"The Xiao Family has sent a letter."
An Siwei respectfully presented a small, light green envelope with both hands.
Li Qinghong took it, noting that the letter was as soft as cloth or silk rather than ordinary paper.
To think that they use some kind of spirit cloth for letters... The Xiao Family truly lives up to their reputation as an immortal clan.
An Siwei bowed before withdrawing. Li Qinghong unfolded the letter and read the first line.
"From Guitu: The Liao River is situated in the Liao of northern Yan. The Xiao Family knows little about it and the Liao River Temple is unknown to us. We only know that Liao is a cold and harsh place, where Buddhism cultivation began long ago. Many ascetic cultivators reside there, and the sutras are strictly guarded. Cultivators are often denied access, but there are no notable figures wielding divine abilities. Nowadays, Buddhist cultivators practice the Seven Dharma Forms, which differ significantly from the ways of Liao."
"Northern Yan..."
Li Qinghong put the letter away and ran her fingers along the handle of her spear with a contemplative expression. Suddenly, she detected a fluctuation from the grand formation. A black-clad man appeared and landed on the mountaintop swiftly.
"Qinghong."
"Big Brother!"
Seeing Li Yuanjiao descend, Li Qinghong knew he must have brought the mirror with him. She then handed over the letter, which Li Yuanjiao read with a serious expression. After a moment, he said softly, "Let's descend the mountain to meet him."
Two figures flew out of the grand formation and saw a monk carrying a piece of redwood, splitting it into several pieces with his bare hands before smoothing them, sending wood shavings flying into the wind.
A man clad in black and a beautiful woman landed at the foot of the mountain. The man appeared somber, while the woman in white exuded a commanding presence. Kongheng immediately set the redwood down and rose to his feet.
"Kongheng greets Daoists!"
"I am Li Yuanjiao. I'll gladly answer any questions you have, Master Monk," Li Yuanjiao replied with a calm demeanor.
Kongheng bowed and replied, "I am not fit to be called a Master Monk ... Nevertheless, I am simply passing by and wish to stay here for a while, as a guest cultivator."
Li Yuanjiao smiled and observed Kongheng's serene and clear eyes before refusing politely, "I'm afraid that my modest home is ill-suited to accommodate an esteemed monk like yourself from a grand temple. To the east, half a month's journey away, is the Xiao Residence, home to an immortal clan. Perhaps you might consider visiting them?"
Kongheng shook his head helplessly and responded, "I wish to cultivate in your family's territory for a while. If there's anything I can do, please let me know, Daoist."
Li Yuanjiao was slightly taken aback by Kongheng's insistence on staying despite his suggestion. Behind him, Li Qinghong raised an eyebrow and asked, "How can my family possibly agree to allow you to stay if you don't clarify your intentions?"
Her voice was gentle, yet her tone was firm.
Kongheng simply bowed his head.
"I am facing a calamity and must seek refuge with your family. Please rest assured, I do not practice the Seven Dharma Forms..."
His answer was still vague and unclear. Before Li Qinghong and Li Yuanjiao could continue pressing on, a deafening roar echoed through the sky.
Dark clouds of black qi rose from the town, which was accompanied by loud screams. The clouds swiftly moved through the streets and alleyways, and the town was filled with the sounds of malevolent laughter.
Li Yuanjiao felt heat rising in his chest.
His face darkened as he shouted, "Devil cultivators!"
With a swift motion, he drew a talisman from his sleeve and sent it soaring into the sky where it ignited into crimson flames. Instantly, the grand formations on the Li Family's five mountains activated, and multicolored barriers appeared around the mountains.
As he rested his hand on his Qingche Sword, doubts crept into his mind. He briefly glanced at the monk, who was equally astonished, and thought bitterly to himself, Buddhist cultivators are usually so good at divination... Now, as soon as Kongheng arrives, a demon cultivator appears... Could this be a deliberate act? Some kind of scheme..?"
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, mocking voice.
"Hahaha! You reacted pretty quickly!"
The cloud of devil qi was fast approaching. A rough voice came from the mist, accompanied by a swirling white mist and the indistinct figures of people.
