Chapter 186: Encounter with Li Yongfeng – Learning the Latest Intelligence

Chapter 186: Encounter with Li Yongfeng – Learning the Latest Intelligence

Hezhou was vast—riding a Flying Sword, it would still take several days to traverse from north to south.

Yet Hezhou was also small. Before Xiao Chen had even left Wan Hua Valley, he encountered Li Yongfeng, the head of the Huidong Merchant Guild.

Li Yongfeng wasn’t alone. Three Foundation Building cultivators, their auras carefully concealed, hurried southward along Shuangxia Ridge alongside him.

They moved swiftly—ordinary cultivators couldn’t hope to keep pace.

But for Xiao Chen, this posed no challenge.

Using the Zongdi Jinguang to weave through the forests below, he even managed to cloak his presence entirely.

Strangely, Li Yongfeng seemed to be heading toward Qingxiao Sect as well. He hadn’t paused once along the way until finally, after exiting Wan Hua Valley and entering Qingxiao Sect’s territory, their pace slowed.

Then, splitting into pairs, they separated and rushed toward different directions.

With their group now smaller, Xiao Chen seized the opportunity. He accelerated suddenly, intercepting Li Yongfeng.

Three streaks of light instantly formed a Lesser Trinity Sword Array, trapping the unknown Foundation Building cultivator within.

At the same time, Xiao Chen hurled the Binding Immortal Rope forward.

The rope seemed to come alive, snaking directly toward Li Yongfeng.

“You dare to betray us?!”

Unexpectedly, the unknown Foundation Building cultivator turned sharply toward Li Yongfeng, glaring furiously. “The sect leader once saved your life—will you now become a petty traitor?!”

As he spoke, he produced a circular bone shield, barely blocking the sword array’s deadly force.

His aura, now unmasked, revealed the peak of the Foundation Building realm.

Xiao Chen inwardly confirmed his suspicions. He had deliberately avoided confronting all four at once, fearing exactly this scenario might cause his prey to escape.

But now, with one trapped in the array, success was assured.

Meanwhile, Li Yongfeng immediately recognized the Binding Immortal Rope, his heart jolting with alarm.

Quickly, he retrieved a Jade Talisman from his robes, flicking it between his fingers. “Freeze!”

The talisman transformed into a golden light technique, enveloping the Binding Immortal Rope and halting its advance.

He hastily explained, “Fellow cultivator Jingcheng, don’t misunderstand—I have no connection to this villain.”

Simultaneously, he produced a treasure pearl and raised it aloft, demanding, “I am the Huidong Merchant Guild’s leader—state your identity!”

Xiao Chen glanced at the golden light technique above.

He had expected this. As guild leader, Li Yongfeng naturally possessed defensive measures.

But it hardly mattered—Xiao Chen had never expected the Binding Immortal Rope to succeed in one strike.

Without a word, he drew his Golden Melon Thunder Hammer and charged forward.

There would be time to negotiate after subduing him.

“Brave move!”

Seeing Xiao Chen rush forward, Li Yongfeng waved his hand, conjuring a brilliant white magic shield.

Its shimmering surface radiated a sky-blue barrier, encasing him in protection.

Then, he retrieved an orange-red Magic Bead, chanting a spell rapidly before hurling it forward.

The bead erupted in a burst of flame, forming a fiery orange curtain blocking his path.

“Hua-la~!”

The Golden Melon Thunder Hammer struck the flames like a stone hitting water.

Instantly, sparks flew in all directions, scorching the hammer’s head red and releasing wisps of white smoke.

When the flames hit the murky water round shield, they crackled violently, like water droplets sizzling in hot oil.

Even behind the shield, Xiao Chen felt the temperature double in an instant.

Clearly, this was no ordinary spirit flame—it must be a specialized fire essence.

Xiao Chen immediately activated the Treasure Gourd of Hidden Flame, drawing the fire curtain inward.

Thankfully, the gourd performed reliably, absorbing most of the flames.

Though the Magic Bead continued spewing new spirit flames, it now revealed large gaps.

As the flames were absorbed, Li Yongfeng felt his dantian mana deplete rapidly.

