Chapter 542: Husband and Wife

"Lu Sisi..."

Li Xizhi had, of course, heard that name. The clan's internal and external histories also mentioned this person. As the elder finished speaking, Li Xizhi thought to himself: "Some old, dusty affairs... why bring them up now? They're completely meaningless. What does Yu Wei mean by this?"

Yu Wei paused briefly, then changed the subject, smiling: "Just idle chatter... Back then, my family was united, closely associated with the Ning family. Now, things are not as good as before; the two families have lost contact, and I haven't heard anything about it since. I just heard that Moon Lake Peak fell to the Ning family, so I casually asked."

He cupped his hands, slowly retreated, and went to find a courtyard to cultivate.

Listening to this, Li Xizhi became thoughtful. He also found a small courtyard, sat down peacefully, and thought: "Could he be subtly telling me that the Ning family is untrustworthy? The affairs between the two families are entirely dependent on my grand-uncle. I have a good grasp of the situation, but his reminder is a discreet show of favor."

He mused on the changes in the world. After Li Tongya and Li Yuanjiao died, the friendship between the Xiao and Li families faded. As long as the Li family stayed out of trouble and helped the Xiao family guard the west, there wasn't much interaction. The Xiao family also sealed off their mountain, becoming increasingly silent in recent years. Subsequently, they grew close to the Yuan family before distancing themselves, eventually severing ties. They then became close to the Ning and Yang families. The Li family's stance gradually shifted to another camp. Counting on his fingers, it had only been about a hundred years.

"Such is the way of the world... closeness and distance lead to separation. If I hadn't been handling the affairs of Qinghui Peak, we might even have fallen out with the Yuan family."

"Love and hatred are fleeting, human relations hollow, like standing on the tip of a cone."

A faint shadow rose in his heart, and he pondered: "The Ning family has been a long-time supporter of the Chi family, probably having a close relationship with the Yu family and my own for centuries. Yet now, it seems gone? How could the Chi family stand by idly? The Chi family's hatred for my Li family is probably also connected to this."

"After Yuan Su's death, the Ning family became increasingly stagnant, and now they've been pushed into some disputes with my family... it doesn't look good. It's still manageable now, but when the situation becomes urgent... I'm afraid things will happen."

The stars and moon had slowly risen in the sky. Li Xizhi sat upright in the courtyard, the windowsill covered in dust. His eyes shone like stars, and he pressed one hand on the stone table, thinking: "It all depends on Grand-uncle alone. Ning Heyuan is a fickle person, and Ning Hejing is a capable man of the Chi family. If interests clash and affections are not firm, how can it last?"

Xu State, Yanshan Pass.

Moon Lake stretches northwards to Xu State. Beyond the great river lies Yanshan Pass, which is already very close to the Tangjin Gate. Looking up, one can vaguely see a golden hue in the distant mountains. Of course, the Tangjin Gate was now tightly sealed. Other than Tangjin Mountain itself, there was nothing else. Li Qinghong flew out from the pass on a streak of lightning, only to see a golden expanse, with billowing demonic smoke sweeping in from the distance.

Opposite Yanshan Pass were the Great Desire Aspect and various demon cultivators. In front of Yanshan Pass was a vast, long defensive line. For several months, demon cultivators had been restless, making it one of the most intensely contested areas in the entire Qingchi defense. She had been here for several months. More and more people were coming and going, probing. Kong Heng and Li Wushao had been stationed elsewhere and were not by her side. Among the cultivators behind Li Qinghong, only Li Minggong and Chen Mufeng were from their own clan. There was also an old acquaintance, Fei Tongyu, a cultivator from the Fei family, who had been sent there as the family head and stood quietly in a corner. The rest were a mix of cultivators from various families. This was because they feared that some might shrink back from injury or fail to help others. The major families on these defensive lines were deliberately mixed and separated, forcing the defending cultivators in each section to provide full support.

Li Qinghong carefully assessed the demonic smoke to the north; it was much vaster than in previous probes. She then took out the jade ring that had been issued; it glowed red all over, with only a few white spots.

"To your positions in the formation, prepare to engage the enemy!" she softly gave the order, pulling out her spear from her storage bag. The cultivators quickly took their places in the formation. Li Qinghong focused her gaze: over a dozen figures emerged from the black smoke.

The Qi Condensation demon cultivators were naturally beneath her notice. She only looked at the leading couple, both Foundation Establishment demon cultivators. The woman was gentle and charming, her aura indicating early Foundation Establishment, holding a small silken fan. The man was somewhat cold, carrying a saber, and his cultivation was higher, likely mid-Foundation Establishment strength.

The two drove the demonic horde to the front of the formation. The woman shook her snow-white brocade robe and smiled: "Fellow Daoist up front... from which family of Qingchi are you, I wonder?"

