War of Vengeance

**The Liao Yin Immortal Realm,**

Through the toad, O Shinan easily absorbed all the power of the Chi Xi Pill.

Feeling the Chi Xi Pill seamlessly integrate into his body, and sensing the faint golden-red power in his palm, a rare satisfaction gleamed in O Shinan's eyes.

"I didn't expect the Chi Xi Pill to need to pass through an ordinary Golden Pill before it could be absorbed so smoothly." He casually waved his hand, and the door before him burst into charred fragments with a loud crash.

Seeing the door shattered on the ground, O Shinan's lips curled into a smile, unable to hide the delight in his eyes.

"Now, it's time for that person to make their entrance. Someone, come here!" O Shinan called out to the door. He whispered a few instructions to an approaching immortal soldier before sending him away.

---

**In the Fallen Immortal Dungeon,**

Taking advantage of the night, Qingyuan sneaked in and knocked out the guards at the dungeon gate.

"Ruling!"

"Master? Why are you here?"

"No time to explain, come with me now."

"Master, what's going on? What happened?"

Before they could take a few steps, a group of immortal soldiers blocked their path.

"In such a hurry, where is the God of War Qingyuan planning to go?" O Shinan's indifferent voice came from behind the soldiers, as if he had been waiting there for some time.

The soldiers stepped aside to make way, and O Shinan walked slowly towards them, lightly shaking the fan in his hand.

Qingyuan held the Cuiyun Blade horizontally in front of him with one hand and protected Yue Ruling with the other. Yue Ruling, bewildered, looked at the scene before her, completely at a loss.

"If you want to harm her, you'll have to get past my blade first," Qingyuan said, his voice trembling with excitement, ready to draw his blade at any moment.

"Master, what's going on?" Yue Ruling whispered in his ear.

"I received news that the Immortal Lord plans to use your inner core for an elixir. You must leave with me immediately," Qingyuan explained briefly in a low voice.

"Yue Ruling is a mere mortal. To be made into medicine for the Immortal Lord is her good fortune; she should be grateful," O Shinan said provocatively, his voice low and mocking, a wicked smile playing at his lips.

"Ridiculous! I, Yue Ruling, am the first general of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm. How could the Immortal Lord give such an absurd order? I demand to see the Immortal Lord!"

"Ha, the first general? Now you're just a prisoner. Do you still think you can act high and mighty in front of me? Take them down!" O Shinan sneered, waving his hand to signal the soldiers.

Ignoring the fighting behind him, O Shinan casually walked to the dungeon door, leaning against it as if waiting for something.

Despite the number of soldiers, they were no match for Yue Ruling and Qingyuan. The two's reputations were well earned, and the soldiers, trained under them, quickly fell, merely putting up a token resistance.

Seeing a soldier signal that there were no archers outside the door, Yue Ruling and Qingyuan rushed out.

Just as they burst through the dungeon door, Yue Ruling felt something swiftly pierce her back. She looked back but saw no one. The pain was fleeting, so she quickly followed Qingyuan without further thought.

Hidden in the shadows, O Shinan, under his black fan, revealed a sinister smile, whispering, "See you soon, General Ruling."

---

**In the town,**

Li Luoning checked Mi Xingzhe's wound and found it was minor.

"Let's go." Just as he spoke, he sensed a powerful killing intent aimed at Mi Xingzhe.

"Watch out!" He pulled Mi Xingzhe behind him and met the attack head-on.

The figure that had lunged at Mi Xingzhe was sent flying several yards away by Li Luoning's palm. The person's face was hidden under a white robe and cloak, only their hands visible as they summoned a spell.

"Tian Qiong Absorption Technique!" Li Luoning was startled. This powerful technique could drain a person's spiritual power in moments and steal the inner core of high-level cultivators. 

Wasn't this forbidden technique banned long ago? He had only read about it in ancient texts in Master Liao Yin's library. Who was this person who had mastered such a cruel, forbidden art?

