Chapter 155: Daring Splitting

Xiao Ruyu caught up with Li Xuanfeng, feeling incredibly agitated. He had a pure and kind nature, and watching hundreds of thousands of mortals being slaughtered had filled him with an unventable rage. He gritted his teeth and said: "Brother Xuanfeng, these people from the Tangjin Sect are only at the Qi Cultivation stage, and the young master in charge is merely a minor cultivator at the Fetal Breath realm. They are just bait thrown out by the Tangjin Sect and Qingchi Sect! Behind them, there are likely over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators. They won't make a move until a few 'big fish' – Foundation Establishment cultivators – are hooked... You and I are only at Qi Cultivation, but if we plan well... we could still make them pay a price."

Although rage consumed Li Xuanfeng, he did not lose his composure. He said softly: "Rest assured, Brother Ruyu, I have a plan. Even if that young master were just a Qi Cultivation cultivator, let alone a Fetal Breath one, he wouldn't escape this time. I'll make sure he dies a baffling and disgraceful death, just to collect some interest."

Xiao Ruyu glanced at the Golden Geng longbow behind Li Xuanfeng, a hint of suspicion forming in his mind. He slapped the brocade pouch at his waist, pulled out two light blue talismans, and whispered: "I have two Profound Origin Escape Talismans. They are excellent for fleeing and are my last resort for survival. As long as Brother Xuanfeng can guarantee a fatal blow, we'll immediately head west and leave no trace."

"Thank you, Brother Ruyu." Li Xuanfeng took one talisman, feeling even more confident. Then he heard Xiao Ruyu say fiercely: "If this succeeds, it will at least bring some solace to the hundreds of thousands of wronged souls in the town below... it will keep me from feeling guilty day and night. If it doesn't, we'll escape immediately; there's no need to sacrifice ourselves. A great revenge needn't be taken at once..."

"Rest assured, Brother Ruyu, Xuanfeng will not act impulsively." Li Xuanfeng shook his head, the hatred in his heart for the Qingchi Sect and Tangjin Sect reaching new heights. He gritted his teeth and said: "This time, it's merely to vent some anger for my elders, wives, and concubines. The hatred will not vanish. We have plenty of time."

With that, a group of people appeared on the horizon, all clad in golden robes and carrying various blades on their backs. It was clear at a glance that they belonged to the Tangjin Sect. At the highest point was a boy of twelve or thirteen, wielding a blood-red long blade. A torrent of crimson blade light burst forth, with thousands of blood-red rays gracefully moving through the air before descending. Qi Cultivation cultivators surrounded them in a circle, eagerly staring at the small town below, which was once again becoming a scene of carnage.

Li Xuanfeng squinted, observed for a moment, then landed on a hilltop. He took a virtual step, drew the bowstring with his left hand, held the bow with his right, his face contorted in a grimace, eyes wide. He didn't nock an arrow, nor did any spiritual energy glow on the bow. He simply held it, as if casually shooting a wild rabbit. "Whoosh." The only sound around was the bowstring cutting through the air. A gentle breeze swept through the mountains, dislodging two small leaves. Li Xuanfeng put away his bow, much of the gloom in his expression lifted. He whispered: "This person is dead. Let's go quickly."

Xiao Ruyu looked at him, bewildered. The two activated their talismans, transforming into two streaks of blue light, and shot westward like the wind.

"Wan'er, what's wrong?" "Nothing." Ning Wan frowned slightly, hidden in the air, watching the Tangjin Sect's young master with a look of triumph. She felt quite conflicted. As a disciple of Moon Lake Peak, Lixia County was originally a place she was meant to protect. Yet, it had now been sold to the Tangjin Sect for slaughter. This situation made her both embarrassed and unable to bear it, but she had no choice but to follow the sect's orders, remaining in the air, always ready to suppress any Foundation Establishment cultivators who might appear.

She was neither a pedantic person nor one of those naive and ignorant sect disciples. If forced to choose between preserving the Qingchi Sect and the lives of hundreds of thousands of mortals, Ning Wan would unhesitatingly choose to preserve the Qingchi Sect. However, allowing others to slaughter her governed people merely to eliminate a possibility felt utterly worthless to Ning Wan. She had broken through to Foundation Establishment over a decade ago, making her the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Qingchi Sect besides Li Chijing. She was also the one among the hidden Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby with the most profound comprehension of intent. She clearly saw the arrow intent heading straight for Situ You's head but watched coldly, making no move. Instead, a flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes. "Such profound intent, it must be either a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator or a Violet Palace Immortal Cultivator. Yet, there wasn't a trace of spiritual energy mixed in. This indicates a desire not to offend either sect but merely to punish this fellow. So, let him be... if he dies, he dies. His death won't affect the plan much..." After all, Ning Wan had no fondness for this fellow. At just twelve or thirteen, he was so cruel and malicious, slaughtering the people of her Moon Lake Peak. Although bound by the sect's rules not to interfere, Ning Wan was secretly pleased to see him die a sudden, violent death. She looked around. Several mid to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators also had thoughtful expressions, clearly having sensed something. Yet, not a single one was willing to offend that unknown Foundation Establishment or even Violet Palace cultivator for an unfamiliar Fetal Breath cultivator. Even the Tangjin Sect cultivators watched coldly. Ning Wan secretly chuckled to herself.

