Chapter 159: Killing Two Men

Chapter 159: Killing Two Men

Lingyanzi made rounds above the rippling Moongaze Lake, sustaining all the attacks of the two pursuers with his Purple Smoke Spirit Shield.

Changing his direction abruptly to return, he pondered quietly in his doubtful heart.

If that person ends up deceiving me... I'll probably die here today.

Yet, glancing back at the two from Changxiao Gate, his heart filled with dread. He gritted his teeth and flew along the mountain terrain, thinking to himself, There's no other way now but to trust him; it's death either way... Without me, my junior brothers and sisters at Purple Gale Peak will struggle.

Soon, a large white banyan tree appeared below him. Lingyanzi's eyes immediately lit up as he quickly descended, followed closely by the two from Changxiao Gate. Both men landed on the mountain without any suspicion of foul play.

"The scenery here is beautiful, it's indeed a fine final resting place!" the two men sneered.

Noticing another person under the tree, they frowned. "Who are you?! We are from Changxiao Gate on official business, please step aside," they demanded.

Li Tongya, however, focused on Lingyanzi, who looked deathly pale and on the brink of collapse. He tossed a bottle of Qi Recovery Pill to him before assuring him softly, "Please rest, fellow Daoist. Leave these two to me."

"Preposterous!"

Shocked and enraged, the two from Changxiao Gate charged forward with their dharma swords.

Li Tongya drew his sword immediately, and his Celestial Moon Slash technique formed a powerful pure white sword arc, deflecting their swords three meters away with two loud clunks.

"Your swordsmanship isn't bad."

While the martial brothers from Changxiao Gate wondered which of the three sects and seven gates he belonged to, Li Tongya took advantage of the initial stance of the Celestial Moon Slash technique and unleashed more than a dozen sword qi, overpowering them with his robust true essence.

Wary of his strength, the two were temporarily suppressed. Having chased Lingyanzi all this way, their true essence reserves were already low.

Yuyunzi, now growing anxious, communicated with Yuhezi telepathically as he assessed the situation before them.

"Junior brother! This man's background is unknown, and he's quite skilled with the sword... we don't know what other tricks he has. Perhaps we should let this one go... What a pity though, the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield was almost ours!"

Though Yuhezi was weaker in terms of cultivation, he was the decision-maker.

"Who else could this be but someone from the Li Family of Lijing?! They're well-known for their sword techniques, aren't they? These minor families usually have only one or two legacies. Don't be fooled by his superior sword technique, he surely can't match us in other aspects. We've got the upper hand; just push him away. However... let's not expose his identity as that would surely mean a fight to the death!" he responded quickly, also telepathically.

Now with renewed resolve, they stood off against Li Tongya. After a dozen moves, Yuyunzi suddenly felt a tightening sensation. His face contorted in pain as he yelled out in agony.

"It's a trick!"

His talismans spontaneously ignited without wind, and despite Yuyunzi quickly enveloping himself in several layers of light shields, a shrill whistling filled his ears. His protective shield burst as if struck by a heavy blow, sending him flying far away.

Yuyunzi cried out, his face contorted in pain.

The sword pierced through his abdomen effortlessly. As it was pulled out, his intestines and stomach spilled out immediately, causing a gory scene. Surprisingly, the blade remained unstained by blood.

Being at the Qi Cultivation Realm did not make one immune to pain. Yuyunzi trembled in agony, his complexion turning deathly pale, and he was sweating bullets.

Lingyanzi blocked Yuhezi's dharma sword and counterattacked, decapitating Yuyunzi one swift stroke. Both his body and head fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Lingyanzi, relieved and pleased, felt as though he had downed five bowls of spicy soup in one breath. His face and body was also drenched in sweat.

He approached Yuhezi, ignoring his pleas for mercy as he chopped him into pieces.

"That was truly satisfying!" Lingyanzi remarked with a laugh.

Li Tongya held his sword and looked at him, his sword technique still ready. "Quickly dissolve the formation, fellow Daoist..." he said cautiously.

Internally he pondered to himself— albeit greedily.

The Purple Smoke Spirit Shield is indeed a fascinating treasure, tempting even! Now that Lingyanzi is also nearly exhausted... perhaps...?

Lingyanzi smiled awkwardly and dissolved the formation created by the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield.

Watching Li Tongya pick up the two men's storage pouches, he quickly warned, "Absolutely not!"

Li Tongya, puzzled, glanced at him. Lingyanzi then explained softly, "Disciples of the three sects and seven gates often craft dharma tokens that, when paired with the formations on their storage pouches, record everything from the last time the storage pouch was opened. If you are not the rightful owner and you open this storage pouch, the token will vanish like smoke instantly and within moments, the entire Changxiao Gate will know who has killed their disciple!"

Li Tongya was startled, remembering that Li Chejing had also shown him such a token before when he visited his home.

Realizing the truth of Lingyanzi's words, he thought to himself, The centuries-old traditions of the three sects and seven gates do indeed have their methods. No wonder everyone fears their disciples... I was tempted by the Purple Smoke Spirit Shield but having now offended Changxiao Gate, it's better to befriend Lingyanzi!

Thus, he cupped his fist and thanked him graciously.

"Thank you for the warning."

"Not at all! It's I who should be thanking you... Along my journey, I encountered ten rogue cultivators and six families, but only the Li Family extended help. I am eternally grateful!" Lingyanzi replied earnestly, eliciting a slight smile from Li Tongya.

He thought to himself in resignation, I guess the hot potato has indeed been passed to the Li Family! Having killed these two men but being unable to open the storage pouches, I must extract something valuable from this man as compensation. I shouldn't have to labor in vain!

As Li Xuanfeng descended from the air, Li Tongya cupped his fist and suggested with a smile, "Why don't you come along with me to Li Residence for a visit?"

Lingyanzi initially intended to refuse but then thought to himself, If he had wanted to kill me, it was just a matter of a sword thrust earlier; he wouldn't have needed to lure me into their formation for that... It seems he genuinely wants to befriend me. Perhaps I should accept the invitation?