Chengshui Tomb.
The terrain of Chengshui Tomb was low and mostly flat. Ash-gray forests stretched across the land, half-hidden in thick, oppressive mist. The area seemed both tranquil and ominous.
However, three figures were concealed within the mist. The one in front looked aged, his hair faintly white as he quietly stared at the forest ahead. He was flanked by two young men, one in white and holding a fan with a graceful air, while the other was broad-faced and kind-looking, clad in sea-blue robes.
Li Xizhi kept himself hidden within the clouds. The old man beside him stroked his beard and said quietly, “Xizhi, why hasn’t Tang Shedu made a move yet?”
“Perhaps he’s waiting for the other divisions,” Li Xizhi replied casually, but his condition was far from ideal. His complexion was pale, and though his body brimmed with mana, it faintly disturbed his injuries, leaving his strength unstable and hollow.
He had taken three Autumn Convergence Pills in a row, sacrificing over ten years of lifespan. He should have spent at least two or three years in seclusion to fully recover, five years if he wanted to be truly cautious.
But now, just half a year later, he had been forced to emerge and face battle again. It was no wonder his mana felt unstable. Had the pills not come from the Yang Family, but had been some ordinary mana-boosting medicine, he would’ve already suffered permanent damage.
Still, the loss of Baixiang Valley could not be ignored. A swift order from Mount Bianyan had summoned the majority of cultivators to Chengshui Tomb. Li Xizhi had not been the only one summoned, Yu Yuwei and Li Quantao had been dispatched.
Li Quantao chuckled inexplicably at his words. “I really don’t know what Tang Shedu is thinking, putting the three of us out on the fringes... I thought he’d keep you right under his nose and send you to the thickest knot of devil cultivators, just in case something ‘unexpected’ happened...”
Yu Yuwei only stroked his beard without speaking, but Li Xizhi understood clearly in his heart, Tang Shedu is probably racking his brain just trying to survive... He has no time to scheme against me! If I die and provoke the wrath of my family, they might bring all their past and present grudges to a Daoist Master, who could exterminate him into ashes with a single palm. No one would dare raise a word in his defense either.
After all, Tang Shedu no longer had any backing. Daoist Master Yuan Xiu and Daoist Master Yuanwu were barely on civil terms, so they were unlikely to stand up for him. Who else in the Azure Pond Sect would dare speak on his behalf?
In that sense, it was misfortune wrapped in fortune. As long as the three of them stuck together and didn’t face the Murong Family’s direct descendents, their safety should be assured.
As the trio stood in silence, a white light suddenly shot into the sky from nearby. The command tokens at their waists flared brightly, and a thunderous boom rolled through the sky.
Boom!
“How dare you?!” A roar erupted as black clouds swirled like a vortex in the sky. A surge of demonic energy burst from the earth, dragging a torrent of darkness into the air that swirled in all directions.
Then came a shrill, piercing shriek, “Azure Pond rats... I haven’t even come looking for you, and yet here you are, throwing yourselves at my door!”
Li Xizhi and the others exchanged glances and soared toward the commotion. They saw Tang Shedu in full glowing spirit armor, standing in front of the heart of the demonic cloud. Six long, radiant white branches manifested in the sky, orbiting the white light around him in swift flight.
A sweeping motion of his halberd scattered the demonic clouds before him. The white light radiating from his body was dazzling and intense as he said coldly, “I am Tang Shedu. I’ve come to exchange a few pointers!”
Tang Shedu was a veteran cultivator with years of renown. His techniques and mastery of the halberd were both formidable and refined through plentiful battle experience. He only needed a single strike to shatter a large swathe of the demonic clouds in the sky, scattering them in all directions.
Below, the three each engaged a devil cultivator, remaining close enough for mutual support. The one facing Li Xizhi wielded an axe and wore a black-scaled dharma robe. His eyes were faintly red, and dark demonic energy surged around him.
This devil cultivator couldn’t compare to Tuoba Chongyuan, who embodied both the immortal and demonic paths. His body was cloaked in thick, inky demonic energy. It was crude and chaotic, clearly the result of a rushed cultivation rise. He didn’t seem to be a direct subordinate of the Murong Family either, and was likely a conscripted rogue demonic cultivator. It was clear the other two had deliberately left this one to Li Xizhi.
Li Xizhi advanced with his sword. The rainbow light he wielded scattered the enemy’s spell arts, causing their aura to falter slightly. He sensed the opponent was stronger than anticipated and thought to himself, This devil cultivator’s techniques aren’t remarkable, but his axe techniques have something to them...
He gently formed a seal, activating Gold In Cloud, which turned into flickering points of golden radiance. They shot past the opponent and reappeared behind him. His longsword rose, unsheathing in a flash.
Celestial Moon Slash!
He sliced off the opponent’s head with a single strike. Gold In Cloud flickered once more, dodging incoming spell arts and landing off to the side. He fully activated Universal Dawn Mist, exhaled steadily, and formed a new seal.
Morning Rainbow Lure!
The devil cultivator’s head flew from his neck without much change in expression. His body stepped forward into midair, trying to chase after it. Twice he attempted to reattach it, but both times it slipped and failed to align.
He had to stop, and use both hands to awkwardly pat and adjust his neck until he finally managed to reattach it. Li Xizhi watched with a hint of regret, What a shame I’ve focused on spell arts for so many years... My swordsmanship has fallen too far behind. If not, that strike might’ve prevented him from reattaching his head altogether, and I could’ve finished the battle early.
Boom!
The rainbow light in his hand had already leaped forth when a thunderclap exploded in Li Xizhi’s ears. His chest tightened, nearly throwing him off balance. Gritting his teeth, he looked up.
He saw a white light rise into the sky, transforming into a giant human head the size of a small mountain. Its sparse eyebrows, oversized eyes, and gaping, bloody mouth roared fiercely in midair.
A belly-born head of the Murong Family...
He had only looked up for a moment, but he hadn’t stopped his spell. The devil cultivator before him had fared worse. Shaken by the roar, he hesitated for a brief instant, giving Li Xizhi's rainbow light the chance to pierce through his chest and explode into brilliant five-colored flames.
Naturally, Li Xizhi wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. He pursued with another spell, but just then, a faint humming rang in his ears, followed by a flash of dazzling golden light streaking across the sky.
The massive head in the sky let out a wretched scream and cried out in terror, “You...! Ah—you’ve come too! Wha... what an immortal bow!”
Li Xizhi’s heart settled instantly, as if he had regained his confidence, The elders have arrived! It seems the Azure Pond Sect is committing its full force this time... perhaps with support from the Golden Feather Sect as well.
He pressed a stream of rainbow light against the enemy’s chest, causing the devil’s body to quake and his vital qi to suffer heavy damage. But thick demonic flames erupted from the enemy’s feet again, and the battle above seemed to shift once more.
Li Xizhi didn’t have time to look closely, when two figures suddenly shot out from the surrounding demonic clouds. One came from the left, the other from the right, pincering him between them.
Li Xizhi already felt a sting on his face even before their spells arrived. He had no choice but to release his current opponent, draw his sword to block, and send forth a rainbow slash that shattered the two incoming spell arts before him.
But the move was too rushed; it aggravated his injuries, forcing him to briefly pause to regulate his breath. The two devil cultivators were both hardened killers from the north, and they had the instincts to match. They exchanged glances and simultaneously activated their dharma artifacts to attack.