As he was born into a family with a grotto heaven, Tuoba Chongyuan was extremely well-informed, especially about the southern regions. The gray cloth released by the talisman looked all too familiar and clearly bore the traits of the Underworld. His frown deepened as he thought, It looks just like Judge Yang’s Nine-Layer Attribute Net from the Zhenan Office... Could his surname be Yang?
He pondered to himself, and sure enough, the gray cloth delayed him. The spell art he had been preparing in his hand flared to life, six streaks of white light striking the cloth from both sides, only to be completely absorbed and vanishing without a trace.
It’s just an old talisman... No matter. I’ll capture him first and ask questions later.
He quickly dismissed his thoughts and formed a hand seal. A white-yellow lotus bloomed in his palm, its nine petals crisp and distinct. It fell into the cloth, which stretched and strained but only showed faint cracks.
But Tuoba Chongyuan had achieved his aim. He placed one hand beneath his middle finger and tapped it lightly with his pinky. The chariot roared as it crashed into the cloth, while his figure reappeared beyond it, continuing the chase.
This talisman is even better than I expected... Li Xizhi felt significantly more at ease having blocked Tuoba Chongyuan twice in a row. After passing several small hills, a checkpoint appeared ahead. But there was no joy on Li Xizhi’s face, only solemn focus.
Just as expected, no cultivators came to assist from the checkpoint. Instead, a glowing grand formation separated the inside from the outside, completely cutting off the road to the south.
“As expected...” said Li Xizhi.
The commotion between Li Xizhi and Tuoba Chongyuan had been quite loud and eye-catching. The chariot racing through the skies must have been visible for kilometers away. Tuoba Chongyuan was clearly not without cunning. He had shouted his family name loudly on purpose, cutting off any chance of Li Xizhi receiving aid.
Since the checkpoint was sealed, Li Xizhi felt a chill in his heart, though he bore no resentment. He could only change direction and continue fleeing.
If they deactivated the guarding formation for me... Tuoba Chongyuan would follow right in. They might lose the checkpoint for no reason, and even risk offending the Tuoba Family. If I were them, I wouldn’t deactivate it either for a stranger...
Instead, closing the gate and staying silent is the safest move; no one can find fault in that. After all, who’s to say this isn’t just a ruse to trick them into deactivating the formation...
He soon passed another small valley, where the formation was likewise in place, guarding the area tightly. Li Xizhi could only pour all his mana and movement techniques into the Heavenly Glow beneath his feet, quietly gripping his final Autumn Convergence Pill in his hand.
When he chanced a look back at Tuoba Chongyuan, Li Xizhi saw that the great seal above his head had already been summoned. The four words Shengle Tuoba shone brilliantly in gold, visible even from a great distance.
————
Chengdu Pass.
Chengdu Pass was originally the mountain gate of Xuandu Gate, a minor sect in Xu State. However, the sect had been wiped out long ago during the devil plague, leaving behind a decent mountain range that had been later occupied by devil cultivators.
After the Azure Pond Sect claimed the mountain, they stationed men to guard it. Li Quantao, still wearing mourning clothes for his late father, rushed to the mountain without delay.
The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator originally stationed in the mountain was a stranger. He claimed to be from the Yuan Family of Mushroom Forest and gave the name Yuan Huyuan. He appeared to be quite old, with a pale and aged face, and at first, he didn’t speak much.
Li Quantao had cultivated within the sect his whole life, rarely leaving his father’s peak. He believed himself to be lacking in schemes or social skills, and since he wasn’t familiar with the Yuan Family, he didn’t bother interacting with Yuan Huyuan.
But after fighting side by side for a while, they eventually found common ground. Yuan Huyuan always responded smoothly to any topic, making conversations surprisingly pleasant.
"Judging by the change in weather... I’d say Baixiang Valley’s been struck by devil cultivators!" Li Quantao spoke casually, but Yuan Huyuan’s face fell.
His aged eyes stared into the distance as he muttered vaguely, "Baixiang Valley is guarded by the Li Family. They say it's the third young master of the Li Family, Peak Master Li Xizhi of Changtian Peak... Looks like he's in for a rough time."
Li Quantao’s face immediately filled with worry as he whispered, "That’s true. The Tuoba Family has produced Golden Core Realm cultivators... Though their numbers have declined and they’re no longer as miraculous, they are still direct descendants of the Purple Mansion Realm... they’re not someone anyone can provoke. I hope the peak master can hold on..."
His words were clearly biased, which immediately piqued Yuan Huyuan’s interest. The old man casually asked, “Now that you mention it... you’re also surnamed Li.”
Li Quantao smiled but said nothing. He remembered his father's advice well; if someone made conversation feel too easy, they were likely far more cunning. They hadn’t known each other long, so he dared not say too much.
