Chapter 197: Thunder Technique

"This is the spot." Yu Muyuan, clad in a gray robe, landed on a small islet in the lake. He was cautious; even from such a distance, he was certain it was foolproof, yet he still concealed himself meticulously, ensuring no passersby would notice him.

Behind Yu Muyuan, an old man in a gray robe landed on the islet, grinning. Yu Muyuan cupped his hands and asked, "Guest Elder Jiang, is this distance sufficient?"

"It's certainly enough!" Guest Elder Jiang chuckled, stretched out his hand, and pointed towards the Rising Sun Prefecture. With eyes tightly shut, he knelt on the ground. Yu Muyuan inquired from the side,

"This item has already been delivered into the mine through the An family… Guest Elder Jiang, how powerful is this method?"

Guest Elder Jiang, with eyes tightly shut, seemed to be searching for something, his mind wandering far away. He pursed his lips and exclaimed, "Cultivators have fragile bodies. Your elder brother taught me this method for its novelty, to catch people off guard. As long as they haven't formed an immortal foundation, mere Qi Condensation cultivators will be severely injured in an instant. Combined with my spell, which damages their foundation and vital essence, even if they are saved, their future will be ruined."

It was not the first time Yu Muyuan had heard of this man's capabilities, yet he still clicked his tongue in awe, sighing, "This method is truly sinister… leaving one utterly defenseless."

"Heh." Guest Elder Jiang chuckled and replied, "Not to mention you, I've traveled far and wide, but it's my first time encountering someone as insidious as your elder brother."

Yu Muyuan raised an eyebrow, about to speak but stopping himself. Guest Elder Jiang's aged face was creased with a smile, his wrinkles scrunching together as he continued, "Don't try to intimidate me. I'm not afraid of you reporting this to your elder brother. My calling him insidious would probably be a compliment in his eyes."

"Found it!" No sooner had Guest Elder Jiang's words fallen than, before Yu Muyuan could reply, Guest Elder Jiang exclaimed with delight, "This Thunder spell artifact has fallen into the hands of a leader… Aha, this person is the young master of the Li family, a Qi Sensing second-layer cultivator, most likely Li Yuanxiu, who is about to hand this Thunder spell artifact to Li Tongya."

Yu Muyuan was instantly taken aback and exclaimed, "The Li family lets a Qi Sensing cultivator manage their affairs? What kind of sense does that make?"

Guest Elder Jiang scoffed and replied, "The Li family isn't like your Yu family, where Qi Condensation cultivators are abundant…"

Yu Muyuan, however, suddenly snapped awake, his expression turning serious as he directly interrupted him, saying in a deep voice, "How much longer can your spell last?!"

"One hour…" Guest Elder Jiang was startled, muttering to himself, but Yu Muyuan's face was resolute as he commanded, "Act now!"

"What?!" Guest Elder Jiang froze, his expression full of confusion, and countered, "This is only a Qi Sensing cultivator, Young Master, why not play the long game? Not to mention Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuanling, this Thunder spell artifact is about to be handed to Li Tongya. If he were severely injured then, even if saved, he'd lose all hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment. Wouldn't that be a better outcome?"

"Are you trying to harm my family, Guest Elder?!" Yu Muyuan's expression was grim, vexed and furious, as he exclaimed, "What is the relationship between Li Xuanfeng, Li Yuanxiu, and others, and Li Chijing? What is the relationship between Li Tongya and Li Chijing? If a few juniors die, Li Chijing might not feel compelled to speak out, but if his own brother dies, Li Chijing will absolutely come back from the Southern Border to kill, bringing a Clarity Talisman. Then the truth will be revealed, and my Yu family will be roasted alive."

Guest Elder Jiang suddenly realized, but Yu Muyuan pulled him closer and commanded, "Act now! Li Yuanxiu is important enough! Don't wait for anything else; if something goes wrong and delays our family's affairs, neither of us can bear the responsibility!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Although Guest Elder Jiang's cultivation was low, his seniority was high. After being reprimanded by a junior for a while, his expression was somewhat unsightly. He formed a hand seal to cast a spell, joining two fingers together and pushing them straight forward. "Activate!"

Li Yuanxiu put away the wooden slip in his hand, gave out several instructions, and waved his hand. Li Pingyi, who was below him, quickly handed over a wooden box. Li Yuanxiu picked up the precious pearl, carefully placed it into the wooden box, and felt a tingling sensation in his hand. Suddenly remembering something, he picked up another wooden slip from the table and handed it to Li Pingyi. Seeing him accept it and withdraw, he murmured, "Yuanyun likes history books, and I've acquired one…"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuanxiu felt a sudden disorientation in his ears, and an aged voice abruptly materialized. "Activate!"

The jade pearl in the wooden box beside him instantly flashed with thunderous light, and a majestic aura surged like a volcano. Before Li Yuanxiu could react, scattered lightning fire had already erupted, flowing inch by inch over his body, tearing through his flesh and bones, splattering blood across the floor. The entire back hall shook with a crash, emitting plumes of smoke.

"Boom!" Although Li Pingyi was a mortal, fortunately, he was three steps away. The surging magical energy broke several of his bones, sending him tumbling far away like a rolling gourd. Two streaks of lightning fire landed on his arms, shattering them to pieces and splattering blood across the floor. He merely groaned once before instantly falling unconscious.

"Who?!" Purple-black lightning fire roared, blasting the back hall into pieces. The aura of a Qi Condensation level spell erupted in the town, causing the Sun Altar Profound Light Formation to hum loudly. Li Tongya had just seen off the two members of the Xiao family and was preparing to enter secluded cultivation. Filled with shock and rage, he ascended into the sky and landed in the courtyard. Soon after, several stone gates on the mountain opened, and several Qi Condensation cultivators also emerged from their seclusion with furrowed brows.

"Who dares attack my Lijing Mountain?!" Li Xuanxuan ascended into the air. Li Xuanfeng, with a deep frown, flashed into a stone chamber, bowed to retrieve the divination mirror, and swept his hand across its cool surface. A vast expanse of the world appeared in his mind, and all matters down the mountain became crystal clear, making his eyes widen with fury as rage surged through him. Then, following the aura, he swept his gaze afar, spotting two gray-robed figures peering across the lake. He said coldly, "Audacious villains!"

With that, he raised his left hand, and the Golden Geng Longbow appeared in his grasp. Li Xuanfeng stepped forward, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, his face grimacing, his body surging with magical energy. A brilliant golden ray shot forth. Li Xuanfeng's face instantly turned pale. The excessive, costly exertion of his magical energy caused him to cough up a mouthful of black blood. Yet, his expression remained cold as he wiped his mouth, nocked another arrow, and used the divination mirror to aim at the distant enemies.

Down the mountain, Li Tongya merely paused, then instinctively looked up, just in time to see a golden ray soaring into the sky. Li Tongya did not have such a vast spiritual perception range and was unclear of the enemies' location, but he knew that Li Xuanfeng on the mountain had obtained a clue via the divination mirror. So, he rode the wind, following the arrow for a few steps. His anger vanished in an instant, and a hesitant expression appeared on Li Tongya's face.

"Could it be a trap…" Gritting his teeth, Li Tongya ultimately took to the wind, following closely behind the arrow, ready to turn back at any moment.

"The enemy likely doesn't know the divination mirror's ability to perceive distant locations, so they are probably entirely unprepared. I will simply proceed with caution. The families on the lake also wouldn't dare harm me at present…"