A chill ran through Li Qinghong's heart as she listened. Pressing her lips together, she asked softly using her magical power, "Yet the high sect still has Master Suiguan, who is said to be a supreme cultivator of the highest order. I wonder if he is within the realm… If the demonic cultivators push south, he ought to intervene and hold them off."
"Suiguan…"
Master Suiguan was a peak Purple Palace cultivator who had emerged from the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven, said to possess terrifying strength. Kong Tingyun clearly knew of him. Hearing this, she paused, stowed the miniature golden mountain in her hand, and used a secret voice transmission technique, her expression turning somber. "My master consulted Penglai. If the True Monarch has ventured into the heavens beyond, Suiguan must remain in the Qingchi Heaven. He will not dare enter the mortal realm, let alone step foot into Jiangnan!"
Li Qinghong slowly raised her head, her almond eyes meeting the woman's. Kong Tingyun hesitated for a moment before saying in a hushed tone, "The divine abilities of a True Monarch are impossible to fathom, but Penglai is not necessarily inferior. The various Masters must understand this as well, which is why they devised this plan."
Li Qinghong pieced together the causes and consequences and finally understood. After a moment of silence, she replied softly, "Thank you, Elder Sister. But Lake Wangyue lies right on the riverbank, and Qinghong must return. Even if the riverbank cannot be held, I must return to defend our lake. There is no reason for me to abandon my clan and seek refuge in the sect alone."
Kong Tingyun responded gently and softly, showing no surprise. Sighing faintly in her heart, she said in a soothing voice, "Since that is your decision, I will also pass along a message from my Master. Perhaps it will be of some help to you, Sister."
The round-faced woman in the light yellow dress leaned close to Li Qinghong's ear, exposing as little magical power to the spiritual currents of the air as possible, and said warmly, "'To have the waters flood the crops and cause a hundred years of famine is gratifying enough, but to have the river back up and submerge the courtyard steps is far more satisfying.'"
Li Qinghong listened intently, and only then did Kong Tingyun add, "Daning Palace will descend back into reality in half a shichen. From here, it is no more than a thousand li away. If you travel by lightning, you can certainly make it… I will delay you no further, Sister. Please take care of yourself."
*Half a shichen!*
Offering a slight bow, Kong Tingyun transformed once more into a streak of golden light, soaring into the air toward the east to return to the territory of the Xuanyue Gate. Li Qinghong silently summoned her lightning and flew westward.
*She said Daning Palace will descend back into reality in half a shichen…*
Li Qinghong calculated rapidly in her mind. What Kong Tingyun meant by making it in time was likely that Li Xuanfeng and the others were still inside Daning Palace or something similar. As long as they could hold out for half a shichen, the situation would surely turn around.
Even if Yuanxiu remained trapped and unable to emerge, at least Li Xuanfeng, Lingu Rao, and the others would be able to arrive!
*Judging from her tone, this southward march of the demonic cultivators is a consensus among several Purple Palace figures. In that case, the formations along the riverbank are bound to fall; it is merely a matter of how long they can hold!*
Now that she knew the entire situation had turned against the Qingchi Sect, the outcome was not something a few individuals could sway. Li Qinghong no longer harbored any hope of holding the riverbank; her only hope was to protect her own family.
*Once half a shichen has passed and Second Uncle emerges from Daning Palace, with his resounding reputation among the demonic cultivators and the combined strength of our clan, defending Lake Wangyue and forcing the southward-marching demons to change their route should not be an issue…*
Li Qinghong tightened her grip on her spear. Brilliant purple lightning continually danced through her black hair, and the six silver-white Six Thunder Xuan Punishment Tokens on her body radiated dazzling light. Blazing thunder poured into them, threatening to erupt at any moment.
She plunged into the wilderness. Hazy purple lightning threaded through a patch of black clouds, stirring up waves of faint rumbles. The Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing demonic cultivators on the ground below scrambled to get out of the way, none daring to lift their heads.
