The riverbank.
On the northern bank, demonic smoke hung murky and dark. Cultivators from the north landed along the river's edge, grouping into small camps. Several major factions held their ground at different stretches along the water, their brilliance converging and sweeping down the river in a magnificent display of force.
Behind them were even more northern rogue cultivators. A single glance revealed a sky filled with streaks of light, lingering far in the rear, waiting only for the formation along the riverbank to fall so they could pour into the south.
The roiling demonic smoke came to a halt at the edge of the river. A dazzling pass hovered suspended in midair, constructed of seamlessly fitted white bricks that gleamed with crystal clarity—an imposing sight. The gate tower rose high into the sky, its two white gateposts etched with numerous patterns and mysterious shamanic incantations.
Inside the gate, radiant light shone with a hazy brilliance, as though directly facing a blazing sun. Blinding luminescence burst forth, flying into the churning black smoke and forcing the demonic cultivators to retreat.
At the very top of this pass sat a figure in golden Daoist robes. Floating before him was a palm-sized white disc carved with intricate patterns. The young man sat upright above it, watching quietly.
Beside him, another man wore a white feather robe with a spiritual fan tied at his waist. Graceful, composed, and elegant, he cradled a sword in his arms, his gaze lingering on the north as he pondered deeply.
Li Xizhi was supposed to report to Mount Bianyan, but several shichen ago the entire north had been engulfed by demonic smoke. With Mount Bianyan stranded in the midst of the smoke, he had an excuse to halt before the pass.
After all, Li Xizhi had no desire to face the flock of Chi family members on Mount Bianyan. Furthermore, directly behind this great formation lay his own family's territory; now that disturbances were brewing, he was only too eager to stay behind to defend it.
Here, he had taken the demonic cultivator's short sword and examined it closely, exchanging it for a Foundation Establishment dharma sword. Brownish-yellow from hilt to tip, it was named Xushi. Because its constituent materials were unremarkable, its quality was not particularly high, placing it at the very bottom among Foundation Establishment swords.
Only after inquiring carefully did he learn that it had actually originated from Yuanwu Peak, an early work of Tang Shejun—the Tang family member who had died after failing to break through to the Violet Palace. By now, the sword was roughly a hundred years old.
"What a coincidence..."
Back then, Li Chijing's Qingchi Sword had been forged by the Yuanwu Peak Lord of that era—who was none other than this very Tang Shejun. Seeing nothing better available after looking back and forth, Li Xizhi had ultimately chosen this dharma sword.
"What on earth is happening at Daning Palace...?"
Half a shichen ago, the demonic cultivators gathering before Li Ximing's formation had grown increasingly numerous, testing the defenses from time to time. He had simply manifested his immortal foundation and stood atop the formation.
Regardless of Li Ximing's actual combat prowess, an immortal foundation condensed from a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and a Grade Four cultivation method was terrifying enough. Coupled with Li Xizhi, who was also in the late Foundation Establishment stage, it was more than enough to deter the crowd. There were numerous ferries along the riverbank, and seeing that these two were not to be trifled with, the demonic cultivators naturally congregated elsewhere.
"It is only because the direct lineages of the northern cultivators all went to Daning Palace and have yet to show themselves that the rest are so easily bluffed... They have no stomach for a fight..."
Li Ximing was no fool; he chose his moments shrewdly. Yet even watching a great many demonic cultivators withdraw, his mood remained heavy.
He waited a short while before a female cultivator in green flew over from the distance and landed beside him. Dressed in a light emerald Daoist robe shimmering with magical light, her fair face bore suppressed fury. She paused slightly upon seeing Li Ximing.
"Greetings, Senior Lingu."
The person before them was none other than Lingu Lanying, who was likewise defending the riverbank. She had lost her mount and spiritual beast during the earlier upheaval and had only ridden the wind back in recent days to retreat to the riverbank defense. After Li Ximing and Li Xizhi exchanged greetings with her, she produced a jade talisman from her hand and handed it to Li Xizhi, murmuring, "Word has arrived from Bianyan."
