31. Powerful Figures of the Demon Clan

What happened today was a lesson, making him realize his own weakness.

He understood now that defeating a few cultivators of the same realm meant nothing; it was merely a testament to the sophistication of the “Heart of the Cosmos” compared to the cultivation techniques of others, not proof that he was truly stronger. True power had only one definition: to stand at the pinnacle of the path, to become an immortal deity, to wield the fate of the entire planet, or even the entire star system. Only by reaching that height could he truly find peace of mind.

“It seems quite a few people are heading this way.”

The two left the Sun Residence, and the streets and alleys were already filled with people—ordinary folk and many cultivators alike. Seeing them emerge from the collapsed rear gate, a few cultivators immediately hurried toward them.

Li Miao, seeing this, pressed his forehead with a headache, saying, “Looks like trouble won’t end so soon.”

From Ji Lingyu’s forceful entry, to Li Miao deploying the floating magnetic cannon to slay Sun He, then finally the annihilation of Sun Residence, there had been three bursts of powerful energy. Such immense force, unmasked, could be sensed even by cultivators dozens of miles away.

All the cultivators in Longling County weren’t fools; they had already guessed that something significant had happened at Sun Residence, but were too frightened by the dreadful aura to approach. Now that the energy had calmed, they finally came to investigate.

A few cultivators arrived at the front gate, seeing Li Miao and Liu Xuanfeng both wounded, and asked, “Friends, what happened inside Sun Residence?”

These men were merely Qi Refining cultivators, the strongest only at the eighth layer.

Li Miao could not be bothered, replying, “If you want to know, see for yourselves,” then walked away.

They tried to stop him, but in the next moment, Liu Xuanfeng’s True Condensation realm aura made them freeze in terror.

Liu Xuanfeng said coldly, “Curiosity isn’t always a virtue. Some matters, you’re not qualified to ask about.” He followed Li Miao.

Neither wished to become the focus of attention, so they quickened their pace, leaping away from the southwestern corner of the city.

More and more people gathered, drawn by the collapsed gates and corpses at Sun Residence, their curiosity and suspicion mounting. Soon, several True Condensation cultivators entered the residence together, shocked to discover not a single survivor.

Sun Residence had fallen, Sun He slain.

News spread rapidly through the city, and the spies of every major faction relayed it far and wide. Within two days, the entire cultivation world of Longling County was thrown into turmoil.

Meanwhile, Li Miao, the instigator, remained outside the fray, hiding with Liu Xuanfeng in a small courtyard in the city’s north, tending to their injuries.

Li Miao’s wounds were mostly external, and fortunately, Sun He’s Sumeru ring contained plenty of healing medicines; a combination of internal and external remedies sped his recovery. However, the scars remained, especially two long sword wounds across his back, leaving fierce marks even after healing.

Liu Xuanfeng’s injuries were mainly internal. He had taken a palm strike from Sun He, plus a blow from the ghost claw artifact, making his condition much worse than Li Miao’s. After consuming many elixirs, he had recovered only fifty or sixty percent.

Three days passed in a blur.

During this time, besides nursing his own wounds, Li Miao also attended to Guo’er, completely healing her strained muscles from the hemp ropes, leaving no dark injuries.

Yet, after this upheaval, the little girl’s shy nature became even more timid; she spent her days in silence, able to pass an entire day without speaking unless prompted.

Li Miao was troubled by this, patiently counseling her several times, but with little effect.

Thankfully, her enthusiasm for training remained. Aside from the first day, she practiced her fist techniques every morning in the courtyard.

This day, morning had barely broken.

Li Miao finished his practice of the “Heart of the Cosmos” guidance technique and sensed his body had nearly returned to peak condition, his physical strength seeming to have grown a little, putting him in good spirits.

He rose and stepped outside. In the small courtyard, the slender Guo’er was earnestly practicing, each punch and kick precise and forceful.

