Bi Yuzhuang’s Yellow Cotton reverted to its formation plate form and was tucked away into her red robe. She glanced at the corpse suspended mid-air. Wang Fu’s body was convulsing and twitching, blood gushing out in streams and transforming into multicolored worms that burrowed into the sea.
His body parts seemed to have wills of their own as they struggled in different directions. In the brief moment it took Bi Yuzhuang to put away the formation plate, his body had already torn into three pieces, each drifting west, north, and east.
Only then did she confirm he was truly dead. She immediately activated the talisman she had prepared, blocking the approaching dharma artifact, then signaled the Feng brothers, who swiftly flew off in different directions.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Bi Yuzhuang herself vanished into the clouds. The Changxiao Gate cultivators below were thrown into disarray. Some scattered in pursuit of Wang Fu’s remains, others split into two groups to chase the Feng brothers, while the rest stood bewildered, unsure what to do.
Bi Yuzhuang let out a quiet breath but stayed alert, aware that a Changxiao Gate cultivator might suddenly appear beside her. She sped southward with the Li Family group and Chen Xuanyu, crossing Tianzhu Island and landing once more on the main island of Suzhu.
They entered the small pavilion together. Only then did Bi Yuzhuang allow herself to relax, hiding her concern as she looked at Li Qinghong and asked gently, "Are any of you injured?"
"No."
Wang Fu had never been a combat-focused cultivator, unlike their side, which had a thunder cultivator and a sword cultivator. Bi Yuzhuang had exhausted his trump cards, and Li Ximing’s ambush struck true... Forget Wang Fu, even his master Zhou Han might’ve died on the spot under such an assault.
Li Qinghong simply took out the storage pouch. Li Ximing placed the small silver-white box onto the table. Wang Fu’s sword, bell, and pearl were now in Chen Xuanyu’s keeping. Their true forms were not large, yet each emitted an enchanting dharma glow as they were laid beside the table.
Bi Yuzhuang looked toward the aunt and nephew from the Li Family and said softly, "Please."
Li Qinghong glanced at the silver-white box, already having some idea of its contents. She showed no hint of disappointment as she gently took it and extended her spiritual sense into it.
An inch-long streak of radiant light swirled inside the box, flicking its tail like a white snake. It darted around the box and, upon encountering her spiritual sense, shrank in fright into a corner.
Unable to identify the item, Li Qinghong passed it to Bi Yuzhuang, motioning for her to examine it. Bi Yuzhuang frowned as she inspected it, then handed it to Chen Xuanyu, who said, "Looks like a Purple Mansion Realm spiritual item from the Ancient Merging Dao lineage..."
A hint of desire flashed in Bi Yuzhuang’s eyes, but she refrained from speaking further, simply nodding politely and saying, "Most likely a Whole Pill Dao spirit item of the Purple Mansion Realm."
Li Qinghong let out a quiet sigh and placed the silver-white box to the side. After a brief moment, Bi Yuzhuang spoke, "There’s nothing more valuable on his person. The three dharma artifacts have been split among us. As for the storage pouch, it won’t be easy to open, it might take ten days or even half a month."
She pushed the box toward Li Qinghong, who rested her hand on it and, after a moment’s thought, said gently, "It seems this item is of little use to us for now. Best to leave it with your esteemed island. If any passing cultivators are interested, perhaps it can be exchanged for something our family actually needs."
Since the item had no great use to her family, Li Qinghong naturally didn’t want to bring it all the way back to the inland. Keeping it at home was also unwise, since it might cause trouble for no reason.
At the same time, the allure of a Purple Mansion Realm spirit item from the Ancient Merging Dao lineage to Hengzhu Dao Gate was obvious. As soon as Li Qinghong said that, Bi Yuzhuang’s delight nearly overflowed from her eyes.
She nodded repeatedly and replied, "May I ask what your esteemed family is seeking? I will do my utmost to locate it!"
