Chapter 1327 You Go into Seclusion First

Liu Yang didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the former site of the Zhao family at the end of the street—the once magnificent mansion had been demolished, leaving only a flat open space with a stone tablet that read "New Li Family Residence Under Construction." He understood that the Li family was completely erasing any trace of the Zhao family to consolidate their rule.

The group quickly arrived at the Li residence. Compared to their last visit, the security at the Li residence was much tighter. A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator stood beside each of the stone lions at the entrance, and patrolling cultivators were visible throughout the corridors. Li Hong, the head of the Li family, was already waiting at the gate. Upon seeing Liu Yang, he immediately stepped forward and warmly shook his hand: "Mr. Liu! You're finally back! I haven't been able to eat or drink for days, just waiting for your return!"

"Chief Li, you're too kind." Liu Yang withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "May I ask what brings you here, Chief Li?"

"Let's go inside and talk, let's go inside and talk!" Li Hong laughed and led Liu Yang into the main hall. A banquet had already been set up in the main hall, with the tables full of spiritual fruits and wine, obviously prepared in advance. Li Hong invited Liu Yang to sit in the main seat, while he himself sat to the side. Elders such as Li Shan sat on both sides, and Su Qingyao stood behind Liu Yang, her eyes warily watching the Li family cultivators present.

“Mr. Liu, the main reason I invited you here today is to discuss two matters with you.” Li Hong raised his wine glass and toasted Liu Yang. “The first matter concerns the control of Qingyang City. As you know, the Zhao family has been destroyed and the Wang family has collapsed. Now Qingyang City is leaderless. The elders of the clans all believe that you are exceptionally strong and have done a great service to Qingyang City. You should become the city lord of Qingyang City and lead all the cultivators in the city.”

Liu Yang paused, his hand holding the wine glass still, a cold smile playing on his lips. Li Hong's words sounded clever, but in reality, he wanted to push him to the forefront and shield the Li family from the covetousness of other forces. After all, Qingyang City was located at a strategic point, surrounded by powerful forces like Burning Heaven Valley. The Li family had only recently taken control of Qingyang City, and their foundation was unstable, so naturally they wanted to find a "strongman" to act as a shield.

"I have no interest in the position of city lord." Liu Yang put down his wine glass, his tone resolute. "As a cultivator, my priority is to improve my cultivation level. Worldly power is useless to me. Clan Chief Li can make his own decisions regarding Qingyang City."

Li Hong's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Mr. Liu is indeed indifferent to fame and fortune! Since you are unwilling to be the city lord, then our Li family will temporarily assume the position. If you change your mind in the future, you can take over Qingyang City at any time." He then changed the subject and brought up the second matter, "The second matter concerns Burning Heaven Valley. Yesterday, Burning Heaven Valley sent an envoy to Qingyang City, saying that they wanted to establish 'friendly relations' with our city, and they specifically mentioned you, saying that they would like to invite you to Burning Heaven Valley for a discussion."

"Burning Sky Valley?" A glint flashed in Liu Yang's eyes—he had been looking for an opportunity to inquire about the Fire Thunder Token, but unexpectedly, Burning Sky Valley had come to him of its own accord. "What else did the envoy say?"

"That envoy was arrogant, saying that the Valley Master of Burning Heaven Valley admires your strength and wants to invite you to join the Valley. If you agree, the Valley Master is willing to grant you the position of 'Guardian' and provide you with a wealth of cultivation resources." Li Hong frowned. "I think that envoy has ill intentions. He probably doesn't genuinely want to invite you to join, but rather wants to test your strength, and may even be detrimental to you. You absolutely must not go!"

Liu Yang understood. As a top power within a thousand miles, Burning Heaven Valley must know the relationship between the Ice Thunder Token and the Fire Thunder Token. Their invitation was probably to try and find out the whereabouts of the Ice Thunder Token from him, or even to forcibly seize it. However, this also gave him an opportunity to get closer to Burning Heaven Valley—only by going to Burning Heaven Valley in person could he find clues about the Fire Thunder Token.

"Thank you for the reminder, Clan Chief Li," Liu Yang said calmly. "Since Burning Heaven Valley has invited me, I will naturally go. As for their purpose, I have my own way of dealing with it."

Li Hong, Li Shan, and the others were stunned, clearly not expecting Liu Yang to agree so readily. Li Hong quickly advised, "Mr. Liu, Burning Heaven Valley is a powerful force, and its Valley Master is a Nascent Soul cultivator. You might be in danger if you go! Why don't our Li family unite with the surrounding smaller forces to fight against Burning Heaven Valley? We absolutely cannot let them take you away!"

“No need.” Liu Yang stood up. “My mind is made up. I will set off for Burning Heaven Valley tomorrow. I’ll leave the matter of Qingyang City to Chief Li.” He looked at Su Qingyao. “Qingyao, let’s go.”

