Chapter 578: Yanshan Pass Falls

Pen and Ink Literature, Xuanjian Immortal Clan!

Yanshan Pass.

Thick demonic energy swept over the ruins. The ground was dark, covered in bloodstains. The brilliant array, once flowing with light, lay shattered, with only the faint glow of array patterns on the occasionally exposed stones dimly visible.

Bloodlust surged and demonic smoke billowed into the sky. Immortal light was faint and indiscernible. Everywhere, there were shouts of killing and the clang of magical artifacts colliding. Rolling black clouds spread for nearly a hundred miles, swiftly moving south.

Zhao Tinggui sped through the air, riding a small golden cloud, holding a small white jade lamp that emitted colorful light.

Whenever the golden cloud attempted to accelerate, purple light would shoot out from the dense demonic clouds. The white jade lamp in his hand would immediately emit colorful light to block it, producing sounds of shattering and dissolution.

Zhao Tinggui's magical artifact was indeed excellent, firmly blocking the purple light. However, though the purple light shattered and dissipated, a wave of white light would fall. The golden glow from the cloud beneath his feet would dim as soon as it appeared, drawn by this white light.

“Boom!”

The purple light repeatedly roared, making Zhao Tinggui's face turn pale. His junior brother, dressed in brocade, maintained a composed demeanor, and even in this crisis, his voice remained steady:

“Senior Brother… this Murong Gong is incredibly powerful… I fear neither of us can stand against him!”

Zhao Tinggui’s expression was grim, his heart already utterly cold. His usually amiable and smiling face was now slightly pale, with faint traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.

“Tang Shedu… Tang Shedu…”

Zhao Tinggui knew Tu Longjian had achieved a breakthrough, and had anticipated a difficult future for him, but he truly hadn't expected Tang Shedu to dare betray Qingchi overnight, defect to the enemy, and ruin such a favorable situation.

With Tang Shedu’s betrayal, the front lines collapsed like a mountain. Li Xuanfeng, with his outstanding strength, might still escape with his life, but the rest would likely perish, with only one in ten surviving. Hearing this news, Zhao Tinggui’s heart sank completely.

“Yu Su is also a good-for-nothing…”

Yu Su’s troops were not far from Yanshan Pass, but after only traveling a few hundred miles, he began to call for reinforcements. At that time, Zhao Tinggui was unaware of Tang Shedu's rebellion and, feeling uneasy, sent a few people, who indeed never returned.

He was burning with anxiety. After waiting for a moment inside the pass, he saw five streams of spirit wind soaring into the sky, only to be torn apart by several demonic hands. Zhao Tinggui could only say blankly:

“Yu Su is most likely dead…”

The Yu family’s Long Wind Cage, containing five wind evil spirits, was very famous. Zhao Tinggui had personally seen it years ago. Now, with the Long Wind Cage dismantled, how could Yu Su possibly survive?

Subsequently, Murong Gong of the Murong family abruptly led his people out from before the pass. Yanshan Pass was empty, and Zhao Tinggui had only five Foundation Establishment cultivators… What was left to block? What could possibly block them!

He didn't know how the Purple Mansion exchanged benefits, but with demonic cultivators also wreaking havoc inside Yanshan Pass, it only held for half an hour before completely collapsing. Zhao Tinggui didn't even have time to gather his junior brothers before he was immediately engulfed by the surging demonic smoke.

Zhao Tinggui's strength was considerable compared to ordinary cultivators, but he was, after all, of humble origin. Although the Ning family had temporarily bestowed several magical artifacts upon him, his cultivation methods and spells could not compare to those of the Murong family's direct lineage. After resisting only a few dozen times, he could no longer withstand the enemy's attacks and had to withdraw.

If not for these magical artifacts in his hand, Zhao Tinggui would have long been trapped in the demonic cultivators' encirclement. He and his junior brother Lin Wuning fled all the way here, with Murong Gong following unhurriedly behind them, seemingly unsatisfied with his haul and wishing to draw out more people.

Zhao Tinggui’s heart was cold. His junior brother Lin Wuning mumbled again:

“Senior Brother… this demon’s speed is increasing… he’s probably nearing the river. Seeing he can’t lure anyone else out, he’s preparing to close the net!”

He naturally understood Lin Wuning's meaning. Murong Gong had just shattered Yanshan Pass’s grand array by himself, and while he used magical artifacts, the power augmented by them was undeniably real. The two of them would likely not escape.

“Boom!”

Bright purple light descended once more. The white jade lamp in Zhao Tinggui’s hand emitted countless, hair-thin streams of colorful light. Zhao Tinggui stumbled, and most of the wind beneath his feet dissipated.

Murong Gong, who knows what he cultivates, might possess a water-controlling artifact. Whenever his spell landed on Zhao Tinggui, a dissipating force would follow, preventing the artifact beneath his feet from ever fully activating.

After taking two more attacks, the man suddenly fell silent. He gazed deeply into the demonic mist and said softly:

“Wuning, we have already fled this far. The one chasing us is none other than Murong Gong. I will hold the White Radiance Lamp to block this demon for you. You must take the Lu Shang Cloud and escape south alone.”