Li Xizhi examined it closely, sinking his spiritual sense into it. Lingu Lanying spoke plainly: "The message from Mount Bianyan... Chi Zhiyan is acting tough and resolute, deploying more troops and claiming reinforcements will arrive shortly, commanding us to hold our ground here."
She let out a mocking laugh and continued, "Meanwhile, my family received word that although he sent men back to conscript more cultivators, he pulled all the direct lineage members back to Mount Bianyan. Clearly, he intends for us to take the brunt of the demonic cultivators' assault..."
Hearing this, Li Xizhi sighed inwardly. Chi Zhiyan had never been a magnanimous man. Although he possessed a practiced veneer and put on quite a show in ordinary times, mouthing grand and genial words, his true nature was laid bare the moment action was called for.
The order to hold their ground was what the Li family wanted to see. After all, their own Lake Wangyue lay just behind them; Li Xizhi and his kin were among those who most wanted Qingchi to stand firm and confront the demonic cultivators. Even though Chi Zhiyan acted purely out of self-interest, it ultimately aligned with the Li family's interests.
Yet the demonic cultivators were encroaching fiercely, and he was withdrawing all Qingchi direct lineages, Chi family retainers, and Chi family Qi Refinement cultivators stationed outside back to Mount Bianyan while sending out more of the various vassal families. Clearly, he did not value the lives of the clans at all, intending to squeeze out their very last drop of worth.
Li Ximing sat quietly atop the bright pass and exchanged a glance with his elder brother, understanding dawning in both their minds. Looking on with cold detachment, he remarked, "Although Mount Bianyan is on the opposite bank, stranded alone in the north, it is actually the safest place. Shrouded in heavy formations, the fiends flowing downriver part around it like water around a reef. Demonic cultivators would much rather batter our far more fragile earthen dam."
After all, the great formation on Mount Bianyan could be seen from afar with a single glance. Setting aside whether it could be breached, the fiends leading the charge would surely forfeit their lives. The river defense line, by contrast, was riddled with gaps; as long as they found a single opening to slip through, the fertile lands of Jiangnan lay just behind it.
'Chi Zhiyan gathers the direct line to Mount Bianyan, ensuring he cannot lose. Even in the worst-case scenario where the Violet Palace masters never show themselves and the Jiangnan defense lines collapse, it would merely mean northern Yue is looted bare...'
The moment this order was issued, Lingu Lanying, Li Xizhi, and even the various clans saw through it completely. The man was petty to the core. Now he had cast off his guise, and his actions spoke loud and clear:
'Across the river lie the foundations of your clans. Demonic cultivators could hardly breach Mount Qingchi, could they? If you fail to hold the line, it is your own families that will suffer!'
He fell silent for two breaths, then asked, "What does Senior think?"
Lingu Lanying's almond eyes opened slightly, and she answered, "We have already sent someone back to the sect to report to the Sect Master. With Chi Zhiyan acting like this, how can this riverbank possibly hold?!"
Li Xizhi shook his head slightly and said softly, "It is too late. Besides, the disciples of the suzerain sect are adept at self-preservation; how could they fight with all their might alongside us? Even if they came to the formation, they would merely stand by and watch."
He phrased it tactfully, yet the meaning was plain. The Chi family scions held themselves in such high esteem; even if dispatched here, would they truly obey the orders of Li Xizhi and the others? Pausing for two breaths, Li Xizhi added another reminder: "If they truly were sent over, I fear the young masters would make additional demands, making matters even harder to manage."
"This..."
Li Xizhi's words served as a wake-up call to Lingu Lanying. If members of the Chi family truly arrived to defend the formation, wresting command authority would be the least of their worries; what was truly terrifying was that at the slightest sign of trouble, they might demand to be escorted away. What would they do then?
After this brief exchange, the female cultivator took a second look at the young man, her voice softening: "At least they would be an extra measure of strength... Sigh! What on earth is happening at Daning Palace? This hardly looks like the north and south have completely dropped all pretenses... This place is full of vulnerabilities. Holding it for a short time is possible, but we cannot hold it for days or months... Why hasn't the True Master uttered a single word?!"
