Li Xuanxuan cast a sidelong glance at him. Tucking his sleeves, he sat down before the counter, stroked his beard, and said frankly, "You are a straightforward man, Daoist master. This secret technique of mine is a rare ocular technique—three hundred spirit stones!"
This was an exorbitant price pulled out of thin air, an exaggerated figure. But the black-robed cultivator was merely infuriated by his dallying. With the agreed-upon time fast approaching, how could he have the patience to bicker with him? He snapped, "Fine, fine! Hand over the secret technique at once! Stop dawdling!"
Seeing that he didn't even haggle and simply agreed on the spot, Li Xuanxuan's initial seventy percent certainty rose by another twenty percent. He was now all but certain that this gang of cultivators harbored ill intentions. Thus, he smiled and said, "How generous of you, Daoist master. In that case, please accompany me to the Xiao clan members to draw up a contract, and we can settle the payment and goods right there..."
The black-robed cultivator was no fool either. His expression instantly darkened, and his tone turned chillingly grave: "What contract?!"
Li Xuanxuan feigned bewilderment and explained, "Is this Senior's first time here? In the market, any transaction involving hundreds of spirit stones must pass through the hands of the Xiao clan to execute a contract, lest the goods fail to match what was promised and Senior suffers a loss..."
The black-robed cultivator grew increasingly impatient. How could he possibly let him bring a Xiao cultivator here? He growled, "Your grandpa has no use for any blasted Xiao family contract! Just hand over the secret technique, and I will verify it myself!"
Li Xuanxuan smiled placatingly and nodded. "If Senior will just provide the full payment, I'll send my subordinate to fetch the contract. It won't get in the way, it won't get in the way at all..."
With that, he shot a meaningful glance at Li Qiuyang, who hurriedly stepped outside. The black-robed cultivator gave a cold snort and brushed his storage bag at his waist. Instantly, a clattering cascade of magical artifacts shimmering with magical light spilled onto the floor.
The pile included sabers, swords, battle-axes, and halberds. Some were battered and chipped, while others remained in decent condition, yet all were mottled with bloodstains, both fresh and old. Most of the blood had dried into flakes of brownish-black crust, which broke off as the weapons clattered together and crumbled into powder on the floor.
"These magical artifacts span both the Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing realms. Tally them up and see if they suffice for the price!"
The man's voice echoed in the room while brown dust drifted through the sunlight. Li Xuanxuan quietly exhaled, trembling with fear inside as he feigned an appraisal.
He calculated privately: *Nine times out of ten, this man is one of the demonic cultivators pushing north... A whole band has infiltrated Guanyun Peak Market. That thunder-and-fire bead possesses immense power; it certainly wasn't brought to deal with a minor character like me. It's likely intended to destroy a formation node of this market...*
His gaze lingered over the pile of magical artifacts. This shop could not be saved. He had already sent Li Qiuyang away; Qiuyang should not be foolish enough to miss the hint.
"What is going on?! How can you be so unreasonable?!"
"Silence! Fighting is forbidden within the market!"
The clamor outside grew louder, now mixed with the roar of colliding magical power and the screech of clashing magical artifacts. Seeing that the time for this gang's coordinated assault was drawing dangerously close, Li Xuanxuan felt burning anxiety in his chest. He lowered his voice and said, "Daoist master, this doesn't amount to three hundred!"
"Not enough?!"
Growing even more impatient, the black-robed cultivator waved his hand to pull more from his storage bag. But Li Xuanxuan forced an expression of pure greed onto his face and first barked at Li Yuanyun beside him, "Get outside!"
Li Yuanyun quickly retreated alongside several shop apprentices. Li Xuanxuan felt a faint sense of relief in his heart and said in rapid succession, "Daoist master! Daoist master! This humble one would also like another look at the item you asked me to inspect earlier... I've run this shop for many years and have never seen such a magnificent treasure. A rarity like that should fetch a hefty sum!"
"Oh?"
The black-robed cultivator paused, as if hearing something utterly hilarious. He burst into hearty laughter that lasted several breaths before pulling a pitch-black jade bead from his sleeve, chiding with a laugh, "You rascal have a bit of an eye after all! Take it!"
He tossed the technique thunder straight into Li Xuanxuan's hands. Watching him scramble flusteredly to catch it, the black-robed cultivator said coldly, "Now, can you hand that secret technique over to this Gong?!"
