The three members of the Yu Family departed from Mount Lijing and soared high above Moongaze Lake.
Yu Mugao steered through the wind with a grim expression while the two individuals behind him kept their heads lowered, not daring to utter a single word.
It was not until halfway through their journey that the tall, thin man finally mustered a bitter smile and said, "Big Brother, it seems clear that the Li Family wants no part in this. Is he looking down on us?"
Yu Mugao coldly snorted in response.
"Hmph, Li Tongya is really cautious. They've made it evident they wish to stay neutral... We can't force them. We can only treat the Li Family as if they don't even exist among the Moongaze Lake families and do as we please."
"But..." The tall, thin man shook his head, appearing hesitant as he softly continued, "The Li Family seems strong and newly fortified on all fronts. Both Li Xuanfeng and Li Tongya aren't fools... It's hard to predict their future actions. If Li Chejing gains power, submitting to them might become our only option. Moongaze Lake could become the Li Family's territory."
"I share your concerns."
Yu Mugao's expression darkened as he contemplated for a moment.
Eventually, he eased slightly and said, "Upon further consideration, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and attaining the Purple Mansion Realm is no easy feat. The mortality rate on the southern border is alarmingly high. Li Chejing might not survive to see the end."
"Secondly, Li Chejing has just attained the Foundation Establishment Realm... He'll need at least a hundred years of preparation to attain the next realm. Whether it's cozying up to Azure Pond Mountain or forming alliances with the other families in the prefecture, there's still time for us to act," he added after further thought.
The tall, thin man nodded in agreement with Yu Mugao's careful analysis.
Yu Mugao then suggested with a sinister undertone, "We may not be able to control Li Chejing, but we can certainly deal with the Li Family... Perhaps we should seize the opportunity to discreetly eliminate Li Tongya and Li Xuanfeng, or orchestrate some calamities to destabilize them. As long as we're careful enough, they won't be able to defend themselves. By doing so, we secure our own position."
"Indeed, we should consult with the Family Head about this plan when we return."
With that, the three continued on their journey northward.
————
Oblivious to the plotting and scheming of the Yu Family—Li Tongya, accompanied by Li Xuanfeng—traversed Mount Dali, guided by the fox's intelligence.
After journeying hundreds of li eastward from the foot of Mount Dali, they stumbled upon a dark cavern. Before the entrance lay scattered white bones and a foul, fishy odor wafted outward with each gust of wind.
Li Tongya and Li Xuanfeng landed before the cave. The deafening snores within abruptly ceased.
Li Tongya swept the area with his spiritual sense and chuckled.
"What a formidable bear it is."
He nodded to Li Xuanfeng, who took to the air and stationed himself on the opposite side of the mountain. Li Tongya then unsheathed his sword and sent a few sword qi slicing through the air and into the cavern.
ROAR!
Li Tongya distanced himself from the cave to give himself more space to work with. From within, a behemoth over three meters tall burst forth.
Its massive form cast a shadow over the forest, its black fur bristling and eyes ablaze with fury. With thunderous footsteps, it lunged forward, swatting at Li Tongya with a colossal palm.
The bear was a creature at the fifth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and its horrifying palm was the size of two human chests.
The size of Li Tongya's sword qi was akin to a glowing toothpick compared to its massive size. Realizing the futility of a direct confrontation, he swiftly evaded the attack.
BAM!
However, even his retreat was not enough to avoid the full force of the bear's strike. Under the impact, his feet sunk a little into the ground.
The next moment, the bear had already swung its palm toward him at high speed with no delay. If it were to connect with Li Tongya, it could either severely injure or worse—kill him.
Li Tongya sent a few more sword qi directed toward it as he retreated again.
No wonder the fox warned me to be cautious... This creature is really massive and formidable indeed! Capturing it alive won't be easy, and engaging with it in battle could risk injury or prove deadly. It might be best to eliminate it first then capture a smaller demon of Qi Cultivation Realm to bring home instead.
While pondering these, Li Tongya had already been forced ten steps backward and unleashed a barrage of sword qi toward the bear. However, the bear easily dissipated the sword qi effortlessly with its iron-like palm.
The creature's strength was formidable, but it was not sluggish like a boar either. It recognized that Li Tongya's sword qi was dangerous and opted to either disperse his attacks with its mana-infused palms or withdraw to avoid injuries.
