Refined

The Wilderness. Torrential rain poured down. Heavy, layered dark clouds from Jiangbei drifted southward with the wind, stirring up vast, cascading torrents of water like waterfalls across this barren, hilly expanse. Low buildings on the ground quickly vanished amid the downpour. Ant-like figures of people struggled briefly in the surging torrents before disappearing even faster. In the sky above, streaks of flashing escape lights ignited, hurtling forward in haste. The leader was clad in a black robe. His demeanor was savage and fierce, his eyes brimming with sinister qi. Riding wisps of dark mist, he came to a halt by the shore, his face exceedingly grim. A pack of black-robed cultivators followed closely on his heels. At his waist hung the Guiming Dark Medallion, radiating a hazy, dazzling luster. He swept a heavy glance around, then raised the Guiming Dark Medallion and chanted several incantations, his eyes suddenly lighting up. The cultivators behind him called out: "Hall Master! We have already reached the Wilderness. If we pursue any further south, we'll reach Qingchi!" With the cultivators on either side saying this, the demonic cultivator's expression darkened even further. Shaking the medallion in his hand, his face sullen, he replied: "There are no escape lights to the south. That person could never fly so fast. According to the Guiming Dark Medallion, he must have fallen into the Wilderness. Search! The Guiming Dark Medallion can trace his position every moment—we must not let him escape!" The cultivators scattered at once, while the man addressed as Hall Master held the medallion, scanning the earth with a sinister gaze. Commotion rose below, followed shortly by sounds of argument. A woman rode the wind upward, arriving before him. Holding a gray ring in hand, the woman possessed a fair measure of beauty, catching the man's eye. She spoke in a gentle voice: "So it is Hall Master Bai. I am Miaoshui. May I ask what business has troubled Your Venerability to come to our Wilderness?" Daoist Bai glanced at her. Seeing that his subordinates below were blocked by a mere two Early Foundation Establishment cultivators, he knew their background was no small matter. Suppressing his displeasure, he raised an eyebrow and asked: "The Wilderness is an ownerless land. Who is your master?" Had Daoist Bai not stumbled upon good fortune, an East Sea rogue cultivator like him would have been inferior even to Miaoshui, having to treat her with utmost deference upon meeting. Yet now he could put on the airs of a master. Miaoshui could only grit her teeth and say in a low voice: "Although the Wilderness has no owner, the clans great and small bordering Lake Wangyue are all branches of our Lake Wangyue. By both reason and custom, they receive my clan's protection." "Lake Wangyue?" Daoist Bai hesitated internally, then spoke aloud: "A few days ago, an elder of your noble clan was also attacked. Now that a major incident has occurred at Bai River, it may well be the same culprits. Let us search together." Without waiting for Miaoshui's consent, he gave a slight wave of his hand, and the cultivators on either side rapidly fanned out into the surroundings. Miaoshui's face changed drastically, and she snapped: "What is the meaning of this, Hall Master Bai?" Daoist Bai's subordinates were a pack of demonic cultivators; you couldn't find a single normal person among ten of them. How could she let such people run wild in the Wilderness? But Miaoshui and her companions were outnumbered. She could only crush a jade talisman and say coldly: "Hall Master Bai had better think carefully. Many cultivators from our clan are right on the river and can arrive in less than a few moments. If this sparks a war between our two houses, it will not end well!" 'Cui Jueyin and Ding Weizeng are both locked in combat against Duxian Dao—how could they rush back? We galloped all the way here, so the cultivators on both riverbanks must know. If they leave, could Duxian Dao simply sit by and watch?' Making excuses, he parried with a few hollow words, only to see Lihuo blaze across the western sky. Several dazzling streaks of radiance arrived one after another, their silhouettes materializing amid the clouds. The man at the front had golden eyes and a completely expressionless face. He asked coldly: "Hall Master Bai... what is the meaning of this?" Behind him, Chen Yang wore a grim expression, while the slightly later arrivals, Li Minggong and Qu Bushi, stood low-key amid the clouds. Seeing Li Jiangqian, Daoist Bai grew all the more displeased, though his expression shifted to a smile as he said: "Patriarch Li, someone killed a protector of my Huaihun Palace and fled to the Wilderness. We are merely here to conduct a search..." Li Jiangqian swept his eyes over the riffraff beneath him and remarked offhandedly: "Then you have dithered too long. How fast does a Foundation Establishment cultivator fly? By now, anyone who wanted to leave has already left. What need is there to search? Could it be that the Hall Master is using the capture of a fugitive as a pretext to harbor crooked designs?" At these blunt, impolite words, Daoist Bai's expression turned frigid. The old demonic cultivator actually looked down on Li Jiangqian, cursing resentfully in his heart: 'I have inherited a Violet Palace Dao lineage and am destined to reach the Violet Palace. On Lake Wangyue, only Li Zhouwei has the certainty of reaching the Violet Palace and counts as my equal. What gives a junior like you, Li Jiangqian, the right to put on a cold face before me? Ignorant of good and bad!' After years of arrogant bluster, he had concocted his own set of theories, practically equating his status to that of a