Technique Thunder

"Right here." Yu Muyuan, draped in a gray robe, landed on a small islet upon the lake. Naturally cautious, even though they were at such a great distance that nothing could possibly go awry, he still kept himself thoroughly concealed so no passersby would stumble upon him. Behind him followed an old man in a gray robe, grinning as he landed on the islet alongside him. Yu Muyuan cupped his hands and asked, "Retainer Jiang, is this distance sufficient?" "Naturally!" Retainer Jiang chuckled and tapped his own Shengyang Mansion. Eyes tightly shut, he knelt on the ground. Yu Muyuan inquired from the side, "Through the hands of the An family, this object has already been sent into the ore vein and claimed by the Li family... Retainer Jiang, just how powerful is this method?" With his eyes closed, Retainer Jiang's consciousness roamed far away as if searching for something. Pouting slightly, he called out, "Cultivators' physical bodies are fragile. Your eldest brother taught me this method precisely for its novelty, catching people completely off guard. As long as one hasn't forged an immortal foundation, a mere Qi Refinement cultivator would be gravely wounded in an instant. Combined with my curse technique, it carries the effect of damaging their foundation and injuring their vitality. Even if saved, they will have no future to speak of." This was not the first time Yu Muyuan had heard of the man's abilities, yet hearing it again still left him clicking his tongue in wonder. He sighed, "This method is truly insidious... leaving no way for anyone to guard against it." "Heh." Retainer Jiang chuckled and replied, "Forget you—even after traveling far and wide across north and south, it's the first time I've ever seen someone as sinister and venomous as your eldest brother." Yu Muyuan raised an eyebrow, hesitating to speak. Retainer Jiang's old face broke into a broad smile, wrinkles bunching together as he continued, "Don't try to scare me. I'm not afraid of you telling your eldest brother. Calling him sinister—in his eyes, that's practically a compliment." "Found it!" Just as Retainer Jiang finished speaking, before Yu Muyuan could reply, the old man cried out in delight, "The technique thunder has reached a leader's hands... Oho, this person is the Li family's Young Patriarch, an Embryonic Breathing layer two cultivator—most likely that Li Yuanxiu. He's just about to deliver this technique thunder into Li Tongya's hands!" Yu Muyuan froze for a moment and exclaimed, "The Li family actually lets an Embryonic Breathing cultivator run the household? What kind of logic is that?" Retainer Jiang sneered, replying, "The Li family isn't like your Yu family, where Qi Refinement cultivators can be grabbed by the handful..." Yu Muyuan suddenly snapped to alertness. His expression hardened, and he cut in bluntly, his voice deep, "How much longer can this spell of yours last?!" "Two hours..." Retainer Jiang blinked, muttering to himself. To his surprise, Yu Muyuan wore a resolute face and barked, "Strike right now!" "What?!" Retainer Jiang froze, his face filled with bewilderment. He countered, "This is merely an Embryonic Breathing cultivator. Why wouldn't Young Master cast a longer line? Never mind Li Xuanfeng or Li Xuanling—this technique thunder is about to be handed to Li Tongya. When the time comes, gravely wounding him so that even if he's saved, he loses all hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment—wouldn't that be wonderful?" "Is Retainer Jiang trying to ruin my family?!" Yu Muyuan's expression turned dark and grim, furious and resentful, as he shouted, "What is the relationship between Li Xuanfeng, Li Yuanxiu, and the others to Li Chijing? And what is the relationship between Li Tongya and Li Chijing?! If a few juniors die, Li Chijing won't have the face to make a fuss. But if his own biological brother dies, Li Chijing will absolutely tear back from Nanjiang and procure a Clear Consciousness Talisman. Once the truth comes to light, my Yu family will be roasted over the fire!" Realization dawned upon Retainer Jiang. Yu Muyuan grabbed him by the collar and barked, "Strike right now! Li Yuanxiu has plenty of weight! Do not wait for this or that any longer. If something goes wrong and delays the family's affairs, neither you nor I can