nyslfriends Chapter 187: Return
Chapter 187: Return
And so, time continues to pass.
The strange phenomenon at Hongyan Peak has been continuous.
……
Four days later.
April 21, cloudy.
At this moment, inside Blackwind City.
Yang Jiuli, Li Yourong, Huang Cheng, and Liu Hu emerged from a cave and looked towards Black Wind City.
"Black Wind City, finally back!" Huang Cheng murmured, squinting at the familiar city before him.
He had a feeling of having lost something and then regained it.
A while ago, the beast tide came, making him feel like he had fallen from heaven to hell.
He was filled with anxiety, fearing that something might have happened to the Li family, leading to their downfall and the end of his future.
Thankfully, they're finally back today.
"Uncle... has the beast tide really subsided?" Liu Hu asked after glancing at Black Wind City ahead.
He was still shaken.
"The beast tide has long since subsided, and now the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Azure Flame Immortal Sect are stationed in the city!" Yang Jiuli said.
In fact, upon his return, he informed Huang Cheng, Li Yourong, and others of the information that Xiao Bing had obtained.
Now that they've returned to Blackwind City, everyone still feels a sense of unreality and disbelief.
After all, the previous beast tide was too terrifying.
There are also suspected that cultivators from the Golden Cloud Sect are behind the scenes.
It's not that easy to calm things down.
Returning rashly could lead to utter ruin if one is not careful.
After receiving confirmation from Yang Jiuli, Liu Hu and Huang Cheng finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
As soon as the group appeared, patrolling cultivators flew over from afar on purple-winged eagles.
But it turned out to be an acquaintance.
Li Guanhe was a cousin of Li Yourong.
Now over thirty years old, his cultivation has reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.
"Sister Yourong." Li Guanhe jumped down from the back of the purple-winged eagle with a happy face and landed in front of Li Yourong and Yang Jiuli.
"Guan He..." Seeing that her cousin was safe and sound, Li Yourong was also happy and quickly greeted him.
"Master Yang, Master Huang, it's wonderful that you're both alright!" Li Guanhe said, looking at Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng.
As he spoke, he bowed to Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng.
"Hehe, to be able to see Fellow Daoist Li again is truly a blessing from heaven!" Yang Jiuli said with a smile, cupping his hands in return.
"Guan He, tell me quickly what's happening in the city!" Li Yourong said.
"Okay..." Li Guanhe nodded, and then began to recount the recent events.
"After I infiltrated the underground cave, I did not leave rashly. However, I was attacked by demonic beasts during this time, but fortunately, I was repelled... The day before yesterday, we sent out spirit beasts to scout the situation outside, and they discovered cultivators from the Azure Flame Immortal Sect..."
"Finally, we returned to Blackwind City..."
"Unfortunately, many clansmen rashly escaped the earth's veins... and were ambushed and killed by cultivators from the Golden Cloud Sect."
"The Grand Elder was also trapped and killed!"
At the end, Li Guanhe looked sorrowful.
"The Grand Elder has fallen?" Upon hearing this, Li Yourong was shocked.
"Yes!" Li Guanhe nodded.
Yang Jiuli remained quite calm about this.
There are at least five second-tier great demons in the beast tide.
Adding to the pursuit by Huang Jiangxing's "Three-Eyed Azure Flame Python," even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would perish.
Moreover, Huang Jiangxing was also there, ready to intervene at any time.
Of course, though his heart remained calm, Yang Jiuli's face still showed shock and sorrow.
"The Grand Elder worked so diligently, it's unbelievable that things would end like this..." Li Yourong said with a sorrowful expression.
The loss of even one Foundation Establishment cultivator is a huge blow to these aristocratic families.
"Please accept my condolences!" Yang Jiuli said.
Li Yourong nodded slightly.
Li Guanhe, on the other hand, had long since emerged from his grief.
Because he received a message.
That means their ancestor is already preparing to form his core.
"Who is in charge of Blackwind City now?" Huang Cheng asked.
