Lingyanzi made rounds above the rippling Moongaze Lake, sustaining all the attacks of the two pursuers with his Purple Smoke Spirit Shield.
Changing his direction abruptly to return, he pondered quietly in his doubtful heart.
If that person ends up deceiving me... I'll probably die here today.
Yet, glancing back at the two from Changxiao Gate, his heart filled with dread. He gritted his teeth and flew along the mountain terrain, thinking to himself, There's no other way now but to trust him; it's death either way... Without me, my junior brothers and sisters at Purple Gale Peak will struggle.
Soon, a large white banyan tree appeared below him. Lingyanzi's eyes immediately lit up as he quickly descended, followed closely by the two from Changxiao Gate. Both men landed on the mountain without any suspicion of foul play.
"The scenery here is beautiful, it's indeed a fine final resting place!" the two men sneered.
Noticing another person under the tree, they frowned. "Who are you?! We are from Changxiao Gate on official business, please step aside," they demanded.
Li Tongya, however, focused on Lingyanzi, who looked deathly pale and on the brink of collapse. He tossed a bottle of Qi Recovery Pill to him before assuring him softly, "Please rest, fellow Daoist. Leave these two to me."
"Preposterous!"
Shocked and enraged, the two from Changxiao Gate charged forward with their dharma swords.
Li Tongya drew his sword immediately, and his Celestial Moon Slash technique formed a powerful pure white sword arc, deflecting their swords three meters away with two loud clunks.
"Your swordsmanship isn't bad."
While the martial brothers from Changxiao Gate wondered which of the three sects and seven gates he belonged to, Li Tongya took advantage of the initial stance of the Celestial Moon Slash technique and unleashed more than a dozen sword qi, overpowering them with his robust true essence.
Wary of his strength, the two were temporarily suppressed. Having chased Lingyanzi all this way, their true essence reserves were already low.
Yuyunzi, now growing anxious, communicated with Yuhezi telepathically as he assessed the situation before them.
"Junior brother! This man's background is unknown, and he's quite skilled with the sword... we don't know what other tricks he has. Perhaps we should let this one go... What a pity though, the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield was almost ours!"
Though Yuhezi was weaker in terms of cultivation, he was the decision-maker.
"Who else could this be but someone from the Li Family of Lijing?! They're well-known for their sword techniques, aren't they? These minor families usually have only one or two legacies. Don't be fooled by his superior sword technique, he surely can't match us in other aspects. We've got the upper hand; just push him away. However... let's not expose his identity as that would surely mean a fight to the death!" he responded quickly, also telepathically.
Now with renewed resolve, they stood off against Li Tongya. After a dozen moves, Yuyunzi suddenly felt a tightening sensation. His face contorted in pain as he yelled out in agony.
"It's a trick!"
His talismans spontaneously ignited without wind, and despite Yuyunzi quickly enveloping himself in several layers of light shields, a shrill whistling filled his ears. His protective shield burst as if struck by a heavy blow, sending him flying far away.
Seeing Yuyunzi's pathetic state, Yuhezi felt a chill in his heart and gritted his teeth.
"Senior Brother!"
Li Tongya's sword light immediately suppressed them, knocking their dharma swords away. Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng's arrows continued their onslaught, each arrow following one after another.
Although they were not as powerful as the first, fully charged shot, they still forced the two into a sorry state, sparking the idea of a retreat.
Lingyanzi was astonished, not expecting Li Tongya to be able to fend off two attackers alone, let alone twist their fates around.
"Brother, do not kill these two... Changxiao Gate members carry tracking dharma seals that can mark the person who kills them. It's best if I finish them off!" he warned quickly.
Hearing this, the two from Changxiao Gate became all the more terrified. They hurriedly deployed their mana shields and talismans, unleashing their last-resort spells.
Yuyunzi used a jade bead that was flashing with white light, while Yuhezi ignited a glowing red flame on his sword. For a moment, they stood their ground against Li Tongya and Li Xuanfeng rather courageously.
Li Tongya's impression of Lingyanzi instantly improved upon hearing this, nodding.
So... Changxiao Gate has such measures, eh? I'm guessing Lingyanzi's Purple Smoke Gate must have similar ones... This is enlightening! This method might seem clever, essentially restricting one's actions during combat! However, it's useless when facing a formidable enemy that ends up crippling them and feeding them to demonic beasts.