Su Qingyao nodded and followed closely behind Liu Yang. The two turned and left the Li residence. Li Hong, Li Shan, and the others watched their retreating figures, exchanging worried glances. Li Shan whispered, "Clan leader, I'm afraid Mr. Liu's departure is fraught with danger! If something happens to him, how will our Li family deal with the threat from Burning Heaven Valley?"

Li Hong sighed, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Mr. Liu's strength is unfathomable; perhaps he has his own plans. What we can do now is to strengthen Qingyang City's defenses as quickly as possible and prepare to deal with Burning Heaven Valley. If something happens to Mr. Liu, our Li family will have no choice but to unite with other forces to fight against Burning Heaven Valley."

As Liu Yang and Su Qingyao walked out of the Li residence, the cultivators on the street cast respectful glances at them. Su Qingyao couldn't help but ask, "Master, are you really going to Burning Heaven Valley? That's the territory of Nascent Soul stage cultivators; it's too dangerous!"

"Danger and opportunity go hand in hand." A resolute glint flashed in Liu Yang's eyes. "Burning Heaven Valley holds what I need, and no matter how dangerous it is, I must go. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing and won't put myself in danger." He paused, then added, "While I'm at Burning Heaven Valley, you stay in Qingyang City and continue your secluded cultivation. This is a bottle of 'Ice and Fire Tempering Pills.' After taking it, you should be able to break through to the Golden Core stage in a short time. Remember, before I return, don't easily provoke the Li family, and don't reveal that we've received the inheritance."

Su Qingyao took the pill, her eyes slightly red: "Master, you must come back safely! I will break through as soon as possible, and when you return, I will definitely be able to help you!"

“Alright.” Liu Yang nodded. “Let’s go back to the inn first. I’ll set up the restrictions for your seclusion, and I’ll set off tomorrow.”

The two walked side by side down the street in the setting sun, the smoke from the chimneys of Qingyang City rising slowly, a scene of peace and tranquility. Unbeknownst to anyone, a contest concerning the Ice Thunder Token and the Fire Thunder Token was about to unfold in Burning Heaven Valley, a thousand miles away. And Liu Yang's path of cultivation would also face new challenges and opportunities in this contest.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated over Qingyang City, and light footsteps could already be heard on the official road on the outskirts of the city. Liu Yang, carrying a simple black satchel, walked steadily on the stone path, his plain long robe swaying gently in the breeze. He had just finished resting at the inn in Qingyang City, and today was the day he was to set off for Burning Heaven Valley—his goal was to retrieve the ancient treasure "Fire and Thunder Token" that had been stolen by Burning Heaven Valley, and also to test whether his cultivation of the "Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Technique" had reached its peak.

Liu Yang's cultivation had long since surpassed the Golden Core stage, but he deliberately concealed his aura, appearing to outsiders as nothing more than an ordinary cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. His spiritual sense spread out, covering a radius of a hundred feet. In the woods along the official road, several early-rising birds and lurking rabbits were clearly reflected in his perception. This absolute control over his surroundings was a habit he had cultivated over many years, and also the source of his confidence in dealing with sudden dangers.

"Hmm?" Liu Yang paused slightly, his spiritual sense detecting an unusual aura—spiritual energy fluctuations emanated from the woods three miles ahead, accompanied by a woman's soft moans and a cultivator's shouts. He raised an eyebrow, and without hesitation, his figure blurred as he darted towards the direction from which the aura originated. At his speed, three miles was nothing more than a blink of an eye.

After passing through a dense forest, a clearing appeared before them. In the clearing, four cultivators dressed in black were surrounding a woman. The leader was a burly man with a fierce face, a broadsword hanging at his waist, and his body emanated the spiritual energy fluctuations of the early Golden Core stage. The other three were all late Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, wielding magical artifacts, subtly forcing the woman to the edge of the clearing under a large tree.

The woman being besieged was dressed in a white robe and a simple skirt, carrying a bamboo medicine box on her back. Her long, black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her face was beautiful but somewhat pale. In her hand, she tightly clutched a herb with pale blue leaves and ice-crystal-like fruit at the top. It was the "Ice Soul Grass," a rare herb in the cultivation world. This herb could be used to refine "Body Tempering Pills," which could greatly enhance the purity of a cultivator's spiritual power and was of great help in breaking through from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage.

"Miss Li, if you know what's good for you, hand over the Ice Soul Grass and have some fun with us. Maybe we'll spare your life." The burly man at the head licked his lips, his eyes greedily sweeping over the woman. "This Ice Soul Grass is something that Lord Burning Heaven Valley specifically requested. How dare you, a mere healer, hoard it?"

