The youth brimmed with confidence, as if dispersing these rogue cultivators before them was a mere trifle. Li Qinghong was slightly surprised and softly said, “Fellow Daoist, you’re...”
Xi Zikang laughed quietly, shook his silver-white sleeve, and retrieved a gleaming miniature carriage no bigger than his palm. Two small white-and-blue flags adorned it, each etched with talismanic symbols.
He chanted, “Under the command of the Profound Thunder Division, by decree of the Northern Palace—chariot of thunder, ride the lightning, heal the world and purge afflictions!”
The thunder chariot shuddered, instantly coming to life like a pouncing tiger. It then expanded to the size of a house. The two blue-and-white thunder flags fluttered high, crackling with silver lightning, stretching nine meters with the wind.
“The Dao of Profound Thunder commands wind and rides thunder... dispersing a crowd of cultivators is nothing at all!”
Thunderclouds billowed across the sky as tempests swept over the sea. Xi Zikang leapt onto the thunder chariot, tightened the silver reins, and ascended amidst the storm, calling out in a clear voice, “Senior, just give me ten seconds.”
The sea surface had turned into a maelstrom of gales. They were now surrounded by murky darkness, and visibility was down to nothing. Only the ancient, imperious thunder chariot blazed with silver brilliance, its two thunder banners trailing behind like serpentine bolts of lightning.
Xi Zikang resembled a god of thunder with gleaming silver robes and an awe-inspiring presence.
That’s right... He hails from the renowned Purple Mansion Realm immortal family of the Northern Sea. His lineage likely traces back to the Thunder Palace... he’s no ordinary man, thought Li Qinghong.
The youth was young, modest, and respectful, with no extravagant ornaments upon him. For a moment, Li Qinghong had forgotten his esteemed background, but seeing this chariot now, its grandeur nearly rivaled that of Tuoba Chongyuan in his prime...
The thunder arts families and sects of the Northern Sea truly are remnants of the old Thunder Palace. This majestic thunder chariot is proof enough...
In a flash, Xi Zikang had already ridden the storm forward. Dongliu Island was now cloaked in gloom, and the cultivators unable to see their hands before their faces. As they looked up, bolts of silver lightning descended from the heavens, sending them into a panicked scramble.
This group had been a haphazard gathering of various cultivators. Terrified, they quickly scattered. The three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators shot into the air in outrage, curses on the tips of their tongues, but their expressions changed upon seeing the esteemed and overbearing chariot. Hesitation took hold, and none dared approach.
Xi Zikang formed a hand seal and cast his spell, pulling thunder down on the three men’s heads like tearing a sheet of white cloth. He spoke coldly, “The Eastern Sea is full of nothing but devil cultivators!”
The three were rogue Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from the Eastern Sea. One was brimming with bloodthirst, while the other two were cloaked in murky qi. None could endure the might of this Profound Thunder, and were immediately scared out of their wits, crying out miserably as they turned tail and fled.
Though Xi Zikang’s spell art seemed casual, its grade was exceptionally high. Thunder was swift by nature, and the three men fled bitterly as they let out billows of black smoke.
Xi Zikang was genuinely startled, What pathetic cultivation... Though vast, the Eastern Sea is the Dragon Clan's territory. Its endless underwater treasures are untouchable, with only a few isolated islands... What resources could they possibly have?
But even as he was weighing this in his mind, the three cultivators had no thought of fighting back. Survivors from the Eastern Sea were all cautious, so when faced with such an overwhelming display and a chariot this regal, anyone could tell he was of immortal family lineage. None dared utter a word as they flew off with heads lowered, praying he wouldn’t give chase.
He had only meant to restrain them for a while, but had underestimated his own strength. In a flash, they had been cleanly routed, leaving the Dongliu Island sea region empty. After circling through the air on thunder and storm a few times, he reluctantly stowed the chariot away.
“Impressive strength, Fellow Daoist,” said Li Qinghong as she stepped forward with a smile. Xi Zikang looked slightly embarrassed.
Just then, the formation beneath their feet flickered, and an old man in a red robe flew out, casting a cautious glance before calling from afar, “May I ask which senior stands ahead?”
As this was the Li Family’s matter, Xi Zikang said nothing and tilted his head slightly. Li Qinghong merely nodded and didn’t reply. After two glances, the old man suddenly understood and hastily approached, “So it was...”
“Ahem.” Li Qinghong cut him off. The old man came to his senses, drew nearer, and spoke quietly, “I humbly invite the two seniors into the formation for a detailed discussion.”
But Li Qinghong didn’t wish to waste time. She replied gently, “That won’t be necessary.”
This voyage had uncertain prospects, so Li Qinghong had left behind the Chongming Profound Insight Screen and the Sixfold Profound Thunder Punishment Tokens. She leaned in to whisper something to Xi Zikang, who nodded in realization and drew a pale apricot-colored tower from his sleeve. It enveloped the area in a barrier, sealing off sound and sight.
The sudden act startled the red-robed elder, but he gritted his teeth and stayed still as the tower’s light wrapped around them. Only then did Li Qinghong speak softly, “May I ask which Daoist friend you are?”
“I am Han Shihai, a humble man! I once had the honor of meeting the Fairy...” replied the man.
“It’s you!” Li Qinghong truly remembered him. When she had visited Dongliu back then, it was this man who received her. But he looked like a middle-aged man then. Now, his hair was white, and his aura had drastically changed...
Han Shihai’s face showed deep gratitude as he replied, “I exhausted my lifespan maintaining the family formation. Forgive me for making a sorry sight, Fairy...”
Han Shihai had long been at a dead end. Now, tears streamed down his weathered face as he poured out his heart. Han Shizhen had been the pillar of the Han Family. After dying unexpectedly in Dragon Clan territory, the family had collapsed overnight, their strength dwindling with each passing day...
They were already in an extremely precarious state. The Han Family ancestor had been secluded in cultivation, seeking to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm by the Earth Virtue Dao of Earth Returning, but the anomaly of Falling Water Rising Storm had caught him off guard. He barely lasted a year before perishing in a cascade of celestial signs.
The surrounding families had then risen in force. One by one, the remaining Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators of the Han Family had died. Only Han Shihai and a female cultivator remained, cornered on the island, ready to sacrifice the whole family just to survive themselves.
But even if Han Shihai had pondered for ten days and nights, he’d never have imagined that Li Qinghong would be the one to come to their rescue. Caught between overwhelming joy and sorrow, tears streamed down his face, and he nearly fell to his knees in gratitude.
Li Qinghong merely helped him to his feet and said softly, “Your family has operated in the Eastern Sea for years, do you have any intelligence on the Miao Family of the Southern Sea?”
Han Shihai didn’t ask what she wanted it for. After a moment’s search, he took out a jade slip from his storage pouch and replied solemnly, “My benefactor, the Miao Family once had business dealings with us. Everything we know is contained within this jade slip.”
Li Qinghong took it without much ceremony and said gently, “Good. We only frightened them off. You’d best arrange for your family to withdraw immediately. Any further delay, and those families may return to hunt you down once we leave.”