"He is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Azure Flame Immortal Sect, belonging to my Li family!" Li Guanhe said.
"There's a Foundation Establishment cultivator here!" Huang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master Huang, rest assured, the cultivators of the Azure Flame Immortal Sect have already entered the Black Wind Mountain Range to wipe out the demons... They dare not come again."
Li Guanhe laughed.
"That's great, that's great!" Huang Cheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was completely relieved, and his tense nerves were able to relax.
Liu Hu also let out a soft sigh.
As low-level cultivators, they had no power to protect themselves in this beast tide.
These past few days, Huang Cheng and Liu Hu have been living in constant fear and anxiety, and naturally they never want to live like this again.
"With the Azure Flame Immortal Sect taking action, this matter is no longer a worry!" Yang Jiuli also breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"You two need not worry. According to news from the Immortal Sect, my ancestor is already in the process of forming his core..." Li Guanhe said.
He finished speaking with a look of delight.
beaming with joy.
They had seemingly forgotten the grief brought by the death of the Grand Elder and the beast tide.
"Oh!" Yang Jiuli's eyes lit up, and he said, "In that case, congratulations, fellow Daoist!"
"The Li family patriarch has reached the Core Formation stage..." Huang Cheng's eyes lit up.
"Hehe, you two have returned safely. Why don't you go into the city to rest first? I'll arrange for someone to welcome you back later."
Li Guanhe laughed.
"Thank you for your trouble!" Yang Jiuli said.
"Hehe, of course!" Li Guanhe laughed. "Please!"
He then invited Yang Jiuli and the others to head towards the inner city.
The cave they were in was one of the thirty-six caves, located on the edge of Blackwind City.
Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng summoned their flying swords and followed Li Guanhe towards the inner city.
Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng returned to their residence.
The formation in the courtyard has been broken.
The flowers and plants were broken and the place was in a mess.
Yang Jiuli used his magic to tidy up the courtyard before returning to his cave.
The array and restrictions of the cave dwelling, which reached the highest level of the first rank, were not destroyed.
"We've finally survived this ordeal!" Yang Jiuli sat on the jade chair in his cave and breathed a sigh of relief.
He summoned Xiao Bing and the two little minks, and fed them several 'Beast Spirit Pills'.
He actually obtained quite a few Beast Spirit Pills from Ding Moling and Zhang Jinshu's storage bags.
After the three little beasts held the 'Beast Spirit Pill' in their mouths, they acted cute towards Yang Jiuli before happily swallowing it.
Seeing the carefree look on the little ones' faces, Yang Jiuli smiled slightly.
This beast tide is rife with undercurrents.
For him, there are also huge risks.
If handled improperly, one's identity will be exposed.
Good thing...
With his own background and experience from several lifetimes, he managed to resolve the matter quite satisfactorily.
As for his protection of Li Yourong and Huang Chengan, it was not only out of friendship.
They also didn't want the Li family to send people to investigate because of Li Yourong's death, which would cause a lot of trouble.
As for now...
Even if Li went to investigate, he could only find that there were second-tier talismans and the aura fluctuations of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the cave.
It could easily be interpreted as the aura of a second-tier talisman.
After all, over time, the aura left by the Foundation Establishment cultivator and the second-tier talisman will gradually fade.
Although Yang Jiuli controlled more talismans than ordinary people, it could also be explained that they were given to him by Qin Zhixue.
In this way, outsiders will have nothing to say!
After all, Qin Zhixue had personally stood up for Yang Jiuli when she visited Black Wind City last time.
He even had a long talk with him by candlelight.
It is clear that the two have a very close relationship, far more than just ordinary old friends.
It's not surprising that they would give away some second-tier talismans.
"With cultivators from the Azure Flame Immortal Sect already stationed in Black Wind City, the next step is to see if Patriarch Li can achieve Core Formation!"
"Fortunately, there are still two years left. Once my contract expires, I can leave the Li family!" Yang Jiuli murmured.
Regardless of whether the Li family patriarch successfully forms his core or not, he will leave the Li family.
