Chapter 689 501 Witch Mountain Affair

Li Xijun had been in seclusion for several years, refining his spells and consolidating his Immortal Foundation. When he emerged, Jade Court Peak was influenced by his Immortal Foundation's "Songshan Snow," and the snow that originally capped the peak had spread downwards, enveloping the whole mountain in a vast expanse of frost and snow.

By the time he came out of seclusion, the sun was shining brilliantly, and all kinds of vegetation were thriving robustly. Indeed, he saw several letters brought up to him, all sent by Li Xizhi. Li Xijun had not even had a chance to read them when he heard that Li Xuanfeng was already waiting in Qingdu Mountain.

He had no choice but to hurry over on the wind, while hastily pulling out the two letters to take a closer look. One letter detailed changes in the Spirit Mechanism of heaven and earth, and the other mentioned increased turmoil in the East Sea.

'Individuals of Direct Lineage from Pure Unity Taoism and Dushan Island have died; several members of the Guo Family on Red Reef Island have also perished suddenly…'

He only glanced over it briefly before stuffing the letters into his sleeve and flying to the top of the mountain.

"Uncle has returned quite frequently! It seems the Ning Family either has granted some favor... or they have assigned him some task."

Li Xijun had been keeping track of the timing of these matters. He was astute, and knowing that Li Xuanfeng's returns often carried an air of repeated admonitions, he tried to probe but did not dare to ask too much.

Now, passing through the azure Five Waters Barrier Formation, he landed back on Qingdu Mountain. Li Xuanfeng stood in the hall with his arms folded, with Li Chengliao standing below. Li Xijun only took one glance and said in a resounding voice:

"Ancestor, what has happened!"

Li Xuanfeng had already broken through to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. His expression was not as frowning and somber as before but appeared rigid. However, his chest armor was covered with luminescent white scars from a blade, and the Golden Armor on his left arm was broken into two pieces, revealing the shimmering cut surface of the underside.

A deep scar marred his cheek, stretching from his jawline to his collarbone; the mark was a translucent blood-red, glistening in the sunlight as if it had recently been joined, looking rather ferocious.

Li Xuanfeng paused for a moment, made a slight gesture with his hand—his injury had been concealed with an Illusion Technique, but since this junior had cultivated the Pupil Technique, he saw right through it, so Li Xuanfeng casually said:

"It's just a few minor wounds left by a fight with a demon beast."

Having killed numerous demonic beasts in the Southern Border for decades and numerous people in the past ten years, Li Xuanfeng's hands were stained with blood. Although most were enemies and those deserved to die, there were innocents among them. Yet, compelled by circumstances, he ultimately closed his eyes and killed.

The list included only a few surviving families. The old and cunning Xiao Family had sealed their mountain early; the dissolute youth of Red Reef Island had their heads taken by others, and almost everyone else died at his hand. The storage bags that were tightly tied to the Jade Talisman were piled up in his East Sea Cave Mansion.

Fortunately, the Jade Talisman was indeed extraordinary, and the people he killed were carefully selected, so his actions hadn't been discovered. Instead, it incited conflicts among several Noble Families of Foundation Establishment, leading them to believe it was a vengeance killing, resulting in a ground littered with their dead.

'Now my hands are stained with dirty blood!'

Li Xuanfeng's temperament differed from his elder brother Li Xuanxuan's. The more he was immersed in blood and vengeance, the more he exhibited an iron-like rigidity. His resolve was as strong as iron; only when Li Tongya died did it crumble once. Now, the more it was hammered, the more unyieldable it becomes.

He was not one for self-pity. The debts and enmity were deeply etched in his memory, to the point that his face and inner self were cleansed of any vanity or arrogance, revealing a somber enlightenment. However, beneath lay a vaguely ferocious indifference, making him appear somewhat unrefined.

Seeing Li Xuanfeng's reticent demeanor, Li Xijun dared not ask further, feeling that there was something different about him. Li Xuanfeng deflected the conversation with a question:

"With the Ning Family's calculations, after such turmoil, South River is now 'Superior Spiritual Repository,' conducive to the cultivation of Earth Virtue, Devil Cultivators, Mansion Water, and Blood Qi. It is neither harmful nor beneficial to our family, understanding this is sufficient."

Li Xijun nodded, assuming that Li Xizhi's letter must have also contained a record of this. He listened as Li Xuanfeng continued:

"Stay at home more these two years. Zhouwei is intelligent and there's no need to rush the matters of the past sixty years. Do not let him spend all his days solely on cultivation. Let him experience the world, see some blood, lest he grows twisted and becomes a frivolous scion who only knows how to fight."

Li Xijun naturally agreed and then saw Li Xuanfeng retrieve a Jade Slip from the beast head on his belt, softly saying:

"This is a Halberd Technique I've taken a long time to select. After careful deliberation, I obtained it from a treasure in a cave dwelling in the East Sea and traded it with an East Sea power. It's a Halberd Technique that grows more domineering with practice, and it seems suitable for Zhouwei. Hand it over to him."

Li Xijun accepted it but had no time to examine it when someone from below came forward, reporting:

"Sir, the ancestor Fei Luoya has come to visit."

On the side, Li Chengliao listened intently for a long time. Now with a chance to interject, he reminded:

"Eighth Uncle, this person has come many times... You were in seclusion during his previous visits, so we had to send him away. Shanyue doesn't have a good temper, and his impatience is growing."

Li Xijun remembered the man; Shanyue had always hoped to receive support from the Li Family's Zifu. Since the days of Li Yuanjiao, they had been putting him off. Counting the years, this old Shanyue had now cultivated to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Instantly, Li Xijun looked towards Li Xuanfeng, whispering:

"What about this matter..."

Li Xuanfeng understood naturally. The only one from the Li Family who truly had the backing of Zifu was himself. He nodded and said:

"Let's go and see."

...

Li Xijun left Qingdu Mountain and entered the hall, where Shanyue stood in the center with his hands behind his back. His hair was disheveled, though he was oddly dressed in a Taoist Robe, and stood chillingly in the courtyard.

Upon seeing Li Xijun, Shanyue's expression softened slightly, and he said in a heavy tone:

"Are you the one in charge now?"

Fei Luoya seemed to have softened somewhat. He had met Li Tongya and Li Yuanjiao before, having seen several ancestors of the Li Family change over a hundred years, and despite hearing they all died for the clan, he couldn't understand but felt some admiration, he asked: