I only want immortality.

"The Wunan Mountains extend 132 li eastward... I understand."

Duan Li looked up at the stone wind in front of him. Since Su Jinglong broke in, it had not changed at all. As always, it blew tirelessly from west to east, as if it had never existed. His expression became a little solemn.

The manifestation of the Dharma was something he dared not risk before, a wonder of heaven and earth. In an instant, the manifestation vanished, and almost simultaneously, it reappeared before an ordinary small hill in the Wunan Mountains. His gaze swept over it carefully, and suddenly his eyes settled on a low hill:

"Truly well-hidden!"

If someone hadn't pointed the way, he would have had no chance of noticing it in his haste.

With a flick of his finger, the ink sword flew out silently, circled around the mountain, and immediately broke the illusion, revealing a winding path and cave in the ravines and hills.

Confirming there were no traces of Foundation Establishment cultivators, Duan Li stepped inside...

at the same time.

The Qinghe Sect branch altar, the former site of the Thousand Hands Sect.

The Azure Lotus and Crimson Fire, which Wei Ran had recently destroyed, attacked again.

Unlike before, when they were mostly testing each other, this time Xianyu Qiong and Ye Chutong came in person. Although their methods were not much different, their power was obviously on a higher level.

As a result, the array around the branch altar lit up one by one and then quickly dimmed, moving from far to near with astonishing speed!

"We can't delay any longer, or the branch altar will surely fall today!"

Wen Yao's expression was solemn. They had just prepared to join Sect Master Wei Ran in attacking the Nine Yang Sect in order to solve the problem once and for all, but they did not expect that there was a person in the Nine Yang Sect who was no less than the Sect Master.

Not only did they defeat the sect leader, they also marched north.

In their haste, he and Zhu Yu could only quickly return to the branch altar and do their best to preserve the spiritual cave.

The arrival of Xianyu Qiong and Ye Chutong also indicated that the situation was far from optimistic.

"We can only pin our hopes on the sect leader."

Wen Yao's heart grew increasingly solemn, but he did not despair. Sect Master Wei Ran was already quite strong, and if he were in the Stone Wind of Wu Nan Mountain Range, he would be even more powerful. He might not be able to defeat the yellow-robed Taoist, but he would be able to protect himself.

Only here...

Thinking of this, he suddenly turned to look at the scholar in blue robes standing respectfully to the side, his face cold and stern:

"Yang Xingkong, didn't you say that the Song Kingdom only had Duan Li? How come there's another mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

It's already quite remarkable that a Qi Refining Level 10 cultivator would know about someone like Duan Li. If Dao Foundation True Person intends to conceal his whereabouts, how could Yang Xingkong possibly find out?

They're just using this as an excuse to make a fuss.

To his surprise, Yang Xingkong felt both ashamed and angry in the face of his deliberate obstruction:

"This junior is incompetent and has ruined the important affairs of the sect. I will immediately dispatch all members of the Yang clan to stabilize the formation!"

After speaking, he respectfully knelt down in front of everyone and kowtowed to Wen Yao and Zhu Yu. Before they could answer, he immediately ordered the Yang clan members to rush out.

Without hesitation, the Yang clan members flew out like a swarm of bees, scattering among the various formations around the Qinghe Sect. With this fresh force entering, the formations around the branch altar trembled, slowing down the rate at which the formations collapsed.

Even so, those formations continued to crumble bit by bit in an irreversible trend. With each area that darkened, the Qi Refining cultivator who was in charge of the formation died silently.

There were members of the Yang clan and disciples of the Qinghe Sect.

This is the value of most Qi Refining cultivators to their sects; they can be abandoned at any time when necessary, just to buy the sect some time.

Wen Yao fell silent, his eyes narrowed as he coldly stared at Yang Xingkong, who was bowing and kowtowing. A faint black mist quietly lingered behind Yang Xingkong's neck.

At this moment, the desire to kill this person had reached its peak.

