"This time, that bunch from the Taiyang lineage won't be able to take it, and the riverbank is in for disaster too. You're fortunate to have the chance to reap some benefits by coming over to the north."
Having said this, Helian Wumeng smiled and added, "No matter what, the Li clan is a Violet Palace immortal family. If I planted a divine ability on you, I fear it would be spotted once you crossed the river and reached the lake. Fortunately, Xuwang long ago used his wondrous art to fix your karmic mandate and reserved a place for you in the Buddhist lands. There is no running away for you.
"If this succeeds, you will gain a long-lived station as a Buddhist cultivator. If it fails, your body will be shattered without a corpse left intact, your soul dispersed and destroyed."
How could Fei Qingyi understand so much about Buddhist matters? He only felt a chill grip his entire body. Deep down, he felt the Li clan had treated him well, but no matter how well they treated him, how could that compare to his own life? Faced with life and death, his heart froze. What was more, there was the bait of a Buddhist cultivator's station. Listening to this Real Person's words, his wavering thoughts vanished, and he kowtowed.
"I beg Milord to instruct me..."
Helian Wumeng took a seat upon the clouds and instructed casually, "When you return this time, give the orders and lead my men across. They will disguise themselves as southern cultivators, claiming to have fled from the defeat in the north. Once they enter the grand formation and meet those Li family members, they will seize several key figures, and the matter will be settled."
At these words, Fei Qingyi was stunned. The Li clan had exceedingly strict rules regarding audiences. How could it be as easy as this northern barbarian thought? If they went about it like that, he would simply throw his life away for nothing. Kneeling hurriedly on the ground, he urged, "Milord misunderstands! Lake Wangyue has countless rules. No matter what, you will never be able to see the Li clan's direct line!"
Helian Wumeng was not surprised at all. He looked at him with an amused smile and nodded. "Oh? Then why don't you come up with a plan?"
Caught under his gaze, Fei Qingyi realized in hindsight: *He is testing me!*
Any lingering petty schemes vanished instantly. Kneeling on the ground with icy limbs, the dread in his heart was pressed so flat that an almost hysterical calm arose. He said respectfully, "The direct line of the Li clan is extraordinary, possessing numerous profound treasures that make deception difficult. Li Jiangqian possesses keen insight, and Li Quewan is even more adept at divination... If this humble one may be so bold as to ask... does Milord want people, or do you want items?"
Helian Wumeng's smile faded slightly as he replied, "It's the same, though people are better."
Fei Qingyi kowtowed and said, "In this humble one's insignificant opinion, I should carry these injuries of mine... to the lake to report intelligence, claiming that Tang... that the Great Origin Light-Concealing Mountain has suffered several breaches and desperately requires reinforcements."
Helian Wumeng cast a sideways glance at him. He had brought men to the south, taking advantage of the Buddhist cultivators attacking Mount Tangdao to tie down the wounded Tinglan who had retreated into the formation. He had immediately indulged the demonic cultivators to plunder Mount Xiaoshi in the rear, severing communications to maintain the illusion while infiltrating Baijiang Creek ahead of time. He had his own calculations all along, so how could he not understand the stakes involved? He merely said, "Would they send their direct line over? From what I see, they won't even send anyone..."
Fei Qingyi shook his head and said respectfully, "Certainly not. Why would they need to send anyone there? Milord is right by the riverbank. You can send a few people to cause trouble, acting like demonic cultivators. The lake stands for the righteous path. As long as they know the Violet Palace cultivators are not crossing the river, how could they sit by and ignore it?"
"Let me teach you what to say!"
Helian Wumeng laughed heartily. He strolled up to him, muttered a few instructions, and kicked the white-robed youth in the shoulder, sending him tumbling several times. Helian Wumeng said, "For a divine ability to scheme against Foundation Establishment is always easy... But are you really that afraid of death?"
Fei Qingyi could only say, "Milord jokes. Who isn't afraid of death? This humble one can certainly die, but I cannot die like that, nor can I die at this time!"
