Chapter 855: Ghost Corpse

The furious roar was like thunder, vibrating with a buzzing sound. The demonic cultivators who had just surged forward to assist were startled by the shout. Immediately, a long staff, glowing with red light, struck from front to back, emitting a dazzling, kaleidoscopic brilliance.

Boom!

The two demonic cultivators who had followed along were from the East Sea, and they couldn't withstand such an attack. The one on the left, being slightly better equipped, only managed to conjure a shield-shaped artifact. When struck by the staff, its dark energy evaporated, and its corrupted blood dissipated. The artifact emitted a stinging hum, and the demonic cultivator immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, falling like a meteor.

The demonic cultivator on the other side had an even weaker cultivation base and didn't even have an artifact. Yet, he had come forward to curry favor, only to be struck in the chest by the staff, instantly revealing a bowl-sized hole. This demonic cultivator had originally come to show support, never expecting the opponent to be so ferocious. Furthermore, the red light from the Hall-Sun Tiger attacked him, causing all his internal organs to ache. He couldn't care less about anything else and immediately turned to flee into the distance.

Although a demonic cultivator's body wasn't as fragile or their injuries as fatal, with most parts being expendable, just two strikes had wounded two Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators. Daoist Bai couldn't help but gasp:

"This person is incredibly fierce! Such prestige! I heard he's skilled with both long and short weapons, and this is just his staff. The legendary Situ Mo and Li Zhouwei couldn't be much better than this!"

Daoist Bai's heart pounded. The token in his hand jumped, and he immediately enveloped himself in a black-and-white light, rapidly chanting a spell, seeking only to escape quickly. Fortunately, Ding Weizeng didn't continue his attack. He held the staff, watched the two demonic cultivators flee in a panic, and didn't pursue them. Instead, he stood in front of the Hall Master of Huaihun Hall.

"This kind of character... was actually chosen by a Purple Mansion lineage!"

Ding Weizeng was already skilled in combat, and over the years, he had been even more formidable fighting in the east and expelling demons in the west. He didn't even need a close look; a glance with his pupil technique revealed how insignificant the person before him was. He simply disdained him. He had only heard that Daoist Bai was a successor of the Mifen Dao tradition and had some connections with Purple Mansion cultivators, which made him seem more esteemed. Otherwise, Ding Weizeng could have easily clubbed such a person to death himself. To have such a character brazenly appear at his doorstep made the man feel humiliated, and his gaze turned icy.

Cui Jueyin, standing nearby, was much more cautious. He wasn't focused on the person in front of him; he was worried that Ding Weizeng might impulsively cripple or cause problems for this person with a single blow, ruining their affairs in the north. Ninety percent of his attention was on Ding Weizeng, and his fingers remained still in a spell gesture.

Daoist Bai's surge of anger and lingering hope instantly extinguished. He finally realized the situation before him:

"What exactly are Gong Xiao and his group doing?! Such a good opportunity to make the Li family lose face, yet they don't even know how to hold these people back on the river, letting them cross instead! What a bunch of useless people!"

Whether it was the Hall-Sun Tiger or the Long Bright Steps, either could restrain his Huaiyin Ghost. And the Long Bright Steps also had the effect of binding and entangling, which was already life-threatening!

"First, create some distance!"

As the spell in his hand flickered, Daoist Bai's figure instantly vanished from his original spot and reappeared a short distance away. Just as he was about to speak, he realized the entire situation was spiraling out of control, having already devolved into a chaotic brawl.

Although the puppet made by Situ Biao had decent cultivation in life, it was greatly inferior after being refined into an artifact. While its Geng Metal wasn't particularly afraid of true fire, its inherent Yin energy became a weakness. Bound by true fire, it couldn't advance an inch. Instead, Li Minggong was able to free up his hands to block the demonic cultivators on the other side. Chen Yang also drew his sword and stepped forward. He cultivated the famous Jing Dragon King technique from Jiangnan, so holding back a few enemies was no problem. Qu Bushi and An Siwei were a bit weaker, only able to barely fight to a draw with demonic cultivators of similar cultivation.

Meanwhile, Li Jiangqian, enveloped in apricot-yellow flames and wielding his golden hammer, chased after the demonic cultivators, striking them. Whether he could defeat them was irrelevant; the people below were not fools. No one dared to pursue the Li family's patriarch; they all walked around him. However, Li Jiangqian wasn't venturing deep without caution. Although he seemed reckless, his distance from Cui Jueyin was not far. His eyes carefully scanned the cultivators before him, seemingly searching for something.