Li Xizhi picked up where she left off and consoled her: "The True Master has not responded, perhaps because he is locked in combat with demonic cultivators. Six shichen have passed by now. Although battles between Violet Palace masters take time, they do not stretch on for months. If we hold out long enough, there may yet be a turn for the better."
Lingu Lanying fell silent. She knew that behind the formation lay Lake Wangyue, so the Li family would naturally be far more anxious about the situation. Her Lingu family, on the other hand, resided deep in the south and was unlikely to be affected.
Lingu Lanying's urgency stemmed mostly from concern for the Lingu clan members within the formation and the common folk of the commanderies should the formation fall, which was far less pressing than the Li family's stakes. Calming herself, she murmured, "Along the river, aside from the various clans, there is also the Xiao family, an immortal clan with a Violet Palace master. What if True Master Chuting intervenes...?"
Though she said this, in her heart she knew the hope was faint. Sure enough, she saw Li Xizhi shake his head: "The Xiao family has sealed its mountain for years. The True Master made his stance of non-involvement clear long ago, and he departed for the North Sea early on. The demonic cultivators are no fools; they won't touch a speck of the Xiao family's territory."
Although he put it that way, they all shared the same unspoken answer in their hearts:
*Years ago during the massacre of Lixia Commandery, Xiao Chuting refused to act even when the Xiao family's own territory was being slaughtered. Today, with no telling how many schemes are at play between north and south, how could a man as cold, rational, and meticulous as he ever be willing to intervene?*
Neither dared utter those words aloud. Lingu Lanying merely nodded and replied, "Then I will return to the formation to stand guard."
As she rode the wind away, Li Ximing finally spoke, his voice lowered: "Brother... could the Violet Palace truly be willing to bury the various clans here and let the northern cultivators sweep south...? But Qingchi itself would suffer grievous damage from this... Why would they do such a thing...?"
"Hard to say," Li Xizhi replied, asking, "Has there been any word from home?"
"Not yet."
Li Ximing channeled a secret technique, transmitting his voice: "However, Zhou Wei reached the seventh tier of Qi Refinement a few days ago. He took the Three Completes Realm-Breaking Pill and the talisman pill with him on this journey. With both combined, he might soon have an opportunity to establish his foundation."
"Foundation Establishment... and he is not even twenty years old... Even if he secludes himself for five years, he would still only be twenty-five..."
Li Xizhi frowned slightly. Circulating his secret technique, he murmured, "It is almost too fast, approaching the cultivation speed of True Master Junjian. Zhou Wei is gifted with extraordinary talent and could have built up a deeper foundation, but upheavals are multiplying, leaving no room for a gradual pace."
Li Ximing sat quietly atop Minghuang Pass, his voice soft as he whispered, "Perhaps not necessarily. People of his caliber cannot be judged by conventional wisdom. For him, riding the momentum of the times is far more vital than patient polishing. If he reaches Foundation Establishment, what difference would an extra spell or two make? How many high-grade Mingyang spells could our family even provide for him to practice before Foundation Establishment?"
Li Xizhi was taken aback. Glancing sideways at Li Ximing, he nodded in agreement: "Brother Ming has a point."
"In any case, we must first survive the trial before us."
Li Ximing gazed ahead, his dharmic light shining. Torrential rain poured between heaven and earth, yet before it could land on his bright pass, it evaporated with sharp sizzling hisses.
Demonic smoke surged forward at high speed. Countless tentacle-like streaks of fleeing light shot out from within it, trailing billowing plumes of black cloud. Five rays of brilliance darted close by, hurtling straight into the formation beneath the pair's feet.
Behind these demonic cultivators were swarms of northern cultivators like locusts, descending upon the front of the formation. Li Ximing activated his immortal foundation, casually picked two of them, and smashed it downward.
Rumble!