"Naturally! Naturally!"
Li Xuanxuan narrowed his eyes greedily at the bead while fishing out a jade slip from the storage bag at his waist, handing it over casually.
The black-robed cultivator accepted the jade slip. Just as he directed his spiritual sense into it, Li Xuanxuan seized the opportunity to strike boldly. With a sweep of his sleeve, he overturned the pile of magical artifacts before him, and amidst the deafening racket of clattering metal, he smashed through the door and sprinted outside.
"Huh?"
Cultivator Gong erupted in fury. A single sweep of his spiritual sense told him that the jade slip held no secret technique at all, but merely miscellaneous travelogues of cultivation. He roared, "What audacity!"
He stomped down hard, and a surge of white vapor billowed from his body, shaking the small room to its rafters. Borrowing that momentum, he lunged to seize Li Xuanxuan. His palm wind manifested in midair as swirling wisps of flocculent white air currents, surging forward like a torrent.
Li Xuanxuan's expression turned grim. He had already readied a shimmering golden talisman in his palm, conjuring a sheath of golden light that enveloped him while a thick crimson glow erupted from his body as he retreated like the wind.
*Boom!*
Against the onslaught of that white current, the golden shield around Li Xuanxuan held for only a few breaths before shattering like an eggshell. Unable to dodge completely, the flesh on his hands was grazed by the white vapor, instantly disintegrating to reveal ghastly white bone beneath.
He gritted his teeth, suppressing a cry of agony in his throat. Gathering all his magical power, he braced himself and forcibly weathered the black-robed cultivator's attack, stumbling back several paces before taking to the air upon the wind.
The talismans Li Xuanxuan drew had all been exchanged for spirit stones to send back to the family; he had never reserved anything truly exceptional for himself, assuming he was safe within the market. Even the talisman he carried was merely at the Qi Refinement level. Seeing it shattered in a single blow, he felt a twinge of regret.
"Aaaagh!"
Everything transpired in the blink of an eye. The apprentices near the door were only in the Embryonic Breathing realm; how could they possibly react in time? Together with several apprentices who had been sitting and chatting outside the shop, they were caught in the wake of that white vapor and let loose inhuman shrieks.
The upper body of the apprentice guarding the doorway vanished completely into thin air, while the flesh on his lower half sloughed away, leaving only two gleaming white thigh bones standing starkly upright on the ground. The other apprentices nearby met equally gruesome fates: those grazed on the head died instantly, while those whose heads and mouths remained intact could only wail once or twice before collapsing with dull thuds.
Fortunately, Li Yuanyun had been lingering on the street watching the commotion, so he was spared from the white wind. Even so, cold sweat drenched him from head to toe, and he screamed in terror.
Seeing one of the apprentices, who had lost his entire lower body, howling like a demon and dragging himself rapidly toward him with blood-drenched hands, leaving a gruesome smear across the ground, Li Yuanyun broke out in a frantic sweat, leaped up from the pavement, and turned to flee.
Li Xuanxuan had no time to tend to his injuries. Cultivator Gong closed the distance in a single stride. His bamboo hat flew back, exposing a face crisscrossed with scars and eyes dripping with venomous malice as he bellowed, "How dare you trick me?!"
Li Xuanxuan cursed inwardly. His hand snapped up, hurling the pitch-black jade bead like a bolt of lightning straight at Cultivator Gong's face, while he unleashed the Blood Escape Technique, shooting into the distance like a streak of bloody radiance.
"Laughable!"
A technique thunder could only be detonated with the corresponding incantation and technique. This was why Cultivator Gong had handed it over without fear in the first place. Seeing Li Xuanxuan hurl it blindly back at him, he merely snorted coldly and surged forward.
*Boom!*
Yet the black bead suddenly erupted in midair with a burst of crimson sparks, bathing Cultivator Gong's face in golden radiance. He froze, crying out in shock, "Impossible!"
By sheer reflex, his fingers tightened around a talisman within his sleeve. Just as he was about to activate it, he forcibly suppressed the impulse and leaped back several paces, watching the black jade bead tumble harmlessly out of the small flare of sparks.
"Phew..."