A person who is sweet-talking but treacherous, cunning and vicious, even willing to abandon his own family members, would be a disaster for the Qinghe Sect if he gained power.

But the next moment, he relaxed again.

Yang Xingkong will not gain any real power.

With him around, Yang Xingkong will never be able to reach the Dao Foundation stage.

If one cannot establish a foundation for the Dao, one will forever remain a pawn, arbitrarily placed in the game.

The black mist quietly dissipated, and Wen Yao stepped forward to help Yang Xingkong up.

"My Qinghe Sect is not a harsh and heartless place. I, the acting sect leader, remember all the merits of the Yang family. There is no need for this. There is no need for this."

Yang Xingkong was moved to tears, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was grateful.

As they spoke, many of the formations surrounding the branch altar had already been extinguished, and the speed at which the formations were being broken was constantly increasing.

The support from the Yang clan cultivators only slightly delayed the situation and was still insignificant to the overall picture.

"Elder Zhu, this spiritual cave cannot be lost. If a great battle breaks out later and our foundation is damaged, it would be a great mistake."

After comforting Yang Xingkong, Wen Yao pondered for a moment, seemingly making a decision, and looked at Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu, understanding the implication, nodded and said:

"We two can first lure Song Guodaoji to another place."

Wen Yao nodded and suggested:

"Then let's head towards Changsha Kingdom."

Yang Xingkong immediately said loudly, "The two elders can rest assured that as long as I am alive, I will never allow the branch altar to be damaged."

The two exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, flew out of the Qinghe Sect branch altar to meet the Azure Lotus and Crimson Fire.

Ye Chutong and Xianyu Qiong were indeed drawn to the attack, and their offensive intensified. The four of them fought and advanced, but unknowingly they were heading towards Changsha Kingdom.

……

"The burial site has no spiritual energy?"

The former residence of the Yang family.

Upon hearing the urgent report from Jin Daxu and Cui Minghao, Li Pinghe was startled, but immediately understood.

Presumably, the Qinghe Sect used the method of "searching for dragons and seizing caves" to drain the earth's energy from this spiritual cave, either converging it into the Thousand Hands Sect's spiritual cave or transferring it to the Wuling Kingdom in the north.

"No wonder the defenses here are so weak. The Qinghe Sect drained the spiritual energy here. It would take thousands of years to recover, so naturally they don't care."

A thought flashed through Li Pinghe's mind, and he spoke up to comfort him:

"Please don't worry, everyone. Let me go and take a look."

He was the most senior and prestigious person there, so when he spoke, both Kim Dae-soo and Kim Dae-soo calmed down.

Kim Dae-soo was particularly concerned and quickly said:

"Please come in, Senior Li."

Cui Minghao followed beside him, saying as they walked:

"Senior Li, this matter is of utmost importance and must not be taken lightly. That True Man Duan came specifically for this spiritual cave. If he finds out that something has gone wrong with the cave, he will no longer assist the Song Kingdom..."

He glanced at Jin Daxu and whispered, "The consequences could be dire!"

Jin Daxu didn't say much, but he naturally thought the same way. Duan Li was someone he had invited, and no matter what happened, he would end up being caught in the middle.

More importantly, the six families in the hall made a pact that day, using two spiritual sites as collateral. Now that one of them has been lost, in order to make up for the shortfall, the Nine Yang Sect and Lotus Valley might throw away the other three spiritual sites to satisfy Duan Li's appetite.

As for the long-standing friendship between the families... how could it compare to the safety of one's own family?

Both of them were leaders of their own factions, so they wouldn't be so naive.

Li Pinghe didn't think about it that way. As long as he was alive, Chun Jun Sect would be safe. As for what would happen after he died, he couldn't do anything about it.

As they hurried to the Yang family's sacred burial site, they found a group of people gathered around it, led by the younger generation, including He Riyuan and Wang Feng.

Upon seeing Li Pinghe, the two dared not be negligent and both bowed. The other cultivators then made way for them.

