunfeng didn't say much. He raised his hand and patted his storage bag, taking out ten low-level high-grade talismans and gently patting them on the table: "Manager Wan, don't complain about losing money yet. Take a look at what these are."

Shopkeeper Wan's gaze swept over the talismans on the table, and his eyes lit up immediately. He grabbed one, tracing the runes with his fingertips, and exclaimed repeatedly, "Wow, good! Good stuff! You can draw high-level talismans now? The runes are neat, and the spiritual energy is locked very firmly. It has the style of a master talisman maker! Alright, these ten talismans will be worth five hundred spirit stones!"

Mu Chunfeng understood that this was already the limit of the market price, and Wanbaolou would still make a considerable profit by reselling these talismans to cultivators who urgently needed them.

An hour later, Mu Chunfeng stepped on the green leaf magic artifact and transformed into a streak of green light, leaving Wanbaolou.

On his way back to Yellow Maple Valley, Mu Chunfeng looked at the small, round shield shimmering with golden light in his hand, his heart filled with joy. He had spent a total of 1,800 spirit stones on this trip, plus the ten high-level talismans. Apart from the Heavenly Thunder Seed, he had also purchased this rare top-tier defensive magic weapon—the Profound Gold Shield.

Now, with the top-tier magic weapon, the Li Huo Sword, for offense, the Xuan Jin Shield for defense, and the Heavenly Thunder Seed as a trump card for ultimate killing, plus the hundreds of various talismans accumulated over the past three years, we finally have more confidence to enter the Blood Forbidden Land this time.

What's more, he has an even more incredible, most secretive card up his sleeve—double pupils.

"open!"

Mu Chunfeng stopped mid-air, fully activating his powerful divine sense, comparable to the early Foundation Establishment stage. Combined with the power of his double pupils to see through illusions and perceive all things, the dual abilities spread out in a vast expanse, searching for Senior Brother Lu's whereabouts in the dense forests of the Taiyue Mountains. Judging by his schedule, Lu must be nearby; he had returned to the valley much earlier than Han Li, so he had plenty of time.

Half an hour later, the bright moon hung high in the night sky, its clear light bathing the mountains and forests.

In a secluded clearing in the dense forest, he finally spotted two figures, namely Senior Brother Lu and Chen Qiaoqian, who were whispering to each other.

The two nestled together, seemingly whispering sweet nothings.

Mu Chunfeng immediately concealed the spiritual light of his magical artifact, slowly descended to the ground, activated his Qi Concealment Technique, suppressed his aura to the extreme, and silently lurked in the dense forest hundreds of meters away.

After a while, Chen Qiaoqian drank a cup of unknown liquid handed to her by her senior brother Lu. Her face suddenly turned pale, she gradually became dizzy, her body went limp, and her consciousness began to blur.

Upon seeing this, Senior Brother Lu revealed a sinister smile: "Junior Sister, don't blame your senior brother for being ruthless. If you have to blame someone, blame this Foundation Establishment Pill and that Dong Xuan'er."

"Senior brother, what... what did you put in the wine...?"

Chen Qiaoqian tried to struggle, but the drug took full effect, leaving her weak and sore all over. She didn't even have the strength to lift a finger, and her voice grew weaker and weaker.

Senior Brother Lu snatched the storage bag from Chen Qiaoqian's waist, probed it with his divine sense and searched for a while, then burst into laughter: "Good junior sister, you really do carry this thing close to your body."

He held a Foundation Establishment Pill steadily in his hand, leisurely storing it into his storage bag. Then, he bent down, gently stroking the cheek of the unconscious Chen Qiaoqian, and lewdly chuckled, "Senior brother will pamper you properly today, not wasting your handsome appearance, hahaha..."

Just as Senior Brother Lu was about to commit an act of misconduct, his expression suddenly hardened, and he abruptly turned around, forming hand seals with both hands, sending two whistling wind wheels flying backward.

With a crisp "crack," the branch, as thick as a bowl, was snapped in two, and a dark figure slowly descended from the tree. It was Han Li, dressed in black with a somber expression.

The two already disliked each other, so there was no need for further words. They immediately unleashed their magical weapons and began to fight.

As expected of a cultivator with a wind spirit root and the support of his family's vast resources, Senior Brother Lu's cultivation had already reached the peak of the late stage of Qi Refining. He flipped his hand and took out the top-grade magic weapon, the Azure Dragon Flag, from his storage bag. With a fierce wave, a ferocious azure dragon formed from spiritual energy rushed straight towards Han Li, baring its fangs and claws.

Han Li remained unfazed, summoning the Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade he had just purchased from the market to meet the attack. The golden blade clashed with the azure dragon, causing bursts of spiritual energy to erupt continuously. The two exchanged blows, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Just as the battle was escalating and both of them were expending considerable magical power, Mu Chunfeng concealed his aura and slowly approached from the depths of the dense forest.

Closer, closer...

When they were about ten feet apart, Senior Brother Lu suddenly threw out the Azure Dragon Flag. The Azure Dragon's spiritual power surged and rushed straight at Han Li's face.

Han Li could only raise his shield to block, leaving his body wide open.

A fierce glint flashed in Senior Brother Lu's eyes. He was about to take advantage of the situation to suppress the enemy when he suddenly realized that he was in mid-air. His meridians suddenly stiffened, and he could not move at all!

In that instant of panic and disorientation, a long sword engulfed in raging flames pierced through his heart from behind.

Senior Brother Lu's pupils contracted sharply. Trembling, he looked down at the blood gushing from his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief. Then, his eyes rolled back, and he fell heavily to the ground from mid-air, dying instantly.

