Chapter 729: Quiet Happiness News

Wilderness.

The great battle had just subsided. Li Zhouwei, seriously injured, took medicine and gently waved his hand. The gate tower in the sky vanished, returning as a stream of light. Below, three luminous streaks immediately shot up, eager to escape.

But they hadn't escaped during the battle itself; now that they were in the Li family's hands, how could they possibly get away? Several people naturally surrounded them, capturing the three magical artifacts and bringing them to him.

Li Zhouwei simply put them away for now, enduring the pain as he descended on a beam of light.

The Li clan did not have deep roots in the wilderness and possessed few strongholds. However, the Kong clan had cultivated this area for a hundred years. In the past decade or so, with the great surge in spiritual energy in the wilderness, they had further solidified their control and established many palaces.

He landed nearby. Li Cheng approached with considerable concern, and Li Zhouwei exhaled, asking:"How are everyone's injuries?"

During the chaos of battle, unless someone perished, no one could constantly monitor every situation. Li Cheng had only briefly checked, and replied concisely:"Only Miaoshui and Li Wen are injured."

Everyone on the field was wounded. When he said "injured," it meant severe injuries rendering them unable to move. Li Zhouwei still felt as if he might vomit blood, and he urgently said:"Mount Xuanyue has the Lush Water Cave Spring Sound and the Wood Virtue Dense Forest. Send someone to rescue them."

Li Cheng helped him into the hall and nodded, saying:"I'll go now. Guest Elder Bai, the cultivator from the Lush Water Cave Spring Sound, was killed. Guest Elder Sun from the Wood Virtue Dense Forest is in better condition; have him come."

Li Zhouwei gritted his teeth, swallowing blood, and forced himself to sit on the main seat for a quarter of an hour. His vision, which had been full of 'stars', slowly returned to normal. He exhaled a cloud of white mist, finally suppressing his internal turmoil and allowing his forehead to recover, making it difficult for others to perceive his weakness.

The white mist spread, instantly filling the entire palace with the scent of peonies. A group of people came forward from below the dais to report, led by Li Cheng.

Li Cheng had no significant injuries; he had merely used a Mystic Thunder charm. Cui Jueyin, standing respectfully with lowered brows behind him, had only expended a bit of his spiritual energy.

The remaining Qu Bushi had a severed arm and looked somewhat dispirited, but it was not serious. This elder had little combat ability but was skilled at self-preservation. His unique technique, the Storage Palace, allowed him to reattach a severed arm by finding some bones, requiring only a brief period of recovery.

As for Miaoshui, who was not present, she was severely wounded. During the final stages of the battle, she was struck into three pieces. She fell down the mountain and was found by Qu Bushi, who used a Wanling Flower to sustain her life. Another fifteen minutes, and this Jiangbei cultivator would have died in the wilderness.

Although Miaoshui was a surrendered general from Miyun, perhaps intending to atone for past misdeeds or to show loyalty, her performance in battle was commendable; she nearly sacrificed her own life. Li Zhouwei naturally had to inquire, saying:"Have someone look after her properly. I will go invite a True Lord to save her."

The remaining Li Wen was an Immortal Foundation Palace Guard. Although his rank wasn't high, he was still considered a Dharma Body. He only had four fingers broken and most of the bones in his body shattered, rendering him immobile, but his life was not in danger.

After hearing about the injuries of his own cultivators, Li Zhouwei's heart gradually calmed.

After all, in the engagement with the Duxian Dao, first, Mount Xuanyue was the main force. Second, whether they liked it or not, the Guest Elders of Mount Xuanyue were all arranged to block attacks for Li's own people. The losses were not significant.

'But in this way, almost all significant casualties were on Mount Xuanyue's side. Our family fought with full effort, but the arrangements for Mount Xuanyue's Guest Elders were almost suicidal, each risking their lives. A rough glance just now showed that nearly a handful of Foundation Establishment cultivators from Mount Xuanyue died in this battle…'

'Not to mention these few Guest Elders… even Mount Xuanyue's direct disciples must have fought with fear in their hearts…'

Having finally cultivated to Foundation Establishment, they would be treated as honored guests everywhere, or at least highly respected. After a single battle, with several of them dead, who would be willing to endure that?

The name "Mount Xuanyue" wasn't some kind of hallucinogen; how many would be willing to go through fire and water for it? The fact that this group didn't disperse at the very beginning was almost entirely due to the pressure from their own Purple Mansion.

He understood this perfectly clear, so he deliberately questioned the Mount Xuanyue contingent.

The Mount Xuanyue cultivator, dressed in coarse cloth, looked old and somewhat desolate. It was precisely Guest Elder Sun, who cultivated the Wood Virtue Dense Forest technique. He replied:"To answer the Family Head, two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators died, one mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator died, and one early-stage direct disciple was crippled… We also killed one mid-stage elder from Duxian Dao, and one early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator… and… and…"

He seemed to find it difficult to speak, pausing before saying:"Two of our honored cultivators were captured, one of whom… surrendered before even leaving the area…"

This matter was, after all, disgraceful, and it was unlikely the other one wouldn't surrender either. Guest Elder Sun quickly fell silent, and Li Cheng spoke:"Currently remaining are the early-stage Foundation Establishment direct disciples Kong Qiuyan and Kong Xiaxiang, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Kong Guli, the late-stage Foundation Establishment Sect Master Kong Guxi, among the guest elders, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment Guest Elder Sun Bai, and the late-stage Foundation Establishment Fuyuezi. The other two guest elders… are all fallen and incapacitated."

