This furious roar was like thunder, vibrating with a buzzing hum. The demonic cultivators surging up from both flanks to reinforce their leader were terrified by the shout. Immediately following it came a long staff brimming with red light, striking down one after the other accompanied by dazzling, illusory hues.
"Boom!"
The two demonic cultivators flanking him were mere rabble from the East Sea—how could they endure such might? The one on the left was somewhat wealthier and managed just in time to deploy a shield-shaped magical artifact. But when struck by the staff, his yin qi evaporated, his filthy blood qi dissipated, and the artifact emitted a piercing, agonizing hum. The demonic cultivator immediately spewed a mouthful of blood and plummeted like a shooting star.
The demonic cultivator on the other side had an even weaker cultivation and did not even possess a magical artifact, yet he had blindly rushed forward to curry favor. Struck squarely in the chest by the staff, a bowl-sized hole instantly caved through him.
This demonic cultivator had only come along to help bolster their numbers; never had he imagined the foe would be this ferocious. Furthermore, the red light of the Dianyang Tiger invaded his body, sending agonizing pain shooting through all his internal organs. Heedless of anything else, he spun on his heels and fled into the distance.
Although a demonic cultivator's physical body was not fatally vulnerable and most of it could be discarded, inflicting wounds on two Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators with merely two strikes of a staff made Daoist Bai suck in a sharp breath of cold air:
*To think this man is so ferocious! Such prowess! I heard he is adept with both long and short weapons, and this is merely his long staff. The legendary Situ Mo and Li Zhouwei could hardly be any greater than this!*
Daoist Bai watched with his heart leaping into his throat. The medallion in his hand bounced up, instantly cloaking him in a black-and-white radiance as he rapidly chanted an incantation, seeking only to make a swift escape.
Fortunately, Ding Weizeng did not press his attack. Holding the long staff in his hand, he watched the two demonic cultivators flee in panic without pursuing them, instead barring the way in front of the master of Huaihun Palace.
*Such trash... was actually chosen by a Purple Palace lineage!*
Ding Weizeng was naturally skilled in battle, and over these past years, fighting in the east and purging demons in the west had only magnified his imposing aura. He did not even need a second glance—a brief sweep of his pupil technique revealed the true measure of the man before him, filling him with utter disdain.
He had only heard that Daoist Bai was the successor of the Mifan Dao lineage and enjoyed the favor of a Purple Palace powerhouse, which lent him an air of prestige. Otherwise, Ding Weizeng could have easily bludgeoned someone like this to death with his staff. To have such scum barge up to their doorstep felt like an outright insult to the stout warrior, and his gaze turned chillingly cold.
Beside him, Cui Jueyin was far more cautious. He was not watching the man before them; rather, he feared that Ding Weizeng might act rashly and cripple the fellow with a single strike, causing some disaster that would ruin their affairs in the north. Thus, ninety percent of his attention was fixed on Ding Weizeng, his fingers held steady in an incantation sign.
The fury and lingering delusions of luck in Daoist Bai's heart were extinguished in an instant as he finally realized the reality of his predicament:
*What on earth is that lot under Guan Gongxiao doing?! Given such a golden opportunity to make the Li family lose face, they didn't even know how to pin these people down on the river, but instead let them cross over! Useless trash!*
Be it Dianyang Tiger or Changming Steps, either one could counter his Huaiyin Ghost. Moreover, Changming Steps possessed an entangling, binding effect, placing his very life in jeopardy!
*I must put distance between us first!*
As the spell in his hands flashed, Daoist Bai's figure vanished from where he stood and rematerialized a short distance away. Just as he was about to speak, he discovered that the situation had spun out of control, devolving into an all-out melee.
Although the puppet made from Situ Biao had possessed decent cultivation during life, it was vastly inferior after being refined into an artifact. While Geng Metal was not particularly afraid of True Fire, the puppet's yin qi became its fatal weakness; bound by True Fire, it could not advance an inch. Instead, Li Minggong still had the leeway to spare a hand and block the demonic cultivators on the other flank.
Chen Yang also drew his sword and stepped forward. Practicing the Jing Dragon King, renowned throughout Jiangnan, he had no trouble holding off several enemies. Qu Bushi and An Siwei were somewhat weaker, only barely managing to fight evenly against demonic cultivators of similar cultivation...
Meanwhile, Li Jiangqian was draped in apricot-yellow fire, brandishing his golden hammer as he chased down demonic cultivators to strike. Regardless of whether they could best him in combat, none of the people below were fools; not a soul dared to pursue this family head of the Li clan, and each went out of their way to steer clear of him.
