Li Xizhi had understood early on that guarding the valley was no easy task. If the Tuoba Family sent some random subordinate, they would be fine. But if they sent a direct descendant, then he would need to prepare an escape route.
So he had inquired about the relevant rosters, memorized the approximate layout of the checkpoints surrounding Baixiang Valley, and organized a list of the cultivators stationed at each. Now, he followed the shortest possible route in his flight.
He rode past more than ten strongholds on Heavenly Glow. Most were minor hills and small formations. Some had been razed by devil cultivators, while others were simply too afraid to appear, remaining eerily silent.
He had passed two major formations. One remained sealed shut and the other was surrounded by devil cultivators. It had been too dangerous to approach. That one had originally housed members of the Yang Family, but they were either trapped or dead. No signs of life remained. He could only forge ahead blindly.
Now, his back was soaked with sweat, and his insides in complete disarray. His spiritual sea was nearly empty, and the Heavenly Glow had grown dim. He flew past another small mountain. Its formation was unresponsive, turning him away at the threshold.
Li Xizhi hovered lightly on the dim Heavenly Glow and glanced downward twice. His insides were in turmoil, as danger loomed. He steadied himself with a spell and thought to himself, More than ten formations, and not a single one familiar to my family? Is this just ill fortune... or deliberate plotting?
His Heavenly Glow was like the very image of a dying lamp. He only had one Autumn Convergence Pill left, but he could no longer afford to save it. He quickly calculated, There’s only one pill left, and Tuoba Chongyuan is closing in. The problem won’t be mana exhaustion anymore. I’ll be caught before I even reach Mount Bianyan...
A cold feeling crept across his heart. Chengdu Pass ahead was most likely under the guard of Yuan Huyuan, elder brother to his master Yuan Tuan. The two were already estranged.
The old man is timid and indecisive. He’s eager to keep the peace and please outsiders. Even someone like Yuan Chengdun dared to cut down his own family’s finest. There’s no hope he’ll act with clarity now, thought Li Xizhi.
Even the younger members of the Chi Family found that man’s personality to be spineless. Of course he wouldn’t dare confront the Tuoba Family. He would hesitate even when the two sides weren’t at odds. There was no chance he would open the formation to welcome Li Xizhi.
So Li Xizhi sped up to pass quickly. But unexpectedly, a silvery-white ripple of spiritual energy surged outward to meet him from within Chengdu Pass’s formation.
“Peak Master, I’ve come to aid you!”
Li Xizhi instantly felt a surge of hope. He paused in surprise and quickly saw that the person was not from the Yuan Family.
He guessed they were from the Ning or Yang Families and replied, "Fellow Daoist! We’re already near Mount Bianyan, just delay him a little! Reinforcements are on the way!"
He spoke those words for Tuoba Chongyuan to hear. Li Xizhi quickly formed hand seals, wary of an ambush. With a flick of his finger, the final Autumn Convergence Pill slipped into his mouth.
Tuoba Chongyuan finally frowned, summoning a streak of white light to his palm as he said coldly, “Whose family are you from... stay out of this!”
Li Quantao shook his sleeve, and a warm, lustrous white pearl leapt into the air, shedding radiance as he replied, “This is my family matter, I have no choice but to intervene.”
Tuoba Chongyuan assumed this was one of Li Xizhi’s kin coming to his rescue and his expression darkened. But then, streaks of flowing light burst from the pearl in Li Quantao’s hand, and rose into the clouds. Thunder roared overhead, and droplets of water began to rise from beneath their feet, joining the clouds above.
Li Xizhi immediately felt lighter, and the mana required to ride the Heavenly Glow dropped sharply. Tuoba Chongyuan, momentarily obstructed, gave Li Xizhi a chance to breathe. His complexion regained color, but what caught him off guard was the dharma artifact in the young man’s hand.
That’s the Water Wall Pearl! He’s from Li Encheng’s line!
Li Encheng had been nicknamed Water Wall Pearl precisely because of this very artifact. It was an ancient dharma artifact retrieved from the ruins of the Mifan Sect. It was well-known throughout their sect. Now that Li Encheng had passed, this young man was likely his descendant.
He’s... willing to help me? thought Li Xizhi.
He had taken every detour through the mountains and planned for every possibility to preserve his life. But he had never expected that rescue would come from someone of Fuchen Peak. But though he was stunned, he didn’t slow his hands. The pill’s energy surged through him, and he launched a Heavenly Glow spell art skyward.
Tuoba Chongyuan scanned the newcomer with his spiritual sense. Li Quantao was merely at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He wasn’t worth notice, much just like Yu Yuwei’s two disciples. So Tuoba Chongyuan launched an attack with a casual wave of his sleeve.
But Li Quantao was the son of a great alchemy master; he was gifted and well-resourced. More importantly, he wielded the ancient dharma artifact, the Water Wall Pearl. When he unleashed his mana, streams of gray-white water of the Water Mansion burst forth, merging with the surrounding wind.
Water Mansion Dao were rare even in the southern Jiangnan region, let alone in the north. Tuoba Chongyuan suddenly felt the spiritual winds beside him turn wild and unruly beneath his feet. He had to halt mid-air to stabilize himself.
“Water Mansion...” muttered Tuoba Chongyuan.
Tuoba Chongyuan’s expression shifted at once, and his eyes showed interest. He stared at the glimmering pearl, and a look of realization crossed his face.
He still had the leisure to comment, “Hearing about it doesn’t compare to seeing it! Our Emperor Wu of Great Liang founded the nation after slaying dragons and phoenixes, obtaining both the Converging Water and Inferior Water pearls. The one in your hand must be a replica from an ancient cultivator.”
The glow around him dimmed slightly. He didn’t need a weapon; he simply cast a spell that made the Water Wall Pearl tremble violently. Li Xizhi and Li Quantao joined forces to barely block the blow, but Tuoba Chongyuan was pressing hard. After ten or so exchanges, Li Quantao’s face was beginning to pale.
Li Xizhi was in dire condition; he should’ve escaped while he could. But if he broke away now, it wasn’t clear whether he could even make it out, and the youth who’d come to save him would likely die in his place.
So he gritted his teeth and stayed, defending alongside the youth. He coordinated quickly with Li Quantao with his spiritual sense.
The young man responded, “Peak Master, I am Li Quantao of Fuchen Peak! This man is too fierce. Yuan Huyuan wouldn’t open the formation, but some of our kin are not far from here. We should fight and retreat. We need to head south!”
Li Xizhi immediately understood. He focused on calming his breath while Li Quantao took the lead. His mana boiled over, and his Dao foundation manifested as he bought time with reckless abandon.
Though Li Quantao's cultivation was comparatively weak, his dharma artifact was formidable. The white water barrier deflected spell arts while he fought to stall Tuoba Chongyuan. The latter had just come out of a battle and was still without his weapon. Thus, Li Quantao managed to hold his ground for several exchanges.
But Li Quantao’s complexion had already begun to pale after just a dozen exchanges. The blessing of the great seal allowed Tuoba Chongyuan’s every move to strike like a dharma artifact. Had he not lost his favored weapon, Li Quantao would have long since been knocked from the sky.
Even with multiple peak masters from Baixiang Valley, things turned out like this... I can’t afford to underestimate him.
Li Quantao, though not powerful, had some battle experience. He quickly swallowed a pill, triggering a downpour of Water Mansion currents. Even while coughing up blood from a blow, he responded via spiritual sense to Li Xizhi, “Don’t worry, Peak Master! It’s just a seven minutes’ journey. I, Quantao, can hold out until then!”