Dazzling light surged forth from the great pass. Minghuang Pass was supreme at grinding and suppressing, and inherently countered demonic cultivators. Glaring brilliance flowed from it, immediately prompting the two trapped cultivators to curse vehemently as they summoned dharma artifacts in defense.
"Ugh...!"
The bodies of the two sank under the crushing weight. Their curses were cut in half and muffled into stifled grunts. Both were only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment; how could they endure such a blow from the immortal foundation unleashed by Li Ximing, who was in the late stage? One of them immediately shouted in fury:
"You behind us! This person's immortal foundation is bizarre, like a physical artifact... Someone hurry and lend a hand!"
Beside him, Li Xizhi drew his sword. Scanning the five, he picked the one with the highest cultivation—an old devil in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. With a thought, his figure vanished. A golden rosy glow skipped across the air several times before he materialized directly behind the cultivator, lashing out with a sleeve of rosy radiance.
*Golden Fall in the Clouds!*
The demonic cultivator was frightened out of his wits and drew the long saber at his waist. Caught off guard, however, he had no time to unleash his saber qi before Li Xizhi formed another hand seal. Stepping forward, Li Xizhi split into several rainbow shadow clones, each forming seals and chanting incantations.
Caught unprepared, the old devil struggled while Li Xizhi still had the leisure to observe his reactions, growing somewhat curious at his demeanor. All six figures drew their swords at once, sweeping up crescent-shaped arcs of white sword light.
This was the first time Li Xizhi had a Foundation Establishment dharma sword at his disposal. With Xushi in hand, his sword light gained an extra half-measure of power, whipping up a sharp radiance.
Only now did the old devil find an opening to flash a chilling saber light, yet it was shattered into pieces by the sword light. Blood sprayed from his body as he let out a miserable shriek, reappearing several zhang away, frantically forming hand seals without daring to pause for a breath.
Seeing that this man had a shallow heritage, Li Xizhi merely stirred a streak of rainbow light, tugging and weaving it through the clouds. The spiritual energy was thrown into instant disarray, effortlessly snuffing out the man's spell, and Li Xizhi stepped forward with leisurely composure.
Unable to hold out any longer, the old devil bellowed, "Hurry and back me up!"
At his cry, a gust of demonic wind circled back beneath him, revealing a female cultivator in the middle Foundation Establishment stage. She also held a sword, thrusting sword light toward Li Xizhi.
The female cultivator appeared to possess a Wood Virtue immortal foundation, rare in the State of Yue. Each swing of her blade brought forth a surge of wood spiritual qi. Li Xizhi's expression finally turned slightly solemn; circulating his immortal foundation, multicolored rosy clouds flowed from his person.
He pinched two fingers together, rosy light blooming at his fingertips. With a casual pinch into the fierce gush of sword qi and a sweep of light from his sleeve as his hand returned, the female cultivator's spiritual sword was already in his grasp—it was merely of the Qi Refinement rank.
*Floating Light Item Picking!*
The northern cultivator froze in sheer astonishment, disbelief written all over her face:
*There is actually a spell like this?!*
Li Xizhi felt even stranger inside. He had never had the experience of so casually leaving an enemy at a complete loss, and he could not help feeling a pang of wry amusement.
Ever since ending his seclusion, the foes he had faced were either the first breath of cloud qi exhaled by the Dragon Sovereign, a prince of the Great Liang's Tuoba clan, or at the very least formidable old devils like Di Fu of Chimen with immense foundations and shadowy backing.
Facing such opponents had always been grueling work, to the point that he had nearly forgotten he was a Qingchi peak lord himself. Now, truly facing these northern Foundation Establishment cultivators who lacked Daoist lineages and had scraped their way up through luck and bloody slaughter, the contrast was jarring indeed.
The two before him, however, were on edge as if confronting their greatest nemesis. Even though the last two exchanges could hardly be called life-and-death struggles, being toyed with in the palm of his hand was proof enough of this man's formidable strength... They urgently conferred through secret messages:
"This person before us is probably surnamed Chi! A seasoned old fiend—not someone to mess with. We should quickly call over a few more men..."
Chapter 601