Chapter 680: Discarded Piece in the Formation

Waves surged on the Reef Sea as a large boat appeared in the sky. A black-robed youth stood at the bow, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

In the center stood an old man with white hair, his eyebrows raised high, giving him a fierce look. He was adorned with gold and jade, with radiant magical energy flowing around him, clearly indicating he was a direct descendant of the Chi family.

On either side, guest elders stood in two rows. All wore dazzling spirit armor, and their magical artifacts were each more splendid than the last. Some held axes or sabers, while others wielded spears or staves. There were three on each side, and none had cultivation levels below the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

'What an impressive display; it's all for Li Xizhi!'

Chi Buhua, the old man in the center, was well advanced in years with white hair. Surrounded by the Foundation Establishment cultivators, he looked slightly anxious, occasionally scanning the sea. Finally, he said in a deep voice, "Why isn't he here yet!"

"Don't worry, Senior!" Li Yuanqin chuckled and said casually, "There's plenty of time. Although the monk sent by Ning Hejing is formidable, Li Xizhi practices the Way of Radiant Light and won't easily lose his life."

Chi Buhua glanced at the black-robed youth, finally showing some satisfaction. He nodded and said, "We misunderstood you earlier. You are indispensable to this matter!"

Chi Buhua held a high position, so Li Yuanqin merely responded politely.

Chi Zhihu was reckless, impulsive, and domineering, often messing things up. Chi Fupark outwardly respected him as an elder but secretly disapproved and was quite disdainful.

Only Chi Buhua was Chi Fupark's capable subordinate. Not only was he prudent in his actions, but his cultivation was also the highest in the Chi family. Thus, he was well aware of the situation.

The old man raised his eyebrows and said leisurely, "The Linggu family is entangled with the demon rebellion in the South Sea. Si Tongyi has been kept on Qing Song Island by Ning Hejing. All of the Si family are under our surveillance. Li Xizhi has truly become a sacrificial pawn!"

Chi Fupark's abilities were not weak. Since Si Yuanli went into seclusion, the forces of several families had been under his surveillance. He dared to send Chi Buhua here because he had at least 90% certainty and many backup plans to immobilize the Si and Linggu families.

Even so, Chi Fupark still dispatched six Peak Masters and the deeply cultivated late-Foundation Establishment Chi Buhua. Chi Zhihu's grand formation also concealed mysteries and possessed great power; even if Linggu Lanying and Si Tongyi were here by chance, the formation could still suppress all three of them.

"Zhihu is completely unaware of this matter. By entering the trap, he gained the Si family's trust. Now, unless True Master Yuanxiu comes here personally, there's no turning back!"

Chi Buhua's only anxiety and fear was that the monk and Chi Zhihu would kill Li Xizhi prematurely, which would be a rare loss of face for him.

"The Li family still has many connections with Purple Mansion cultivators. If Li Xizhi is killed, it would probably take many lives to appease their anger. It's best to capture him and make Si Yuanli concede..."

At this point, Chi Buhua was no longer worried that True Master Yuanxiu would actually intervene. "The True Master must have tacitly approved this," he thought. "This is aimed at the Li family, to probe something... Otherwise, it wouldn't have reached this point, how passive he is! Even if he comes out to protect Li Xizhi, he would have lost all face!"

"Even if, taking ten thousand steps back, Li Xizhi is truly protected... he'll just return home. Could the True Master actually kill us few?"

All these signs made it clear that this was a done deal. Ning Hejing's scheme was clumsy; Chi Fupark only made a move by playing along with the scheme. Otherwise, why would he act?

The old man pondered secretly, while Li Yuanqin stood respectfully to the side, his mind in a completely different world.

"Chi Fupark truly wants Chi Zhihu dead..."

Chi Buhua knew one aspect but not the other. This direct descendant of his was no gentle character. Chi Fupark had secretly tampered with the formation long ago. Once the formation was activated, one could enter but not leave, and he had also sent away the Taiyu Sword and Wenliuguang early.

As for Monk Liaokong, Chi Fupark was even more certain that he would not give his full effort!

"Liaokong wants to harm the Li family, so he must make Li Xizhi kill Chi Zhihu... Even if Li Xizhi refuses, he will help Li Xizhi kill him. Only with this crime can Wei Li's life be ruined... Ning Hejing is too naive!"

With all these factors combined, Chi Fupark was hoping this uncle would die by Li Xizhi's hand!

"Nothing else. If the two merely fought for a while, even if they twisted the truth, at most Li Xizhi would be imprisoned in the tower upon his capture..."

"But once the matter escalates to lives, if Chi Zhihu dies by Li Xizhi's hand, then Li Xizhi would be unable to defend himself, and it would be enough to take his life! Only then can it become a sharp sword aimed at the Si family!"

Looking at all the characters in the Chi family, Chi Fupark was undoubtedly the most ruthless and far-sighted. Although he had never met Monk Liaokong, he subtly aligned his interests with the other party based on his judgment of the situation!

