Chapter 713: Tiger Tattoo

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.

Li Zhouwei still hoped that his direct descendants could devote more time to their cultivation. Li Minggong and Li Cheng, in particular, had been significantly delayed over the years. While the Qingdu incident was unavoidable, other matters were simply a waste of their time.

He thought of the Fei and Yu families from Moon-Gazing Lake in years past. Though the Yu family's ancestors were esteemed, the clan had long been exterminated, with no direct lineage remaining. It was fortunate that the An family had joined them and now formed a backbone. The Fei family, on the other hand, had less distinguished ancestors, rarely producing Foundation Establishment cultivators. Being an external affiliate, they were ultimately different.

From the father to the grandchildren, every member of the An family held good positions within the Li clan. An Siwei was even the first Foundation Establishment cultivator from an outside surname. Despite their unwavering loyalty, Li Zhouwei felt this situation was ultimately not ideal.

Li Zhouwei had kept this matter in mind. As he rode swiftly, he paid close attention, noting the size of each city and the number of cultivators. After calculating the time, he remarked, "Baiye Duxian Dao has likely already received the news and can arrive by spirit boat in less than fifteen minutes!"

Li Zhouwei had previously discussed this with Li Ximing. As a Purple Mansion cultivator, Li Ximing had been remarkably lenient towards Wenhu, consistently demonstrating an attitude of avoiding conflict and seeking peaceful resolution.

The sudden surge of the Li clan was likely unforeseen by Duxian Dao. Li Zhouwei feared that Duxian Dao possessed many unusual and powerful techniques and could not be regarded as a common sect. It was safest to assume they would know about the attack as soon as it began.

Li Cheng nodded, replying, "Fifteen minutes... We would only have enough time to capture two more mountains. Once Baiye Duxian Dao's people arrive, no matter how they choose to proceed, the situation will likely devolve into a stalemate, requiring a redrawing of boundaries, and making further offensive actions difficult."

Duxian Dao, after all, was a Purple Mansion sect that had relocated from the East Sea, incomparable to the cultivators of Misty Cloud Cave. Within Misty Cloud Cave, Wenhu, the most powerful figure, was considered only a "Peak Master" level individual in Duxian Dao, while Miaoshui was merely a guest elder.

"To take two more mountains..."

Even if they captured two more mountains, it would only amount to forty percent of the territory—not enough to divide the Misty Cloud region equally with Duxian Dao. Li Zhouwei was far from satisfied; this was only one consideration.

"Moreover... the Ding family is still at the foot of Hongfu Mountain, the main mountain of Misty Cloud Cave..."

After Floating Cloud Cave was breached, the Ding family, a prominent local clan with over ten thousand members, was naturally taken to the foot of Hongfu Mountain. Ding Weizeng was destined to become a capable commander for their family in the future, and it was certainly not good for his clan members to be held by the enemy.

Seeing Li Zhouwei frown, Li Cheng clearly understood the situation and said in a deep voice, "If we can take Hongfu Peak, seventy percent of the territory will fall into our hands."

"It would be ideal if we could take it. If Clan Uncle comes with me, and Aunt along with An Siwei can still capture the two mountains in the rear, then all will be well. But if not, advancing alone would put us in a precarious position!"

Li Zhouwei possessed a Purple Mansion talisman called Xuanjin Baoyou, which could summon divine abilities to protect him, allowing him to move freely throughout Jiangbei.

This talisman was originally bestowed upon Yu Muxian by True Lord Yuanwu. After Yu Muxian was slain by their family's immortal sword, the Purple Mansion talisman fell into their possession.

Regarding the path of talismans, only two individuals in Qingchi had reached the Purple Mansion level at that time: Chi Wei, who cultivated Lushui, which aided in talisman craft, and True Lord Yuanxiu, who naturally had a profound family heritage in this area.

Li Xuanfeng had asked Yuansu about this talisman, confirming it was drawn by Yuanxiu. As they were from the same lineage, they naturally recognized it. Li Zhouwei now had a Purple Mansion talisman at his disposal, allowing him to escape even if surrounded, but Li Cheng might not be so fortunate.

