Eternal Life by Daily Divination

Chapter 177: Chapter 165: Great Misfortune, the Death of Li Chang’an

He sat cross-legged and took out the Venerable Soul Banner and the Nether Soul Crystal from his Storage Pouch.

“This is the Nether Soul Crystal you wanted. Eat.”

As soon as his voice fell, a thick black mist surged from the Venerable Soul Banner, instantly devouring the Nether Soul Crystal.

The black mist did not dissipate. Instead, it grew even thicker.

Li Chang’an had long since refined the Venerable Soul Banner. As its master, he could sense that it was undergoing a transformation.

Within the black mist, the Venerable Soul Banner’s aura grew stronger and stronger, as if it were being completely reborn.

A moment later, it was all over.

The black mist slowly dissipated, revealing the Venerable Soul Banner, which had now been upgraded to Tier Two Low Grade.

Immediately after, a faint voice emerged.

“Th… thank… you… Master…”

“Don’t mention it.”

Li Chang’an raised a hand, calling it to him. He grasped the banner and carefully sensed the changes within.

At this moment, the Venerable Soul Banner was still imperfect and had not yet returned to its former Tier, but its power was already greatly enhanced.

With a single thought, he began to refine Wu Lianshan’s soul, which was sealed inside the banner.

This Refinement went very smoothly.

Before long, Li Chang’an had an additional Tier Two Main Soul that he could command at will.

’This Tier Two Main Soul, empowered by the Venerable Soul Banner, is strong enough to contend with a Cultivator in the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment!’

Li Chang’an was very satisfied.

With this, he had another Foundation Establishment-level method.

…

Over the next half-year, the uproar over the Wu Family’s annihilation gradually died down.

The Zheng Family’s status rose with the tide, and they became a popular topic of discussion in the Immortal City.

Naturally, the main topic of conversation was Zheng Qingqing—a young, beautiful, and powerful Female Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Li Chang’an heard that many male Foundation Establishment Cultivators had expressed their desire to become her Dao companion, including even powerful experts in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, but she had not agreed.

Later, some people who heard that Li Chang’an had a good relationship with Zheng Qingqing came to his door asking him to put in a good word for them.

This gave Li Chang’an quite a headache.

’What’s the use in asking me?’

He hung a sign on his door indicating he was in seclusion and stopped receiving any visitors.

Another few months passed like this.

Finally, no one was bothering him anymore.

During this time, he often wandered through the Immortal City’s trading district and the Black Market, hoping to find a hidden gem like a Tier Two Demon Core or a high-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, but he never had any luck.

…

「On this day.」

Li Chang’an, using his identity as Li Fan, came to the Black Market once again.

He was just about to see if there were any suitable Treasures.

Just then, Luo Baitong suddenly found him and asked gravely, “Daoist Li, were the Feng Daoist and the Jin Brothers really killed by you?”

For some time now, a rumor had been circulating in the Black Market.

It said that Li Fan, in order to monopolize the Treasures from the Secret Realm Cave Mansion, had ruthlessly killed the other three people who had gone with him.

If that wasn’t the case, why had the Feng Daoist and the Jin Brothers completely vanished?

Because of this rumor, everyone’s fear of Li Fan grew even more.

But Li Chang’an didn’t care.

He asked casually, “Daoist Luo, we’re both Tribulation Cultivators. Why bother with such pointless talk? So what if I really did kill those three?”

“Be that as it may, someone has been investigating you recently.”

Luo Baitong’s expression was grave as he sent a secret Sound Transmission.

Li Chang’an was taken aback.

“Who’s investigating me? People from the Jin Family?”

“No, it’s Huang Liang! A disciple of the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator Murong Kang, from the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage!”

’So it’s him.’

Li Chang’an fell into thought.

It seemed that Murong Kang had already found out he had killed Huang Feng.

However, he wasn’t worried. The identity of Li Fan was fake anyway, so he had no fear of being investigated.

Luo Baitong sent another Sound Transmission, “Daoist Li, that Huang Liang is being very discreet with his investigation. Luckily, my network is wide enough that I was able to figure out his identity and purpose. You should be careful.”

Li Chang’an nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Daoist Luo.”

“Also, I suspect that the Feng Daoist was actually Huang Feng, a disciple of the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage!”

Luo Baitong shared his suspicion.

Li Chang’an didn’t say much.

The fewer people who knew that the Feng Daoist was Huang Feng, the better.

If this matter blew up, it would surely cause a huge uproar. After all, the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage had always presented itself as part of the Righteous Dao. How could one of its disciples be a Tribulation Cultivator?

At that point, the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage, to save face, would surely investigate the matter with all its might.

Li Chang’an had no desire to directly confront the entire host of Cultivators from the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage.

“By the way, Daoist Li, Huang Liang is also investigating someone else,” Luo Baitong spoke again.

“A Loose Cultivator named Li Chang’an. Do you know him?”

“Never heard of him.”

Li Chang’an’s expression didn’t change, but a cold killing intent rose within him.

As Huang Feng’s senior brother, Huang Liang had often advised him and devised plans for him.

He’d had a hand in most of the previous incidents.

In Li Chang’an’s mind, this man deserved to die just as much as Huang Feng; he just hadn’t found the right opportunity to kill him.

Now, it seemed that opportunity was ripening.

Since Huang Liang had to come to the Black Market to gather information, then the road from Yellow Crane Immortal City to the Black Market would be the perfect place to strike!

Thinking this, Li Chang’an instructed Luo Baitong, “Daoist Luo, I’ll trouble you to keep an eye on Huang Liang’s movements. If this is done well, I will reward you handsomely!”

“No problem!”

Luo Baitong nodded gravely and accepted the task.

…

For some time after that, Huang Liang came to the Black Market several more times to ask about Li Fan and Li Chang’an.

He came very frequently, showing up every few days.

On this day, Luo Baitong found Li Chang’an.

“Daoist Li, that Huang Liang came again. Based on his previous pattern, he’ll be back in another three to five days.”

“Good. Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Luo!”

Li Chang’an immediately gave him a generous reward.

Afterwards, he set up dozens of Puppets along the road between Yellow Crane Immortal City and the Black Market, lying in wait for Huang Liang and looking for the right moment to strike.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

That night, Li Chang’an calculated the time.

’He should be coming soon.’

He was very patient, waiting in silence.

With his current strength, he could kill even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, to say nothing of a Qi Refining Cultivator like Huang Liang.

However, at Midnight that night, a Divination result appeared that Li Chang’an had not foreseen at all.

[Divination has been refreshed]

[Today’s Divination: Great Misfortune]

[You ambush Huang Liang, but are blocked by his Protective Treasure. Huang Liang calls out to the Huang He Master for help, naming his potential assailants—and your name is among them.]

[The Huang He Master captures you. Discovering the great fortune you carry, he uses every cruel method imaginable to interrogate you. You are tortured for six months straight until, finally, your very soul is annihilated.]

’My soul… annihilated?’

Li Chang’an’s expression changed drastically.

This wasn’t a simple death. It was complete annihilation, with no hope of ever walking the Reincarnation Path.

There would be no next life!

’What kind of horrifying methods could torture a living person until their very soul was annihilated?’