Chapter 469: The Flood Dragon Rain Falls

Seeing Tang Shendu’s halberd thrusting directly towards Li Yuanjiao’s back, Tu Longjian’s brows furrowed deeply. He clasped his hands together, his spiritual consciousness flickering rapidly, until the black-red token reluctantly emitted a faint gray light, repelling the "Stop War" halberd.

The black-red token flung "Stop War" away with a single powerful surge, then glowed with a hazy radiance from top to bottom, its six patterns on the back subtly illuminating.

Meanwhile, Tang Shendu stretched out his long arm, accompanied by a buzzing sound. His eyes gleamed sinisterly, and his golden armor flared with a fiery, blinding white light. This radiant power pushed back several cultivators' magical artifacts, making him appear like a god descending from the heavens as he roared:

"Die!"

Li Yuanjiao felt a tremendous force, causing him to suddenly shift horizontally through the air for a short distance, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

Li Yuanjiao felt a sudden chill in his lower abdomen as a bright white blade of light pierced through him from the front. Almost simultaneously, sharp golden energy surged from the halberd's light blade, directly impacting his internal organs.

Li Yuanjiao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Employing the "Turbulent River Flow Steps," he quickly moved several paces while simultaneously activating a blood escape technique to swiftly distance himself. He clutched a Wanling Flower in his hand and hastily shoved it into his mouth.

The moment the flower entered his mouth, it dissolved, releasing a refreshing coolness. The golden energy within his internal organs halted abruptly, as if disoriented, remaining motionless near the wound, dormant and unactivated.

Aided by the Six Dings Blending Fire Token, Li Yuanjiao barely managed to move three *zhang* (approximately ten meters) away from Tang Shendu's immediate vicinity. Yet, he dared not relax; he immediately pulled out his last Foundation Establishment Talisman, activated it, and a white light shield materialized around him.

"Damn it!"

Tang Shendu, having failed to kill his target with a single strike and losing the element of surprise, had searing white light ignite in his eyes. His armor glowed brightly, shimmering and flowing in the air. He was uncontrollably furious, seemingly having activated a powerful hidden ability.

"Clang!"

The halberd rang out, sending Tu Longjian's golden hammer flying with a single strike. Tang Shendu then inverted his grip, making the platinum-colored halberd whirl, and forcefully parried another golden beam, turning it into a golden arrow that vanished.

The golden-white light stirred up a whirlwind in the air. The searing white glow in Tang Shendu's eyes quickly faded. Seizing the power of his last strike, he raised the halberd high above his shoulder and hurled it with immense force.

In the distance, Li Yuanjiao had just activated his Profound-Patterned Spirit Mist when a sudden chill struck his chest. The Foundation Establishment shield before him exploded with a bang, the spirit mist in his hand dissipated, and his vital energy, as if bound by a formation, surged chaotically, threatening to scatter completely at any moment.

'What a clever spirit artifact!'

Ten *zhang* (approximately thirty-three meters) behind him, a bright, minute streak of light flashed—it was Quyun, a Purple Mansion spirit artifact. This artifact had lain dormant for a long time, patiently waiting to deliver a fatal blow to his heart just as he activated his spirit mist to conceal himself.

As the Purple Mansion spirit artifact’s power activated, his immortal foundation within him suddenly went dormant. His vital energy became rigid and unmoving, like muddy water, stagnant throughout his body, while the golden energy at his wound stirred restlessly.

With his vital energy completely restrained by the spirit artifact, he almost lost his footing on the wind beneath him. He finally understood why Tu Longjian had remained dispirited after being struck by this artifact’s blade; anyone else would surely have plummeted from the clouds long ago.

In a flash, a thought crystallized in his mind:

'Fortunately, Yu Muxian is dead... My life can now serve to silence all criticism.'

The next moment, a platinum-colored light pierced straight through his chest. Tang Shendu’s halberd blades, a full three feet long, extended far beyond the width of a human body. His chest was incinerated instantly, and everything above his shoulders was sent flying high into the air.