Thoughts stirred in Li Yuanqin's mind. He quietly folded his arms across his chest and said nothing more.

"The Si family can even discard the Li family... what exactly are they thinking?"

Li Yuanqin's thoughts grew dark. Through the shimmering blue water, he seemed to see Si Yuanli's honest and calm face.

"Does the Si family want to overthrow the Chi family and share Qingchi with the Li and Linggu families?"

"Probably not!"

Li Yuanqin suddenly had an epiphany: "How many Foundation Establishment cultivators does the Si family actually have?"

Only two they can present! And how much lifespan does Yuanxiu have left?

"How many Foundation Establishment cultivators do the Li and Linggu clans have? Not to mention Li Xizhi, the Peak Master of Changtian, Li Ximing is a late-Foundation Establishment cultivator and a genius alchemist, and Li Zhouwei is a Mingyangzi unseen in a century..."

The youth's expression darkened. "More importantly... the Li family is making connections everywhere with Purple Mansion cultivators. Li Xuanfeng and Li Qinghong are instigating Si Yuanli to harm the Chi family. Hasn't Si Yuanli noticed their selfish motives? And Yuanxiu himself is being used as a pawn; does he have no thoughts about that?"

"What about the Linggu family? Although Linggu Lanying isn't a genius, are her methods weak? The Linggu family colludes with the Xiukui Purple Mansion, fostering bandits in the South Sea to elevate their own standing. On the river, they use the grievances of the cultivators from Jiangnan to coerce Si Yuanli. Doesn't that make people wary!"

"Does Si Yuanli want to gain control of a Qingchi Sect like this?"

In Li Yuanqin's view, the position of power in the Qingchi Sect was like a thorny immortal throne. The sharpest thorns were the Li clan, and the most poisonous were the Linggu clan. The Si family had few members, and how much lifespan did Yuanxiu have left?! If Si Yuanli took that seat, who would usurp power once Yuanxiu died? The Li family? The Linggu family?

His perspective suddenly elevated. Dimly, Si Yuanli's honest, almost dull, face became transparent, revealing the figure of the stern, unsmiling Purple Mansion True Master behind it.

"Whether it's Chi Fupark or Chi Xuxiao, they are all scissors... all axes... They dare not touch the main branch of the Si family. They can only chop down the two poisonous thorns, Li and Linggu, on behalf of the Si family..."

"Once the Li clan declines and the Linggu clan loses the South Sea, all cultivators will tremble. Then Si Yuanli will feign compassion, loudly accuse the Chi family of mistreating Peak Masters and poisoning aristocratic families, emerge from seclusion like a savior, and take their place."

"Then he will treat the two families generously again, compensate the various peaks, and there will be no more trouble! By then, even if the two families sense something is wrong and have suspicions, what could they do?"

His face remained impassive, but his heart was greatly shaken: "Good! So that's how it is!"

As soon as this thought occurred to him, all the Si family's strange actions finally became clear. While he was enlightened, he felt no relief, only a bottomless chill in his heart.

This thought was fleeting. The youth shivered in his black robe, feeling a chill in his neck and instinctively touching his throat. Chi Buhua was watching him and immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

'What's wrong? Of course, I'm checking if my head is still on...'

Li Yuanqin cursed inwardly, fearing that a magical light might fly over and instantly sever his head. On his face, he merely smiled gently and said, "Thank you for your concern, Esteemed One. I just feel a bit cold here."

"Cold..." Chi Buhua burst out laughing, then suddenly understood, and sighed, "The Dragon King of the Reef Sea cultivates the Way of Cold Qi and has transformed the seabed into a crystal ice grotto-heaven. So it's a bit cold here. If you fly further ahead, you'll even see some icebergs!"

He turned back quite gently, looking at the people on either side, and smiled, "Look, I forgot that Yuanqin is still a Qi Condensation cultivator. We Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally noticed nothing. It's my oversight!"

Inside the great formation, Chi Zhihu was ambushing Li Xizhi, intending to frame Li Xizhi for harming others. Li Yuanqin's testimony was essential, and Chi Buhua kept this in mind: "This Li Yuanqin is, after all, Li Xizhi's grand-uncle, a key figure. Although I'm not afraid of him recanting... he still needs to be brought to our side."

Li Yuanqin merely responded with pleasantries. He turned his head away. After the spirit boat traveled for a few breaths, the talisman in Chi Buhua's hand suddenly lit up, pointing north.

"He's found!" Chi Buhua was overjoyed and steered the spirit boat to change direction and pursue. Seeing nothing in the distance, the old man activated his eye technique, quickly formed a hand seal, and pressed his hands over his eyes.

He then saw a bright yellow grand formation shrouded over the sea. Chi Buhua was overjoyed and said in a deep voice, "It's right ahead!"

Li Yuanqin watched, his heart sinking. "The old coot is old, and his accumulated power is too profound," he thought. "Not only has he cultivated powerful eye techniques, but he even has special techniques to enhance them by covering his eyes..."