Li Pinghe nodded and walked over, finally seeing the current appearance of the Yang family's sacred burial site.

The low-lying, round hole, which should have been brimming with spiritual energy and flowing with spiritual essence, is now dry and cracked, with no spiritual energy emanating from it.

If it weren't for the faint remnants of spiritual energy, no one would believe that this was the location of a spiritual cave.

"It was indeed completely drained."

Li Pinghe pondered for a moment, then dismissed everyone, leaving only Jin Daxu, Cui Minghao, and a few others, before revealing his guess:

"It must be the Qinghe Sect's doing. They stripped the Yang family's spiritual cave of its earth energy to create a second-grade spiritual cave to nourish Dao Foundation cultivators. If I'm not mistaken, it's probably all transferred to the Thousand Hands Sect's spiritual cave."

"What...what should we do?"

Kim Dae-soo and Choi Myung-ho looked at each other, both filled with worry.

"Master Duan and the Nine Yang Sect intended to divide the spoils equally. Now that only one spiritual cave remains, the distribution will inevitably be uneven, and I fear that some people will be dissatisfied."

Behind the two, Wang Feng, holding his sword, frowned: "That will happen then. Right now, we should focus on pacifying the Qinghe Sect first."

Jin Daxu glared at Wang Feng, rarely showing anger: "How dare you speak out against your elders!"

Wang Feng snorted but didn't say anything.

He Riyuan was familiar with this impetuous swordsman's temperament, and explained in a low voice:

"When a tiger comes down the mountain, it will not return until it has eaten meat. If it has not eaten enough, the jackals following behind will suffer."

Wang Feng frowned slightly: "Are we those jackals?"

He Riyuan nodded.

Kim Dae-su and Choi Myung-ho both looked somber. Choi Myung-ho sighed:

"Our foundation lies here. If our spiritual cave is truly taken away, the Baoxia Sect will perish because of us. That's fine, but I'm afraid that none of the sect's disciples will have a good end."

Without spiritual caves, sect cultivators find it even harder to survive than independent cultivators. This illustrates the saying that it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality, and the same applies to cultivators.

Hearing the two families express their anxieties, Li Pinghe came to his senses, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:

"It may not be as dangerous as you all think. I have just learned that Master Su of Penglai Pavilion has driven Wei Ran, the sect leader of Qinghe Sect, to Wunan, and Master Duan is also taking the opportunity to go north."

"Although the two families are missing one of their spiritual sites, the two True Immortals may gain something else, and at that time they may not care about the small benefit that Song State provides."

"Is that really the case?"

Both of them looked delighted.

Li Pinghe shook his head calmly: "On the battlefield, the situation is ever-changing and unpredictable. However, you should all know that once you enter this arena, you should not hesitate or waver, otherwise you will be defeated sooner or later."

"If you really have any doubts, why not come with me to the old site of the Thousand Hands Sect and explain it to Master Xianyu? I can speak for you all. Even if Master Xianyu is angry, he will only blame me."

He didn't want to worry about these boring things, but the Chenjiang Sword Sect and Baoxia Sect were, after all, part of the Song Kingdom's counterattack against the Qinghe Sect. If internal discord delayed important matters, it would be of no benefit to him.

So he simply took it upon himself to do so.

Since there's no longer any need to defend the Yang Clan's Spirit Cave, it's a good time to join forces and perhaps completely wipe out the Qinghe Sect's power in the Song Kingdom.

But upon hearing Li Pinghe's words, Jin Daxu, Cui Minghao, and even He Riyuan were all invigorated, as if they had encountered sweet dew.

"Thank you for your help, Senior Li!"

Cui Minghao took two steps back, straightened his sleeves, and bowed solemnly: "On behalf of the entire Xia Sect, I thank you for your righteousness, Senior!"

Kim Dae-soo remained silent, but followed Cui Minghao's example.

