The talisman floated gently in the air, emitting a pale white light that illuminated the surroundings. Bloodstains and severed limbs appeared before them, glowing faintly in the darkness.
Li Qinghong glanced around her, a flash of anger in her eyes. The man beside her bowed his head respectfully and reported, "Twenty-seven families, one hundred and ten people... not a single survivor."
Li Qinghong narrowed her eyes as she pressed her spear to the ground, and then cast a spell to investigate, murmuring, "No demonic qi... It was not the work of a demon. It must have been a bloodthirsty cultivator."
Swoosh...
As Li Qinghong was still carefully observing the scene before her, a black dart suddenly shot toward her, imbued with mana light and tied with a dark thread. It traveled in her direction quickly before disappearing into the darkness.
Li Qinghong had been on guard. She flicked her black hair, and with a thrust of her spear, a purple light exploded. The black dart was struck and fell to the ground crookedly.
Li Qinghong called out loudly, "Who dares to seek blood in the Li Family's territory?! You are quite bold to be lurking here, fellow Daoist!"
A black mist surged from the darkness, revealing a withered old man with an unpleasant expression, dragging the black thread on the ground with a clinking sound. The old man glanced at Li Qinghong, frowned, and said, "Why make a big deal out of this, young lady? I have not harmed any of your clan. I am merely passing through your immortal clan's territory, resting here and feeding on some two-legged sheep. You are being overly aggressive... Shouldn't a prestigious clan be more generous?"
Li Qinghong scrutinized him, her eyes brightening. The purple hue in her eyes grew more intense with more ferocity. Hearing the old man refer to "immortal clan's territory" and "two-legged sheep," which were terms used only in the northern Zhao and Yan States, she realized he was from the north and exclaimed joyfully, "So, you are from Jiangbei! Judging by your appearance, you must be a devil cultivator... Let us have a duel and broaden our horizons!"
Without waiting for the old man's reaction, she had already swung her spear at him. The old man had no choice but to roll up his sleeves, puffing out a cloud of black smoke.
Within the smoke, men and women of all ages that were shabbily dressed appeared out of thin air, all with expressions of joy.
Li Qinghong was unfazed. As her spear struck its target, thunder erupted. Thunder was inherently effective against evil, and it quickly dispersed the smoke. The men and women within screamed in agony. The old man, now terrified, cursed loudly, "Damn it, you are a thunder cultivator!"
This was Li Qinghong's first time fighting a non-Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao cultivator. She remained cautious, avoiding close combat. Her spear gathered thunder, which she then hurled at the old man. He took two hits before he could no longer contain his rage and cursed, "How dare a mere Qi Cultivator bully me!"
With that, his robes exploded, revealing a thin and decayed body. He let out a loud roar, and from his abdomen emerged a mass of flesh which quickly transformed into a giant, bald green head with two bloodshot red eyes the size of heads, staring straight ahead. The eyes were dreadfully bloodshot and teary, and his sharp, white teeth gleamed brilliantly.
"So, this is a devil cultivator... Truly a monstrous sight to behold!"
Li Qinghong thrust her spear once more, with thunder rippling out like water.
The monstrous creature spat out a bloody mist, nullifying her attack, and cursed, "Damn it, watch your mouth! I cultivate the Path of Benevolent Devil, which is more humane than your Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao!"
At this moment, the aura around the monstrous creature had risen to the sixth or seventh heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Although he was cursing harshly, he showed no real intent to fight.
He was, after all, a devil cultivator who had attained the status of a Master Monk, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Realm in the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao. He had been consuming humans along the way without any issues, until today. He simply could not restrain his gluttony and had eaten a bit too much. Now, he regretted it.
Most prestigious clanswould not trouble him unnecessarily, considering the reputation of both sides. However, if he encountered a clan who brought the matter to light, he would be at a disadvantage. Hence, he could not afford to injure Li Qinghong.
"I have heard the Li Family is a sword immortal family. Since this girl is proficient in thunder techniques... Her background must be extraordinary."
The devil cultivator found himself in a difficult position—unable to retaliate against Li Qinghong's relentless thunder attacks or escape without compromising his dignity as a Master Monk. His only choice was to endure, hoping that an elder from the Li Family would arrive soon to defuse the situation.
Li Qinghong, after two strikes, realized that this old man was definitely stronger than her, likely at the sixth or seventh heavenly layer of Qi Cultivation Realm. Despite his strength, he seemed reluctant to fight, leading to a stalemate. She took out a jade pendant and silently crushed it, thinking, I haven't even used my talisman qi yet... If this old devil decides to kill, I should be able hold out until reinforcements arrive.
Lightning crackled at the foot of Mount Yuting. Despite the devil cultivator's superior strength, he struggled against Li Qinghong's forceful and aggressive thunder attacks. His cultivation appeared to be waning, driving him into a state of panic. He shouted, "Stop, young lady! Your technique is damaging my cultivation. If this continues, I will be forced to retaliate seriously!"
Li Qinghong paused slightly, noticing two beams of mana light approaching from both sides. One person arrived with a sword, looking anxious and fierce, while the other, appearing in his forties or fifties, looked solemn and stern, shouting, "Who dares to cause trouble in the Li Family's territory?"
It was Li Yuanjiao and Tian Youdao. Tian Youdao had also successfully broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm, becoming the third external Qi Cultivator of the Li Family. He cultivated a Grade Two technique provided to external families and had broken through using the Minor Pure Spiritual Qi.
The two landed beside Li Qinghong with Li Yuanjiao remaining vigilant, thinking to himself, This person arrived at a convenient time, just as An Zheyan and Uncle Donghe were away... Only a few of us are left at home. We might not be able to handle him without alarming the ancestor.
The devil cultivator, seeing more people arriving, quickly undid his bloody devilish form and returned to his human appearance. With a hint of bitterness, he introduced himself, "I am Murong Xia. I came to the south for a journey, passing through the immortal clan's territories. Indeed.... I consumed some two-legged sheep. If I have caused offense, I seek your forgiveness. They were merely mortals, not worth making enemies over."
Li Yuanjiao frowned upon hearing this. Li Qinghong whispered, "Twenty-seven families, one hundred and ten people."
Murong Xia was stunned. Though old, he understood from Li Qinghong's words that these people did not resent him for taking without asking, but genuinely despised him for eating humans.
He immediately cupped his fist and responded sincerely, "You have lived in Jiangnan for a long time and may not be familiar with our devil sect's teachings. The immortal sects often said that we devil cultivators are inherently evil and revel in eating humans, but this is a big misunderstanding."
Li Yuanjiao and the others found his words rather amusing and exchanged quick glances with each other. They watched Murong Xia continue earnestly, "Even those facing death are allowed their last words. Please hear me out and do not condemn all devil cultivators."
Li Yuanjiao, seeing more and more townspeople gathering with uneasy looks on their faces, frowned and said, "This is not the place to talk. Please come with us to the mountain."
"Fine!" Murong Xia agreed surprisingly without fear, nodding.
Li Yuanjiao gestured politely, and the group headed up the mountain together despite the tension earlier. Li Qinghong sneered and transmitted her voice. "Eating humans is eating humans... Can he really talk his way out of this?"
Li Yuanjiao silently shook his head and replied through mana voice transmission, "The mountain has a grand formation and the ancestor's suppression. Once he enters the formation, we can handle him as we please."