Chapter 555: Quantao

Li Xizhi had just emerged from the grand formation, his eyes now gleaming with radiant light, and the world before him had utterly transformed. The normally gentle winter sun of Baixiang Valley, with its maple trees on the hillsides laden with cloud-like snow, creating a pure and pristine landscape, had now turned a somber grey-black. As far as the eye could see, a murky haze hung everywhere.

Black clouds rolled across the sky, the white snow was dulled, and thick shadows stretched from the mountains and forests. The spiritual light that once permeated the area was now negligible; only streaks of demonic light surged upwards, leaving trails of black exhaust.

Baixiang Valley beneath his feet had been razed to the ground. Amidst scattered broken tiles stood a few solitary skeletons, their heads severed to be used as magical artifacts. Greyish-yellow dust floated on the surface, and stark white bones were stained with dried blood. What a demonic land…

Li Xizhi swiftly fled along the mountain pass, glancing briefly. These skeletons must surely be those of the Bai family. When he arrived, the old man of the Bai family had been profusely grateful, little knowing that Qingchi had used them as a shield against the demonic cultivators. In the end, not a single member of the Bai family escaped.

He had no time for further thought. He flattened one hand, and his horrifying wound, which had resembled a gaping maw, was now closed like small lips, leaving only a few red seams. Li Xizhi shook the magnificent and elegant long ge from his feathered robe sleeve and grasped it. The long ge had already begun to struggle madly, its blade flashing continuously, emitting streams of fragmented light. Li Xizhi flew faster and faster, guided by the aura. With one hand, he formed hand seals, continuously tapping the long ge from its tail to its bright white middle, and then to its thin and sharp blade, causing it to emit streaks of colorful light.

“This long ge certainly cannot be kept. Keeping it would only bring harm. Looking at Tuoba Chongyuan's appearance, he is highly likely to come after me… Abandoning this long ge at the right time… could save my life.”

At this moment, he could not afford to worry about depleting his magical energy. He quickly performed a series of incantations, layering them upon the long ge to seal it tightly. He then placed it in the wind, rapidly chanting spells and gathering radiant light.

As Tuoba Chongyuan emerged from the formation, he opened his lips and powerfully inhaled. The large seal in the sky instantly shrunk and transformed into the size of a thumb, flying into his mouth. Tuoba Chongyuan's expression brightened, and his aura recovered significantly. The dullness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by light. He scanned the area, then unhesitatingly abandoned Yu Yuwei and pursued Li Xizhi, bathed in light.

“Second Young Master!”

The moment Tuoba Chongyuan exited the grand formation and absorbed the seal into his abdomen, two nearby streaks of black qi immediately flew over. Two demonic cultivators appeared, bowing low and meekly: “Second Young Master… do you require your subordinates…?”

Tuoba Chongyuan, already summoning the wind, furrowed his brows and sent them stumbling with a flick of his sleeve. He soared into the sky, leaving behind only one command: “Go and capture that old Daoist back.” As he ascended to high altitude, a chariot swiftly arrived, enveloped in rolling white clouds, stopping beneath him. Tuoba Chongyuan calmly sat cross-legged, silently regulating his breath, while the chariot beneath him automatically pressed forward in pursuit.

Ahead, Li Xizhi's eyes glowed with concentrated radiance. He cautiously concealed the colorful aura beneath his feet, diving into the thick mist. He then saw black smoke permeating the area, and a demonic cultivator flying straight towards him. The demonic cultivator, clad in black and wielding a large shield, had sharp, narrow eyes. He shouted: “Youngster, don't you dare escape!”

‘Late-stage Qi Condensation?’

Li Xizhi took one look and accurately guessed the man's intentions, immediately chuckling with exasperation: “He just saw me emerge heavily injured from the formation, assuming I have little spiritual power left and am rushing without much defense ahead… relying on his large shield and the demonic cultivator's tenacious vitality, he wants to take a chance to curry favor with Tuoba Chongyuan!”