Yet Li Jiangqian had not ventured deep without vigilance. Though he seemed unbridled, he never strayed far from Cui Jueyin and Ding Weizeng. His eyes cautiously surveyed the crowd of cultivators before him, as if searching for something.
Soon, he caught sight of a young man among the demonic cultivators.
Dressed in black robes, this youth had only just reached Foundation Establishment, yet the light of his dharmic power was not excessively dark and dull. He stood quietly among the cultivators, not making a move.
These demonic cultivators had all attained Foundation Establishment in the East Sea. Ten out of ten were elderly men who had gambled on a surge of blood qi to scrape together a Foundation Establishment, practicing all manner of mismatched techniques, and none possessed an agreeable appearance. Amid this motley crew of deformed, grotesque demonic cultivators, the sudden emergence of a handsome, youthful figure made him nearly impossible to overlook.
Li Jiangqian made no move to contact him. Watching the demonic cultivator stand with sword at his waist, he swiftly pulled back, committing the sight to memory while his wariness grew:
*Huaihun Palace is not so simple underneath either. It is best not to get overly entangled with them!*
While Li Jiangqian was quietly probing, Daoist Bai had finally managed to extricate himself with a spell. Taking in the battlefield, his face turned livid with rage.
Although Huaihun Palace had far more cultivators, their quality was utterly abysmal, and not one of them had an ounce of loyalty. Crowded together, they merely slacked off and went through the motions; for a time, hardly anyone managed to descend and conduct a search, causing Daoist Bai's heart to grow increasingly cold.
*What is more, there are Ding Weizeng and Cui Jueyin. If those two charge in, it would be nothing short of tigers among sheep...*
Yet remembering that he held the Guiming Dark Medallion, Daoist Bai did not fear for his life unless he was face-to-face with a Purple Palace powerhouse. His fear subsided slightly. But having been cursed at by Ding Weizeng, he felt humiliated, and the dharmic radiance that dispelled yin and transcended karma emanating from Ding Weizeng stung his face like fire. He had no choice but to turn toward Cui Jueyin, forcing a smile as he said:
"A spar it is, and we have already exchanged a move or two. Your noble clan's Fairy Minggong truly hides her depth, to have cultivated her arts to such a level!"
Ding Weizeng remained expressionless, his large hands gripping his staff as if he might smash it down on Bai's head at any moment. Seeing Li Jiangqian's signal, Cui Jueyin cupped his hands and replied:
"The Wilderness is land protected by my family for generations and is not suitable for a search. Your palace had best find another way. If our two sides come to blows, it would only benefit those with ulterior motives."
"Indeed, indeed!"
Since Cui Jueyin offered him a way out, and having witnessed Ding Weizeng's two devastating staff strikes, Daoist Bai behaved himself. Nodding repeatedly, he cast an unwilling glance at the ground below and turned back without another word.
The demonic cultivators below were opportunists who swayed with the wind; having charged for half a day, not one had actually flown down, but now they fled faster than anyone, retreating behind him.
After traveling only a few paces, they ran into the people from Muquan Gate. Daoist Bai was so embarrassed he could not lift his head, hurrying past them, only to see an escape light streaking rapidly from the opposite bank of the river—it was a disciple clad in black.
This man's face was covered in blood and he looked wretched in the extreme. Arriving before them, he wailed in lamentation:
"Hall Master! My lords! Baiku Commandery... Baiku Commandery's treasury... has been covertly broken into! Someone broke inside and plundered all the treasures and artifacts we extorted over the years!"
"That person's movements were uncanny, their strength astonishing... With all of you lords away, this humble one could not stop them!"
Upon hearing this, Daoist Bai felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He roared in disbelief:
"What?!"
Baiku Commandery possessed abundant spirit mines and lay close to the aristocratic families of Midong, making it a critical hub. Over the years, nearly all their accumulated spiritual resources and artifacts had been stored there, and they had even dispatched Heishu, one of the Eight Great Protectors, to guard it; it was of paramount importance. Meeting with such a disaster filled him with shock and fury, and he demanded:
"Where is Heishu! Where the hell has that fellow died off to?!"
The black-robed man before him shook his head, weeping mournfully:
"Reporting to my lord... Protector Heishu was the first to notice and gave chase alongside Wang Bakong, the commandery governor of Baiku. Who could have thought that although that person was merely at Qi Refining, their escape light was extraordinarily swift, and they escaped!"
Having just lost tremendous face, and now having lost treasures he considered critically important, Daoist Bai's mood was already sour beyond measure. Now his vision blackened with rage, and he cursed:
"Useless bastards! Two Foundation Establishment cultivators! One at early Foundation Establishment, one at mid Foundation Establishment, and they let a Qi Refining brat get away?!"