Meanwhile, Li Tongya refrained from employing sword techniques. Instead, he focused on channeling his sword qi to wear down the bear's strength steadily.
As the two engaged in their fierce exchange, trees collapsed and startled birds circled overhead, uncertain of whether to return to their nests amid the great chaos.
Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng, who was stationed nearby, drew his longbow.
With an arrow made of Ebony Ore nocked on the bowstring and shimmering with golden light, his keen eyes stayed trained on the bear's every movement as his aura continued growing with each passing moment.
The bear remained fiercely alert, its limbs numbed by the piercing arrow qi.
Despite the discomfort, it rose to its feet, contending with Li Tongya's assault while casting suspicious glances around.
It eventually turned its head around, its attention drawn to a distant glimmer of golden light. Before it could react, something had already pierced its chest.
While the bear howled in pain, Li Tongya seized the opportunity to strike. With swift precision, he drew his sword and sliced the bear's neck with the Celestial Moon Slash technique.
However, the bear reacted with remarkable speed, managing to deflect the blow with its massive paw.
Li Tongya's sword qi, though formidable, had not yet reached its full potential to harm. It merely left a deep bloodied gash on the bear's paw.
The force of the bear's counterattack pushed Li Tongya backward, dispersing his concentration.
Startled and greatly intimidated by the pain, the bear turned and fled, leaving behind a trail of destruction as it trampled through the forest.
But before it could get far, Li Xuanfeng's second arrow pierced through the air, striking the bear from behind and lodging itself deep within the great bear's body.
The bear bellowed in agony as it dropped to its knees. However, its survival instincts kicked in with full force, propelling it forward once more.
As it desperately attempted to escape, Li Tongya swiftly struck out with his sword, slicing a bloody chunk of flesh from its hindquarters.
The bear let out another pained howl, realizing that attempting to escape would only lead to its demise.
It turned around fiercely to attack Li Tongya, but its movements were slowed tremendously due to its injuries.
Li Tongya's agile movements allowed him to easily evade the bear's assault this time. Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng's arrow found its mark, further weakening the bear until it eventually collapsed to the ground, succumbing to its injuries.
Li Tongya quickly retreated to a safe distance while waiting for the bear's life force to ebb away slowly.
After the time taken for a stick of incense to burn, Li Xuanfeng emerged from the woods, still cautious.
"Be vigilant, demons are known to feign death. We shouldn't approach it!" he warned.
"I know," Li Tongya replied, nodding approvingly as he looked at the bow in Li Xuanfeng's hand.
"Your archery skill is quite impressive... Are you utilizing the spiritual orifice in your palm?" he asked.
"Yes," Li Xuanfeng cupped his fist and admitted.
Scratching his head sheepishly, he said, "The bear looked unusually fierce and I worried that going easy on it would cause you harm, so I used full force in my arrows to swiftly eliminate the threat. I feel very guilty that what was supposed to be our ritual offerings is dead."
While Li Xuanfeng was feeling somewhat apprehensive about Li Tongya's presence, the elder smiled at him and reassured him.
"It's fine. I was also thinking of hunting down another demon for the ritual offerings instead. Seems like we're in agreement on this!"
As soon as Li Tongya finished speaking, the bear suddenly stirred from its position, its eyes glowing bright red with fury as it made a final attempt to strike out at them.
However, Li Tongya and Li Xuanfeng evaded its attack with ease and prowess, allowing the creature to collapse heavily onto the ground once more.
Blood flowed from its wounds like a crimson river, and it seemed to have ceased making any noise.
Li Tongya, who had been gathering his sword qi for some time, unleashed a burst of white light that swiftly decapitated the demon.
Following this, they hurriedly applied techniques to staunch the bleeding from the demon bear's wounds before quickly performing the Spirit Sealing Technique on it.
They dismembered the remains of the bear and then stored them in a storage pouch. They even cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground meticulously before soaring to the sky and flying eastward.
"Your mastery of the bow is truly remarkable, Feng'er. Why not document your techniques in a book? That way, future generations of our clan can benefit from your expertise."
As they flew eastward, Li Tongya continued, "While our family possesses a variety of spells and techniques, most of them are conventional and lack versatility in combat. The most remarkable one among them is the 'Profound Water Sword Technique'... However, not everyone possesses such talent in swordsmanship. If we can introduce another legacy to our family, it would undoubtedly be beneficial."