Li Tongya touched down amidst the mountains. Low wolf howls echoed through the forest, shrouded in dense clouds and mist that plunged the surroundings into pitch-black obscurity. Sweeping his spiritual sense across the entrance of the cave, he felt a pungent wave of demonic aura and bloody stench rush at him. Pressing his hand against his sword hilt, he stepped forward, pinched a spark of spell fire with his left hand, and flicked it into the cave.
The flame surged within the thick demonic aura for barely two breaths before sputtering erratically and dying out. Li Tongya’s gaze remained placid. Looking upon the colossal creature lurking inside the cave abode, he gripped his sword in silence, uttering not a word.
“Fellow Daoist, why press me so relentlessly…”
A raspy voice echoed beside Li Tongya’s ear. The demon had sensed his arrival long ago, but relying on its grand array, it had remained holed up inside without making a sound.
Mount Bianyan was choked by heavy mist and utterly desolate, making it difficult for spiritual sense to penetrate. The beast had wagered that a proud Foundation Establishment cultivator, naturally loath to deal with tedious trouble, would never painstakingly comb through the mountains, and had thus huddled inside waiting for Li Tongya to withdraw in the face of difficulty.
Who could have guessed that Li Tongya would descend straight toward its lair? Assuming this Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed some magical treasure, the beast shrank even further from fighting and hissed, “I am a monster general under the Sanjun Demon King! I urge you to retreat at once, lest you incur the Demon King’s wrath!”
“What demon king? If you had any backing, would you ever dare remain in Daxu?”
Li Tongya had already questioned the fox, so he immediately retorted. The beast froze, realizing it could not intimidate him, and could only lament, “You are a cultivator of the Purple Palace and Golden Core Dao, not some ritual master who tames beasts and subdues monsters. By rights, you even share some ties of kinship with our demon kind, so why must you corner me like this…”
Seeing that Li Tongya remained unmoved, the beast’s voice grew shrill as it wailed, “I do not consume cultivators, nor do I stir up trouble! I merely cultivate in isolation within Mount Bianyan. When hungry, I eat a few mortals—it is the natural order of things! Why must you do this, Exalted Immortal?! Your hard-earned cultivation and my demonic power and intellect did not come easily. Why must we fight to the death…”
The wolf demon had cultivated in Mount Bianyan for many years. Daxu was a crossroads of diverse traditions, where the Daoist arts and customs of the north and south differed drastically, allowing it to learn quite a few things. After pleading for a while, it said, “This lowly demon fled back from the north and had the fortune to behold a Mahā dharma aspect, who sought a karmic affinity for me. If I cultivated in Mount Bianyan for a century, a man would answer the vow to deliver me, after which great fortune would await! Now that the time draws near, I only beg that the Exalted Immortal spare my life…”
No matter what it said, Li Tongya silently built up his sword qi. The wolf demon paused, finally abandoning all illusions, and burst from the cave like a gust of wind.
A gray wolf the size of a small cottage revealed itself. Its eyes burned like eerie green lightning and fire, radiating a dense demonic aura. Its thick fur smoothed against its body as it wheeled around on the ground, seeking to flee.
Li Tongya had long been waiting. Drawing his sword, he brought forth a brilliant arc of bright white sword light that locked onto the wolf demon, descending with overwhelming force. The wolf demon had no choice but to wheel around to parry. Startled and enraged, it howled, “Cultivator, you are destroying my Dao path!”
“Not just your path,” Li Tongya replied. Behind him, two coiling deep blue water dragons manifested. Unlike the deep green of the water veins around Lake Wangyue, the water veins of Mount Bianyan were far colder, lending them a deep blue hue. The two water dragons bared their fangs and brandished their claws as Li Tongya added, “Your life as well!”
The wolf demon glared hatefully at Li Tongya, gnashing its teeth. “So you are the ‘Jing Dragon King’!”
With that, it exhaled gently, spitting out a beam of azure light. The beam surged and drifted before abruptly splitting into nine rays that swarmed forward, shredding Li Tongya’s sword qi.
