Chapter 425: Guo Hongyao

Chapter 425

Guo Hongyao

At the Xu family residence in Lijing Town.

Xu Xiao was bare-chested, revealing his well-built arms. He had gone out early that morning for a look around and noticed many things, though he was still somewhat uncertain. A sensation, like several silver needles constantly pricking, persisted between his eyebrows.

Xu Xiao secretly hid in his room. With a jade bead clutched in his sleeve, he sat cross-legged, feigning composure. His internal energy fluctuated, and his thoughts raced:‘This morning, Commander Chen did not patrol the streets on time… Either something has happened to him, or he's been reassigned. If the Li family plans a major move, they won't be able to hide it from him; they'd have to move him first…’

Xu Xiao had secretly manipulated the situation, holding Old Man Liu and Commander Chen under his control. However, he lacked confidence and felt uneasy. He couldn't show this to Liu Lingzhen, who was timid by nature. Though he spoke disdainfully, he knew the Li family was deeply entrenched. Holding these two increased his risk of exposure, which worried him even more.

He went out to buy herbs and glanced at the tavern, hoping to see if Old Man Liu was drinking as usual. He found the tavern had been smashed by troublemakers and was closed. Xu Xiao returned to his courtyard, half-believing, half-doubting, and filled with an ominous premonition:‘If the Li family is preparing to move against me, the person behind it isn't simple… But why? Who would start with such a massive, hidden scheme right away…’

He found it strange, yet he felt a constant prickle of unease, wishing he could escape immediately. But Liu Lingzhen was still on the mountain, and he was very reluctant to leave her behind. Xu Xiao believed that given ten more years, he could naturally return home in glory, break the Li family's hegemony, and elevate his own family to gentry status. However, with ten years still to go, he was absolutely unwilling to openly antagonize the Li family.

The jade bead spun in his palm. Suddenly, various illusions flashed before Xu Xiao's eyes. His chest and shoulder blades ached, and his heart pounded with a sense of impending disaster. His left hand already rested on his storage bag.

"Hiss!"

He suddenly felt a chill on one side of his face. He quickly burst out, stepping back, as a set of crimson armor appeared on his body. The entire wall had collapsed, revealing a black light.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, smoke and dust billowed as the house collapsed. A massive, dark snake tail swept across, its hook jet black. Xu Xiao narrowly dodged the attack, but even a slight graze turned his face pale.

"A Foundation Establishment demonic beast!"

The black-clothed young man before him had a sinister expression. His black robe flapped in the wind, and his black boots trod the ground. From the shadows beneath him, two black hooks snaked out, emitting waves of cold air. Xu Xiao was startled, filled with dread, and blurted out: "You're that Hook Serpent!"

Li Wushao's strike was dodged. Suppressing his surprise, he glanced over and asked in confusion: "Indeed, somewhat peculiar. A mere Qi Condensation cultivator actually dodged my attack."

Suddenly, shouts of killing erupted. Several people brandished their swords and attacked. Xu Xiao crushed a jade bead with a backhand, and a circular energy shield appeared on his body. He gravely observed Li Wushao and shouted: "I've never offended you! All I did was stop that young master from forcing a commoner girl into marriage. How dare you be so tyrannical, trying to silence me by killing me!!"

In his words, he completely disregarded the Li family's Qi Condensation cultivators. Instead, he frowned in confusion and preemptively questioned them. As for the surrounding Qi Condensation cultivators, they were utterly insignificant. 'Just a bunch of miscellaneous cultivators with low-grade cultivation methods, incapable of spells. Their slashes won't harm me in the slightest.'

Indeed, the magic shield was at the Foundation Establishment level. The magical lights from the Qi Condensation cultivators had no effect on the shield, bouncing off and dissipating. Li Xijun remained hidden, standing far off in the clouds, and thought: 'Fortunately, Li Wushao is here. Otherwise, even if all the Foundation Establishment elders of our family were present, they couldn't do anything to him… It's a good thing Li Wushao stayed, not Kong Heng. And it's good that he repaired his tail hook… If there had been even a slight deviation, we wouldn't have been able to touch him today!'

Li Wushao, being a demonic beast from the Eastern Sea, naturally didn't understand the concept of "forcing a commoner girl into marriage." He simply thought this person was spouting nonsense and ignored him completely, continuously extending his tail hook without pause. However, Chen Mufeng couldn't let him continue shouting and cried out: "Demon! You killed Liu Yi! You used demonic arts to control the Commander, and you broke through from Qi Nurturing Level 2 to Qi Condensation Level 3 within two years! What else could that be but demonic cultivation! Who knows how many people you've secretly devoured!"

