Chapter 99: Siege

Li Tongya took the Jade Bud Pill and immediately felt magic power surging in his body. Spiritual energy erupted in his Qi Sea point, and he successfully broke through to the third level of Qi Refining.

Compared to the step-by-step barriers of the Embryonic Breath realm, cultivation in the Qi Refining stage is often smooth sailing. Some large sects even advocate dividing Qi Refining into three stages: early, middle, and late. The entire Qi Refining stage is like a simple accumulation of cultivation, with all obstacles turning into one harsh barrier—Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.

"I am already at the third level of Qi Refining. Jing-er is likely at the peak of Qi Refining. I wonder how much certainty he has for Foundation Establishment. Rumor has it that the Southern Frontier is dangerous, and I don't know if he has been injured."

With a burst of doubt in his heart, Li Tongya thought to himself:

"It's been several years, and he hasn't even sent a single family letter back..."

Suppressing the unease in his heart, Li Tongya left the cave dwelling on Meichi Mountain, sought out Li Xuansuan, and said in a low voice:

"Has the Wuzao worm spun silk this year?"

"Reporting to Uncle, it has spun silk three times, a total of six silk balls."

Li Xuansuan looked as if he hadn't slept all night, busy dealing with the demons hunted back by Li Xuanfeng, his clothes still covered in dust.

"Have someone pull the threads and sew a foot of spirit cloth."

Li Tongya stroked his chin. Seeing Li Xuansuan nod and go down, he thought to himself:

"Only this spirit cloth can isolate spiritual sense. I'll take it to cover up; at least it won't make people remember my appearance. It's a pity the stock is too low. If it could be made into a cloak, that would be best."

Taking down the wooden slip left by Li Chijing from the shelf, Li Tongya had already read it back and forth I don't know how many times, the ox-hide rope worn and scarred. Each time, he was amazed by the ingenuity within.

Li Tongya had read the "Moon Palace Sword Arc" for over ten years and knew it by heart, but it consumed a great deal, and he hadn't used it in several actual battles.

"Sword Dao talent really cannot be compared..."

Li Tongya gave a bitter laugh. Several juniors of the Li family had read the "Mysterious Water Sword Art" and the "Moon Palace Sword Arc" written by Li Chijing. Apart from his eldest son, Li Xuanling, who still had some talent, Li Xuanfeng and Li Xuansuan couldn't get into it.

After reading for a while, Li Xuansuan had already brought the spirit cloth up. Li Tongya took the gray gauze, swept his spiritual sense over it, and sure enough, it couldn't penetrate. He nodded, put away the gauze, and got up to leave the cave dwelling.

Taking out several jade bottles containing healing pills from his storage bag and putting them away, Li Tongya turned around, took off his storage bag, and handed it to Li Xuansuan. Lu Sisi had already landed at the foot of the mountain, driving the wind. Li Tongya rose into the air, landed quietly beside him, and cupped his hands:

"Senior Lu!"

Lu Sisi nodded. The two didn't waste words and flew east together, driving the wind. Li Tongya followed unhurriedly behind. He saw Lu Sisi's clear energy was thick and steady, and his true essence was much clearer than that of the Shanyue Qi Refining cultivators. He thought to himself:

"The Lu family also practices the orthodox method. What they swallow should be that small clear spiritual energy."

Many years ago, when Li Tongya went to pay tribute with Wan Yuankai, he had heard him say that the Lu family's Qi Refining used small clear spiritual energy. Now, he had finally seen it.

The two drove the wind for a while, and Huaqian Mountain appeared in the distance. Lu Sisi suddenly increased his flight altitude, slapped his storage bag with his left hand, and a talisman appeared in his palm.

"Whoosh—"

Lu Sisi threw it backhanded. The talisman flew straight into the air and exploded into a bright red flower. Then, figures could be seen moving through the forest.

The people on Huaqian Mountain reacted very quickly. A translucent shield had already emerged, and two figures had already risen into the air from the mountain. The leader held a long saber, his expression solemn. It was Ji Dengqi.

"You are actually on Huaqian Mountain?"

Lu Sisi's expression was strange. The jade ruyi in his hand had already shot out, and he smiled:

"It's just as well. No need to ambush you anymore. Brother An, come out!"

Just as Lu Sisi finished speaking, another person flew out of the forest. Li Tongya looked sideways and saw that the person had a face full of stubble and a big bald head. Observing his aura, he also had true essence flowing, which was the cultivation of the middle stage of Qi Refining.

"Lu Sisi!"

Ji Dengqi narrowed his eyes coldly, looked at the few people for two breaths, and suddenly said:

"What happened to the Tangjin Gate?"

"Just as the Shanyue and the Qingchi Sect agreed, the siege of the abandoned families is likely also within the promises of the Qingchi Sect and the Tangjin Gate. That's why Ji Dengqi hasn't received any news at all..."

Seeing Ji Dengqi and the two of them engaged in battle, Li Tongya also met the Ji family's Qi Refining cultivator as agreed.