"Do they know who it was?!"
Seeing his violent fury, the subordinate began trembling in terror and replied:
"It is a rogue cultivator of Baiku Commandery. Earlier, he beat the young master of the Wang family... and was rescued by Baiyinzi, a rogue cultivator from the Great Desert. Never would have thought the two hit it off, and they actually came right back... and stole our goods..."
Hearing that it was merely two rogue cultivators, Daoist Bai flew into a towering rage, his voice shrill:
"Investigate! Come back with me! Even if you have to turn the entirety of Baijiang Creek upside down, find me the tracks of those two!"
With his furious roar, the Guiming Dark Medallion at his waist suddenly emanated a soft, illusory brilliance that did not dim in the slightest amidst the torrential rain, drawing the gaze of anyone who saw it into near intoxication.
After shouting this, he turned his head to look and found that the cultivators around him bore respectful expressions while their eyes blazed with fervor, each appearing increasingly eager.
Seeing this, Daoist Bai recalled their encounter with the Li family just now, and stifled indignation flared within him:
*When attacking Tangjin Gate, when there were mines to plunder, each of them charged forward more eagerly than the last, wishing they could strip everything off Situ Biao's body—so much so that they couldn't even be called back, fighting amongst themselves! Now that we come to the Wilderness, they stand dumb as wooden chickens, dragging their feet, wishing they could be grandsons before the Li family!*
*Now, hearing that a Qi Refining brat made off with an entire commandery's treasures and resources, their eyes light up—plainly wanting to claim it for themselves!*
These demonic cultivators were a motley mob; where there was profit, they might charge and fight, but where there was no profit, they would do nothing at all. Each only cared to act like a bandit king in their allotted turf. The so-called Eight Great Protectors were not the strongest, merely the closest to him...
Now, Daoist Bai finally stopped being stingy and said coldly:
"Those few who fought alongside me just now, return with me to the palace shortly. You shall not lack rewards!"
Those three were overjoyed. Hearing this, the rest of the scheming demonic cultivators acted as if something of paramount importance had been declared; some clutched their arms, others their legs, claiming they too were injured and wailing to the heavens.
A few others stood calmly amidst the crowd, silent, but their eyes quietly flicked toward the Guiming Dark Medallion at Daoist Bai's waist, revealing a look of both greed and wariness.
*Just what did that thief take that would make him mobilize so heavily, not hesitating to offend Lake Wangyue... completely disregarding a Purple Palace power just to forcibly search their land...*
...
The Wilderness.
Li Jiangqian swept his gaze over the retreating cultivators, then looked down. The large and small families of the Wilderness all had their heads raised, looking up. His golden eyes flickered as he pondered silently.
*This person crossed the river, was saved by my family, and fought a battle in the Wilderness... I wonder what play this is part of... nor do I know whether it is the work of that lord in the north... In any case, the Wilderness must be handled properly.*
If it was Lin Feng who killed Daoist Bai's man and took the item across the river, it was certainly a good karmic affinity forged this time; however, Lin Feng lingering in the Wilderness was no good thing. The more people who came into contact with him, the greater the trouble brought upon their family, so he was best left unapproached.
Yet if it was not Lin Feng, but some other family deliberately disrupting the board, or some figure from the opposite bank crossing over, it was even less advisable to contact them rashly, as it would ultimately drag them into a mess.
As he was pondering, the cultivators from both sides gathered round. Ding Weizeng, his face grave, saluted and said:
"Greetings, Family Head. Now that matters here are settled, we must swiftly return to reinforce the river. Although Duxian Dao retreated due to an incident in the north, we must guard against those people taking risks to cross the river!"
Ding Weizeng harbored deep hatred for Duxian Dao and was most vigilant against the north; at this moment, his mind was still on the affairs along the river. Li Jiangqian took the cue and nodded:
"My apologies for troubling Protector Ding to make this trip. Protector Cui may remain; as for the riverbank... I must ask you to keep a close watch."
Ding Weizeng rode the wind away first. Cui Jueyin stepped forward immediately afterward and asked in a low voice:
"Family Head, Huaihun Palace crossed the river under everyone's gaze, and the person who was saved should still be in the Wilderness. How should we handle him?"
Li Jiangqian exchanged a glance with Li Minggong. Naturally, he was unwilling to get overly involved, and replied:
"Let us ease up. We do not know what kind of figure he is, so there is no need for us to get too deeply entangled in this matter. Let him stay here, and there is no need to search for him, lest we end up implicated. Leaving him a favor is enough."
