Chapter 575: 叱门狄绋

**Ink and Brush Literature, Profound Mirror Immortal Clan!**

Yu Yuwei’s voice was low, echoing in the cave, making the young man pause. Li Quantao’s lips trembled, and a blush crept onto his still-injured face as he turned his head and whispered:

The few of them sat trapped in the cave. Yu Yuwei coughed twice, his expression unreadable, and answered him in a low voice: “Quantao, we may not survive this. I don’t have many years left to live. Let me just say this clearly: if Li Encheng had been the one injured and trapped in the secret realm back then, and had achieved Zi Fu, he would have been even more terrifying than Chi Wei.”

Li Quantao already had strong opinions about the old man. Hearing this, his expression stiffened, and anger flared within him. He abruptly stood up. The entanglement between Li Encheng and Chi Wei was an old story. Li Quantao suppressed his fury and said coldly: “What are you talking about, senior! How was Yu Yuxie harmed? How can you be so heartless and unjust? It’s bad enough not to resent him, but you’re actually speaking well of him! My father might have been in the wrong, but it’s not your place to judge him!”

Yu Yuwei sighed and replied: “You are nothing like Li Encheng... Let’s not talk about these old, stale matters.”

“I’ve long come to terms with it. How kind do you think our attitude towards those Qi Cultivation and Embryonic Breath practitioners is? If we were in that position, sacrificing a few irrelevant Qi Cultivation practitioners to obtain treasures like the Qi Wang Profound Heaven Listener and Xinyou Luze Seal, would you do it or not?”

Li Quantao hesitated, then fell silent. Yu Yuwei chuckled and continued: “Don’t speak of Zi Fu being heartless, or noble families lashing tenant farmers, or Qi Cultivation masters punishing embryonic breath cultivators. Human blood can become a miraculous spiritual medicine, and immortal foundations can be consumed for divine powers... Looking back over a thousand years, it’s all blood and tears. Only the heartless are called immortals.”

The old man sat with his arms crossed in the cave. His words made Li Xizhi glance at him. The old cultivator had extensive experience; Yu Yuwei had witnessed three hundred years of rise and fall, and must have many stories to tell.

“However... now is not the time to talk about such things.”

Li Xizhi glanced at the map in his hand and said in a deep voice: “Yan Mountain Pass probably won’t hold. This place has become demon-infested land, and more demon cultivators are continuously arriving. Although this place is dangerous, leaving even a moment sooner increases our chances of survival.”

Li Qinghong nodded slightly, pondered for a few breaths, and whispered: “I once cultivated here. East from this point, there should be a cave, located within the earth veins east of Chengshui Mausoleum. This cave leads to an underground water vein, which goes all the way to the East Sea. Although this place is demon-infested, if we can follow that water vein, emerge in the East Sea, we can then fly with the wind directly to Fenkuai Island and return from the coastal waters.”

Li Xizhi looked at the location she pointed out. It would only take a quarter of an hour to fly there with the wind. He quickly understood and looked at the two of them, asking: “What do you two think?”

Yu Yuwei and Li Quantao naturally couldn’t think of a better plan, so they both nodded in agreement. The group left the cave, and Li Quantao whispered: “It’s just a pity we don’t have an artifact for concealment; otherwise, we wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble...”

These words reminded Li Qinghong. The Profound Mark Bottle at her waist could conceal tracks when activated by Li Yuanjiao, but in her hands now, it could only emit lightning and store profound thunder. “Unfortunately, none of us here have a Vast Sea cultivation, and it’s only enough for one person to conceal themselves.” She rode the lightning, her azure long-feathered robe, the Sparrow Azure Plume, enhancing her. Her wind-riding speed was the fastest among them. Li Xizhi also moved swiftly, riding on his rainbow glow. Only Li Quantao and the other person caused them to slow down slightly.

After flying just over ten miles with the wind, they entered a gloomy area, filled with rolling demonic energy. The original landscape of black locust trees and white stones had long vanished, replaced by dark, murky water underfoot, with faint outlines of bones floating within it. “Chengshui Mausoleum... From now on, it should be called Chengshui Marsh...”

Then, two streams of demonic light rose from afar and entered the area. White smoke also ascended, with people moving to and fro, not like patrols, but rather with a hint of panic. Several demon cultivators, riding the wind, weaved through the clouds, hurrying north. They flew past the group, just a li away, leaving behind a trail of rolling demonic smoke, without even pausing.

Li Xizhi observed the chaotic scene, his heart stirring. He exchanged a glance with Li Qinghong; both noticed the unusual behavior of the demon cultivators and thought to themselves: “A good opportunity...”

The group sped along, skimming the water’s surface, weaving past several tips of locust trees that jutted out of the water. After flying most of the way, they finally encountered two Qi Cultivation demon cultivators.