Soon, he caught sight of a young man among the demonic cultivators. This young man, dressed in black, had only just reached Foundation Establishment cultivation. His spiritual light wasn't too dim, and he stood quietly among the various cultivators, not making a move. This group of demonic cultivators had all achieved their cultivation in the East Sea. Ten out of ten were older individuals who had relied on a surge of vital energy to fortuitously reach Foundation Establishment, practicing various cultivation methods. None of them were particularly sightly. Among this motley collection of misshapen and strange-looking demonic cultivators, the sudden appearance of a handsome, young-looking figure was hard to ignore.

He did not engage. Observing the demonic cultivator standing with a sword, he quickly retreated, secretly making a mental note, and becoming vigilant.

"Huaihun Hall isn't as simple as it seems; it's not advisable to get too entangled!"

While Li Jiangqian was subtly probing, Daoist Bai, having finally escaped using his spell, glanced at the situation and turned green with anger. Although Huaihun Hall had many more cultivators, their quality was utterly poor, and they had no loyalty whatsoever, idling away together. For a time, few were willing to go down and search, which made Daoist Bai's heart grow colder.

"Moreover, with Ding Weizeng and Cui Jueyin here, their arrival is undoubtedly like a tiger entering a flock of sheep..."

However, recalling that he held the Gui Ming Profound Order, Daoist Bai wasn't afraid for his life unless a Purple Mansion cultivator appeared in person. His fear somewhat subsided. Having been cursed by Ding Weizeng, he couldn't keep his composure. The spiritual light of Ding Weizeng's Yin-Purifying, Karma-Transcending technique burned his face, making it hot. So, he turned his gaze towards Cui Jueyin and said with a smile:

“We should spar. We've already exchanged a few moves. Your esteemed clan's Fairy Minggong truly hides her abilities well; she has cultivated her spells to such a level!”

Ding Weizeng's face was expressionless, his large hands gripping the staff as if he would strike Daoist Bai's head the next moment. Cui Jueyin, seeing Li Jiangqian's signal, cupped his hands and replied:

“The wilderness is a place protected by my family for generations and is not suitable for searching. Your Hall should find another way. If our two families were to fight, it would only benefit those with ulterior motives.”

“Precisely!”

Cui Jueyin provided an opening for retreat. Daoist Bai, having witnessed Ding Weizeng's two strikes, became even more compliant. He nodded repeatedly, his gaze sweeping the ground with reluctance, and then returned without a word. The demonic cultivators below were even more opportunistic. They had charged for a long time without anyone flying down, but now, when it came to fleeing, they ran faster than each other, following him in retreat.

After just a few steps, he encountered someone from the Muquan Sect. Daoist Bai was too embarrassed to lift his head and hurried past, but then saw a black-robed disciple flying rapidly across the river, a streak of light in the distance. This person's face was covered in blood, looking utterly disheveled. Upon reaching them, he wailed sorrowfully:

“Hall Master! Esteemed sirs! Baiku County… the treasury in Baiku County… was secretly breached and entered! All the treasures and artifacts accumulated over the years have been stolen!”

“That person's movements were strange, and their strength astounding… With all of you sirs away, I couldn't stop them!”

Upon hearing this, Daoist Bai felt as if struck by lightning, and he cried out incredulously:

“What?!”

The area around Baiku County had many spirit mines, and the influential families of Midong were nearby, making it a very important location. Almost all the spiritual resources and artifacts accumulated over the years were stored there, and they had even dispatched Black Rat, one of the eight great guardians, to guard it. It was truly crucial. Encountering such a situation left him both shocked and furious. He asked:

“Where is Black Rat?! Where did that fellow die?!”

The black-robed man in front of him shook his head and said sadly:

“Reporting, sir… Guardian Black Rat was the first to detect it and went to pursue with Wang Bakong, the Prefect of Baiku County. Unexpectedly, although that person was only at the Qi Cultivation stage, their escape light was extremely fast, and they got away!”

Daoist Bai had just lost face and now lost what he considered extremely important treasures. His mood was already at its worst. At this moment, he was so angry his vision darkened, and he cursed:

“You damn idiots! Two Foundation Establishment cultivators! One early-stage, one mid-stage, let a Qi Cultivator get away!”