Cultivator Gong broke out in a cold sweat. Reaching out to pull the jade bead back to his palm with a spell, he sneered. Looking at the blood-red light already far in the distance, he realized that chasing him down after such a delay would take far too long. He muttered under his breath, "Clever bastard, slapping a talisman onto the technique thunder. He nearly fooled me... Fortunately, I am a veteran of a hundred battles, or I would have wasted a defensive treasure on that trick."
"A pity I must proceed to the formation node; I'll have to let him go for now... The Li family! I hear they are a clan of sword immortals. Now that Li Tongya is dead, I might as well lead our men right through their territory..."
He cast a deep, lingering look at the distant figure of Li Xuanxuan, then abruptly turned his head. Li Yuanyun had scrambled to his feet, having only managed to run a dozen or so feet in those few breaths. Cultivator Gong sneered and flicked his finger.
"Ah!"
A streak of white brilliance chased down Li Yuanyun's sweat-drenched back like a shooting star. Li Yuanyun managed only a single shriek of agony before the flesh melted from his body, reducing him to a pile of stark white bones that clattered across the ground.
The market had already descended into turmoil, with signs of battle everywhere. In the sky above, the white grand array flickered erratically. Showing no trace of anger, Cultivator Gong laughed aloud and flew toward the precalculated formation node.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanxuan sped along on the Blood Escape Technique until he crashed up against the Xiao clan's grand array. The array flickered between light and darkness, its aura rippling unpredictably like churning waves—clearly beset by enemies within and without, on the verge of collapse.
Focusing his eyes, he saw that although it was broad daylight at noon, the world outside was pitch-black with billowing demonic smoke. He hesitated for two breaths, not daring to step beyond the barrier.
*Who knows how many demonic cultivators are waiting out there, biding their time until the grand array shatters so they can swarm in and carve up this feast... Flying out recklessly right now would only mean falling into their clutches, becoming an appetizer for those fiends.*
However, the blood essence and magical power within his body were draining away like a torrential river. Li Xuanxuan could barely hold on. Moreover, the crimson escape light was far too conspicuous, making it dangerous to maintain.
Glancing back and seeing that Cultivator Gong had not pursued him, Li Xuanxuan promptly canceled the spell and descended onto the street. He coughed twice, every inch of his body wracked with pain. Examining himself with his spiritual sense, he found his body emaciated and his face haggard and gaunt.
"Thank heaven, thank heaven."
Yet Li Xuanxuan sighed in secret relief. The Blood Escape Technique was a brutal art. By relying on it, he had forcibly clawed his way out of certain death. He had feared he would suffer catastrophic damage to his vitality and not live much longer; finding that it had merely shaved off some lifespan and withered his youthful looks, he felt an unexpected rush of joy.
*Hiss!*
The wound on his hand was deep enough to expose bone, bleeding profusely. Li Xuanxuan sealed the wound with magical power, cast a few healing spells, and swallowed two medicinal pills. He thought to himself, *Leaving now is out of the question. Qiuyang should still be somewhere in the market, though there's no telling which corner he's in... As for Yuanyun, the boy could not be saved...*
A suffocating grief gripped Li Xuanxuan's chest. Not long after Li Xuanling of the middle branch's Xuan generation had passed away, Li Tongya had also died. Now Li Xuanling's son had perished here in the market, leaving Xuanxuan overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow...
Had it not been for Li Qinghong being one of the two highest-cultivation individuals in the family, along with the two brothers Xicheng and Xijun both possessing spirit apertures and commendable talent, the middle branch would have collapsed entirely and faded into obscurity. Thinking of this, Li Xuanxuan felt heartbroken; the loss of his own lifespan seemed trivial in comparison.
Looking up at the sky, his only choice now was to wait until the demonic cultivators who had infiltrated inside broke the grand array. Once the horde outside swarmed in and dispersed throughout the market, he would finally have a chance to slip away.
Resting in place for a moment, Li Xuanxuan caught his breath and regulated his internal qi. His thoughts raced: *This calamity came so abruptly. It was clearly reported that the demonic cultivators were operating in the neighboring commandery...! How could they cross the vast Xunlin Plain and appear in Lixia Commandery as if marching through empty land...?*
*Does Xiao Chuting know about this?!*
He shrank quietly into the corner to avoid being spotted, his mind churning with deductions...