Lin Wuning was stunned. His heart was filled with complex emotions, and though he wanted to refuse, the words were stuck in his throat.

Lin Wuning had not harbored much affection for his senior brother in earlier times. Zhao Tinggui's humble origins and his journey to his current position were certainly a miracle, but he always liked to form cliques, win people over, and was overly concerned with his reputation, often appearing shrewd.

Lin Wuning, as the son of a peak master, was born with a reserved and noble demeanor. He had always found Zhao Tinggui disagreeable, believing him to be a petty person incapable of achieving greatness.

But over time, he also realized that although Zhao Tinggui spent his days striving for advancement, he genuinely cared for the disciples within his peak. Gradually, he let go of his prejudices.

In previous years, he had often despised Zhao Tinggui for busying himself over trivial gains, seeing it as lacking dignity. Now, hearing these words, his face flushed, and he said somewhat weakly:

“Senior Brother has a promising future… let me… cover your… retreat… instead.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

Zhao Tinggui was in no mood to pay attention to his attitude. He scanned the mist intently, trying to choose an escape direction for Lin Wuning. Lin Wuning mumbled and drew back. Zhao Tinggui murmured:

“I promised Li Xijun… I vowed to Li Qinghong, but in the end, the pass fell in half an hour, and I couldn't even find my own junior brothers, let alone Li Yuexiang…”

Lin Wuning simply said:

“How can you blame yourself, Senior Brother! I know Li Yuexiang is Li Xizhi's sister, and Li Xuanfeng is formidable, and Li Qinghong’s strength is also good… but how many of them can return? There's no need to worry so much…”

Zhao Tinggui shook his head and whispered:

“I shouldn't have sent people out to reinforce them… More than half the responsibility for Yanshan Pass falling in half an hour lies with me… The various families in Yuebei all had cultivators within the pass. If I were to escape alone, I would surely be condemned by thousands and hated by all!”

“What face would I have left to cross the river and go back?”

Zhao Tinggui replied, his expression relatively calm. Seeing his junior brother still looked puzzled, he could only explain softly:

“I knew this day would come. Ever since the sect sent me—Zhao Tinggui, a nobody with no backing—to gather cultivators, and then withdrew all the Foundation Establishment cultivators under my command, I understood I wouldn’t have a good ending.”

Lin Wuning looked at him, somewhat bewildered. Zhao Tinggui simply said:

“In the past, the Chi family didn’t need to care about anyone's opinion, but now they are weak and can no longer act so domineeringly. With such a crushing defeat, and the pass falling in half an hour, someone from top to bottom, from one to four, will have to bear the blame and suffer…”

Lin Wuning seemed to gradually understand. Zhao Tinggui placed the golden cloud beneath his feet, poured all his spiritual energy into the white jade lamp, looked at him twice, and finally said:

“Junior Brother often says I'm cunning and ambitious. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but before I came to the mountain, I was just a farmer’s son with only a sickle. Without being resourceful, I couldn’t have gained a foothold.”

“Later, I realized that not being resourceful meant death, but being resourceful ultimately also meant death… It was already too late. All the cultivators thought I had the Ning family’s backing, but they were wrong. I had no one behind me; I was merely a pawn already set up, destined to be sacrificed sooner or later.”

He channeled his spiritual energy into the cloud, sending Lin Wuning southward, then sighed deeply and gently:

“Junior Brother, I know you look down on me, but that doesn't stop me from saving you. My master brought me to the mountain and taught me to protect my junior brothers. I have always remembered that.”

White light emanated from his body, and the magical artifact in his hand glowed brightly, blocking the surging purple light. Blood flowed from all seven of his orifices. Murong Gong, who had been watching him mockingly, now gradually grew serious.

Lin Wuning rushed out of the black clouds with his head bowed. The magical cloud beneath his feet flew faster and faster, rapidly disappearing into the dense clouds. Beneath him was a sea of demonic clouds, and the ground was covered in wreckage. After flying for several miles, the demonic energy slowly began to fade.

He flew on the wind with his head down until he saw a surging great river. Only after crossing this river and continuing south did the terror in his heart slowly subside. His senior brother’s words echoed in his mind for a moment, and besides gratitude, his heart was filled with bewilderment.

“Further south is Moon-Gazing Lake…”

Lin Wuning hesitated for a moment. He didn't land to offer a warning, fearing he would waste time. Instead, he changed direction and circled towards Mount Bianyan. He secretly calculated the time, hoping that if he could bring back reinforcements, perhaps Zhao Tinggui could still be saved.

Qingdu Mountain.

The coldest days had passed, and the heavy snow gradually subsided. Although the ice on the lake hadn't melted, it had thinned considerably. Li Xuanxuan, having finished drawing talismans, walked through the mountain with his sleeves folded.

He heard that the situation in the north was becoming increasingly complex, but news from his own family became scarcer each day. Li Zhouwei also grew busy, and Li Ximing was constantly in seclusion. There was still no resolution concerning that child’s matter.

