Chapter 459: Li Mufeng

Guiyun Square, in a magnificent, tall, and gorgeous palace.

The Jin Dan Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect stationed in Guiyun Square, Lu Boyang, was sitting upright in the center of the palace, meditating with his eyes closed.

Lu Boyang, who had cultivated for nearly four hundred years, could be considered an old-established Jin Dan True Person within the Xiaoyao Sect. A hundred years ago, during the last Northern Frontier demon beast turmoil, it was he who led the cultivators of the entire Jiangling County of the Wei State to block the attack of the White Lion Demon King at Huoyun Mountain in Pingyang County, and he even once recaptured the Gold Mountain Square that had been occupied by demon beasts.

If it were not for finally encountering the sneak attack of the cunning demon king Nine-Patterned Dragon during the last demon beast turmoil, Lu Boyang should have been able to easily guard this battlefield in the northeast of the Wei State, and the entire Gold Mountain Square battlefield would not have suffered such heavy losses in the end.

Compared to Lu Boyang's cultivation base of only the fourth layer of Jin Dan a hundred years ago, he had now cultivated to the sixth layer of Jin Dan, and his strength had improved quite a bit compared to back then.

However, a cultivation speed like Lu Boyang's is not very outstanding among Jin Dan cultivators. It is estimated that it will be difficult for him to break through to the late stage of Jin Dan in his lifetime, let alone dream of attempting the Nascent Soul realm.

Just as Lu Boyang was meditating and cultivating, a white sound-transmission talisman suddenly flew in from outside the door and fell into his hand.

Lu Boyang, whose cultivation was interrupted, opened his eyes, looked at the sound-transmission talisman somewhat displeased, and then raised his hand to cast a spell to remove the restriction at the palace gate.

"Qingyun, come in!"

Following Lu Boyang's voice, a young-looking gray-clad man walked quickly into the palace and stepped forward to bow respectfully to Lu Boyang.

"Master, Junior Brother Liu Yuan just reported that he saw a strange Jin Dan cultivator passing by toward the south at Chiyan Mountain, and this person's appearance was strange; it did not seem to be any other elder of the sect."

After listening to the words from the gray-clad man's mouth, Lu Boyang pondered for a moment and stood up with a strange expression, "Apart from Junior Brother Chen, who is traveling and has not yet returned, all other elders have been in the sect recently. How could someone suddenly come to the north? Could it be that that person from Tiexian Fortress has come out again?

Go call Liu Yuan over and have him tell me the detailed situation of what he saw again, to see if it is the Ma family making trouble again."

After the gray-clad man went out for a while, he soon brought another Xiaoyao Sect cultivator with the same attire back into the palace. This person was precisely the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Xiaoyao Sect who had happened to see Song Qingming passing by not long ago.

——

Xiaoyao Sect, in a hidden cave dwelling on the top of Mount Tiangu in the Guyang Mountain Range.

The spiritual energy in this cave dwelling was very rich, having already reached a fourth-tier mid-quality spirit vein. It was the best place for cultivation on the entire Mount Guyang and was also the seclusion cave dwelling of the only Nascent Soul cultivator of the Xiaoyao Sect, the Supreme Elder Li Mufeng.

At this moment, another Jin Dan cultivator was also sitting in Li Mufeng's cave dwelling: the Sect Master of the Xiaoyao Sect, Yao Qianshu.

Compared to the ruddy-faced Li Mufeng, Yao Qianshu's complexion was very poor, looking as if he had suffered no light injuries.

"Qianshu, this Snow Lotus Pill will be of some use for the injuries on your body. Take it first and seize the time to regulate your injuries, striving for an early recovery."

After taking the red elixir from Li Mufeng's hand, Yao Ganshu said with a look of shame: "It is all because my own aptitude is dull. Both attempts to break through to Nascent Soul ended in failure, and I have even caused Elder Song Qing to go out and find healing elixirs for me. I truly feel very sorry in my heart."

"Supporting you to achieve Nascent Soul was a thought that everyone and I discussed and considered repeatedly. Qianshu, do not harbor guilt because of this, as it will also be unfavorable to your future cultivation."