She learned quickly; after some time, her movements were already impressive, rivaling martial artists with two or three years of training. Only her blank expression made her seem listless.

Li Miao descended the steps and said, “Well done. You’ve mastered the Long Fist—you can learn a new technique now.”

Guo’er stopped her movements, looking at him without speaking, but with questioning eyes.

Li Miao asked, “Do you want to learn something new?”

Guo’er nodded.

He pretended not to notice and asked again, “Yes or no?”

Guo’er nodded harder.

But she wouldn’t speak.

Li Miao sighed inwardly.

He knew this was a psychological trauma. Guo’er had been abducted by villains, threatened by the wicked youth and old monster, and nearly torn apart by five fierce dogs, leaving deep shadows in her young heart that would take time to heal.

To change this, patient guidance was needed, not hasty intervention, or it would backfire.

So he said, “Today, I’ll teach you some combat techniques.”

“Combat is the foundation for martial artists. Without weapons, you use fists, palms, fingers, arms, elbows, shoulders, knees, and legs to attack—mainly kicking, striking, grappling…”

Li Miao taught carefully, and Guo’er listened attentively.

After explaining the basics, Li Miao began to guide her through the movements, hands-on.

To become a physical cultivator was no easier than training in the Purple Mansion Dao. While it spared her the study of incantations, she needed to master a vast array of combat techniques—from basics to hand-to-hand, movement skills, weapons, lethal arts, and more, none lighter than the practice of spells.

Guo’er was still at the beginning, with much to learn; even with her extraordinary talent, it would take a long time to build her foundation.

Through this process, her physique would be steadily strengthened by Li Miao’s primal energy, and when she reached a certain level, she could begin training in the “Reincarnation Lotus Mystic Art.”

Li Miao was eager to help Guo’er grow strong, so she could defend herself and avoid another disaster like Sun Residence.

Guo’er herself was equally eager, working very hard.

With both striving, the fist techniques in the combat basics were taught in just one morning.

As the sun rose to noon, Guo’er’s stomach began to rumble, but she didn’t call out pitifully as before, just gritted her teeth and kept practicing.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Uncle, are you there?”

A gentle woman’s voice sounded from outside.

Li Miao opened the door and saw Qi Fei, dressed in a red gauze dress, walking in with a look of urgency.

“Oh, Young Lord Li, is it you?” She was surprised to see him.

Li Miao closed the door behind him and said, “There was an accident in the past few days, we’re here recovering. Your master is also badly injured and resting inside. Did you come to Longling on business?”

Qi Fei’s face grew anxious as she asked, “How is my uncle? Did he really… break into Sun Residence?”

“How did you know?” Li Miao answered with a question.

Qi Fei said, “It’s all over outside. Sun Residence was wiped out, no one knows who did it, only that a white-robed youth and an injured cultivator carrying a child left the scene—they might be connected. I was worried my uncle would be targeted, so I hurried over.”

She then cautiously asked, “Young Lord Li, those two—are they you?”

Li Miao shrugged helplessly, replying, “You guessed right. What’s the situation outside? What happened after Sun Residence fell?”

They had not sought any news these past days, spending most of their time recovering, so knew nothing of the tumult outside.

Qi Fei, confirmed by him, sighed quietly, her face troubled. “It’s a long story.”

Her expression complex, Qi Fei began to recount the events of the past two days.

The upheaval at Sun Residence was like a fuse, detonating the balance of Longling County’s cultivation world.

Most cultivators had their eyes on Qianyuan Mountain, but before the news of the near wipeout of its immortal and demonic factions had spread, a new shock came: the sudden downfall of Sun Residence.

Longling County was never a cultivation paradise, with far fewer cultivators than other places. After these two events, more than a sixth of its elite cultivators were lost—greatly weakening its strength.

Yet most cultivators cared little for this; their concern was how Sun Residence’s resources would be divided.

