The burly man in front of Li Qinghong was momentarily stunned before recalling his purpose. Realizing the tough stance she had taken, he could only humble himself and soften his tone.
"I was indeed rude and offensive before... I wish only for a Wanglin Blossom ! Please help me, fellow Daoist!"
Seeing him relent, Li Qinghong pulled a jade box from her storage pouch and replied kindly, "Saving lives is important. You can take it first."
The burly man's face lit up instantly with joy. Without pausing to express his gratitude or discuss any rewards, he nodded vigorously and took the flower, then dashed away like the wind.
Once he was gone, Li Qinghong lowered her spear and descended to the ground. Purple lightning flickered all around her, and below, Li Xicheng beamed with joy.
"Congratulations, Auntie!" he exclaimed, beaming.
She chuckled softly, ruffling Li Xicheng's hair.
"When I entered seclusion on the mountain, you were still a boy who dropped his spear because of thunder... Now, in the blink of an eye, you're already thirty years old. I can hardly recognize you!"
Li Xicheng also chuckled and could barely contain his happiness.
"I'm just glad you broke through successfully, Auntie!"
"Where's Brother Jiao?" Li Qinghong asked as she tightened her grip on the spear, "Now that I've finally reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, I'm itching to challenge him!"
"Hahaha..."
Laughter echoed from afar as a man in black rode in on the wind, his expression full of pride.
"You've really succeeded, Qinghong!"
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
It turned out to be Li Yuanjiao, who had been summoned by the person whom Li Xicheng had sent to summon him. All the cultivators bowed in haste.
Li Yuanjiao rarely showed such joy, laughing heartily.
"This is great!"
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the external cultivators. He then looked Li Qinghong up and down, and upon seeing her gentle smile, praised, "I expected no less of an ancient method like the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique . The thunder and lightning you can harness, along with purple light flowing around you, give you a more powerful aura than me."
Li Qinghong laughed and replied, "I've achieved the Profound Thunderpool immortal foundation. I've transformed my sea of qi into a thunderpool, with purple and silver qi rising and thunder crackling everywhere around me—it's quite impressive."
With that, she brushed her hair back with a satisfied smile on her face.
"I've studied several spells at home, and the Profound Thunderpool is unsophisticated yet amazing. It was likely created at the same time as the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao. However, there are some differences compared to today's immortal foundations."
She extended her hand, summoning purple thunder that coalesced into a deep purple rune. It shimmered with a radiant purple light, bobbing lightly above her palm.
Li Qinghong had clearly expended considerable energy to form this Thunder Rune, as her face turned slightly pale. She then went on to explain, "This is the Secret Origin Profound Thunder . It's extremely effective for killing and banishing demons and can be supplemented by the thunder of heaven and earth. Combined with the Purple Talisman Origin Light Secret Technique from the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique , its power is astonishing!"
"This Profound Thunder is difficult to preserve; the only way to store it is in my sea of qi's Thunder Pool using the Purple Talisman Origin Light Secret Technique . I can then unleash it during battle, catching opponents off guard and posing a significant threat."
The Profound Thunder emanated a menacing aura, making Li Wushao gulp nervously as he thought quietly to himself, When the fairy first emerged, the thunder in her hands repelled me. I assumed it was incredibly powerful, but I didn't realize she still had the Profound Thunder in reserve... In a life-and-death battle, I could easily be caught off guard and easily be killed in just two strikes.
Li Yuanjiao's eyelids twitched with excitement, and a look of delight sparkled in his eyes.
"The Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique may be challenging to master, but it's worth it! With this secret technique and the methods to supplement it, it significantly enhances combat power."
Li Qinghong clasped her palms together, returning the Thunder Talisman to the Thunder Pool.
"The Profound Thunderpool also can create an altar for spellcasting, allowing communication with heaven and earth to summon heavenly thunder."
Her fine eyebrows suddenly knitted slightly as she hesitated.
