Chapter 180: 荠木

Dongshan Yue had stationed an army of over two thousand soldiers, including a Qi Cultivation realm cultivator, at Dayu Creek, which marked the border between the two families. During Mu Jiaoman's rule, this force was larger, exceeding five thousand, but it had dwindled significantly since then.

Compared to the might of Dongshan Yue and the strength of the Li family, this contingent was pitifully small. Perhaps Qimu had no intention of offering significant resistance to the Li family's westward expansion, deeming it sufficient to have a single Qi Cultivation realm cultivator to send back intelligence.

Under Li Yuanxiu’s orders, Xu Gongming led a hundred soldiers as the vanguard to scout ahead. To his surprise, the Shanyue general who approached them wore a fawning smile and walked unguarded straight to their formation, shouting, "Are you the envoy arriving? Our King has already secured the fiefdom, and we are here to welcome the princess!" Xu Gongming was taken aback, his stern expression almost faltering. He hadn't anticipated the general mistaking them for a marriage party from the Li family. The soldiers around him exchanged bewildered glances. Xu Gongming promptly said, "Please, step into the formation to speak!"

The general, still grinning foolishly, approached, wearing armor that somewhat mimicked Eastern styles. Xu Gongming’s mouth twitched. He stepped forward, stabbed the general to death with a single sword thrust, then shook the blood from his blade and waved his hand towards the troops below. The army formation immediately sprang into action, charging into the utterly unprepared Shanyue troops. Blood splattered as their ranks were thrown into complete disarray. The two armies following behind pressed forward. Xu Gongming, leveraging his Fetal Breath second-level cultivation, felled enemies with single blows, fighting his way directly to the front of the battle.

As Xu Gongming was fighting fiercely, a figure suddenly soared from the large camp ahead. The powerful surge of spiritual energy reverberated across the battlefield, vast and profound—it was the Shanyue Qi Cultivator. "Which tribe are you, daring to cause trouble here?" The Shanyue Qi Cultivator, unaware of the true situation, initially thought it was an internal rebellion. But upon closer inspection of the army’s exquisite armor below, he exclaimed in horror, "Easterners?!"

"Don’t panic," Xu Gongming said coolly, noticing some of his soldiers flinching beside him. He looked up, and indeed, a golden streak, like a meteor, streaked in from the east. The Shanyue cultivator had no time to react or even utter a sound before he exploded into a burst of blood and flesh, organs and fragments raining down from the sky, splattering onto Xu Gongming’s armor. "A miscellaneous Qi cultivator, nothing special."

Having cultivated for seven or eight years himself, and with many cultivators in the Li family, Xu Gongming understood the distinctions between mixed Qi and pure Qi. He naturally knew that the Shanyue Qi Cultivation was particularly weak. His eyelid twitched. Though his words were defiant, in his heart, he grew increasingly awestruck by the bow-wielding elder from his family. "Even a miscellaneous Qi cultivator is far beyond an ordinary Fetal Breath cultivator, yet before that elder, they are less than a mere mortal… truly formidable. I wonder if it's their cultivation level or their technique. The various Qi-gathering arts of our family are truly enticing…"

As Xu Gongming mused for a moment, the Shanyue army before him had completely collapsed, scattering like headless flies. He raised his long blade and fiercely gave chase. In the air, a youthful figure had already appeared, dressed in animal skins with a hair crown atop his head. A grand voice boomed from him: "Qimu, wolfish by nature, you have consorted with evil and perversion, harmed the loyal and good, murdered your sister and brother, assassinated the king, and poisoned your mother. I am Samori, son of the former king… Today, I raise an army to reclaim my rightful place and bring justice to all tribes. Quickly lay down your weapons! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

"It’s that lucky one," Xu Gongming thought. The Shanyue soldiers around Xu Gongming had all dropped their weapons and surrendered. He gazed at Samori, standing proudly in the air, his heart filled with envy. Any discerning person could see that Samori was merely a puppet supported by the Li family, yet who among them wouldn’t be envious? He had effortlessly gained Qi Cultivation and seized power and position. Even if he were constrained, he was still the ruler of a nation, enjoying all its glory and riches.

