The dark pearl exploded in midair with a flash of crimson sparks, lighting up the cultivator's face. He froze, shocked.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" he exclaimed in shock.
Almost instinctively, he reached for a talisman in his sleeve. As he prepared to launch the talisman, he fought the impulse suddenly, stepping back and watching the black jade pearl as it fell, producing only a few tiny sparks.
"Phew..."
The cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his brow and then retrieved the jade pearl. He chuckled coldly. Noting that the crimson light was already too far off for him to catch up to it, he muttered, "What a clever man. He stuck a piece of talisman on this pearl and nearly fooled me with it... Fortunately, years of fighting experience have saved me from wasting a precious protective treasure."
"Unfortunately, I still need to proceed to the formation point. I'll have to let this one go... The Li Family, huh? I've heard they're a sword immortal clan... With Li Tongya dead, I suppose I can lead my people through there..."
He cast a distant glance at Li Xuanxuan and abruptly turned away. Li Yuanyun had already scrambled to his feet and sprinted a dozen chi within moments.
The black-robed cultivator let out a cold laugh and snapped his fingers.
"AH!"
A white aura, swift as a meteor, struck Li Yuanyun's exposed back. He had time only for a brief cry of pain before his skin and flesh vanished, immediately becoming reduced to a heap of white bones that was scattered across the ground.
The marketplace was in chaos, littered with signs of the recent skirmish. In the pulsating light of the white formation, the cultivator surnamed Qiu let out a hearty laugh and flew toward the formation point where he was supposed to be heading to.
Li Xuanxuan, employing the potent Blood Escape Technique, sped forward. Ahead lay the Xiao Family's grand formation, flickering intermittently, its energy undulating like water ripples—clearly on the verge of collapse due to both internal and external pressures.
He stared intently at it. Though it was noon, darkness and swirling devilish smoke enveloped the outside. He paused, hesitant to venture out.
"Who knows how many devil cultivators are lurking outside, just waiting for this formation to break and swarm in... all eager to plunder this market... If I go out recklessly now, I risk becoming the appetizer for those fiends!"
Blood qi and mana were flowing out of him like a river that had burst its banks. Li Xuanxuan could barely endure it, and the vivid red of his shield was also too conspicuous to maintain.
Looking back and seeing that the black-robed cultivator had not followed, Li Xuanxuan quickly deactivated the technique and stumbled into the street, coughing painfully. Every part of his body ached. He checked himself with his spiritual consciousness, only to find himself much thinner with a ghastly visage.
"Fortunately, it's not as bad as it could have been," Li Xuanxuan murmured with a quiet sigh of relief.
He had narrowly escaped death by employing the Blood Escape Technique, bracing for the severe toll it could take on his vital qi. To his surprise, it had merely shortened his lifespan and altered his appearance.
He suddenly winced in pain. The wound on his hand was deep, exposing his bone, and blood was spilling copiously.
Li Xuanxuan sealed the wound with mana, cast several healing spells, and swallowed two pills hastily. "Venturing out now seems impossible. Qiuyang must still be around the marketplace, hiding somewhere... and Yuanyun is probably dead by now..." he muttered somberly to himself.
Li Xuanxuan almost could not breathe. Li Xuanling had only died recently, followed by Li Tongya. Now, with Li Xuanling's son also dead in the marketplace, the weight of his guilt was unbearable...
If not for Li Qinghong, who now stood as one of the two strongest cultivators in the family, and Xicheng and Xijun, who each possessed a spiritual orifice, the lineage of Li Tongya would be on the brink of extinction.
Reflecting on these circumstances deepened Li Xuanxuan's sorrow, a feeling that overshadowed even the loss of years from his life.
Looking at the sky, Li Xuanxuan realized his only chance to escape was to wait for the devil cultivators to break the grand formation and swarm into this marketplace.
He paused to rest, catching his breath and recalibrating the qi within his body. His mind began racing with thoughts.
This invasion is too sudden! Aren't the devil cultivators still in neighboring prefectures...? How did they traverse the vast Mushroom Forest Plain and appear in Lixia Prefecture unnoticed?!
Does... Xiao Chuting know about this?!
