Chapter 343: Profit Amid Chaos (3)

Wutu Peak.

Li Yuanjiao exhaled slowly. The long sword in his hand, named Jiao Pan Yingscale, gleamed with a brilliant blue light, while in his other hand he held the pale purple ‘Moon Gate Sword Manual’.

He was now thirty-three years old, at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, just a step away from the seventh. This cultivation speed, aided by the Spirit Devouring Talisman and the Li family’s current resources, was quite remarkable.

After all, Li Tongya was fifty when he reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation, and even Li Xuanfeng was nearly forty when he broke through. In comparison, Li Yuanjiao’s speed was undoubtedly fast, making him one of the top disciples within the sect.

“By this calculation, I should be able to break through to the seventh level of Qi Condensation by the end of the year. The later stages of Qi Condensation prioritize accumulation; levels seven and eight alone could take me six or seven years. Then, with a talismanic pill to break through the most difficult ninth level, I could accumulate for another two years and attempt Foundation Establishment.”

If all went smoothly, Li Yuanjiao could enter seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment in his early forties, striving for that immortal foundation.

Putting away the sword manual, Li Yuanjiao then produced a jade-white slip, which was Li Tongya's annotated scripture, 'True Explanation of the Jiazi Sword Manual.' It was far more accessible than the obscure 'Moon Gate Sword Manual.' He read it carefully twice, thinking to himself: “Uncle Tongya’s talent in swordsmanship is extraordinary, and he even received personal guidance from a Sword Immortal, yet he only comprehended Sword Essence at the age of eighty. This shows just how difficult the path of killing is… How many swordsmen are there in Jiangnan, and how many Sword Immortals? Currently, among our family, only I can hope to follow in Uncle Tongya’s footsteps in swordsmanship. Qinghong and Xicheng use spears; Zhier, who had the best sword talent, went to the sect. Xijun is somewhat better, but Ximing only uses a sword as a chopping tool, not as a proper sword cultivator.”

In his current position, Li Yuanjiao had too many things to consider. As he stroked his chin in thought, a man approached from below. He was a middle-aged man with light brown skin, high brows, and large eyes. He cupped his fists and said, “Peak Master! Something has happened on Guli Road!”

This was Shamoli, now a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. He had abandoned his position in the Shanyue kingdom to follow Li Yuanjiao in cultivation.

Although he was a mixed-Qi cultivator, the spiritual energy he absorbed was a diluted version of true Qi, and his cultivation method, 'Purple Thunder Secret Origin Art,' was profound, allowing him to match ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators.

Li Yuanjiao was slightly startled. He then rose into the air on the wind and indeed saw thick smoke billowing from Guli Road. Cultivators from various families had ascended to observe, and several white lights hovered in the air, hesitant to advance. “Something happened at Guanyun Peak!”

Thanks to the Xiao family's reconstruction of Guli Road, with relay stations and cultivators stationed along it, Li Yuanjiao and others were able to receive news from Guanyun Peak so quickly. His expression immediately changed, and he thought, “This is bad! How could this be? Father and the others are still in the market! Let’s go!”

He quickly descended on the wind, calling Li Qinghong, An Zheyang, and a few other mid-to-late Qi Condensation cultivators, and together they flew eastward.

On his end, Li Xuanxuan watched the monkey disappear, feeling a myriad of doubts and a sense of loss. He worried that the monkey might just leave, and a vague regret and anxiety began to surface.

Pat-a-tap—

Before Li Xuanxuan could ponder further, a faint rustling sound reached his ears, and an alarm immediately rang in his heart. Unfortunately, the malevolent fire in the backyard was thick, suppressing his spiritual sense to only a few inches around him, preventing him from discerning the situation.

He waited for a while in the backyard, which was filled with malevolent fire and shrouded in darkness. Then, a tall, dark figure, haloed in red light, vaguely emerged from within the malevolent fire.

