Li Xuanxuan was dumbfounded by what he heard. His hand trembled as he pinched his white beard, still half in disbelief as he asked, "Who? Xuanfeng?!"
"It is indeed Lord Xuanfeng!"
An Siwei bowed and replied, "Elder, it is absolutely true!"
"Aiya... Haha!"
Li Xuanxuan laughed, taking his seat back at the head of the hall. He stroked the jade cup, filled with a mixture of delight, worry, and disbelief. "To think... Xuanfeng has already reached such heights! This old man could not see the situation clearly and underestimated him..."
He sipped his tea and nodded with a laugh. "Good! Slaying Murong Wu until both body and spirit were obliterated... Good! Striking the Buddhist cultivator into reincarnation! My younger brother is truly a first-rate figure; it is only right they were frightened out of their wits."
The old man set down the cup, musing silently, *He spat golden blood... I wonder if his injuries are severe...*
Only then did he look back at Li Zhouwei standing beside him with halberd in hand. The boy was nodding, his eyes bright and piercing, clutching the iron halberd tightly as if itching to go on a killing spree.
Seeing Li Xuanxuan look toward him, Li Zhouwei lowered his eyes slightly and replied, "Lord Xuanfeng's might is formidable, and there are reinforcements within the pass to receive him. He will surely be fine."
Li Xuanxuan nodded. At last, he saw a figure descend before the hall—white robes fluttering, a sword at his waist, his expression a mix of joy and concern.
"Jun'er."
Li Xijun bowed respectfully and said, "After what happened last time, I didn't dare bring anyone back. I interrogated them on the lake and had Siwei return first to report while I cleaned up the traces."
Li Xuanxuan nodded silently, asking with a touch of hope, "Did you hear any news? Anything about Qinghong or Xizhi?"
Li Xijun shook his head, worry surfacing on his face as he whispered, "That area with our main force was indeed a great victory. But according to those cultivators fleeing south, elsewhere the Buddhist and demonic factions have gained the upper hand. Many passes were breached, and demonic cultivators are sweeping south..."
"Those passes were looted. The breach was mainly near Salt Lake, where the Tuoba family broke through. Most of the Buddhist cultivators didn't dare push deep and fell back, but many demonic cultivators took the opportunity to pour downstream, following the great river either east or west..."
Li Xuanxuan paused, murmuring, "To the east lies open wilderness; flowing downstream leads to Xuanyue Gate. To the west is the Xiao family. Only sailing upstream leads to our home... So it is not too perilous for us yet."
Li Xijun gave a slight nod, his voice somber. "That is only the situation in the north. On my way back, I met people from several other families... The south is no longer peaceful either."
He found a seat off to the side, nodded gently to Li Zhouwei, and said, "The struggle between the [Xiukui Dao] and [Chijiao Island] is growing fiercer. [Changxiao Gate] was invaded by [Hengzhu Dao], who pushed hundreds of li into their territory... It is said the Jinyu Sect sent mediators, but to no avail..."
"And that is only one part. Word is that turmoil has also erupted in the State of Wu. The Jinyu Sect was attacked, and the warring territories among the various sects in Wu are in utter chaos. Four Foundation Establishment cultivators fell in just three days."
"As for the Eastern Sea, dark clouds loom heavy, and all contact with the islands has been severed..."
Li Xuanxuan nodded grimly. "I worry about that as well... Cheng... still does not know of Xicheng's death..."
***
Yanshan Pass.
Holding his bronze zen staff, Kongheng pinned Yuxin in midair, striking until his golden palms recoiled. His complexion changing slightly, Yuxin said tautly, "You!"
Before he could say more, lightning struck again from behind. The thunder and lightning unleashed by the female lightning cultivator were immensely powerful, charring his dharma body in patches, consuming vast amounts of his magic power, and giving him a splitting headache.
