Li Xizhi immediately sensed something amiss. Concealing his presence, he crept closer and saw a crowd of villagers gathered around a low stone altar. Atop it stood an old man robed in black with a sinister, malevolent countenance, clutching a sword and muttering incessantly.
The villagers below chanted along with him in a swelling clamor. For a time, black mist churned across the altar, making Li Xizhi knit his brows.
'A mere miscellaneous qi cultivator, yet putting on such grand airs!'
The black-robed elder’s True Essence was murky and his aura feeble. One glance showed he was of rogue cultivator stock, the lowest tier of footstones in the cultivation world of the State of Yue. Hailing from a great sect, Li Xizhi could see right through him in an instant.
'Yin qi permeating all around... He probably obtained some demonic inheritance, bewitched the villagers, and is performing blood sacrifices.'
Sure enough, the villagers below had already led up a young boy. The black-robed elder raised his sword and prepared to strike as part of the ritual.
Li Xizhi watched quietly. But as the old man’s sword thrust before the boy, it was as if it struck an iron wall. With a sharp metallic clang, it came to a dead halt.
A look of shock and suspicion flashed across the old man’s face. He scanned around with his spiritual sense, but how could an untamed rogue cultivator like him see through Li Xizhi's concealment technique? Finding nothing after his inspection, the old man stammered nervously, "Which senior... is playing a joke on this humble one?"
Rainbow light surfaced over Li Xizhi’s form as he manifested atop the stone altar, staring down at him. Taking just a single look, the black-robed elder dropped to his knees in terror and trembled as he spoke:
"This humble one, Yuan Huzhong... pays respects to the immortal of the Sovereign Sect."
The rainbow light in Li Xizhi’s hand was just about to strike him, but was checked by those words. Frowning, he asked, "You recognize my attire... You are quite knowledgeable. Which Yuan are you?"
Trepidation gripping him, Yuan Huzhong said, "Originally of the Xunlin Yuan, though I have not returned in many years."
'Truly the Xunlin Yuan family!'
This demonic cultivator actually had ties to his master, Yuan Tuan, which made Li Xizhi feel rather awkward. In a low voice, he chided, "Since you hail from a great clan, why engage in such filthy deeds! You have utterly disgraced the Yuan family's name!"
Forming a hand incantation, Li Xizhi released a stream of iridescent light. Hazy and undulating, it darted like lightning. With a swift swoosh, it snatched the sword from Yuan Huzhong's grasp along with the pouch at his waist and brought them into Li Xizhi's hand.
This technique was Gathering Objects in Drifting Light, recorded in the Morning Glow Dew Plucking Incantation—a fourth-rank spell best suited for seizing artifacts and snatching treasures. With a single sweep of the iridescent light, he had stripped the man clean, sending a chill through Yuan Huzhong's entire body.
The villagers below craned their necks to watch. Thinking that Li Xizhi had attacked, they immediately broke into a chorus of wailing and begged bitterly for mercy, leaving Li Xizhi thoroughly bewildered.
After examining the items, Li Xizhi confirmed that this man was indeed of the Yuan family. Only then did he suppress his impatience: "Explain yourself!"
Just as Yuan Huzhong was about to speak, black winds suddenly whipped up across the sky and earth. A colossal, feathered creature the size of a house swooped down, roaring with laughter:
"Fellow Daoist Yuan! How fares this year’s blood sacrifice?!"
Iridescent light had already risen beneath Li Xizhi’s feet. Sweeping his spiritual sense over the newcomer, he found that this monster was only at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, noticeably inferior to his own sixth-layer cultivation. Only then did he feel comfortable staying his ground to scrutinize the creature.
How could Yuan Huzhong dare respond casually? Keeping his head down, he shot frantic glances and whispered, "Th-this is a master from the Sovereign Sect of Qingchi... Daoist Wu... pay respects at once!"
'A person from the Qingchi Demonic Sect!'
Daoist Wu was terrified. He collapsed to the ground with a thud that shook the earth, rumbling, "This small monster pays respects to the superior immortal!"
Li Xizhi was never one to court trouble. Seeing the situation becoming ever more entangled, he felt a massive headache coming on. Waving his hand, he said, "I have pressing matters to attend to. Explain this clearly and end it quickly, so I am spared the trouble!"
