Li Xuanxuan sat in stunned silence, his hand trembling as it tugged at his white beard. Still half in disbelief, he asked, “Who? Xuanfeng?!”
“It was the lord himself!” An Siwei bowed deeply and replied, “Reporting to Elder, the news is absolutely true!”
“Ah... haha!” Li Xuanxuan let out a laugh and returned to his seat, rubbing the jade teacup in his hand, torn between disbelief and joy as he said, “So... Xuanfeng has already reached such a level! This old man failed to see the full picture, and underestimated him...”
He took a sip of tea, then nodded and said with a smile, “Good! He destroyed Murong Wu’s very soul... Good! He even forced a buddhist cultivator into reincarnation. My brother is truly a man of the highest caliber. It’s only right that he struck such terror into them.”
The old man set his cup down, thinking silently, He spat golden blood... I wonder how serious the injury is...
Only then did he look again at Li Zhouwei, standing to the side with halberd in hand. The boy’s eyes were shining, and he gripped his iron halberd so tightly it seemed he was ready to charge into slaughter at any moment.
Sensing Li Xuanxuan’s gaze, Li Zhouwei lowered his eyes slightly and replied, “My lord’s might is unmatched, and there’s support from within the border. He’ll be fine, without a doubt.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded. Just then, a figure descended at the front of the hall. Clad in flowing white robes, sword at his waist, the man’s expression was caught between joy and worry.
“Xijun,” said Li Xuanxuan.
Li Xijun bowed respectfully, then spoke, “After the last incident, I didn’t dare bring anyone back. I interrogated them on the lake, sent Siwei ahead to report, and stayed behind to clean up the rest.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded silently, a hint of hope in his voice, “Any news? Have you heard anything about Qinghong and Xizhi?”
Li Xijun shook his head, a trace of worry appearing on his face as he replied softly, “The main force there did achieve a great victory, but according to the cultivators who came south, the rest of the front is being dominated by the buddhist and devil cultivators. Many outposts have already fallen, and devil cultivators are flooding south...
“Most of the outposts were raided. The Tuoba Family broke through near Lake Xian. Most buddhist cultivators didn’t dare press forward and retreated, but many devil cultivators took the chance to surge downward. Some followed the Great River east, others west...”
Li Xuanxuan thought for a moment, then murmured, “To the east is open wilderness, but go with the current and you reach Profound Peak Gate. To the west lies the Xiao Family. Only upriver does it lead to our family... not too dangerous yet.”
Li Xijun nodded faintly, his tone growing heavier, “That’s just the north. On the way back, I encountered people from several sects... the south isn’t stable either.”
He found a place to sit nearby and gave Li Zhouwei a slight nod before speaking, “The conflict between Xiukui Dao and Crimson Reef Island is intensifying. Changxiao Gate has been invaded by Hengzhu Dao. They are already several hundred kilometers into their territory... It’s said the Golden Feather Sect even sent mediators, but it achieved nothing...
“And that’s just part of it. Wu State is also in turmoil. The Golden Feather Sect was attacked, and the minor sects across that region are in utter chaos. Four Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators have fallen in just three days.
“As for the Eastern Sea, it’s shrouded in dark clouds... all contact with the islands has been lost.”
Li Xuanxuan nodded quietly and said, “I’ve been worried about that too... Chenghui still doesn’t know about Xicheng’s death...”
————
Mount Yan Pass.
Kongheng held his bronze staff and suspended Yu Xin in midair, striking him until his golden palm shrank back.
Yu Xin's expression changed slightly as he said, “You!”
But before he could say more, lightning crashed again from behind. The female lightning cultivator’s strikes were devastating, blackening his dharma body in patches and draining his mana. His head throbbed with pain.
Just when he managed to deflect the thunder with mana, the Hooked Serpent took the chance to gloat, laughing amidst dark smoke. It spat out a bead filled with icy snow, whipping up a howling wind.
The frigid wind cut through the air. Although it was not enough to harm his body, it clouded his spiritual sense, throwing off his movements like a buzzing, relentless fly.
Fortunately, the demonic serpent didn’t dare move in to attack and simply stayed back, stirring the wind. The two Azure Pond Sect cultivators also avoided direct combat, occasionally loosing sneak attacks from afar, easing the pressure slightly.
If they were coordinated... I’d have lost this body already... Growing more anxious, he finally shouted, “Elder Kongheng! You and I both follow the Buddhist Dao, the true Dao of the Golden Lotus... Why do you side with this Purple Mansion and Golden Core Realm heretic?”
Kongheng merely shook his head, tightening his grip, and spoke gently, “That’s not quite right. All Daos have their way upward. As long as one cultivates earnestly... one will attain the golden truth. What right is there to call others heretical?”
As he shattered Yu Xin’s dharma body with blow after blow, Kongheng’s voice remained calm, “But your Seven Daos... they’ve strayed from the Revered One’s original intent. Each believes only their way is true, and all others are mere heresies... That is a delusion born of self-pride, a barrier of the heart.”
He dodged the topic, making Yu Xin increasingly anxious. Yu Xin desperately said, “Fellow cultivators, you can’t kill me anyway... Why damage the dharma body I painstakingly cultivated? I’ll hand over everything on me, how about you show mercy and let this body return?”
His expression darkened as he added coldly, “If you refuse, I’ll destroy this body myself, since I’ll lose it either way! But I’ll make sure you suffer injuries as well!”
The Li Family cultivators remained unmoved. But the two Azure Pond Sect Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators exchanged glances and paused their spells.
One of them said, “Fellow Daoist Qinghong...”
Li Qinghong frowned slightly, feigning indifference and ignoring them for a while. But one of them flew closer and spoke again, forcing her to acknowledge him.
She looked up to see the Azure Pond Sect cultivator wearing a bitter expression, “... Perhaps we should just agree to his terms...”
The two didn’t want to risk injury, nor did they wish to offend a slippery Master Monk too deeply. Yet leaving empty-handed would be too bitter, so they said awkwardly, “Fellow Daoist Qinghong... we’re not from esteemed families like yours. We were conscripted here... we’re just hoping to survive and earn something while at it. We might as well let him go...”
These two were cultivators who had surrendered at sea and joined Azure Pond Sect as guest elders, so their perspectives were different.
Li Qinghong finally lowered her spear and sighed, “Then you may go and speak with him... negotiate the terms.”
Li Qinghong had to consider their stance. After all, several younger cultivators from her family were currently serving under these two and had been well treated. If these two held a grudge, casualties would be unavoidable in future battles.
The two were delighted and stepped forward to speak with Yu Xin. He was overjoyed to keep his body, since it meant preserving fifty or sixty years of cultivation. The three ended up chatting like old friends.
After several dozen breaths, Yu Xin pulled out a trove of spirit items from his sleeves, emptying both cuffs completely. He even took off his Dharma robe. Then, when the two weren’t looking, he slipped away on the wind.