Chapter 409: Situm Mo

Li Xizhi felt a sudden strangeness. Hiding his presence, he quietly approached and saw a crowd of villagers gathered around a low stone altar. On the altar stood an old man in black with a sinister face, holding a sword and muttering incessantly.

The villagers below also began to chant, their voices growing in volume. Black mist quickly permeated the altar, making Li Xizhi frown.

"A mere cultivator of mixed qi, yet he's created quite a spectacle!"

The old man in black possessed impure true essence and a weak aura, clearly identifying him as a rogue cultivator, someone insignificant in the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world. Li Xizhi, coming from a major sect, recognized this at a glance.

'A pervasive yin aura... perhaps he's gained some demonic heritage, bewitched the villagers, and is performing blood sacrifices.'

Sure enough, the villagers below led a young boy forward. The old man in black raised his sword, preparing to strike.

Li Xizhi watched silently as the old man's sword reached the boy, only to strike an invisible barrier with a clang, becoming utterly still.

A flicker of surprise and doubt crossed the old man's face. He scanned the area with his spiritual sense, but how could a rogue cultivator, with his rough background, possibly discern Li Xizhi's concealment technique? Finding nothing, the old man stammered nervously:

"Which senior... is playing a trick on this humble one?"

Rainbow light emanated from Li Xizhi, revealing his form on the stone altar. He stared at the old man, who, after a single glance, trembled in terror and said shakily:

"This humble one is Yuan Huzhong... greetings, Immortal from the Upper Sect."

The rainbow light in Li Xizhi's hand was about to descend upon the old man, but his words paused it. Li Xizhi frowned and asked:

"You recognize my attire... you are knowledgeable. Which Yuan are you?"

Yuan Huzhong stammered tremblingly:

"I am originally from the Yuan clan of Mushroom Forest, though I haven't returned for many years."

'The Yuan clan of Mushroom Forest, indeed!'

The connection between this demonic cultivator and his master, Yuan Tuan, made Li Xizhi somewhat uncomfortable. He said in a deep voice:

"Since you hail from a prominent family, why engage in such squalid acts? You've brought utter disgrace upon the Yuan family's name!"

He formed a hand seal, and a shimmering, vibrant light flowed out, floating and moving with the speed of lightning. With a whoosh, it swiftly snatched the sword from Yuan Huzhong's hand and the brocade pouch from his waist.

This technique, "Floating Light Picking Objects," was a fourth-grade spell recorded in the "Morning Glow Dew Collection," excelling at seizing magic tools and treasures. The colorful light swept everything clean with a single motion, chilling Yuan Huzhong to the bone.

The villagers below craned their necks, watching. Believing he had attacked, they immediately erupted in mournful cries, desperately begging for mercy, which greatly confused Li Xizhi.

Li Xizhi conducted a quick check and confirmed that the man was indeed from the Yuan clan. He then patiently prompted him:

"Speak!"

Just as Yuan Huzhong was about to speak, black winds surged across the land, and a house-sized, feathered giant descended, roaring with laughter and shouting:

"Fellow Daoist Yuan! How are this year's blood offerings?"

Rainbow light had already risen beneath Li Xizhi's feet. His spiritual sense swept over the creature, revealing it to be only at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, significantly weaker than his own sixth-level cultivation. Only then did he dare to pause and examine the demonic beast.

Yuan Huzhong dared not speak directly. He simply lowered his brows, gave a meaningful glance, and whispered quietly:

"This... this is a senior from the Qingchi Upper Sect... Daoist Wu... quickly pay your respects."

'Someone from the Qingchi Demonic Sect!'

Daoist Wu was greatly startled. He fell with a thud, shaking the ground, and in a muffled voice said:

"This humble demon greets the Immortal!"

Li Xizhi, a person who disliked trouble, found this expanding situation quite vexing. He waved his hand and said:

"I have urgent matters to attend to. Quickly explain this and conclude it, to save me trouble!"