Yuan Huzhong hurriedly said, "My lord, I truly hail from the direct line of the Yuan family. It is just that my talent was meager and crude, barely possessing a spirit aperture... I cultivated for thirty full years and consumed many spirit objects, yet only reached the third layer of Embryonic Breathing..."
In his youth, Yuan Huzhong had been diligent and hardworking, but his lack of talent was insurmountable. He had no choice but to rely on his father’s connections and favors to trade for cultivation resources. Later, when those favors were gradually exhausted, the Yuan family was unwilling to sink any more resources into this bottomless pit. Left with no choice, Yuan Huzhong had departed to wander the world.
"Later, this humble one stumbled upon a rogue cultivator shrine... and obtained some teachings... Yet my cultivation ultimately became like this, incapable of any further progress. Disheartened, I passed through this place and saw an Embryonic Breathing monster wreaking havoc, so I slew it.
"The villagers pleaded bitterly with me, and my heart softened, so I stayed behind to protect them."
Yuan Huzhong smiled and continued, "This place borders Mount Quanwu, where many monsters come and go, constantly looking to stop and feast on men. Thus, I placed myself under the banner of a monster general. So long as we provide a special blood sacrifice each year, no other monsters come to disturb us!"
He pointed rather proudly toward the villagers below and smiled. "When I first arrived here, there were only a thousand or so people. Now, fifty years have passed, and there are more than five thousand!"
Li Xizhi fell silent. He glanced at the boy kneeling motionless on the ground. The boy's aura fluctuated—evidently nourished on medicinal herbs from a young age. He was the 'special blood sacrifice' the old man spoke of, neither crying nor fussing, exceptionally well-behaved.
Beside them, hearing that Li Xizhi was a disciple of the demonic sect, the monster was already trembling in fear, not daring to lift its head. Having finished his explanation, Yuan Huzhong also glanced at Li Xizhi with trepidation, hesitating before adding, "The spirit objects offered up to the immortal sect from this place... have also been fully supplied year after year..."
Li Xizhi looked down at the villagers below, understanding that what Yuan Huzhong said was mostly true. The rainbow light in his hand flickered, and he said with difficulty, "So that's how it is."
Standing with his hands behind his back, he remained silent, having lost all desire for conversation. Steering the wind, he soared away on his own, iridescent light surging beneath his feet as he drifted off like an immortal.
Left behind, Yuan Huzhong wiped away his cold sweat and collapsed limply to the ground in relief. He let out a sigh toward the monster beside him, who was likewise shivering with terror and murmured:
"Thank heavens! Thank heavens it was a Qingchi Sect disciple who came! Had it been one of those Xiuyue disciples who cannot stomach a speck of filth, where would there have been room for you to explain? They would have killed you with a single stroke of the sword! Not only would you and I have lost our lives, but even my great king might have been slain!"
"Ai."
Yuan Huzhong sighed with lingering dread and said, "If luck truly went against us, what else could be done? Those disciples would leave after slaying the evil, but pity these five thousand commoners! Once you and I were dead, they would only be carved up and devoured by the horde of monsters!"
***
Meanwhile, Li Xizhi rode the wind into the sky, feeling somewhat downcast. Although he knew such occurrences were commonplace in Jiangnan, this was the first time he had witnessed it with his own eyes. Faced with Yuan Huzhong's explanation, he truly found himself powerless to do anything.
'At least it is better than beyond the seas... After all, this was once governed by the Immortal Mansion. Whether out of apprehension or lingering righteousness, the current immortal sects dare not act brazenly in broad daylight, and even demonic sects must maintain a veneer of decency... not to mention that some lineages are still decent.'
Li Xizhi let out a self-deprecating laugh. If placed in Yuan Huzhong's shoes, he likely would have arrived at similar measures. His initial murderous intent now seemed almost absurd.
With heavy burdens weighing on both himself and the Li family, he had no leisure to indulge in sorrow for the world. He soon cast the matter to the back of his mind. As he rode the wind over the Quanwu region, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly grew hot, radiating a warm, white glow.
'Hm?'
Li Xizhi was instantly overjoyed. He thought to himself, 'There are clan brothers or elders of mine nearby!'