Yet no sooner had he channeled magic power to neutralize the lightning strike than that hook snake, brazenly riding on the others' coattails, billowed black smoke and laughed aloud in the air. From its mouth it spat a bead laced with frigid snow, whipping up howling gusts of wind.
The bitter chill swept past. Though it could inflict little real harm on his dharma body, it clouded his spiritual sense and hindered his movements, making the creature like an annoying fly.
Fortunately, the demon snake did not advance to close combat, merely cowering behind the others to blow its winds. The two Qingchi cultivators were likewise terrified of getting hurt, only loosing sneaky attacks from behind every now and then, which eased his pressure somewhat.
*If not for the lack of coordination among them... I would have lost this body long ago...*
Growing increasingly anxious, he had no choice but to say, "Elder Kongheng! You and I both follow the Great Buddhist Dharma, orthodox cultivators of the Golden Lotus... Why assist these unorthodox branches of the Violet Palace and Golden Core?"
Kongheng merely shook his head in silence, his strikes never slacking in the slightest as he said gently, "That is where you are mistaken. All paths in the world have their own ascent; so long as one cultivates diligently... one will eventually attain gold. How can there be orthodox and unorthodox?"
Even as Kongheng struck until cracks lined Yuxin's dharma body, his tone remained mild: "It is simply that your seven paths... have diverged from the World-Honored One's intent... Every path thinks itself the sole righteous way... and treats all others as unorthodox lesser paths. That is falling into the mental demon of arrogance!"
Kongheng's evasive philosophical reply made Yuxin all the more frantic. He blurted out, "Fellow Daoists, none of you can kill me anyway... Why make things so difficult for this dharma body that took me so much bitter effort to cultivate? If I hand over everything on me to all of you, would you be so kind as to raise your hands in mercy and let this body return?"
His expression finally turned ugly, and he said coldly, "If you refuse, I will simply destroy this body... It will be lost either way! But I will ensure you all suffer injuries in the process!"
The Li clan members remained unfazed, but the two Qingchi Foundation Establishment cultivators hesitated. Exchanging a glance, they halted their spells, and one said, "Fellow Daoist Qinghong..."
Li Qinghong frowned with slight exasperation, pretending not to hear, and ignored him for a moment. But unexpectedly, the man rode the wind closer to ask her a couple of questions, cramping her movements. When Li Qinghong glanced at him, she saw the Qingchi cultivator say with a bitter grimace, "...Why not agree to his terms..."
Neither of the two wanted to risk injury, nor did they wish to make an irreconcilable enemy of a Master whom they could not thoroughly eliminate. Yet leaving empty-handed went against their grain, so he brazened it out: "Fellow Daoist Qinghong... we are not like you from an aristocratic clan. We were conscripted here... hoping only to survive and scrounge some wealth! Why not... give him what he wants..."
The two had originally submitted to Qingchi from the overseas regions, serving essentially as guest elders, so their motives were naturally different. Li Qinghong finally stayed her hand and sighed, "Then step forward and discuss it with him in detail, Fellow Daoists..."
She had to take their feelings into account. After all, several juniors of her clan were assigned to serve under these two, and they had taken good care of them earlier. If these two harbored malice, it would be all too easy for those juniors to perish in battle.
The two were overjoyed and immediately went forward to speak with Yuxin. Yuxin had preserved this body, which was equivalent to saving fifty or sixty years of cultivation, so he was overjoyed as well. The three of them actually sat together conversing like old friends.
After dozens of breaths, Yuxin produced many spiritual items from his sleeves, emptying both of them completely, and even took off the dharma robe he was wearing. Only then did he seize a moment when they were distracted to ride the wind away.
The two returned laden with spoils and let him leave. Bringing the items over, they smiled, "Fellow Daoist Qinghong..."
Li Qinghong looked them over. They were indeed items of considerable value, but none truly tempted her. Inwardly wary that accepting them might harbor hidden traps and invite calamity, she simply said gently, "Keep them for yourselves, Fellow Daoists."
