In the small courtyard atop Mount Lijing, the bluish-gray mirror glowed intensely. It radiated with a brilliant white light as if a surging cascade of moonlight was pouring forth from the mirror's surface.
As Wan Xiaohua entered the range of Lu Jiangxian’s divine sense along with Li Xiangping and others, the Supreme Yin Profound Light within the mirror sprang to life, yearning to break free of its confines.
Lu Jiangxian, however, immediately curbed his instinct to intervene and instead chose to observe the immortal cultivator who was in the Jade Capital stage.
“Things seem to be taking a turn for the worse.”
Lu Jiangxian’s initial amusement faded as he watched Wan Xiaohua’s repeated narrow escapes and forced use of a light blue talisman to shield himself from the monster’s attacks while frantically sprinting toward the foot of Mount Lijing.
He quietly prepared to cast his own spell, thinking to himself, Time to test the waters with this.
With a focused mind, the twelve runes encircling the mirror’s frame illuminated sequentially. The bluish-gray mirror, cradling the ethereal glow of the milky white moonlight, delicately ascended from the stone platform, positioning itself at a specific angle.
“Father...”
Amidst Li Tongya and Li Mutian’s astonishment, the white moonlight burst forth, breaking through the roof window and shooting straight up into the sky like a dazzling meteor, leaving behind a mess of debris and shattered gray roof tiles.
Having unleashed the Supreme Yin Profound Light, the mirror resumed its calm state. The white moonlight dispersed, settling once again on the stone platform.
Observing the shattered roof tiles and dusty ground, Li Tongya stood momentarily lost in thought, while Li Mutian choked on the flying dust.
He waved his hand while coughing and said, “This must have something to do with that monster... Quickly, go and check on your younger brother!”
It was at this moment Li Tongya finally returned to his senses and hurried off, thinking to himself, What could have possibly happened? That burst of light looked like it could obliterate a monster in the Qi Cultivation Realm, let alone one in the Embryonic Breathing Realm.
————
Wan Xiaohua cast a Divine Movement spell on his leg and swiftly dashed toward Mount Lijing, following the direction pointed out by Li Xiangping.
This is quite a loss—a Water Shield Talisman and half a Spirit Stone gone , he grumbled inwardly.
The wind whistled past his ears as his spiritual sense remained alert. A small white shield materialized behind him, leveraging the momentum from a recent attack to widen the gap between him and the monster.
As he neared the mountain, Wan Xiaohua attempted to gauge the distance when he was abruptly startled by a brilliant white light rising from the mountaintop. It changed its trajectory mid-air and surged directly toward him, leaving a long trailing flame in its wake.
“What the...” Wan Xiaohua was so shocked that he barely dodged in time, but the white light zoomed past him.
He collapsed to the ground in shock, watching as the white light effortlessly sliced through the monster’s neck as if it were a delicate piece of paper before soaring into the distance.
THUD!
The massive wolf’s body, which had been sent flying by the impact, plummeted and hit the ground, toppling a large tree behind it.
The resulting impact caused the snow on the surrounding trees to cascade down, nearly burying Wan Xiaohua beneath a blanket of white.
Coughing and spitting out mouthfuls of dusty snow, Wan Xiaohua gazed in disbelief at the enormous remains of the monster.
“Chief? Chief?!” Wan Tiancang’s voice intensified as he approached, quickly lifting Wan Xiaohua from the snow.
“Chief! Are you all right?”
Wan Xiaohua stared at Wan Tiancang in a daze and mumbled, “Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut...”
Sweat beaded on Wan Tiancang’s face as he pulled out the rattan whip that was still speckled with snow.
“I was afraid of losing our treasure, so I stayed hidden in the snow. When that wolf chased you, I managed to retrieve your dharma artifact, Chief,” he said solemnly.
“Good, good.” Upon seeing his dharma artifact, Wan Xiaohua’s spirits were instantly lifted. He carefully put away his treasure and quickly rose to inspect the wolf’s corpse.
Observing the thick layer of frost on the wolf’s severed neck and the absence of blood, Wan Xiaohua swiftly sealed its spirit within the corpse by pressing certain joints and acupoints.