Violet Palace master already. Dark-faced, little did he expect that beside Li Jiangqian, Chen Yang's hand rested on the sword at his waist, his eyes ruthless, his thoughts surprisingly similar: 'Dog of a wretch. Stumbled into a bit of luck and got pushed forward as a scapegoat, yet dares oppose my clan...' Li Jiangqian would never allow Daoist Bai to do as he pleased in the Wilderness. Refusing to yield an inch, he gazed at him calmly. Just as the atmosphere grew thick with drawn swords and bended bows, a flock of cultivators flew in from the east. Dressed in golden garments, the man leading them beamed with smiles and called out directly: "Hall Master Bai, what brings you to grace the Wilderness with your presence!" Daoist Bai was actually somewhat familiar with this man, and smiled: "Ah, it is Daoist Tian of Xuanmu. We are here searching for someone... That man killed my people and was heavily wounded; he could not have gone far and must have fallen right here. I ask you all to yield a step... He snatched something of mine and was struck by a spell when killing my man; my people will be able to locate him once we draw close!" "Very well, very well." The cultivator of the Xuanmu Dao lineage agreed right away and let them pass down. Huaihun Palace was short on everything except swarms of demonic cultivators beneath them—they had more than enough. One or two led the way down. The Xuanmu Dao lineage had been demonic in its early years, and its internal affairs remained a chaotic mess. Matters regarding the True Monarch naturally would not be disclosed to low-level cultivators. Li Jiangqian took a glance and, sure enough, saw none of the Dai family's direct line, knowing these were all minor figures. With Master Zhugong heading north, who knew how tense things were inside Muquan Gate? Yet just as Daoist Tian agreed, a burly man wearing a golden mask beside him spoke in a deep voice: "Daoist, Huaihun Palace has numerous demonic cultivators. If left unchecked, I fear they will harm the common folk of the Wilderness." This remark put Daoist Tian in an awkward spot. Cold light flashed in his eyes, and he said with a smile: "Since Fellow Daoist Fuyuezi has such a compassionate heart, why not go down together with them?" Fuyuezi was clearly not faring well under Muquan Gate, but being a straightforward man, when told to go, he actually descended. Qu Bushi recognized him and showed resentment, while Li Jiangqian frowned as he watched the two sides play along, a premonition growing in his heart. Having exchanged those words, Daoist Bai saw that Li Jiangqian remained unmoved. Sure enough, he raised the medallion in his hand and performed a brief calculation. A look of anxiety appeared on his face. Turning his head toward Li Jiangqian, he said in a low voice: "Patriarch Li! I shall not beat around the bush with you any longer. What that man snatched is of utmost importance to my Mifan Dao lineage. I ask Wangyue to grant me some face. If any casualties occur afterward and a few lives are lost, my house will simply compensate you with as many people!" In the mouths of these overseas demonic cultivators, human lives were nothing more than countable resources. Understanding grew in Li Jiangqian's heart. Standing in the air, he smiled: "Hall Master, go back to wherever you came from! I regret that I cannot let you pass." No matter how Huaihun Palace threw its weight around, it was certainly no favorable party in the eyes of the True Monarch. And for someone to escape from Huaihun Palace's clutches, that unknown figure possessed immense value. Even if that figure were no good sort, retreating from the east bank just to avoid offending Huaihun Palace would have an extremely detrimental impact on the Li family's reputation and the overall situation. 'They have pressed right to our doorstep; I cannot possibly stand aside.' When Li Jiangqian finished speaking, Daoist Bai seemed to have anticipated it, his eyes darkening heavily. In Daoist Bai's eyes, the Li family was currently hollow within, with all their capable subordinates having gone north. As long as he held off the three to five people before him and rushed into the Wilderness at top speed, the Li clan would be unable to stop them. Moreover, the Wilderness was home only to vassal clans of the Li family, not the Lis' own Lake Wangyue. Did Li Jiangqian really need to antagonize a future Violet Palace master like him over a handful of mortals? Acting like Muquan Gate was the normal course! The black-robed old man thus feigned politeness, pressing: "The Patriarch should reconsider! I fear I must ask your noble clan for guidance and have a spar with our palace." With an order from him, a burly man with a hulking build and bulging eyes stepped forward aggressively, reeking of blood and filth, though he hardly looked very intimidating. While Daoist Bai felt confident, the golden-eyed man before him laughed heartily and replied: "Since the Hall Master has said so, please wait a moment!" He stepped forward, rummaged through his storage bag, pulled out a golden hammer, and held it up for the two to see. "This..." Daoist Bai stared blankly, never imagining that Li Jiangqian would suddenly erupt. Reversing the golden hammer, he swung it forward. Surging apricot-yellow Lihuo trailed closely behind, smashing toward the burly man's face like lightning. Li Jiangqian laughed: "What rubbish!" Boom! The burly man had no time to react before the hammer struck him square on the chin. The spray of blood visible to the naked eye was instantly incinerated into black smoke by Lihuo. Boundless apricot-yellow flames cascaded down in an instant, blazing brilliantly through the pouring rain. "Aaaargh..." A shrieking roar of agony