Though Sun Residence had only risen in the past century, with the help of Thunder Gate it had grown sizable, holding one-fifth of the mining rights to Longling Mountain’s spirit stone veins, several metal mines, prime medicinal fields, and a share of the taxes at Cangyun River’s docks—an abundance of wealth.

Every faction coveted these assets. Gaining a portion could allow a small sect to flourish.

No sect could remain aloof, so they flocked to Longling County. Even the reclusive herbal sect, Hundred Herb Sect, sent members to claim their share.

Now the county seat was flooded with cultivators—more than twice as many as at the Qianyuan Mountain battle.

After all, the Qianyuan Mountain conflict, win or lose, brought no real benefit—only a reputation, and the loss of manpower was hardly worthwhile.

But this scramble for Sun Residence’s legacy involved real profit. To gain advantage, many sects sent all their best disciples, unlike the Qianyuan battle.

According to Qi Fei’s estimation, Longling now hosted at least three Returning Origin cultivators, over thirty True Condensation cultivators, and more than three hundred Qi Refining cultivators.

That was nearly all the experts in this region.

Over the past days, various factions had clashed over the division of spoils; Sun Residence’s wealth and the possessions of the dead were looted, resulting in repeated brawls and not insignificant casualties.

Yesterday, Hundred Herb Sect’s Elder Ge Rou and Coldmount Valley’s Daoist Songshi, both Returning Origin cultivators, arrived and suppressed the fighting.

This morning, Hermit He Jianfang of Falling Flower Lake arrived, making three great powers stand in balance. The chaos of the past days was quelled, and “negotiations” began.

Sun Residence was a juicy prize, everyone wanted it all, but all knew that was impossible. How the legacy would be divided depended on the attitude of the Returning Origin experts.

By past custom, such matters had only one outcome—settled by strength.

Those with power took more; the weak went home empty-handed.

As for Sun Residence disciples who survived by being stationed elsewhere, they had lost all say, forced to watch others seize what once belonged to their family.

Now, everyone’s attention was on the three Returning Origin cultivators, waiting for their final decision on the division.

The reason for Sun Residence’s downfall was rarely mentioned, as if deliberately ignored.

Li Miao felt a slight relief.

He had worried that Sun Residence’s destruction would bring further trouble, but now it seemed the cultivators understood that the force capable of wiping out Sun Residence was beyond their reach, so sensibly abandoned investigation, focusing only on the benefits.

“No one mentions Qianyuan Mountain anymore?” Li Miao asked.

To him, that matter was far more important, for it had drawn so many powerful figures—even Elder Moyun of the Transformation realm appeared, and there were at least ten experts like Ji Lingyu, any one of whom could annihilate Longling’s cultivation world.

Qi Fei answered, “The turmoil at Qianyuan Mountain was great, but has been suppressed. Elder Moyun and Sea Dragon King personally intervened; neither the immortal nor demon factions dare speak much, so the matter was left unresolved.”

The words of the strong always carry weight. Cultivators of the Transformation realm are like living immortals; when such beings speak, no matter how many questions others have, they dare not voice them.

Li Miao asked, “Is Sea Dragon King a demon expert?”

To be compared with Elder Moyun, he must be highly cultivated.

Qi Fei nodded, “Sea Dragon King is the lord of Ten Thousand Demons at Dragon Spring Prefecture. Though he hasn’t reached the Transformation realm, his ancient bloodline makes his powers more terrifying than many who have, even Elder Moyun must defer to him.”

“It’s said that the demon leader at Qianyuan Mountain, Red Flood Dragon, was a branch of the Sea Dragon clan. His death greatly angered Sea Dragon King; if not for Elder Moyun’s intervention, Lin Jue might have been killed on the spot by the old dragon.”

Li Miao nodded, asking no more.

The events of that day, whether due to Daoist Yi Chi’s vast powers or Lin Jue taking the blame, no longer pointed to him. He could now settle down to cultivate, focusing on improving his strength.