With a smile, Wan Xiaohua caressed the massive back of the wolf, its size comparable to a yellow cow, and spoke with evident satisfaction. “This wolf’s corpse is valuable. We must preserve its spiritual essence.”
“Chief, I fear this monster... is not yours to keep,” Wan Tiancang interjected cautiously, observing Wan Xiaohua’s elation.
Wan Xiaohua’s joy momentarily faltered. He glanced at Wan Tiancang and responded glumly, “I’m aware.”
“Master Wan!” Startled by a loud call, Wan Tiancang and Wan Xiaohua turned to see Li Xiangping, Li Tongya, Chen Erniu, and a group of villagers approaching.
“We’re deeply grateful for your assistance, Master Wan!” Li Xiangping said, cupping his fist respectfully. He shot Chen Erniu a knowing glance, and Chen Erniu quickly signaled the villagers to relocate the monster’s remains.
“I have embarrassed myself, though.” Wan Xiaohua chuckled wryly, brushing snow off his clothing, and inquired again, “About that white light that saved me...”
Li Tongya stepped forward quickly, explaining, “My father still has some homemade talismans. Knowing you were coming to help, he was worried about the monster harming you, so he instructed us to use one.”
“I see!” Wan Xiaohua exhaled in relief. Li Tongya’s explanation and his personal assumptions were not far off the mark.
“Then it’s your father we owe our gratitude,” he said gratefully.
“It’s us who should be thanking the Wan Family.”
After the courteous exchange, Wan Xiaohua gestured toward the wolf’s corpse, and with a smile, he asked, “How does your clan plan to handle this thing? Though it’s challenging to preserve, this wolf’s corpse is a treasure trove. Its bones and blood can be used in making ink and medicine, and its skin is ideal for crafting talismans and clothing. It’s truly a valuable find.”
Li Tongya and Li Xiangping exchanged a glance, then smiled ruefully and admitted, “Our family doesn’t have the resources for making talismans or refining medicines and much of it would go unused. Since the Wan Family has access to the market, perhaps you could handle the sale for us.”
“This wolf is rather massive and has some unique properties, possibly due to consuming some rare herbs. I’ll be honest with you, its parts could fetch two or three Spirit Stones in the market,” Wan Xiaohua said.
He pondered for a moment, then looked at the two men and offered, “I have one and a half Spirit Stones on me right now. I’ll give these to you as a down payment, and we can balance the rest with other goods. Have either of you come across a book titled Secrets of a Rogue Cultivator ?”
Seeing them shake their heads, Wan Xiaohua was taken aback for a moment.
Is Li Mutian really a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm? There seems to be more to this than meets the eye...
Despite his doubts, Wan Xiaohua smiled and explained, “This book details a variety of techniques and cultivation tips given by a rogue cultivator in the Nascent Spirit Realm. I bought it in the market for a Spirit Stone or two. It covers several useful spells and techniques, including the Divine Movement spell and the Spirit Sealing Technique. How about trading it for the wolf’s corpse?”
Li Xiangping looked at the happy smile on Wan Xiaohua’s face as he pondered his offer while rubbing his chin.
We don’t have much use for the wolf’s corpse, and it's not easy to preserve. Trading it with Wan Xiaohua seems fair. At least we can get something useful to us, even if we incur a small loss.
With a smile, Li Xiangping replied, “We’ll leave the decision to you, Master Wan.”
“Excellent!” Wan Xiaohua beamed with delight and added, “Please arrange for someone from your clan to transport the corpse to our families’ border. I’ll have my people collect it.”
“Sounds good.”
After a few more exchanges, Li Xiangping glanced at the sky and offered, “Would you like to come over to my place on Mount Lijing, Master Wan?”
“No need. I have many pressing matters to attend to, so I must return. In the future, if there’s anything you need, just have Tiancang send a letter,” Wan Xiaohua declined swiftly, partly due to his wariness of the formation on Mount Lijing.
Despite the current semblance of harmony between the two families, he harbored concerns about the potential risks of venturing into the Li Family’s territory. Recognizing Li Xiangping’s gesture as a polite way to conclude their meeting, Wan Xiaohua exchanged final words of courtesy and then took his leave.