Yuan Huzhong hurriedly explained:

"Sir, I am indeed from the Yuan family's direct lineage, but my talent is meager. I barely possess a spiritual aperture... I cultivated for a full thirty years, consumed many spiritual items, yet only managed to reach the third level of the Fetal Breath stage..."

Though Yuan Huzhong was diligent in his youth, his limited talent meant he could only exchange his father's connections for cultivation resources. As these connections gradually dwindled, the Yuan family grew unwilling to pour more resources into what seemed like a bottomless pit. Yuan Huzhong was left with no choice but to depart and wander the world.

"Later, this humble one discovered a rogue cultivator's temple... and acquired some inherited techniques... but my cultivation ultimately remained stagnant, with no further progress. Disheartened, I passed by this place, encountered a Fetal Breath-stage demonic beast causing trouble, and eliminated it."

"The villagers pleaded desperately, and I, being soft-hearted, felt compelled to stay and protect them."

Yuan Huzhong chuckled:

"This place is near Quanwu Mountain, a common passage for many demonic beasts, who often stop to prey on people. So, I pledged allegiance to a demon general. Now, as long as I provide special blood offerings each year, no more demonic beasts trouble us!"

He pointed proudly at the villagers below and chuckled:

"When I first came here, there were only a thousand-plus people. Now, fifty years later, the population has grown to over five thousand!"

Li Xizhi remained silently observing. He looked at the boy kneeling on the ground without a word. The boy's aura fluctuated, clearly indicating he had been taking medicine since childhood—he was the "special blood offering" Yuan Huzhong had mentioned. He was quiet and well-behaved, neither crying nor making a fuss.

The demonic beast beside him, having heard that Li Xizhi was a disciple of the demonic sect, was already trembling in fear, not daring to look up. Yuan Huzhong, having finished his explanation, also glanced at him uneasily, then hesitantly added:

"The spiritual resources supplied to the Immortal Sect from this place... have also been fully provided year after year..."

Li Xizhi glanced at the villagers below, understanding that Yuan Huzhong's explanation was largely accurate. The rainbow light in his hand flickered, and he said with a reluctant tone:

"I see."

He stood with his hands behind his back, silently. Having lost the desire for further conversation, he rode the wind away, a colorful light surging beneath his feet, drifting off like an immortal.

Left behind, Yuan Huzhong wiped cold sweat from his brow, sighed in relief, and slumped to the ground. He then sighed towards the terrified demonic beast beside him, who was also trembling and said:

"Thank goodness! It's fortunate it was a Qingchi Sect disciple. If it had been a Xiuyue Sect member, they wouldn't tolerate any impurity and wouldn't have let you explain. They would have killed you with a single sword, and not only would we lose our lives, but even my King would likely have been slain!"

"Indeed."

Yuan Huzhong sighed with relief and said:

"If we truly had bad luck, what could we do? The sect disciples would eliminate the demons and leave, but these five thousand common folk would be pitiable. With us dead, they would only be devoured by hordes of demons!"

As Li Xizhi rode the wind, his mood was slightly somber. Although he knew such matters were common in Jiangnan, this was his first time witnessing it firsthand. After Yuan Huzhong's explanation, he truly felt powerless.

'At least it's better than overseas... After all, this was once under the jurisdiction of an immortal mansion. Whether it's due to the current immortal sects' apprehension or some lingering sense of righteousness, they dare not act openly. Even demonic sects must maintain a facade... not to mention some of the more respectable orthodoxies.'

Li Xizhi let out a self-mocking laugh. If he were in Yuan Huzhong's position, he would likely handle things in much the same way. His initial murderous intent now seemed rather laughable.

Li Xizhi and his family were still under considerable pressure, leaving him no time for pity or sorrow. He quickly dismissed the matter from his mind and flew on the wind around the Quanwu area. Suddenly, the jade pendant at his waist grew warm, emitting a soft white light.

"Hmm?"

Li Xizhi was immediately overjoyed, thinking to himself:

"There are family members or elders nearby!"

