225: Chapter 225 Five Years

Especially in the post-war reconstruction landscape, whoever recovered their Origin Qi first would be able to seize more resources and territory. A declining Xuanyuan Valley was a challenge for the Li Family, but even more so, an opportunity.

Of course, he would not say these words out loud to anyone.

When news of the battle arrived, all forces had suffered casualties. If he showed even a hint of joy at this moment, it would only give others leverage against him.

Furthermore, while certain things could be said in front of Li Xuanji and Clan Leader Li Huaming, in front of outsiders, he had to maintain a heavy demeanor, sharing the grief of all the Cultivators in the county.

He put away the Jade Slip, stood up, and walked to the window. Outside, day had fully broken, the morning mist had dissipated, and golden light shimmered on the surface of the Falling Star River.

Looking into the distance, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Those four names weighed like four stones somewhere deep in his heart—neither light nor heavy, yet they made him realize even more clearly a truth: Golden Core Cultivators could easily perish as well.

...

Master Xuanyue's return to Hongshi County took place three months after the great battle in Hongshan Prefecture had ended.

He was brought back on a spirit boat, escorted by two Tianxuan Sect Inner Sect Disciples—one at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and the other at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. They stayed by his side every step of the way, not daring to slacken in the slightest.

When the spirit boat landed on the drill ground in Hongshi County Town, it was already late at night. The moonlight was dim, and the torches around the drill ground flickered in the night wind, casting shifting shadows.

Master Xuanyue was carried into the stone building in the center of the county town.

At the time, no one could clearly see how severe his injuries were; they only caught a vague glimpse of him on the stretcher, his face sallow and lips tightly pressed together. He was covered with a standard robe of the Tianxuan Sect, its hem soaked with dark red bloodstains that glistened with a dull black under the moonlight.

It was not until the next day, when Liu Jiang walked out of the stone building, that his expression was gloomy enough to drip water.

He said nothing, only waving his hand at the crowd gathered outside to signal them to disperse before turning back inside. The heavy doors closed again with a dull thud.

For the next half year, Master Xuanyue's figure never appeared in Hongshi County again.

In the courtyard residence, only two Inner Sect Disciples rotated entering and leaving each day; occasionally, they could be seen carrying medicine boxes or jade bottles, moving in a hurry.

As for inside the stone building, strict Restrictions sealed off all aura and sound, leaving everyone on the outside completely in the dark.

The defense of Hongshi County fell entirely upon the shoulders of Liu Jiang and Wang Daoyuan.

The two divided the whole county into north and south sections, taking turns patrolling day after day, not daring to be negligent.

Liu Jiang was responsible for the north, stationed permanently at Chimang Ridge to monitor movements from the north; Wang Daoyuan took charge of the south, guarding the county town and the perimeter along the Falling Star River while overseeing resource logistics and backend stability.

The two exchanged news every three days, and if anything unusual occurred, they would immediately contact each other using communication talismans.

However, news arrived from the direction of Hongshan Prefecture City that Master Qingming had stayed behind to oversee the prefecture city after the great battle ended and would no longer return to Hongshi County.

As for Master Xuanyue's injuries, it was publicly described only as "secluded healing," with no further details mentioned.

Li Changqing had tried to pry some information from Wang Daoyuan, but Wang Daoyuan merely shook his head, saying that Revered Master was severely injured, and whether he could recover remained uncertain.

It was not until a morning six months later that Wang Daoyuan sent news: Master Xuanyue had emerged from seclusion, his injuries were basically healed, and neither Hongshi County nor Hongshan Prefecture would experience large-scale combat in the short term.

This news allowed everyone in Hongshi County to breathe a sigh of relief.

Master Xuanyue had overseen the area for many years and had long become an anchor of stability in everyone's hearts. As long as he was alive, even if he did not lift a finger, it was enough to reassure everyone.

And the peace in Hongshi County lasted even longer than anyone had anticipated.

