The Qingche Sword still contained a sword intent that had been nurtured by Li Chejing. Li Tongya didn't need to use a cow cleaver to kill a chicken; he only needed to use the sword to execute his sword technique. The Celestial Moon Sword Intent was fleeting but grand, making the demon feel like it was indeed facing a formidable foe.
The three beams of moonlight circled the wolf demon which were followed by Li Tongya's sword qi, forcing the demon to retreat step by step. The sword qi made its fur stand on end, and amidst the relentless assault, the demon repeatedly begged for mercy.
In a duel, the role of a Foundation Establishment Realm artifact was significant, especially an immortal sword that seemed to have gained sentience.
The wolf demon unleashed several spells, trying to ride the wind with its demonic qi, but the Qingche Sword struck it down each time, gradually leading it to complete despair.
Li Tongya, with his abundant mana, used the Qingche Sword to disperse the wolf demon's spells and suppress it. The demon, now exhausted and out of power, growled dangerously, "Why do you insist on destroying my Dao and taking my life today, fellow Daoist? I just cannot understand why I must suffer such a deadly fate!"
Its voice was no longer pleading, but instead was now dripping with hatred.
Li Tongya merely waved his hand in response. The Qingche Sword suppressed the exhausted wolf demon, who could no longer resist. The sharp blade hovered over its brow.
Li Tongya smiled and said, "You want to eat humans, so I will eat you. It is as simple as that."
With that, he struck the wolf demon with his palm, sealing its Dao foundation, then proceeding to seal its Qihai Acupoint and Shenyang Mansion as well. Just to be safe, he took out a few talismans and slapped them on the demon before dragging its massive body down the mountain.
Once out of the misty mountain, radiant sunlight flooded the surroundings, casting the scenery in a bright and cheerful light. Li Tongya landed at the foot of the mountain where several small demons were tightly bound—a pair of early Qi Cultivation Realm wolf demons, an old mid-stage Qi Cultivation Realm wolf, and a peak Qi Cultivation Realm bear demon.
The members of the Li Family were in good condition. Li Xuanfeng engaged the bear demon in combat while the others handled the three smaller demons, eventually subduing the bear together.
All of them were seasoned in demon extermination, except for Shamoli, who, in his eagerness, sustained a heavy blow that left him somewhat dispirited. Fortunately, the rest of the group seemed unscathed.
Seeing Li Tongya descend with the wolf demon in tow, everyone instantly felt relieved. Li Xuanling said, "Brother Feng was about to go up the mountain to find you, but we stopped him."
Li Tongya nodded. With the presence of the external cultivators, he did not say much and only gave a simple instruction to the group.
"Let us return home."
————
Back at home, Li Xuanxuan had already made the necessary arrangements for the sacrificial ritual. The external cultivators were given Spirit Stones and dismissed. Shamoli returned to Eastern Mount Yue. Since Li Feiruo was pregnant, An Zheyan had paused his cultivation to keep her accompanied at the foot of the mountain.
The Li Family had not held a sacrificial ceremony for several years, making this year's ceremony particularly grand. The altar was divided into two—one at the foot of the mountain, holding a Qi Cultivation Realm demon, and one on the mountain, where the wolf demon and other demons were placed.
With so many eyes watching eagerly, the sacrificial ceremony could be understood as a local custom. Bringing a Qi Cultivation Realm demon to be killed could be seen as a way to intimidate and reassure the people. However, having the ancestor painstakingly capture a Foundation Establishment Realm demon general to slaughter on the altar would certainly arouse suspicion.
The atmosphere at the foot of the mountain was lively while the mountain top was much quieter, with only the direct members of the Li Family present. The round altar was polished to a reflective shine, and was engraved with intricate patterns.
The wolf demon, with its six senses now sealed and cultivation suppressed, was immobile, kneeling like a puppet on the platform.
Among their own, there was no need for any disguises. The altar displayed the gleaming bluish-gray mirror prominently, reflecting the moonlight and drawing attention.
"The Li Family of Lijing offers respect along with fine delicacies and wine with unwavering devotion year upon year. We exterminate demons to safeguard the fields, observe the three yuan festivals and six regular festivals, and maintain reverence, ensuring to pay timely respects... Through the smoke of our offerings and the blood of our sacrifice, we call upon the gods, seeking their blessings."
Despite its unwillingness, the wolf demon succumbed easily under the jade knife. The rising blood qi, mingling with the light-colored incense smoke, flowed onto the surface of the mirror.
Lu Jiangxian gently swept his sleeve, condensing the incense and essence qi before him into colorful clusters of light. He picked one up and murmured, "This is the first time it has been so plentiful..."
Almost like harvesting cotton, he lifted a strand of the colorful light, bundled it up, and condensed it into a blank Foundation Establishment Realm talisman.
"Li Yuanjiao... or Li Qinghong..."
Foundation Establishment Realm demons were rare, and those that could be easily captured without any backing were even rarer. This blank talisman would determine the harvest for a long time to come...
"Li Yuanjiao... logically, he should be the future successor to Li Tongya's position, suppressing external families. His cultivation talent is quite excellent, only slightly inferior to Li Qinghong's... Li Qinghong has a strong desire for the Dao, is diligent in cultivation, and has the highest compatibility with talisman seeds since the founding of the Li Family. It truly is a difficult choice..." Lu Jiangxian mumbled as he pinched another wisp from the cloud, extracting a gray talisman at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Gathering the remaining cloud, Lu Jiangxian thought to himself, Let's use the power of deduction to decide.
Lu Jiangxian, now far more skilled, had mastered many techniques in shamanic spell and talisman arts. He had used most of the power of deduction taken from Liu Changdie, and now drew another strand, using the remaining cloud as a propellant. Closing his eyes, he deduced for a moment and received only one word before him.
"Jiao."
Lu Jiangxian shrugged, flicked his finger, and the white talisman floated toward Li Yuanjiao's forehead. His vision darkened as he saw a jade-colored brush stroke sketch out the words— Flowing Qi Swallowing Spirit .
The bearer of this talisman could absorb qi swiftly, command clouds, disperse spirit mist, and ascend freely between heaven and earth.
The thin writing in the second line exuded a chilling aura— Ice Bones Frosty Flesh .
This talisman qi could also enhance the efficiency of qi absorption, allowing one to command snow and ice, greatly benefiting the cultivation of frost-related techniques.
"The Li Family does not have any frost techniques..."
Lu Jiangxian glanced at the options, then picked the Flowing Qi Swallowing Spirit talisman before sending the gray talisman into Li Qinghong's Shenyang Mansion.
After a pause, a dark red seal script[1] appeared before his eyes, looking extremely fierce and bearing the words— Vast Sky Fierce Sparrow .
The bearer of this talisman could move with exceptional agility, adept in both evasion and combat. Their bravery would be intensified at the sight of blood, enhancing their blood qi... making them formidable in battle and masters of wind manipulation.
"Not bad."
Lu Jiangxian flicked his finger once more, embedding the talisman qi into Li Qinghong's Shenyang Mansion.
A sense of curiosity stirred in his heart as he mused, This talisman qi is indeed peculiar, varying so distinctly in each person... This Vast Sky Fierce Sparrow talisman seems similar to Li Tongya's Deep Ocean Long Whale talisman. When Li Xiangping received his talisman, the offering was merely an early-stage Qi Cultivation Realm demon, yet he acquired the Evade Death, Prolong Life divine ability. While the quality of the talisman qi is significant, it seems like its recipient matters too...
1. Seal script is a type of Chinese calligraphy adopted as the formal script across all of China during the Qin dynasty. ☜