He hastily retracted the Magic Bead, dispersing the fire curtain.

Staring at the Treasure Gourd of Hidden Flame hovering above, he muttered, “What a treasure!”

Though Xiao Chen concealed himself with the Cloak of Hidden Tracks, artifacts like this were rare.

Li Yongfeng memorized the gourd’s appearance—such a top-grade magic artifact would help identify its owner.

Without pausing, he retrieved a jade vial from his sleeve.

Channeling mana, the palm-sized vial expanded to six feet tall, hovering midair before inverting.

A torrent of water poured from its mouth, enveloping both the vial and Li Yongfeng.

Spirit flames had failed—now he turned to Spirit Water.

Li Yongfeng’s combat style was methodical. He always established at least two layers of defense before launching an attack.

This approach was passive but stable.

Even stealthy techniques like the Soul-Chasing Shuttle or Soul Severing Needle would struggle to bypass multiple defenses.

It also effectively blocked physical cultivators’ charges.

The water waves seemed mundane, but the spiritual pressure radiating from them rivaled the earlier spirit flames.

Such a cautious style was rare, but Xiao Chen remained unfazed.

He retreated slightly, beginning to deploy his various top-grade magic artifacts.

If this became a mana-draining contest, he was confident he’d outlast his opponent.

As numerous top-grade magic artifacts emerged, Li Yongfeng’s expression shifted.

“Xiao Chen!”

There was no doubt. Across Hezhou, only one Foundation Building cultivator could command such an arsenal.

He glanced toward the other side. “Fellow cultivator Jingcheng, you know I’ve never associated with other Li Zhou cultivators.”

Meanwhile, Wang Jingcheng, trapped in the sword array, witnessed the scene.

His initial surprise quickly turned to fury.

His eyes flashed with resolve. “Xiao Chen, you killed the White Bone Gate’s saint child and now dare confront me?!”

“Today, I’ll sacrifice my life to ensure your death here!”

“Fellow cultivator Li, hold him off—I’ll notify the other two cultivators!”

He retrieved a “Holy Pill” and swallowed it without hesitation.

“Death is not an end—it is my rebirth!”

“Aaaaaa~!”

Amidst agonized screams, white bones erupted from Wang Jingcheng’s body.

Withdrawing into the Lesser Trinity Sword Array, he transformed into a bone giant several zhang tall.

Li Yongfeng, startled, first heard the news of Xiao Chen killing the White Bone Gate’s saint child.

But his shock quickly turned to delight—this bone giant could buy him time to escape.

He retrieved a Spirit-Sealing Talisman, pressing it to his chest to mask his aura.

Then, he decisively fled southward.

Xiao Chen initially thought Li Yongfeng had lost his mind.

After all, he was renowned for escape techniques. Just four months ago, he’d defeated a White Bone Gate giant at Qingyang Mountain.

What made Li Yongfeng think he’d succeed now?

Spotting Li Yongfeng’s position, Xiao Chen activated his Zongdi Jinguang, chasing after him in a golden flash.

But in the next moment, a faster white streak blocked his path.

“Die! All of you die!”

The bone giant’s roar rasped like grinding decayed wood.

Yet its attack was formidable.

The massive bone palm struck first with a powerful gust.

Thankfully, Xiao Chen’s Zongdi Jinguang had reached Grand Mastery—its fluid control allowed him to veer sideways at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike.

How could it be this fast?

The last White Bone Gate giant had been clumsy.

Now, he noticed the bone giant had shrunk slightly.

Its legs, once a single piece, were now composed of countless thin bones.

Its lower body resembled two massive grasshopper legs.

In truth, while the White Bone Gate’s Holy Pill robbed cultivators of reason, they retained awareness during transformation.

Most endured the pain passively to avoid worsening their condition.

But Wang Jingcheng knew Xiao Chen’s escape speed.

Enduring excruciating pain, he altered the transformation—sacrificing strength for speed to trap Xiao Chen.

“A different form? No wonder the White Bone Gate relies on this as their foundation.”

Xiao Chen marveled as the bone giant lunged again.