"Nian'er, stay back!"

"Master, he must be the one harming the townsfolk. Let me help you!" Mi Xingzhe fearlessly rushed forward, ignoring Li Luoning's warning.

"Danger!" Li Luoning tried to stop him, but Mi Xingzhe had already passed him.

Li Luoning leaped in front of Mi Xingzhe, attacking first.

The figure in the white cloak seemed obsessed with Mi Xingzhe, enduring Li Luoning's attacks without flinching.

After several rounds, even though the white-cloaked figure was only defending, they were evenly matched. As their powers clashed, the hat covering the figure's head was blown off.

"Immortal Lord?" Mi Xingzhe exclaimed.

Li Luoning was shocked, quickly withdrawing his power and stepping back to look at SiTu Fanzhi.

SiTu Fanzhi's eyes were vacant, as if he didn't recognize Li Luoning and Mi Xingzhe. His stiff neck moved, staring at the two like a bloodthirsty beast.

"Is the Immortal Lord here to capture us and bring us back to the Liao Yin Immortal Realm for punishment?" Li Luoning asked sternly.

SiTu Fanzhi didn't respond, his pale purple eyes seemingly lost in thought.

---

"If the Immortal Lord desires Nian'er's Floating Light Golden Seal, I'm afraid I can't oblige. Since my disciple and I have escaped from the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, by the rules, we are no longer members of the Immortal Sect and are no longer under your jurisdiction. Why must you pursue us so relentlessly?" Li Luoning asked sternly.

Li Luoning knew all the thousands of rules of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm. According to tradition, anyone who managed to escape the realm's barrier was considered to have voluntarily left the sect, and the Immortal Sect members could no longer pursue them.

Without any explanation, SiTu Fanzhi raised his hand again, this time aiming directly at Li Luoning. A powerful golden-purple force gathered in his hand, and the intense wind momentarily blinded Li Luoning. In that brief distraction, SiTu Fanzhi's attack closed in.

"Master, watch out!" Mi Xingzhe leaped forward, summoning a golden seal to shield Li Luoning.

With the Moon Shadow Pill nearby, Mi Xingzhe's Floating Light Golden Seal unleashed immense power, easily blocking SiTu Fanzhi's attack. As they continued to channel power, the protective seal before them grew larger.

Li Luoning was surprised by the growing barrier of the golden seal. He knew that as long as he stood beside Mi Xingzhe, the Floating Light Golden Seal would draw power from the Moon Shadow Pill, making them invulnerable to SiTu Fanzhi's attacks.

"Why must you persist, Immortal Lord? My disciple and I only wish to live peacefully in seclusion and no longer involve ourselves in worldly matters. The affairs of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm are no longer our concern. Could you not grant us this mercy?" Li Luoning questioned.

SiTu Fanzhi ignored his words, his hands conjuring a new spell. He raised his arms, drawing numerous stones from the ground. The stones floated, covered in silver runes with blazing red-orange light glowing in the gaps.

"Shangwei Heavenly Stone!" Li Luoning recognized it instantly.

His suspicions and what he had been told by the Yanding Dragon King were confirmed. He hadn't believed that the revered Immortal Lord of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm would senselessly murder a mortal family, but now, seeing SiTu Fanzhi wield the Shangwei Heavenly Stone, Li Luoning was certain that he was the culprit behind the massacre of the Li family.

"So, it was you!" At the sight of the Shangwei Heavenly Stone, a chilling anger surged from the Moon Shadow Pill, clouding Li Luoning's mind. His vision blurred momentarily.

[He is the murderer from that year. He caused the brothers to kill each other, and led to mother's tragic death. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have had to kill your only blood relative. Kill him, kill him now!] Voices echoed in Li Luoning's mind, causing a headache. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, feeling disoriented.