Hearing the patient words of comfort from Li Mufeng beside him, Yao Qianshu still found it difficult to let go. He sighed and said, "Now that the Northern Frontier demon beast turmoil is approaching, Senior Brother Wu is no longer here, and I am temporarily unable to contribute to the sect because of my failed Nascent Soul breakthrough. This time, I am afraid it will be very difficult for our Wei State to smoothly pass through this demon beast turmoil."

"If the Nascent Soul spirit items this time had not been wasted on me but left for Junior Sister Bai, the sect would not have fallen into the current predicament."

Li Mufeng waved his hand and said, "Stay here and recuperate well. Do not think too much about things outside. I have already sent people to contact the Xuanyue Sect and the Zhenyang Gate. When the time comes, if the war is tight, at worst, we can first give up some benefits from the south to them and deal with this demon beast turmoil first."

Hearing that Li Mufeng had already made a decision in his heart, Yao Qianshu opened his mouth but did not say anything more. He nodded lightly, swallowed the "Snow Lotus Pill" he had just obtained, and began to control his magic power to refine this very precious high-tier elixir in his body.

Seeing this, Li Mufeng nodded with satisfaction, walked out of the cave dwelling, and turned his gaze toward the distant north of the Wei State.

Over the past hundred years, the Xiaoyao Sect had received many intelligence reports, and there were many more high-tier demon beasts in the north, which also put increasing pressure on the Xiaoyao Sect, which controlled the Wei State.

Compared to the increasingly powerful demon beast side, the entire Wei State cultivation world had been very unfavorable in recent decades. The lifespan of Ancestor Chen of Tuoyun Mountain was not much left, and it was basically determined that he could not take action to participate in the war.

Added to the fact that over a dozen years ago, a powerful late-stage Jin Dan elder in the Xiaoyao Sect passed away, and Sect Master Yao Qianshu of the Xiaoyao Sect had not yet recovered from his injuries because of his failed breakthrough to Nascent Soul ten years ago, the Wei State side had suddenly lost three powerful late-stage Jin Dan combat forces in the past twenty years, and its own strength was actually much weaker than a hundred years ago.

Back at Jin Yu Mountain, Li Mufeng witnessed the celestial phenomena of a Nascent Soul tribulation. Now that there was another Nascent Soul demon emperor in the north of the Wei State, although the agreement between Jin Yu Mountain and the Xiaoyao Sect still existed, it was already precarious. This was also the real reason why Li Mufeng was eager to support Yao Qianshu to break through to Nascent Soul.

Standing on Mount Guyang now, Li Mufeng also felt somewhat emotional that the sect's fortune had been somewhat unfavorable over these years. Among so many Jin Dan cultivators in the sect, the only ones who still had a chance to break through to Nascent Soul were Yao Qianshu and Bai Yuxian.

Although Bai Yuxian had better talent, her cultivation time was short, and her cultivation base was still at the eighth layer of Jin Dan. Not long ago, she had just begun seclusion to prepare to break through to the ninth layer of Jin Dan, and there was still some distance from the step of Core Formation.

Sect Master Yao Qianshu's cultivation base had already been cultivated to the peak of Jin Dan over a hundred years ago, and his conditions in all aspects had already satisfied the breakthrough to Nascent Soul. It was just that over the past hundred years, Yao Qianshu had attempted Nascent Soul breakthrough twice in succession, but both failed, and he could not even trigger the Nascent Soul thunder tribulation.

Now Yao Qianshu's lifespan was also approaching five hundred years, and among Jin Dan cultivators, he could be considered someone whose potential was exhausted. Thinking about it, this Sect Master of the Xiaoyao Sect should not have another chance to break through to Nascent Soul.

After standing on the top of Mount Guyang and pondering for a moment, Li Mufeng sighed and turned to come to the General Affairs Palace of the Xiaoyao Sect.

The one on duty here was the General Affairs Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect, True Person Daoist Guangling. His lifespan was even greater than that of Sect Master Yao Qianshu, and his cultivation base was only at the fifth layer of Jin Dan. He was now the oldest Jin Dan cultivator within the Xiaoyao Sect.

