Li Tongya left the cave dwelling. Huaqian Mountain was already completely silent. The Lu family had sealed off many courtyards and taken all the Ji family members on Huaqian Mountain into custody. The stone paths were dotted with spatters of blood.
He circled around the mountain and saw Lu Sisi and the bald man descending on the wind, still carrying Ji Dengqi's corpse. They seemed to have收获不错, smiling as they approached Li Tongya:
"Our luck was quite good. Huazhong Mountain was in chaos. The Ji family only had one peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. The young head of the family, barely in his twenties, tried to smash the inheritance jade slips. We smashed his head instead and rescued three of the six jade slips."
Li Tongya nodded, recalling the bottle of spiritual energy in the cave dwelling. He knew it was likely prepared by Ji Dengqi for this young family head. He said in a deep voice:
"We'll talk about the jade slips later."
He pointed to the small courtyards on the mountain and the cave dwelling behind him, continuing:
"The Wan family was indeed prosperous back then. I've looked around the mountain. There are quite a few spiritual fields on Huaqian Mountain. The annual yield should be around a hundred jin of spiritual rice. That spiritual spring is of excellent quality. If we value everything at thirty percent, it's still worth over two hundred spirit stones. Can Brother Lu handle that?"
Lu Sisi laughed heartily and took out twelve small flags with white patterns on black flag bodies from his storage pouch.
"Do you recognize these, Brother Li?"
Li Tongya took several steps back, cautiously stepping into the air, and asked hesitantly:
"Formation flags?"
"Exactly!"
Seeing Li Tongya's wary expression, Lu Sisi realized his action of producing the formation flags was too sensitive and had caused a misunderstanding. He quickly explained:
"These formation flags are the Wan family's treasure - the White Feather Purple Crape Myrtle Banner. It was the magical artifact that Wan Huaqian used to wield. Later, it was left on Huaqian Mountain to form the Earth Lock Huaqian Formation. A few years ago, it fell into the Ji family's hands. It's definitely worth at least two hundred spirit stones!"
Lu Sisi had visited Lijing Mountain and knew that the Li family's mountain protection formation was pitifully simple. The Li family had been attacked by Jia Nixi's surprise raid, and the entire family was filled with unease. They urgently needed a reliable mountain protection formation. These words hit Li Tongya's soft spot perfectly.
"The White Feather Purple Crape Myrtle Banner is only a Foundation Establishment level formation flag. No matter how miraculous it is, it's worth at most a hundred spirit stones. Senior is flattering too much."
Li Tongya shook his head with a smile. Although this proposal was extremely tempting, spending two hundred spirit stones to buy a set of formation flags was too crazy.
"In that case, I'll add fifty more spirit stones!"
Lu Sisi took out fifty more spirit stones from his brocade pouch and handed them all to Li Tongya, saying solemnly:
"This is quite generous. You've already gained something in the cave dwelling, so this trip wasn't in vain!"
Li Tongya pondered for a moment, then gently put away the items. He also gave Lu Sisi some face and replied:
"The Lu and Li families will be neighbors from now on. Naturally, we don't need to be too calculating."
"Indeed."
Lu Sisi also handed the three jade slips to Li Tongya. His smile grew even more pronounced as he said softly:
"We've already copied these jade slips. These are the original technique manuals. Take them."
Li Tongya knew in his heart that this person was hinting that he hadn't provided tampered copies to deceive him. He took the jade slips and probed them with his spiritual sense to carefully check. He nodded and smiled:
"Senior Lu is truly kind and generous. Tongya is impressed. I'll take my leave first."
After speaking, he nodded to the bald man and flew away on the wind without looking back.
Watching Li Tongya leave, the bald man also clasped his hands and said:
"Brother Lu, matters here are settled. Huazhong Mountain belongs to my family now. The Yu family in the north is powerful. Please look after us in the future."
"Take care, Brother An."
Lu Sisi nodded slightly. After watching the man fly away on the wind, he turned and entered the cave dwelling. Looking at the glistening spiritual spring before him, he let out a soft breath, his face full of joy:
"Finally obtained this spiritual spring. The Dongquan Clear Qi technique is now secured. Our descendants won't have to practice that common first-grade stuff!"
Lijing Mountain.
Li Tongya had just landed when he saw Li Xuanxuan pacing anxiously. Upon seeing Li Tongya, he let out a long sigh of relief and said respectfully:
"Uncle!"
Li Tongya smiled and nodded, taking out the long staff and tossing it to Li Xuanxuan. He said gently:
"See if it suits you?"
Li Xuanxuan didn't have a magical artifact yet. Seeing the long staff, his eyes lit up. He took it and examined it for a while. The staff was only a Foundation Establishment level artifact, but for the Li family, it was quite good. Li Tongya was still using a Foundation Establishment level long sword.
He looked at the storage pouch of that Ji family Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was only about two feet square, containing only miscellaneous items and two spirit stones. The talismans and pills were also only Foundation Establishment level.
