Gou Zai created a blessed land in the immortal abode

Li Chengming emerged from the mist, walked on air, and slowly landed on the river surface.

His expression was calm, and the bronze mirror in his hand still retained a lingering spiritual light.

"Is it you?"

Zhou Xian recognized him, frowned, and said, "This is none of your business, mind your own business."

Li Chengming didn't look at him; his gaze was fixed on Zhao Yuan.

"Brother Zhao, it's been a long time."

Zhao Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then overjoyed:

"Brother Li! What are you doing here?"

"I came to Yuanjiang to cultivate, and happened to meet him."

Li Chengming gave a brief explanation before turning to Zhou Xian, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, this is an old friend of mine. Could you do me a favor?"

Zhou Xian squinted and looked Li Chengming up and down.

When I met this person a month ago, he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, but now he has actually broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

For a rogue cultivator to break through a bottleneck in just one month, it must be either due to exceptional talent or remarkable cultivation techniques.

"But I've only just entered the late stage of Qi Refining."

The three of them are at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and they might not be a match for each other.

"Do me a favor?" Zhou Xian sneered.

"You think you can interfere in my Zhou family's affairs on my territory just because you paid fifty spirit stones? I'll say it again, this has nothing to do with you. If you know what's good for you, get lost."

Li Chengming sighed.

He didn't want to cause trouble, but Zhao Yuan had some connections with him, and now that he was in trouble, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Moreover, he could take this opportunity to see if his strength had increased after breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining.

Then, Li Chengming chanted an incantation and made hand seals, and the water surface immediately surged with waves, the sound of flowing water was incessant, as if it had materialized and attacked Zhou Xian and the other two.

It was Li Chengming who used the "Murmuring Sound Technique".

Zhou Xian and the other two suddenly heard the sound of flowing water. The sound was initially gentle, like a mountain stream, but in an instant it turned into the force of a raging river, shaking them so much that their spiritual energy began to become disordered.

"This is... a sonic attack technique?"

Zhou Xian was shocked and hurriedly circulated his cultivation technique to stabilize his mind. However, his two clansmen, whose cultivation was slightly lower, were knocked off the water by the "Murmuring Sound Technique" and almost fell off the surface.

Li Chengming did not stop. He made hand seals, and the river surface immediately surged with waves several feet high, which turned into water snakes and rushed towards Zhou Xian and the other two.

"retreat!"

Zhou Xian gritted his teeth and erected a spiritual energy shield, while simultaneously pulling out a talisman from his sleeve and slamming it out.

boom!

A wall of fire rose out of thin air, temporarily blocking the impact of the water dragon.

But Li Chengming merely raised his hand slightly, and even more waves of water surged in from all directions, causing the fire wall to dim rapidly under the pressure of the water.

Zhou Xian's face turned ashen.

He could see clearly that although this person had just broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining, his control over water-attribute spells was so exquisite that he was almost one with the river, and could manipulate the power of the river with every move.

Even more terrifying is the sonic attack technique, which can disturb the mind silently. If one is not careful during a life-or-death struggle, one will be doomed.

This is clearly not an ordinary rogue cultivator; the cultivation technique he practices is at least at the fourth rank!

"Who exactly are you?"

Zhou Xian asked sternly, no longer daring to treat Li Chengming as an ordinary rogue cultivator.

Li Chengming stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly:

"You wouldn't know Li Chengming, the rogue cultivator."

Zhou Xian took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said coldly:

"Very well. The Zhou family will remember what happened today."

He waved to his two companions to stop, his gaze sweeping over Li Chengming and Zhao Yuan with a sinister look.

"You'd better pray you don't run into me again on the Yuan River."

After saying that, he turned and walked away across the water, with his two companions quickly following.

Li Chengming watched the three disappear into the fog without making a move to kill them. After all, the Zhou family was the most powerful force in Yuanjiang. If he were to kill their clansmen here, it would be difficult to resolve the matter peacefully.

Only after the other party disappeared did Li Chengming withdraw his magic power and turn to look at Zhao Yuan.

"Brother Zhao, how are your injuries?"

Zhao Yuan gave a wry smile and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Thank you so much, Brother Li, for saving me. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would be in grave danger today."

The injured cultivator beside him also managed a weak fist salute, his face as pale as paper.

Li Chengming took out two bottles of healing pills from his storage bag and handed them over:

"Take this first and stabilize your injuries before we talk about anything else."

Zhao Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He took the pills, gave a bottle to his companions, and took a few himself. Only then did some color return to his pale face.

"Brother Zhao, why did you come to Yuanjiang? And why are you being watched by the Zhou family?" Li Chengming asked.

Zhao Yuan sighed, his gaze somewhat complicated: "Brother Li, you may not know this, but Youyang County is now in complete chaos."

"oh!"

"Ever since the Zhao family swallowed up the Liu family, they have not stopped at all. They have uprooted all the Qi cultivation forces that previously followed the Liu family, either subduing them or exterminating them. Right now, people are in a state of panic."

"As a former retainer of the Liu family, I was naturally hunted down by the Zhao family cultivators, which is why I ran all the way here."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengming frowned. He truly hadn't expected that so many things would happen in Youyang County in just one month of seclusion.

The Zhao family's annexation of the Liu family was something that had already happened before he left, but he didn't expect the Zhao family's appetite to go far beyond that, and they wanted to eliminate all the forces related to the Liu family.

With such a massive massacre, could it be that the old ancestor of the Liu family still wants to consume more human pills and break through to the Purple Mansion realm in one fell swoop?

"The Liu family is acting so recklessly and disregarding the consequences; there must be some other force backing them up."

"What about the Kong family?" Li Chengming asked again.

Zhao Yuan smiled wryly: "The Kong family is temporarily unharmed. The Kong family is a Foundation Establishment power in Youyang County, with two Foundation Establishment cultivators. They have a deep foundation. No matter how arrogant the Zhao family is, they wouldn't dare to easily touch the Kong family. However..."

"But what?"

"However, the Kong family is now in a very delicate situation. After the Zhao family annexed the Liu family, their power increased greatly and they are beginning to overwhelm the Kong family. The Kong family is now shrinking its defenses and dares not easily clash with the Zhao family."

Li Chengming remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

This aligns with the consistent style of the Confucius family: steady, cautious, and not prone to taking risks.

It's good that the Kong family is safe; at least he still has a place to stay and time to spare.

"What are your plans next, Brother Zhao?" Li Chengming asked.

Zhao Yuan glanced at his injured companion and sighed, "I originally wanted to go downstream along the Yuan River to Xiangzhou in the south to avoid trouble. No matter how far the Zhao family's influence extends, it can't reach Xiangzhou."

Xiangzhou was no longer part of Youyang County, so the Liu family naturally dared not trespass.

"only……"

He paused, then looked at Li Chengming:

"Brother Li has offended the Zhou family, so it's probably not good for him to continue cultivating here. Zhou Xian is the youngest son of the Zhou family patriarch, and he's always been vengeful. He'll definitely not let this go after suffering a loss today."

Li Chengming nodded slightly.

He didn't care much about this matter, since he had already broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining, and his next step was to return to the Kong family.

"Brother Zhao, please go and heal your wounds first. I have some things to take care of, so I'll leave shortly," Li Chengming said.

Zhao Yuan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Li, I will remember your life-saving grace. If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

After saying that, Zhao Yuan left with his men.