Li Qinghong merely watched coldly, saying nothing. The couple's subordinates, however, were not idle; various spells rained down on the formation. Then, black-clad figures began to emerge from underfoot; they were demon cultivators at the Fetal Breath stage, who took a long time to reach the front of the formation. Although the cultivators in the formation were fewer in number, they counterattacked under the cover of the formation, and a roar of sounds erupted for a moment. Seeing no reaction from within the formation, the Foundation Establishment demon cultivator couple thought: "Could it be that the Foundation Establishment cultivator isn't in the formation right now?" Immediately, they each unleashed their magic artifacts. Li Qinghong naturally could not let the couple attack freely, so she rode the wind and flew out from the formation.

When the demoness saw her appearance, her eyes lit up. She retracted her magic artifact and called out: "Fellow Daoist! Wait a moment, Fellow Daoist!"

Li Qinghong only used her spiritual power to ride the wind, careful not to reveal her true strength or Immortal Foundation to them. She casually said: "Who are you calling Fellow Daoist!"

The man watched her coldly, but the gentle demoness spoke with a smile: "In any case, we are all fellow Daoists of the Demonic Path... Although our lineages differ, the Purple Mansion Golden Core path was also a type of demon cultivation in earlier times... why can't we be called fellow Daoists?"

Li Qinghong held her spear diagonally, lightning secretly gathering within it. She did not reply. The woman quickly said: "Fellow Daoist... we are both acting under duress, why engage in such a major conflict? If you send out half of the cultivators in the formation, I will also let you kill half of my lesser demons. We can each report back, and that would be considered satisfactory..."

Li Qinghong, of course, didn't believe her. She just smiled: "Send them out? Fellow Daoist, you dream beautifully..."

The gentle woman was not surprised. She exchanged a glance with her husband and then said: "Fellow Daoist, you show no mercy! Why resort to fighting and killing..."

Li Qinghong smiled brightly and replied: "Everyone in the formation is my kin and friend, I cannot exchange them like this for you. How about I offer a spiritual object in exchange for the demon leaders you have?"

"Oh?" The gentle woman exchanged a glance with her husband, thinking: "Even if we can't trick her into weakening the formation, there's no harm in seeing her treasure..." So she smiled: "Excellent! Fellow Daoist, please take it out and let us see... I am Liu Qiao, and this is my husband, Helian Changguang... May I know your name, Fellow Daoist..."

Li Qinghong was certainly not going to tell her. Even if the demon cultivator gave her name, Li Qinghong wouldn't believe it. She just took out a small white light and said softly: "Fellow Daoists, behold!"

The light point spun in the air and instantly shot towards the couple's faces. Liu Qiao's expression changed slightly, but Helian Changguang seemed to have been prepared. He conjured a black cloud from his sleeve, completely enveloping both of them. The white light, however, hovered in the air, motionless, its brightness flickering. Li Qinghong frowned and said: "What do you two mean?"

Liu Qiao was slightly stunned, her wrist moved, and she was about to explain, but Helian Changguang grabbed her wrist, his expression grim. He and his wife quickly retreated, saying only: "You might fool her, but you won't fool me."

Before he finished speaking, the white light in the air immediately flashed, rapidly expanding and swelling in less than the blink of an eye. Explosive, condensed lightning surged forth, quickly turning from white to purplish-white, then scattered into a sky full of falling thunder-rain, illuminating the sky with a flash of color.

"Boom!"

Even the demon cultivators on the ground gasped for breath. As the sky full of thunder-rain fell, they had to conjure their magic artifacts to defend. The cultivators in the formation quickly seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of spells. The morale on the ground instantly soared. Li Qinghong also seized the opportunity to draw her spear, conjuring a lightning shadow in the shape of a bird, which flew rapidly into the lightning.

A roaring sound erupted again. Helian Changguang, enveloped in black energy, leaped out of the lightning with a cold expression, looking disheveled. His long saber blocked the lightning as he shouted coldly: "A lightning cultivator!"

Liu Qiao was even more pathetic. Not only were her robes scorched black, but her mouth was also bloody. The silken fan in her hand fanned out wind, raising a black gust. She muttered in a muffled voice: "Damn it... you bitch! When I break your formation and kill you in a moment, I'll turn all your kin and friends into blood sustenance!"

Hearing this, Li Qinghong's almond eyes widened slightly. She said nothing, only silently noted it. Although the two demon cultivators had suffered significant injuries right from the start, they did not retreat. Instead, they simultaneously attacked her, black smoke billowing. Liu Qiao thought to herself: "Such power must be from some talisman art... This woman, however, doesn't know to use it when she's exhausted from fighting... to achieve a surprise victory... she wasted it needlessly beforehand, what luck."

Helian Changguang, however, was much more cautious. He secretly transmitted a message with his spiritual power: "Qiao'er, is this person perhaps some direct descendant of a Purple Mansion cultivator? Or a lightning cultivator... Be careful!"

Liu Qiao was dismissive, replying: "Where would you find a direct descendant of a Purple Mansion cultivator without even a feathered robe? Besides, are there any major lightning cultivation clans within these lands? Although her combat strength is strong, she must have good things on her."