As he spoke, Li Wushao's tail hook slammed onto the shield. The power gap between Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation was immeasurable. Xu Xiao had no time to dodge and was struck by a tail hook. Even though the shield dissipated most of the force, he still coughed up blood and crashed violently through a section of the gate wall.

Li Wushao could survive in the East Sea, and the twin hooks on his tail were the source of his cultivation, containing considerable skill. However, they had been restrained by Kong Tingyun's artifact and broken in the hands of two others. Now that his tail hooks were repaired, Li Xijun repeatedly cheered in approval.

'As for this Xu Xiao, he seems… not that strong…'

Just one strike from Li Wushao had already caused Xu Xiao to vomit blood and retreat. Li Xijun immediately breathed a sigh of relief. While observing the situation, he meticulously noted the changes in expression of those around him, as a precaution. 'That's right… even a Golden Core reincarnation would need to be at the peak of Qi Condensation to play that "stick of incense" game with the Kong family's Foundation Establishment ancestor… I've been too cautious.'

Li Xijun, blaming himself, stood in the clouds. Seeing the Foundation Establishment shield on Xu Xiao, he flipped his hand, conjuring a talisman, and without any hesitation or regret, smashed it down. The talisman flew and spun in the air, transforming into an exquisite small hammer. Golden patterns were etched onto it, and its two ends curled upwards like ram horns. It slammed towards Xu Xiao with a bang.

Li Wushao, on his side, also didn't relax. Two shadows coiled, swiftly streaking across the ground like two venomous snakes, then lunged. Seizing the moment when the two Foundation Establishment spells collided, they pierced Xu Xiao precisely and fiercely from both front and back.

The small hammer talisman in Li Xijun's hand was purchased from the Yuan family; its excellent quality was why it was kept as a last-resort life-saving talisman. Unexpectedly, it flew across the air, striking with a resounding crack, and though the magic shield on Xu Xiao dimmed, it withstood the blow. 'What a powerful talisman.'

Li Wushao cooperated with the Foundation Establishment talisman, launching a fierce attack. He had originally intended to entangle and wear down Xu Xiao, but immediately changed tactics, piercing him fiercely from both front and back.

"What demonic cultivation! You fools! This is the Immortal Sect's Profound Flame Conflation Secret Art!"

Xu Xiao was momentarily speechless. He wanted to retort but hadn't expected Li Xijun, standing in the clouds, to be so decisive, immediately unleashing a high-grade Foundation Establishment talisman. He had no choice but to shut up. A black-red token appeared in his hand. He activated it, sending out a red glow, hoping to block Li Wushao's tail hooks and buy time for his magic shield to recover.

However, the red light only managed to briefly hinder the dark tail hooks. Xu Xiao's spiritual energy drained away like a long whale sucking water. Li Wushao was a Foundation Establishment cultivator; how could a mere Qi Condensation cultivator like Xu Xiao resist him? Even though Xu Xiao's spiritual energy far exceeded that of ordinary people, it only lasted for one breath before weakening.

Li Wushao, surprised, murmured to himself: "It truly is Red Reef Island… the Conflation Fire Secret Art. I just don't know why it's circulated here. If I kill this person immediately, I wonder if it will cause trouble for the master…"

Li Wushao's force gradually increased. Xu Xiao was instantly caught in a dilemma, crying out in despair in his heart. He absolutely could not withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack, but without this shield, he wouldn't last a few rounds against Li Wushao. He had no choice but to hastily unleash his trump card spell. He bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of blood onto the token.

As he cast the spell, the red light receded, and the shield groaned under the strain. Xu Xiao said hatefully: "Your family treats human lives like grass on your territory! Aren't you afraid of the Azure Pond Immortal Sect's wrath?!"

Li Xijun paused, then looked at Xu Xiao with a slightly strange gaze. 'Compared to treating human lives like grass, who can compare to the Azure Pond Sect? Does this person truly not know, or is he feigning ignorance, to say such naive words! Forget about my family killing someone… even if we used human flesh to make dumplings, the Azure Pond Sect would only be overjoyed, thinking about getting a share…'

However, as soon as Xu Xiao uttered those words, Li Xijun felt much more certain: 'This person is likely not a reincarnation. He probably obtained a legacy due to his destiny…'

In a mere moment, firelight erupted from the token, spewing forth a greyish-red flame. It billowed like a hazy mist. Li Wushao's pupils dilated. His tail hooks, already withdrawn like a startled bird, were still lightly grazed.