bear the consequences!" "Yes, yes, yes!" Though Retainer Jiang's cultivation was low, his seniority was great. Being berated by a junior made his expression sour. He formed hand seals, channeled his spell, pressed two fingers together, and thrust them straight forward. "Swift!" *** Li Yuanxiu put away the wooden slip in his hand and finished giving out several orders. He waved his hand, and below, Li Pingyi promptly brought up a wooden box. Li Yuanxiu picked up the precious pearl and carefully placed it into the wooden box. A numb, tingling sensation spread through his hand. Suddenly remembering something, he picked up the wooden slip from the desk and handed it to Li Pingyi. Seeing him accept the slip and step back, Li Yuanxiu said softly, "Yuanyun is fond of historical records, and I happened to get a..." Before he could finish speaking, a daze washed over Li Yuanxiu's ears, and an aged voice abruptly resonated. "Swift!" Thunderlight flashed instantly across the jade pearl inside the wooden box beside his hand, its surging aura roiling like an erupting volcano. Before Li Yuanxiu could react, the dispersing thunderfire had already erupted outward, sweeping inch by inch across his body, tearing through flesh, blood, and bone, spraying gore across the ground. The entire rear hall shook with a crash, sending up billows of smoke. *Boom!* Though Li Pingyi was a mere mortal, fortunately he was three steps away. The shockwave of magic power shattered several of his bones, sending him tumbling far away like a rolling gourd. Two streaks of thunderfire struck his arms, blasting both of them to smithereens and spattering blood everywhere. With only a low groan, he lost consciousness in an instant. "Who is it?!" The purplish-black thunderfire roared violently, blowing the rear hall to pieces. The aura of a curse technique at the Qi Refinement level surged through the town, causing the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation to hum and vibrate. Li Tongya had just seen off the two from the Xiao family and was about to enter closed-door cultivation. Overcome with shock and fury, he soared into the air and landed in the courtyard. Immediately afterward, several stone doors opened on the mountain, and a few Qi Refinement cultivators emerged from seclusion with furrowed brows. "Who dares attack my Mount Lijing?!" Li Xuanxuan stepped into the air. Li Xuanfeng's brow was already tightly knit; he darted into the stone chamber, bowed, and took down the magical mirror. Brushing his fingers across the cold surface, a vast territory appeared in his mind's eye. Everything at the foot of the mountain became crystal clear, and the sight nearly made his eyes tear open with rage, fury rushing to his heart. Sweeping along the spiritual aura into the distance, he spotted two figures in gray looking on from the lake. In a cold voice, he said: "Brazen thieves!" With that, he lifted his left hand, and the Jin Geng longbow settled into his grasp. Li Xuanfeng stepped forward, nocked an arrow, his eyes blazing and beard bristling with fierce rage. Magic power surged throughout his body, and a dazzling golden beam of light shot forth. Li Xuanfeng's face instantly went pale; forcing his magic power into overdrive regardless of the cost caused him to cough up a mouthful of dark blood. Yet his expression remained cold and grim. Wiping the corner of his mouth, he nocked another arrow, using the magical mirror to lock onto the distant enemies. At the foot of the mountain, Li Tongya merely paused and instinctively looked up, catching sight of the golden light soaring into the sky. Li Tongya did not possess such a vast spiritual sense and did not know where the enemies were, yet he knew that Li Xuanfeng on the mountain had gained clues through the magical mirror. Thus, he rode the wind upward, taking two paces in pursuit of the arrow. The rage faded from his mind in an instant, replaced by hesitation. *Could it be a trap...?* Gritting his teeth, Li Tongya ultimately stepped upon the wind and trailed behind the arrow, ready to turn back at any moment. *The enemy likely does not know that the magical mirror has the power to perceive near and far, and should be entirely unprepared. As long as I act cautiously, the various families on the lake currently wouldn't dare harm me either...*