He kowtowed repeatedly. Seeing Helian Wumeng wave a hand, he was cast down from the clouds. The man stood with hands behind his back, smiling faintly. A subordinate beside him quickly asked, "Milord, our relations with the Buddhist cultivators have never been good... Why should we benefit Xuwang..."
"Haha!"
Helian Wumeng shook his head, his eyes gazing toward the formation over the lake in the distance, and laughed. "Of course I won't benefit him. This person was indeed obtained from the Buddhist cultivators just now. Perhaps there is a trace of a karmic mandate, but as for some station or being reduced to scattered bones and dust, none of that is real! It was merely to terrify him. I don't even fully understand Buddhist tricks myself, so how could that Fei fellow figure them out? It is only because I lack a fate-type divine ability; otherwise, there would be no need for such trouble!
"We must take advantage of this southern expedition to reap blood qi properly, but we also have to make haste. After all, if those few Real Persons return in defeat, our venturing so deep into enemy territory without reinforcements will become troublesome..."
The subordinate nodded repeatedly in admiration, then reminded him, "Aside from that, does Milord wish to capture those few direct line members to trade for treasures... But... if that Real Person Zhaojing has truly escaped, it wouldn't take him long to arrive at the speed of a Violet Palace cultivator... If this drags on, I fear there won't be enough time..."
"Eh..."
Helian Wumeng shook his head with a chuckle and replied, "What Li Jiangqian, what Li Quewan—if they cannot draw that Li Ximing here, what value do they have?
"As long as he comes, he will have to step in to save them. Even if he chooses not to save them and tries to pierce straight through into the formation in one breath, he cannot possibly be free of injuries caused by our family's fiendish qi divine ability. Those are the easiest to sense..."
He gave a dark chuckle and said, "What do you think we came to seize?
"If he arrives at the right moment, it would naturally be best if I kill him as well... If he doesn't dare come, then I will simply abduct those direct descendants and guest elders. As long as the hostages are in our hands, trading them for his Violet Palace resources, spiritual embryos, and spiritual artifacts... wouldn't that be easy?"
***
Violet pillars stood tall amidst scattered pavilions and terraces. Morning mist drifted about as austere, noble, and mysterious patterns circulated within the grand formation. Qu Bushi ascended the steps, crossed the hall's threshold, and bowed urgently toward the depths of the palace.
The dais above was somewhat dim. The left window was tightly shut, offering no light, with only several ritual lamps flickering. The main seat was empty. Seated to one side was a man in golden robes, holding a jade slip in one hand and gently tapping it against the other.
Opposite him sat a woman. The side door to her right was slightly ajar, casting bright light across her robes. Qu Bushi bowed within the inner hall, looked up at the two direct descendants currently making decisions for the Lake Wangyue immortal clan, and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Clan Head: there is no news from the north. I hear that the territory of Mount Xiaoshi has fallen into utter chaos, overrun by northern cultivators... It is said... it is said that many have died... Yet no life jades have shattered."
"In matters of the Violet Palace level, life jades may not be reliable."
The one speaking was naturally Li Jianglong. It had been some time since he took over affairs on the lake from his elder brother. At present, he held the jade slip still, his face etched with doubt. "Right now, with the Violet Palace battle at Mount Xiaoshi, many demonic cultivators will inevitably slip through. Even more fish will slip through the net around Baijiang Creek. With communications cut off, if we still intend to defend Baijiang Creek, I fear we will suffer heavy impacts."
From the other side, Li Quewan said in a low voice, "It has been... merely a day's time!"
Li Jianglong understood her meaning.
Back when Kan Ziyu broke through to the Violet Palace, Li Ximing had broken through seclusion and departed. Li Quewan had also exited seclusion shortly after to travel to Ziyan to offer congratulations. Soon after, a letter arrived from cultivators of Ziyan Blessed Land, saying that Real Person Zhaojing was resting in the blessed land and would personally attend the grand banquet three days later to congratulate the Ziyan Gate Real Person.
