Chapter 112: Whirling Sands and Flying Stones

White Sands Shoal was ravaged by a fierce yellow gale, obscuring the light of day and plunging the world into a murky gloom. At this moment, only a tiny glimmer of light remained at the center of the shoal, holding on stubbornly. Yet, as time passed, relentlessly eroded by the swirling sands, this light began to dim, flickering with the signs of imminent extinction.

By abandoning the outer medicinal herbs and consolidating all their strength to defend the pill room, the cultivators of the Lu family had managed to temporarily hold off the members of the Yellow Wind Sect. They relied partly on their defensive formation and partly on the fact that the Yellow Wind Sect cultivators were too busy plundering the herbs to press their attack with full intent. However, as the herbs were picked clean, the assaults from the Yellow Wind Sect grew increasingly violent, and the Lu family cultivators began to buckle under the strain.

"Third Elder, another formation node has failed. I fear... I fear we cannot hold them back much longer." A Lu family cultivator approached Lu Yongxing, his face etched with terror.

Hearing this, Lu Yongxing was not overly surprised. "Prepare for the worst. Once the formation breaks, scatter the medicinal pills and throw them out. Then, every man for himself and flee."

Staring past the pill room into the sky filled with suffocating yellow dust, Lu Yongxing let out a long sigh. The Lu family’s pill room was primarily designed to protect the source of living water and to refine pills through its sedimentation. It held a significant store of medicine. If these pills were cast out, they would surely distract the Yellow Wind Sect cultivators, granting the Lu family members a better chance at survival.

The other Lu family cultivators fell silent upon hearing this. Some longed to suggest destroying the pills to fight to the death, but one glance at their kin held their tongues. A lingering sense of humiliation gnawed at their hearts; the Lu family were the undisputed masters of Qingyuan County, and as their disciples, they had never felt such stifling helplessness.

Taking in the expressions of his clansmen, Lu Yongxing said nothing.

Outside, the Loose Cultivator Yellow Wind sensed something and suddenly shifted his gaze away from White Sands Shoal. "They've arrived? It seems I cannot delay any longer."

With a thought, he pointed a finger, freezing the shifting patterns of the Lu family’s pill formation; he himself possessed no small mastery of formations. "Break!"

As his technique surged and the yellow wind roared, the Loose Cultivator shattered the pill room’s formation in an instant. Buffeted by the gale, the Lu family members lost their senses, unable to perceive one another or determine their direction. With a wailing howl, the妖風 (demon wind) swept through, snatching up the pills stored in the room. The Lu family cultivators, struggling to maintain their own bearings, were powerless to stop it. In a matter of breaths, bottle after bottle of pills was gathered into the Loose Cultivator's possession.

During this process, Lu Yongxing noticed something and attempted to intervene, but he was struck by a projectile of flying sand from the Loose Cultivator. Fearing for his life, he dared not move again, focusing only on his own defense.

Just then, a roar echoed from the river. A figure arrived, riding the waves upon a small skiff. He was thin and aged, with white hair tied back by a simple cord. His skin was sallow, and he wore coarse hemp robes, his feet bare, resembling a common ferryman. Few would guess from his appearance that he was the strongest member of the Lu family: Lu Yongnian, a peak-stage Qi Refining cultivator. The skiff beneath his feet was a genuine high-grade magical artifact, capable of riding waves and traveling through water with immense speed. It was thanks to this "Shadow-Flow Skiff" that he had been able to rush to White Sands Shoal so quickly after receiving the news.

"Loose Cultivator Yellow Wind, you have gone too far!"

Standing calmly on his skiff, Lu Yongnian looked toward the Loose Cultivator. Ripples stirred in his water-blue eyes, like churning undercurrents. Seeing this, and especially noting those eyes, the Loose Cultivator’s expression turned grave.

"It seems you have truly achieved something of note. It is a pity the timing is wrong, otherwise, I would have enjoyed a proper fight with you."

Before the words had faded, the Loose Cultivator unleashed a massive whirlwind, sweeping toward Lu Yongnian to block his advance. Simultaneously, he ordered the Yellow Wind Sect cultivators to retreat.

Facing the wall of yellow wind, Lu Yongnian let out a cold snort. "Halt!"

As his internal essence circulated, he swung his oar with a casual flick. In an instant, the wind died and the waves calmed. "You have taken from my Lu family and harmed my kin—do you think it will be so easy to leave?"

As the oar stirred the river water, Lu Yongnian channeled the power of the Shadow-Flow Skiff. The river roared as the torrents manifested, wrapping around the skiff like a spiral spear, thrusting toward the Yellow Wind Sect members with extreme speed.

Observing this, the Loose Cultivator stopped his retreat. "Very well. Since you seek a fight, I shall give you one."

Waving his sleeves, he drew the surrounding gale into a massive tornado, clashing violently with Lu Yongnian. In that moment, the tornado raged and the torrents soared; spear met spear, tip met tip. Neither could gain the upper hand. Moments later, both the tornado and the torrent exploded, triggering a light rain over the White Sands Shoal.

"Lu Yongnian, you will regret keeping me here today."

Hovering in mid-air, the Loose Cultivator looked at Lu Yongnian with an air of composure. Realizing his intent, Lu Yongnian tried to intervene, but the Loose Cultivator’s figure suddenly burst apart, transforming into an eerie yellow gale that, with lightning speed, swept across half the shoal and enveloped Lu Yongnian.

The howling wind tore through the air, and Lu Yongnian lost his connection to the Loose Cultivator. At that same moment, dark, heavy grains of flying sand, imbued with the force of the wind, began to strike him like human heads. Each impact jarred his internal essence.

"Troublesome. Not only has he improved his techniques, but he has also refined a supreme-grade magical artifact."

Having fallen into a trap, Lu Yongnian felt the weight of the situation as he struggled against the insidious erosion of the yellow wind and the heavy barrage of the flying sand. "The longer this drags on, the worse it is for me. I cannot continue like this."

With a thought, surging waves manifested within his water-blue eyes. At that moment, the yellow wind could no longer obscure his senses.

"Dragon's Roar!"

Locking onto the Loose Cultivator’s position, Lu Yongnian unleashed his most lethal technique without hesitation. A roar tore through the air as his river essence erupted, manifesting a ten-foot-long, azure dragon. It lunged forward, claws extended, wreathed in massive waves, crashing toward the Loose Cultivator. Neither sand nor stone could impede it.

Facing this sudden turn of events, the Loose Cultivator’s expression changed drastically. "Fine, fine, fine! If you want to fight to the death, then I shall grant your wish!"

A look of cruelty flashed across his face. No longer trying to block the water dragon, the Loose Cultivator poured all his power into his supreme-grade artifact, the "Thousand-Heavy Sand," and struck hard at Lu Yongnian, choosing the moment of his greatest vulnerability. The reality was as he calculated; within a few breaths, Lu Yongnian was struck three times and severely wounded. However, the Loose Cultivator did not escape unscathed, suffering a deep claw wound from the water dragon.

"Lu Yongnian, we shall meet again."

Gravely injured, the Loose Cultivator used the momentum of the dragon's strike to flee. By the time Lu Yongnian broke through the swirling sand and stone, the Loose Cultivator and his sect members had already vanished into the distance, leaving only a scene of utter devastation in their wake.