"This..." The two felt instantly awkward, the items in their hands suddenly feeling like hot coals. Li Qinghong smiled faintly and said softly, "Several of my clan's juniors are still under your command... I hope you will look out for them."
"Easily done! Easily done!" The two immediately understood, laughed heartily, and pocketed the treasures with an easy conscience. As they all rode the wind back, Kongheng finally showed a look of shame and murmured, "Qinghong... I failed to look after the juniors..."
Li Qinghong's heart sank, and she asked, "Who was it? What happened?"
Kongheng shook his head, lamenting in guilt, "The post I held lay in low ground and was attacked much earlier; demonic cultivators appeared as early as this morning..."
"I went forth with my fellow cultivators to meet the enemy. We fought for two full shichen, barely holding on. The grand formation beneath our feet was breached early on... All the cultivators became entangled in melee... impossible to tell apart..."
"Later, cultivators from the left and right flanks rushed to reinforce us and drove off the demonic cultivators. Only after re-establishing the formation on the walls did we take roll call... Everyone was wounded, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator fell."
He lowered his voice. "Three Embryonic Breathing cultivators of the clan perished; I have noted down their names. Among the Qi Refinement cultivators, we lost Li Chengju in the late Qi Refinement stage... I hastily gathered his remains and hurried here to reinforce you."
Li Qinghong pursed her lips upon hearing this, only asking, "Is his body intact?"
"Only the head remained... His younger brother wept until he fainted..."
Li Qinghong simply said, "I will go with you to see."
The Li Chengju brothers had been among the first children to enter Mount Qingdu to cultivate, progressing very swiftly—Li Chengju even faster than his younger brother. Li Qinghong had not seen them often, unlike Li Xijun, who had seen more of them back then.
She rode the wind back along with him and soon encountered Zhao Tinggui, who was rushing over on the city walls followed by a troop of Ning family cultivators, likewise heading east.
The man no longer possessed his former composure. Dust-covered, with blood dripping from his sword and a grim expression, he happened to cross paths with Li Qinghong. Smooth-tongued as he usually was, he could only muster a tight smile now: "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qinghong... Thanks to your clan's [Wanling Flower], my junior brother's life was saved."
Li Qinghong knew that besides the Wanling Flower, he surely possessed plenty of other life-saving treasures; he was merely paying her clan a compliment. She responded mildly, answering, "A late Qi Refinement junior of my clan has fallen. I am going to collect his remains."
These words left Zhao Tinggui at a loss. Sighing, he wiped his sword and could only say, "My condolences, Fellow Daoist!"
Li Qinghong quickly inquired, "How is the situation on the pass?"
"Not optimistic..."
At the mention of this, Zhao Tinggui's complexion darkened considerably, laying bare the anger buried deep within him. He said coldly, "The Foundation Establishment guest elders transferred from the Eastern Sea did well enough... but several Daoists raised within Qingchi actually believed the words of demonic cultivators! Seeing they couldn't defeat the enemy, they actually picked several people and handed them over to the demonic cultivators, hoping to buy peace!"
"Ridiculous! It shattered the morale of the Qi Refinement cultivators within the formation, leaving them panicked and terrified, nearly fleeing for their lives—not to mention someone who was comical enough to be ambushed while opening the formation, nearly losing his life!"
Zhao Tinggui's expression was grim as he said coldly, "And when some saw demonic cultivators... repelling them should have been enough, but greed took over, and they chased them a hundred li out! By the time they hesitated and returned, the grand formation had already been breached... How could anyone act with such sheer folly?!"
Li Qinghong merely comforted him, "Cultivators in Jiangnan grew up in peaceful times where the sects reasoned with one another. It is only natural they become muddle-headed and deceived in times of crisis; they cannot compare to the demonic cultivators of the Eastern Sea or the north... In time, they will get used to it."
