Chapter 308: Choice (Part 2)

Li Yuanping waited respectfully in the cave dwelling for a while, feeling anxious. Only then did the fox walk out, looking dejected. Li Yuanping rushed to meet it, his eyes burning with impatience, asking anxiously:"Senior! How is my ancestor...?"

"Your ancestor?" The fox glanced at him, then suddenly straightened up. Its eyes darted around, and its expression immediately turned grave as it said mournfully:"There isn't much time left..."

"What?" Li Yuanping's face instantly drained of color. Li Tongya had clearly said there were still several years left, but less than a year had passed. How could there be "not much time"? The fox seized the opportunity and continued:"Indeed. Fortunately, I have a method that might be able to save your ancestor."

Hearing this, Li Yuanping's eyes widened in delight, and he said:"Please tell me, Senior!"

"You'll need fresh human hearts, spleens, and stomachs... six thousand portions of each. Bring them to me, and I will teach you the method for collecting vital energy... Within three years, Li Tongya's injury can be healed."

Only then did the fox speak. Li Yuanping listened, momentarily stunned, allowing the fox to finish. His mind was in turmoil. His pale hand pressed tightly on his sword, his lips trembling. After a few breaths, he let out a sigh.

His complexion grew even paler, and he whispered:"Senior, my family forbids the practice of blood sacrifice arts..."

The fox's face immediately fell, and it said nothing more. The man and the fox silently walked to the foot of the mountain. The fox deliberately paused, then chuckled:"I am on White Banyan Mountain. You can come find me for anything."

Li Yuanping nodded slightly. The White Banyan Fox then clicked its tongue twice and rode the wind away.

Li Yuanping watched its retreating figure, almost biting his lower lip until it bled. After a long time, he slowly released his grip and walked down the mountain.

His mind was complex and troubled, not only by Li Tongya's injuries but also by the realization that his own congenital deficiencies and damaged foundational strength could potentially be cured by these same methods...

"Yuanping, send a hundred catties of spiritual rice to Senior White Banyan Fox every year." Li Yuanping's heart felt both repressed and uneasy, but Li Tongya's voice boomed in his ears like a great bell, startling his mind into clarity. He respectfully affirmed, "Yes," and quickly went down the mountain.

"What an interesting fox indeed..." Lu Jiangxian leaned leisurely against a jade table, watching the fox depart reluctantly. In his perception, the fox was entirely suffused with pure spiritual light, peaceful and upright, which was quite rare.

"This fox told Li Tongya it was a wild-born practitioner, but I doubt it. The spiritual light flowing around it clearly indicates a lineage and heritage."

Lu Jiangxian had not yet recovered to the Purple Mansion level and could not see destiny, but he could tell that this fox was of extraordinary origin. He mused:"Given this fox's insight and knowledge, it's likely backed by one of the top Purple Mansion great demons in the demon caves. I wonder what its purpose is in approaching the Li family."

Although Fen Nu Mohe was dead, and Lu Jiangxian had protected Li Tongya, this did not mean the matter was concluded. Fen Nu Mohe had cultivated for many years, accumulating a rich Golden Essence and bearing an astonishing destiny. Upon his death, these energies dispersed and wandered throughout the Great Void.

True Lord Shangyuan either disdained these remnants or no longer had use for them; he sheathed his sword and rode the wind away. The nine Purple Mansion cultivators, however, each employed their own methods, chasing each other in the Great Void, which was a feast for Lu Jiangxian's eyes.

"In this matter, the Golden Feather Sect and the Azure Pond Sect gained the most. Xiao Chuting also reaped significant rewards. If it weren't for Old Man Xishang's lack of skill in combat, he probably could have gained even more benefits."

Yawning, Lu Jiangxian felt that this exertion had exhausted his mental energy. He looked at the Radiant Chalice Fruit in Li Tongya's hand, which resembled a luminous pearl. With a flick of his fingers, he conjured a talisman pill and sent it into the Great Void.

"I can't let you suffer too much of a loss either."

The power of this pure talisman pill, obtained through sacrifice, could enhance the fox demon's cultivation and foundational strength simply by entering its body. It was condensed from the mirror's true form.

At most, this fox demon was backed by a single Purple Mansion demon cultivator who seemed to have been operating independently for many years, so he wasn't afraid of any clues being detected.

"I wonder if it's gradually recovering my original status, or if spending so much time around the Li family has made me increasingly cautious..." Lu Jiangxian smiled silently.

In the secret chamber of the Li family ancestral hall. The greenish-grey mirror slowly floated up. Moonlit essence, like smoke and mist, poured down and drifted around the dark room. A bright, shimmering stream of light appeared on the broken mirror surface.

That stream of light possessed its own sentience, swimming left and right in the air, passing through thick stone walls and three layers of dense formations, then easily piercing the golden Great Sun Ritual Profound Light Formation, catching up to the fox flying with its head tilted.

The shimmering light paused gently and entered the back of the fox's head. The White Banyan Fox remained unaware, continuing silently towards Mount Dali.

The Yu Family."Are you saying... Li Tongya either perished with that Mohe or was severely wounded?"

Yu Xiaogui narrowed his eyes, looking at Yu Mugao, who was dressed in white, and asked softly. Yu Mugao, who was sitting below, shook his head, gazing at the folding fan in his hand, idly stroking its cold ribs, and said casually:"Just a guess."

"Perhaps Li Tongya was lucky enough to slay that Mohe, but sacrificed himself in the process?"

The red palm print on Yu Mugao's face had vanished, his skin restored to its fair and delicate complexion. Having toiled for half his life, he now bore the appearance of a middle-aged man, yet he remained unhurried as he replied:"I only heard one thing: since he slew Mohe with his sword, he hasn't appeared. So I sent people to inquire about the Li family's shop in the Guanyun Peak market..."

"The shop?" Yu Xiaogui frowned, not immediately understanding. Yu Mugao chuckled and replied:"The supply of spiritual items used for healing and restoring vitality has become scarce."

"Oh? You are quite observant!" Yu Xiaogui raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of joy in his eyes. He then saw Yu Mugao lower his head to sip his tea, his expression serene, and continue:"From subtle clues, one can deduce much... On the lake, only Li Yuanxiu back then could manage his family so comprehensively, without a single flaw, even turning my own schemes against me. Even Fei Wangbai had his shortcomings."

His expression grew a little more ruthless as he murmured:"If it weren't for the internal constraints and external collusion within the clan back then, Fei Wangbai would never have been able to hold us back for so many years... letting the Li family grow for nothing."

Yu Xiaogui's expression became somewhat unnatural, as this was, after all, a problem he had allowed to fester during his tenure as family head. His eldest son's mention of it always left Yu Xiaogui speechless, so he quickly changed the subject and replied:"These are just healing spiritual items; it's hard to deduce much from them... Li Tongya's absence might just be due to secluded cultivation."

"True." Seeing Yu Mugao nod slightly, Yu Xiaogui asked:"What do you intend to do?"

Yu Mugao's lips curled. Years and failures had not eroded his cunning; instead, they had made him calmer and more persistent. He stated:"Probe."

Father and son exchanged a glance. Then, a person quickly came up from below. Upon seeing Yu Xiaogui, he first paused, then quickly lowered his head and bowed to Yu Mugao, reporting respectfully:"Reporting, Family Head... the Fei family has sealed their mountain!"

"What?!"