As he spoke, the Void rippled, and from it emerged a formidable man with a powerful jaw and bushy beard. He was tall yet not bulky, with a broad back and a powerful physique. Clad in crimson soft armor, he exuded an imposing aura.

He bowed, declaring, "Greetings, Patriarch!"

Li Ximing's timely arrival with Ding Weizeng truly solved an urgent problem! Li Zhouwei let out a hearty laugh and declared, "Congratulations, Weizeng!"

"I dare not accept such praise, my lord!"

Ding Weizeng's physique was like a tiger's, and he stood a head taller than those around him. Li Zhouwei, knowing that Li Ximing had healed his injuries, felt a surge of delight. However, this was not the time for extensive talk, so he simply said, "With Weizeng's help, I feel confident! Clan Uncle and Aunt Minggong, lead people to secure our rear. Weizeng and I will immediately rush to Hongfu Mountain and rescue the Ding family!"

He retracted his halberd. As these words left Li Zhouwei's mouth, Ding Weizeng was genuinely stunned, then realized that his entire Ding family had already been taken to Hongfu Mountain. Deeply moved, he nonetheless advised, "Patriarch, Hongfu Mountain has a total of four Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Wenhu and Wang He, none of whom should be underestimated. Furthermore, they have a Foundation Establishment grand formation as their reliance. Just the two of us would be too reckless."

Li Zhouwei only called Miaoshui over and smiled, "We have her too!"

Ding Weizeng frowned but still summoned the wind, heading east alongside them. As Li Zhouwei swiftly rode the wind with him, he chuckled, "Moreover... in the current situation, could Hongfu Mountain possibly still have four Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding it? And do you think I would directly assault Hongfu Mountain? Besides, he cultivates Hurricane Ghost Yin, while our family cultivates Bright Yang, Thunder, and True Fire... He'd truly be walking straight into our blade!"

"Li Zhouwei breached Tan Shuiqiu?"

Wenhu's eyes were gloomy. Standing amidst the mountains, he felt utterly restless.

Ever since learning that Chidu had not gone to the Li family, Wenhu showed no outward reaction, but inwardly, he knew things were ruined. The relationship between the Li clan and Duxian Dao was bound to worsen, and caught in the middle, his own fate would likely be grim.

What madness is this...

He was at his wit's end. Although Baiye Duxian Dao wouldn't learn the news much later than he did, he still dispatched someone to inform them, pacing anxiously all the while.

"In the current situation, there's no other path than to defend Duxian Dao from the Li family as much as possible!"

His worries upon leaving the Li family had come true, but Wenhu had not expected it to happen so quickly. Even more tragically, Pingwangzi's words had also been proven right.

Birds flock to forests, people serve their masters; there's no chance to play both sides.

"Baiye Duxian Dao's people will arrive shortly, so there's no need to fear for our lives. At this moment, no one can stop Li Zhouwei. Only I can personally intervene."

Although he was merely a guest elder in the East Sea and lacked extensive experience, he still understood how to defend against enemies. He assigned one person to guard the mountain, and the remaining two joined him to reinforce the battle.

Wenhu deeply understood that anyone in Misty Cloud Cave could surrender to the Li clan, but he could not. He had been personally recruited by Daoist Chidu; others served him, but he alone served the Purple Mansion.

"Purple Mansion cultivators are exalted, and there's nothing that can't be reconciled between them. These territories are mere bargaining chips. If I were to surrender to the Li clan, and the two sides later reached an agreement, I would certainly be offered up as a sacrifice."

"The only way to preserve my life now is to fully support Duxian Dao and resist the Li family. The more ruthlessly I fight, the more likely I am to survive. In any case, it won't be more than half an hour; Li Zhouwei cannot kill me!"