“Have any sirs arrived? Murong En died like this... yet there’s no news at all...” These two demon cultivators were riding the wind eastward, conversing carefully. They both seemed somewhat doubtful. The other replied: “Hard to say. I only heard that Tuoba retreated, and a lord from the Helian family arrived. Even a lord from the Lou family, despite their difficult situation, came too... Believe it or not... there’s most likely another treasure.”

The few Foundation Establishment cultivators concealed their forms, naturally undetectable by mere Qi Cultivation demon cultivators. Li Quantao glanced at them briefly and transmitted his voice with spiritual power: “Should we capture one and question them?”

Yu Yuwei slightly shook his head. After all, they were in a dangerous place, and now only a few li from the cave. Naturally, they didn’t want to stir up trouble without reason, so they simply passed by them, keeping their presence hidden.

The dark water rippled, and Li Qinghong soon stopped at a spot, observing carefully. Although Chengshui Mausoleum was now entirely submerged, making the terrain impossible to discern, her spiritual sense explored the area. She quickly compared it to her memories and identified the cave entrance. That area was a complete mess; the stone steps and stele at the entrance had been shattered and submerged. It was dark and bottomless, and they couldn’t tell if there were any demon cultivators inside.

Li Qinghong and the others closed their eyes to investigate, only to see the two demon cultivators they had just passed slowly catching up, also stopping on the water’s surface.

The two, one tall and one thin, were talking happily. The taller man, who had spoken before, had a strange look and asked: “Which lord from the Lou family arrived?” “It should be King Bolie, Lou Fu...” The thin demon cultivator answered, and the first man’s expression changed, showing caution. He whispered: “I’m really troubling you, fellow Daoist... I was previously dispatched on other duties and didn’t encounter any fellow cultivators from whom I could inquire for news. I just want to ask... does this lord consider himself a Hu Di, or a Northerner?”

The other demon cultivator looked up, a half-smile on his face. The questioning demon cultivator immediately understood and quickly handed something over. The other then chuckled cheerfully: “Of course, that’s easy to say! Bolie Commandery is in Qi land, and this lord’s trusted retainers are all Northerners.” “So that’s how it is.” The demon cultivator’s eyes lit up, and he replied: “Then he should be addressed by his revered name, Gao Fu. One certainly can’t mention the Lou family...” “You’re right, fellow Daoist... Although it all depends on the lord’s disposition, it’s better to be cautious...”

Hearing the two men’s tension, Li Xizhi didn’t need to guess much; this King Bolie, Gao Fu, was most likely a Zi Fu level figure. His heart grew more anxious, and he secretly thought: “More and more powerful cultivators are coming from the north. After all, the north is vast, and Jiangnan cannot compare.”

The group exchanged glances, all looking at Li Xizhi. After all, his rainbow-glow capturing technique was unique, and no one present could compare to him. Although it was only to capture a few Qi Cultivation practitioners, they should still proceed with caution and full power.

Li Xizhi understood. With a slight flick of his sleeve, two streaks of rainbow light shot out, diving into the water, surging forward like swimming snakes. The two demon cultivators were standing still when two streaks of colored light suddenly emerged from beneath their feet. They leaped up in fright but couldn’t evade the prepared Li Xizhi. The rainbow lights pulsed upwards, instantly capturing them firmly.

Immediately, a swirl of white mist enveloped the two demon cultivators, drawing them in. The tall and thin demon cultivators tumbled about, their magical artifacts struck down by the rainbow glow. When they opened their eyes and looked, four Daoists stood before them. “Four Foundation Establishment cultivators!” The two were so terrified they felt dizzy. They exchanged glances, then kowtowed repeatedly, begging for their lives. However, Li Qinghong had no intention of wasting time with them. Two streaks of lightning sparked in her hand, landing on their foreheads, ready to strike down the next second.

Ignoring their terrified expressions, she gently waved her hand, separating the two, and then asked in a deep voice: “How many cultivators are in the cave!”

“My lord...” The two demon cultivators couldn’t see each other, making collusion difficult. Facing a lightning-wielding Foundation Establishment cultivator, with six of their seven souls already fled, how could they lie? They merely replied: “My lord... the cave contains followers of Patriarch Difu... He, the elder, doesn’t know what mission he received... He’s stopped here, and we are just minor demons under his command... We haven’t committed any great slaughter... We only beg to live...” The two’s answers were roughly similar. Li Qinghong asked again: “Only one demon leader? Are there any reinforcements nearby?”

She questioned them thoroughly. Although there were no major demon leaders in the vicinity, this demon leader Difu seemed very powerful, an old, seasoned demon who had roamed between Xu and Yue for years, with unfathomably deep demonic cultivation. Li Qinghong had four people working together, so she wasn’t afraid of him. Her only concern was that a major battle might draw a siege from other demons. After a moment’s thought, she asked: “Does this demon leader have any other background, and where is he originally from?”