Han Li, who was nearby, witnessed the entire scene and was shocked: "Oh no! There's a third person here!"

Han Li quickly summoned the Xuan Tie Flying Sky Shield, protecting himself tightly, and opened his divine sense to the fullest extent, looking warily in the direction from which the long sword was coming.

Mu Chunfeng slowly walked out of the forest, raised his hand and waved, the Li Huo Sword swirled in the air and turned into a streak of fire before being put back into his storage bag.

Under the cool moonlight, Han Li finally saw the person's face clearly and exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother Mu?!"

Mu Chunfeng's lips curled slightly as he spoke calmly, "Junior Brother Han, I was just passing by when I saw you fighting this villain, so I dealt with him without hesitation. Junior Brother Han, you won't report me to the sect, will you?"

Alarm bells rang in Han Li's mind. He had already exhausted most of his magic power in the battle with Lu Feng, and now Mu Chunfeng had taken the initiative and gained the upper hand. He secretly groaned in his heart.

But he remained calm and composed, cupping his hands in a friendly gesture: "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother Mu. I saw this villain trying to do something bad to Junior Sister Chen, so I intervened. To be honest, this villain deserved to die. I will never utter a word about this to anyone."

Mu Chunfeng immediately understood that Han Li was expressing his willingness to stand by him and would never reveal what happened today.

He smiled slightly, raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, pulled Senior Brother Lu's storage bag into his hand. He scanned it with his divine sense and confirmed that there were exactly two Foundation Establishment Pills inside. He then picked up the Azure Dragon Flag that had fallen to the side and prepared to turn and leave.

"Wait a minute!"

Han Li could no longer suppress his extreme desire for the Foundation Establishment Pill, gritted his teeth, and called out to him.

"Oh? Is there anything else, Junior Brother Han?"

Mu Chunfeng turned around and looked at him.

Han Li took a deep breath, his expression solemn, and went straight to the point: "I suppose Senior Brother Mu also knows what the most important thing in that storage bag is. Junior Brother won't beat around the bush either, you must give me one of those two Foundation Establishment Pills. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that what happened today won't be leaked one day."

"Is Junior Brother Han threatening me?"

Mu Chunfeng's smile remained unchanged, but his tone turned colder, "I wonder if Junior Brother Han is confident that he can escape safely from my grasp?"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and patted his storage bag, and dozens of talismans filed out and floated around him.

Fire cloud talisman, fire rain talisman, golden blade talisman, ice arrow talisman... all kinds of offensive talismans swirled in the air with spiritual light, densely covering the entire area, a scene that made people's scalps tingle.

Han Li inwardly groaned, secretly regretting his impulsive words. However, he still tightly gripped the Heavenly Thunder Spear hidden in his sleeve, secretly resolving that if Mu Chunfeng pressed too hard, he would rather die together with her.

After a brief standoff, Mu Chunfeng suddenly chuckled, collected all the talismans into his storage bag, and then took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from Senior Brother Lu's storage bag. He flicked his finger and tossed it to Han Li: "Junior Brother Han, you have guts, I admire you. This Foundation Establishment Pill is for you. I only hope you keep your word today. Of course, I don't want to lose you as a fellow disciple."

Mu Chunfeng knew that Han Li likely also had a trump card like the Heavenly Thunder Seed, which could lead to mutual destruction. If they really fought, he had an absolute chance of winning, and the risk of both sides being seriously injured was only a tiny bit.

He already knew when he used his double pupils to immobilize Senior Brother Lu that the immobilization power of the double pupils could completely lock a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator for three breaths, but it would consume one-tenth of his mana.

However, it's more than enough to deal with Han Li at this moment.

Han Li may have many tricks up his sleeve, but he could never have imagined that he possessed such a heaven-defying trump card as double pupils.

However, he had always intended to befriend Han Li and never planned to keep both Foundation Establishment Pills for himself. He only intended to take one. Now, this situation makes perfect sense.

Mu Chunfeng has always cherished his life. Although his double pupils make him almost invincible among those of the same level, the path of cultivation is fraught with danger and countless tribulations lie ahead. With Han Li, the protagonist of the original work, by his foresight, he can go further and more steadily, and also gain a powerful ally in the future.

Han Li steadily caught the Foundation Establishment Pill that flew towards him. After confirming that it was correct, he immediately put it deep into his storage bag and bowed deeply to Mu Chunfeng, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Mu."

Mu Chunfeng exchanged a few polite words with him, then turned and summoned her Azure Leaf magic weapon, which transformed into a streak of azure light and vanished into the dense forest in an instant. This was a dangerous place, and she could not linger there.

Han Li breathed a long sigh of relief only after confirming that Mu Chunfeng's presence had completely disappeared. Looking at the cold sweat seeping from his palms, he was still shaken.

It was incredibly dangerous just now. Luckily, Mu Chunfeng didn't actually make a move, otherwise he might have ended up with everything going down with him.

Han Li calmed his turbulent emotions, then raised his hand and released a fireball spell, completely destroying Senior Brother Lu's body without leaving a trace.

Suddenly, a noise came from behind him. Chen Qiaoqian, who had just woken up, suddenly hugged him from behind, startling Han Li.

After hurriedly feeding Chen Qiaoqian the Forget-Me-Not Pill and thoroughly cleaning up the scene, he didn't dare linger. He immediately summoned the Azure Leaf magic weapon and flew hastily towards the direction of Yellow Maple Valley.