Yet in the blink of an eye, heaven and earth shook. The northern clouds brightened and died away, and the earth shook violently in the direction of Mount Xiaoshi, resembling collapsing mountains, tsunamis, and an overturning earth dragon—a terrifying spectacle.
Calculating the time, less than a day had passed since the banquet at Ziyan Gate began; perhaps the guests of the various families had not even taken their seats yet!
This was the reason for Li Jianglong's grim expression. Fearing that several Mohe might join hands to divine their plans, the Taiyang lineage had kept strict secrecy. In the eyes of the Li family—and indeed all Jiangnan cultivators—the north had taken advantage of the moment when Jiangnan's lineages gathered at the blessed land in celebration to launch a sudden southern invasion!
Reflecting on this, he could not help but ask, "What does Elder Brother say?"
Ever since trouble arose in the north and communications were lost, Li Jiangqian had led his men to withdraw from Baijiang Creek and had remained on guard along the northern bank. Hearing this question, Qu Bushi hurriedly replied, "The news was transmitted by Milord just now. Today, he slew several demonic cultivators who rashly ventured south, none of whom had high cultivation."
As they pondered, Li Quewan spoke up: "If the northern Buddhists marched south, they could not possibly breach Tangdao in an instant. It would not take long for the Violet Palace cultivators to rush over either. We may have lost some initiative, but the situation at Mount Xiaoshi is unstable and bereft of news, reportedly surrounded by demonic cultivators. We should not rashly cross the river to investigate."
"I naturally understand that."
Li Jianglong's gaze swept across the empty main seat, his thoughts unreadable. He raised his brows and said, "The Real Person..."
Before he could finish his sentence, hurried footsteps sounded from below. Cui Jueyin entered, looking grim, and said, "Fei Qingyi has fled back from the north, seeking reinforcements!"
Li Jianglong's expression changed, and he took two swift strides forward, asking with a frown, "Did he enter the formation right away?"
"No, he is waiting respectfully outside the grand formation."
With Cui Jueyin's reply, Li Jianglong felt slightly relieved. He turned to look at the woman beside him. Li Quewan rested one hand lightly while turning a jade tablet in the other, her eyes half-closed. After waiting for a good while, she spoke:
"Let him in."
Li Jianglong assumed she had divined this through shamanic arts and nodded repeatedly. Soon, the one-armed youth in white came stumbling in from outside the hall, collapsing to his knees and weeping, "The mountain is in dire peril! I beg the clan to dispatch reinforcements!"
He then gave a brief account from beginning to end, from the chaos in the north to how he had escaped from the formation. He deliberately avoided mentioning the several Lianmin, only saying that the enemy was ferocious and that men were desperately needed to save them.
"If those few locations fall, the enemy can drive straight in, and the next place to defend will be the river! Fortunately, the lord personally stated that the northern Violet Palace cultivators will not cross the river, and their main force is at Tangdao. We only need to repel the rogue demonic cultivators heading south!"
The person before them was extremely agitated, his hands and feet trembling. Li Jianglong listened attentively, swept his gaze over him, and asked, "Only you?"
"Reporting to Milord..."
Only then did he begin to stammer apprehensively. But after just a couple of sentences, Li Jianglong proved difficult to deceive. Sensing something amiss in his tone, he stood up, his expression changing sharply as he barked, "What is it that cannot see the light of day?!"
This shout brought Fei Qingyi instantly to the ground, pressing his forehead firmly against the floor, revealing only the back of his head as he wept, "Subordinate... Subordinate lied... The situation was dire at the time. There were many Qi Refinement cultivators from the clan inside the formation... Though I had some strength to spare... I didn't have time to look after them... and only preserved my own life..."
This was hardly a major issue. Li Jianglong helped him up, noticing that he was so overcome with emotion he could barely open his eyes. He said, "Protector Fei has worked hard..."
Fei Qingyi's voice was hoarse as he said, "What subordinate means is... right now, the Violet Palace battle at Mount Xiaoshi and Baijiang Creek is extremely perilous. Although the north is calling for reinforcements, we may not necessarily need to save them. We might even be killed along the way by the aftershocks of the Violet Palace battle. We should focus entirely on holding the northern bank to prevent demonic cultivators from harming the common people!