Li Xijun and his companions had been traversing the Quanwu Mountain Range for some time, acquiring several spiritual items. Guided by Kong Heng, they had not encountered any Foundation Establishment demonic beasts, merely wandering through the mountains.

Li Xuanxuan and his companion formed hand seals, investigating the ley lines. They gradually uncovered some clues. After examining a deep pool for a while, Li Xijun said:

"Uncle, according to the descriptions in the 'Cold Snow Collection' and our spell investigation, there should be spiritual water in this pool."

Li Xuanxuan, still holding a pile of wild fruits, picked one out and handed over a plum. He nodded gently, formed a hand seal to calculate, and whispered:

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while longer. This water vein runs very deep; it won't be easily extracted in a short time."

Li Xijun casually put it into his pocket. The two formed hand seals and cast spells, working together to draw out the water. They alternated, one resting while the other maintained the spell, for five or six days. Then, a golden light descended from afar in the sky.

As the golden light touched down, it transformed into a person. Dressed in a radiant golden feather robe and holding a golden ring, this individual was a Foundation Establishment cultivator of considerable power. The mere presence made the others feel as though their faces were being cut by knives.

The man gazed at the pool's surface, his expression unreadable, as if he had come specifically for this spiritual water.

He held a golden ring and was quite handsome. His clothing bore distinct features: golden hooks and rings adorned him, and his feather robe featured diamond patterns. It was clear at a glance that he was from the Tangjin Sect.

"Greetings, Senior..."

The Tangjin Sect cultivator, with an arrogant expression and a hint of suppressed excitement, cast a lazy glance at the trio and said:

"Where are you three from? The spiritual water here belongs to my Tangjin Sect now."

Li Xuanxuan and Li Xijun exchanged glances. Kong Heng, however, frowned and said in a deep voice:

"We were here first..."

Li Xijun quickly held him back and said politely:

"We are from the Qingdu Li family. Since Senior desires it, we shall leave it for you and depart."

"Not so."

The man smiled thinly, a cruel expression on his face, and said cuttingly:

"I want you to extract the spiritual water for me; only then may you leave."

Li Xuanxuan looked at the man's face and felt a strange sense of familiarity. It was then that he remembered meeting this very person years ago: the arrogant young master of the Tangjin Sect, whom he had encountered while en route to ask Kong Yu to move mountains.

"Situ Mo!"

This Situ Mo had a foul temper. He had seized the opportunity to thoroughly ridicule Kong Yu, mocking him with jokes about his 'one incense stick' family. It was then that Li Xuanxuan learned the reason. At that time, Situ Mo was still at the peak of Qi Condensation, but now he had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

'Such a person... relies solely on his family background!'

Li Xuanxuan cursed inwardly. Situ Mo, too, wore a mocking expression, staring at Li Xuanxuan with unconcealed disgust. Li Xuanxuan immediately realized:

"Oh no! He recognized me... So I've been implicated by the Xuanyue Kong clan... What kind of grudge does this Situ Mo have with the Kong clan, to harbor such intense hatred!"

Indeed, Li Xijun had responded politely, but Situ Mo sneered twice and said in a low voice:

"But I do recognize your esteemed clan... My family's elders once gathered qi in your clan's territory! They attracted a demonic sparrow, causing a commotion for quite some time. Your elders were still mortals back then, perhaps even bowing down to them."

Li Xijun had initially dismissed him as a mere fop. However, after that last statement, he instantly realized the man harbored ill intent, perhaps even being an enemy. His polite smile vanished completely, and his expression turned cold.

Beyond his anger, Li Xuanxuan was even more puzzled:

"This young man... where does such intense hatred stem from? It's unlikely to be solely due to the Xuanyue Sect..."

He truly couldn't fathom the source of Situ Mo's deep animosity. Furthermore, the man's words were exceptionally vicious and offensive, igniting a furious rage within him. The old man's face no longer held any trace of pleasantness.

Situ Mo coldly scrutinized Li Xuanxuan, then said in a low voice:

"That day we met in the wilderness, if I had known that you, this hateful old man, were from the Li family, I should have killed you... You..."