pierced the night sky. With Lihuo washing all over his body, the burly man was sent flying high into the air by the hammer blow. Only mid-air did he manage to arrest his fall, frantically scrambling to put out the flames. "Li Jiangqian! Have you gone mad?!" Daoist Bai never dreamed that Li Jiangqian would be beaming with smiles one moment and swinging a hammer the next, without even an instant to change his expression! What was more, as the esteemed patriarch of an immortal clan, blessed with noble blood and possessing a cultivation only at Early Foundation Establishment, even if a fight broke out he should have retreated early and let his subordinates protect him. Yet he dared to strike first! Fury surged in his heart. Just as he raised his hand, another hammer struck toward him. Apricot-yellow Lihuo spilled down, setting his yin qi boiling while his Dharma sword still hung at his waist, unpulled. Yet closely following was true fire fluttering like feathers. Li Minggong was watching most closely, reacting even faster than Chen Yang. The cultivators below erupted in an uproar, and those of Muquan Gate were dumbfounded: 'Th-they're fighting already? Li Zhouwei isn't here, and Lake Wangyue already has its hands full opposing Duxian Dao—are they going to take on Huaihun Palace as well?' But there was no time for them to ponder. The moment Li Jiangqian swung his second hammer blow, he transformed into flame and retreated. Daoist Bai burned with rage, yet was pressed breathless by the barrage of true fire. In his heart, he recited: "[Huaiyin Secret Art]!" A swathe of dark green light welled out from him. Li Minggong merely furrowed her brows, raised the Hexagonal Red Flame Lamp before her, pursed her red lips, and exhaled a sheet of true fire aided by the might of this magical artifact. She had mastered Tujun Gate's Miaotai Art Transformation. This mouthful of flame, exhaled with the aid of Pure Feather Lihuo and the magical artifact, possessed astonishing power. Daoist Bai's "Huaiyin Ghost" was neither very formidable nor of high grade, not to mention being directly countered by her true fire. The dark green brilliance was reduced to ash and smoke in an instant, and Daoist Bai was suppressed until his face flushed crimson. Before a full-scale melee could even begin, the demonic cultivators had just gathered around, only to choke in shock at this sight. 'Huh?' 'We never heard that this Li Minggong was so powerful...' As Hall Master of Huaihun Palace, claiming to be the orthodox heir of the Mifan Dao lineage, Daoist Bai had shaken the heavens with his might and behaved with overbearing arrogance in recent days. To be pressed into immobility by a single sheet of Li Minggong's flames was an absolute disgrace... Even Daoist Bai himself flushed red, bewildered. When he attacked Tangjin, Situ Biao had had little lifespan left and no remarkable magical artifacts; Daoist Bai had not even needed to make a move—a mob of demonic cultivators simply swarmed Situ Biao and beat him to death... Now, suddenly facing a true direct scion of an immortal clan, his Huaiyin scorched by true fire, his amateurish tricks were laid bare without concealment. He felt only that the woman's flames were extraordinarily fierce, leaving him straining to his limits. Witnessing this display, not only was the crowd stunned, but even Li Minggong hesitated: 'Is this fellow so frail? I had better not wound or kill him... If they're short a man up north, it might ruin someone else's plans.' Furious and exasperated, Daoist Bai hurriedly raised the Guiming Dark Medallion and unleashed its radiance. At once, a man clad in heavy armor, with an iron-blue face and ferocious features, manifested relying on this artifact and pounced toward the fire. This man was aggressive and fierce, his sparse hair grizzled, carrying Gengjin qi intermingled with chilling yin qi, possessing quite an intimidating air. Li Minggong had happened to rein in her strength, allowing him to pierce through the flames and pounce forward. She flicked her sleeve to block, checking him with raging true fire. Staring intently at his face, her expression turned complicated: 'Situ Biao...' This old man was Situ Biao, the Late Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Situ family who had covered everyone's retreat. He was also the current sect master of Tangjin Gate. After having his spirit artifacts and talismans confiscated by Real Person Tianhuo, he had fled in disarray. To see him again today, he had been turned into another's magical artifact... 'With his status and Tangjin Gate's awkward standing today, he surely could not have escaped even if he wanted to, leaving him no choice but to be sacrificed obediently...' Daoist Bai had not come to duel, however. Forcing down the rage flooding his heart, he rode the wind and seized the chance to dive below. But scarcely had he plunged forward a short distance when blinding light blazed before his eyes, and a figure emerged. This man had a swallow jaw and tiger whiskers, an athletic build, and wore red armor glowing like fire. In his hands he held a staff, and his eyes seemed blessed by some divine marvel, piercing like an awl and giving anyone pause. A sharp sense of danger rushed into Daoist Bai's heart, bringing him to an immediate halt. Little did he expect that on the other side, a man holding a scroll emerged. Refined and scholarly, his cultivation was equally profound. He raised his brows and said courteously: "I hear that Hall Master Bai... wishes to spar?" Ding Weizeng was not nearly so polite. Glaring at him coldly, he pointed his long staff directly between the man's brows as if ready to bring it smashing down at any second, his tone cold as ice: "Son of a bitch!"