Li Xuanfeng lowered his bow and stood. Beside him, Li Tongya looked at the Shanyue Qi Cultivator who had exploded like fireworks, nodded, and chuckled, "Excellent. That arrow would cause significant harm not just to a Shanyue miscellaneous Qi cultivator, but even to an ordinary early-stage Qi Cultivation realm practitioner." Li Xuanfeng raised his bow, cupped his hands to Li Tongya, and replied, "Your nephew has made considerable progress during his seclusion these past few years." He held the Jin Geng (Golden Geng) horizontally, carefully stroking the runes etched upon it, from which a faint golden light emanated. Li Xuanfeng explained, "The Jin Geng is made from Golden Square Screen Stone, capable of containing my True Qi. I regularly hone an arrow intent within it, refining it with True Qi. Each refinement brings improvement. I don't use it casually, but in times of crisis, unleashing this arrow intent, perfected day and night, will surely inflict heavy losses upon the enemy."

"Oh?" Li Tongya raised an eyebrow. Although he didn’t fully grasp the technicalities, it sounded quite sophisticated. He nodded slightly. Li Xuanfeng slung the bow onto his back and looked down at Samori, who was riding the wind. After observing for a moment, he transmitted his voice with spiritual energy, sighing, "Even miscellaneous Qi can wield such power. The 'Purple Thunder Secret Origin Art' truly shouldn't be underestimated. If it weren't for the side effects of hindering fertility and shortening lifespan, it would truly be an excellent cultivation method."

"Indeed," Li Tongya murmured, looking at the army advancing like ants below. "With such a grand display from our family, the various families by the lake are not blind. I fear groups of cultivators are already approaching to investigate, hidden within the surrounding clouds and mist. For anything Samori can handle, we needn’t act ourselves, lest we reveal our true capabilities." "Your son understands," Li Xuanfeng nodded. The two then concealed their presence and followed behind the army. Meanwhile, Chen Donghe and Li Xuanxuan remained within the formation, safeguarding the younger generations to ensure no harm befell the talented cultivators of their family.

The army advanced for an hour, conquering several towns. Qimu had diverted all his troops and cultivators to the west to attack various villages, leaving these towns largely undefended. Their meager garrisons consisted only of Fetal Breath cultivators. Samori revealed his identity as the royal heir and then moved to capture them. With no strong sense of loyalty to their current ruler, most of the Shanyue readily surrendered.

After advancing for a full half-day, they finally saw fluttering banners ahead. It was Qimu, the current ruler of Dongshan Yue, leading his forces in a hurried march. Five or six Shanyue cultivators, clad in animal skins and adorned with jade, stood in the air, riding the wind, their eyes wide with fury.

The armies below stood in tense confrontation, while the air above crackled with animosity. Qimu, the ruler of Dongshan Yue, bore a strong resemblance to Mu Jiaoman, though his features were more sinister. His eyebrows were long and narrow, and his attire was intricate. His eyes were fixed on Samori, his expression a mixture of shock and rage. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he pointed at Samori opposite him, pausing for several breaths before he could speak: "You… you… how audacious! Where did you get these troops to invade our own territory…" Qimu had arrived in a hurry, unaware that Samori's forces were Easterners. He assumed Samori had simply gathered some tribesmen from elsewhere. Now, seeing Samori's powerful Qi Cultivation realm and strong aura, he was both startled and fearful, already beginning to understand.

Upon hearing this, Samori let out a hearty laugh, then rose into the air, riding the wind alone. He gazed coldly at the face opposite him, which bore a seventy-percent resemblance to his own, while faint purple lightning crackled in his hand. He chuckled softly, "Brother, Samori has returned!"