After flying for several li, she discovered that streaks of light signaling for help dotted the riverbank everywhere. Several Foundation Establishment cultivators streaked past her in great haste, seemingly mobilized from markets in various regions to reinforce the defensive line ahead as quickly as possible.
Li Qinghong paused for a fraction of a breath, purple light swirling in her eyes. Locating the area where the demonic smoke was thickest and most rampant, she arrived in a flash atop her lightning.
The moment the purple light halted, she was greeted by roiling black clouds encircling a brownish grand formation. Leaving aside the Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing cultivators below, several Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators were joining forces in midair, directing all manner of magical artifacts downward in a ferocious bombardment.
The formation was already teetering on the verge of collapse, creaking under the weight of a massive black demonic hammer conjured jointly by the cultivators.
Without hesitation, Li Qinghong pointed her spear diagonally with one hand while forming an incantation gesture with her free, slender fingers. Bright thunder converged at her fingertips, and the long-impatient silver tokens gathered before her into a hexagonal array.
"Yang peaks and exhales, thus birthing the six thunders!"
The six silver tokens whirled and converged. Explosive thunder leaped from them, bridging a distance of several li in an instant, trailing a streak of silver-white radiance through the air as it plunged from the sky directly into the midst of the six demonic cultivators.
*Boom!*
A furious roar of thunder rolled forth. How could these demonic cultivators have anticipated that a strike of devastating lightning would suddenly drop upon their heads out of nowhere? Caught entirely off guard, their spells shattered one after another, and they cried out in agony as black smoke billowed from their bodies.
A cloud of black smoke exploded from their center. Silver-white lightning clung to their magical artifacts, knocking them from the air, and surged along the links of magical power to strike their bodies. Ripples of silver light washed over them, sending violent tremors through their forms.
*Clang!*
Li Qinghong did not linger. Thrusting her spear forward, a bolt of purple thunder detonated, spanning several li in the blink of an eye. Purple light layered thickly in her eyes, and the lightning beneath her feet shone with intense violet radiance.
*Hm?*
With a swift glance, Li Qinghong noticed that one of them was already injured. Decisive and sharp, she unleashed a spear thrust like lightning that transformed into dense phantoms of purple sparrows, piercing straight through that demonic cultivator and bursting into a spray of purple electricity.
"Ah!"
This strike had been long-prepared by Li Qinghong as she tore through the air. The demonic cultivators had already been shaken to the core by the Six Thunder Xuan Punishment Tokens, coughing up blood—how could any of them react in time?
The man had time only for a single wail of despair before the surging electricity instantly incinerated his eyes, erupting from his eye sockets, ears, and mouth. The next instant, purple thunder blasted from every corner of his body from head to toe.
*Rumble!*
He had already been wounded, and his physical body had only just been seized from a few Qi Refinement cultivators. Under the thunder's fury, it was torn to shreds in an instant. A dark, pitch-black bead leaped forth; abandoning everything else, it fled northward at top speed without looking back.
Only at this moment did the surrounding demonic cultivators register what had happened, their hearts filled with shock and terror.
"A lightning cultivator!"
One of the older demonic cultivators was widely experienced and cried out in sheer panic, silver lightning still coiling around him and scorching his magical power until it crackled. He muttered, "Ordained as heavenly punishment, the Xuan Thunder that counters demonic cultivators most…"
Li Qinghong was clad in a cyan-and-white feathered robe, purple lightning dancing ceaselessly about her as her black hair fluttered. Though her almond eyes were striking, they were filled with chilling resolve. Pivoting her spear, the incantation gestures of her other slender hand never ceased.
The six Xuan Punishment Tokens snapped tightly together in the air, rippling with silver lightning that left the demonic cultivators trembling in helpless dread. Her melodious voice echoed through the sky.
"Mao enters the Chen Palace, ordaining the Xuan Punishment."
