Chengshui Tomb.
Demonic clouds rolled across the sky and muffled thunder rumbled as darkness enveloped the land. Only scattered glimmers of light shimmered in the air.
Rain pattered endlessly as Li Xuanfeng rode the wind and halted above the black waters. Demonic mists churned on the surface. The strange signs of Murong En’s death had already faded, but the black smoke was growing thicker, forming a sky-darkening shroud.
This was the outer edge of Chengshui Tomb, where things looked noticeably calmer, but the water had still turned gray. Li Xuanfeng gazed into the distance, while a plain-looking middle-aged man with two gourds tied to his waist stood next to him, his vine armor glowing faintly with dharma light.
This man was none other than Lingu Rao, also known as Raozi Scorpion, a veteran cultivator from the Azure Pond Sect who had long guarded the Southern Sea. His voice was hoarse and heavy as he said, "Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, are you still able to proceed?"
Lingu Rao had actually become renowned even earlier and by seniority was more suited to the same generation as Li Tongya. But he had spent most of his life secluded in the Southern Sea and rarely socialized with people. In these borderlands, such distinctions didn’t matter much, so they simply addressed one another as fellow Daoists.
Lingu Rao didn’t know what medicine Yuan Xiu had given Li Xuanfeng, but since only three months had passed, he feared Li Xuanfeng might still be injured.
Thus he asked out of concern, and Li Xuanfeng nodded and replied, "Rest assured, fellow Daoist."
Li Xuanfeng had witnessed the various Daoist Masters slay Murong En three months ago. Relics had rained down from the great void amid torrential rain and lightning, but he hadn’t had the chance to linger as Yuan Xiu quickly took him back to Mount Bianyan.
Yuan Xiu’s stern face hadn’t changed as he took out a strange wooden bottle from his robe and instructed, "Your injuries this time aren’t serious, but both your divine spirit and body were still wounded by Maha’s techniques. This bottle holds a drop of Golden Drip Sacred Dew. Take it. You’ll recover fully within three months, and I’ll have more tasks for you afterward."
Naturally, Li Xuanfeng had accepted the medicine and consumed it in his cave dwelling. As expected of a Purple Mansion Realm item, his injuries had been completely healed in three months. But when he inquired further, the losses proved to be heavy.
"Zhuang Cheng from Golden Feather Sect was severely injured, and Lin Shouye lost a portion of his lifespan. Lingu Lanying’s Hooked Serpent died, and she herself is missing, there’s no news of the others either..."
Not only had forces from all sides suffered casualties, but the Azure Pond Sect's defensive line had also contracted significantly. It had originally been centered around Mount Bianyan, with Mount Yan Pass on one side and Baixiang Valley and Lake Xian on the other. They had once occupied the majority of Xu State.
Now, both fronts had suffered heavy losses. The eastern Baiguang Valley had fared slightly better as they retreated to the edge of Mount Yu, while the western Mount Yan Pass had fallen all the way back to the riverbanks. They only held Mount Bianyan in the central region of Xu State. The few defensive lines that remained barely covered a quarter of Xu State.
Worse still, a new force had joined in from the north, the Gao Family of Jingbo. This undoubtedly added more pressure to the Purple Mansion Realm forces in the great void. Fortunately, the Gao Family faced the Golden Feather Sect, meaning the Azure Pond Sect wouldn't have to face this demonic force directly.
Li Xuanfeng’s mission to scout Chengshui Tomb was partly due to sect orders, but also a personal search for signs of his kin. If his guess was right, Lingu Rao likely had similar intentions.
The two drifted through the demonic mists for some time. A few Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators flying over the tainted land below naturally couldn’t detect them. After circling the outskirts twice, Lingu Rao quietly used mana to transmit a message into Li Xuanfeng’s ear, "Fellow Daoist Xuanfeng, I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask... though I don’t know if I should."
Li Xuanfeng cast him a light glance while his spiritual sense continued scanning the ground below. He replied via mana transmission, "Speak freely, fellow Daoist."
Lingu Rao’s voice was slightly hoarse as he said quietly, "I heard you recently received a reward, a rare pill called the Geng Metal Triple Qi Pill. I wonder, what are its properties?"
Li Xuanfeng had expected this question, but it wasn’t something he could answer, so he apologized, saying, "This pill was given to me by a Daoist Master. I’m afraid I cannot speak of it casually without his permission."
Though Lingu Rao’s eyes were narrow, they carried a calm and calculating glint. He looked deeply at Li Xuanfeng and said quietly, "The High Sect intends to send me to reclaim Baixiang Valley and Lake Xian in an attempt to prevent the northern devil cultivators from linking up with those in Jiangnan and the Eastern Sea... If they join forces and strengthen each other, they may launch a combined assault..."
Li Xuanfeng responded calmly, "You are powerful, fellow Daoist, and will surely not fail expectations... Sadly, I am lacking in strength. I was injured during the assault on Chengshui Tomb, and the sect has ordered me to rest. I won’t be able to accompany you."
Lingu Rao’s attention remained fixed on him, as if Li Xuanfeng’s words had confirmed certain suspicions. He looked away and replied, "You’re being modest, Xuanfeng. You’re no longer just an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, you're far beyond what I could compare to.”
"Once the sect's rewards are distributed, you too will advance greatly in strength." Li Xuanfeng responded with a polite remark, and Lingu Rao let out a long, quiet breath.
The doubts that had troubled him for some time were finally confirmed. Keeping his expression unchanged, he continued speaking through mana transmission, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."
Li Xuanfeng had already deduced much and only awaited confirmation. The reward that Lingu Rao would receive next could very well verify his suspicions.
He replied politely, "When that time comes, fellow Daoist, I hope we can spar more often."
"Of course."
The two flew for a while, conversing via mana transmission. Soon, the rolling demonic clouds began to recede, and the black waters ahead gradually turned blue. Even the demonic energy in the air was thinning.
Lingu Rao pulled out a thin piece of gauze and gently tossed it into the air. It instantly shrouded the two of them, concealing them in a veil of light so thoroughly that even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator wouldn’t be able to detect them.
They followed the blue water for some distance before sensing the presence of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, and even the familiar aura of a southern Dao lineage belonging to the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Dao lineages.
A sizable number of devil cultivators in the North also practiced methods of the Purple Mansion Dao and Golden Core Dao. However, their methods were often more extreme, frequently relying on blood essence for faster, more convenient cultivation.
To northern cultivators, the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Daos was often seen as merely a branch of devil cultivation itself and was frequently referred to as the Purple-Gold Devil Dao. Meanwhile, what was called the Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace devil Dao in Jiangnan was known in the North as the Heavenborn Devil Dao. In the end, it all came down to differing perspectives.
Thus, whenever southern and northern cultivators clashed, it was common for each side to call the other devil scum. Unless one practiced the ancient Immortal Dao of Qi Ingestion and internal cultivation, almost everyone would be labeled a devil by someone, no matter where they went.