Chapter 611 458: The Courtyard

Situ Chen's features were rather handsome, his nose high and straight, bearing a few traces of resemblance to that Situ Mo. His entire body was wreathed in surging flames, coils of black-red Qi twining about him.

The flames enveloping him were most unusual, conjuring into myriad forms of birds at his side, formidable in power, forcefully shattering every streak of thunder that struck forth, while his twin blades danced fiercely like a violent gale.

The surrounding few, seeing this, hesitated openly—neither Miao Ye nor Situ Chen were ones to be trifled with. If the two clashed, there was likely no benefit for others here; soon, all scattered, leaving just the two suspended in midair, locked in standoff.

Situ Chen's resolve only grew firmer—that [Cloud Sinking Treasure Pearl] was the key for forging his magic artifact. Without further ado, he said:

"I have no wish to waste time here with you. Taoist Fellow, why not name your price? Let's negotiate—"

"Pah!"

Miao Ye sneered coldly, cursing:

"Damn your mother, do you know how that 'Flame Crow' on you came to be! It was Situ Tang, atop Dou Xuan Mountain, who seized my ancestral opportunity and only then obtained this cultivation technique! Now you dare play the hypocrite, let alone speak of some proper negotiation—you expect me to accept? To hell with that!"

The smile that had just surfaced on Situ Chen's lips instantly darkened. He said frostily:

"You dare speak the Perfected Person's name aloud, yet you blame others for the fortune lost by your own clan. You're entirely unreasonable."

Miao Ye let out a furious laugh, saying:

"The old bastard's dead and gone—so what if I curse him to his face right before you?!"

Their words irreconcilable, the two instantly clashed in battle. Li Xuanfeng, wrapped in Black Gold Spirit Armor, quietly dimmed his glow, concealing himself amidst the clouds, observing every detail from the shadows.

"So it's you… 'Flame Crow'—as I thought, that is indeed the Flame Crow…"

In the memories of Lijing Town's people, a great drought once struck Lichuan Entrance, leaving nine out of ten households empty. That year, Old Xu's family was devoured—he alone survived, while Chen Erniu fled to serve as a tenant under the Li Family.

Old Xu died before Li Xuanfeng, revealing a secret: it was the Tang Jin Sect, preparing a [Flame Nether Qi] for the Young Master's Qi Cultivation, who lured demons to slay people and harvest fire.

"[Flame Nether Qi]."

These matters have long since faded from memory. The gathering of nature's spiritual energy is done wisp by wisp, taking years if not decades. The Tang Jin Sect surely does not harvest Qi only here, but few ever noticed or cared.

Mortals live short lives, with no time for old griefs. Before dying, Xu San clutched the trousers of six-year-old Li Xuanfeng, leaving him with a memory that burned for over seventy years.

Li Xuanfeng gently plucked his longbow—the Mysterious Arrow trembled, springing from the quiver at his waist to land upon the string. Golden streams of light gathered, swiftly pooling upon the drawn bowstring.

He stood with bow in hand, held at the ready yet unreleased, slowly widening the distance, lurking amid the swirling cloud bank, waiting for the perfect chance, carefully imprinting Situ Chen's visage in his mind.

'Within this Cave Heaven, those two will never truly fight to the death; it would be like picking sesame seeds and dropping a watermelon. It's mere probing. But this man is the Tang Jin Sect's Young Master—he is not easily dealt with. If I strike, it must be to kill, there can be no room for alarm—let him be caught completely off guard!'

Amid the dark clouds, Situ Chen gripped his two blades, black-red flames billowing around him. With every swing, black-red fire roared forth, while Miao Ye was not to be outdone—the copper bowl between his hands crackled with flowing thunder-light.

They wove their hand seals and cast spells, probing one another dozens of times, and soon true fire erupted. The clash grew all the more relentless, black-red flames and thunderbolts colliding and dispersing, their reverberations spreading far into the sky.

As expected, seeing neither willing to yield, both men's expressions finally betrayed caution—this Cave Heaven was no ordinary place. If they expended too much against each other, others might reap the spoils. Quiet understanding was reached; both quickly ceased hostilities.

Situ Chen stowed his blades without further comment, merely snorting coldly as he rode the wind toward distant mountains. Miao Ye spat in the direction of his back, then turned and sped off the opposite way.

Once they'd parted, Li Xuanfeng finally concealed his Spirit Armor, stepped onto the wind, and followed silently, shadow-like, in Situ Chen's wake northwards.

Travelling through the mist, Li Xuanfeng noticed the surrounding streaks of flowing light grew ever denser. Slicing through the dark-gray haze, he could see many proceeded without concealment. Counting also those whose dharma light shone dimly, dozens moved with hidden restraint—more than a dozen in total, perhaps.

'There's no telling how many, or how they're scattered throughout this sea of clouds. By rough count, perhaps forty or fifty, of whom at least ten have significant fate upon their bodies. If a real brawl breaks out, what a spectacle that will be!'

He gave a cursory glance, head down as he flew. Soon, the mountains gradually loomed ahead—their deep brown foothills rising sharply from the cloud layers, soaring into the heavens. Most abundant among the peaks were varied spirit pines, glittering in clusters as they fluttered out gusts of pale blue-green wind.

The wind howled without a pause, driving the cloud sea outward and apart, then surging near like waves, ebbing and advancing—a true island amidst a sea of clouds.

Amid this sprawling pine forest were inlaid slabs of emerald stone, winding upwards like a massive green flood dragon, stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to its crest, scattered with pavilions and towers, immortal aura suffusing the air.

As he inched closer to the mountain range, the magic wind swirling his body was instantly blown apart by an eruption of azure breeze, causing him to stagger midair and forcing him to land at the foot of the slope.

Li Xuanfeng took barely a moment to sense it, recognizing this spirit wind as the famed [Heavy Abyss Great Wind]. It could scatter dharma wind, ground spirit boats, whip up sand and wind, and even guide magic artifacts—a prized spiritual object even among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This wind, in the current world, was already exceedingly rare—only in the Western Great Plateau were there traces to be found. Occasionally, a single wisp could be acquired to forge treasures capable of knocking magic artifacts from others' hands—enough to drive this band of loose cultivators into a bloody frenzy.