Chapter 576: Zhi Chang

Ink and Pen Literature, Profound Mirror Immortal Clan!

Chimen Difu barely managed to spit out a black seal from his chest and abdomen. Before the rolling black smoke could fully unfurl, lightning and flames struck him head-on, displaying a dazzling red and white light.

Chimen Difu grunted, spitting out two mouthfuls of black blood. He immediately formed hand seals, conjuring three black skulls. His jade pendant at his waist shattered in an instant, summoning the other demonic cultivators.

Chimen Difu knew, even without thinking, that such a hasty activation of the jade pendant meant it was highly unlikely anyone would come to his aid. At best, they would gather at the cave entrance to watch the show.

‘But having it is better than nothing…’

Chimen Difu suppressed the urge to use his spiritual power to resist the internal damage. Immediately, a burst of colorful light appeared before him, darting like a venomous snake onto his black seal, circling it twice. He felt his artifact lighten and then heavy, as if a large hand was continuously pulling it towards the ground.

Chimen Difu was, after all, a seasoned demon who had refined this demonic seal within his body for many years. Otherwise, having just endured a fire and lightning strike, with his spiritual light greatly diminished and then tugged by the radiant glow, it would have surely plummeted beneath the clouds. As it was, the demonic seal remained suspended in the air, though somewhat unresponsive.

“Whoosh…”

White rain drifted up from the ground, carried by the strong winds. The demonic smoke he had released to obscure his form and resist spells had not yet fully materialized before it was instantly blown away, leaving only a vast expanse of white rain.

“Danger…”

As the four individuals attacked in unison, the only thought in Chimen Difu’s mind was to retreat.

“I can’t drag this out any longer!”

Despite the intense frustration building within him, he immediately realized that all four opponents before him were formidable, and the lightning cultivator was especially powerful and lethal to demonic cultivators. He knew he could not withstand them. If he did not make a decisive escape, he would surely be trapped and unable to leave.

The old demon was remarkably decisive. He brought his hands together, and the black shadow in the sky burst forth with light. His form transformed into a flickering demonic light for a moment, and then the massive black seal exploded with a bang under the gaze of the four.

“Boom…”

Deep black demonic light surged forth from the explosion. Li Qinghong immediately parried with her long spear, holding it before her, equally without hesitation. She opened her red lips and expelled a beam of white light.

The white light pulsed like a breath, then instantly expanded. This was the Profound Thunder, condensed from the Violet Talisman Primordial Light Secret Art within Li Qinghong’s Thunder Pool.

“The old demon is truly decisive, abandoning a Foundation Establishment artifact just like that. Who knows how many years of demonic energy were cultivated within it… He shattered the artifact to buy time.”

Li Qinghong, now in the late Foundation Establishment realm, had three Profound Thunders stored in her Thunder Pool. During the major battle against the demonic cultivators, she had already used one to protect several individuals during their retreat.

Chimen Difu’s strength was not poor to begin with. He was simply caught off guard by the sudden assault from the group and had to retreat under their combined attack. This demonic light, obtained by sacrificing an artifact, was indeed formidable.

“But it cannot be saved…”

Li Qinghong understood that the two behind her were not in good condition. If they had to resist on their own, they would likely suffer some injuries. Lightning power was most effective against demonic cultivators, so this Profound Thunder should not be held back. She promptly released it to block the demonic light before the others.

Purple-white lightning descended like a waterfall, colliding with the surging, thick demonic light, shaking the entire cave dwelling to the brink of collapse. The intense roar could no longer be contained and propagated outwards along the water flow.

As the second collision sounded, Li Qinghong took half a step back. The demonic light faced by the others had already been weakened by eighty percent. While Li Xizhi fought back, his pupil technique subtly shifted, and he clearly saw a black-gold colored escape light disappear into the ground.

“What a profound escape technique…”

The demonic light paused briefly. After the intense impact subsided, the ancient Water-Shielding Pill in Li Quantao’s hand glowed softly. The thick demonic energy in the cave dwelling vanished instantly, and Yu Yuwei’s resonant voice rang out:

“Wuhua Primordial Life Divine Escape… That’s Jinyu’s escape technique… This Chimen Difu must be involved!”

Yu Yuwei had benefited from the others during the previous burst of demonic light, defending himself quite easily. He had also observed carefully, noticing the black-gold escape light.

The old man was experienced and knowledgeable, with a long and complete family heritage. He recognized the escape light at a glance. Li Qinghong and the others were suspicious upon hearing this. They hadn’t intended to pursue him anyway, letting him escape.

“We shouldn’t linger. Let’s leave quickly.”

Li Qinghong swept her sleeve, collecting the shattered fragments of the black seal floating in the air. She used her lightning power to cross over the demonic cultivators’ corpses, killed by the lingering shockwaves, and led the three others into the water veins.

This section of the water veins was now filled with black light, and due to the anomalous deaths of several Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby, it was several times wider than when Li Qinghong first arrived. Black spiritual water surged, occasionally revealing spiritual objects glowing with cold light.