Since achieving Core Formation, True Person Daoist Guangling's personal path had been very unfavorable. It took him more than two hundred years after Core Formation to barely break through to the mid-stage of Jin Dan. Precisely because he knew his potential was already exhausted, he took on the most busy errand of the General Affairs Palace of the sect early on.

"Uncle-Master Li, Junior Brother Lu from Guiyun Square sent news yesterday using a ten-thousand-mile sound-transmission talisman that someone saw a strange Jin Dan cultivator passing by toward Jiangling County near Guiyun Square." Seeing the figure of Li Mufeng who appeared suddenly, True Person Daoist Guangling, whose complexion already showed signs of old age, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

After listening, Li Mufeng showed doubt and asked, "A strange Jin Dan cultivator? Now that the demon beast turmoil is approaching, major sects around are all preparing for war. There shouldn't be any Jin Dan cultivator from another sect who has the leisure to go around in the Fuyun Mountain Range at this time, right? Did Boyang make a mistake over there?"

Hearing Li Mufeng's suspicion, True Person Daoist Guangling shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Lu has confirmed it repeatedly in the letter. Although this person's escape speed is not fast and it seems he has just achieved Core Formation not long ago, he is indeed a genuine Jin Dan cultivator. Besides a loose cultivator near Guiyun Square who saw this person's traces, there was also a Foundation Establishment disciple of the sect. I think it should not be wrong."

"Now that the situation is unstable, I do not know what purpose this person has in going to Jiangling County. You first send news to several squares over there and let them pay attention to whether there are traces of strange Jin Dan cultivators recently.

Also, notify the Law Enforcement Hall and let Wutong send a few disciples to Jiangling County to check. In case this person comes with ill intent, we must also make preparations as early as possible, so as to avoid being taken advantage of by others when the time comes." Li Mufeng gave a serious instruction.

Now that the demon beast turmoil is imminent, the Xiaoyao Sect's own situation is already somewhat bad, and there is another strange Jin Dan cultivator appearing within the territory of the Wei State. Li Mufeng also had a trace of hidden worry in his heart.

After True Person Daoist Guangling responded, he hesitated for a moment and then said, "Uncle-Master Li, there is one more thing. That is, Tiexian Fortress has sent news to us again, urging us to send people over to help them as soon as possible. Do you think we should give them an answer this time?"

Hearing the mention of Tiexian Fortress from True Person Daoist Guangling's mouth, Li Mufeng's expression changed slightly, and he replied impolitely:

"Hmph! Usually, they only think about the little bit of things in their own bowls. Now that they have encountered difficulties, they know to reach out to the sect. Do not worry about them for now. Just casually reply with a letter to Ma Hongshan to appease him. After we have repelled the demon beasts at Guiyun Square, we will send people to support them then."

——

Although he had only achieved Core Formation not long ago, Song Qingming's escape speed already far exceeded that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. After crossing Guiyun Square and entering the territory controlled by the Wei State cultivation world, seeing that the cultivators below were gradually increasing, Song Qingming's heart also gradually settled down.

Nearly six years had passed since he went to the Fuyun Mountain Range for seclusion and Core Formation. He was truly somewhat worried about what was happening outside. Especially on the way back from the pool-bottom cave dwelling, he did not even see a single cultivator's shadow, which made Song Qingming nervous for a long time.

What Song Qingming never expected was that he hid in the depths of the Fuyun Mountain Range for Core Formation, only to have it rumored that a demon beast had advanced to a demon king, which even affected the demon beasts near the White Water River to migrate south.

Having caused such a big influence on himself, Song Qingming also felt somewhat helpless in his heart. He had hidden in the pool-bottom cave dwelling for six years of seclusion. Song Qingming was completely unaware of what had happened outside over these years and only learned some situations after asking Hu Yu and the others just now.

Fortunately, as Song Qingming expected, the Northern Frontier demon beast turmoil had not yet arrived. He did not need to worry about the safety of the Song family. Now that Song Qingming had broken through to the Jin Dan realm, he also had enough strength to protect the family to safely pass through this demon beast turmoil.

Funiu Mountain, in the Song family's council hall.