Li Zhouwei saw that they were members of the Kong family but did not see Kong Guxi. This Sect Master of Mount Xuanyue had fought most desperately earlier, likely losing half his life. He asked directly:"How much of Shanjie Commandery was saved?"

Sun Bai was momentarily stunned, then replied softly:"Around sixty percent was saved, with only twenty-seven southern towns remaining. Several mountains were lost, the market town was also lost, but the sect's main gate remains intact… Young Master is cultivating within the sect gate and is unharmed."

This young master, of course, referred to Li Jianglong. With Changxi dead, the people of Mount Xuanyue were desperate for Li Jianglong to return safely to the Li family. They would never mistreat him. Li Zhouwei didn't care about this, only sighing inwardly:

'In the future, without external intervention, it will be difficult for the wilderness to retain its current territory, let alone control Shanjie Commandery. It would have been better to cede it to the Purple Mist Sect earlier to gain some assistance.'

There was no news yet from his own True Lord, so Li Zhouwei dared not act rashly. He simply dismissed everyone and waited for a moment. Only then did the long-awaited news arrive from the west, and the figure of White Ape appeared before the hall. He hurried forward to greet him, asking:"How is Funan?"

White Ape recounted everything. Li Zhouwei breathed a sigh of relief, but when he heard that An Siwei had been captured, he paused slightly, then suddenly spoke in a grave tone:"Immediately send someone with Situ Ku to try and exchange for Elder Siwei! Once Duxian Dao takes him away… it will be a different matter entirely!"

If the Li family used Situ Ku to exchange for An Siwei, Situ Mo would certainly agree with both hands. But once An Siwei was taken by Guan Gongxiao's people, things would be entirely different!

Guan Gongxiao wouldn't even spare a glance for Situ Ku!

White Ape immediately bowed and withdrew. Although An Siwei's strength was not outstanding, he was fiercely loyal and had made significant contributions. Li Zhouwei certainly did not want anything to happen to him.

He paced a few steps in the hall, immediately feeling that there was little hope for this matter. Moreover, Li Ximing was still entangled with True Lord Ye Hui in the Great Void. The chances of An Siwei returning to the lake were pitifully small:"Guan Gongxiao is not a fool. Although Elder Siwei's strength is limited, as an elder of our family, how could Guan Gongxiao not know this? He will certainly demand him from Situ Mo… and Situ Mo has no reason to refuse!"

Riverbank.

A great battle had just subsided, and spiritual energy still vibrated in the air. The plants and trees on the ground were withered. Cultivators were tending to several spiritual veins damaged by True Fire and Geng Metal. Meanwhile, the ruins were bustling with activity.

Although both sides wanted the wilderness territory and thus tried to fight in the air, avoiding ground combat, there were still many losses during the engagement. Fortunately, Guan Kan died on the spot, which activated the water veins, preventing significant loss of spiritual energy.

Kong Guxi descended from mid-air. He lifted his magic robe. His two legs beneath the robe looked as if a dog had chewed on them, with chunks missing here and there, revealing glistening, transparent flesh and tender, white cartilage.

'These Duxian Dao magical artifacts are truly formidable; these injuries will be difficult to heal.'

His spiritual energy was exhausted, with no means of recovery. Moreover, the wounds were troubled by residual spiritual energy. He first took two medicinal pills, then hastily covered his legs with his robe. He then spoke to the Mount Xuanyue disciple who approached him:"Several Peak Masters are seriously injured. I see Guest Elder Sun and Guest Elder Wu are in better condition; where have they gone now?"

The disciple stammered, replying:"To answer the Sect Master, both Lords have gone to report to Lord Cheng's hall."

Kong Guxi was slightly taken aback, then quickly nodded:"Good… good… I was slow; I'll go over there immediately!"

He looked left and right; there was not a single Guest Elder in sight. Only his clansman, Kong Qiuyan, was in the formation treating sect members. Most of the other Foundation Establishment cultivators had fallen, and those who hadn't were rushing to greet the Li family members.

Kong Guxi looked more closely. He found that even the summoned disciples from his own sect were few in number. There were only a handful of them left. A dozen or so were lying on the ground, with groans everywhere.

He couldn't help but ask:"The disciples of the Seventeenth Peak… why are there so few left!"

The great battle between the two families did not involve many Qi Condensation or Embryonic Breathing cultivators. The Foundation Establishment cultivators fought in the sky, while most of the Mount Xuanyue disciples on the ground dealt with powerful clans who had crossed the river. They weren't particularly formidable opponents… Although the enemy had more Foundation Establishment cultivators and there were quite a few accidental killings, it shouldn't have been this severe!