He dodged left, then sharply veered right, using his agility to evade.

This enhanced bone giant reacted only slightly slower than him, its burst speed terrifying.

He’d need full effort to dodge—no time to pursue Li Yongfeng.

Meanwhile, Li Yongfeng vanished into the horizon, becoming a distant speck.

If he escaped, Xiao Chen’s identity would be exposed.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Chen retracted all his magic artifacts, leaving only a Golden Armor Technique on his body.

From his storage bag, he retrieved the Secret-Forged Round Scale Shield, gripping its handle firmly.

As the bone giant charged again, he steeled himself, halting midair without dodging, adjusting his angle slightly.

“Peng!”

In an instant, he was struck by a monstrous force, soaring backward.

The bone giant’s punch surpassed ordinary Foundation Building cultivators’ strength, capable of shattering even top-tier defensive artifacts.

But the Secret-Forged Round Scale Shield, a supreme defensive treasure, absorbed the blow.

Though dented deeply, it held.

Xiao Chen, leveraging his Foundation Building Late Stage Body Tempering realm, gripped the shield tightly.

The impact propelled him backward—no, hurled him backward.

Without blocking or dispersing the force, he became a streak of light, his speed doubling beyond his Zongdi Jinguang’s maximum.

“Xiu!”

He soared past Li Yongfeng, overtaking him by three li in an instant.

Had he not deliberately slowed, the gap would’ve been greater.

“Hiss~!”

It hurt.

His hands ached from gripping the shield, his chest felt tight from the impact.

Only his Body Tempering foundation, Gold Attribute, Tiger Bone, and abundant vitality spared him serious injury.

Another cultivator—even a Foundation Building Ninth Layer body cultivator—would’ve perished.

The Secret-Forged Round Scale Shield, now ruined after mere days of use, was a pity.

Discarding the mangled shield, he drew his Flying Sword.

“Fellow cultivator Li, don’t rush off. We’ve much to discuss.”

Li Yongfeng, fleeing at full speed, suddenly felt something “swoosh” past him.

At first, he couldn’t see clearly.

Looking closer, he spotted a dented shield—then two legs beneath it.

What the hell was this?!

Startled, he halted, finally seeing Xiao Chen behind the shield.

Even more terrifying!

How could he be this fast?!

The speed just now was several dozen times faster than Li Yongfeng's full-speed evasion.

Not even a flicker of Evasion Light appeared—what kind of escape technique was that?

How could such a rapid escape technique even exist in this world?

Before he could ponder further, three streaks of light landed beside him, forming a sword array.

"Wait, Cultivator Xiao, wait!"

Li Yongfeng raised a magic shield while shouting, "You and I have no past grudges or recent conflicts. Why are you targeting me today?"

"The Lihuo Sect is also an orthodox sect. Since you suddenly attacked me, at least give me a reason!"

Hmm?

This question momentarily caught Xiao Chen off guard.

This was the first time someone had directly asked him for justification before attacking. He’d never encountered this before.

But from Li Yongfeng’s perspective, walking peacefully and suddenly facing an unprovoked assault must have left him bewildered.

"Since you’re asking so earnestly, I’ll graciously explain."

Xiao Chen had a legitimate reason: "The Huidong Merchant Guild is colluding with the Divine Flame Cult."

"As their leader, you secretly aided the Divine Flame Cult in gathering sacrifices. I, as a Demon-Slaying Guard, am now holding you accountable. Is this reason sufficient?"

Li Yongfeng’s face stiffened at these words.

But he quickly countered, "Cultivator Xiao, do you have evidence of my collusion with the Divine Flame Cult?"

Hmm?

Xiao Chen almost laughed aloud. Was the opponent trying to play word games?

He had no patience for this: "Enough nonsense! Whether you secretly aided the demonic sects is clear to your own conscience!"

With that, he activated the sword array, beginning its deadly rotation.

"Cultivator Xiao, without evidence, you’re attempting to kill an innocent man. Doesn’t your conscience ache for this?"

