Chapter 599: The Unspeaking Bell (II)
As Li Xuanfeng clenched the page in his hand, its fleeting spiritual energy dissipated instantly. The artifact reverted to an inert state. Glancing back at the skies, he saw only two or three items still soaring amid the melee as the cultivators fought over them.
Mindful of his true objective, Li Xuanfeng chose not to reveal his strength unnecessarily. He tucked the dharma manual into his sleeve, swiftly changed positions, and activated his Black Gold Spirit Armor, vanishing into the cover of the pine forest.
Not long after, two beams of light closed in on his previous location. One was a grey-clad cultivator draped in a brown-grey Daoist robe. With narrow eyes and a high-bridged nose, he held a duster in his hand, clearly a disciple of the Changxiao Gate.
The other was a white-robed, middle-aged cultivator, gripping a long sword. Standing atop a jade-colored flying shuttle, his gaze shimmered with spiritual light, a clear indication of advanced perception techniques. Both had evidently locked onto the dharma manual earlier. Though Li Xuanfeng had moved quickly, his presence had already been detected in the moments leading up to his retreat.
The white-robed cultivator fixed his gaze on the man clad in black-gold armor and holding a longbow, and stiffened in surprise. After a tense silence, his voice broke with shock, "Xuanfeng!"
Li Xuanfeng froze for a moment, staring at the man's brows and eyes. After a brief pause, he exclaimed in realization, "Senior Yongling!"
The white-robed middle-aged man was none other than Xiao Yongling, also known as Man on Mount Feather, an old acquaintance of Li Tongya. The two elders had formed their friendship during their days as minor cultivators in the Embryonic Breathing Realm, making Xiao Yongling a respected senior to Li Xuanfeng.
The gray-robed cultivator from Changxiao Gate immediately noticed their familiarity and sensed trouble. Without uttering a word, he turned and fled, hurriedly heading out of the forest.
His escape spell left a long trail of light in the night, stark against the darkness. In his haste, he nearly collided with a blue-green spirit pine.