Below, Situ You suddenly grunted. The surrounding Qi Cultivation cultivators quickly turned to look at him, but Situ You waved his hand, his mouth smacking confusedly. He thought to himself: "How strange, why does my mouth feel so bitter?" Growing more panicked, Situ You shook his head, realizing his mouth was becoming increasingly bitter. He cried out: "Someone take the artifact; I have something to attend to." Immediately, someone stepped forward to take the long blade. The moment Situ You's hands left the artifact, he suddenly felt a surge of panic. He reached into his mouth and touched his fingers, only to find them covered in a pale yellow liquid. "This is... bile?! Oh no!" Situ You suddenly shrieked, his chest inflating like a balloon. He collapsed weakly to the ground, crying out: "Aiya!" "Ancestor! Ancestor, save me!! I...!" With that, his entire body swelled like a balloon. The Foundation Establishment cultivators above projected their divine senses downwards, but not a single one was willing to reveal themselves or intervene. They simply watched him burst with a loud bang, like a balloon. "Bang!" Flesh and bone splattered, covering the surrounding Qi Cultivation cultivators in blood. The group stared blankly at the blood mist in the air, bewilderedly wiping the blood from their faces. The Qi Cultivation cultivator holding the artifact opened his mouth as if to call out something, but then a cold voice was heard: "Continue!" No one dared to slacken. They all lowered their heads, used spells to clean the blood from their bodies, and then nonchalantly resumed manipulating their artifacts. Only a mark of retribution, used to track enemies, flew from Situ You's bone fragments. Yet, it found no trace of spiritual energy, spun confusedly in place, and then vanished into thin air.

"A dignified young master... dying such a pathetic death." A Qi Cultivation cultivator nearby muttered to himself, terrified. He thought: "I thought this young master, though illegitimate, was profound, intelligent, and insightful, possessing a spiritual aperture. I believed I could find favor by staying with him. Who would have thought he'd die like this out here? My future will be difficult."

Xiao Ruyu and Li Xuanfeng landed in the mountains. Li Xuanfeng said in a low voice: "He's dead, but it was just for venting some anger... it's meaningless. In the end, we are still incompetent." Although Xiao Ruyu didn't understand how he killed the Tangjin Sect's young master, he felt a sense of sorrow. He replied: "This is a muddled affair to begin with. Who isn't guilty when you think about it? You and I merely killed the obvious culprit. The people behind them continue to slaughter with their artifacts; that's not something we can resist."

Li Xuanfeng had no intention of speaking further with him. The entire back-and-forth had taken just over two hours. He cupped his hands and said: "Xuanfeng still needs to collect the bones. I can't talk much more with Brother Ruyu now." Xiao Ruyu quickly cupped his hands in return, watched Li Xuanfeng depart, and only after a long while turned around to speak to Xiao Yongling behind him: "Clan Uncle..."

"You... enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" The moment Li Xuanfeng left, Xiao Yongling revealed himself. He stared at Xiao Ruyu and said softly: "You only managed to escape by exploiting the void created by the two sects' power struggles. Don't do such dangerous things again." He had clearly followed them secretly. The Xiao family's cultivation techniques were subtle and excelled at concealment, which was why neither of them had detected him.

Although Xiao Ruyu felt that the people from the two sects wouldn't understand how the young master had died, he didn't contradict his elder. He said softly: "Ruyu remembers."

Xiao Yongling nodded then, looking in the direction Li Xuanfeng had gone. He said softly: "Although Li Xuanfeng is not foolish, he possesses an innate courage. This quality can both make him successful and lead to his demise. Today's incident was resolved by his uncanny archery, but if he were ever to be harmed, it would surely be by someone exploiting his audacity."

Xiao Ruyu, who considered Li Xuanfeng a true friend, shook his head with a pained expression. Xiao Yongling glared at him and admonished: "Your kindness is the same... Although you're not stupid, with a lifespan of several hundred years, if your nature is too obvious, you'll eventually be harmed by others!"

Xiao Ruyu chuckled at his words and said respectfully: "In my nephew's opinion, everyone in this world is unique. If everyone were cautious and only sought to benefit themselves and avoid harm, then life would lose its meaning!" "You child!" Xiao Yongling was instantly amused. He patted his head and murmured softly: "As an elder, I just want you to live well... I'm not forcing you..."