This type of special technique was only used in rare circumstances. The fact that he practiced even this showed how profound the old man's techniques were. Although Li Yuanqin's cultivation was not high, his insight was considerable. After a brief glance, his heart tightened: "It seems Chi Zhihu isn't dead. The old man is formidable enough, and with six Foundation Establishment cultivators... Liaokong's intervention, and the grand formation... there are variables..."

His face remained calm as still water, but his heart grew anxious. Seeing everyone disembarking from the boat and heading into the formation, Li Yuanqin racked his brains and whispered, "Senior, wait!"

At this sensitive moment, before Chi Buhua could speak, a Chi family guest elder beside him already narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp, looking at Li Yuanqin.

These Chi family members were always arrogant; tolerating Li Yuanqin's meddling was already out of respect for Chi Buhua. How could they let him order seven Foundation Establishment cultivators with a single word? They opened their mouths to scold him, but the old man quickly stopped them and said gently, "Yuanqin, what is it?"

Chi Buhua was courteous. Firstly, Li Yuanqin was useful, deep-minded, and often played an unexpected role. Secondly, in his view, delaying entry into the formation was completely unnecessary.

"Even if Li Yuanqin had ulterior motives and wanted to save his grand-nephew, he should have entered the formation in advance. Delaying now... would only cost his grand-nephew his life!"

He then became more tolerant. Li Yuanqin merely showed a look of doubt and whispered, "Senior, firstly, I'm concerned that people from the two families might still be around. Secondly... I'm worried that since Li Xuanfeng visited the Great Ning Palace, Li Xizhi might have a Purple Mansion talisman on him?"

"A Purple Mansion talisman?" Chi Buhua was startled and couldn't help but ask, "What about it?"

"I'm just afraid he might use the talisman to escape the formation... If we all rush in, he might escape again. And his Radiant Light technique is fast, leaving us helpless."

He carefully chose his words and said softly, "Capturing him is a straightforward matter for us. Why not leave one person outside? In case he uses a Purple Mansion talisman to break through the formation, we can still catch him."

Chi Buhua frowned upon hearing this. Such escaping Purple Mansion talismans were extremely rare; they could pass through formations by borrowing from the Void. The few in Qingchi Sect were all with True Master Yuanxiu. One remaining was with Sect Master Chi Zhiyun, and one was with the deceased Chi Zhiyan.

'Li Xizhi has such a treasure? Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill!'

The old man looked at him with heavy suspicion. Li Yuanqin paused for a breath, seeing that his suspicion had indeed been aroused. Finally, he said hesitantly, "Esteemed One... actually, this formation can be entered but not exited... I'm afraid if we all go in... we might fall for a trap!"

A truth that was partially concealed was often more enticing. The old man was indeed stunned upon hearing this, his heart greatly shaken. Chi Buhua was old and experienced; with just this hint, he reacted after a moment's thought, exclaiming in horror, "He wants to use Zhihu's life..."

The old man only said half a sentence. He quickly sobered his expression, took a deep breath, raised his chin, closed his eyes, and furrowed his brows. His face, wrinkled like old tree bark, crinkled together as he sighed, "Then... let's wait a bit longer."

He waited in place. The grand formation had become silent, with occasional faint gleams of light. Clearly, the cultivators inside had already dealt with their opponents.

"Good..." Chi Buhua's teeth were clenched like iron, and he exhaled slightly. He ordered with a cold face, "You all stand guard outside. If anything goes wrong inside, I will crush my jade pendant. Three of you enter, and the remaining three will act according to the jade pendants of the first three..."

All six replied in the affirmative. Chi Buhua's old face twitched slightly. Seeing Li Yuanqin standing respectfully to the side, a flicker of doubt crossed his grim face: "If that's the case, this kid... isn't it possible he's colluding with Li Xizhi, wanting to use this to buy him some time for maneuvering..."

"Then where is Liaokong... Since Zhihu was harmed, this monk should be negotiating with Li Xizhi within the formation..."

He stared at him intently, a hint of ruthlessness rising in his eyes: 'This is a good opportunity to test him...'

Chi Buhua suddenly smiled and shook his head, "As for Yuanqin... why don't you come in with me? You are Li Xizhi's grand-uncle, so you can just persuade him to surrender, saving us the trouble of going in and out!"

Li Yuanqin understood and nodded. He clasped his hands and said, "I shall obey!"

"Good..." Chi Buhua laughed heartily. He used his magical power to bring Li Yuanqin to his side. Looking at the youth's calm demeanor, he clearly understood in his heart: "Since Li Xizhi is a member of the Li family, how can he not listen to his grand-uncle's orders... Even if he pretends not to hear, he'll have to divert attention to protect Li Yuanqin... How can he bear the reputation of having killed his grand-uncle? That's an added weakness!"

"Even if he's heartless and unyielding, and the two have no collusion, then I'll call three guest elders in. One will guard Li Yuanqin, and the remaining two and I can easily capture Li Xizhi, can't we? What's more, he has a sworn enemy in Liaokong! Li Qinghong would be powerless here, let alone Li Xizhi!"