This person held a long staff, had a young face, and looked to be only twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He was full of tension and shock. Seeing this, Li Tongya raised his hand slightly, and a sword aura swept across, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

"This child has good talent, but one look shows he has spent twenty years just focusing on cultivation. He is clumsy when casting spells."

Li Tongya forced him back with another sword, almost knocking the long staff out of his hand. On the other side, Ji Dengqi was fending off the two men. Sweeping his peripheral vision, he couldn't help but shout:

"That friend who uses a sword! My Ji family is the confidant of the Tangjin Gate's Young Master. Don't be deceived by those two. Retreat now, and my Ji family won't hold it against you!"

Li Tongya sneered, knocked away the person's long staff with a sword, and said as if by divine intervention:

"My surname is Wan!"

Ji Dengqi was speechless, blocked Lu Sisi's jade ruyi with his saber, and borrowed the force to head north.

"Don't let him go!"

Lu Sisi hurriedly intercepted Ji Dengqi with the man surnamed An. Li Tongya reached out to catch the long staff, while the Ji family's Qi Refining cultivator had already fled south. His true essence was clear, and it seemed he also swallowed small clear spiritual energy.

Li Tongya drove the wind to catch up. His river true essence surged, but his speed was a fraction faster than that person's. He chased him until the person turned back and threw out several Embryonic Breath realm talismans, making Li Tongya's heart ache.

"These are my spoils of war."

Li Tongya split the incoming spells with a sword, already having a comparison in his heart.

The true essence refined by swallowing clear energy from the river was more majestic than small clear spiritual energy, and the flight speed was also a bit faster, but it was a bit slower in turning and leaping, which was of no consequence.

Driving the wind for dozens of miles, Li Tongya broke the person's protective true essence with a sword, thrust his hand straight in, and pierced his back. The youth cried out in pain, fell crookedly, and hit the ground, blood flowing everywhere. With a sound of cracking bones, he still reached out to take his storage bag. Li Tongya was quick-handed, cut off his arm with a sword, looked at the person rolling in agony, and ended his life with a backhand.

Picking up the person's storage bag, Li Tongya put the long staff he was holding in his other hand into it, and then tied this brocade pouch to his waist. Now he had a storage bag to use.

Too late to check the spoils of war, Li Tongya drove the wind and flew toward Huaqian Mountain. Looking from afar, he saw the three of them still going back and forth in the air, so he used his sword to hack at Huaqian Mountain's magic array.

Huaqian Mountain naturally wasn't the Earth-Locking Huaqian Formation of the past, but a great formation newly built by the Ji family, with only the defensive power of the peak of Embryonic Breath. A sword poked a big hole in it, but it slowly healed.

Li Tongya hacked more than a dozen swords, and the magic array was attacked by the Lu family at the foot of the mountain, flickering unsteadily. It couldn't sustain its magic power and shattered with a loud bang.

"Charge!"

The foot of the mountain was suddenly filled with the sounds of blades and swords. Li Tongya hid his figure and fell straight into the courtyard.

Everything was empty and in a mess. Li Tongya swept his spiritual sense over it. Everyone on the mountain had gone to the foot of the mountain, and several warehouses were also empty. Li Tongya curled his lips, hovered in the air for a circle, and found the cave dwelling's gate.

The magic array at the cave entrance was still quite tough. Li Tongya's dozen sword auras only made the magic array flicker, but then he heard a violent roar.

"Boom!"

Lu Sisi in the sky had his true essence completely dissipated, his body charred black, and he fell into the forest crookedly, vomiting blood. The bald man hurriedly retreated, shouting in shock:

"What kind of talisman is this?!"

Ji Dengqi kept his mouth shut, his face livid, and slashed his saber at the man. The bald man hurriedly retreated and shouted:

"That man surnamed Wan! I can't defeat him alone, come save me quickly!"

Li Tongya cursed secretly, had to abandon the cave dwelling, rose from Huaqian Mountain driving the wind, and was met with a sword aura shooting toward Ji Dengqi's back.

"Remnant of the Wan family!"

Ji Dengqi's eyes widened, he turned and slashed sideways, scattering the sword aura, and raised his saber to slash at his head.

Ji Dengqi's true essence was sharp and surging, and the saber technique he used was even more powerful. Li Tongya blocked a few saber strikes with sword light and retreated several steps in the air.

The bald man's spell entangled him like a maggot on a tarsal bone. Ji Dengqi had to turn back to block it, but Li Tongya's sword aura arrived at his back again.

Ji Dengqi was left and right-handed for a time. After fighting for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the screams of the Ji family members below became fewer and fewer. Ji Dengqi gritted his teeth, flipped out a talisman in his hand, and cast it.

"Not good?!"

Li Tongya and the man hurriedly retreated, but the talisman only flickered a few sparks in the air. Looking back at Ji Dengqi, he had already flown a distance away.

"Tricked!"

The bald man was still regretting it, but Li Tongya had already stepped out several steps and said in a deep voice:

"Absolutely cannot let him go! Chase!"

Ji Dengqi had fought with the bald man and Lu Sisi for a long time. Seeing that he couldn't hold on, he had to use his trump card talisman, but then Li Tongya replaced him. His true essence was nearly exhausted, so he had to flee north in one breath.