*Rumble!*
The fleeing black bead had traveled barely two li when a bolt of silver lightning plunged from above. With a thunderous blast, it struck the bead dead-on. A piercing, heart-wrenching shriek rippled across the sky; the cultivator had almost certainly been reduced to ash.
Her gaze never lingered on the north for even a moment. The purple electricity on her spear shifted, and before she could even speak, the remaining five demonic cultivators leaped back as if they had seen a ghost, each invoking their life-saving movement techniques and fleeing northward in a mad dash.
*Rumble!*
Only after these men fled north into the clouds did the dull roll of thunder finally catch up. Li Qinghong turned her spear around, coming face to face with a youth who had emerged from the formation to support her.
The youth who had stepped out was dressed in brown robes and looked somewhat familiar, seemingly a member of the Lingu clan. Seeing that the demonic cultivators had already routed and fled before he could even reach them, he stood frozen in bewildered surprise, stammering, "Senior…"
Killing one demonic cultivator in front of five others with such lightning-fast ferocity had caused slight turbulence in Li Qinghong's internal magical power. Pausing briefly to steady her magical power, she released her hand seal, and the six Xuan Punishment Tokens flew back to her.
"If you cannot hold out, call for aid again!"
Li Qinghong answered crisply. She made no attempt to pursue the fleeing demonic cultivators, instead summoning her lightning once more, racing forward like a shooting star toward the next crossing. Behind her, she left the cultivators within the formation looking completely stunned, their expressions a complicated mix of awe and embarrassment.
"Was that… Li Qinghong, the lightning cultivator from the Li clan?"
The youth let out a slow breath. Several cultivators rode the wind out alongside him, sharing looks of relief. The demonic smoke ahead began to gather again, but the pressure was far less daunting than before.
***
The western riverbank.
The river surged past, while the formation beneath their feet glowed brightly, restraining the magical winds in the air and preventing them from crossing the riverbank. Demonic smoke surging south was forced to come to a halt here, resulting in fierce fighting along the water's edge.
Li Xizhi raised a rainbow glow in his hand, shattering an incoming spell. Looking down, he saw the swarming demonic cultivators split apart by the grand formation. Most were intercepted, yet quite a few were searching left and right, attempting to bypass the perimeter.
The Qingchi Sect's formations were not originally designed to plug every gap and trap demonic cultivators here. They had been laid out by Purple Palace figures as moves on a chessboard, emphasizing defense rather than absolute containment—after all, in ordinary times, it was assumed that the Purple Palace masters would trade moves and balance each other out.
Now, however, the situation had completely changed. With demonic cultivators swarming in all at once, the formation fell far short. Held outside the barrier, most of the demonic cultivators were greedy for the treasures within; emboldened by their numbers, they hurled spells against the formation rather than rushing to bypass it. Still, not a few took alternative routes, slipping through the gaps between formations.
These were mostly Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing cultivators, so Li Xizhi paid them no mind. Fighting four opponents at once, he held back the Foundation Establishment cultivators attempting to fly across, even finding the leisure to check on the situation below.
The sword Xushi in his hand gleamed with fluctuating light, parrying away a flying magical artifact. Just then, another figure rode the wind and came to a halt nearby, brandishing a massive hammer in each hand, radiating fierce malevolence.
*It can hardly be said that I am holding them back now; rather, these demonic cultivators covet the treasures and techniques on me and are actively surrounding me…*
As the thought crossed his mind, the golden haze of Golden Fall in the Clouds flickered several times through the air. Sweeping his sleeve to cast off a trail of rosy light, his figure re-manifested outside their encirclement.
Though he was fighting five opponents alone and the strain was growing, he remained calm. Disciples of great sects were not something these people could compare to, and the golden haze belonged to a lineage well-versed in movement arts and evasion. If he truly could not win, he could simply ride his light away, keeping his life completely safe.