Yang Jiuli then began to cultivate by drawing upon the wood elemental energy.
……
As night fell.
Li Guanhe personally invited Yang Jiuli to a banquet.
Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng gladly went.
in the hall.
At the Foundation Establishment Ceremony of the Qingyan Immortal Sect, Li Xun sat in the main seat.
Li Yourong and Yang Jiuli sat upright on the right side, at the lower end.
Huang Cheng sat upright on the left.
There were only a few people at the table.
The attack on Blackwind City resulted in the deaths of many.
Li Chengfeng was also seriously injured, his foundation destroyed.
Non-family cultivators are extremely rare in Blackwind City.
The only ones with any real status are Yang Jiuli and Huang Cheng!
Li Xun is very young, only forty-eight years old, and he is already at the peak of the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Although I have never met Master Yang, I have often heard of your great name and have admired you for many years. Today, I finally meet you, and you truly have an extraordinary bearing. You will surely achieve great things in the future!" Li Xun said with a smile, appearing quite amiable. He raised his wine cup and addressed Yang Jiuli below.
"This cup is for you!" he said, and then downed it in one gulp.
"Thank you for your kind words, senior. Jiuli has only achieved some minor successes, which are not worth mentioning!"
Yang Jiuli raised his glass in return.
"Jiuli, don't be so formal. I'm only a year older than you. Just call me Brother Li!" Li Xun said.
"Brother Li..." Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng, who was standing next to him, was so shocked that he almost dropped the wine cup in his hand on the table.
This is a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Azure Flame Immortal Sect, with a limitless future!
But now, he's on friendly terms with a Qi Refining Alchemist?
"Ninth Brother, you are truly a role model for us poor folks!" Huang Cheng thought to himself, looking at Yang Jiuli with deep respect.
"In the world of cultivation, there is a distinction between the noble and the lowly. How can Jiuli overstep his bounds!" Yang Jiuli declined.
"Brother Jiuli, you flatter me. You are already a top-grade first-level alchemist at such a young age... I observe that the pills you refine are all of the finest quality. In just a few years, you will be able to break through to the second-level alchemist. At that time, your status will be even higher than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It is only right that you call me Brother Li!" Li Xun smiled slightly as he held the wine cup and looked at Yang Jiuli.
"The gap between a first-tier alchemist and a second-tier alchemist is like the gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment. There is an insurmountable chasm between them. However, Jiuli has been working hard to study and strive to enter the second tier as soon as possible!" Yang Jiuli raised his cup, took a sip, and cupped his hands in greeting.
"I wonder how long it will take for you, my worthy brother, to reach the second tier?" Li Xun asked with a smile.
"Within three years!" Yang Jiuli said, his gaze sharpening.
"Three years... very good!" Li Xun pondered for a moment, then smiled.
"Three years..." Huang Cheng said with admiration.
"A second-tier alchemist..."
Li Yourong blinked her beautiful eyes and glanced at Yang Jiuli secretly, then lowered her head, her ears turning red as if she were overjoyed.
"I have heard that you, my virtuous brother Jiuli, intend to venture out into the world to witness the vastness of the immortal realm and seek the Dao and immortality?" Li Xun asked.
He put down his wine cup and looked at Yang Jiuli.
Although he smiled, his words carried a deeper meaning.
Upon hearing this, Yang Jiuli understood that the banquet was set up for this purpose.
"When I was young, I read in ancient books that in ancient times, there were immortals who could pluck stars from the sky and move mountains and fill seas. Therefore, I longed to see for myself and wanted to see if I could find a connection with the immortals. I hope you will forgive my ignorance, Young Master Xun!"
Yang Jiuli took a sip of wine, put down the wine cup, and said.
"Hehe, it's a good thing that you have great ambitions!" Li Xun laughed. "However, my ancestor has already begun to form his core. According to the news from the immortal sect, forming a false core is a certainty, and even forming a nascent core is very possible. If you stay in the Li family, you can take it a step further."