The Talisman fluttered in midair and emitted a pale white light. Its gentle illumination revealed a scene of bloodstains and dismbered limbs. A dim, murky radiance arose from the darkness.
Li Qinghong glanced over, a flash of anger in her eyes. The man beside her respectfully bowed his head and answered,
"Twenty-seven households, one hundred and ten people—none survived."
Li Qinghong narrowed her eyes and planted her spear on the ground, casting a spell to investigate. She murmured,
"There's no demonic aura. It wasn't the work of a demon. I'm afraid it must have been so cultivator seeking blood to consu."
"Whoosh..."
As Li Qinghong closely observed the scene, a black dart suddenly shot out. It blazed with Dharma Light, and a dark thread trailed from its tail, plunging into the darkness.
Li Qinghong had been on her guard. She brushed her black hair aside, lifted her spear, and unleashed a burst of purple Dharma Light. Struck by the spear, the black dart fell crookedly. Li Qinghong declared aloud,
"Which Taoist Fellow dares to hunt for blood within the Li family's territory? That's bold of you to lurk in these parts."
A cloud of black mist burst forth from the darkness, and a gaunt old man erged, looking haggard. He was still holding that black thread, which clattered as he dragged it along the ground. The old man glanced at Li Qinghong and frowned, retorting,
"Why make such a fuss, young lady? I haven't hard any noble scions. I was rely passing through the Immortal Sect's territory and took a rest here, consuming a few two-legged sheep. You, however, are aggressively pressing the issue. Where is the decorum befitting soone of the Noble Families?"
Li Qinghong sized him up briefly, her eyes brightening as the purple hue within beca more intense. Hearing the old man's use of terms like "passing through Immortal Sect territory" and "two-legged sheep,"—phrases typically used in the Northern Zhao and Yan countries—she realized he was from the North. She eagerly said,
"So, you're from North River. By your appearance, you're also a devil cultivator. How about fighting
to broaden my experience!"
Without heeding the old man's dumbfounded look, she swept her spear downward. The old man had no choice but to lift his sleeves and puff up his cheeks, spitting out a black cloud of smoke. Within the smoke, n, won, old, and young sat in simple clothing, all smiling happily.
Li Qinghong was undaunted. Where her spear traveled, thunderbolts burst forth. As thunder is known to expose falsehood and expel malice, the smoke was instantly cleared away. The figures scread piteously, and the old man was shocked as he cursed,
"Bloody hell, you're a Thunder Cultivator."
It was Li Qinghong's first ti fighting a cultivator who didn't follow the Zifu Golden Core Path. She remained cautious, not daring to get too close. Concentrating thunderbolts on her spear, she pumled the old man. After suffering a couple of blows and unable to hold back any longer, he swore,
"How dare a re Qi Cultivator bully
like this!"
With that, his robes exploded, and his emaciated, decrepit body was revealed. Rising up suddenly, an organ of flesh pushed out from his abdon, rapidly transforming into a head as large as several n, with a bald pate. Its bloodshot, red eyes were as big as the head itself, staring intently outwards, dripping blood-tears. The shiny, sharp white teeth were neat and visibly gleaming.
"So this is a devil cultivator... Truly no human appearance!"
Li Qinghong pushed forward with her spear; thunder rolled out like waves of water. The demonic being spewed out a breath of blood Qi from its fang-filled maw, neutralizing Li Qinghong's offensive as it yelled,
"Damn it, this is too much! I practice the Joy Devil path, much more human than your Zifu Golden Core Path!"
By now, the demonic being's aura had reached the level of a Qi Cultivator at the sixth or seventh layer; though he cursed fiercely, there was not much intent to fight in his actions.
After all, he was a devil cultivator who had achieved the level of a Mage, equivalent to having established a foundation in the Zifu Golden Core Path. He had feasted on humans along his journey without any issues, but today, he couldn't control his gluttony and indulged a bit too much. He now felt a pang of regret.
Considering the face of both parties, most Noble Families wouldn't bother to pull him out without cause. But if he truly encountered a Noble Family that insisted on making a case out of it, he'd indeed be at a disadvantage and would feel embarrassed if he really injured Li Qinghong.