“Do you know who it was?!”

Seeing his rage, the other party immediately trembled and replied:

“It was a rogue cultivator from Baiku County. Earlier, he had beaten Young Master Wang of the Wang family… and was rescued by the rogue cultivator Bai Yinzi from the Great Desert. Who would have thought these two would hit it off and actually return… to steal things…”

Upon hearing that it was just two rogue cultivators, Daoist Bai immediately flew into a rage and sharply said:

“Investigate! Return with me! Even if we have to turn over the entire Baijiang Stream, you must find traces of these two!”

With his furious roar, the Gui Ming Profound Order at his waist immediately emitted a soft, shimmering light that remained undimmed in the heavy rain, captivating anyone who looked at it, making it impossible to avert their gaze. After his shout, he turned his head and saw that the cultivators around him wore respectful expressions and had fiery eyes, each appearing more eager than before. Seeing this, Daoist Bai recalled his recent encounter with the Li family, feeling deeply frustrated and utterly infuriated.

“When attacking the Tangjin Gate, they were all eager to loot the spirit mines, each more aggressive than the last, wishing they could strip Situ Biao clean of everything, even fighting among themselves because they couldn't retrieve what they stole. Yet now, in the wilderness, they stand there dumbfounded, slow to act, practically behaving like subservient grandchildren in front of the Li family!”

“Now, hearing that a Qi Cultivator stole a county's worth of treasures and resources, their eyes are gleaming, clearly wanting to claim it for themselves!”

This group of demonic cultivators was a motley crew; they would fight for profit, but without it, they would do nothing. Each of them only acted as a local strongman in their assigned territory. The so-called eight great guardians weren't the strongest in terms of power, but merely the ones closest to him... By this point, Daoist Bai finally stopped being stingy and said coldly:

“Those who fought alongside me just now, return to the Hall with me shortly; you will certainly be rewarded!”

The three immediately rejoiced. The rest of the demonic cultivators, who were ostensibly harmonious but inwardly disunited, seemed to have heard something extremely important. Some clutched their arms, others their legs, claiming to be injured, and cried out to the heavens. Even more, several individuals stood nonchalantly in the crowd. Although silent, their eyes quietly swept over the Gui Ming Profound Order at Daoist Bai's waist, revealing expressions of both greed and apprehension.

"What exactly did that person take that would make him mobilize so many forces, even risking offending Moon-Gazing Lake... disregarding even Purple Mansion powers and insisting on searching their territory..."

The Wilderness.

Li Jiangqian glanced at the retreating cultivators, then looked down. The large and small families in the wilderness were all looking up. His golden eyes swept around as he silently pondered.

"This person crossed the river and was saved by my family, then fought a battle in the wilderness... I wonder what machinations are at play... or if it's related to the northern lords... In any case, the wilderness must be handled properly."

If Lin Feng killed Daoist Bai's people and took the items across the river, it would indeed be a good connection forged. However, Lin Feng staying in the wilderness wasn't good; the more people he interacted with, the more trouble it would bring to their family, making it difficult to approach him. But if it wasn't Lin Feng, and it was some family intentionally disrupting the situation, or some figure from the opposite shore, then it would be even more inadvisable to rashly contact them, as it would ultimately bring trouble upon themselves.

As he was pondering, the cultivators on both sides gathered. Ding Weizeng, with a solemn expression, bowed and said:

“Greetings, Patriarch. Now that this matter is resolved, we must quickly return to support the river. Although the Duxian Daoists have retreated due to affairs in the North, we must guard against these individuals attempting a risky crossing!”

Ding Weizeng detested the Duxian Daoists and was most wary of the North. At this moment, he was still thinking about the river. Li Jiangqian went with the flow and nodded:

“Thank you, Guardian Ding, for this trip. Guardian Cui, you may stay. As for the matters by the river… I'll need you to oversee them carefully.”

Ding Weizeng departed first, riding the wind. Cui Jueyin followed closely, whispering:

“Patriarch, Huaihun Hall has crossed the river, and everyone is watching. The person who was rescued should still be in the wilderness. How should we handle him?”

Li Jiangqian exchanged a glance with Li Minggong. He naturally wasn't willing to get too involved, and replied:

“Relax. We don't know what kind of person he is, so we don't need to get too deeply involved in this matter. Let him stay here; there's no need to seek him out, lest we get implicated in the end. Just leave a favor owed.”