"And during my flight, I saw many demonic cultivators heading south. The situation is critical! Subordinate hopes to atone for my guilt with meritorious service, fulfilling my desire to protect the clan!"
*As long as the Violet Palace cultivators don't cross the river, defending the northern bank won't be too difficult...*
He had first proposed the unlikely request for reinforcements, then stepped back to offer this compromise, making it seem far more credible. Li Jianglong pondered privately and replied, "I will make arrangements at once... Go summon Protector An and Guest Elder Sun!"
Fei Qingyi kept his head bowed, silent, tears streaming ceaselessly from his eyes.
Yet Li Jianglong changed his tone, saying solemnly, "The northern bank must naturally be defended, but the north cannot be ignored either. Maintaining formations and providing dharmic power requires Qi Refinement and Embryonic Breathing cultivators. Your thinking is sound: there are currently many demonic cultivators around Baijiang Creek. A few of you rushing in alone is fine, but dragging along so many people would be too conspicuous. Shortly, I will dispatch Guest Elder Cui to lead clan members to Mount Tangdao, but they must go together with Ziyan's people so they can look out for one another."
"Subordinate obeys!"
How could Fei Qingyi care about all that?
Earlier, not seeing Li Jiangqian had made Fei Qingyi feel somewhat fortunate. Yet Li Quewan and Li Jianglong had considered matters so thoroughly that, in the end, when they agreed to send people to the northern bank, they only dispatched two guest elders who were perhaps no better in combat than himself!
However, he had never harbored hopes of luring out direct descendants of the Li clan to begin with, so he raised no objection. He counted silently in his heart. No sooner had the two guest elders arrived before him than a world-shaking boom rang out:
*Rumble!*
Everyone looked up together and saw several beams of black light rising in the north, accompanied by waves of mournful cries. Fei Qingyi immediately grew agitated, threw himself before the two, and wept, "Could it be the northern bank? My Fei clan members are still on the northern bank! I beg the two lords to lend a hand and save them!"
Before the two could say much, a streak of golden light soared above the lake. The Changming Steps shone with dazzling brilliance, blocking the rolling black qi that leapt forward. Cui Jueyin had already made his move, and streams of light rose across the lake as cultivators from various places rushed forward.
Fei Qingyi seemed unable to care about anything else. He hurriedly rode the wind outward, leading An Siwei and the other man as they gave chase toward the outside. Li Jianglong's brows knit tightly, anger surfacing on his face. He turned his head, only to see Li Quewan wearing an icy expression.
The woman shook her head very slightly and whispered, "Let us watch first."
Although Fei Qingyi's words had been earnest, and Li Quewan had utilized the Immortal Mirror's inspection of the unseen without discovering any divine ability dharmic power on him, nor finding anything amiss across the lake beyond a few furtive demonic cultivators near its perimeter, every time she listened to this man speak, an inexplicable unease stirred within her.
If it were anyone else, feeling uneasy might easily be chalked up to paranoia. But Li Quewan cultivated the Houshenshu and possessed an innate instinct to avert death and prolong life. Although averting death and prolonging life was not completely identical to the unease in her heart—one could never be too careful. This truly might be a matter of life and death!
*Even if there is no conspiracy, it is very possible that this group of demonic cultivators possesses immense strength, and rushing out rashly could easily incur casualties... In that case, we should likewise observe for a moment... We cannot simply collide headlong into them...*
Li Jianglong agreed immediately. He narrowed his eyes, thoughts churning, as his elder sister said, "We cannot place full trust in this person's words alone. Wait for your elder brother first... He is stationed at the northern bank and understands the north better. If he reveals himself in the sky, we will make further arrangements."
After all, with Li Jiangqian's cautious nature, he must have thoroughly scouted the riverbank long ago. If anyone had arrived from the north on short notice, or if there was something wrong with these demonic cultivators, he would be the clearest about it...