*The market had always been garrisoned by Xiao Yongling, yet precisely five years ago, that Foundation Establishment cultivator was reassigned, leaving behind only Xiao Ruyu at Qi Refinement... No, perhaps Xiao Ruyu wasn't even on the mountain anymore!*
Li Xuanxuan looked up at Guanyun Peak beneath the heavy, dark clouds, his heart rife with dread. Since even Cultivator Gong, who was at the peak of Qi Refinement, had been sent inside the market as an infiltrator, those black-robed figures encircling Guanyun Peak could only be Foundation Establishment experts!
*Four of them...*
Li Xuanxuan focused his gaze and fell silent. After Xiao Yongling was transferred away, the Xiao clan had only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed at Guanyun Peak Market. Clearly outmatched, they had retreated into their shell and dared not come out.
*It takes an incense stick's time to rush here from Xianyou Peak, and a quarter of that has already passed.*
Li Xuanxuan's face darkened. His cultivation was modest—only the third layer of Qi Refinement—and he was ill-suited for combat. Once total chaos erupted, things would not bode well for him.
***
*Boom!*
The pavilion before him detonated with a thunderous roar, sending a wave of scorching flames washing over him. Li Qiuyang's hurried steps came to an abrupt halt. Staring at the sky full of streaking lights, an agonizing battle waged in his heart: *That black-robed cultivator is almost certainly a demonic cultivator... Brother Xuan sent me out so I could seek help from the Xiao clan... But looking at the state of things, the Xiao cultivators can barely protect themselves! How could they possibly spare a hand to help us!*
Guanyun Peak Market was built encircling Guanyun Peak, with the grand array on the peak serving as the core array, supplemented by numerous nodes distributed throughout the market to shroud the entire area. Now, dark clouds shrouded Guanyun Peak, and a few black-clad cultivators could vaguely be seen standing suspended in midair. Ascending the mountain for aid was utterly impossible.
All around, black-clad cultivators were fighting and pillaging, their furious shouts echoing from all directions. An ominous premonition welled within Li Qiuyang. Huddled under the eaves in a secluded corner, he thought anxiously, *Brother Xuan must have already clashed with that man. That fiend is at the peak of Qi Refinement; how could Brother Xuan ever be a match for him...*
Thinking of this, Li Qiuyang wanted to rush back, yet his feet remained rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear: *Yet I am only a miscellaneous qi cultivator. Setting aside fighting my way back to rescue Brother Xuan, the moment I step out, a demonic cultivator could strike me dead in two moves. How could I ever help him!*
Outside, severed limbs and gore flew everywhere amid continuous screams of agony. Gritting his teeth, he knew that staying here would only get him discovered sooner or later. He formed a hand seal to conceal his aura and crept out cautiously.
Before him was a black-robed demonic cultivator in the early stages of Qi Refinement, wielding a massive greataxe gleaming with blood-red light. He hacked and cleaved with unstoppable force, laughing boisterously every few moments and shouting vulgar curses.
Facing him, several cultivators stood in a defensive formation. They appeared to be from the Xiao clan. The leader had just advanced into Qi Refinement; having spent years in the market, Li Qiuyang recognized him, having shared a brief acquaintance once or twice.
Behind the leader were five cultivators at the third or fourth layer of Embryonic Breathing. Glowing white magical light surged from their hands to sustain a minor formation, though it teetered precariously under the onslaught of the greataxe.
A chill ran down Li Qiuyang's spine. Having seen Xiao cultivators mediate disputes in the market several times, he had only ever seen them subdue troublemakers swiftly and decisively. This was the first time he had witnessed such dire straits. He mused, *The Xiao family possesses profound cultivation methods and has always been formidable among peers of the same realm. Yet against this demonic cultivator, they actually need a formation just to barely hold their ground!*
He reached into his sleeve and felt two talismans—one of early Qi Refinement rank and one of mid Qi Refinement rank. Originally meant to be sold at the shop, he now slipped them out silently and gripped them in his fist.
The Xiao cultivator was dripping with anxious sweat. Glancing up inadvertently, he was startled to spot Li Qiuyang hiding under the eaves in the distance. Overjoyed, he maintained an increasingly panicked facade while quietly gathering power in his hands, waiting to strike in tandem with him.
Receiving that glance, Li Qiuyang understood the plan. He steadily channeled magical power into the talismans, which ignited with streaks of crimson light, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Execute!"
Chapter 340