Chapter Sixty-Three: On the Brink of Conflict

As the master of the valley and leader of Myriad Medicines Valley, Master Zhong had assessed the strength of the opposing side the moment they appeared. Most of the people in the valley were his invitees, so he needed an accurate estimation of the Tianfeng Family’s power to devise the most effective countermeasure. Although everyone had expressed their willingness to stand with him through thick and thin, he still hoped to minimize their casualties. After his appraisal, he was somewhat surprised to find that the other side had mobilized eight innate masters, with three of them at the late stage of the realm. They had originally estimated that the other side might outnumber them in ordinary martial experts, but would have fewer innate masters, since the Tianfeng Family was just a single clan and there had been no reports of them recruiting other innate experts. Yet, despite this unexpected development, he was not overly concerned. They already knew that Li Xingyu’s abilities had surpassed the innate realm, so having him contend with the three late-stage innate experts should pose no problem. Zhong himself could barely manage two mid-stage opponents. In total, they would even have one innate master more than the other side. Even if the ordinary experts on the opposing side were greater in number and skill, they could hold their ground.

With this judgment in mind, just as he was about to speak, he noticed Li Xingyu’s expression suddenly change, a hint of tension flickering across his face. Zhong was momentarily taken aback, uncertain whether to inquire, when a sudden realization struck him, and his own face changed as well. The five other innate experts and three leaders also turned pale. For at that very moment, though Li Xingyu had not spoken, they all heard his voice in their ears: “Everyone, do not be alarmed by my words—I will explain later, but the situation has changed. There is a man in black at the rear of their group whose cultivation is extremely high, no weaker than mine. If I engage their three late-stage experts, he will certainly step in to entangle me. Given the current circumstances, the eight innate masters on their side will have to be handled by you all. If a fight does break out, be very careful. If things go awry, we will retreat into the valley, take advantage of the narrow entrance for defense, and I will try to gauge the true strength of that man in black before making further plans.”

Li Xingyu understood that with their cultivation, they could not possibly have detected the anomaly of the man in black. Fearing they would suffer a loss if caught unprepared, he hastened to warn them as soon as the shock subsided. To prevent the other side from overhearing and realizing their concerns, he used sound transmission, a technique available only to cultivators who had reached the Spirit Concentration stage. This method extended one’s spiritual sense to the target’s ear, conveying thoughts directly via spiritual intent. Generally, only those whose cultivation surpassed the sender’s by two major realms could eavesdrop, making this a favored secret technique for private communication among cultivators when others were present.

When the head of the Feng family saw the sudden change in Zhong’s group’s expressions, he too was momentarily stunned. They had seemed so composed just moments before; why this sudden shock? Had they discovered something? Elder Li, noting the clan leader’s reaction, transmitted a message: “Clan Leader, that man is also a cultivator. His cultivation appears slightly below mine, but his spiritual sense is even stronger. He has already detected my presence and just sent a message to Zhong and the others. This complicates matters; things may not go as smoothly as planned. Still, it’s not too great a problem—I’ll handle Li Xingyu myself. It will cost us more, but victory is still within our grasp. In fact, the fact that he is a cultivator may be to our advantage; once he consumes the Jade Ginseng, the spiritual energy he absorbs will be even greater, and the resulting elixir will be all the more potent.” Though the man in black could not discern the contents of Li Xingyu’s transmission, the fluctuations of spiritual sense revealed what was happening, and to reassure the clan leader, he added this explanation.

“Elder Li, you’re certain he’s a cultivator? That means he must possess a cultivation technique that he can read and practice. Are you sure you can handle him? If his strength exceeds your estimation, we could be in trouble.” The clan leader was not surprised by the use of sound transmission, knowing that cultivators possessed this ability. What shocked him was that Li Xingyu was a cultivator. Moreover, the thought of capturing Li Xingyu and acquiring his cultivation technique filled him with excitement. The man in black had previously explained that his own constitution was ill-suited for his technique—it could be forced, but not to great achievement and with considerable risk. Unable to restrain himself, the clan leader stepped closer and asked in a low voice.

“I am certain. As for the technique, it is as you suspect. In fact, I believe his method may suit you even better. Don’t worry, I can handle him. I suspect he only broke through after obtaining the Jade Ginseng, so his cultivation should still be unstable.” The man in black gave him a reproachful look, then explained further. After hearing this, the clan leader realized his lapse and, regaining his composure, returned to the front of the group, fixing his gaze on Li Xingyu and the others. Seeing that his identity had been exposed, the man in black saw no reason to hide further. He stepped up beside the clan leader, began channeling his true essence, and a fierce aura began to emanate from his body.

After careful consideration, Master Zhong and the others had also come to a decision. Though their strength now lagged behind the enemy, the arrow was already nocked and there could be no retreat. They would first attempt negotiation to ascertain the other side’s true intentions, but if fighting became inevitable, they would not yield without a battle and were prepared to follow Li Xingyu’s advice, retreating into the valley to defend. Having probed each other’s strength and reached their own resolutions, the leaders on both sides issued their commands and their auras surged, intensifying the atmosphere to fever pitch—everyone felt the heavy pressure of impending battle.

Seeing the clan leader’s gaze fall upon him, Master Zhong cupped his hands in greeting and said, “Clan Leader Feng, to what do we owe the honor of your grand arrival at Myriad Medicines Valley today?”

“Master Zhong, not only are you the foremost divine physician of the Celestial Empire, you have also saved many of our Tianfeng family’s disciples. I hold you in the highest regard. But surely you know the reason for our visit. Your granddaughter, together with Li Xingyu, unjustly assaulted my son, the young master of the Tianfeng family, gravely injuring him and crippling his martial arts for life. Do you not feel you owe us an explanation?”

“Clan Leader Feng, I believe everyone here knows the truth of the matter. There’s no need for such theatrics—it does you no credit as clan leader. While Young Master Li’s actions may have been harsh, according to the laws of the Celestial Empire, even killing him for what he did would not have been considered excessive.”

“Very well—excellent!” Feng Juechu spat out three cold words, then swept his gaze over the people behind Master Zhong. “There’s no point arguing right and wrong any further. In deference to your reputation, I can overlook your granddaughter’s part, but today you must hand over Li Xingyu to me. You should know that our strength is now greater than yours. Are you truly willing to let your people die for you?”

He was unwilling to see the Tianfeng family suffer excessive losses or to make mortal enemies of so many factions, so if Master Zhong could be persuaded to abandon Li Xingyu, he would avoid further conflict. At the same time, his words were meant to sow discord among the others. Clearly, one does not become clan leader of the Tianfeng family by being an ordinary man.

“Hahaha... Feng Juechu, do you take me for a child of three? Young Master Li saved my granddaughter; now, in his time of need, how could I stand by and do nothing? And since you have come with such force, would you really retreat so easily? I suspect your plan is to deal with Young Master Li first and then turn on us. Do you think I would fall for that?”

“Indeed, Feng Juechu, do you take us all for cowards?”

“Your Tianfeng family should not be so arrogant. If you have the ability, come and try us.”

Among the crowd, the more hot-tempered began to hurl insults. The tension on the field was at its breaking point, passions running high, and a great battle could erupt at any moment.