Once in the water, Li Quantao’s speed increased significantly. Conveniently, these water veins were very wide, and with the Water-Shielding Pill activated, the speed of all four increased by half, allowing them to rush through the water veins.

Not a single sound could be heard in the water veins. The young man felt the atmosphere was too heavy and spoke up:

“So many Foundation Establishment cultivators died in this battle, not to mention countless Qi Condensation and Embryonic Breathing realm cultivators. They’ve sunk, been buried in the earth, and dissolved into the earth and water veins… This will surely nurture fertile land and water.”

“Jiangbei has grown increasingly barren over the past five hundred years. With such nourishment, it could probably support several times more cultivators… And the storage bags, artifacts, and spiritual objects that fell into the earth could sustain several generations of rogue cultivators.”

Yu Yuwei nodded in agreement, replying, “As long as Purple Mansion cultivators don’t fight in the mundane world, the more who die, the richer the spiritual energy will be, and the more geniuses it can nurture. I won’t live to see it, but you all can try. In a hundred years, you will surely hear of many famous cultivators from Jiangbei.”

The water veins pulsed with black spiritual energy. The biting cold was held at bay by their spiritual power, and the silence was astonishing. He glanced at Li Qinghong and spoke:

“It’s a pity that True Man Donghua had a wondrous method of traversing the Void back then. Once he escaped into the Void, no matter how many Golden Core cultivators came, they couldn’t touch him. That’s why the Void was sealed, and he was killed in the mundane world. A Purple Mansion cultivator then severed the spiritual veins, otherwise… Moon-Gazing Lake should also be a top-tier treasure ground today.”

He chuckled twice, adding, “Speaking of which, Donghua annihilated three sects in that battle. The young master of the Crimson Snow Sect was Li Ti… If it weren’t for that sect’s destruction, you, Li Quantao, would now be a direct descendant of an immortal sect!”

“What?!”

At these words, not only did Li Xizhi and Li Qinghong look on in astonishment, but Li Quantao too was greatly shocked. He stared blankly at him for a moment, opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly recalled many past events and his father’s behavior, and was instantly enlightened, speechless.

The Li Ti that Yu Yuwei mentioned was Li Encheng’s father, and thus Li Quantao’s grandfather. A chilling numbness slowly spread through his heart. He seemed to understand the immense leniency Chi Wei and the Green Pond Sect showed his father in certain matters…

“So that’s how it is…”

The young man was inherently chivalrous and admired heroic figures, especially a Sword Immortal like True Man Donghua, Li Jiangqun, who could fight one against ten. Li Quantao clearly had a good impression of Donghua, and even felt great injustice at his benefactor’s betrayal.

Now, as if struck by lightning, hearing that his own ancestor was a True Man of the Crimson Snow Sect who was gravely wounded while ambushing the Sword Immortal, stole his immortal sword, and died halfway through his escape, Li Quantao’s lips were tightly sealed, unable to speak.

He merely focused on flying through the water, absorbed in his thoughts. The speaker had no particular intention, but the listener, Li Xizhi, secretly understood, pondering:

“There’s such a connection? The Crimson Snow Sect was founded by Wei Li… Yu Yuwei knows such details; does the Yu family have some hidden ties? Judging by this old man’s actions, deliberately trying to provoke Quantao, it’s probably not so simple…”

He looked closely for a moment. Yu Yuwei’s expression was complex, and he indeed spoke, lowering his voice:

“Quantao, Li Encheng doesn’t like me. He probably told you long ago that I was the one who gave him the ‘Coiling Qi Jade True Art’ during our family’s internal strife… By that reckoning, it was an act of harm during a clan conflict.”

“But think clearly… Who truly decides whether my Yu family fights? Everyone in the family, those few Foundation Establishment cultivators… which one of them didn’t know there was a problem with that art? It’s just that I was the youngest and lowest in seniority, so they dumped this dirty business on me…”

He said earnestly, “Quantao, if you can’t see clearly, you will suffer sooner or later… Your father didn’t teach you much and died too soon, lacking some vigor… You need to observe more…”

As he spoke, his tone clearly shifted. Li Quantao’s expression was complex, and he seemed on the verge of speaking but stopped. The water light before them gradually brightened, slowly receding from a murky black to a clear blue.

“East Sea…”

As Li Qinghong approached the East Sea, the spiritual power within her body surged even more intensely, clearly influenced by the principle of descending water spiritual essence and ascending thunder.

Li Quantao, however, appeared slightly odd, clearly experiencing the East Sea for the first time. Yu Yuwei softly said, “Jiangnan is a lair of evil spirits. You’re used to it, so it’s natural to feel some discomfort here.”

The group continued along the water veins, which soon grew wider. At this moment, colorful light flickered in Li Xizhi’s eyes, and he became even more vigilant, intently observing the depths of the water veins.

‘The East Sea is also extremely chaotic now. Although not as contentious as the conflict between the Northern and Southern Xu Kingdom, it’s certainly not a peaceful place. We should be careful.’

“No…”

Although his pupil technique was more powerful, Li Qinghong, aided by the Long Sky Perilous Sparrow within her, could sense demonic cultivator auras more acutely. Her almond eyes narrowed slightly, and she raised her long spear, stating coldly, “Daoist friend, why not show yourself!”