The wolf demon’s Dao foundation was the ‘Earth Shaman Priest,’ granting it knowledge of many secret arts. Having nurtured a breath of azure light in its chest and belly, its prowess was formidable. Li Tongya’s sword qi was instantly torn into jagged shards, forcing him to direct the two water dragons forward while relentlessly slashing his longsword at the wolf demon.
Although the wolf demon possessed superior strength, it had no desire to engage in a drawn-out duel with Li Tongya. It thought to itself, *This man doesn't seem like some great sword immortal—just an ordinary cultivator. Yet these human cultivators always band together; slay the younger one, and the elder comes running. I must not become entangled with him. I only need to find a chance to slip away. I am merely a petty demon of the mountains and forests—I cannot afford to provoke the disciples of such immortal sects!*
It let out a long howl, and four gusts of black wind rose from the woods below—its Qi Refinement subordinates rushing up the mountain. Unexpectedly, several flashes of magical light lit up around them, revealing the Li clan members encircling them.
*They truly came prepared!*
The beast grew increasingly panicked, intent only on fleeing for its life. Yet it was held at bay by Li Tongya’s endless stream of sword qi and could not break away. It realized that while the man before it was not an overwhelming threat, he was exceedingly difficult to shake off—certainly not someone it could defeat quickly.
“I beg of you, Exalted Immortal, please spare my life!”
Despite its massive frame and the azure light that pressed Li Tongya back, the beast was frantic, feeling not the slightest joy. It did nothing but plead for mercy while keeping its eyes fixed on Li Tongya, terrified that he would pull out some talisman or magical treasure to finish it off in one blow.
Li Tongya remained composed, the sword qi in his hand flowing without pause as he thought, *This beast is troublesome to deal with. I could look for an opening to draw the Qingchi Sword, or perhaps use the magical mirror… But I fear the mirror’s might is too great; if it pulverizes this wolf demon into minced meat, wouldn’t this trip be in vain?*
Reaching out with his spiritual sense to touch the magical mirror, Li Tongya could faintly sense the sheer power of the Taiyin Mysterious Light within. If he took a direct hit from that mysterious light, he would likely perish; though the wolf demon was a cut above him, it would hardly survive either.
“Awoo!”
The wolf demon was decisive. Seeing the situation turn dire and unsure whether there were other Foundation Establishment cultivators among the lights down below, it let out a long howl. It spat out another beam of azure light from its throat, this time faintly tinged with blood and far more potent. It shattered the forms of Li Tongya’s two water dragons, and the two streams of azure light surged one after the other straight toward Li Tongya’s face.
“Good!”
Li Tongya offered a word of praise and drifted backward. Instead of striking, he sheathed his sword, turned his left hand around to grasp the tightly wrapped longsword at his back, and drew an inch of its bluish-white blade.
*Buzz…*
At the foot of the mountain, a ringing buzz echoed in the ears of Li Xuanling and the others. The swords in their hands trembled uncontrollably, and even the fragments of rusted blades strewn among the corpses across the mountain vibrated relentlessly. The wolf demon felt its soul nearly leave its body; demonic power surged wildly from its frame as it erected a defensive shield regardless of the cost, cowering its head and not daring to make a sound.
*This cultivator truly possesses some magical treasure!*
Merely by partially drawing the Qingchi Sword, Li Tongya caused the two howling azure beams to falter. The Lunar Crescent Sword Arc flared in brilliant white, and with a resounding clang, it struck the two azure beams askew, sending them crashing to the earth where they scattered into specks of azure light and vanished.
“Ah-woo…”
The wolf demon’s azure light was a spell nurtured day in and day out, unlike the two water dragons Li Tongya summoned through Vast Sea, which cost little to manifest. With its spell broken, the demon immediately coughed up blood, splashing crimson across the ground. Its demonic aura fluctuated wildly, looking severely drained.
Li Tongya twirled his sword into a flourish, giving the wolf demon no respite. The brilliance on the blade flickered, splitting into three white beams.
“Three-Part Moon Streamer!”