"Boom!"

Tang Shendu had already prepared over a dozen talismans in his sleeve, unleashing them in a devastating barrage in all directions. He advanced two swift steps, arriving behind Li Yuanjiao, effortlessly retrieved the halberd, and continued to fly forward with the wind.

He did not look back, certain that his opponent was dead. After suffering Quyun's heart-piercing blow, the man was already hovering at the gates of death, his demise merely a matter of time. With his entire chest incinerated by Tang Shendu, not even a Purple Mansion realm cultivator could have saved him.

'This person is dead; at least I can account for myself to Master...'

Just as this thought formed in his mind, a scorching heat erupted behind him. Tang Shendu abruptly spun around to see a vibrant, blazing fire descending from the sky. Tu Longjian, enveloped in flames, his hands clasped, had rage and hatred practically spilling from his eyes.

He cultivated the Path of Male Fire. The flames he unleashed were hazy at their periphery yet brilliant within, each flickering independently, densely filling the air. Gray blending flames flowed through the sky, the two elements intertwining in a terrifying display.

However, Tu Longjian was ultimately half a step behind him, and his other hand was still pressed against the wound Quyun had left on his abdomen. Tang Shendu merely sneered, retreating backward. The intense hatred within him found great release, and for some inexplicable reason, he even taunted:

"If you could do anything, you would have saved him already... This is merely the rage of impotent self-loathing!"

His pause, however, inadvertently presented an opportunity. Tu Longjian, looking like a fire god incarnate, stared at him coldly and seized the chance to spit out a luminous pearl from his mouth.

A sense of danger welled up in Tang Shendu’s heart. Lacking Yu Muxian's masterful control over spiritual energy and meticulous spiritual analysis, he could only retreat with all his might.

The two chased and fled for several *li* (Chinese miles). Unexpectedly, during their pursuit, the six patterns on the Six Dings Blending Fire Token lit up one by one. The fire pearl abruptly shifted horizontally for dozens of *zhang* (tens of meters), appearing directly in front of him. Tang Shendu’s face contorted in alarm, and he exclaimed in terror:

"I..."

He managed to utter only a single word before a violent, fiery explosion erupted from the sky. Bright within, with hazy light sweeping outwards, Tang Shendu plummeted crookedly into the clouds, like a bird with a broken wing.

Tu Longjian, having launched the fire pearl, also spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His hand, pressed against his abdomen, was soaked with it. He silently watched Tang Shendu disappear, his spiritual sense subtly shifting as waves of fluctuations emanated from the token:

"I know you're enraged, but you absolutely must not pursue him... You’re acting too impulsively! If you continue this chase, will our plan ever succeed?"

Tu Longjian stood suspended in mid-air, the anger in his eyes slowly receding, replaced by deep despondency. The black-red token pulsed, repeatedly urging him, as if fearing another impulsive action:

"You have done everything you could! That man... that Li Yuanjiao intended to use his life to ensure Yu Muxian had no burial place! A truly ruthless individual... Damn it... if someone like him had lived in ancient times... he might genuinely have stirred up great turmoil."

"Shut up!"

Tu Longjian snapped back, his gaze icy:

"I'll settle the score with you once we're out of here!"

Tu Longjian's face was grim as he rode the wind back, leaving only the flames slowly dissipating in the air. Below the clouds, Tang Shendu finally emitted a bloody light, rapidly vanishing into the cloud sea. His armor was faintly blackened, black smoke billowed from his body, and he flew forward with his head bowed, consumed by both hatred and alarm:

'What was that?! He’s only cultivated for a mere few years... perhaps another Guo Shentong... If the situation hadn't been so unfavorable, I should have killed him before leaving! Now, I’ve left a future problem.'

Although he appeared utterly disheveled, he quickly stabilized his injuries. Having cultivated for a century, his methods were far superior to those of younger cultivators. He consumed a medicinal pill and landed on a mountain peak.