Li Yongfeng parried the sword qi while attempting persuasion: "Now that Yu Sha Cultivator has perished and Sword-Bearer Zhenren is gravely wounded, we’re desperate for manpower."

"Yet you turn your blade against your own allies. Are you deliberately aiding the enemy?"

Xiao Chen truly hesitated this time.

He wasn’t so naive as to care about Li Yongfeng’s moral accusations. But the news of Yu Sha Cultivator’s demise—could it be true?

Back at Xianghe Bazaar, rumors had circulated, but they were dismissed as unreliable chatter among cultivators.

Now, recalling the anomalies at Xunmei Mountain, the orthodox Dao factions indeed seemed understaffed. Even Qianzhu Zhenren had joined the battle, yet one Zhenren was still missing.

The Divine Flame Cult’s bold assault on a third-tier formation, unafraid of ambushes, further hinted at this.

The Li Province might soon descend into chaos.

Though the Li Province’s Three Great Sects occasionally held the Three Sects Competition, appearing harmonious, this truce only extended to Lian Qi Stage disciples. The middle and high ranks harbored deep rivalries.

After all, the province’s spirit mines, fields, and veins were finite. If one sect claimed more, another inevitably lost out. The only reason open conflict hadn’t erupted was mutual deterrence—fearing mutual destruction would let the third sect profit.

If Yu Sha Cultivator truly perished, the safety of the other two Zhenrens became critical.

Especially Mingyan Zhenren—so long as he remained unharmed, balance could hold. But if he, too, were injured, the Cangyan Sect would dominate unchallenged.

"Hmph, no time to dwell on this."

Shaking his head, Xiao Chen focused on intensifying the sword array’s assault.

Thankfully, the distant, mindless White Bone Giant hadn’t followed here.

After exhausting Li Yongfeng’s defensive magic artifacts, he easily captured him.

Eager for interrogation, Xiao Chen immediately employed the "Blood Earthworm" secret technique.

Fifteen minutes later, he obtained crucial intelligence.

The Huidong Merchant Guild maintained multiple intelligence channels. Their network revealed that Xunmei Mountain and Luoyan Mountain had recently fallen due to lack of Golden Core defenders.

Wangyan Mountain was completely besieged, its forces retreating to fortified positions with help from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Wan Hua Valley.

To the east of Yuan Ci Peak, demonic cultivators roamed freely, slaughtering low-level cultivators and civilians.

The Spirit Origin Sect’s intelligence reported Yu Sha Cultivator’s tragic demise, Sword-Bearer Zhenren’s injuries, and the other Zhenrens’ safety.

But the Divine Flame Cult’s intel painted a grimmer picture: Yu Sha Cultivator critically wounded, Sword-Bearer Zhenren’s fate unknown, and Mingyan Zhenren, Lei Yin Zhenren, and Yao Hua Zhenren all injured.

Xiao Chen frowned deeply. The situation had deteriorated sharply.

What truly happened within the Yellow Spring Palace?

Originally, the situation wouldn’t have been so dire, but both sides were unaware the legacy and Spirit Herb had vanished.

Seeing the Divine Flame Cult’s geographical advantage, they rushed to search the underground palace first.

In desperation, Sword-Bearer Zhenren charged inside to seize the legacy.

Nie Jing Zhenren immediately unleashed his ultimate technique—the Karmic Mirror Hell.

Three karmic mirrors materialized nearby, each producing a manifestation modeled after Sword-Bearer Zhenren.

The orthodox Dao side hadn’t known Niejing Zhenren’s title beforehand. Even the Divine Flame Cult’s Foundation Building cultivators only recognized him as their leader.

The mirrors’ locations were shrouded in demonic qi, hiding them from the orthodox Dao Golden Cores.

When three apparent Demonic Dao Golden Core presences suddenly emerged, the orthodox Dao Zhenrens assumed an ambush.

Jin Jian Zhenren fled first, bolting out of the Yellow Spring Palace.

Lei Yin Zhenren didn’t retreat immediately, instead risking himself to rescue Sword-Bearer Zhenren.

The result? Sword-Bearer Zhenren, a sword cultivator, broke free at the cost of his life-bound flying sword.