On the other hand, Li Ximing was driving the Ming Pass nearby, suppressing four demonic cultivators beneath it, his expression already showing signs of exhaustion. Li Xizhi possessed far more combat experience than him and frowned at the sight.
*He doesn't know any advanced movement techniques, and his spells are the manifestation of his immortal foundation. If he gets injured, it will be no small matter… If he cannot hold out, a disaster will follow.*
As this thought flashed through his mind, the female cultivator cultivating Wood Virtue before him thrust forward with another flying sword. Li Xizhi was proficient in sword arts as well, and this woman's swordsmanship was truly mediocre. Pinching two fingers together, he snatched the flying sword into his grasp once more, deflecting and parrying it, and casually swept away a spell from another demonic cultivator in the process.
"You!"
Furious and frightened, the woman retreated several steps and reached into the storage bag at her waist, only to find she had nothing left but Embryonic Breathing-grade swords. Unable to save face, she could only mutter, "You truly are of the demonic path! Knowing nothing but underhanded tricks…"
Yet she feared Li Xizhi and dared not speak loudly. The mutter died halfway through her lips. Li Xizhi paid her no heed, taking a moment to glance at her.
Her aura was surprisingly clear and pure, showing no resemblance to a demonic cultivator. Looking at the two beside her, while their auras bore some stains, they were actually lighter than those of ordinary Jiangnan cultivators. Only the remaining two radiated surging blood light, looking thoroughly vile at a single glance.
A thought stirred within him.
*The north and south call each other demons, yet in the end, the boundary is never distinct… As long as they tread the path of Purple Palace and Golden Core, whether one is demonic or not, light or heavy, depends entirely on one's own cultivation…*
Even as these thoughts crossed his mind, the spells from his hands showed no mercy. He made no distinction based on whether his opponents' magical power was pure or turbid, aiming every strike to kill. These cultivators were at most at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, and his onslaught immediately forced them to tread cautiously.
On the other side, sweat beaded on Li Ximing's forehead. Channeling the Huangyuan Pass with all his might, he released dazzling streams of light. The scorching, brilliant light within the pass burned the air clear and silent, trapping the magical artifacts of four cultivators inside and forcibly pinning them down.
At the same time, he had to fend off incoming spells. When he finally found a momentary respite to survey his surroundings, his heart sank halfway into his chest.
*Brother Zhi's side has even more demonic cultivators than mine… and demonic smoke in the distance is still rolling in continuously! How can this possibly be held?*
*Brother Zhi and I are hardly weak among Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet holding our ground here puts us under such immense pressure. What must it be like elsewhere?*
He understood that the riverbank was doomed to fall sooner or later. Yet by pinning down four opponents, he had also pinned himself to this spot. When the formation broke, how would he be able to extract himself easily? Anxious dread began to creep over him.
After waiting for a short while, Li Ximing suddenly saw waves of purple thunder illuminate the east, drawing closer from afar, while the jade talisman at his waist grew warm. Overjoyed, he pushed his immortal foundation to greater heights, the radiant light blazing even brighter to lock his foes down firmly.
*Rumble!*
Counting several breaths, he watched as purple thunder tore through the sky and arrived. A woman with drifting black hair held a spear in one hand, six silver-white Xuan Punishment Tokens circling and flashing about her, the cyan-and-white plumage on her robe shimmering with specks of purple light.
Heavy rain continued to pour, but the grayish-black droplets that drew near her were seized by origin magnetic force, condensing into round little gray beads that rotated quietly around her. Her striking, violet-misted eyes looked toward them, and her melodious voice rang out:
"Yang peaks and exhales, thus birthing the six thunders!"
Silver-white lightning was reflected in Li Ximing's eyes, crackling as it fell from the sky. Beneath the stunned, frantic gazes of the demonic cultivators, Li Ximing let out a breath of profound relief.
"Aunt!"
Chapter 603