"Leave it for Xuanfeng."
Li Xuanfeng had reached the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment and the Jade Capital Wheel, so he could now use a storage pouch. Li Tongya took back his own storage pouch and left this one for Li Xuanfeng.
"A formation flag of the highest quality among Foundation Establishment artifacts."
Li Tongya activated the twelve White Feather Purple Crape Myrtle Banners and examined them with delight for a while before putting them away. Then he took out the three jade slips.
Li Tongya took out the first jade slip and probed it with his spiritual sense.
"Golden Radiance Correct Edge Art"
This technique was likely passed down from the Ji family, probably brought back by that Ji family woman. It was a third-grade orthodox technique, on the same level as the family's "Rivers One Qi Art". It utilized the sharp golden and stone qi emanating from gold and jade mines.
"The Yue Kingdom only has one major gold and jade mine, located at the Tangjin Gate's mountain entrance. This golden and stone qi all flows from Tangjin Gate."
Li Tongya took out the jade bottle from the cave dwelling and scanned it with his spiritual sense:
"Radiant and flickering, sharp as a blade - this is indeed the golden and stone qi."
After storing both items, Li Tongya examined the remaining two jade slips.
One was "Clear Spirit Transform Origin Art", which was only a first-grade technique using small clear spiritual qi. Li Tongya shook his head and put it away for safekeeping.
The other was "This Autumn's Talisman Refinement Notes", a notebook left by a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. It recorded many intricate applications of basic talisman arts. The author was named Si Boxiu, though Li Tongya didn't know where the Ji family had obtained it.
"Si Boxiu... I wonder what his relationship is to Si Yuanbai."
Li Tongya skimmed through it and saw at the end:
"The most remarkable aspect of talismans is the Lunar Hua Yuanfu. Many techniques for transforming talismans into formations and talismans into qi are particularly exquisite. If one could master this art..."
"Lunar Hua Yuanfu... Talisman Qi..."
Li Tongya sighed softly. He had long suspected that the Dharma Mirror was connected to the Lunar Hua Yuanfu, and now he was even more certain. Yet there was little joy in his heart.
"To be entangled in such karma - I don't know if it's fortune or misfortune."
————
"You bastard!"
Mu Jiaoman angrily smashed the head before him with a palm strike. He grabbed the Shanyue tribesman in front of him and roared through gritted teeth:
"Useless! How is this Li Xiangping?! He's a foreigner, and you bring me a Shanyue head?!"
One punch made the tribesman vomit blood continuously. Mu Jiaoman's eyes were red with fury.
That day, after failing to chase Li Tongya, he returned only to let that foreign woman escape. Mu Jiaoman realized this woman was probably from the Li family and was filled with regret.
"If only I had used a sorcery spell to knock her out back then. My meddling let her escape!"
Mu Jiaoman slowly sat back down, no longer thinking about her. He was facing an even more troublesome and棘手 matter - the elusive, ever-present Li Xiangping.
"This fellow seems to have eyes on both his backside and the top of his head. This fellow is a hungry wolf, a locust without markings..."
This foreigner named Li Xiangping had been circling around the heartland for more than a dozen times. When the first news came, Mu Jiaoman mobilized over a thousand men, only to be defeated without悬念. When the next news came, Li Xiangping had already arrived in the south, leading people to kill tribal elders and distribute grain.
The stationed Foundation Establishment cultivators were exhausted from running back and forth. Li Xiangping could always withdraw before they arrived, then turn back again after they left.
Mu Jiaoman suffered from insomnia for several nights. Finally, Li Xiangping's head arrived at Mu Jiaoman's military tent. Mu Jiaoman breathed a sigh of relief and announced that Li Xiangping was dead. But then Li Xiangping organized refugees in the west and even dared to continue southward.
Mu Jiaoman immediately dispatched troops to crush him without hesitation, but didn't find a single trace of a foreigner among the enemy forces. Instead, news of Li Xiangping appearing came from all directions every day. Mu Jiaoman even began to doubt Li Xiangping's cultivation level.
In the following days, things escalated. Li Xiangping's heads were delivered to his tent every day, but they were all Shanyue heads. The western defense line was attacked twelve times in succession, nearly allowing him to escape back east. The entire northern foothills Shanyue began to spread stories of the ubiquitous Li Xiangping.
When news came last night, Li Xiangping had already fought his way to the front of Da Jue Ting, rallying nearly ten thousand refugees, forcing Mu Jiaoman to send reinforcements. As soon as Mu Jiaoman moved his main army, Li Xiangping could leisurely return east.
"Only the Great King can truly kill this ever-present locust! Commander, he's not a Foundation Establishment cultivator - he's a keen-eared, sharp-eyed hungry wolf! He's a devil who makes the refugees follow him as if bewitched..."
The tribe witch under his command spoke tremblingly. Mu Jiaoman felt a deep sense of powerlessness rise within him. Jia Nixi, still at the Tangjin Gate front line, remained silent, which only deepened Mu Jiaoman's fear.