***
Li Xijun and the others had traversed the Quanwu Mountain Range for some time, obtaining several spirit objects. With Kongheng leading the way, they had not encountered any Foundation Establishment monsters, wandering only through the mountain forests.
Li Xuanxuan and Li Xijun formed incantations to survey the earth veins, gradually picking up clues. After investigating beside a deep pool for a while, Li Xijun said, "Granduncle, according to the descriptions and arts in the *Hanxue Collection*, there should be a spiritual water within this pool."
Li Xuanxuan was still clutching a pile of wild fruits. Picking through them, he handed over a plum, nodded gently, calculated with hand seals, and whispered, "We will likely have to wait a few more days. This water vein runs extremely deep; it cannot be drawn out in a brief moment."
Li Xijun casually tucked the plum into his robe. Together, the two made hand seals to channel their arts, joining forces to guide the water vein. They took turns—one resting while the other maintained the spell—alternating for five or six days. Then, far in the distance, a beam of golden light descended from the sky.
Upon touching down, the golden light resolved into a man clad in radiant feather robes, holding a golden ring in his hand. He possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation, exuding an imposing aura. The moment he landed, the sheer pressure made the others feel as though sharp blades were scraping against their faces.
The man glanced at the pool's surface without expression, appearing to have come for the spiritual water as well.
Holding the golden ring, he was rather handsome. His clothing bore unmistakable features, adorned with golden hooks and rings, and his feather robes were patterned with diamond-shaped stones—unquestionably someone from Tangjin Gate.
"Greetings, Senior..."
The Tangjin Gate cultivator wore an arrogant expression, faintly tinged with excitement. Glancing at the three of them, he assumed a lazy drawl and said, "Where do the three of you hail from? The spiritual water here belongs to my Tangjin Gate."
Li Xuanxuan and Li Xijun exchanged a glance. Kongheng, however, frowned and said in a deep voice, "First come—"
Li Xijun hastily pulled him back, politely intervening, "We hail from the Qingdu Li family. Since Senior desires it, we shall leave it to Senior and take our leave."
"Not so fast."
The man offered a faint, mocking smile and said caustically, "I want you all to extract the spiritual water for me before you may depart."
Looking at his face, Li Xuanxuan felt an odd sense of familiarity. Only then did he recall that he had met this man many years ago. Back when they invited Kong Yu to move the mountain, they had encountered this overbearing young master of Tangjin Gate along the way.
'Situ Mo!'
This Situ Mo had a foul temper. He had seized upon Kong Yu and ridiculed him thoroughly, mocking him over the joke of a 'one-incense family.' Only then had Li Xuanxuan learned the reason behind it. At that time, Situ Mo had been at the peak of Qi Refinement, but now he had newly broken through to Foundation Establishment.
'This sort of person... relies solely on his family background!'
Li Xuanxuan cursed inwardly. Situ Mo was also looking at Li Xuanxuan with a playful, mocking smirk, unable to conceal his deep disgust. Li Xuanxuan instantly realized:
'Oh no! He recognized me... It turns out I am being dragged down by the Xuanyue Kong clan... What grudge does this Situ Mo harbor against the Kong clan to hate them to such a degree?!'
Sure enough, while Li Xijun had answered in good grace, Situ Mo let out a pair of cold sneers and said in an undertone, "On the contrary, I recognize your noble clan... Years ago, an elder of my house also gathered qi on your territory! He lured a monster sparrow and caused quite a commotion. Your elders back then were still mortals; perhaps they even bowed and kowtowed to him."
Li Xijun had initially taken him for a spoiled dandy, but hearing these words, he understood at once that the visitor harbored ill intent—he might very well be an enemy. The polite smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold expression.
Alongside his anger, Li Xuanxuan grew increasingly puzzled:
'Where did this young man get such immense hatred? It probably isn't because of Xuanyue Gate...'
He truly could not understand where Situ Mo’s deep-seated enmity came from. Moreover, the man's words were utterly vicious and grating, stoking a fiery rage in Li Xuanxuan's heart, leaving the old man's face dark and grim.
Situ Mo sized up Li Xuanxuan coldly and said in a low voice, "When we crossed paths in the wilderness that day, had I known that an abominable old thing like you was of the Li family, I would have slaughtered you on the spot... You..."