He huddled in a corner to remain unseen as more thoughts continued racing through his head.
The marketplace was under the supervision of Xiao Yongling, a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, he was reassigned five years ago, leaving only Xiao Ruyu, who is still a Qi Cultivator here... No, maybe Xiao Ruyu has already left the mountain long ago!
Li Xuanxuan looked up at Cloud Crowned Peak which was shrouded in dark clouds, his heart filled with unease. If Qiu, planted in the market as a spy, was already a peak Qi Cultivator, that must mean that the Cloud Crowned Peak was currently surrounded by Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators!
"Four..."
Li Xuanxuan observed silently. After Xiao Yongling's reassignment, the Xiao Family had only one or two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators left at the marketplace on the Cloud Crowned Peak. They were clearly outnumbered and forced into a defensive stance.
"It takes the time to burn a stick of incense to travel here from Xianyou Peak, and a quarter of that time has already passed."
Li Xuanxuan's expression was grim. He was painfully aware of his modest abilities—merely at the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm and not adept in combat.
If the situation escalated into chaos, he feared the worst.
BOOM!
The attic before him exploded with a loud bang, and as scorching flames erupted, Li Qiuyang's hurried steps halted. He looked up at the sky, awash with streaks of light, and felt torn.
"That black-robed cultivator is most likely a devil cultivator... Brother Xuan probably sent me out to seek help from the Xiao Family... But given the current situation, the Xiao Family can hardly protect themselves, let alone assist others!"
The marketplace sprawled around Cloud Crowned Peak, crowned by a grand formation that enveloped the entire area. Numerous nodes were scattered throughout the market.
Amidst the dark clouds looming over the peak, Li Qiuyang spotted several black-robed cultivators. It was then that he realized that seeking help by ascending the mountain would be futile.
As the angry shouts of the other black-robed cultivators that were wreaking havoc in the marketplace filled the air, a sense of foreboding grew within Li Qiuyang. Hiding under the eaves, he brooded darkly.
Brother Xuan must be fighting that cultivator right now... That man is a peak Qi cultivator. How can Brother Xuan possibly hold his ground...?
He wanted to step forward but paused, gripped by hesitation.
But I am just an unrefined Qi Cultivator... I'd be killed instantly by the devil cultivators as soon as I stepped out! How can I even stand a chance to help Brother Xuan?!
Outside, the battle raged with cries of pain and splattering blood. Gritting his teeth, Li Qiuyang knew he could not remain hidden for long without being discovered. He quietly activated a Qi Restraining Technique before cautiously venturing out.
The black-robed devil cultivator ahead was an early-stage Qi Cultivator and was wielding a large ax. He radiated a fierce aura, laughing maniacally as he swung his weapon.
Opposite him, a group of Xiao Family cultivators stood in formation, led by a figure who had only recently attained the Qi Cultivation Realm. Li Qiuyang, familiar with the local cultivators, recognized him and recalled their brief interactions.
Behind him stood five cultivators of the third and fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm holding white mana light in their hands that formed a small, shimmering formation. Each time the devil cultivator's axe struck, the formation shook, threatening to collapse under the force.
A chill ran down Li Qiuyang's spine. He had often seen Xiao Family's cultivators resolve disputes with calm efficiency, but now they struggled to hold their ground. It was his first time witnessing such a formidable battle.
The Xiao Family's cultivators are strong, and they have always been regarded as formidable among their peers. Yet, they have to form a defensive formation just to withstand this devil cultivator's assault!
Li Qiuyang reached into his sleeve and pulled out two talismans—one early-stage and one late-stage Qi Cultivation Realm—which he had initially planned to sell for Spirit Stones.
Holding them tightly, he prepared for action.
The Xiao Family's cultivators, sweating under pressure, glanced up and caught sight of Li Qiuyang hiding in the distance. A fleeting relief flickered across their faces before they swiftly resumed a guise of anxiety. Quietly, they marshaled their strength, preparing to coordinate their counterattack with Li Qiuyang.
Understanding their intentions, Li Qiuyang slowly channeled his mana into the talisman in his hand. As soon as it glowed with a red aura, he cried out loudly, "RELEASE!"