Li Xuanxuan pondered for a moment and decided to go find Li Zhouwei. Unexpectedly, just as he reached the palace gate, he ran straight into him.

The young man's expression was grim. He was already more than a head taller than Li Xuanxuan. Golden light swirled in his eyes, and his face was full of contemplation. His black cloak had a few snowflakes on it, which were slowly melting.

“Huang’er… how are things?”

Li Zhouwei bowed slightly and replied:

“Just now, some demonic cultivators escaped into the mountainous region, colluded with several remnants of the Xitan clan, and attempted to steal spiritual rice and flee. I have just dealt with them, and came to see you, honored elder.”

Li Xuanxuan nodded. Li Zhouwei raised his hand to close the palace gate tightly, activating the array that isolated inside from outside. Only then did he show a look of worry, and said softly:

“My trusted aides, whom I stationed on the northern riverbank earlier, just returned to report that the demonic smoke is rampant and has surged southward. Even Yanshan Pass is shrouded in it, likely overrun by demonic cultivators. The situation is not optimistic.”

Li Xuanxuan sighed deeply and asked in a low voice:

“Are there any omens from the family’s life jade?”

All direct descendants of the Li family cultivate life jade, which are kept in the ancestral hall. If there is a life-or-death crisis within five to ten years, it will appear on the life jade. This was what Li Xuanxuan was asking about.

Li Zhouwei shook his head and reminded:

“The lands north of the river are already in chaos. Even the Purple Mansion Mahayana can’t accurately predict outcomes, so how could mere life jade show anything? These life jade lost their luster and could no longer reveal safety or danger ever since they entered Xu Kingdom.”

Li Xuanxuan could only nod. After hesitating for a moment, he made the worst-case assumption and asked:

“If Yanshan Pass falls and the demonic cultivators charge all the way to the Xu Kingdom border… how should we respond?”

“It depends entirely on Qingchi’s response.”

Li Zhouwei had clearly considered this long ago. He stated directly:

“If they react quickly, they can intercept the demonic cultivators on the Great River, construct another line of defense, and reorganize cultivators to resist… But if they cannot…”

His golden eyes glanced northward. He said slowly, word by word:

“Then we will have no choice but to defend on the northern bank of Moon-Gazing Lake, and the Fei family will be the front line!”

Li Xuanxuan had already had a premonition. Hearing these words, he still sighed and replied:

“Earlier, Xijun sent so many family cultivators there, telling me we would share joy and sorrow… I had underestimated the situation, but now it seems the demonic cultivators are almost at our doorstep.”

Li Zhouwei mentioned the Fei family with such solemnity, clearly implying:

‘If it comes to that point, and we suffer another defeat, we will likely lose the northern bank…’

If Qingchi retreats again, their own territory would become the front line in the north-south conflict! What would they do then? Whether they won or lost, what would happen to the millions of mortals in the area?

The Li family had operated on the southern bank of Moon-Gazing Lake for so many years. Once this place was lost, where else could they find refuge? Would they truly abandon these myriad spiritual fields and several spiritual veins, and flee to the East Sea?

‘If it comes to that point, what face would I have to meet my paternal uncles?’

The old man held his tea, not drinking, worried about the safety of his younger relatives. But Li Zhouwei looked north and said softly:

“We must prepare. I have already sent several more loyal individuals to investigate.”

Bai Yuan had only returned to the clan with Li Chengliao a few days ago, but Li Zhouwei did not plan to send him to investigate. Although Bai Yuan was stronger and could move about easily, he had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. If he were caught by the demonic cultivators in the north, they would lose a major fighting force…

He watched intently, the golden light in his eyes slowly flickering. He thought to himself:

“If it truly comes to this… I probably cannot delay any longer… I must take some elixirs, enter full seclusion, and break through to Foundation Establishment first…”

The Li family now knew much more: breaking through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment was not about speed. It was best to practice more spells, with breakthrough around forty or fifty years old being most suitable, and no later than sixty.

The cultivation method Li Zhouwei practiced was the Li family’s highest-grade Fifth-Grade cultivation method, the “Bright Splendor Radiant Origin Scripture.” He himself was extraordinary, inherently connected to the Bright Yang, and his cultivation speed should have been astonishingly fast.

Firstly, to avoid being too shocking and attracting unnecessary attention, and secondly, to build a solid foundation by emphasizing both spell and halberd cultivation, he deliberately focused on solidifying his foundation with no aggressive intent to advance quickly. This is why his progress had been slow.

Yet even with his significant slowing down, his cultivation speed still surpassed that of Li Ximing in his youth, reaching the mid-Qi Condensation stage before the age of twenty.

At this moment, Li Zhouwei’s eyes flickered, and he secretly made a decision. Below, a person came forward, holding a small letter, and handed it to Li Zhouwei.

He untied it with a unique method. After a quick glance, he waved for the person to leave and said softly:

“There’s news of Yu Fuzi from the Changxiao Gate.”