Xu Yangping exchanged dismayed glances with his wife as Li Tongya withdrew to a safer area, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. Faint glimmers of white light were prancing around it, hinting at the latent power of the Celestial Moon Slash technique that was ready to be unleashed at any given moment.
“Do not be so alarmed, Brother Xiao.”
Zhang Yun said as he smiled at Li Tongya, carefully eyeing his sword that was already humming with power in its sheath.
“I’m familiar with the River One Qi Technique of the Xiao Family... it was my father who personally bestowed it upon them.”
Li Tongya’s face betrayed a look of surprise before he quickly masked it with a quick regain of his composure.
“Is your purpose here solely to retrieve the Blood Dharma Manual, Brother Zhang?” he asked, an eyebrow arched.
“Not really...”
Zhang Yun's expression faltered slightly. “Actually, I was sent by my master to search for a cave dwelling... I had no idea Brother Xiao was seeking the River Mountain Sutra. My intrusion was unintentional!” he explained.
Li Tongya was taken aback by this revelation, his mind racing. His expression betrayed his feelings of unease.
“I spent over a decade searching for the whereabouts of this cave dwelling, I never anticipated being preempted by this couple... when I saw Brother Zhang, I assumed it was because your sect also had an interest in this item,” he interjected.
Zhang Yun waved his hands dismissively.
“Nonsense! With the bond between our families, how could the Golden Feather Sect harbor any desire for the River Mountain Sutra?”
Xu Yangping and his wife were left bewildered by the conversation. Caught between the conflicting agendas of two powerful factions, they felt trapped, perspiration beading on their brows as they realized they had unwittingly stumbled into a dangerous situation.
Damn it, Li Tongya is also a disciple of a sect. Now, we’ve become pawns in their game!
The couple silently edged backward, ready to make a hasty escape. However, their small movements caught Zhang Yun’s attention, prompting him to turn and fix them with a sly smile.
“I’ll deal with Brother Xiao’s problem first!” Zhang Yun exclaimed with a laugh as he swung his blade toward Xu Yangping. Xu Yangping’s hair stood on end as he quickly grabbed Lin Jingyi and made an attempt to retreat.
Unfortunately for him, Zhang Yun had practiced at least the Grade Three cultivation method and had consumed pure Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.
Although Xu Yangping had attained the Qi Cultivation Realm, he practiced common cultivation methods. Since he possessed no decent qi gathering method, he had consumed various unrefined qi. It was no surprise that he was no match for Zhang Yun’s prowess.
In a swift and ruthless display like Li Tongya when he murdered the Qi Cultivator of the Ji Family back then, Zhang Yun decapitated Xu Yangping with a series of slashes, ignoring Lin Jingyi’s pleas for mercy. He soon turned his attention to her and with another slash, she fell to the ground, lifeless.
“These rogue cultivators are truly worthless,” Zhang Yun sneered as he turned around.
Although Li Tongya’s face remained composed, Zhang Yun’s actions chilled Li Tongya to the bone. As Zhang Yun silently picked up the couple’s storage pouches, Li Tongya could not help but reflect on the power held by the three sects and seven gates in the world of immortal cultivation.
Without the authentic technique Jing’er brought home from the sect, I could have been killed by someone else, like these two rogue cultivators.
Zhang Yun suddenly turned toward Li Tongya with a proposition. “I guess the cultivation method is settled. As for these inner core and dharma artifacts... who’s going to pick first...?”
Without waiting for a response from Li Tongya, a cruel sparkle lit up his eyes.
“Why don’t we settle this with a duel?! Saber against sword, winner takes the pick of the loot!” he exclaimed.
Li Tongya had seen Zhang Yun’s skill when he decapitated Xu Yangping earlier and was aware that Zhang Yun’s techniques were not any superior to his Profound Water Sword Technique and River One Qi Technique. Besides, he also had the Celestial Moon Slash technique which was packed with explosive power.
I mustn’t back down at this moment!
With a confident smirk, he drew his sword, unleashing a burst of white light that had been contained in his sheath.
“Sounds good!” he replied with a dangerous smile.
As soon as he drew his sword, a white sword qi flew toward Zhang Yun, causing him to cry out in alarm and surprise.
“Hey, that’s cheating!” he exclaimed.
However, he was able to react fast enough, releasing the saber qi he had been storing for quite some time. It clashed against the sword qi, creating a thunderous noise that caused their clothing to flutter and rustle loudly.
Li Tongya staggered slightly under the force of the impact but managed to dissipate it quickly. Zhang Yun, however, remained steadfast despite taking a direct hit. He stifled a grunt, indicating that he had sustained minor internal injuries.
Nevertheless, he chuckled.
“You’ve backed off! Take your cultivation method... and I’ll take the peak Foundation Establishment Realm demon’s inner core. You can have this dharma weapon of Foundation Establishment Ream.”
Reluctant to argue further, Li Tongya simply nodded.
“Fine, my mission is already complete as long as I can retrieve this cultivation method for my elder anyway,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
Both of them then collected their items before exiting the cave.
“That sword technique of yours is quite impressive!”
Li Tongya was about to offer a modest response, but Zhang Yun quickly spoke again before he could respond.
“The Golden Feather Sect’s promise to the Daoist Master Chuting still stands... once that old fart, Chi Wei, dies, the Xiao Family will be backed up by the Golden Feather Sect... so please, give more consideration to the matter.”
Li Tongya was instantly stricken with horror as his mind reeled with the revelation.
Daoist Master Chuting?! Xiao Chuting has already attained the Purple Mansion Realm? No wonder the Golden Feather Sect treats the Xiao Family with such deference...
What’s that promise about? If Chi Wei, the old ancestor of the Azure Pond Sect, dies, the sect’s influence will likely diminish greatly. What schemes are the Xiao Family and the Golden Feather Sect plotting...?
Zhang Yun blinked and continued in a low voice, “Even if you’re not truly loyal to the Xiao Family... it doesn’t matter. With a few Foundation Establishment cultivators ready to unite, turmoil will inevitably ensue sooner or later.”
Li Tongya shook his head and chuckled.
“Brother Zhang, you jest.”
With a laugh, Zhang Yun patted his brocade pouch and departed on his flying shuttle, leaving Li Tongya to contemplate his words.
Wary that Zhang Yun was still around the vicinity, Li Tongya decided to sit and cultivate until nightfall. As darkness enveloped the land, he utilized the Qi Restraining Technique and flew toward Lixia Prefecture before circling back to the Li Residence.
However, as he flew over Mount Lijing, he noticed a sea of white below him. A sense of foreboding gripped him as he descended toward the mountain. The courtyard was decorated in white and he saw Li Xuanxuan clad in mourning attire.
“What happened?” he asked carefully.
Li Xuanxuan shivered. He could not even speak at the sight of Li Tongya and merely fell to his knees onto the ground. With trembling hands, Li Xuanxuan handed over the Ebony Bow and spoke.
“A few days ago, Chen Donghe and the others returned... saying that... that uncle... had been killed by a curse...” he choked out between sobs.
Li Tongya froze, and the joy from acquiring a new cultivation method and dharma artifact instantly dissipated. His fears and premonitions had finally been proven true.
“I understand,” he murmured softly before turning away to hide his emotions.
The two stood on the mountain for the longest time, each not saying a word. It took a while before Li Tongya broke the silence again.
“Go get the clothes he usually wore and bury them in the family mausoleum, alongside your grandfather and father.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded solemnly, and Li Tongya wiped away a tear before issuing another instruction.
“Make sure everything is done in proper order. Leave a space in the center for me.”
“Understood.”