He gritted his teeth and said viciously:

"The An and Lu families, who colluded with a tiger, were ultimately annihilated by your Li clan, which was truly gratifying. The 'good deeds' you did back then drove my mother to despair and suicide... I've finally waited for this day, so your family can also experience the suffering my maternal clan endured!!"

Li Xijun was stunned, and Kong Heng's eyes widened even further. In Li Xuanxuan's mind, scenes flashed like thunder, one after another, finally settling on a face that had once caused immense worry to Li Xiangping and Li Tongya...

"Ji Dengqi!"

Li Xuanxuan cried out:

"You... you are the son of that Ji family woman!"

"Haha! Precisely..."

He was halfway through his words when Li Xijun, who had been preparing for some time, reacted. He fiercely tugged Kong Heng's sleeve, took two steps into the air, and shot away as a streak of blood-red light. Even Situ Mo was momentarily stunned, then furiously exclaimed:

"They are all Li Tongya's offspring indeed! Cunning as snakes!"

Kong Heng and Li Xuanxuan's minds reeled, leaving them stunned in place. Only then did they react. Kong Heng was about to pull Li Xuanxuan into flight when he saw a golden light rising from the edge of the pond, isolating heaven and earth and enveloping both of them.

Situ Mo sneered as he watched Li Xijun's retreating figure and said:

"What do you think I was wasting my breath for?"

In the distance, Li Xijun, riding the blood-red light, barely managed to pass through the array. However, a golden sword, long-ambushed, flew directly at him from the front, piercing straight through his chest and pinning him to the ground.

A flash of blood light, and the young man collapsed with a thud. Li Xuanxuan watched, a chill running through him. He channeled his spiritual power into his eyes, seeing a blood-stained plum roll out of the boy's embrace, round and bouncy, bouncing twice.

"The boy certainly ran fast, but he was struck by the Dinglin Spike, dying a moment too soon!"

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Situ Mo's face. He then turned to the two remaining individuals and said chillingly:

"You old man, you do have some knowledge. My mother is Ji Dengyu! Ji Dengqi, the head of the Ji clan back then, was precisely your grandfather's maternal uncle! Lu Sisi and An Zhaoyan massacred my Ji clan, thinking my father was killed, but they never imagined my mother was already pregnant with me..."

"I thought you would return the way you came, but I didn't expect you to wander and end up in this Quanwu Mountain Range. I had quite a search for you, but thankfully, I didn't let you escape!"

His expression was cruel and ferocious, tinged with the unique satisfaction of vengeance. He laughed heartily and said coldly:

"I know your Li clan is the most ruthless, and Li Tongya is a Sword Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator, which is why my mother never dared to speak of this, and had me fostered elsewhere... Now that I have established my immortal foundation, it's time to settle years of grievances!"

Li Xuanxuan's heart was greatly shaken. His mind raced, his eyes turning bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and, attempting to conceal his turmoil, said:

"When the Ji clan was destroyed back then, the two mountains were occupied by the An and Lu families respectively. It has no connection to my family!"

"No connection?"

Situ Mo sneered, confident of victory and in no hurry. He couldn't help but retort, his voice filled with hatred:

"Back then, my Ji clan placed someone close to Lu Yuanlu. He was a big-mouth and secretly envied Li Tongya, so he had already spilled everything! Who do you think you can deceive?"

'So it was that fool! That utterly foolish person!'

Li Xuanxuan's heart turned cold. He struggled for breath, his chest burning as if on fire. His mind was consumed by thoughts of Li Xijun outside. The wounds on his face faintly cracked open, revealing golden pills.

For a moment, blood flowed from all seven of the old man's orifices, and his six wounds also gushed blood. He stared with wide eyes, unable to speak.

A hand, however, rested on his shoulder, emitting a warm golden light. It quickly brought his emotions under control, and his wounds slowly closed. Kong Heng gently lowered his head and said softly:

"Elder has cast an immortal spell. Do not be angry. This humble monk is here... there's no need to worry."