Ji Dengqi had only escaped for a few breaths when a jade ruyi came crashing down. He had to stop and raise his saber, being forced to a halt.

Lu Sisi was flying crookedly, driving the wind. His legs were stained with blood, and it looked like they had been broken. The old man still had blood at the corners of his mouth, his hair and beard bristling, and he shouted sternly:

"Don't let him go!"

Seeing Ji Dengqi's determined face, Li Tongya silently slowed down by half a beat. Seeing the bald man rush up, he stared coldly at Ji Dengqi with his sword.

Ji Dengqi laughed, took off the storage bag at his waist and threw it far away, turned around, and slashed at the bald man who was rushing up. Golden light surged on the saber, powerful and heavy, clearly using all his strength.

Li Tongya and Lu Sisi looked at each other. Both used true essence to take the storage bag, while the bald man took several saber strikes from Ji Dengqi, his hands numb and legs soft, and he retreated with a strange cry.

Ji Dengqi didn't let him off, his long saber lifted, heading straight for the bald man's chest, looking like he wanted to trade his life for the other's. The bald man had to dodge sideways, but caught a glimpse of a cold light emerging from Ji Dengqi's chest.

"Puff."

Ji Dengqi vomited blood and turned his head, just in time to see Li Tongya retract his sword and turn around, shaking the blood off the sword. He fell softly to the ground, staining a large area of land red.

The two landed and added a few more spells to ensure the person was dead. Only then did they see Lu Sisi flying near, driving the wind and holding the storage bag. His leg injury had been initially bandaged, and he said happily:

"Who will go with me to the Ji family's lair, Huashan Mountain?"

"The two of you go ahead, I will search Huaqian Mountain."

Li Tongya sighed, looking uninterested. Most of the spirit stones and spirit items were likely in Ji Dengqi's storage bag. Lu Sisi was far from Ji Dengqi, but instead had the advantage of being near the water, which was a pity.

Huashan Mountain was nothing but the Ji family's inheritance. Lu Sisi had already sworn the Xuanjing Spirit Oath to share it, so he naturally had no interest. It was better to go to the cave dwelling on Huaqian Mountain to take a look.

The man surnamed An nodded and left with Lu Sisi driving the wind. Li Tongya turned back to Huaqian Mountain.

Huaqian Mountain was already in a mess, with cries and calls for help everywhere. A circle of Lu family members had already surrounded the cave dwelling. Seeing him fighting alongside Lu Sisi earlier, they naturally lowered their heads and called him Senior.

Li Tongya nodded, spent the time it takes to burn a stick of incense to break the cave dwelling's magic array, and walked in generously, leaving a circle of Lu family members looking at each other, having to stay outside the cave dwelling door.

Li Tongya entered the cave dwelling, and was met with a clear spring eye, flowing out continuously. Li Tongya swept his spiritual sense over it and reached into the spring to touch a few jade stones.

Putting away the jade stones first, Li Tongya didn't stop and blasted open the stone door, seeing a tea table and stone stools, with two jade bottles, one large and one small, on the table.

The small jade bottle contained Jade Bud Pills, which Li Tongya put away casually. The large jade bottle couldn't be stored. Li Tongya probed with his spiritual sense and found it contained a strand of heaven and earth spiritual energy, sharp and dazzling. Li Tongya had to tie the jade bottle to his waist.

"So the Tangjin Gate's Young Master is called Situ Yi..."

Li Tongya frowned as he finished reading, a trace of surprise slowly rising on his face, and he muttered:

"The Qingchi Sect has been moving frequently in recent years. The family must be very careful. If the Shanyue move east to invade, do not compete with them. That Great Shaman waited a hundred years to wait for this one person who can unify the Northern Foothills to serve as a sacrifice. Absolutely must not kill him. The anger of the Purple Mansion stage is not something we can bear..."

Li Tongya only felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body, his hair standing on end. He silently put the letter into his storage bag and muttered to himself:

"No wonder, no wonder Jia Nixi raided Lijing Mountain in the east and invaded the tribes of the Tangjin Gate in the north, yet no one cared, and even told us to endure for now... I'm afraid the Great Shaman paid a great price, allowing the various Shanyue branches to invade entirely to cover up Jia Nixi alone. What a ruthless, what a great scheme!"

"Sweeping through the tribes to create the only unified great tribe of the Northern Foothills in a hundred years, and then using this Son of Heaven as a sacrifice, how ruthless! Once Jia Nixi dies, I don't know how much turmoil will remain in the Northern Foothills!"

"Sweeping through all the tribes to create the only unified great clan the Northern Foothills Shanyue have seen in a hundred years, and then using this Son of Heaven's Mandate as a sacrificial offering—how truly vicious! Once Ga Nixi dies, who knows how much more turmoil the Northern Foothills will endure!"

Li Tongya only felt the sky above his head turn pitch-black. He slowly raised his head, squinting as he gazed at the ceiling of the stone chamber, as if he could see, through the layers of mountain rock and the cloudless night sky, the giant hands that were moving the pieces on the board.

(End of chapter)