Li Xuanxuan had been waiting for a long time, already clutching a powerful fire-attribute talisman in his hand. He stared intently at the figure, thinking to himself: “Dressed in black, emanating a bloody aura, it must be a demonic cultivator, no doubt. I must strike first; even if I can’t defeat him, I’ll have a chance to escape…”

So, seizing the moment while the figure was still assessing the situation, Li Xuanxuan suddenly erupted. The talisman in his hand flared with red light, flying directly towards the figure, while his other hand drew a large axe from his waist storage pouch, twisting and swinging it down forcefully.

The demonic cultivator’s spiritual sense was also suppressed by the malevolent fire, preventing him from detecting anything. He had no idea someone was waiting in the dark corner. Seeing a figure suddenly burst out, he was caught off guard and hit square in the face by the mid-Qi Condensation fire talisman, instantly turning into a man of fire.

“Aargh—”

The malevolent fire and the spell fire intertwined, as if triggering a chain reaction, increasing their power by a third. Bright red, they illuminated the dark ruins, making everything glow red. Li Xuanxuan’s large axe reflected the sparkling firelight as it fiercely chopped down on the demonic cultivator’s neck.

“Thwack…”

The demonic cultivator’s neck emitted a bone-jarring crack. His head fell off like a green sugarcane snapped in two, and blood spurted out under pressure, splattering down.

Seeing his enemy’s miserable state, Li Xuanxuan’s heart relaxed, but then the headless body took two steps forward, and its pale hands suddenly shot out, pressing down on his chest.

“This!”

He felt a powerful force, was instantly sent flying sideways, crashing hard into a section of crooked beams with a loud crash. Grey smoke billowed, and two large pillars collapsed, landing directly on his chest.

Li Xuanxuan’s chest tightened, and he spat out two mouthfuls of blood. Without daring to rest, he scrambled to his feet, stars dancing before his eyes. The demonic cultivator had already picked up his head and reattached it crookedly to his neck. His face was pale and delicate, his eyes filled with fury and terror, as he cursed, “I knew there was something wrong! A cultivator just flew out like that! Almost killed me in one go!”

As he cursed, his hands were not slow. He swept his waist, drawing out two short blades, dripping with fresh red blood. He strode forward, instantly appearing before Li Xuanxuan, and swung to stab.

Li Xuanxuan was only thankful that he had endured the pain and held onto his magic tool. With a twist of the axe handle, the large axe turned over like a shield, blocking the man’s bloody red blade aura, causing a sharp pain in his chest. With his other hand, he conjured another talisman, releasing a golden stream of light that summoned a golden shield to envelop him, finally giving him a moment to breathe.

The demonic cultivator, his attack failing, suddenly retreated several steps, panting heavily twice. He clearly hadn't recovered from the previous talisman attack and was suffering. He opened his mouth and cursed, “You motherf*cking scoundrel… Ambushing your grandpa…”

Li Xuanxuan quietly got up and carefully sensed for a moment. This person seemed to be at the mid-Qi Condensation level, but was somewhat weakened after taking his sneak attack. He thought to himself: “This person is much faster than me. I absolutely cannot flee hastily. I must fight, hoping for a sliver of survival!”

He was only glad that this person’s cultivation was not as strong as the demonic cultivator who previously held the thunder pearl, and their cultivation methods were also very different. He mused: “Strike him while he’s weak! Take his life!”

So, he swung his large axe, aiming for the man’s face. The demonic cultivator glared fiercely at him, crossed his two blades, and forcibly blocked the axe. He then puffed out his lips and tongue, releasing a cloud of bloody Qi.

This bloody Qi surged forth like smoke and mist, perhaps some sinister spell. Li Xuanxuan didn't know what kind of technique it was, so he could only grit his teeth and retreat, his heart troubled, thinking: “What should I do!”

He was not adept at combat and lacked effective fighting methods. Even the large axe magic tool he wielded was simply chosen because of its high grade and because no one else in the family used an axe.

Now, watching the demonic cultivator gradually recover and land successful blows with his speed, carving away pieces of his flesh and even leaving a bleeding hole in his thigh, Li Xuanxuan grew increasingly anxious.

Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a stack of talismans from his sleeve, thinking: “No matter how reluctant I am, I need to survive to have a life.”

When the demonic cultivator saw him pull out a stack of talismans from his sleeve, his previously confident expression instantly faded. He fumbled in his hand, managing to pull out only two talismans, just as several talismans in Li Xuanxuan’s hand lit up and were fiercely thrown at him.

“He’s mad!”

The backyard was cramped, and the power of several talismans activated simultaneously was far more than a simple superposition. The demonic cultivator shrieked, and the upper half of his body exploded into a bloody mist, spreading only three to four feet in the dark courtyard. Then came a shout: “By my decree!”

Several talismans transformed into bright red magical radiance and exploded. Seeing the malevolent fire permeating the area, Li Xuanxuan specifically chose fire spells. Instantly, a dazzling crimson light erupted, and bright flames surged forth, engulfing both figures.

Boom!

Jia Dan Pavilion, already overloaded, was instantly consumed by the surging flames and collapsed with a roar. Fortunately, the market was already ablaze everywhere, with constant collapses all around, so it wasn't particularly conspicuous.

Li Xuanxuan’s magical shield instantly shattered. He was swept away by the flames, rolled twice on the ground, and once again spat blood. Several ribs were broken, and his left leg hung limply, clearly fractured.

Flames raged all around, scalding his skin and causing blisters. He painfully struggled to his feet. After all, he was further away, and his broken left lower leg was still connected by tendons. As long as no limbs were lost, it couldn't be considered a severe injury.

He only cast a healing spell on his leg, then shakily stood up, immediately feeling his spiritual power empty. It seemed the magical shield had drained his internal energy to save his life. “Where is he…”

Malevolent fire permeated the area, intensifying the bright flames, which even detached from broken wooden beams, writhing like snakes in the air and distorting his vision. Li Xuanxuan saw the demonic cultivator also shakily getting up.

His flesh seemed to be cooked, emitting a burnt smell. His bone-exposed hands still clutched the two short blades. He appeared to be in much better condition and steadily walked towards Li Xuanxuan.

“You…”

The demonic cultivator glared at him with venom, just uttering a single word from his throat, when a small figure suddenly darted out from the nearby flames. A jade pestle, as thick as an adult’s arm and emerald green, whistled through the air, striking him squarely on the head.

CRACK──

A loud crack of bone echoed. The demonic cultivator’s head burst open like a watermelon, scattering white and red matter like fireworks across the ground. Shattered teeth rained down on Li Xuanxuan’s head and face, with two even rolling into his sleeve.

Thud.

Li Xuanxuan finally couldn't hold on any longer, collapsing to his knees and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Pat-a-tap…

The monkey continued to swing the jade pestle, striking the demonic cultivator’s chest repeatedly, sending flesh and blood flying, coating itself into a blood-soaked monkey, yet it showed no signs of stopping.

Li Xuanxuan took a pill, regulated his breathing for a moment, and then cast several healing spells on himself. The nearby fire raged more fiercely, making everything around them glow red and billow with thick smoke. He called out, “Good monkey… use fire! Burn it with fire…”

Before the old man could finish speaking, he saw the demonic cultivator’s blood-soaked fingers twitch.

Having witnessed the demonic cultivator’s previous regeneration method, Li Xuanxuan dared not relax. With eyes watering from the smoke, he stared intently and immediately noticed the twitch. Terrified, he lost his voice and quickly drew out his large axe.

No sooner had he finished his movement than the demonic cultivator’s abdomen suddenly bulged, exploding open in an instant. A gaunt, skeletal child burst out, its eyes filled with terror. It landed and immediately fled, bloody and like the wind, leaping into the flames.