Indeed, no sooner had her voice fallen than the surrounding seawater surged violently, revealing several figures. Their attire varied: some wore the clothes of overseas cultivators, some were draped in demonic robes billowing with black smoke, and some even wore Daoist feather robes.

These figures varied in cultivation level, some higher, some lower. Seven individuals appeared, with two in the late Foundation Establishment realm.

The leader was impeccably dressed in a pristine white, ancient feather robe, appearing ethereal and refined, with handsome brows and star-like eyes. He smiled faintly:

“Fellow Daoists… you really brought a big fish!”

Yu Yuwei, the old man, had sharp eyes. After a quick glance at their attire, he identified them in an instant and transmitted a message via spiritual power:

“They are primarily East Sea demonic cultivators and northern demonic cultivators. The leading man is an East Sea cultivator. His sleeve is turned inside out, subtly revealing pine needle patterns. He’s likely from the Pure Unity Daoist Sect, which claims descent from the Green Pine Daoist lineage.”

“People from the Pure Unity Sect…”

Li Xizhi fell silent for a moment. This was his first encounter with cultivators from this East Sea sect. He did not dare expose him, only whispering, “Fellow Daoists… we are merely passing through this place. There’s no reason for us to fight without cause…”

The young leader merely laughed heartily, waving his snow-white sleeve. He spoke bluntly:

“Daoist friend, don’t try to hide it! This water vein you’re using originates from Chengshui Mausoleum, and several of its branches are beneath Chengshui Mausoleum! You must be remnants of the Violet Gold Demonic Dao who escaped! We’ve been guarding this place for a long time; you are the third group to escape.”

Upon hearing this, the four understood that peaceful resolution was impossible. Li Qinghong drew her spear, purple lightning coalescing and exploding into a dazzling light, sweeping towards the man before her. She said coldly, “Go!”

The young man looked on in surprise. White light emerged from his hand. With a lift and a push, clear moonlight surged forth, transforming into a brilliant arc that repelled the lightning. He became much more polite, saying softly, “I am Xi Chang, a rogue cultivator from the East Sea. Since the Immortal Sister cultivates Profound Thunder, you shouldn’t be a demonic cultivator either. Why mix with these demonic cultivators?”

Seeing that Li Qinghong’s lightning was pure and clear, he guessed that she was not from the Miao clan, thus ruling out the demonic cultivators from the South Sea. She could only be from a righteous sect within the seas, so he eased up on his power slightly.

Xi Chang intended to hold back, but Li Qinghong, treating it as a life-or-death battle, showed no mercy. The purple lightning struck through, causing the light in his hand to scatter, his arm to go numb, almost injuring him. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Good lightning! I underestimated the Immortal Sister!”

The surrounding East Sea cultivators swarmed forward, relentlessly pursuing the other three. Yu Yuwei released his crimson-purple cauldron, sending forth several crimson-purple fire dragons to defend against the spells.

Most of these cultivators practiced techniques involving gray-white energy, quite similar to those of Qiu Ji, capable of dissolving spiritual power and dispersing spells. Although their attire varied, a closer look revealed the unspoken coordination among them.

Li Qinghong had already exchanged several blows with Xi Chang. The spiritual power in his hand was as clear as moonlight, radiating a bright and pure essence. Though it was Li Qinghong’s first time encountering it, it felt strangely familiar.

“It should be of the Extreme Yin nature.”

This was her first time fighting a cultivator who practiced Extreme Yin. She found that the spiritual power in his hand was both supremely yin and supremely bright, neither rigid nor soft, like a clear, bright, and hard cold stone.

In the past, her opponents, whether demonic or immortal cultivators, usually had their spiritual power easily defeated by her lightning. Apart from Miao Quan of the South Sea, who also wielded lightning, others, even if their cultivation was higher, found Li Qinghong always on the offensive.

However, Xi Chang, who cultivated Extreme Yin, possessed pure spiritual power and often made unexpected moves that could neutralize her attacks. Although he was slightly weaker in cultivation, he responded very steadily.

As she secretly pondered, Xi Chang, on the other hand, grew alarmed.

He knew his own capabilities. Xi Chang’s cultivation technique was of the Extreme Yin nature, utilizing Constant Clear Yin Qi, which was already an extremely superior art. Up until now, he had not encountered any truly formidable opponents.

However, the lightning from this female cultivator before him was truly potent; her momentum grew stronger with each strike, making Xi Chang secretly wonder:

“Could she be a direct descendant of one of the Three Sects and Seven Gates? But I’ve never heard of any prominent lightning cultivators among the Three Sects and Seven Gates…”

The two fought for a while without a clear victor, but Yu Yuwei and the others could no longer hold on. The old man fought one against three, including a late Foundation Establishment cultivator. He unleashed his fury, his hair and beard bristling.

Li Xizhi was somewhat better, managing to hold off two demonic cultivators, but Li Quantao was in dire straits under the siege of the other two, already spitting blood and teetering on the verge of collapse.