Chapter 545: First Battle

Li Xuanxuan was stunned. His hand, holding his white beard, trembled slightly. Still somewhat disbelieving, he asked, "Who? Xuanfeng?!"

"It is, sir!" An Siwei bowed and replied, "Elder, it's absolutely true!"

"Oh, haha!" Li Xuanxuan chuckled, then sat back down in the main seat, rubbing his jade cup. With a mix of disbelief, joy, and worry, he said, "So... Xuanfeng has reached this level! I misjudged the situation and underestimated him..."

He sipped his tea, then nodded and chuckled, "Good! He destroyed Murong Wu's body and spirit... Excellent! He forced the Buddhist cultivator into reincarnation. My brother is truly a top-tier figure; it's only right that they are terrified and flustered."

The old man set down his cup, secretly pondering, "Spitting golden blood... I wonder if his injuries are severe."

He then looked at Li Zhouwei, who stood nearby holding a halberd. The young man nodded, his eyes shining brightly, his hand gripping the iron halberd tightly, as if eager to unleash a massacre.

Seeing Li Xuanxuan look over, Li Zhouwei slightly lowered his brows and replied, "With Sir's immense power and support from within the pass, he will surely be unharmed."

Li Xuanxuan nodded. Finally, a figure descended before the hall, clad in flowing white robes, a sword at his waist. He seemed a mix of joy and concern. "Jun'er."

Li Xijun respectfully bowed and then said, "After last time's lesson, I didn't dare bring anyone back. I interrogated them on the lake and sent Siwei back to report first. I'll go clean up the rest."

Li Xuanxuan nodded silently, somewhat hopefully asking, "Did you manage to find any news? What about Qinghong and Xizhi's side?"

Li Xijun shook his head, a worried expression on his face. He said softly, "That main force indeed achieved a great victory. But according to the few cultivators who came south, the Buddhist and demonic paths are largely dominant elsewhere. Many strongholds have been breached, and demonic cultivators are moving south..."

"These strongholds were plundered, mainly one near Salty Lake that was breached by the Tuoba family. Most Buddhist cultivators didn't dare to go deeper and retreated, but many demonic cultivators took advantage and moved down, following the great river either east or west..."

Li Xuanxuan paused, murmuring, "East is a wilderness, downstream leads to Xuanyue Gate. West is the Xiao family, and upstream is our home... So it's not too dangerous yet."

Li Xijun nodded gently, his voice somewhat low as he replied, "This is just the situation in the north. I also met people from several other families on the way... The south is no longer stable either."

He found a seat nearby and sat down, nodding lightly towards Li Zhouwei before continuing, "The conflict between Xiakui Dao and Chijiao Island has intensified, and Changxiao Gate has been invaded by Hengzhu Dao, with forces penetrating hundreds of miles... It's said that even Jinyu Sect sent people to mediate, but to no avail..."

"That's just one thing. I've also heard of unrest in Wu State; Jinyu Sect was attacked, and the war-torn areas with various sects in Wu State are extremely chaotic, with four Foundation Establishment cultivators falling in three days."

"As for the East Sea, dark clouds hang heavy, and all communication with the islands has been cut off..."

Li Xuanxuan nodded silently and replied, "I'm also worried about this... Cheng still doesn't know about Xicheng's death..."

***

### Yan Mountain Pass

Kong Heng, holding his bronze monk's staff, held Yuxin suspended in the air. Yuxin's golden palm recoiled, his expression slightly changed, and he said in a strained voice, "You!"

Before he could say more, lightning struck again from behind him. The lightning unleashed by the female lightning cultivator was immensely powerful, scorching his Dharmakaya in waves, consuming a vast amount of his spiritual energy, and causing him intense headaches.

Just as he managed to use his spiritual energy to dispel the incoming lightning, the Hooked Serpent, emboldened, laughed in the air, emitting black smoke. It spat out a pearl mixed with cold snow, conjuring strong gusts of wind.

Though the biting cold wind caused no significant harm to his Dharmakaya, it blurred his spiritual senses and made his movements difficult, like an annoying fly.

Fortunately, the demonic serpent did not approach to attack, merely staying behind and conjuring wind. The two Qingchi cultivators, also fearing injury, only occasionally launched sneak attacks from the rear, slightly alleviating his pressure.

"If not for their lack of coordination... I would have lost this body long ago..." He grew increasingly anxious and had no choice but to say, "Elder Kong Heng! Both you and I practice the Great Buddhist Dharma, the true Golden Lotus cultivation... Why do you help this minor Purple Mansion Golden Core sect?"

Kong Heng merely shook his head silently, his grip never slackening. He said gently, "That's not right. All paths in this world have their own means of advancement. As long as one cultivates diligently and painstakingly... one can ultimately achieve golden enlightenment. There is no such thing as a 'true' or 'minor' path..."