Only then did he have time to look up. Watching the distant green rain, his heart was filled with intense vexation. He wished the grotto-heaven before him would never close, and that he could remain there forever without having to leave.

"It's over... it's over..."

His eyes, previously vacant, suddenly focused. He abruptly drew his halberd, his gaze turning fierce as he said coldly:

"Who's there?!"

From the clouds not far away, a figure slowly emerged. Dressed in a green robe with a green flute swaying on a red cord at his waist, the middle-aged man, wearing a Taoist crown, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling at Tang Shendu.

"So, even the Long Sky Halberd has days like this?"

Tang Shendu’s expression gradually shifted. He glanced at the man and said in a deep voice:

"Shen Xi?"

The man in green did not respond. Instead, he drew his long sword, pointing it at Tang Shendu. His feathered robe glowed with a green light, which then collided with the platinum radiance emanating from Tang Shendu.

The flames in the sky had not yet dissipated, but once more, the light of clashing vital energies erupted, creating a magnificent spectacle that dispelled the clouds and mist, clearing a vast expanse of sky.

Tu Longjian rode the wind in pursuit, while Xiao Yongling descended, catching Li Yuanjiao. He used his vital energy to search back and forth twice, retrieving each piece of his body. Xiao Yongling’s face, stained with a few drops of blood, appeared somewhat disheartened.

Li Yuanjiao's body had been torn into many pieces. Xiao Yongling painstakingly tried to reassemble him with vital energy, but the wounds left by Quyun continued to expand, threatening to reduce his body to a bloody mist.

Xiao Yongling transferred vital energy with one hand, while with the other, he produced a medicinal pill. Born into a prominent clan and experienced, a single glance told him that Li Yuanjiao could not be saved, yet he still administered the pill.

A golden light rapidly approached from the distance as Li Xuanfeng rushed over. Both his hands were covered in blood, bones exposed, and several fingers dangled limply, looking as though they had just been reattached.

The hidden power within Li Xuanfeng's bow was unlike the Green Ruler Sword; it was a trace of might he had painstakingly accumulated with every arrow shot, nurtured over many years, vast and immense. Fired in a single night, it had nearly killed Yu Muxian, and the backlash had almost crippled both his hands.

Disregarding his injuries, he had again drawn his bow to fire an arrow, solely to save Li Yuanjiao, a feat that had nearly cost him his hands. He hastily took medicine and rushed to the scene, his heart cold and his lips pale.

Although Foundation Establishment cultivators are not comparable to Buddhist cultivators, their vitality is remarkably tenacious. Li Yuanjiao’s vision blurred for a moment, and he vaguely heard Tang Shendu’s relieved laughter, along with the enraged shouts of Xiao Yongling and Tu Longjian.

He felt his hands turn icy cold, as if he had returned to that afternoon many years ago. Li Yuanjiao had descended the moss-covered stone path one step at a time, light, pale blue rain drifting down from the sky, and his hands had felt just as cold then.

The current coldness, however, felt much warmer in comparison. His hands felt substantial, at least clutching something tangible, something worthy of presenting to his ancestors.

'This entire situation was within my calculations: step by step deceiving, leveraging Tu Longjian, ambushing and killing Yu Muxian with every move... I only fear that Uncle will blame me for my unscrupulous and dirty methods when he sees me in the afterlife.'

The spirit artifact Quyun’s binding power receded like a tide. What met his eyes was Li Xuanfeng’s blood-soaked face, holding his hand, which was also wet; he vaguely felt hard bone beneath.

His vision dimmed, and his life force receded, yet he was kept alive by the various pills and medicines he had consumed. Amidst the torment, numerous hallucinations surfaced: his mother, Mu Ya Lu, smilingly sitting with him at a table; Li Yuanxiu studying with him; Xiao Guilan’s lovely face in the sedan chair; and the innocent smiles of Li Xizhi and Li Yuexiang.