But the demonic cultivator was mistaken. Li Xizhi had long anticipated that demonic cultivators would try to impede him. The spell he had been holding in his hand, long accumulated and withheld, now exploded directly at this person in a burst of radiant light. The demonic cultivator's hopes were grand, but Li Xizhi's spell was no minor trick. The radiant light, reflecting off the large shield as if it were nothing, completely bypassed its surface and slammed into the cultivator's face.

“Boom!”

As the colorful light rippled, the demonic cultivator was instantly blown to pieces. His exploding flesh, touched by the radiant light, quickly separated from the blood, revealing stark white bones that scattered in all directions. Li Xizhi did not stop, flying forward in one breath. Fortunately, he had been prepared and did not lose much ground due to this obstruction. With a subtle flick of his radiant light, he advanced a fraction of a second, and the grey mist behind him quickly parted, revealing the luxurious chariot.

Tuoba Chongyuan sat cross-legged in the chariot. The demonic cultivator's torso was still struggling in the air, flesh falling off in chunks. Tuoba Chongyuan did not even lift an eyelid as he sped past, leaving behind only the gradually fading wails.

Li Xizhi had just escaped the immediate area when he quickly realized Tuoba Chongyuan was already behind him. While his escape speed using radiant light far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators, it ultimately could not compare to this immortal chariot. He could only wait for it to slowly close in.

“Fellow Daoist…”

Tuoba Chongyuan opened his eyes in the chariot and called out. Li Xizhi watched as the surrounding demonic cultivators fell far behind, and when they reached a more open area, he finally took out the long ge.

“Before, there were many demonic cultivators, all Tuoba Chongyuan's lackeys. If I had thrown this long ge, he would surely have sent his lackeys to pick it up, making it difficult to distract him…”

“Now, the area is open, we've flown past the initial zone, and there's no demonic smoke around. This is the right time.”

He simply tossed the long ge upwards, then kicked its tail with his foot. The long ge immediately leaped like an arrow, swiftly and rapidly darting southward, disappearing into the thick clouds. Tuoba Chongyuan subtly formed a hand seal. Seeing that his magical artifact had not flown back to him, he immediately understood that the feathered-robe cultivator ahead had most likely sealed its spiritual connection. He chuckled lightly, his voice resonating like a great bell, and said: “Fellow Daoist, you are overthinking it. Even if I've lost a magical artifact… who would dare pick up something belonging to the Tuoba family? Killing you would take no more than a quarter of an hour; I can simply retrieve it afterward.”

Li Xizhi completely ignored him, tapping his wrists dozens of times. A talisman jumped out from his palm. With a sweep of his robe, it shot backward, glowing. The moment the talisman left his palm, it instantly transformed into a gloomy grey cloth. Immediately, gongs and drums resounded all around, accompanied by strange wailing sounds and the pervasive scent of incense. The grey cloth expanded as if inflated, swirling and leaping in the air like a huge bird soaring past. It was, of course, the ancient talisman Yang Ruizao had given him!

Tuoba Chongyuan, driving his chariot, looked at the grey cloth and paused for the first time, frowning: “Someone from the Underworld Bureau…”

As a descendant of a Grotto-heaven Imperial Clan, he was exceptionally well-informed and had a deep understanding of the southern regions. The grey cloth produced by this talisman was incredibly familiar; its various characteristics clearly marked it as an item from the Underworld Bureau. Tuoba Chongyuan truly frowned: “By its appearance, it resembles Judge Yang of Zhennan Commandery's Nine Net Gain Cloth… Could his surname be Yang?”

As he pondered, he was indeed hindered by the grey cloth. The spells he had long accumulated in his hand, the six streaks of white light, flared up again and struck the cloth from both sides, but they were completely enveloped and vanished.

“It's just an ancient talisman… In any case, I'll catch him first, then question him slowly.”

He quickly dismissed his thoughts, formed hand seals for a moment, and conjured a white and yellow lotus. Its nine petals were distinct. It pressed into the cloth, but the grey cloth merely stretched, showing only slight cracks. Yet, Tuoba Chongyuan's plan had succeeded. With one hand pressed to the base of his middle finger and his pinky tapping lightly, the chariot roared as it crashed into the cloth, but his figure reappeared behind the grey fabric, surging forward once more.