While they conversed, they jointly attacked Li Qinghong. Li Qinghong's spear glowed with a purple aura, scattering the black smoke. After exchanging a few blows, she had a clear understanding: "This Helian Changguang is very strong, but Liu Qiao is superficial and weak, not on the same level... Helian Changguang can already match a direct descendant of a noble family, while Liu Qiao is like a rogue Foundation Establishment cultivator."

She wielded her lightning spear with ease, firmly defending against their attacks. Every now and then, she would suddenly thrust a spear, putting Liu Qiao in perilous situations and making her break out in a cold sweat. Helian Changguang frowned at the sight. He pulled out a white bone skull from his hand, tossed it lightly, and it immediately flew up, emitting billowing gray-red smoke. Light shot out from its dark eye sockets, enveloping the couple. Having thrown out this magic artifact, he still felt it wasn't enough. He then took out a red agate from his storage bag, which floated by his side, emitting beams of red light that shot towards Li Qinghong's eyes.

"What a collection of treasures."

Li Qinghong narrowed her eyes slightly. Her family also possessed eye techniques, which, though decent, were not particularly advanced. Still, they could block this red light, preventing much impact. However, she could no longer withdraw her spear to interfere, and she began to calculate internally. The silken fan in the demoness's hand and her magic robe were both of Foundation Establishment quality. While not exceptionally superior, they were still decent, yet not something someone of her strength could acquire. They were likely gifts from her Dao companion. And Helian Changguang consecutively took out two Foundation Establishment-grade magic artifacts from his storage bag. Although both were fairly standard, his identity was already clear: he was most likely a direct descendant of some demon cultivation lineage. Demonic cultivators' magic artifacts were easier to refine and generally more numerous than those of immortal cultivators, though often of lesser quality. Nevertheless, these two Foundation Establishment artifacts greatly aided the battle, one restricting Li Qinghong and the other protecting himself, gradually gaining an advantage over Li Qinghong.

Helian Changguang and his wife fought with her for dozens of rounds. The man, seeing her not take out any magic artifacts or talismans, immediately felt relieved, thinking he had overthought things. His expression gradually turned fierce. He then took out a blood-colored light from his storage bag and said coldly: "Fellow Daoist, you treated me to a taste of lightning, now I shall return the favor!"

He flicked his finger. The blood-colored light fluttered twice in the air, expanded its form, and then dimly enveloped the area, raining down a fine blood dust. Li Qinghong's protective lightning immediately became covered with this blood-colored light. Her body grew heavy, and her spear movements became slightly sluggish. She had to retreat a step, shifting from offense to defense.

"Boom!"

A muffled thunderclap sounded from the clouds. Li Qinghong's eyes lit up with purple light. Her Immortal Foundation Profound Thunder Pool was activated to its limit, and an explosive bolt of lightning was unleashed, forcing the couple to retreat a step. Immediately, her face flushed slightly. Spear by spear, she unleashed streaks of purple lightning, forcefully wielding her spear despite the blood-colored light, her power a few shades fiercer than before. Helian Changguang blocked a few more saber strikes and snorted coldly. The agate, which had been continuously emitting red light in the air, also fell, piercing into his chest. Instantly, blinding black light surged forth. He wielded his saber and fought with Li Qinghong. The two battled in the air amidst rumbling sounds. Liu Qiao found herself unable to intervene for a moment; she could only keep her distance, fanning her silken fan and sending out several black smoke streams to harass Li Qinghong.

Helian Changguang's saber mastery was indeed ordinary, but his spiritual power was abundant, his cultivation technique of high quality, and his saber techniques themselves were decent. For a time, he fought Li Qinghong to a standstill. After several more dozen rounds, he took advantage of a black smoke attack to ruthlessly strike at her. Unexpectedly, after battling for a while, Li Qinghong's thunder pool churned ceaselessly, and she gradually found her rhythm. Each spear thrust was more vicious and powerful than the last. Not only did she forcefully deflect his attack, but she also reversed her spear and thrust diagonally.

Helian Changguang had to expend two more layers of spiritual power to block her attack. He quickly sensed that something was wrong; the woman's spear techniques were becoming increasingly ruthless and ferocious with each strike. Besides the demon-breaking power of her lightning, she was also utterly destroying his blood qi spells, rendering them useless. "Could she have taken some medicine...?" He secretly gritted his teeth. Although he hadn't seen when the woman took any medicine, demon cultivators often had ways of hiding elixirs within their flesh, allowing them to be refined in emergencies without actual ingestion. So, he wasn't surprised and continued to resist silently.

Li Qinghong's advantage gradually became apparent. She unleashed two violent bolts of lightning. Liu Qiao, nearby, quickly conjured black smoke to block them. Unexpectedly, Li Qinghong's spear suddenly reversed course, striking straight at Liu Qiao's face with explosive purple lightning.

"Ah!" She was greatly alarmed and retreated repeatedly, but the lightning, which had been accumulating for a long time, scattered her protective black smoke. The lightning that surged toward her face caused her eyes to sting, and she barely managed to pull out a talisman.

(End of chapter)