The stars in the sky flickered like distant lamps in the darkness. A cool breeze swept over, and damp blood dripped onto his face. Before his consciousness completely faded, he returned to a specific night: the stars before him transformed into lights below the mountain, and the clouds and mist coalesced into a slender figure.

Unlike Li Yuanjiao, who always wore black, this person was clad in a white robe with a flowing cloak. His face was youthful, his eyebrows relaxed, and he appeared much more magnanimous than Li Yuanjiao, smiling gently as he gazed at him.

Li Yuanjiao tasted sweetness in his mouth, and his vision suddenly sharpened, interrupting his hallucinations. It must have been some life-sustaining spirit medicine he had taken. He forced out a breath, and a point of light appeared in his hand, faintly revealing a small, coiling snake.

"Li... Wushao..."

Li Xuanfeng gripped his hand, clenching his teeth tightly. Li Yuanjiao’s eyes, before him, had gradually turned grayish-white. A light, pale blue rain drizzled down, striking his armor.

Li Xuanfeng gently bent down. Li Yuanjiao’s lips parted and closed, emitting a very faint, hoarse sound:

"Bro... brother..."

Li Yuanjiao’s voice was light and quick. It was the first time Li Xuanfeng had heard such a tone from him. His tongue moved indistinctly in his mouth one last time, but no other words followed.

The green rain within the grotto-heaven fell, pattering against Li Xuanfeng’s dark golden armor. The middle-aged man covered his face with one hand, silent. His other hand, bearing a wound deep enough to expose bone, gently closed his nephew’s eyes.

Wangyue Lake.

Autumn arrived early this year at Wangyue Lake, painting the landscape in shades of vermilion and gold. Qingdu Peak once again experienced a heavy, drizzling rain that passed through the formation and fell upon the summit, gathering in the stone ravines and channels before flowing clearly down the mountain.

Every brick and stone of the Li family ancestral hall had been meticulously relocated to Qingdu Mountain. Each bluestone showed the marks of time, covered in moss. The six large doors were tightly shut, their brass fixtures somewhat grayed with age.

Dressed in a white gown, Li Yuexiang gently pushed open the door. The few lamps within the hall flickered faintly, casting a warm, pale yellow glow. Familiar with the custom, Li Yuexiang bowed reverently, carrying the faint scent of incense.

Few people frequented the Li family ancestral hall. In previous years, clan elders had forbidden women from entering, but with Li Qinghong’s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, such voices gradually vanished, never to be heard again.

As soon as she entered the hall, she saw a lone figure standing silently, seemingly lost in deep thought. He only turned around upon hearing her enter.

"Brother!"

The person before her was indeed Li Xijun. Her brother, typically composed and unflappable even in the face of disaster, appeared somewhat anxious for the first time. He gave her a slight nod and casually asked a couple of questions.

Even as he spoke those two questions, Li Xijun glanced upwards twice. Beneath the rows of ancestor tablets, a line of jade stones hung between the altars, some bright, some dim, each emitting a warm glow.

Li Yuexiang knelt on the soft cushion beside her, lifting her eyebrows slightly to gaze at the rows of ancestor tablets above. She silently murmured to herself:

'Mother has also entered seclusion for her breakthrough... I only hope... that heaven’s will be done... and no unexpected complications arise.'

She closed her eyes slightly. Just as she bowed, a very faint shattering sound suddenly echoed in her ears, along with the strained creak of Li Xijun's hand tightening around his sword hilt and his heavy breathing.

"Crack..."

The sound was exceptionally clear in the silent hall. The lamps within the hall simultaneously dimmed, and Li Yuexiang’s movements abruptly halted.

She looked up. Before her lay fragments and dust of jade stones scattered across the floor. The topmost, smooth jade stone, which Li Xijun had intently watched for months, had shattered, clattering to the ground.

Li Yuexiang squeezed her eyes shut, tears quickly streaming from the corners, rolling down her neck, and dripping onto her white dress. She sniffed, then gathered the jade pieces from the floor, unable to suppress a soft sob.

"Father..."