Yao Hua Zhenren lost his legacy spiritual artifact, Yu Sha Cultivator was gravely wounded during a breakthrough attempt, ambushed by Poison Sha Zhenren’s hidden strike.

Lei Yin Zhenren and Mingyan Zhenren both sustained injuries, while Jin Jian Zhenren alone preserved his strength.

These details were immediately suppressed, never reaching the public.

Only the Divine Flame Cult, seeking to demoralize orthodox Dao cultivators, secretly instructed the Huidong Merchant Guild to leak rumors.

The situation was worse than Xiao Chen feared.

At this rate, Wangyan Mountain would soon fall. The Spirit Origin Sect faced annihilation.

Meanwhile, the Cangyan Sect’s dominance was absolute. The Li Province might soon erupt into chaos.

"Cultivator Xiao, I beg you, spare me!"

Li Yongfeng pleaded: "I’ve told you all the intelligence I know!"

Xiao Chen exhaled deeply, organizing his thoughts.

Then he asked, "So why did you come to Qingxiao Sect this time?"

"What’s your relationship with the White Bone Gate?"

Li Yongfeng explained, "White Bone Gate cultivators suddenly approached me. I didn’t even know their purpose."

"We’ve only had some minor collaborations."

Xiao Chen pressed, "What kind of collaborations?"

Li Yongfeng hesitated: "Normal transactions—spirit herbs, pill ingredients, and such."

Without a word, Xiao Chen summoned the Blood Earthworm again.

"No! I’ll confess everything!"

Li Yongfeng trembled: "I supplied White Bone Gate with Vital Blood, some purchased with spirit stones, others harvested directly."

"I occasionally provided intelligence too, but I was truly caught off guard!"

"They sent three Foundation Building Peaks with Holy Pills to threaten me!"

"The one earlier was among them. The other two left only recently."

"I really know nothing else!"

At this, Li Yongfeng regretted his decision. If only he’d kept those two White Bone Giants with him!

"If you know nothing else, then it’s time to depart."

Xiao Chen beheaded Li Yongfeng with one sword stroke, retrieved the storage bag, and glanced at the distant White Bone Giant mindlessly slaughtering everything nearby. Without lingering, he donned his cloak and swiftly departed.

He needed caution now—avoiding Qingxiao Sect’s Golden Core Zhenren.

He’d find local contacts to infiltrate the spirit vein discreetly.

Xiao Chen had already decided to disguise himself as a cultivator, claiming to prospect for spirit veins.

After all, the supervisors would likely be Foundation Building cultivators—easily deceived.

Once inside, tracking malevolent qi would be simple.

Yet after traveling five hundred kilometers, he noticed anomalies.

The forests teemed with numerous Cultivation Great Perfection cultivators—some hiding, others fleeing northward.

The closer to the south, the more numerous they became, including Lian Qi Stage 7 and even Foundation Building Sixth Layer cultivators.

This was strange. Qingyang County’s cultivators fled demonic threats, but what were these cultivators doing?

Soon, Xiao Chen even saw groups of Lian Qi Stage 4 cultivators departing together.

He immediately used the Seal Acupoint and Conceal Breath Technique to disguise himself as a Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator: "Esteemed cultivators, what’s happening? Why is everyone heading north?"

The three intercepted cultivators frowned initially but quickly switched to smiles upon sensing Xiao Chen’s deliberate Cultivation Great Perfection aura.

"Senior, we only heard rumors."

"There’s a claim that Qingxiao Sect has been annihilated."

"They say the entire Qingxiao Mountain has become a Demon Domain. Everyone’s fleeing to Wan Hua Valley for refuge."

"Senior, we don’t know the details, but everyone’s spreading this."

What nonsense?

Qingxiao Sect destroyed?

Wait, let me process this.

Xiao Chen felt like he’d misheard, but after double-checking with others, the answer remained the same.

"Fellow cultivator, this rumor’s been widespread for days. Many cultivators have already reached Wan Hua Valley."

"It’s been four days, and Qingxiao Sect hasn’t denied it. Whether true or not, it’s time to flee!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end