The Qingchi Sword still harbored a wisp of sword intent nurtured by Li Chijing in past years. Naturally, Li Tongya would not use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, using the sword merely to execute his sword technique. Though the Lunar Crescent sword intent appeared only for a fleeting glimpse, its momentum was immense, making the demon feel as though it were facing a mortal foe.
The three streamers howled forward, circling and darting around the wolf demon’s flanks. Li Tongya’s sword qi followed closely behind, forcing the beast into a desperate retreat. Its fur bristled against the stinging sword qi, and it repeatedly cried out for mercy.
A Foundation Establishment-grade magical artifact played an immeasurable role in combat, let alone an immortal sword that had begun to develop sentience. The wolf demon cast several spells in succession, attempting to rise on demonic clouds, only to be struck down by a slash from the Qingchi Sword. Despair gradually overtook it.
Li Tongya already possessed profound dharmic power. Using the Qingchi Sword to shatter the wolf demon’s spells and suppress it, he watched as the creature let out a low, menacing rumble from its throat, snarling resentfully, “Fellow Daoist, why must you press me so hard? Today you sever my Dao path and claim my life. I truly cannot understand why I have brought upon myself such a fatal calamity!”
Li Tongya merely waved his hand and pressed down with the Qingchi Sword. Exhausted and thoroughly drained of dharmic power, how could the wolf demon resist any longer? It could only watch helplessly as the blue blade hovered right before its brow. Li Tongya smiled and said, “You wish to eat humans, and I wish to eat you. That is all there is to it.”
With that, he brought a palm down, sealing the wolf demon’s Dao foundation, and then sealed both its Qihai acupoint and Shengyang Mansion. Still uneasy, he retrieved several talismans and applied them one by one before lifting the beast’s massive body and descending the mountain.
Emerging from the mountain mists, bright sunlight poured down, illuminating the scenery with vivid warmth. Li Tongya touched down at the foot of the mountain, where several lesser demons had already been tied up tightly: two early Qi Refinement wolf demons, an old mid-Qi Refinement wolf, and a peak Qi Refinement bear demon.
The members of the Li clan were in fairly good condition. Li Xuanfeng had tied down the bear demon while the rest dispatched the three lesser demons, after which they joined forces to capture the bear. Everyone was well-accustomed to demon-slaying under the Li clan; aside from Shamoli, who had been overly impatient and taken a solid blow that left him somewhat dispirited, no one had suffered any losses.
Seeing Li Tongya descend carrying the wolf demon, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Xuanling voiced his praise, saying, “Brother Feng was thinking of going up the mountain to look for you, Father, but we held him back.”
Li Tongya nodded. With several external cultivators present, he was disinclined to say much, merely instructing, “Let us return to the clan first.”
***
Once the group returned home, Li Xuanxuan had long prepared the sacrificial affairs. The few external cultivators were dismissed with spirit stones, Shamoli returned to Eastern Shanyue, and because Li Feiruo was pregnant, An Zheyan ceased his cultivation to keep her company at the foot of the mountain without leaving her side for a moment.
The Li family had not held a sacrificial ceremony for several years, making this year’s rite particularly grand. Two sacrificial altars were set up: one at the foot of the mountain, where a Qi Refinement demon was held, and one on the mountain, where the wolf demon and the remaining beasts were gathered.
After all, there were many eyes and ears about nowadays. A sacrificial rite could be understood as a local custom, and presenting a Qi Refinement demon for slaughter could be seen as an act to deter monsters and reassure the populace. But if a Foundation Establishment ancestor went through the arduous effort of capturing a Foundation Establishment monster general alive just to slaughter it on an altar, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
While the foot of the mountain was bustling and lively, the summit was far more secluded, attended only by the direct lineage of the Li family. The circular sacrificial altar had been polished until it shone like a mirror, its edges engraved with minute, delicate patterns. With its six senses sealed and its cultivation suppressed, the wolf demon was entirely paralyzed, kneeling on the altar like a wooden puppet.
Since all those present were family, there was no need to place wooden puppets or clay effigies as a cover. Set at the head was the gleaming, greenish-gray magical mirror, rippling with moon essence in a striking display.