"Roar!!!"

Li Wushao's head swelled like a balloon, instantly twisting and transforming into a house-sized snake head, supported by a small human body. His snake eyes, as large as doors and windows, glowed red, and he let out roars of pain, unable to even maintain his human form from the agony. The tail hooks rapidly retracted beneath his robe, a corner of the hooks already incinerated, dripping blood. Seeing that the flames were effective, Xu Xiao was overjoyed, bursting into laughter. He rode the wind, holding the fire, as a red circle appeared beneath his feet, and he ascended into the air.

This sudden change was extremely fast. Li Xijun had already conjured another talisman in his hand and took a step forward. Xu Xiao, clad in crimson armor and wielding grey flames, turned and glared. As their eyes met, both felt a chill. Li Xijun perceived the man's expression as both greedy and ruthless, like being consumed by a scorching sun, falling into a raging volcano. Xu Xiao felt immersed in icy cold, sensing that the man's eyes were filled with ice and snow, as if they could see through his thoughts.

'This person must be eliminated!'

The same thought flashed through both their minds simultaneously. They both retreated, creating distance. Xu Xiao thought: 'The situation is unfavorable now; I cannot delay further. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I must kill this person first!'

Li Xijun also became alert: 'This person's mistakes, both before and after, stem entirely from an information asymmetry… he thinks there's still an Immortal Sect to restrain us! I can't let him escape!'

The talisman in his hand was thrown out again. He shouted: "Li Wushao! Hesitate, and you'll die by this person's hand in an instant!"

The flames seemed to greatly restrain demonic beasts. Li Wushao barely managed to return to human form, gritting his teeth in pain, his face grim. He rose on the wind, gritted his teeth, and pursued, but no longer dared to use his tail hooks. He fumbled in his storage bag for an artifact.

Xu Xiao, meanwhile, had a rosy complexion and pulled out two more talismans. Grey flames swirled around him. The rod-shaped artifact Li Wushao had retrieved melted into a soft mess before it even reached Xu Xiao. Icy energy billowed from Li Xijun's eyes. He threw the Frost Granary from his waist and shouted: "Take this sword!"

Li Wushao's tail hook coiled, and the magic sword landed in his hand, shimmering with snowy light. Xu Xiao activated the grey flames to block, accelerating his wind-riding. Yet, before him, a Qi Condensation cultivator appeared, raising an axe to strike.

"Boom!"

Xu Xiao didn't even spare him a glance. With a mere flick of his flames, he incinerated the man. For a moment, all the surrounding cultivators were shocked and terrified, only daring to release magical light to slightly hinder him. Apart from a few like White Ape, whose cultivation was profound and who still dared to engage in close combat, the rest could only silently retreat.

The red circle beneath Xu Xiao's feet was likely a special flying shuttle; its speed was inherently extremely fast. However, it was hampered by several people, who forced him to dodge left and right, preventing him from building up speed. Using the intimidating power of his killing blow, he used the flames to push back the crowd, aiming to break out of the encirclement.

Just as a smile began to form on his face, another sword light flew towards him. Xu Xiao's expression turned grim. He flung his sleeve, spewing flames, and shouted: "Which insignificant fool dares to block me!"

The magic sword in the man's hand instantly melted, and the grey flames climbed up his withered arm like venomous snakes. But he seemed to have anticipated it, for his other hand had already chopped off his own arm at the shoulder with a squelch, even before the flames fully reached it. Before the arm hit the ground, it had already turned to ashes. Xu Xiao was stunned and enraged. He opened his lips to unleash flames, but this momentary obstruction allowed Li Wushao to engage with his sword and Li Xijun's talisman to arrive before him!

'Bastard!'

Xu Xiao's vision blurred with rage, yet he still managed to spare a moment to sweep his spiritual sense around. The person who had blocked him was actually a shriveled, thin old man, who silently retreated with an expressionless face. Blood had slowly stopped flowing from his severed arm, and his dim eyes were filled with calm. The old man's face was very familiar. Xu Xiao seemed to have seen him often, cultivating a spiritual field by the lake. That spiritual field was very close to this place, and the Li family respected him greatly… What was his name… Li Qiuyang…

"Li Qiuyang! Li Qiuyang! A miscellaneous Qi cultivator! He's actually a miscellaneous Qi cultivator! *Cough!*"

Xu Xiao's face was flushed. He took a sword strike from Li Wushao. The demonic beast, relying solely on its immense demonic power, struck him, causing him to cough up blood incessantly. The momentum of the red circle beneath his feet was interrupted, and his speed instantly slowed. The even more lethal Foundation Establishment talisman had already arrived before him, slamming with a bang onto his shield, which was as thin as paper. The shield finally shattered like glass, leaving Xu Xiao completely exposed before everyone.