“This talisman is even better than I thought…”

Having stopped Tuoba Chongyuan twice in a row, Li Xizhi felt much relieved. After passing through a few small mountains, a mountain pass appeared before him. However, Li Xizhi showed no sign of triumph, watching it with a solemn expression. As expected, not only did no cultivators come to help at the pass, but a grand formation was fully activated, separating inside from outside and blocking the road leading south.

“Indeed…”

The commotion caused by Li Xizhi and Tuoba Chongyuan was considerable, with the chariot speeding across the sky. Surely, it was clearly visible for dozens of miles around. Tuoba Chongyuan was not without stratagems; he had just roared his Tuoba family name so loudly to deliberately cut off any potential reinforcements for Li Xizhi.

The pass would naturally not open now. Li Xizhi's heart felt a slight chill, but he harbored no resentment. He simply changed direction and continued to flee forward.

“If they opened the formation to welcome me… not only would Tuoba Chongyuan be right behind, but they might also lose the pass for no reason, and potentially offend the Tuoba family. If I were in their shoes, I would also find it hard to open the pass for a stranger…”

“Instead, staying closed off provides a good excuse, and no one can find fault… After all, who knows if it's someone impersonating to trick them into opening the grand formation…”

He soon passed another small valley, which also had its grand formation tightly shut. Li Xizhi could only pour all his spiritual power into the radiant light beneath his feet, while secretly clutching his last Autumn Gathering Pill in his hand. Looking back at Tuoba Chongyuan, the large seal above his head had already been summoned. The four characters "Shengle Tuoba" were clearly visible, shimmering with golden light, discernible from a great distance.

**Chengdu Pass.**

Chengdu Pass was originally the mountain gate of the Xu Kingdom's small sect, Xuan Du Sect. This sect had been completely wiped out during the demonic calamity, leaving behind a decent mountain range that was subsequently occupied by demonic cultivators. After Qingchi acquired the mountain, they arranged for people to garrison it. Li Quantao, whose father had died, had barely removed his mourning clothes before rushing to this mountain.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator originally stationed in the mountain was a stranger. He introduced himself as Yuan Huyu from the Mushroom Forest Yuan family. He seemed very old, with a pale, aged face, and initially spoke little. Li Quantao had always cultivated within the sect, rarely leaving his father's peak. He considered himself to lack cunning or social skills, found it difficult to build connections, and wasn't familiar with the Yuan family, so he bothered little with Yuan Huyu. However, after fighting side-by-side for a long time, they gradually found topics to discuss. Yuan Huyu was always good at continuing conversations, making their discussions quite comfortable.

“Looking at how the weather is changing… it seems Baixiang Valley has been afflicted by demonic cultivators!” He said it casually, but Yuan Huyu, facing him, looked dejected, his old eyes gazing into the distance, stating something with unclear meaning: “Baixiang Valley is guarded by the Li family. It's said to be Li Xizhi, the third young master of the Li family and the peak master of Changtian Peak. It seems he's suffering now.”

Concern quickly appeared on Li Quantao's face. He whispered: “Indeed. The Tuoba family has produced Golden Cores… Although they've suffered many losses and now possess fewer divine abilities, their direct descendants are at least Nascent Soul progeny… they are individuals not to be provoked. I hope the Peak Master can endure…”

His words were too overtly biased, immediately sparking Yuan Huyu's thoughts. The old man asked, seemingly casually: “By the way… Fellow Daoist, you also share the surname Li.” Li Quantao smiled without speaking. He remembered his father's words: if he met someone with whom conversation flowed very well, it was highly probable that their schemes and methods surpassed his own. They had only known each other for little more than half a year, so he dared not reveal too much.

Yuan Huyu was about to probe further when, unexpectedly, two streaks of light swiftly approached from the east, dazzling in the sky. Both men immediately became vigilant and looked up. They saw the first streak of light was somewhat dim, its colors suppressed to a low vibrancy, yet faintly showing traces of radiant light. The second streak of light was faster, already nearing the tail of the radiant light. The trailing streak of light was white and yellow, with a large seal-like object suspended above it, on which four prominent characters appeared. Qingchi cultivators, naturally, had all read ancient seal script. They recognized it at a glance as: “Shengle Tuoba.”