Cui Jueyin agreed. The group then rode the wind back. Before reaching the lake, they saw Li Xuanxuan stroking his beard as he stood in the rain, looking deeply unsettled; who knew how long he had been standing there. Li Jiangqian quickly explained the situation, clarifying everything to him in detail, before having Chen Yang escort him back.
Soon they arrived at the hall, where they found Li Quewan waiting inside, gazing silently at several jade slips in her hands.
Seeing Li Jiangqian, a look of anxiety surfaced on her face as she asked:
"How did it go?"
At Li Quewan's question, Li Jiangqian shook his head:
"Hard to say. Daoist Bai is surprisingly inept, utterly useless apart from that single medallion, and the demonic cultivators under him are an anarchic mess. It must truly be difficult for him... after all his tossing and turning for these past two years, he hasn't even found a single confidant."
He took his seat at the head of the hall and said gravely:
"However, it also proves one point: that Guiming Dark Medallion is truly no ordinary item. Judged on its own, it is at least an ancient artifact, and who can say how many methods the True Master left inside it? Who knows if there are one or two Purple Palace divine abilities stored within to preserve his life?"
"The lord in the north naturally has nothing to fear, but if he is pushed to desperation and unleashes it recklessly upon our family's head, it could ruin everything. That is why we did not press him too hard, allowing him to withdraw."
Hearing this, Li Quewan let out a sigh of relief and shook her head:
"It is best to keep him far away... None of our direct descendants are currently in the Wilderness, so let them cause whatever ruckus they please."
"Indeed," Li Jiangqian sighed. "I noticed several characters under his command who will likely cause trouble later on. That fellow is no different from a harbinger of pestilence; even hitting him feels dirty. It was best to send him packing early."
Hearing these words, Li Quewan showed a troubled expression. She set the several jade slips in her hands onto the table. Each of them had a dull, dark texture and seemed quite aged. She said softly:
"Just now, when you went out with the protectors and guest elders, someone happened to cross over from the river to report. He said he was acting on orders from Li Quantao, who guards the Salt Lake, bringing these items to ask for our family's opinion."
Li Jiangqian immediately grew suspicious and asked:
"What did he say? Where is he now?"
"The man is still on the islet." Li Quewan wore a rather helpless expression as she replied softly, "Li Quantao guards the Salt Lake, which is very close to several river mouths leading to the sea. A few days ago, he spotted a group of people whose movements were suspicious, so his subordinates detained them for thorough interrogation. Yet as the questioning went on, this group actually claimed to be people of Huaihun Palace!"
"The people at the Salt Lake naturally did not believe them; no matter how shabby Huaihun Palace might be, its members possess tokens. So they opened their storage bags to verify their identities, only to discover that these people practice the Mifan Dao lineage of Mount Xiaoshi!"
Li Jiangqian fell into deep thought as he listened. Li Quewan continued:
"Only then did that group realize they had stirred up trouble. When reported to Li Quantao and questioned one by one, it turned out they were all surviving heirs of Mount Xiaoshi from back then. Having heard that the Mifan Dao lineage was flourishing, and that someone had obtained a medallion bestowed by a Purple Palace master to establish a Dao lineage recognized by all sects, they had finally come to seek refuge."
Li Jiangqian listened and found that something felt off. After pondering for a long while, he asked with suspicion:
"Could it be that a bunch of the real deal has arrived?!"
Before Li Ximing broke through to the Purple Palace, there had been three houses north of the river—Floating Cloud, Dense Cloud, and Brahma Cloud—which were actually Dao lineages falsely established by various Purple Palace masters to open the secret treasury, meant to lure the surviving descendants of Mount Xiaoshi into coming to seek refuge. In the end, it had indeed worked, drawing a few people over and allowing Chengyun Gate to assemble what they needed, leading to the subsequent underground palace incident.
Sure enough, Li Quewan nodded, evidently harboring the same doubt, and answered:
"Back then, the Mount Xiaoshi Dao lineage lost more than just one or two branches abroad. Chengyun Gate laid a trap to lure in one or two, but there are bound to be more outside. It seems that with such a massive commotion stirred up for the lord in the north, those overseas remnant lines took it seriously, genuinely believing Huaihun Palace to be the continuation of their Dao lineage that enjoyed the protection of a Purple Palace favor."
This matter was unexpected, yet entirely within reason. Li Quantao was unaware of the inside story and had grown genuinely wary. Since Qianli Zi was away and Ning Wan could not be reached, he had sent them to the lake.