A devil cultivator in black stepped forward. He was a peak Qi Cultivator. He immediately greeted Li Yuanjiao with a palm strike and exclaimed, "Where is Li Xuanxuan? He has certainly made me suffer... Qiu is here to settle the score!"
Having heard about everything that had transpired in the marketplace from Li Xuanxuan, Li Yuanjiao immediately realized the severity of the situation. His heart sank, knowing that this cultivator wielded an unusual and destructive technique that was extremely difficult to deal with.
The Qingche Sword flew from his hand, unleashing a radiant sword arc through the air. The sword qi collided with the white mist, dissipating several of its wisps and forcing them back toward the devil cultivator's face.
"A Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact?!"
Upon seeing his usually invincible spell so easily countered, the devil cultivator was visibly delighted instead of surprised. A greedy glint appeared in his eyes as he shattered the sword qi with his palm strike.
"I suppose sword immortal clans are something else entirely! To think that even a Qi Cultivator can wield a Foundation Establishment dharma artifact... How extravagant!"
As soon as he finished his exclamation, a thunderclap echoed through the air.
Rumble!
Without a word, Li Qinghong had swung her White Iris Spear, unleashing a purple dragon's shadow. Qiu gathered white qi in his hand before delivering a palm strike to the side of the spear, causing a loud explosion.
"Another Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact?!" he exclaimed.
Li Qinghong's face hardened with silent fury, knowing that her younger brother, Li Yuanyun, was killed by this devil cultivator. Her spear moved with lethal precision, delivering a relentless barrage of strikes.
Oblivious to the fact that the mortal he casually killed before was Li Qinghong's younger brother, the devil cultivator surnamed Qiu saw only the deep-seated hatred in the female cultivator's eyes. He neutralized her attacks and looked at her contemptuously.
"Do you really think I'm like those other weaklings practicing the Blood Dharma Manual who only know how to flee but not fight? You think thunder is going to scare me away? I might be afraid if you unleash some sort of spell instead..."
Despite his tough act, he was beginning to feel the pressure from Li Qinghong's relentless assault. With Li Yuanjiao joining the fray, he could only focus on defense for the moment.
However, he did not come here alone. Amidst the swirling smoke, several figures emerged that were all glowing with red and black light. They were laughing loudly, mockingly.
"Master Qiu... are you struggling against these Qi Cultivators of the sixth and seventh heavenly layer?"
One devil Qi Cultivator at the sixth heavenly layer stepped forward with a mocking laugh, holding a dharma artifact that appeared to be a red mirror. After his teasing remark, he simply walked past the three battling cultivators and led his companions toward Mount Yuting.
Mount Yuting's grand formation, left behind by the An Family years ago, was of moderate power in the Qi Cultivation Realm. As the devil cultivators attacked, the surface of the barrier rippled like water.
The group, armed with various tools—a hammer, a mirror, a large shield, and even a rare pagoda—were unable to break through the formation's defenses. Their combined efforts only created ripples on the surface of the formation.
Under the intense pressure from the two attackers, the devil cultivator surnamed Qiu grew increasingly frustrated and cursed, "Damn Zhang Huaide! I'm struggling here, and yet you're busy attacking the formation? Combine your forces to deal with these two first, then we can divide the spoils! Really... How stupid can you be?!"
Zhang Huaide shrugged indifferently and said with a smile, "Boss, give me a moment to break this formation, and then I'll come back to help you!"
Devil cultivators were often driven by greed. Seeing Mount Yuting as a tempting prize, they were naturally eager to take advantage of the situation, striking first to loot the place while Qiu was kept busy by the two cultivators.
Although Li Chejing and Li Tongya are dead, the Li Family might still have hidden tricks up their sleeves.
Zhang Huaide thought to himself with a cold smile.
I should just grab a few valuables and go... Wouldn't want to piss those two off too much. If they unleash their divine ability, talisman, dharma sword, or jade token, they could easily crush us like ants!
With his perceptive abilities heightened by his cultivation, Zhang Huaide felt a shiver at the sight of Li Yuanjiao's Qingche Sword. Instinctively, he wanted to retreat and only focused on escaping with whatever he could get.