Li Pinghe nodded slightly: "I will immediately send a message to Sect Leader Han, reporting the situation here and how we dealt with it just now."

He then used the method of burning sheepskin to send a message, and received a response from Han Xianghe. He then relayed the message to the group: "Gentlemen, there's no time to lose, let's set off now."

With him as their leader, Jin Daxu and Cui Minghao felt at ease. They left a small number of cultivators to guard the area, while the rest rushed to the aid of their comrades in the old Thousand Hands Sect territory.

The Yang family's spiritual cave and the Thousand Hands Sect's spiritual cave are not far apart. This time, all the cultivators are elites and have invested heavily, so the journey is naturally very fast.

In just half a day, they encountered several formations set up on the outermost perimeter of the Thousand Hands Sect, but they collapsed as soon as they were touched because no one was in charge of them.

"It seems the Qinghe Sect has truly run out of tricks."

The cultivators were greatly encouraged, but they did not rush forward. Instead, they rested and recovered their magical power before proceeding steadily.

Before long, they encountered more and more array formations, but with a master of array formations like Li Pinghe present, they naturally escaped without any danger.

After a while, the Thousand Hands Sect's mountain gate came into view in the distance. The array around it was constantly flashing with light, and even the figures as small as sesame seeds could be seen fighting each other.

At that very moment, without any prior warning, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared above the Thousand Hands Sect!

Suddenly, the sky darkened, the sun and moon dimmed, and from within the Thousand Hands Sect, a deafening sound of the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting erupted!

"What's going on?!"

Even though they were far apart, Li Pinghe and the others felt a sudden weight lift from their hearts, as if something enormous had happened in the dark, leaving them all utterly astonished.

"This strange phenomenon, could it be...?"

When Cui Minghao saw the strange phenomenon above the Thousand Hands Sect, he was first astonished, then his mind was shaken, and a record circulating in the sect's classic texts suddenly flashed into his mind.

"A true cultivator at the foundational level has perished!"

"The Thousand Hands Sect... possesses a second-grade spiritual acupoint!"

Suddenly, he heard someone exclaim in a low voice. Cui Minghao turned his head and saw that it was Jin Daxu, the leader of the Chenjiang Sword Sect. At this moment, he was looking into the distance with astonishment and ecstasy in his eyes!

"The Dao Foundation has been destroyed; this is an unclaimed Grade Two Spiritual Cave!"

After speaking, he did not hesitate for a moment, drew his sword, leaped up, and sped away like lightning!

"Master!"

Wang Feng was taken aback, but seeing his master heading straight for the Thousand Hands Sect, he didn't dare to hesitate. He bowed to Li Pinghe and followed.

Cui Minghao and He Riyuan exchanged a glance, and the two of them bowed to Li Pinghe in farewell before heading straight to the Thousand Hands Sect, one after the other.

This unexpected turn of events truly stunned the cultivators.

The crowd looked at each other in astonishment, but some cultivators who had recovered their senses immediately took to the air and gave chase.

Li Pinghe was equally surprised and suspicious:

"When did the Qinghe Sect manage to cultivate the Thousand Hands Sect's spiritual acupoint to the second rank?"

"But which Foundation Establishment cultivator has perished this time?"

"Wen Yao, or Zhu Yu?"

Just as he was wondering what was going on, the sheepskin in his hand spontaneously combusted without any wind, and a line of writing appeared on it. It was only seven characters, but it shocked Li Pinghe deeply:

"Duan beheaded Ning He at Wuling."

A few more words were born:

"Please take the spiritual acupoint quickly!"

Li Pinghe, however, had no time to look.

Almost as soon as he saw those seven words, he instinctively looked up.

A phantom image of a red-robed cultivator, whose appearance surpassed even that of a woman, rose from the depths of the Thousand Hands Sect's spiritual cave, ascending towards the heavens, its eyes still holding a hint of lingering affection, before gradually dissipating...

Her beauty remains as captivating as ever.