The disciple paused, unsure how to tell him. There were things that he, as a disciple, could perceive, but the exalted Sect Master might not. He only mumbled:"To answer the Sect Master… our fellow disciples fought along the river, retreating as they fought. Perhaps they flew a bit further away along the way and lost their way; they should return after a short while."

"Lost their way?!"

Although Kong Guxi had not been in charge for long, he was not a fool. Hearing this and seeing the disciple's expression, he suddenly realized the truth. He pursed his lips and said bitterly:"Oh… they left then… it's for the best."

Mount Xuanyue was not a sect that appeared out of thin air. Most of its disciples came from the powerful clans of Xian Lake and Shanjie Commandery. With these two places falling into others' hands, and their own families unable to be protected, it was understandable that the disciples would flee. Although Kong Guxi felt desolate, he still understood:"When Shanjie is completely lost, another batch will leave."

Kong Guxi, enduring the pain, rose into the air by wind. In mid-air, a man in earthy yellow armor, with a dark-patterned face mask, flew towards him. He held a spear and an axe, and was covered in blood. He bowed before Kong Guxi, hissing:"Fuyuezi has just tended to his wounds and immediately came to pay respects to the Sect Master."

Fuyuezi had just fought one against four, shattering two pieces of his chest, exposing stark white bones. Kong Guxi hurriedly helped him up, covering his shoulder and gently pushing him, saying:"Go see Lord Cheng! Why are you rushing to see me?"

Fuyuezi stubbornly stood still. Kong Guxi was severely injured and unable to push him. Instead, he sighed and stepped back. Below, an old man hurriedly came up, halting hesitantly. His hair was disheveled, his cap askew, he looked utterly discomfited, and his eyes were bloodshot.

The moment Kong Guxi saw his appearance, his heart felt as if an ice cavern had shattered, chilling him to his heels. Ironically, his own left heel had been sliced off, leaving an empty, throbbing pain. He asked:"Elder brother… what is the meaning of this!"

This elder was precisely the one Kong Guxi had sent to Jingyi earlier. When Changxi died, Kong Guxi had crushed his jade pendant, sending the elder to seek aid. Now, returning in a sorry state, the elder knelt down with a thud, weeping and sighing as he replied:"The people stationed at the market town on Mount Jingyi said… True Lord Xuanyi is not on the mountain… And those disciples were so arrogant, they wouldn't even deign to look at me!"

"I also inquired about my seventeenth brother, but they said he refused to see me. Our family had previously sent eight letters… but he never replied to a single one… Now… now! I went to Yuezhou Island, only to be driven out!"

"This!"

Kong Guxi felt a sudden punch to his lungs, even a little disoriented. It took him several breaths to recover, and he said incredulously:"Didn't he ask the sect for resources before the new year?"

"Yes…"

Kong Guxi finally understood now and nearly collapsed. This man, who had just fought fiercely with blood and flesh flying, had not shed a single tear. But now he burst into tears, whimpering twice, then swallowing his sobs like a strangled chicken.

"Alas… it's over now… how can I explain this to True Lord Zhaojing!"

He wiped his tears. With his own brother and True Lord Xuanyi being unreliable, Kong Guxi feared that if the Li family decided to withdraw, his own clan would be doomed for eternity!

Kong Qiuyan, standing nearby, was equally distraught. She glanced at her Sect Master and asked with considerable helplessness:"But what else can be done… He has climbed onto the shore and refuses to touch the sinking ship…"

A moment of silence fell among them. They looked at each other. Kong Guxi's elder brother had a desolate expression. He looked around and asked:"Where are the people?"

These two words struck them like heavy hammers. The old man, seeing their expressions, understood immediately, and crumpled as if his bones had been removed. He asked:"The Xuanniao Dao is observing, and Jingyi has shut us out. Our family is in an extremely difficult position. It would be better to abandon the sect early and seek refuge at sea… there might be a chance for survival!"

Kong Qiuyan silently closed her eyes and replied:"Who would want to go with you to that godforsaken place? Sun Bai? Or which Guest Elder? Can just any island support several Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Fuyuezi, standing nearby, knelt down with a thud, choking out:"Sect Master, no matter where you go, Fuyuezi will follow you to the death, without hesitation!"

Kong Guxi listened, utterly terrified, his soul nearly fleeing his body. He roared:"What nonsense are you spouting! Only follow the True Lord's arrangements! Where do you two get the audacity to point fingers and make suggestions?!"

Leave the mainland?

Not to mention how important Mount Xuanyue's sect gate was, or that their own elders were breaking through within the sect gate. Even if Mount Xuanyue's sect gate fell, Kong Guxi wouldn't dare entertain the slightest thought of leaving! Only a madman would do such a thing!

'What is this? This is slapping the Li family in the face… At that time… where in this vast world would we find refuge!'

The chilling fear that ran up his spine immediately pulled him out of his grief and indignation. His face flushed crimson, and he sternly declared:"Mark my words! Even if my Kong clan must die, we will die in Jiangnan! We will die fighting the Duxian Dao! As long as the True Lord allows it, even if there is only one patch of land in Jiangnan where we can stand, from which we can look up and see the northern spirit mountains, we will go nowhere else!"

"Elder brother, if you utter such words again, do not blame my sword for being merciless!"