Cui Jueyin assented, and everyone withdrew on the wind. Before they reached the lake, they saw Li Xuanxuan stroking his beard, standing in the rain, looking very uneasy, as if he had been standing there for a long time. Li Jiangqian quickly explained everything to him in detail, then had Chen Yang escort him back.

They soon arrived at the hall and saw Li Queyuan waiting in the main hall, silently examining several jade slips in her hand. Upon seeing Li Jiangqian, a look of anxiety appeared on her face, and she asked:

“How did it go?”

When Li Queyuan asked, Li Jiangqian shook his head and said:

“Hard to say. Daoist Bai is surprisingly incompetent; he's useless except for a single token. The demonic cultivators under him are even more chaotic. It's truly difficult for him… After two years of effort, he hasn't even found a single confidant.”

He sat upright in the main seat, then said seriously:

“However, it also indicates one thing: that Gui Ming Profound Order is truly an extraordinary item. Even by itself, it's at least an ancient artifact. It's hard to say how many means the True Person left within it. Who knows if there aren't one or two Purple Mansion divine abilities inside to save his life?”

“The Northern Lords naturally aren't afraid, but if we push him too hard and he strikes at our family head-on, it could ruin things. Therefore, we didn't pressure him too much and let him retreat.”

Li Queyuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, shaking her head and saying:

“It's best to just let him stay far away… The wilderness currently has no direct lineage members there, so let them cause whatever trouble they want.”

“Indeed.” Li Jiangqian sighed.

“I see a few individuals under his command, and I estimate problems will arise later. This fellow is no different from a plague god; one would feel defiled just by fighting him. It's better to send him away early.”

After hearing this, Li Queyuan showed a worried expression. She placed several jade slips on the table, each with a dark, ancient texture, seemingly quite old. She softly said:

“Just now, while you were out with the guardians and guest elders, someone happened to come from the river. He reported that he was sent by Li Quantao, who guards Xianhu Lake, bringing these items to ask for our family's opinion.”

Li Jiangqian immediately grew suspicious and asked:

“What did he say? Where is the person now?”

“The person is still on the islet.” Li Queyuan showed a hint of helplessness and said softly:

“Li Quantao guards Xianhu Lake, which is very close to several estuaries. A few days ago, he saw a group of suspicious individuals. His subordinates detained them for questioning. As they questioned them, this group actually claimed to be from Huaihun Hall!”

“The people of Xianhu Lake naturally didn't believe them. No matter how disgraced Huaihun Hall might be, they still carried official tokens. So, they opened these people's storage bags to verify their identities, only then discovering that these individuals practiced the Mifen Dao tradition of Xiaoshishan!”

Li Jiangqian began to ponder. Li Queyuan continued:

“Only then did this group realize they had caused trouble. They reported it to Li Quantao, and after questioning each of them, it was revealed that they were all descendants of Xiaoshishan's lineage. They had heard that the Mifen Dao tradition was flourishing, and someone had obtained a token passed down by a Purple Mansion cultivator, allowing them to establish a Dao tradition recognized by various sects, and so they finally came to pledge allegiance.”

The more Li Jiangqian listened, the more something felt off. After a long period of contemplation, he asked suspiciously:

“Could it be that a group of real ones has arrived?!”

Even before Li Ximing broke through to the Purple Mansion stage, there were three families in Jiangbei: Fuyun, Miyun, and Fanyun. In reality, these were Dao traditions falsely established by various Purple Mansion cultivators to open a secret treasure, enticing the remaining descendants of Xiaoshishan to pledge allegiance. Later, it indeed worked, attracting a few people and allowing Chenyun Sect to complete their numbers, which led to the later incident of the underground palace.

Indeed, Li Queyuan nodded, clearly sharing the same doubt, and replied:

“And when the Xiaoshishan Dao tradition was lost, it wasn't just one or two lineages. Chenyun Sect only lured one or two with their scheme; there must be more out there. It seems the great commotion caused by the Northern Lords led those scattered overseas lineages to take it seriously, truly believing Huaihun Hall to be a successor Dao tradition, deserving of protection and favor.”

This matter was unexpected, yet within reason. Li Quantao, unaware of the inside story, genuinely grew wary. As a result, with Qianlizi away and Ning Wan unreachable, he sent them to the lake.

“These people stayed overseas for so many years without being exposed, yet they were caught just passing through Xianhu Lake… Li Quantao inexplicably getting involved in such a matter probably means he's getting deeper into the scheme.”