Lingyanzi suddenly approached with renewed energy, his body enveloped in a radiant purple shield, neutralizing the enemies' attacks. The two sensed danger and exchanged glances, clearly prepared to flee the scene on their flying shuttles.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Lingyanzi, clearly harboring deep hatred, laughed coldly and activated his spirit bead. The Purple Smoke Spirit Shield buzzed loudly before expanding and trapping all four of them, thwarting their escape.
Li Tongya, now finding himself inside someone else's formation, remained alert. However, he could not help but praise, "Such a fine treasure! I expected no less of a Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact..."
The two were immediately thrown into a state of panic, cursing under their breath.
As Li Xuanfeng's arrows failed to penetrate the formation, Li Tongya advanced with his sword.
Lingyanzi harried them from the sidelines, exploiting their growing desperation as their mana reserves dwindled, visibly darkening their expressions.
"Fellow Daoist, whatever Lingyanzi has promised you, we can promise the same. Killing us would only bring the scrutiny of Changxiao Gate upon you! Can we stop here and pretend that we've never met each o-..."
However, before they could even finish uttering that sentence, Li Tongya had swung his long sword, thrusting it toward Yuyunzi's abdomen.
Depleted of mana and barely able to remain standing in the air, Yuyunzi was not spared despite the pleading look on his face.
"ARGH!"
Yuyunzi cried out, his face contorted in pain.
The sword pierced through his abdomen effortlessly. As it was pulled out, his intestines and stomach spilled out immediately, causing a gory scene. Surprisingly, the blade remained unstained by blood.
Being at the Qi Cultivation Realm did not make one immune to pain. Yuyunzi trembled in agony, his complexion turning deathly pale, and he was sweating bullets.
Lingyanzi blocked Yuhezi's dharma sword and counterattacked, decapitating Yuyunzi one swift stroke. Both his body and head fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Lingyanzi, relieved and pleased, felt as though he had downed five bowls of spicy soup in one breath. His face and body was also drenched in sweat.
He approached Yuhezi, ignoring his pleas for mercy as he chopped him into pieces.
"That was truly satisfying!" Lingyanzi remarked with a laugh.
Li Tongya held his sword and looked at him, his sword technique still ready. "Quickly dissolve the formation, fellow Daoist..." he said cautiously.
Internally he pondered to himself— albeit greedily.
The Purple Smoke Spirit Shield is indeed a fascinating treasure, tempting even! Now that Lingyanzi is also nearly exhausted... perhaps...?
Lingyanzi smiled awkwardly and dissolved the formation created by the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield.
Watching Li Tongya pick up the two men's storage pouches, he quickly warned, "Absolutely not!"
Li Tongya, puzzled, glanced at him. Lingyanzi then explained softly, "Disciples of the three sects and seven gates often craft dharma tokens that, when paired with the formations on their storage pouches, record everything from the last time the storage pouch was opened. If you are not the rightful owner and you open this storage pouch, the token will vanish like smoke instantly and within moments, the entire Changxiao Gate will know who has killed their disciple!"
Li Tongya was startled, remembering that Li Chejing had also shown him such a token before when he visited his home.
Realizing the truth of Lingyanzi's words, he thought to himself, The centuries-old traditions of the three sects and seven gates do indeed have their methods. No wonder everyone fears their disciples... I was tempted by the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield but having now offended Changxiao Gate, it's better to befriend Lingyanzi!
Thus, he cupped his fist and thanked him graciously.
"Thank you for the warning."
"Not at all! It's I who should be thanking you... Along my journey, I encountered ten rogue cultivators and six families, but only the Li Family extended help. I am eternally grateful!" Lingyanzi replied earnestly, eliciting a slight smile from Li Tongya.
He thought to himself in resignation, I guess the hot potato has indeed been passed to the Li Family! Having killed these two men but being unable to open the storage pouches, I must extract something valuable from this man as compensation. I shouldn't have to labor in vain!
As Li Xuanfeng descended from the air, Li Tongya cupped his fist and suggested with a smile, "Why don't you come along with me to Li Residence for a visit?"
Lingyanzi initially intended to refuse but then thought to himself, If he had wanted to kill me, it was just a matter of a sword thrust earlier; he wouldn't have needed to lure me into their formation for that... It seems he genuinely wants to befriend me. Perhaps I should accept the invitation?