Li Xuanxuan glanced at Li Ximing, and then at Li Xizhi. He took in the expressions of both brothers, and drew out two jade boxes from his sleeve.
He said, "These are the broken Copper Cache Sword and the Sixfold Profound Thunder Punishment Tokens."
The Copper Cache was Yu Mujian’s dharma artifact. Its quality was decent, but unfortunately, the refinement techniques of Buddhist cultivators couldn’t compare to those of the immortal or demonic Daos. The material was fine, but the ritual refinement was rather crude.
The sword had been severed by the Qingche Sword, but Li Xuanxuan brought it out and placed it in his palm. The yellow-gold cross-section was smooth, but whether The Merciful One had left behind any contingencies was unclear.
But the Sixfold Profound Thunder Punishment Tokens were altogether different. Though far inferior to the Sixfold Quaking Profound Thunder Tokens, their craftsmanship was still top-tier. They were clearly not ordinary items.
Li Qinghong opened the jade box to find six shimmering palm-sized silver-white command tokens. Their engraved scripts lit up, emitting a soft crackling thunder.
Li Qinghong picked one up and weighed it in her hand. A stream of silver lightning surged into her palm, prompting her to exclaim in admiration, "What a marvelous treasure!"
She examined it attentively, gently stroking the engraved script. The remaining five tokens immediately lifted into the air, swirling around her wrist like streaks of light.
Li Qinghong closed her eyes and softly said, "Such a pity... it's 'Profound Thunder.'"
Li Qinghong’s Dao foundation was the Profound Thunderpool, derived from the ‘Winter Thunderclap.’ Though it bore the name Profound Thunder, it belonged to the category of Celestial Thunder and wasn’t a perfect match.
Still, it was a thunder-type dharma artifact. The mismatch merely resulted in minor inefficiencies when channeling mana. After playing with it for a while, Li Qinghong flipped her hand and stowed it away, saying quietly, "This is a top-tier dharma artifact, yet I’ve never used this type of celestial token artifact before. I’ll need to study it thoroughly."
After storing the token, she unfastened the Profound Patterned Bottle at her waist. The dharma artifact glowed with a rich violet hue and was covered in thunder patterns.
The bottle radiated brilliance on the table as Li Qinghong softly said, "This dharma artifact originally belonged to Brother Jiao. It came from within the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven. Its effects vary depending on the wielder’s immortal foundation.
"In Brother Jiao’s hands, it had some unique effects. But in mine, it merely functions as a container, absorbing and storing spirit thunder."
She lifted the bottle and tilted it with one hand, pouring out small bursts of radiant lightning. Each stream of thunder was guided into her palm; some wild, some agile, but each with its own unique character.
Li Qinghong took several small golden bottles from her storage pouch and stored them one by one, seven in total, before handing the treasured bottle to Li Xizhi. "It was always meant to be yours."
"Aunt, how can you say that?!" Li Xizhi examined it briefly. The Profound Patterned Bottle was only three fingers wide in his palm, with delicate carvings and a shimmer of violet light. He lifted his hand and placed it into Li Ximing’s grasp, saying, "Since it came from the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven, it should be in your hands..."
Li Xizhi quickly closed Li Ximing’s fingers around the item in his moment of distraction. He turned anxiously to Li Qinghong, uneasily saying, "Aunt, Xiang’er is still in the North!"
Li Xuanxuan had been sitting at the edge of his seat for some time, wanting to speak. When he saw his grandson finally bring it up, the old man rose and said in a low voice, "Qinghong... about this matter..."
The only one in the Li Family now capable of crossing the river and returning unscathed was Li Qinghong. She nodded gently and replied warmly, "I understand. I’ll return to the North at once."
"Thank you, Aunt!" Li Xizhi responded with deep gratitude. Li Ximing stood beside him, understanding full well, and opened his mouth to speak—only to feel warmth in his palm.
Li Xizhi still had his hand over Li Ximing’s, pressing the Profound Patterned Bottle firmly into his palm. All words of protest stuck in Li Ximing’s throat, and finally he only uttered, "Be careful, Aunt..."
Li Qinghong nodded and replied, "Time is of the essence. Ximing will come with me to the North. Xizhi, recover with Li Quantao and follow us in a few days."
"I’ll head back to Qingdu to prepare!" Li Ximing stood up, and the aunt and nephew soared away on the wind together. Li Xizhi escorted them to the courtyard gate, and then wandered restlessly around the ancestral house before returning to his seat.
Li Xuanxuan was sorting various spirit items, his aged face drooping but otherwise unreadable. He lifted his gaze and, seeing the somber look on Li Xizhi’s face, said hoarsely, "Ximing spent years in seclusion and saw Yuexiang only a few times, how deep could his affection be? Don’t take it to heart. He is a bit cold... but not heartless to such an extent..."
"Grandfather..." Li Xizhi sighed softly, his lips trembling. Only now did the pain show on his face. He replied, "I don’t want Aunt to take risks either... I understand Ximing’s mind, and I know Yuexiang’s chances are slim. But what if there’s still a sliver of hope?"
His remaining words turned to ash in his mouth. He hadn’t known Li Yuexiang had gone north; only later did he learn it had been arranged by the family.
He wasn’t the only one who lacked feeling.
***
Mount Yan Pass.
Demonic smoke rolled thick across the ground, with scattered motes of dim light rising through the gloom. Fragments of collapsed white stone lay all around the darkened ruins. The bloodstains had long since dried, leaving only a few shards of bone strewn across the wreckage.
The ruins were utterly deserted. But a flicker of black light slithered out from a crack in the rocks, transforming into a black serpent that glided silently through the desolation.
Li Wushao's black serpent eyes stayed on the demonic smoke as he slithered forward. It had been months since he had fled from Chengshui Tomb, and this was his first time reappearing at Mount Yan Pass.
The war between North and South had plunged the skies into chaos. Li Wushao had seen Chengshui Tomb flood with Pristine Water and immortal radiance collapse. Thus he had reverted to his true form without hesitation, shrank down, and dove into the underground waters, fleeing southward without a glance back.
As a native Hooked Serpent of the Eastern Sea, Li Wushao was no stranger to survival. Having lived so long in such perilous waters, escape was second nature to him. Once he was within his element, the water, he easily shook off pursuers and fled ever southward.
But Li Wushao hadn't expected Mount Yan Pass to fall. Demonic smoke cloaked the land all along his path, and he'd been attacked three times in his blind flight. He had almost lost his life in those battles.
The only reason I blend in with this demonic smoke is because I was born in the Eastern Sea, am covered head to tail in demonic qi, and never trained in any orthodox sect’s true path or technique. If I were like those other sect mount beasts glowing with righteous light, I’d have been slain long ago!
Just as Li Wushao was slithering over the ruins, a sudden streak of black light fell from the sky and landed before him, transforming into a black-robed man who stared at him in suspicion.
Caught red-handed, Li Wushao did not panic. He lifted his snake head and looked straight at the man, only to hear him speak in a cold tone, "Fellow Daoist, which unit are you from... and why are you loitering here?"
Since Li Wushao was covered in demonic qi and prowling the ruins, the man couldn’t determine his allegiance. Who would guess a defeated straggler from Chengshui Tomb was still wandering the demon-blighted land?