Li Jiangqian found it both amusing and troublesome. Li Quantao's action was clearly showing favoritism. After all, these jade slips had their seals broken and could be read by anyone; storing them in the treasury would also be a gain. However, this group had traveled thousands of miles from overseas, and he didn't know what role they were playing. It was not advisable to provoke them right now!

Li Minggong, standing nearby, took a jade slip and whispered:

“Does the elder know about this?”

Li Queyuan didn't understand why he asked this and hesitated:

“The elder has been waiting for your return outside the lake, so he doesn't know yet.”

Li Jiangqian, however, understood Li Minggong's meaning. The elder was already somewhat pained that Li Quantao had been used by the Ning family in their plot for the Hongxue legacy. Now, with the True Person missing and the situation growing more perilous by the day, Li Quantao was still concerned about Moon-Gazing Lake. Li Minggong feared the elder would be saddened if he heard about this.

He paced a few steps in front of the hall and asked:

“How is this cultivation method?”

Li Queyuan's expression was complex as she replied:

“Several of the scrolls on either side are ones we already possess. However, there is one cultivation method… that's quite interesting. It's called the 'Huai River Ghost Yin Refining Method.' It uses the remains of cultivators to create artifacts. The spell must be cast before their demise to preserve the corpse and prevent it from dissipating into spiritual energy. It's quite sophisticated, but… it has special requirements for the immortal foundation.”

She pulled out that jade slip, showed it to them, and explained:

“Not everyone can refine this kind of artifact, and each person can only refine one. The refined product is called a ghost corpse. Ideally, it should be refined by cultivators with a Hurricane Ghost Yin foundation. If not, the next best would be those with Superior Witch, Xiukui, or Malevolent Qi foundations. At the very least, it requires a Coalescent Ancient major category… Most others have no possibility of successfully refining it.”

Li Minggong flipped through it and read briefly. Not to mention identifying it, he could recognize it just by hearing the description, and replied:

“It just screams 'bad news' from its gloomy description. This is the method Daoist Bai used to refine Situ Biao…”

Li Queyuan nodded gravely. Seeing Li Jiangqian's thoughtful expression, she deduced:

“This at least proves that… Daoist Bai didn't gain nothing; he must have obtained quite a few Mifen Dao tradition techniques. As for how he acquired them, that's debatable.”

Li Jiangqian nodded and said:

“He destroyed Fanyun, so it's uncertain where he seized it from. After all, his slogan at the time was to 'pacify Wangzi Refining Infants' and 'defile the Mifen Dao tradition,' proclaiming he supported justice by eliminating them… It might even be some demonic art…”

“But if it wasn't obtained from Fanyun…” Li Minggong recalled carefully for a moment, then whispered:

“I saw Situ Biao's ghost corpse fly out of the Gui Ming Profound Order. Either this artifact can contain such things, or this spell came from the Gui Ming Profound Order itself!”

Li Jiangqian and Li Queyuan suspected the latter as well. Li Jiangqian paused first, ensuring no Purple Mansion cultivators were nearby, then said gravely:

“If it truly came from the token, then Ziyan must possess a significant number of Mifen Dao tradition techniques… This artifact might not have been hastily forged based on my words at the time, but rather meticulously designed and likely planned for a long time… My casual mention of the Mifen Dao tradition played right into their hands.”

“It's not surprising if you think about it. The Mifen Dao tradition is the most famous in Jiangbei. It had been laid out by many Purple Mansion cultivators multiple times before. From Foundation Establishment cultivators to ordinary mortals on the ground, everyone knew the name Xiaoshishan. Even if I hadn't brought it up, if they wanted to raise a banner in Jiangbei, everyone would think of Mifen, and only Mifen would be the most credible!”

He whispered:

“That means… this matter probably had a consensus much earlier, and it was decided early on that it would be Mifen. Qianlizi said that each time they come, some secret realms and grotto-heavens would descend. So this time, Mifen might descend…”

Li Jiangqian's voice grew even lower as he replied:

“Then… could it be that… the Gui Ming Profound Order isn't just a temporary placeholder… but a genuine, priceless treasure with the potential to open the Mifen Secret Treasury?!”

Li Queyuan's expression turned grave. She exchanged a look with Li Jiangqian, and four words simultaneously appeared in their minds:

"Immortal Mirror Fragment!"