"However, I've heard that heaven and earth are different now compared to ancient times, so I'm uncertain if this spell will still work..."
As they spoke, Kongheng appeared out of the blue, riding the wind with a smile on his pale face. He lowered his gaze and addressed Li Yuanjiao before the woman.
"Kongheng greets Benefactor. Congratulations on establishing your immortal foundation too, Benefactor!"
Li Yuanjiao nodded politely, while Li Qinghong responded with a quick nod.
"Master Monk, you've also made significant progress in your cultivation. Congratulations to you as well," she commended.
"Yes... yes..." Kongheng replied, lowering his gaze as he chanted a sutra under his breath diligently, excusing himself as he continued his descent.
Li Yuanjiao observed Li Qinghong's furrowed brow and explained everything to her. After listening thoughtfully, she replied, "My technique comes from Thundercloud Temple. It seems to have some origins in Liao River Temple... but I still have a lingering doubt."
Tilting his head, Li Yuanjiao prompted her to continue her train of thought.
"This Thundercloud Temple is clearly associated with ancient Buddhist cultivators, yet the Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique belongs to the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao! It makes no sense that it doesn't require reciting Dao scriptures while tapping on a wooden fish."
Li Yuanjiao frowned in confusion. After contemplating for a while, he still could not find an answer and decided to note it down.
"I'll ask Kongheng about it one day," he affirmed.
Li Qinghong nodded, then descended the mountain with her brother. She then asked, "How did an extra demon general find its way to our home during my absence?"
Li Wushao, who had been hiding behind them, finally seized the opportunity to speak.
"I'm Li Wushao, a lesser demon born in the Eastern Sea. I mistakenly entered Lake Xian and was fortunate to be taken in by the master to join Qingdu..."
Li Yuanjiao's mouth twitched as he sighed and interrupted him, "Where did you learn to sugarcoat things like that? That's not what happened. The Kong Family from Profound Peak Gate requested my help to eliminate this demon. Our family happens to be in need of Foundation Establishment Realm combat power, so I asked for a suitable technique to tame it."
"I see," Li Qinghong replied with a nod.
Li Wushao chuckled awkwardly, but Li Qinghong scrutinized him and teased, "Can't you transform into someone better looking or at least one that will make others feel at ease? You don't look trustworthy right now, so you can't blame me for being cautious when I first saw you."
Both Li Yuanjiao and Li Wushao paused. Li Yuanjiao shook his head helplessly at his sister's teasing smile.
"Do you have to always make fun of me?" he sighed.
Li Qinghong grabbed him, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she urged, "Come on, let's spar!"
Li Yuanjiao nodded, and the two of them soared into the air. Li Qinghong, not in a hurry to draw her spear, summoned a purple thunderstorm in the middle of her palm. With a flick of her wrist, a brilliant purple light surged forth.
A grayish-green serpent dragon coiled around Li Yuanjiao. Since his cultivation progress had improved in recent years, the serpent dragon looked even more vivid and fierce this time, its claws and fangs bared as its scales shimmered. With a roar, it leaped into action.
Boom!
The purple thunder struck the serpent dragon, causing it to roar in pain. Deep green water splashed down like rain, drenching their surroundings. Li Yuanjiao then advanced, wielding his sword under the protection of his immortal foundation.
The Jing Dragon King was unique; not only did it possess strong true essence, but it could also control water. When combined, it formed a water serpent dragon; and when separated, it transformed into snakes, shrimps, crabs, turtles, swords, axes, and halberds. This meant Li Yuanjiao did not need to bear the brunt of Li Qinghong's thunder, as he could simply leap away.
Despite his slight advantage with his immortal foundation, Li Yuanjiao did not let his guard down, and treated it as though he were facing a formidable opponent.
Others might underestimate his sister, thinking that getting close to a thunder cultivator like her would force her to defend herself and refrain from casting spells. However, Li Yuanjiao knew better. He had not seen Li Qinghong's spear skills in years now, and he was uncertain of her current prowess.