His face was crimson, yet he could still ride the wind. He used a burst of flames to force back several people and, with his other hand, fumbled for a pill. But in that brief instant, a long staff flew over the flames and struck directly into his palm, smashing the bottle of pills to pieces. Xu Xiao cried out in pain, his heart sinking with despair, realizing it was the powerful White Ape. He lamented: 'I've actually been defeated by these despicable nobodies! I won't be able to roam the world with Zhen'er!'

He had exhausted all his trump cards, and his escape route was cut off, yet he still resisted stubbornly, forcing people back with flames, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he felt a tightening around his neck, and a great force pulled him. He was yanked out of the encirclement and, in an instant, was several miles away. He heard a low cry from behind, and a delicate voice whispered in his ear: "Rushing and hurrying… I finally made it!"

Xu Xiao was already at his limit, both from extreme sorrow and joy. He quickly turned his head to look, only to see a charming female cultivator in a red dress, with fair skin, appearing naive and lovely. For a moment, his heart fluttered. The female cultivator's attire was simple: a crimson and black dress draped with sheer gauze, radiating beautiful light. Her eyebrows were like emerald feathers, and she was toying with a long, thin, feather-like red artifact. She observed Xu Xiao.

Li Xijun watched as the enemy extricated himself from the siege. His blood surged, and he coughed, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood. Despite all his calculations, he had bitten his lip until it bled. Li Wushao, beside him, was even more flustered. His eyes suddenly widened, almost covering half his face, red and gleaming. A sibilant hiss escaped his throat, and he ground his teeth, saying: "Your Excellency… who might you be?"

Li Xijun only lost his composure for an instant. Forcing himself to calm down, he circulated his spiritual energy, his heart as cold as water. He tugged Li Wushao's sleeve and said softly: "The Li Clan of Qingdu pays respects, Senior. We do not know which sect or faction you hail from."

The female cultivator neither responded nor reacted. She looked at Xu Xiao with a joyful expression and said sweetly: "My Grand-Ancestor-Uncle's legacy has been buried for so many years; it's finally emerged at the right time. How wonderful, how wonderful!"

Xu Xiao immediately understood. A righteous immortal sect had finally arrived to rescue him in time, he thought joyfully: "I… I've been hiding painstakingly in this demonic territory; I've finally waited for an immortal sect to save me!"

Everyone's expressions varied. The female cultivator paused for a moment, then a slight smile touched her lips. Unsurprised, she laughed: "That's right! I am Guo Hongyao of Red Reef Immortal Island. We've been entangled with the demonic cultivators Wanyu and Chunyi for the past few years, which is why we're late. I will now take you back to the island!"

Li Xijun was ignored, and the Li family members all looked displeased. The female cultivator then turned to the Li family, sweeping her gaze over them, her expression turning cold. She said in a low voice: "You consider yourselves a prominent family, yet can't you discern my island's Dao tradition? I've long heard you colluding with Wanyu and Xuanyue. As expected, you're no good!"

At this point, there was nothing more to be said. Li Xijun could only cup his hands and say: "Senior, you misunderstand…! Our knowledge is limited; we have not seen the immortal island's magic arts before."

Guo Hongyao's face was as cold as frost. She flicked her crimson sleeve and looked at Xu Xiao beside her: "How can my immortal island's disciple be bullied by your family in vain?"

Li Xijun exhaled and said softly: "Senior, what do you mean?"

Guo Hongyao watched him feign ignorance and sneered: "Let your demonic pet take its own life. As for you… for the sake of the Sword Immortal, apologize to my disciple, and this matter will be considered settled. As for compensation, have Li Yuanjiao personally come; you are not qualified enough."

Li Wushao heard his twin hooks beneath his robe stirring restlessly, constantly circling at his feet. His two crimson eyes stared hatefully at the female cultivator, suppressing a roar. Li Xijun's expression gradually turned cold, and he lowered his head, saying: "Senior, you jest."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. Guo Hongyao's smile vanished. Li Wushao stepped forward to shield Li Xijun, staring fixedly at the person before them, two dark glows appearing beneath his robe.

"That's not up to you!" Guo Hongyao sneered, completely disregarding Li Wushao before her, and said coldly.

I had planned to post another update today, but I have to go home tonight and am a bit short. I'll slowly make up for it with these larger chapters, one update every two days, trying my best.

(End of Chapter)