"I don't care what he is!"
Mu Jiaoman said coldly:
"Either he dies, or I die."
He inquired through the night about the location of the talisman sorcerers in Da Wu Mountain. He presented women, spiritual items, and many other gifts. One talisman sorcerer was actually moved and agreed to take action.
Mu Jiaoman's letter was carried to the front lines by a large eagle and brought back. Jia Nixi only replied with ten words:
"Fine. Either he dies, or you die."
Mu Jiaoman, trembling with fear, gathered all the tribe witches within Da Jue Ting. He loaded women, spiritual items, and the captured Li family bloodline children that the talisman sorcerer required onto large carts and rushed toward Wu Mountain at full speed.
Along the way, there were even tribesmen joyfully bringing Shanyue heads to claim credit, saying it was Li Xiangping. Mu Jiaoman was so angry he nearly killed them on the spot.
"Damn it, what kind of monster is this?"
Mu Jiaoman sat in the large cart in a daze, when he heard someone call softly from outside:
"Commander! Commander! We've arrived at Wu Mountain!"
Mu Jiaoman got off the cart, saw the white jade steps before him, and tremblingly took off his shoes to climb the mountain barefoot.
The entire way was pitch black. The mountain wind howled, owls hooted loudly, and Mu Jiaoman didn't dare lift his head. He silently counted in his heart. After walking one thousand six hundred and twenty-two steps, he saw a large platform, also made of jade, so polished it could reflect people.
Mu Jiaoman knelt down with a thump and saw over a dozen figures reflected on the ground, sitting high on jade platforms. All were dressed in magnificent robes, looking more like foreign cultivators.
"This is the general. Tell us what happened."
A cold voice came from above. Mu Jiaoman quickly recited the speech he had prepared all night. He heard sharp whispers from both sides.
"What's going on? We have to deal with mortal matters?"
"What do you know? Disturb the Master's great plan and you'll be eaten!"
"Hmph, these people are useless. They can't even handle one Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
Mu Jiaoman kept his head pressed tightly to the ground, not daring to say a word. Finally, the person above spoke:
"Since none of you fellow disciples are willing to act, we'll use curses to settle this. It saves us a trip."
A voice from below immediately asked:
"The Master once said we must not use sorcery to interfere with earthly affairs. Senior brother's action... be careful!"
"It's fine."
The person above shook his head and replied:
"This person isn't Shanyue. Moreover, among all sorceries, this prayer curse is the safest and will certainly have no effect. That person couldn't possibly know prayer curses, nor could he curse out any monsters."
The person who had asked nodded and ordered:
"Bring up those sacrificial offerings!"
Several fat, pig-like demon creatures covered in black fur, looking dazed and stupid, were brought up. Their powerful auras all indicated peak Foundation Establishment. From the reflection on the ground, Mu Jiaoman saw the thick calluses on their hooves and the horizontal lines on their bodies representing slaves, and secretly wondered:
"Why are there horizontal lines painted on demon creatures..."
Before Mu Jiaoman could figure it out, the ground before him suddenly trembled. The jade in the center of the platform moved abruptly, opening a huge circular pit. He peered down and saw it filled with boiling blood and floating human bones.
"Cripple, curse to stupidity, or kill?"
Someone on the left spoke, and the person above said softly:
"If you're worried, just kill him."
That person nodded and made several hand seals. Then, in a hoarse voice, slowly began:
"Pray to the Xuanming Orthodoxy. Here is an unruly army, evil ghosts and demons, abducting chaotic fates, moving against our people... Respectfully request the Great Orthodox Technique. Gouge their eyes, dissolve their bones, remove all their flesh and blood..."
Mu Jiaoman listened below in a daze, his emotions suddenly becoming inexplicably complex. The Shanyue tradition had always been to avoid using curses in military conflicts and tribal disputes. He deeply despised his own despicable and base methods, while also comforting himself in his heart.
"He's a foreigner."
The Li family's illegitimate boy was beheaded, his blood flowing into the pool. The pig-like demon creatures struggled in the blood pool, splashing waves of blood. Mu Jiaoman smelled the strong scent of blood and suddenly remembered the day he and Jia Nixi killed the king and rose up.
They killed the king who was also as fat as a pig, distributed the grain from the full granaries, and watched the common people cheer and rejoice. Jia Nixi laughed heartily. Mu Jiaoman was terrified and asked Jia Nixi why they were rebelling.
Jia Nixi sat astride a large horse, pointing his long whip at the cheering Shanyue people, and laughed loudly:
"For the people."
Now that the northern foothills were pacified, Jia Nixi was still out campaigning ceaselessly. Outside Da Jue Ting, there were already ten thousand refugees. Mu Jiaoman was at his wit's end, unable to understand how Li Xiangping had managed to build such a massive army within enemy territory.
"Great King, is all of this... still meaningful..."
He slightly closed his eyes, tears not daring to fall, his legs trembling. For the first time, he foresaw the true nature of things earlier than his great king.