Li Yuanping waited respectfully inside the cave, his heart pounding with apprehension until the fox finally emerged, looking dejected.
Rushing forward, Li Yuanping's eyes burned with anxiety.
"Senior! How is my family's ancestor?" he blurted out.
"Our family's ancestor..?"
The fox glanced at him, then straightened up suddenly. Its eyes darted around before it spoke, its voice heavy with sadness.
"There isn't much time left for him..."
"What?!"
Li Yuanping was dismayed. Li Tongya had clearly spoken of several more years... How could time be running out for him when only less than a year had passed?
The fox seized the moment to continue, "I have a way that could save your ancestor."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanping's eyes widened with hope.
"Please tell me, Senior!"
"We'll need fresh human hearts, spleens, stomachs... totaling six thousand for each. Bring them here, and I will teach you the method to gather blood qi. In less than three years, we may heal Li Tongya's injuries."
Li Yuanping stood there in shock as he listened to the fox. Thoughts raced through his mind as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword until his knuckles turned white. His lips trembled for a few moments before he finally let out a sigh.
"Senior, my family forbids the practice of blood sacrifice..." he said softly, his face turning pale.
The fox was crestfallen and fell silent. Together, they descended the mountain in silence. As they reached the foot of the mountain, the fox deliberately paused and said with a slight smile, "I'm always on Mount White Banyan. Feel free to come visit if you need anything."
Li Yuanping nodded lightly. The White Banyan Fox clicked its tongue twice, then vanished into the wind.
Li Yuanping's bottom lip nearly bled as he bit down on it, watching as the fox disappeared. Finally, after a long moment, he released his grip on his sword and left the mountain.
His mind was in turmoil. Not only Li Tongya's injuries but even his own frail health and damaged root bone could also be remedied by these methods...
"Yuanping, send a hundred jin of Spirit Rice to the Elder White Banyan Fox every year."
Li Yuanping's heart felt heavy and unsettled when Li Tongya gave him this instruction. It rang in his ears like a warning bell, momentarily clearing his mind. Nevertheless, he heeded it respectfully before quickly descending the mountain.
————
"Quite an intriguing fox..." Lu Jiangxian remarked as he leaned against the jade table leisurely, watching the fox depart reluctantly.
In his sight, the fox shimmered with pure Dharma light from head to tail, exuding a calm and neutral aura. Such an aura was quite uncommon for a demon.
"This fox told Li Tongya that it was born in the wild, but its body radiated with mana light—clearly indicating an inherited lineage and profound background."
Though Lu Jiangxian had yet to recover to the Purple Mansion Realm and could not predict the demon fox's fate, he could already discern this fox's extraordinary background.
He silently pondered to himself, Judging by its insight and knowledge, this fox might be backed by one of the top Purple Mansion demons from the demon den... I wonder what its purpose is in approaching the Li Family.
Even though the Wrathful Maha had perished and Lu Jiangxian had saved Li Tongya, the matter was far from over.
Wrathful Maha, who had dedicated years to his cultivation and amassed a wealth of golden essence, carried a formidable fate. Upon his death, his fate scattered and dispersed throughout the great void, wandering aimlessly.
Daoist Master Shangyuan, either disdainful or no longer finding these fates useful, sheathed his sword and departed. Meanwhile, the nine Purple Mansion Realm cultivators pursued them through the great void, creating a grand spectacle that Lu Jiangxian found interesting.
"The Golden Feather Sect and Azure Pond Sect seem to have gained the most from this affair. Xiao Chuting, if not for his lack of combat prowess due to Man On Creek , could have benefited even more."
His intervention this time had thoroughly exhausted Lu Jiangxian. Yawning, he felt a weariness seep into his heart. He glanced at Li Tongya, who held the night pearl-like Huashang Fruit in his hands, then condensed a talisman pill and sent it into the great void with a flick of his fingers.
"I can't let you suffer too greatly either," he mumbled.
The pure talisman qi obtained through the ritual and condensed by the mirror could enhance the cultivation and the root bone of the demon fox once infused into its body.
Behind the demon fox likely lurked at most a Purple Mansion Realm demon cultivator.
Judging by the look of things, the fox had roamed freely for many years, so Lu Jiangxian had nothing to worry about the Purple Mansion Realm demon detecting something in it.
"I wonder if I've grown more cautious due to my prolonged stay with the Li Family..." Lu Jiangxian mused silently, a faint smile playing on his lips.
In the secret chamber of the Li Family's ancestral hall, the bluish-gray mirror slowly floated into the air, releasing ethereal wisps of moonlight. Like mist, the wisps filled the dark room. From the surface of a shattered mirror emerged a brilliant, radiant stream of light.
This luminous stream seemed to be imbued with a life of its own, meandering through the air with purpose. It effortlessly traversed through thick stone walls, passed through layers of dense formations, and penetrated the golden Sun Rite Profound Light Formation, finally catching up to the demon fox.
The stream of light pulsated with a rhythmic beat and then entered the back of the White Banyan Fox's head. The fox remained oblivious to its presence, continuing on its silent flight toward Mount Dali.
————
Meanwhile at the Yu Residence...
"So you're saying that... Li Tongya has either perished alongside that Maha or suffered grave injuries?" Yu Xiaogui asked in a hushed tone, narrowing his eyes at Yu Mugao who was dressed in white.
Yu Mugao shook his head, gazing at the folding fan in his hand. Absent-mindedly, he traced his finger along its cool, smooth guard.
He replied casually, "It was just my speculation. Who knows, maybe Li Tongya sustained irreversible damage during the process of slaying the Maha?"
Yu Mugao's face, once marked by a red palm print, had regained its usual pale complexion. Despite his middle-aged appearance, he spoke with a deliberate calmness.
"I heard that no one had seen him ever since he slayed the Maha, so I dispatched someone to investigate the Li Family's store in Cloud Crowned Peak's marketplace..."
"Store?" Yu Xiaogui frowned, pausing briefly before Yu Mugao chuckled and added, "Reports indicated a shortage of healing and invigorating spirit item supplies."
"Oh? You're quite thorough!" Yu Xiaogui praised as he raised an eyebrow and delight filled his eyes.
Observing Yu Mugao leisurely sipping his tea, Yu Xiaogui continued thoughtfully, "Your attention to detail is impressive. Back in the day, the only one capable of managing every aspect of the household without a leak, and even capable of betrayal, was Li Yuanxiu. Even Fei Wangbai had his vulnerabilities."
Yu Mugao's expression hardened slightly and muttered, "If not for our family's constraints and internal strife, Fei Wangbai wouldn't have managed to hold us back for so long... allowing the Li Family to flourish for naught."
Yu Xiaogui seemed uneasy, reminded of the lingering troubles from his tenure as family head. Each mention of these matters by his eldest son left him silent, prompting a quick change of subject.
"These are mere speculations on healing spirit items... Li Tongya's absence may simply be due to secluded cultivation."
"Agreed," Yu Mugao nodded gently, prompting Yu Xiaogui to inquire further, "What are your intentions?"
A faint smile played on Yu Mugao's lips, years of setbacks having sharpened rather than dulled his resolve.
"Test the waters."
The father and son exchanged glances as a servant hastily entered the room.
A fleeting look of surprise crossed the servant's face upon seeing Yu Xiaogui. He quickly bowed his head and respectfully cupped his fist to Yu Mugao, reporting, "Family Head... The Fei Family has sealed their mountain!"
"What?!"