Yuan Huyuan was just about to probe further when two streaks of light came speeding from the east, shining brightly in the sky. The two immediately grew alert and looked up.
They saw the first streak of light was dimmed, its colors subdued, though a hint of Heavenly Glow could still be discerned. The second streak was faster and had nearly caught up with the tail of the Heavenly Glow.
The trailing light was white and yellow, with a large seal-like object floating above it. Four large characters were clearly visible. The cultivators of Azure Pond had all studied ancient script, and recognized the characters as Shengle Tuoba
Yuan Huyuan stared at the Heavenly Glow ahead, and his heart skipped a beat. A hot emotion stirred within him, and his lips moved involuntarily as he exclaimed, “Xizhi?! He’s actually been chased all the way here!”
Though Yuan Huyuan spoke without intent, Li Quantao had been listening carefully. As soon as he heard the name, it all clicked. The aura of that Heavenly Glow was indeed familiar, one he had surely heard of before.
Looks like it’s the same Li Xizhi who visited my father the other day. My older brother called him a refined young gentleman, so it seems he truly is.
Li Quantao paused in surprise, but quickly snapped back to attention. Alarmed, he grabbed Yuan Huyuan by the arm and shouted, "Deactivate the formation! Senior Yuan, deactivate the formation!"
"Deactivate the... the formation..." Yuan Huyuan jolted in place, fumbling inside his sleeve twice before freezing. He stood there dazedly, images of his children and brothers flashing through his mind. His voice trembled in fear as he said, "That’s the Tuoba Family we’re talking about!"
But Li Quantao tugged harder on his arm, shaking Yuan Huyuan out of his daze. The burning emotion within Yuan Huyuan turned into something vaguely bitter as he cried out again, "Deactivate the formation? Are you mad?! That’s the Tuoba Family! You said to yourself they’re not people to provoke!"
"I said, deactivate it!" Li Quantao erupted, casting aside all pretense of his junior status. His voice thundered in Yuan Huyuan’s ear. Though not fierce by nature, his face was twisted with urgency as he yelled, "Deactivate the formation, Daoist! I must save this man!"
"Are you insane?!" Yuan Huyuan firmly refused. As the controller of the formation, Li Quantao's jade token only allowed for his own passage.
Li Quantao’s eyes reddened with fury as he bit back his temper. "Senior Yuan... this man once did my family a great kindness. Please, deactivate the formation quickly."
"What kind of kindness are we talking about?" Yuan Huyuan would not relent, dodging with questions to steer the conversation away.
But Li Quantao saw through it, his expression turning cold as he answered, "Very well! If you won’t deactivate it... I’ll walk out of this formation myself!"
This was now an entirely different matter. Yuan Huyuan shuddered, overcome with complicated feelings, and exclaimed in shock, "Why go this far?!"
"Why?!" Li Quantao’s fury burned. His eyes blazed, and he slammed his dharma artifact into the wall with a sharp clang, leaving a deep dent. He spoke coldly, "My father bore infamy, living in isolation on Fuchen Peak for centuries while he was hated and scorned by all. Only Li Xizhi acknowledged the Li Family’s old bonds and still visited him!
"When my father attempted his breakthrough, everyone knew it was doomed. In the past, they called him Master Encheng out of gratitude for his pills, but when they saw I couldn’t inherit the Alchemy Dao and had no benefits to offer, not a single person dared to help for fear of the Chi Family!
"Yet, though the Li Family head had just passed, they still scraped together spirit items to aid us. My younger uncle traveled thousands of kilometers to fetch them, and when we tallied the numbers, their contribution exceeded all the others combined!"
Li Quantao didn’t spare Yuan Huyuan another glance. He rose on the wind and shot forward, leaving behind a cold sentence that echoed in the winter air, "Now that Xizhi is in danger, how could I ever face my late father if I turn a blind eye?!"
His eyes were wide with rage and his next words hit the old man like a thunderclap. "Old senior, keep your life if you wish! But I, Quantao, am still young, and I’m not yet stingy!"
In the blink of an eye, Li Quantao was gone as he blurred past the boundaries of the formation. The old man stood there, eyes blank and ice creeping over his body. The winter wind, as if ignoring his Foundation Establishment Realm body, cut through his organs and made him shiver uncontrollably. But his back was drenched in sweat.
Yuan Huyuan’s vision turned white. His thoughts were a blur. The words still echoed in his head, making his teeth chatter as he collapsed onto the wall's edge.
When I caught a cold at six... It felt just like this. The old man suddenly recalled the memory. His face had turned a frosty shade of blue, and he slowly brought out his aged hands, rubbing them together before his chest.