He gritted his teeth, snarling venomously, "The An and Lu families sought skins from tigers and were ultimately annihilated by your Li clan—a truly satisfying turn of events! But back then, the fine deeds you people committed drove my mother to despair and suicide... I have finally awaited this day, to let your clan suffer the agony of my maternal kin!!"
Li Xijun froze in shock. Kongheng's eyes went wide. Within Li Xuanxuan's mind, a thunderous roar erupted. Scenes flashed past one after another, finally halting upon a certain face that had once caused Li Xiangping and Li Tongya endless worry...
"Ji Dengqi!"
Li Xuanxuan cried out, "You... you are the son of that Ji family daughter!"
"Haha! That is right—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Xijun, having prepared for this, abruptly yanked Kongheng's sleeve, leaped into the air, and shot away in a streak of blood-red light at blistering speed. Even Situ Mo was momentarily stunned before barking furiously:
"Truly Li Tongya's breed! Crafty as serpents!"
Kongheng and Li Xuanxuan had been reeling from the shock and were still frozen where they stood. Just as they came to their senses and Kongheng prepared to pull Li Xuanxuan into flight, a wall of golden light rose beside the pool, sealing off heaven and earth and trapping the two within.
Situ Mo sneered at Li Xijun's retreating figure. "Why do you think I was wasting so much breath chattering with you?"
In the distance, Li Xijun was steering the blood-red light and had barely cleared the array when a golden sword flew head-on. Lying in ambush for a long time, it pierced straight through his chest, pinning him to the ground.
Blood sprayed into the air as the youth collapsed with a thud. Watching this, Li Xuanxuan felt a chill seep into his very bones. Channeling magic power into his eyes, he saw a blood-stained plum roll out from the youth's breast, round and plump, bouncing twice.
"The little one ran fast, but having taken the Dinglin Point, he only died a step sooner!"
A look of vicious satisfaction surfaced on Situ Mo's face. Only then did he turn back to the two of them, saying chillingly:
"You old thing have some experience after all. My mother was Ji Dengyu! Ji Dengqi, the patriarch of the Ji family back then, was this lord's biological uncle! Lu Sisi and An Zheyan slaughtered my Ji family, believing my father had been killed, never imagining that my mother was already pregnant with me...
"I thought you would return by the same path you came, never expecting you to weave about and end up in the Quanwu Mountain Range. I searched high and low, but at last, I did not let you escape!"
The expression on his face was cruel and savage, yet infused with the distinct thrill of vengeance. He laughed aloud and sneered, "I know your Li family is utterly ruthless, and Li Tongya achieved Foundation Establishment through the Sword Dao. Thus, my mother never dared bring this matter up, and I was fostered under someone else's roof... Now that I have established my immortal foundation, it is time to settle these years of grievances properly!"
Li Xuanxuan was shaken to his core. Thoughts raced through his mind. His eyes bloodshot, he gritted his teeth and tried to dissemble: "Back then, when the Ji family fell, the two mountains were occupied by the An and Lu families respectively. It had nothing to do with my family!"
"Nothing to do with you?"
Situ Mo sneered. Holding victory in his grasp, he was in no hurry and could not resist refuting him, his voice thick with hatred: "Back then, my Ji family planted someone beside that Lu Yuanlu! He had a loose tongue and secretly envied Li Tongya, so he spilled everything long ago! Who did you think you could fool?!"
'So it was that fool! It was that fool all along!'
A chilling cold gripped Li Xuanxuan's heart, leaving him suffocating. A fire seemed to blaze within his chest, his mind consumed entirely by the thought of Li Xijun outside. The wounds across his face began to split faintly, revealing the golden elixir pills embedded within.
Blood suddenly seeped from the old man's seven orifices, and the six incisions gushed with fresh blood as well. His eyes widened, unable to utter a sound.
Yet a hand came to rest upon his shoulder, releasing a soothing golden light that swiftly suppressed his agitation and gently closed the wounds once more. Kongheng lowered his head slightly and spoke in a gentle voice:
"Elder, you have undergone an immortal art; do not give in to anger. This humble monk is here... there is no need to worry."
Chapter 409