"I've heard that the Li Family is a Sword Immortal Family, and this child is skilled at Thunder Dharma... They certainly have a complex background."
This Devil Cultivator was now caught in a difficult position. Embarrassed, he took Li Qinghong's thunderbolts without being able to retaliate or flee lest he lose the face of a Mage. He had no choice but to wait until an elder from the Li Family ca to offer a way out.
On Li Qinghong's end, after only two strikes, she had already realized that this Devil Cultivator's cultivation level was definitely above her own, probably at the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Cultivation but was being overpowered by her Thunderbolt, and as he had no desire to fight, they ended up in a deadlock. Taking out a jade pendant, she silently crushed it, thinking to herself,
"I have yet to use my Talisman Qi. If this old devil harbors any killing intent, I can endure until relatives arrive without any problem..."
Below Jade Court Mountain, lightning flashed continuously. This devilish entity was much stronger than Li Qinghong, but couldn't withstand the profound and fierce thunderbolts from Li Qinghong's hands, which vaguely had the power to vanquish demons and exorcise evil. Feeling his cultivation level degrading and retreating, he beca anxious and called out,
"Miss, please stop your hand quickly! Your technique damages one's cultivation level. If you keep this up, I will get serious!"
Li Qinghong then paused for a mont, fortunate that on both sides Dharma Light arrived on the wind. One person held a sword with an urgent and fierce expression, while the other, appearing to be in his forties or fifties, had a solemn deanor and rely shouted,
"Who dares to run wild on the Li Family's territory!"
The arrivals were none other than Li Yuanjiao and Tian Youdao. Tian Youdao had also recently succeeded in breaking through Qi Cultivation, becoming the third foreign Cultivator in the Li Family, practicing a Second Grade Cultivation Technique provided to outsiders and using a minor Spiritual Energy breakthrough. The two landed beside Li Qinghong, and Li Yuanjiao was slightly on guard, thinking to himself,
"The timing of this person's arrival is too coincidental, happening just when An Zhiyan and Uncle Donghe were out… With only a few of us at ho, if we don't alert the ancestors, it'll be quite difficult for us to suppress him."
Seeing more and more people being alard, the Devil Cultivator quickly reverted his bloodied demonic form back to human shape and bitterly thought to himself, speaking in a deep voice,
"My na is Murong Xia. I ca to tour South River and happened to go through Immortal Sect territory. I must confess I did eat a few bipeds. If there has been an offense, I ask for your understanding... but re mortals should not be enough to make us sworn enemies."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanjiao frowned, and Li Qinghong whispered in a low voice,
"Twenty-seven households, a hundred and ten people."
The Devil Cultivator was stunned at first, but his advanced age ant he understood Li Qinghong's intonation—they were not resentful that he had taken without asking, but they genuinely despised him for eating humans. He imdiately reacted, clasping his fist sincerely, he said,
"You have lived in South River for a long ti and might not understand our Demon Sect's lineage. You probably have heard from the Immortal Sect that we commit all manner of evil and enjoy eating humans, but this is a great misunderstanding."
Li Yuanjiao and the others did not expect him to say such a thing and found it amusing, exchanging glances. Watching Murong Xia make his plea, they said in all seriousness,
"A dying man is entitled to a few last words, please let us listen to what you have to say, so as not to outright condemn all of us who practice the dark arts."
Li Yuanjiao, observing the increasing number of villagers below and their uneasy looks, furrowed his brows and said,
"This is not the place for discussion. Please follow
to the mountain."
"All right!"
Murong Xia, showing no fear at all, nodded in agreent. Li Yuanjiao made a welcoming gesture, and suddenly those who were on high alert moved together towards the mountain. Li Qinghong snorted coldly, transmitting her voice,
"To eat people is to eat people; how can you talk your way out of that!"
Li Yuanjiao rely shook his head in silence, and also transmitted his voice with mana,
"With the Great Formation and the elders on the mountain, once this man is inside the formation, he will be at our rcy."
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