"Master, are you alright?" Mi Xingzhe noticed his master's condition. Distracted, a gap appeared in the Floating Light Golden Seal, and a Shangwei Heavenly Stone slipped through. It was about to strike Li Luoning when Mi Xingzhe tried to catch it, burning his fingers in the process.

In a critical moment, Li Luoning grabbed the Shangwei Heavenly Stone, his eyes glowing a strange blue. His expression changed dramatically.

With a slight force, the burning stone crumbled into icy fragments, scattering on the ground.

"Master!"

Li Luoning didn't respond to Mi Xingzhe's call. With a sinister smile and a bloodthirsty look, he dodged another stone and charged at SiTu Fanzhi with incredible speed.

Mi Xingzhe was still stunned by the eerie glow in his master's eyes. When he recovered, Li Luoning was already gone.

Turning around, Mi Xingzhe saw Li Luoning and SiTu Fanzhi fighting in mid-air. It was less a duel and more a one-sided beatdown from Li Luoning.

In the sky, Li Luoning relentlessly attacked SiTu Fanzhi with icy blue spells, each strike weakening him until SiTu Fanzhi fell.

Focused on the battle, Mi Xingzhe didn't notice the figure standing on a distant rooftop.

"This is too exciting. It needs to be recorded for the others to see," the figure said, activating a device. All the Immortal friends' Empty Flower Tokens reacted, transmitting the scene back to the Liao Yin Immortal Realm.

SiTu Fanzhi, slammed to the ground, spat blood as his golden core cracked. O Shinan's spell on him broke.

SiTu Fanzhi felt a chilling cold but didn't know where he was. He saw Li Luoning approaching with immense power.

"What are you doing, Immortal Master Xiao Yi?" SiTu Fanzhi gasped, his voice weakened by the blood in his throat.

"Was it you who used the Shangwei Heavenly Stone to destroy my family?" Li Luoning's voice trembled with anger as cold energy gathered in his hand.

"I..." SiTu Fanzhi's eyes widened in fear, realizing Li Luoning knew the truth.

Seeing SiTu Fanzhi's fear, Li Luoning tilted his head, flicking his finger to summon an icy spike, pinning SiTu Fanzhi's right hand to the ground.

"Ah!" SiTu Fanzhi screamed in pain, his face turning red as sweat soaked his clothes.

"My family had no quarrel with you. Why did you do it?" Li Luoning's voice was cold, indifferent to SiTu Fanzhi's suffering.

Breathing heavily, SiTu Fanzhi glared at Li Luoning, unable to answer.

Li Luoning flicked his finger again, an icy spike driving through SiTu Fanzhi's right ankle, pinning him to the ground. Another agonized scream echoed.

"All for the legendary dual cores?" Li Luoning crouched, looking down at the once-high-and-mighty Immortal Lord, his Moon Shadow Pill glowing on his chest.

"With dual cores and the golden seal, the three realms can be unified. As the Immortal Lord of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, I couldn't let the sect fall into anyone's hands. Even if I didn't kill your family, someone else would have," SiTu Fanzhi admitted, his voice trembling.

"Heh, governance by suspicion. Is this your way?" Li Luoning laughed, summoning an icy dagger and stabbing it into SiTu Fanzhi's thigh, twisting it with a smile.

Mi Xingzhe, shocked by his master's ruthlessness and unfamiliar expression, stood frozen.

"Is this really Master? Or is it... Li Minghan?" Mi Xingzhe wondered, unsure of who stood before him.

"Master." Mi Xingzhe took a few steps forward, his voice trembling.

Li Luoning slowly turned his head, his eyes cold and unfeeling. He glanced at Mi Xingzhe without a word and turned back to SiTu Fanzhi.

"Haha, your master has consumed the Moon Shadow Pill. With any instability, he will fall into demonic cultivation. If he won't spare me, we'll go to hell together!" SiTu Fanzhi laughed madly, locking Li Luoning's wrist and unleashing a powerful spell.

"Master, watch out!"