The woman's name was Li Qingyue, a well-known healer near Qingyang City. She was skilled in refining healing pills and knew some basic defensive spells, but had almost no offensive capabilities. She had gone into the mountains early this morning to gather herbs and had finally found this Ice Soul Grass. She intended to use it to refine pills to treat a seriously injured low-level cultivator, but she did not expect to encounter this group of people on her way back.

"Are you from Burning Heaven Valley?" Li Qingyue bit her lip, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes, but she still protected the Ice Soul Grass behind her. "Burning Heaven Valley acts tyrannically, robbing fellow cultivators, and has long been despised by the cultivation world. This Ice Soul Grass is something I painstakingly found, and I will never give it to you!"

"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" The burly man's face darkened, and he swung his broadsword, unleashing a black blade of energy towards Li Qingyue. "Since you refuse to hand it over, then I'll take it myself! And while I'm at it, I'll let you taste my power!"

The blade energy was incredibly fast, accompanied by a whistling sound. Li Qingyue was so frightened that she closed her eyes and instinctively gathered the last of her spiritual power, trying to create a defensive shield. However, her spiritual power was already weak, and she had already consumed a lot of it in the previous maneuver. As soon as the shield was formed, it was shaken by the blade energy and was on the verge of shattering.

Just at this critical moment, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out: "It is rather despicable for you, with your Golden Core cultivation, to bully a Foundation Establishment medical cultivator."

Before the words were even finished, a pale blue ice-elemental spiritual energy shot out from the forest like a meteor, precisely colliding with the burly man's sword aura. With a crisp "crack," the sword aura was instantly frozen, turning into countless ice shards that scattered across the ground. Immediately afterward, a figure slowly emerged from the forest—it was Liu Yang, who had arrived just in time.

The burly man was stunned for a moment, then glared at Liu Yang angrily: "Where did this brat come from, daring to meddle in my business? Do you know who I am? I am the manager of the outer perimeter of Burning Heaven Valley. If you dare to stop me, aren't you afraid of Burning Heaven Valley's retaliation?"

Ignoring the burly man's threat, Liu Yang turned his gaze to Li Qingyue and asked gently, "Miss, are you alright?"

Li Qingyue opened her eyes and was taken aback when she saw Liu Yang suddenly appear. She quickly shook her head and said, "Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. I'm fine. It's just that they... they wanted to steal my Ice Soul Grass."

"Ice Soul Grass?" Liu Yang looked at the herb in Li Qingyue's hand, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. He had already sensed the aura of this herb through his spiritual sense, but he hadn't expected it to cause such a conflict.

"Boy, you dare to get distracted?" Seeing that Liu Yang ignored him, the burly man's anger intensified. He swung his broadsword again, this time using thirty percent of his spiritual power. The sword energy was more condensed than before, carrying a black murderous aura, and slashed towards Liu Yang. "Today I'll let you know the consequences of meddling in other people's business!"

A faint sneer curled at the corner of Liu Yang's lips. In his eyes, cultivators at the early stage of the Golden Core realm were no different from ants. He didn't even use a weapon; he simply raised his right hand, a wisp of ice-type spiritual energy gathering at his fingertips, and flicked it lightly.

"call out--"

This wisp of ice-elemental spiritual energy, though seemingly weak, moved with incredible speed, instantly colliding with the burly man's blade aura. Without a deafening sound, the man's blade aura melted and dissipated instantly, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. Then, the remaining force of the spiritual energy struck the broadsword in the man's hand.

"Click——"

The broadsword was instantly frozen, ice crystals spreading along the hilt and quickly covering the burly man's entire palm. The man felt an icy chill emanating from his hand, his spiritual energy instantly halting. He stared in horror at his frozen hand, trying to shake it off but unable to move at all.

"You... what exactly is your cultivation level?" The burly man's voice trembled, his eyes filled with fear. He could sense that although the spiritual power Liu Yang had just released was weak, it carried a kind of oppressive feeling that made his heart tremble. This kind of oppressive feeling could only be possessed by cultivators in the late Golden Core stage or even the Nascent Soul stage.

Liu Yang did not answer, but slowly raised his left hand, a wisp of fire-elemental spiritual power condensing at his fingertips. With a light flick of his finger, the fire-elemental spiritual power flew towards the burly man's dantian like a spark.

"puff--"

The fire-elemental spiritual energy appeared gentle, but it possessed extremely strong penetrating power, instantly shattering the burly man's dantian defense. The burly man felt a sharp pain in his dantian, and the spiritual energy within his body dissipated like a flood. He screamed in agony, collapsed to the ground, and could no longer get up.

The three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators nearby turned pale with fright and their legs went weak. They never imagined that their leader, a cultivator at the early stage of Golden Core, would be defeated by the opponent with a flick of his finger, without even a chance to fight back.

"Get out." Liu Yang uttered a single word coldly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

The three cultivators felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They dared not linger and fled into the distance, even forgetting to take the burly man on the ground with them.