“Hereby does the Li clan of Lijing devoutly present pure wine, varied delicacies, and cold-food sacrificial offerings, with incense burning unceasingly year after year… Slaying perils and equalizing fields, through the Three Primes and Six Festivals, never lacking in reverence. At every appointed season and day of feast, the sacrifices remain unbroken… Sparing no smoky offerings, paying homage with blood sacrifices, serving the divine to bring down blessings.”
No matter how unwilling and resentful the wolf demon was, it died cleanly beneath the jade blade. Rising bloody qi mingled with the faint incense smoke, flowing together and settling onto the mirror’s surface.
Lu Jiangxian lightly gathered his sleeves. Before him, the incense smoke and essence converged, coalescing into bundles of multi-colored light. Teasing out a streak of colored radiance, he murmured, “This… is the first time it has been so bountiful.”
As if pulling apart cotton, he drew up a streak of colored light and kneaded it in his hands, condensing a blank Foundation Establishment white register.
“Li Yuanjiao… or Li Qinghong?”
Foundation Establishment demons were rare; one without backing that could be easily captured was rarer still. This white register would determine the harvest for a long time to come…
“Li Yuanjiao… by right, he will be the one to succeed Li Tongya’s position in the future, keeping the external surnames in check. His cultivation talent is quite decent, only a notch below Li Qinghong’s…”
“Meanwhile, Li Qinghong possesses an ardent heart for the Dao, cultivates diligently, and has the highest affinity with the talisman seed since the Li family’s inception… It truly puts one in a dilemma.”
Pinching a bit from that cloud qi, Lu Jiangxian extracted another gray register at the peak Qi Refinement grade. As the remaining cloud qi coalesced, Lu Jiangxian mused, *Let me use that power of deduction to divine it.*
Lu Jiangxian was no longer the man he used to be; he had already mastered many techniques regarding shamanic arts and talisman craft. The power of deduction taken from Liu Changdie had already been mostly spent, but he now drew forth a sliver. Using the remaining cloud qi to drive it, he closed his eyes and calculated for a moment, arriving at only a single word:
“Jiao.”
Lu Jiangxian spread his hands and flicked his finger, sending the white register drifting toward Li Yuanjiao’s brow. His vision dimmed for an instant, and then he saw a jade-colored brush stroke outline characters:
“Circulating Qi and Devouring Spirit.”
“The recipient of this register ingests qi with astonishing speed, grasping cloud qi, driving spiritual mists, soaring between heaven and earth, riding the clouds and mists in boundless freedom.”
The second stroke was faintly colored, exuding a chilling frostiness.
“Snowy Bones and Icy Flesh.”
This talisman qi likewise enhanced the efficiency of gathering qi, allowing one to manipulate wind, snow, and frost, granting twice the result with half the effort when cultivating frost-type arts.
“The Li family doesn't really have any frost-type techniques…”
Lu Jiangxian took a glance and bestowed the Circulating Qi and Devouring Spirit register. Then, picking up the gray register, he cast it toward the Shengyang Mansion of Li Qinghong, who stood graceful and upright.
Lu Jiangxian paused as a dark-red seal script surfaced before his eyes, appearing exceptionally fierce.
“Perilous Sparrow in the Vast Sky.”
“The recipient of this register circulates qi with nimbleness, maneuvering through shifting tides. Fierce and valiant upon the sight of blood, channeling blood qi for empowerment… Skilled in combat, skilled in riding the wind…”
“Not bad at all.”
Lu Jiangxian flicked his finger, sending the talisman qi into Li Qinghong’s Shengyang Mansion. Yet a thread of doubt arose in his heart as he pondered, *This talisman qi is peculiar indeed, varying from person to person. This Perilous Sparrow in the Vast Sky register sounds rather similar to Li Tongya’s Vast Ocean Leviathan register. Back when Li Xiangping received his register, it was merely from an early Qi Refinement beast, yet he gained a divine ability to cheat death and prolong life. While the grade of the talisman qi is certainly important, the person receiving the register seems to be just as crucial…*
Chapter 264