“Patriarch Difu’s surname is Chimeng. He was originally a demon cultivator from Zhao State. We heard he offended someone in Zhao State... that’s why he only roams between Xu and Yue...” “Chimeng.” Li Qinghong pressed for two more questions. Chimeng was not a famous tribe in the north, which slightly eased her mind. Li Xizhi then asked in a low voice: “That King Bolie... has he already reached the Grand Void?”

“Reporting to my lord, most likely...” Upon hearing this, Yu Yuwei immediately made a decision and said in a deep voice: “We can’t delay any longer! Attack immediately, kill this person, and escape directly to the East Sea. Any further delay will surely lead to trouble!”

The group reached a consensus. Two streaks of lightning bound the two demon cultivators tightly. Li Qinghong, holding the two, descended first, riding the lightning, while the other three followed cautiously in succession.

From the murky dark water, a faint glow quickly emerged. Li Qinghong soon saw the illuminating brilliance of spiritual power. Upon closer inspection, it was merely an array formation of the early Qi Cultivation stage. She had brought the two demon cultivators down, originally intending to trick open a strong array in case it was solid. She hadn’t expected that Chimeng Difu, an old demon who had been in Foundation Establishment for many years, would be so hard-up, still using an early Qi Cultivation array. “That makes sense... After all, if you just find a temporary resting place and leave after a month, you wouldn’t use too high-level an array...” Li Qinghong thought carefully: she herself could be considered a cultivator with a significant background, yet the array she had just used was also merely Qi Cultivation level. Chimeng Difu naturally wouldn’t be much better off. “It’s just that I’ve seen too many direct descendants, so I’ve gotten used to it.”

Since these two were no longer needed, two streaks of lightning instantly erupted, incinerating the demon cultivators. Li Qinghong held her Duoruo Spear, and with a thrust and a smash, struck directly at the grand array. “Boom!” The bright white lightning exploded with a roar in the water. The murky marsh water immediately surged in, creating violent crashing sounds. Behind them, Li Xizhi emitted a ray of rainbow light, blocking the incoming marsh water, and with a flick of his sleeve, completely dispelled the sound waves. After these actions, the marsh surface outside remained undisturbed, reflecting the black clouds above like a mirror, completely concealing any Foundation Establishment cultivators moving beneath.

“Who’s there!” An old voice, both startled and suspicious, rang out, clearly from Chimeng Difu. A dense black wind swept out along the earth veins. The array shattered like an eggshell, but it also alerted the old demon. Chimeng Difu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The array’s purpose was clearly not defense, but merely a warning. As the group broke the array, a vast subterranean cavern appeared before them.

Two demon cultivators were originally guarding the entrance. Now, they leaped up in terror as if their lives depended on it. Before their blood-red glow could transform into an escape light, Li Qinghong and the others were already upon them. “Boom!” Two streams of spiritual light erupted from both sides. A long dragon of purple flames roared forth, instantly blasting one person into a cloud of black smoke, while another bolt of lightning struck down, reducing the other to ashes.

“Whoosh...” Black clouds swirled to the cave entrance. The remaining Qi Cultivation demon cultivators cried out and fled into the cave. Li Qinghong’s long-feathered robe glowed, a blue-white radiance mixed with lightning descending. Her Duoruo Spear struck out with full force, the lightning flashing, illuminating the area in blinding white. Yu Yuwei likewise understood that this was a critical moment. The twin lights of water and fire erupted from him, and his purplish-red great cauldron flew out, powerfully summoning two purple dragons that swept into the black mist. Li Quantao’s Bipolar Water Pill rolled again, and white water billowed forth, instantly dispersing the black mist, scattering it backward and revealing a dazed old man.

“Huh?” Li Qinghong and Yu Yuwei attacked in concert, with Li Quantao and Li Xizhi assisting from the side. The power of this combined assault would likely stun even a resurrected Tuoba Zhongyuan. Although all of them were injured, they had been building momentum for a long time, shaking the entire cave, causing shattered stones to fall everywhere. Chimeng Difu wore black robes, his hair was white, and he looked every bit the part of an old demon who had accumulated years of cultivation. In his hand, he held a strange, black ring. His clothing was quite good, emitting a black glow.

His old eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. Before him, purple fire dragons and lightning intertwined. On one side was resplendent purple fire, on the other dazzling lightning. He would have to go all out to deal with either one, but now they were striking simultaneously, giving him no time to prepare... The spell Chimeng Difu had just activated was blown away into nothingness. Even though he had roamed between Xu and Yue for many years and his insight was not poor, he was caught completely off guard and almost froze in place.

“I... I, an old man... whose Zi Fu direct descendant have I killed? Or have I mistakenly stumbled into some family’s scheme... Why has it come to this!”