***
In the sky above the northern bank, a chaotic melee had already erupted. Although a large number of the Li clan's cultivators had gone into the mountains, quite a few Foundation Establishment backbones remained. Cui Jueyin took the lead, bright light shimmering in his hands. His arts were the first to blaze, transforming into streaks of Zhaoming Fire that drifted through the sky like scattered talismans.
*Rumble!*
The Zhaoming Fire possessed the power to exorcise evil and extinguish demons, instantly deflecting the patches of black light. The White Ape stepped through the void, while on the other side, black water surged and rushed into the sky—it was Chen Yang.
There were four demonic cultivators in the sky in total, all possessing decent cultivation. The moment they saw Cui Jueyin, they turned solemn. Two of them broke away to hold him down, while another rode billows of black qi, took a gourd from his robes, and descended toward the ground, tossing the man and the beast to his companion.
Yet as he descended, he raised the gourd high. A gale immediately blew forth, resembling a colossal hand descending from the heavens, transforming all living beings on the ground into essence-blood and drawing it into the gourd. For a time, blood splattered everywhere, and tragic screams filled the skies.
"You!"
Fei Qingyi truly grew frantic. He immediately drew his magical artifact and rushed up to stop him, barking, "How dare you?!"
His words were spoken with genuine fury, his eyes reddening, causing An Siwei and the others to sigh inward as they hurried forward to assist. The demonic cultivator opposite naturally understood what he meant, feeling utterly disdainful. He laughed, "Heh! What kind of thing do you think you are... Fellow Daoist Zhao!"
At these words, a streak of black qi surged upward, transforming into a sword-wielding youth clad in black armor, looking imposing and formidable. His cultivation was extremely profound. Sweeping his sword forward, he actually forced the three to retreat simultaneously.
The demonic cultivator holding the gourd continued to hold the artifact high, laughing heartily and shouting, "Jiangnan is truly wealthy! Make it quick, plunder a bit and let's go!"
That gourd seemed to be a magical artifact specifically used to absorb blood qi. It showed no exceptional wonders, but its speed in gathering blood qi was extremely fast. As it released waves of red light, the roofs of the town were swept away, falling upon the mortals to extract their marrow and siphon their bones before shuttling back into the gourd.
Only a few Qi Refinement cultivators barely managed to arrive. Not daring to approach him, they could only cast a few spells from afar to block the red light. The demonic cultivator immediately showed anger, drew his sword, and cursed, "These ants dare block my path!"
Below, tragic screams shook the heavens. Yet the black-armored youth holding the sword was exceedingly strong, taking on three opponents at once without yielding the slightest ground. He only occasionally revealed a few flaws, seemingly because the grade of the sword art in his hands was too low, leaving him somewhat constrained.
Fei Qingyi naturally knew the person before him was feigning weakness, but the gourd below had already drawn in quite a few of his Fei clan members. His eyes turned crimson, his heart filled with bitter sorrow.
*Yet what choice do I have? Right now, barely preserving my own life is a struggle... Forget it, forget it. Those with close blood ties are all in the mountains. Let him do as he pleases!*
The moment this demonic cultivator surnamed Zhao appeared, Cui Jueyin's expression shifted slightly, doubt surfacing in his eyes: *Such profound cultivation, such formidable arts... Although his magical artifact and armor appear ordinary, is he truly a rogue cultivator?*
Yet the great battle was already underway; how could he stop just because he wished to? Held down by the man in midair, he could only secretly transmit his voice to the others: *These few do not look like rogue cultivators... Please be extra careful!*
Fei Qingyi looked both sorrowful and enraged as he transmitted back: *Milord already stated that the Violet Palace cultivators will not cross the river... So what if they don't look like rogue cultivators... We must drive them back and protect the common people of the northern bank!*
***
Characters appearing in this chapter:
Li Jianglong, Audience at the Heavenly Gate, Early Foundation Establishment
Li Quewan, Houshenshu, Mid Foundation Establishment
Helian Wumeng, Early Violet Palace
Fei Qingyi, Early Foundation Establishment
Chapter 906