"These people stayed overseas for so many years without ever exposing themselves, yet were captured the moment they crossed the Salt Lake... That Li Quantao could inexplicably get entangled in such a matter suggests he is being drawn ever deeper into the game."
Li Jiangqian felt both amused and troubled. Li Quantao's action was clearly showing favoritism toward their family; after all, the seals on these jade slips had been unraveled so anyone could read them, and storing them in the treasury was a fine gain. However, this group had traveled thousands of li from overseas, and no one knew what role they played; right now, they were not someone to provoke!
Li Minggong took a jade slip from the side and asked in a low voice:
"Does the Old Master know?"
Not understanding why she asked this, Li Quewan hesitated:
"The old gentleman was waiting outside the lake for your return the entire time, so he does not know yet."
Li Jiangqian, however, understood what Li Minggong meant.
The Old Master had already felt reluctant about Li Quantao being used by the Ning family to scheme for the Hongxue inheritance. Now that the Master was missing and each day grew more perilous, Li Quantao still kept Wangyue in mind—she merely feared the Old Master would be grieved to hear of it.
He paced a few steps before the hall and asked:
"How are these cultivation methods?"
Li Quewan had a complicated expression as she replied:
"The few on either side are methods we already possess. However, there is one method... that is rather interesting. It is called the *Huaishui Ghost Yin Refining Method*. It uses the remains of cultivators to craft artifacts, requiring spells to be cast prior to their demise to preserve the corpse from dispersing into spiritual essence. It is exceedingly ingenious, only... it has specific requirements for the immortal base."
She drew out that jade slip and displayed it to the two, explaining:
"This kind of artifact cannot be refined by just anyone, and one person can only refine a single piece. The finished product is called a Ghost Corpse. It is best refined by a cultivator possessing Hurricane Ghost Yin. Failing that, the second-tier choices would be High Shaman, Xiukui, and Fiendish Qi; at the very worst, one must belong to the broad Binggu category... Beyond these, there is mostly no chance of success."
Li Minggong turned the slip over and scanned it briefly. She did not even need to read it closely; merely hearing the description was enough. She replied:
"So sinister and gloomy—one look and you can tell it's no good thing. This is precisely Daoist Bai's method for refining Situ Biao..."
Li Quewan nodded solemnly. Seeing Li Jiangqian's thoughtful look, she deduced:
"This at least proves... Daoist Bai did not come away empty-handed; he must possess a fair share of the Mifan Dao lineage. As for how he obtained it, that is open to question."
Li Jiangqian nodded:
"He destroyed Fanyun, so who knows where he snatched it from. After all, his slogan back then was that Pingwangzi refined infants and desecrated the Mifan Dao lineage, and that he was upholding justice by eradicating him... It could well be some demonic art..."
"Yet if it wasn't obtained from Fanyun..." Li Minggong recalled carefully for a moment, then lowered her voice: "I saw Situ Biao's Ghost Corpse fly out from the Guiming Dark Medallion. Either this artifact can store such things, or this spell came directly from the Guiming Dark Medallion!"
Li Jiangqian and Li Quewan suspected the latter as well. Li Jiangqian paused first, ensuring no Purple Palace masters were in the vicinity, before saying in a somber voice:
"If it truly came from the medallion, then Ziyan must hold no small portion of the Mifan Dao lineage... This magical artifact might not have been hastily forged based on what I said back then, but rather meticulously designed. They have likely schemed this for a very long time... My offhand mention of the Mifan Dao lineage merely played right into their hands."
"Thinking carefully, it is not strange either. In Jiangbei, the most renowned lineage is none other than the Mifan Dao lineage. Several Purple Palace powerhouses had already laid the groundwork for it multiple times before. From Foundation Establishment cultivators at the top down to mortals on the ground, who does not know the name of Mount Xiaoshi? Even if I hadn't raised the subject, anyone wishing to raise a banner in Jiangbei would think of Mifan, and only Mifan would be the most credible!"
He whispered:
"In other words... there was likely already a consensus on this matter even earlier, and Mifan had been decided upon long before. Qianli Zi mentioned that every time they come, some secret realms and grotto-heavens are brought down. Then this time, Mifan will likely be the one to descend..."
Li Jiangqian's voice grew even lower as he continued:
"Then... could it be... that the Guiming Dark Medallion is not some makeshift stopgap... but a genuine, bona fide treasure that stands a real chance of opening the Mifan secret treasury!"
Li Quewan's expression turned solemn. She exchanged a glance with Li Jiangqian, and the same four words simultaneously surfaced in both their minds:
*Immortal Mirror fragment!*
Chapter 885