Zhao Tinggui nodded, a hint of envy appearing on his face, and sighed, "Qinghong, I wonder if you have heard the news? Your elder has long since terrified the demonic cultivators out of their wits!"
***
Mount Bianyan.
White clouds and mist coiled around, damp and sticky, condensing upon the silver helmet and armor into bright, glinting reflections.
This suit of armor was silvery-gray with intricate, beautiful patterns, engraved with several dragon beasts baring their fangs and brandishing their claws as if ready to leap to life at any moment, glinting with cold light. Holding the heavy armor in hand, Li Xuanfeng stood quietly amid the clouds.
Sticky blood dripped along the edges of the silver armor. A quarter of an hour earlier, it had still coalesced into a small snake attempting to reform its body, but an instant later it had been blasted by arrow intent, scattering and dissipating into nothingness.
In the black clouds, the demonic and Buddhist cultivators stood motionless, staring at him in a daze.
Murong Wu's strength had indeed been formidable, ranking high among the Foundation Establishment cultivators Li Xuanfeng had ever slain—far stronger than Situ Chen of Tangjin Gate, a truly troublesome opponent.
When this young demonic cultivator had descended before him in armor, his demonic flames had indeed surged to the heavens. His silver armor had shone resplendently, and the long saber in his hand blazed with ferocious flames of magic power as he laughed mockingly: "Did Qingchi feed all its precious herbs to Chi Wei, that they sent out an old fossil who looks like this?"
*The brat was too careless.*
Li Xuanfeng had remained impassive. The moment he struck, he gave his foe no openings, shooting him dead by sheer force. When an unnamed Buddhist elder stepped forward to assist, Li Xuanfeng shot off his skull with five arrows as well.
Murong Wu had flown into a fury, but he had already fallen into the rhythm of Li Xuanfeng's hunt. How could he come and go as he pleased? In the end, he had been forced to admit his defeat, discarding this physical vessel.
Everyone had waited for him to reincarnate and revive within the demonic ranks, but all that fell from the sky was black liquid. Only then did they realize in horror that Murong Wu had truly perished.
*The brat was negligent and fell into my arrow intent. Both soul and flesh were annihilated—how could any spark of life remain?*
Having slain one Buddhist and one demon, and torn apart a spirit beast with his bare hands, he spoke not a single boastful word. Holding the golden bow with its broken string, he stood without a sound, watching in cold silence.
As Li Xuanfeng's gaze swept over them, the cultivators were caught in a dilemma of whether to advance or retreat. The clashes in the sky grew halfhearted; no one was willing to fall into his hands. The battlefield became eerily tense and deadlocked.
The dozen or so skirmishes across the sky had all died down. Li Xuanfeng had initially led seventeen Foundation Establishment cultivators out of the formation to intercept the enemy's reinforcements. Each of his allies was somewhat weaker than their demonic and Buddhist counterparts, yet now they fought on equal footing.
The remaining demonic cultivators who had freed their hands hid within the clouds, hesitating, unsure whether to withdraw.
*They should be retreating soon.*
Li Xuanfeng narrowed his eyes, seeing the situation clearly. Even though his bowstring was snapped and he had sustained non-trivial injuries, he stood firmly upon the clouds:
*When that Buddhist elder came to the rescue earlier, he held back his strength on purpose. After taking five of my arrows, he discarded his body and reincarnated so easily... He intentionally wanted Murong Wu dead!*
Behind him, Ning Heyuan had already finished off his opponent. This was also his first time seeing his brother-in-law in action, and unable to conceal the shock on his face, he quickly stepped to his side and whispered, "Brother-in-law... beware of being besieged..."
The steaming blood of the tiger-wolf-like spirit beast was still dripping down Li Xuanfeng's armor; its bones and carcass had already been divided among the cultivators. Li Xuanfeng gave a cold smile and said softly, "They resent and distrust each other now. How could they unite to harm me? Just wait a quarter of an hour, and they will scatter on their own."
Chapter 546