Wenhu, being Chidu's subordinate, had, after all, seen much of the world. While Miaoshui still needed Li Zhouwei's reminder, he himself understood the gravity of the situation. He emerged from the mountain, flying swiftly. After traveling only a hundred li, he suddenly saw a flash of light and felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"Ah!"

Wenhu vaguely saw a series of sparks accompanied by thick white mist rising from his chest, immediately followed by another sharp pain. As a bright light approached from afar, he quickly covered the wound on his chest, swallowed the blood, and cried out, "Li Zhouwei!"

The long halberd rapidly grew larger from afar, like a meteor. Wenhu broke out in a cold sweat. He had assumed Li Zhouwei couldn't kill him, but that didn't mean he could still defend himself after being caught off guard and struck twice by this White Kylin. He quickly clasped his hands together and summoned a stream of pure qi.

As this pure qi ascended, Wenhu reappeared over ten zhang away. His wound was already sealed, but his spiritual power still felt intermittently weak. He secretly rejoiced, thinking, "Fortunately... Bright Yang is a dignified path; using its celestial light to ambush others naturally reduces its power somewhat... otherwise, that blow would have been devastating for me..."

The halberd was already thrusting towards his chest. Wenhu dared not utter any curses; he simply activated his white jade magical artifact and unleashed talismans to resist. The young man before him revealed himself, his golden eyes dim, and he chuckled, "You're quite clever!"

Clang!

As Li Zhouwei spoke, the halberd struck the magical artifact, shattering the light of the talismans. The white jade artifact creaked. Wenhu had specifically purchased this item after True Monarch Shangyuan achieved his cultivation, and it indeed proved to be of great use. He immediately spat out a mouthful of black qi.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a strong gale arose in the forest, thick black qi permeating the air. A light rain was already falling, which only amplified the power of his Immortal Foundation, Hurricane Ghost Yin. Covertly, frost began to form everywhere.

Wenhu, however, had no confidence.

The reason was simple: the Li family cultivated the Bright Yang Purple Mansion!

Indeed, Li Zhouwei simply took out a small flag from his sleeve and lightly tossed it into the air. Instantly, the wind ceased and the rain stopped. Five colors of blazing fire—brownish-yellow, light yellow, goose yellow, bright red, and vermilion—leaped up, illuminating the surroundings brightly and dissipating the yin qi.

Wenhu felt helpless, but at least he gained a moment of respite. His two subordinates also quickly gathered around him. One of them, Wang He, Wenhu's capable subordinate, held a feather fan and showed considerable apprehension.

Before he could even feel relieved, another reddish-bronze halo appeared. A burly man with a swallow-like jaw and a bushy beard materialized in mid-air, his face filled with a cold sneer, his eyes staring fixedly at Wenhu.

"Ding... Wei... Zeng!"

For the first time, Wenhu's mind went completely blank. He quickly realized something. The black qi in his hand surged, but he only saw Ding Weizeng, his expression cold, press Wang He down with a palm, standing in the air like a menacing great beast.

In an instant, Wenhu's mind went blank as envy, jealousy, and dread surged through him.

To be fair, Wenhu wished to offend neither the Li clan nor Duxian Dao behind them. He knew he was barely even a pawn, and if either side bore him hatred, his end would be utterly miserable.

That was precisely why Wenhu had not gone to defend Hongfu Mountain!

Did he not know that firmly defending Hongfu Mountain was the method with the least losses? With four individuals holding the Foundation Establishment grand formation, no matter how Li Zhouwei attacked, the loss of the entire territory would certainly not exceed half. Hongfu Mountain would be preserved, and once Duxian Dao arrived, the Li clan would definitely gain no advantage in the entire Misty Cloud Cave region.

However, Chidu already had many enemies within Duxian Dao. If Wenhu were to merely hold the mountain passively, those stubborn cultivators in Duxian Dao would surely voice their objections. Wenhu would inevitably be gravely injured, and losing territory would be taken as a given—after all, their opponent was a Purple Mansion immortal clan, and the attacker was Li Zhouwei.