While striking Yuxin's Dharmakaya, creating cracks, Kong Heng's voice remained calm: "It's just that your seven paths... have deviated from the World Honored One's true meaning... Each path believes itself to be the orthodox way, and others are considered minor deviations. That is truly falling into the mental obstruction of self-delusion!"

He deliberately changed the subject, making Yuxin even more anxious, who then said, "My fellow Daoists cannot kill me anyway... Why bother troubling my Dharmakaya, which I obtained through arduous cultivation? What if I simply hand over my possessions to you all, and you generously allow this body to return?"

His expression finally turned grim. He said coldly, "If you are unwilling, then I will destroy this body... It's going to be lost either way! And you all will suffer some injuries too!"

At his words, the Li family members remained unfazed. However, the two Qingchi Foundation Establishment cultivators hesitated. They exchanged glances, stopped their spells, and one of them said, "Daoist Qinghong..."

Li Qinghong frowned, feeling a little helpless. She pretended not to hear and ignored him for a moment. But then, the man flew closer and asked a couple of questions, making her feel constrained. Li Qinghong looked at him and saw the Qingchi cultivator's distressed face as he said, "...How about we agree to his terms..."

These two neither wanted to risk injury nor offend a difficult-to-eliminate cultivator too severely. Yet, retreating empty-handed was unappealing, so they shamelessly said, "Daoist Qinghong... We are not from esteemed families like yours; we came here by summons... We merely hope to save our lives and gain some wealth! How about... we fulfill his wish..."

The two were originally cultivators from the sea who had submitted to Qingchi, considered guest elders. Their mindset was naturally different. Li Qinghong finally stopped, sighing, "Then, my fellow Daoists, go forward and discuss it with him in detail..."

Li Qinghong had to consider their feelings, as several younger cultivators from her family had been assigned to serve under these two and had previously received good care. If the two harbored ill intentions, it would be easy for them to die in battle.

The two were delighted and immediately went forward to converse with Yuxin. Yuxin, having preserved this body, effectively saved fifty or sixty years of cultivation, and was overjoyed. The three sat down and conversed like friends.

After several tens of breaths, Yuxin produced many spiritual artifacts from his sleeves, emptying both of them. He then took off his Dharmic robe and, while the two weren't paying attention, flew away on the wind.

The two returned laden with goods and let him leave. They brought the items over and chuckled, "Daoist Qinghong..."

Li Qinghong saw that they were indeed valuable items, but none truly moved her. She secretly feared that accepting them might lead to unforeseen troubles later. She merely said gently, "My two fellow Daoists, please keep them well."

"This..." The two immediately felt awkward, holding the items as if they were burning hot. Li Qinghong smiled faintly and said softly, "Several of our juniors are still serving under you two... I hope you will take good care of them."

"Of course! Of course!" The two immediately understood, chuckled, and accepted the items with peace of mind. They flew back together. Only then did an apologetic expression appear on Kong Heng's face, and he said softly, "Qinghong... I failed to look after the juniors well..."

Li Qinghong's heart sank. She asked, "Who? What happened?!"

Kong Heng shook his head, lamenting, "My area was low-lying and was attacked much earlier. Demonic cultivators appeared there as early as this morning..."

"I and the Daoists there went out to meet the enemy. We fought for a full two hours, barely holding on. The grand formation beneath our feet had long been breached... All the cultivators were mixed together... it was impossible to distinguish them..."

"Later, cultivators from the flanks arrived as reinforcements, repelling the demonic cultivators and re-establishing the formations on the city walls... We counted the numbers... Everyone was injured, and even one Foundation Establishment cultivator had fallen."

He said in a low voice, "Three Fetal Breathing cultivators from our family died; I've noted down their names. A late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, Li Chengzu, was lost... I hastily collected his remains and then rushed here to support."

Li Qinghong pursed her lips upon hearing this, only asking, "Is the body still intact?"

"Only his head remained... His younger brother cried until he fainted..."

Li Qinghong simply said, "I'll go with you to see."

Li Chengzu and his brother were among the first children to cultivate in Qingdu Mountain. They progressed quickly, and Li Chengzu was even faster than his younger brother. Li Qinghong had only met him a few times; it was Li Xijun who had seen him more often then.

She followed the wind back and soon saw Zhao Tinggui, who had arrived on the city wall, with a group of Ning family cultivators behind him, also heading east.

The man no longer had his previous composure. He was travel-stained, blood dripped from his sword, and his expression was solemn. He happened to encounter Li Qinghong. As smooth as he usually was, at that moment, he could only force a smile: "Greetings, Daoist Qinghong... Thanks to your esteemed clan's Wanling Flowers, my junior martial brother's life was saved."

Li Qinghong knew that besides Wanling Flowers, he surely had many other life-saving items, but he was simply trying to curry favor. She responded gently, "A junior of my clan, a late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, has fallen. I am going to collect his remains."

These words rendered Zhao Tinggui speechless. He sighed, wiped his sword, and merely said, "My condolences, Daoist!"

Li Qinghong quickly inquired, "How is the pass?"