Naturally, Bi Yuzhuang had no intention of handing it off to some passing cultivator; she clearly intended to claim it for Hengzhu Dao Gate herself. Li Qinghong, too, was pleased that only Hengzhu Dao Gate would know about it, and said calmly, "A Bright Yang spirit item."
Bi Yuzhuang nodded in agreement. Li Qinghong then gestured toward the three dharma artifacts and said softly, "Our family dares not hold onto these three dharma artifacts. Please entrust them to your gate, we hope to exchange them for others of similar value."
"Leave it to me," Bi Yuzhuang nodded in reply. Chen Xuanyu also spoke up, his voice steady, "Fellow Daoist Qinghong is wise. My Chen Family likewise can’t openly carry these items; let’s exchange them all together."
Having eliminated an enemy and gained the chance to obtain a coveted treasure, Bi Yuzhuang was in high spirits. She smiled as she said, "Very well."
Li Qinghong looked toward Li Ximing. The young man showed no sign of disappointment, only a hint of weariness in his gaze. She said gently, "Ximing, go ahead and choose a dharma artifact. I’d like to speak with the elder a bit longer."
Li Ximing immediately rose and left. Since she had said so, Chen Xuanyu naturally stood up as well. The dignified, sword-bearing middle-aged man said courteously, "I’ll go take a look too. It’d be better than making another trip later. Saves us some effort."
The two were led away by Hengzhu Dao Gate cultivators to view the treasury. After a moment of hesitation, Li Qinghong said softly, "Senior, does your esteemed family happen to have a Purple Mansion Realm inheritance of the Rainbow Mist Dao?"
"Rainbow Mist?" Bi Yuzhuang thought for a moment, then understood and replied, "That’s rare. It usually appears among the dragon clans or the Luoxia Upper Sect’s Dao lineage. Our Hengzhu Dao Gate does not possess it, but I can keep an eye out for you."
Li Qinghong shook her head and replied, "No need to go out of your way, just asking. But if any Bright Yang Dao lineage or items other than the Radiant Origin Pass appear, and it’s convenient, please send a letter to my lake estate. I’d like to stay informed. Ideally, it would be a Bright Yang spirit item."
"Alright." Bi Yuzhuang responded softly and said, "Qinghong, there’s no need to worry too much. Things often take unexpected turns."
Li Qinghong was already deep in thought. Hearing those words made her a little more uneasy. She no longer had the heart to continue chatting and stood to take her leave, but Bi Yuzhuang quickly said, "If you’ve chosen your dharma artifacts, Daoist Chen is also returning to Jiangnan. Traveling together with your companions would ensure everyone looks out for one another."
Li Qinghong naturally welcomed the idea and respectfully took her leave. Once she exited the quaint and elegant pavilion, she descended the stairs and noticed that Li Ximing had not gone to select any dharma artifacts. He was simply standing to the side, waiting.
"This is..."
Li Qinghong looked slightly puzzled. The young man’s face was thoughtful, and as mana surged around him, he transmitted his voice to her, "Aunt, if Bright Yang spirit items truly are that rare, perhaps we should consider trying the Rainbow Mist Dao Purple Mansion Realm technique... Brother Xizhi is already in the late Foundation Establishment Realm. His innate talent isn’t lacking, and his temperament is far steadier than mine..."
Li Ximing’s expression remained contemplative as he continued, "We could wait endlessly for a Bright Yang spirit item, which may only delay things further. That wouldn’t be ideal... As for advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm, the longer I hesitate, the more dangerous it becomes. Even if I fail, there’s still Minghuang. If the Rainbow Mist technique is good enough, we could let Brother Xizhi try it. It might open up a different path for him."
Li Qinghong pressed her lips together and looked at him, worry and unease in her apricot eyes. She shook her head and said, "I understand. For now, go choose a dharma artifact. We need to leave quickly. Given your eighth brother’s cautious nature, he’s surely gone ahead to investigate the island. If he finds out the spirit item wasn’t taken out, he’ll definitely make other plans.
"I... worry about your younger brother."