And after a firm defense, the Li clan's interests would be greatly frustrated, leading them to despise him. Wenhu did not want to provoke Purple Mansion Zhaojing and Li Zhouwei, who was very likely to become a Purple Mansion cultivator in the future. Only by ceding Hongfu Mountain would the Li family be satisfied.

Thus, he chose to incur blame for appearing mediocre rather than for being malicious or cowardly.

In his scenario, Miaoshui would most likely surrender, and Li Zhouwei would seize the opportunity to take the mountain. Li Zhouwei would then turn around to besiege him, gravely injuring him, after which Duxian Dao would rescue him. How the two families divided the territory afterward would be none of his concern—this was how he could avoid offending either side!

But Li Zhouwei had actually blocked him here... and Ding Weizeng, whom he had always disliked, had actually become a capable commander for the Li family!

Wenhu almost lost control of his emotions. He couldn't help but bitterly lament, "All my calculations pale in comparison to a handsome appearance and a favorable lineage. A thousand deliberations are no match for a fortunate fate that turns misfortune into blessing!"

Yet, as a rogue cultivator who rivaled a grand sect's Foundation Establishment cultivator, his temperament was far beyond that of ordinary people. He immediately cleared his mind, and although his entire body was smoking under the celestial light, he still gritted his teeth and did his best to resist Li Zhouwei's halberd techniques.

If truly compared, Wenhu's cultivation was much higher than Li Zhouwei's, having already broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. If he had a different Dao Foundation, he could probably fight evenly with the White Kylin before him.

Currently, his magical artifacts and spells were inferior to his opponent's. His Immortal Foundation was firmly suppressed, and having been caught off guard with a strike through the chest, his spiritual power flowed with difficulty. He could only rely on his rich experience and accumulated knowledge to barely resist.

Li Zhouwei had no time to let him delay. He formed a hand seal with one hand, extending his index finger forward. A faint sunlight vaguely pierced through the clouds above, and his fingertip shone with brilliant light!

"Solar Resonance Art!"

The Solar Resonance Art was a versatile technique. At this moment, it reflected the sunlight, holding the jade shield captive. The long halberd cast a deep shadow and thrust straight towards Wenhu's wound.

Wenhu, however, was no ordinary person. He bit his tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. It roared and whistled from his mouth, erupting in a dark black radiance that rushed towards Li Zhouwei, shattering the celestial light around him.

For the first time, Li Zhouwei showed a hint of surprise.

"Profound Abyss Great Wind?"

This was, of course, not the true Profound Abyss Great Wind, renowned for its ability to disarm magical artifacts. Wenhu had only imitated some of its profound mystery using his Dao Foundation, Hurricane Ghost Yin. Yet, it was enough to catch ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators off guard, causing Li Zhouwei to falter slightly.

But Li Zhouwei was familiar with this wind; the Profound Abyss Great Wind from their own Chongming Cave Profound Screen was truly formidable. However, that magical artifact had an extraordinary origin and was currently in Li Ximing's possession.

He merely struggled lightly, and the great wind lost its source. Although Wenhu hadn't expected him to break free so quickly, his next spell was already fully condensed. It transformed into a concentrated black light around him, and he said coldly, "Chì!"

A black magical light erupted forward, causing bursts of hurricane-force winds and permeating the air with ghostly qi. Li Zhouwei's glabella also lit up, and Shangyao Fugang flew out, colliding abruptly with the black magical light, emitting a violent roar.

Boom!

Shangyao Fugang, without suspense, utterly shattered the black magical light and struck Wenhu, who was wielding the jade shield in the distance. The jade shield billowed with white smoke and was covered in cracks. Li Zhouwei, however, narrowed his eyes slightly, his golden pupils scanning.

"What a formidable spell!"

He took a step north, leaving Wenhu behind. His halberd, gleaming with celestial light, thrust into the air. A muffled cry of pain was heard as a figure, covered in blood, was pierced out of thin air—who else could it be but Wenhu?

"To be able to cultivate a mere Hurricane Ghost Yin to such a degree... you are quite a talent!"