Yuan Huyu looked at the radiant light ahead, his heart leaped, and a burning emotion surged within him. His lips trembled, and he blurted out: “Xizhi?! He's actually been pursued all the way here!”

The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart. Li Quantao had not yet reacted when, upon hearing Yuan Huyu's words, he suddenly understood, finding the aura of the radiant light very familiar, likely something he had heard about. “It seems to be Li Xizhi, who visited father that day. My elder brother said he was a refined young master, and indeed he is.”

Li Quantao paused, then quickly reacted, greatly alarmed. He seized Yuan Huyu's arm beside him and cried out: “Open the formation! Senior Yuan! Open the formation!”

“Open the formation… open the formation…” Yuan Huyu jumped in place, fumbled twice in his sleeve, then gradually stopped, standing dumbfounded. The faces of his children and brothers appeared before his eyes, and he exclaimed in horror: “That's the Tuoba family!”

Li Quantao, however, tugged at his hand. Yuan Huyu, jolted by this movement, immediately broke free from his emotional state. The burning feeling churned in his heart, revealing a hint of inexplicable bitterness, and he cried out in horror: “Open the formation? Are you trying to die?! That's the Tuoba family! You yourself just said they are individuals not to be provoked!”

“I said open the formation!” Li Quantao suddenly erupted, for the first time abandoning his junior demeanor. His voice boomed in Yuan Huyu's ear. His face, not inherently fierce, appeared somewhat distorted due to extreme anxiety. He shouted: “Fellow Daoist, open the formation! I must save this person!”

“You're crazy!”

Yuan Huyu adamantly refused. He was the one in charge of the formation, and the jade talisman in Li Quantao's hand only allowed his own entry and exit. Li Quantao's eyes turned red with anger, and he said, restraining his temper: “Senior Yuan… this person has shown some kindness to my family… quickly open the formation.”

“What kindness is this now?” Yuan Huyu was unwilling to comply, changing the subject with questions. Li Quantao finally saw through him, his expression growing cold. He replied: “Fine! If you won't open the formation… I'll go out myself!”

The nature of the situation had completely changed. Yuan Huyu shuddered, his heart filled with an inexplicable feeling, and he cried out in horror: “Why must you do this?!”

“Why?!” Li Quantao's expression was filled with indignation, his gaze piercing. With a clang, he slammed his magical artifact onto the city wall, creating a deep indentation. He said coldly: “My father carried a notorious reputation, staying on Fuchen Peak for hundreds of years, hated and despised by everyone. Only Li Xizhi, seeing the kindness owed to the Li family, maintained a close relationship! When my father was about to break through… everyone knew he was doing the impossible! In ordinary times, with his kindness of elixirs, all cultivators who interacted with him called him 'Master Encheng,' but seeing my incompetence and inability to inherit the Dao of alchemy, there were no more benefits to be gained! And fearing the Chi family, not a single person was willing to lend a hand! At that time, the Li clan's patriarch had just died, yet they were willing to spare spirit items to help, even in their hardship… My uncle traveled thousands of miles, retrieved the spirit items, and carefully counted, finding them to be more than the combined stinginess of all the others!”

Li Quantao did not even look at Yuan Huyu. He summoned the wind and rushed out, leaving behind a cold statement that lingered in the winter wind: “Now that Xizhi is in trouble, if Quantao were to stand idly by, how could I face my late father?!” He glared furiously, and his words struck the old man's ears like thunder: “Senior, you can save your own life! Quantao is young and vigorous, and not afraid to take risks!”

In an instant, Li Quantao exited the formation and disappeared, leaving the old man standing desolately, staring blankly. The winter wind seemed to ignore his Foundation Establishment physique, piercing straight through his organs, making him shiver violently yet sweat profusely. Yuan Huyu's vision blurred, and he could no longer think clearly. Those words still echoed in his mind, making his teeth chatter. He plopped down onto the edge of the city wall.

“When I caught a cold at six, I think it felt like this too.” The old man suddenly recalled this, his face seemingly frozen blue. He extended his two old hands and laboriously rubbed them together across his chest.