"Not optimistic..." When this topic came up, Zhao Tinggui's face darkened considerably, revealing the anger hidden deep within him. He said coldly, "The Foundation Establishment guest elders drawn from the East Sea are fine... But some Daoists who grew up in Qingchi... they actually believed the demonic cultivators' words! Seeing that they couldn't defeat the enemy, they actually pulled out a few people and handed them over to the demonic cultivators! Wanting to settle the matter peacefully..."

"Ridiculous! It caused the Qi Condensation cultivators in the formation to lose morale, becoming startled and terrified, almost fleeing for their lives... And some were even so foolish as to be attacked when opening the formation, nearly losing their lives!"

Zhao Tinggui's expression was grim. He said coldly, "And some, after encountering demonic cultivators... merely repelling them wasn't enough... they had to act greedily... pursuing them for a hundred miles! Only after hesitating did they retreat, by which time the grand formation had already been breached... What kind of logic is that!"

Li Qinghong merely offered comfort, "Jiangnan cultivators live in a world within the seas, where all sects value reason. It's understandable for them to be muddle-headed and deceived in times of crisis. They naturally can't compare to the demonic cultivators from the East Sea or the North... With time, they will adapt."

Zhao Tinggui nodded, a hint of envy appearing on his face. He sighed, "Qinghong, have you heard the news? Your clan's senior has already made the demonic cultivators tremble in fear!"

***

### Bian Yan Mountain

White clouds and mist swirled, damp and viscous, condensing on the silver armor and helmet, turning into sparkling points of reflection.

The armor was dull silver, intricately patterned and beautiful. Several dragon-beasts were etched upon it, baring fangs and claws, as if ready to spring to life at any moment, emitting a cold, chilling light. Li Xuanfeng stood silently in the clouds, the heavy armor held in his hand.

Sticky blood trickled down the edges of the silver armor. A quarter of an hour ago, it had coalesced into a small snake, attempting to regain its form, but then it was struck by an arrow's intent, dissipating and scattering.

The demonic and Buddhist cultivators in the black clouds all froze, staring at him blankly.

Murong Wu's strength was indeed formidable; he ranked among the toughest Foundation Establishment cultivators Li Xuanfeng had killed, far more powerful than Situ Chen of Tangjin Gate, and certainly a difficult opponent to deal with.

When the young demonic cultivator, clad in armor, landed before him, his demonic aura was indeed monstrous, his silver armor gleamed brilliantly, and the long blade in his hand blazed with spiritual energy. He even chuckled, "Qingchi must have fed all its precious medicines to Chi Wei, sending out something as old-looking as this."

'This boy is too careless.' Li Xuanfeng's expression remained unchanged. He gave the opponent no chance, shooting him dead. The unknown Buddhist elder who came to assist was also struck by five of Li Xuanfeng's arrows, piercing his skull.

Murong Wu was furious, but he had already fallen into Li Xuanfeng's hunting rhythm. There was no way he could just leave. In the end, he had to admit his defeat and abandon his body.

Everyone expected him to revive from within the demonic cultivator ranks, but all that descended was black liquid from the sky. Only then did they realize with horror that Murong Wu had truly fallen.

'The boy was careless and fell into the range of my arrow intent. His spirit and flesh were both annihilated, leaving no chance for survival.'

He had killed one Buddhist and one demonic cultivator, then torn a spirit beast apart with his bare hands. Yet, he uttered no word of triumph, standing silent with his broken-stringed golden bow, merely observing.

Li Xuanfeng's gaze swept over them, leaving the cultivators in a dilemma. The aerial battles became distracted, as no one wished to fall into his hands. The battle grew strangely tense and anxious.

The dozen or so skirmishes in the sky had all weakened. Li Xuanfeng had originally led seventeen Foundation Establishment cultivators to intercept enemy reinforcements. Although each of his cultivators was slightly inferior to their demonic and Buddhist counterparts, they were now fighting to a standstill.

The remaining demonic cultivators, whose hands were now free, hid in the clouds, hesitating, unsure whether to leave.

'They should be retreating now.' Li Xuanfeng's eyes narrowed, but he saw clearly. Even though his bowstring was broken and he had sustained significant injuries, he still stood steadily on the cloud: 'Earlier, that Buddhist elder came to rescue, but he intentionally held back some power. He took five of my arrows in a row, yet so easily abandoned his body to reincarnate... He deliberately intended to harm Murong Wu!'

Behind him, Ning Heyuan had already dealt with his opponent. This was also his first time witnessing his brother-in-law in action, and he could barely conceal his shock. He quickly moved to Li Xuanfeng's side and whispered, "Brother-in-law... be careful of being surrounded..."

The warm blood of the tiger-wolf-like spirit beast still flowed on his armor; its bones had already been divided among the crowd. Li Xuanfeng scoffed and said softly, "Now that they hate and fear each other, how could they unite to harm me? Just wait for fifteen minutes, and they will disperse."