Counting from the year the great battle in Hongshan Prefecture ended, Hongshi County went five full years without suffering a single large-scale invasion from the Demonic Path.

For the first two years, all the forces kept their nerves taut—patrolling, drills, maintaining Formations, everything proceeded as usual. Inspections at the four gates of the county town remained strict, and the spirit-detecting Formation Plate at the Chimang Ridge pass never ceased operation.

By the third year, even in the most remote villages and towns, traces of Demonic Path Cultivators were rarely seen.

In the northern mountains and wilderness, the scorched earth once eroded by corpse qi until not a blade of grass grew began to slowly sprout green grass and bushes.

On the mountain paths, Mortals gathering herbs could occasionally be seen, carrying bamboo baskets and leaning on wooden walking sticks, smiles returning to their faces.

In the fourth year, all three Formations at the Chimang Ridge pass were fully restored and maintained.

The Formation Flags were replaced with new ones, the Formation Plates were refined anew, and the Spirit Stone reserves were fully replenished, yet these three Restrictions were never fully activated again in actual combat.

Those Formation lines that used to flicker day and night were now silent most of the time, lighting up briefly only during the monthly routine tests to prove they were still functional.

In the fifth year, Martial Artist merchant caravans in Hongshi County Town even began reconstructing piers along the banks of the Falling Star River.

North-south trade gradually revived, cargo ships reappeared on the river, their sails floating like clouds.

The shadow of war seemed to fade from this land bit by bit, blown away by the wind, washed thin by the water, and submerged beneath the hawking calls that resounded once more.

The overall situation in Hongshan Prefecture was much the same; the Demonic Path seemed to have completely given up on breaking through from the northern front.

Now, within three hundred miles of the northern line in Hongshan Prefecture, not even a single Iron-Armored Corpse Puppet could be found, to say nothing of demonic Cultivators.

The northern foot of Chimang Ridge, where black mist used to surge, now grew sparse wild grass. When the mountain wind blew, the waves of grass resembled a sea, completely devoid of the chilling aura of former years.

Ye Gucheng and Master Qingming had already been reassigned three years ago to leave Hongshan Prefecture and head to the southern front of Tianxuan Prefecture to provide support.

The defending forces of Hongshan Prefecture were replaced by three Golden Core Peak Cultivators left behind by the Tianxuan Sect, along with Master Xuyun, the Sect Master of Hongshan Sect who survived the great battle, and two other Golden Core Cultivators from the Hongshan Sect, forming a new defense system together.

Li Changqing had once talked with Wang Daoyuan about the southern front.

Wang Daoyuan had said, "Senior Martial Uncle Ye and Senior Martial Uncle Qingming have both gone to the southern front. That place is the real meat grinder of Tianxuan Prefecture now.

The northern front is basically stabilized, which is why the Sect dared to reassign those two away. With those three Senior Martial Uncles and Master Xuyun stationed in Hongshan Prefecture, it is enough to handle ordinary battles."

Li Changqing asked Wang Daoyuan, "Will the Demonic Path really not come to the northern front again?"

Wang Daoyuan shook his head. "I wouldn't say absolutely not. But judging from the current situation, the main force of the Corpse Refining Sect has fully shifted south. Wanting to concentrate dozens of Golden Cores to launch an attack on the northern front is no longer realistic. For all the defense lines in Hongshan Prefecture, the hardest time should be behind us."

Li Changqing kept these words in mind; he believed eighty percent of it while retaining twenty percent vigilance.

Hongshan Prefecture had indeed stabilized, but the Righteous-Demonic War was not over yet, and any variable could occur.

It was just that he was no longer as constantly tense as before, choosing instead to focus more energy on himself and the Family.

During these five years, with no warfare in Hongshi County, the Li Family had plenty of time and energy to focus on two things: Cultivation and Talisman Making.

Li Changqing led by example, practicing Cultivation for more than four hours every single day without fail.