Fortunately, Li Xuanxuan already had his axe raised. With a fierce strike, a crisp snap was heard, and the skinny, flesh-and-blood child was severed into two halves, collapsing paralyzed on the ground, crying out, “Immortal Lord, spare me! Immortal Lord, spare me! I know I was wrong! I…”

As Li Xuanxuan was recovering, the monkey turned back in alarm. Two swings of its emerald jade pestle smashed the child’s two body sections into two piles of flesh. Li Xuanxuan dared not delay further and conjured a fire spell.

Boom…

He cast his fire spell, incinerating the demonic cultivator’s body into charcoal. He then pulled the monkey’s blood-soaked hand and whispered, “Let’s go!”

His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, unrecognizable even to himself, but the monkey nodded. It produced a black-gold storage bag and handed it to Li Xuanxuan; it was the demonic cultivator’s item.

“Good monkey.”

Li Xuanxuan secured the items, and then, man and monkey, they dashed out of the raging fire and into a fire-free hut in a nearby neighborhood. Only then did they collapse, resting and healing their injuries.

“Damn it all…”

It had been many years since Li Xuanxuan had cursed, but now, as he let out a hoarse expletive, he felt such joy in his heart that tears almost fell. His cultivation, which hadn't advanced in years, even seemed to subtly fluctuate.

He had only rested for a moment when he suddenly realized something. He pulled the monkey and said, “You heal here for now.”

Seeing the monkey nod, Li Xuanxuan placed two bottles of pills in front of it and cautiously stepped out. After walking around two streets, he indeed found someone standing anxiously where the jade pendant was hidden.

With Jia Dan Pavilion collapsed and malevolent fire permeating everywhere, spiritual senses were restricted in the surrounding streets. Li Xuanxuan’s eyes were scorched by the fire, making it hard to see clearly, but the other person had already looked over, startling Li Xuanxuan and making him want to run.

“Is that you, Xuan’er?!”

Li Qiuyang, also cowering slightly, gritted his teeth and called out. Li Xuanxuan immediately burst into tears of joy, hoarsely replying, “Qiuyang!!”

Li Qiuyang took a step forward, then jumped back in shock, saying in disbelief, “Xuan’er?!”

The person before him limped, his face haggard and emaciated. His eyes were half-grey, half-white, and his body was covered in black blood and blisters of all sizes. His hair and eyebrows were completely gone, and blood was still dripping profusely from his sleeve cuffs. He looked like a corpse dragged from a fire.

If Li Xuanxuan hadn't called out his name, Li Qiuyang would never have believed it. He just stared blankly at him. As Li Xuanxuan was about to speak, the ground began to shake violently.

Rumble!

Cracks appeared in the grand formation in the sky. Both men’s expressions changed, and Li Qiuyang urgently said, “Xuan-ge! Let’s go!”

Li Xuanxuan’s expression shifted several times as he replied, “Wait! Wait!”

He shook his blood-stained sleeve, summoned a slight breeze, and darted deeper into the street. Li Qiuyang stamped his foot and hastily followed. Just as he turned the corner, he saw Li Xuanxuan rushing over, leading a monkey.

“Ah!”

Li Qiuyang froze, looking at the monkey, which was also pitch-black and covered in blisters. The monkey, startled by him, bared its fangs, and the jade pestle in its hand was already swinging down.

“Huh?”

Li Qiuyang stared, dumbfounded, and repeatedly stepped back as Li Xuanxuan shouted, “Family! He’s family!”

The old man shouted as he pulled the monkey, and the two men and one monkey traveled close to the ground on the wind. Li Xuanxuan called out, “The formation is about to break! We need to slip out through Jia Dan Pavilion! Once the formation breaks, the demonic cultivators outside will surely flood in. The malevolent fire will hinder spiritual senses, and in the chaos, no one will find us!”

As these words left his mouth, he suddenly remembered something. He pulled the black-gold storage bag from his waist, upturned his robe, and a heap of glittering items spilled out with a clatter. Several of the magic tools were sharp, piercing directly through his leather robe and into his flesh.

Li Xuanxuan endured the pain, putting the magic tools and jade slips into his own storage bag. He then discarded the remaining miscellaneous items along with the black-gold storage bag, scattering them all over the ground.