"Where are the Xiao Family members?"
Li Yuanjiao led the members of his family forward and stopped more than ten li away from Cloud Crowned Peak, in front of a massive formation that shrouded the sky. They hovered in mid-air, their expressions grim.
The entire Cloud Crowned Peak was enveloped in a fog and the formation was riddled with cracks. Four or five Immortal Foundations manifested. Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators surrounded the peak, deterring any approach.
"Something's gone terribly wrong with the Xiao Family!" Li Qinghong said, her eyes alight with anxiety. She carried the White Iris Spear on her back and clutched a gray spear of the Qi Cultivation Realm in her hand. Her gaze, tinged with a hint of purple, was fixed intently on the formation.
"It only takes the time taken for an incense stick to burn to get here from Xianyou Peak... The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator should have beaten us here from Mount Lijing, if he meant to come at all. They must have been detained by someone!" she exclaimed.
The group fell silent, each person grappling with the gravity of the situation. The Xiao Family was the Li Family's main supporter, and the thought of them in distress was unbearable—not to mention that their own family members were still trapped in the marketplace...
"My dear!"
While Li Yuanjiao and the others were waiting anxiously, a woman suddenly approached them, riding on the wind. Her elegant face was tinged with anxiety as well, just like the rest. It was Xiao Guiluan, who had rushed over upon hearing of Xiao Family's plight.
"Luan'er...There are likely many devil cultivators ahead, do not go any further!" Li Yuanjiao instructed as he moved to intercept her, his tone firm.
Despite her estrangement from her father, Xiao Guiluan remained deeply connected to the Xiao Family who had raised her. She glanced toward the besieged Xiao Family marketplace with distress, knowing that her uncle, Xiao Ruyu, was likely trapped inside.
"The ancestor must be held up by someone! Xianyou Peak and Mount Yu are surely under attack, preventing any rescue at the Cloud Crowned Peak marketplace... Xiao Ruyu, who has always looked after our family store, is also trapped inside!" she exclaimed.
Li Yuanjiao's heart was equally fraught with worry and concern, but he maintained a composed exterior to comfort his wife.
"Xiao Ruyu is one of the Xiao Family's strongest peak Qi Cultivators... He surely has some means of escape. There's no need to worry!"
As they spoke in hushed tones, a thunderous boom resounded in the sky.
Rumble!
A flash of white filled everyone's vision.
The Xiao Family's meticulously crafted Foundation Establishment Realm formation, which had held on for an hour, finally shattered like glass, disintegrating into a thunder that vanished between heaven and earth.
A swarm of devil cultivators then rode in on a cloud, descending upon the marketplace in a frenzied looting spree. As chaos ensued, the Xiao Family cultivators at Cloud Crowned Peak knew defeat was inevitable and descended the mountain in a desperate bid to escape.
Unfortunately, Cloud Crowned Peak had become the focal point of the devil cultivators' siege, and it was uncertain how many would make it out alive.
"Go!"
As the devil cultivators flooded the marketplace, several onlookers exchanged glances and began to close the distance. After covering a few li, they heard a bellowing cry.
"Chen Taojing of the Xiao Family is here! Don't think you can act as you please!"
In the sky above Cloud Crowned Peak, a brilliant white light flashed, revealing two pale red serpent dragons, their fangs and claws bared in a ferocious display against numerous adversaries. Both serpents had four streams of black qi in their clutches.
It appeared that Chen Taojing had either consumed a powerful elixir or performed some kind of secret technique. The serpent dragons, though oddly colored, were impressively lifelike and formidable.
As his declaration echoed loudly, Li Yuanjiao felt the Dragon Coiling Pillar at his waist buzz and tremble, as if on the verge of flying through the air. He quickly pressed down on it in alarm.
"I heard about this Chen Taojing from Uncle... He's a formidable swordsman. However, Why then does his presence agitate the Dragon Coiling Pillar so much..?"
While he pondered, a mocking voice cut through his thoughts.
"Chen Taojing of the Xiao Family? Hahahahaha..."
A female devil cultivator's laughter rang out shrilly as if she had just heard the funniest joke. After a pause, the voice softened to a taunt.
"I heard that the Xiao Family used to be the lapdogs of Lingyu Gate's Chen Family... How amusing that the roles have reversed in a mere hundred years, and now it's the Chen Family who bows to the Xiao!"
Chen Taojing paused in the air as if trying to identify something before sneering coldly.
"Here I thought what sort of devil plague this was... Turns out it's just something that crawled out of the tower!"
"Shut up!"
The female voice, now furious, let out several shrill screams. The black qi in the air grew restless, quickly encircling Chen Taojing and muffling his words.
Seeing that the Foundation Establishment Realm devil cultivators in the sky were entangled and immobilized, Li Yuanjiao saw an opportunity. He turned to the group behind him and whispered, "Master An and I have the highest cultivation realm here, we' will approach and assess the situation. The rest of you wait here."
Upon hearing the instruction, An Zheyan stepped forward. Behind him, Li Qinghong pursed her lips, quickly grasping Li Yuanjiao's intent.
She drew the White Iris Spear from her back and said softly, "Big Brother, my thunder technique is highly effective against demons and devils, and it should also work well against devil cultivators... Why don't you stay here and watch over the group while Master An and I go ahead to investigate?"
Li Qinghong spoke convincingly, prompting Li Yuanjiao to reconsider his options. Realizing that both he and Li Qinghong could not risk danger simultaneously, he nodded reluctantly and replied with a sigh, "Fine! But retreat immediately if the situation worsens... Do not risk your life."
With that, the two hastened toward the Cloud Crowned Peak Market. Driven by urgency, Li Qinghong and An Zheyan moved swiftly, reaching the market outskirts in mere moments.
They stopped just outside the forest surrounding the marketplace. The ground was stained with blood, and inside, the fire blazed fiercely with smoke billowing everywhere.
An Zheyan shivered slightly but secretly reassured himself.
With her beside me, we should be able to escape unscathed as long as we don't encounter a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator...
Li Qinghong had bested most of the Li Family cultivators in duels. Those in the early stages of Qi Cultivation Realm could not match her, and only those in the middle and late stages could challenge her.
An Zheyan himself could only trade a few hundred blows with her before being inevitably overwhelmed by Li Qinghong's spear.
The only people who possessed the strength to suppress her were Li Yuanjiao and Chen Donghe, who was now away from home. However, should a battle ensue, the outcome would be uncertain, especially considering that Li Qinghong wielded the White Iris Spear, a Foundation Establishment Realm dharma weapon.
An Zheyan had just breathed a sigh of relief when Li Qinghong tightened her grip on her spear, her face turning slightly pale. The devastation around the market was a grim reminder of the peril facing her uncle, Li Xuanxuan, and her clan uncle, Li Qiuyang... not to mention her mortal brother—Li Yuanyun.
Still harboring a sliver of hope, she quickly retrieved a jade pendant from her storage pouch. This pendant could locate others from the main family and their aides within a li or two.
"Oh?"
Upon sensing with her spiritual sense, Li Qinghong was relieved to see two pendants moving together, steadily heading away from the chaos of the market.
Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "Clan Uncle Qiuyang and Uncle Xuan Xuan are together and close by!"
An Zheyan nodded, relieved at their safety. As they descended toward the market, he thought to himself, I only hope that Li Xuanxuan and Li Qiuyang haven't fallen to the same enemy, or had their pendants taken... This woman's wrath would be a force of nature, summoning thunder that could obliterate her enemies, leaving no trace behind!