Sky-light shone through with brilliant clarity.
Li Ximing listened in the mountains for a time, remaining silent for a long while as Li Zhouwei spoke in a low voice:
“This matter is far from over. As the new dynasty rises and the struggle between north and south unfolds, the pressure upon Dongfang Lieyun will grow ever heavier. He must still be placated… In the end, the dragon kind not only cannot be trusted, but will likely end up on the opposing side.”
Hearing these words at last, a trace of helplessness flickered across Li Ximing’s expression.
“Does the Li clan… not even have a breathing space beneath the dragon kind’s knees?”
Li Zhouwei turned his head slightly, shifting his gaze from the other’s face to the cup upon the table, and shook his head.
“That is not necessarily so. If we succeed, all will be well; if we fail, the primary heirs must be severed, but Quewan and the other branches can still pass as the Chongzhou Cui Clan.”
Li Ximing looked slightly doubtful. Seeing this, Li Zhouwei explained:
“This is also why I chose Quewan to go abroad… rather than Jiangqian. She does not possess the golden pupils. With proper arrangements made by you and me, and should she in the future have a sliver of hope to pursue Complete Dan, offering them profit, securing a foothold in the land of Qunyi is by no means impossible.”
He added emphasis to his tone, saying:
“After all, the thunder of Liehai cannot be moved! I have met the Lady… She is held in extremely high regard among the dragon kind!”
This string of words stirred a thoughtful look in Li Ximing. After pondering carefully for a while, he felt there was some truth to it. He sighed and nodded:
“We can only hope Aunt’s words carry weight before the Dragon Lord.”
“On the other hand, Jinyu… may well cause no small amount of trouble in the future!”
Li Zhouwei did not dwell on the subject, merely recounting what he had seen and heard in Chongzhou one by one. He took out the Refined Mansion Sleeve Manifestation Technique and handed it to Li Ximing. Li Ximing had no time to examine it closely before he suddenly furrowed his brows and asked:
“I have also touched upon the formidable reputation of that esteemed lord in Jinyu. If that is so… having risen upon the bones of Wei’s downfall, he surely would not wish for Emperor Wei to linger on. Perhaps he harbors designs concerning you as well… As for whether it is assistance…”
Li Zhouwei shook his head.
“That lord’s schemes cannot be easily fathomed. Who knows whether Jinyu’s actions toward our family over these years have been laying down pieces on a board? As for Granduncle saying he rose from the bones of Wei’s destruction… I do not think that is quite true. From descriptions of his age, it seems more likely he was already upon an exalted seat, and the fall of Great Wei was merely a rite he borrowed to justify his title.”
“A rite borrowed to justify his title…”
He spoke so bluntly that Li Ximing fell silent. Looking into his junior’s piercing gaze, his heart pounded violently:
‘He means… the Geng-Dui Shift…’
Since True Chi could possess Pure Solution Blended Water, the shift between Geng and Dui was very likely the work of this True Monarch Taiyuan… A shift on such a vast scale, encompassing nearly all the prevalent Geng and Dui spiritual materials of the current era, was enough to show how deeply this True Monarch Taiyuan influenced current affairs and controlled the fruit status!
‘The Geng-Dui Shift… by rights, there should be two. Since this one is Dui, the other is likely Geng… One wonders from what ancient era these figures hail…’
Not daring to speak further on this, he hurriedly changed the topic, replying:
“You are right. Tianhuo still owes me a favor. Who knows if it was intentional, but the more I look at it now, the more it seems like a pretext to act on our family’s behalf… The attitudes of those on the exalted seats… in truth, traces have shown for a long time.”
The junior did not dwell on the matter either, smiling:
“For now, there is a piece of good news.”
Li Zhouwei withdrew a box from his sleeve and placed it upon the table.
“This is Listening Purple Intent Qi.”
Li Ximing lowered his gaze and saw the misty purple qi layered within the box. Li Zhouwei said:
“I obtained this from Minghui. It aids in divine ability breakthroughs and was specially prepared for Granduncle… I reckon it is not far off from the Mingzhen Spirit-Combining Pill… Since Granduncle has exited seclusion, your immortal foundation must be perfected, making it the perfect time to consume it.”
“This…”
Li Ximing was slightly taken aback. Holding it up to look, he furrowed his brows and said:
“This is a fine treasure. I wonder if it can be used together with the Mingzhen Spirit-Combining Pill. They ought to be combined to help you cross Canzi…”
Li Zhouwei shook his head with a smile:
“If the situation permits, it would be best for the Canzi threshold to hold me back for a bit, giving me more time to plan. I have no use for these things. Granduncle, just take and use it; Granduncle’s threshold is what matters.”
“I am not even hoping for Canzi!”
Li Ximing sighed:
“I understand what you mean, but we must see how the situation between both sides develops. If they collude to strike against the lake and you do not break through, people will surely die here.”
Li Zhouwei fell silent for a moment and did not answer. Watching him put away the spiritual material, he said:
“An exchange between both sides was originally agreed upon, but unexpectedly, no sooner had I returned to the lake than a Real Person Liao from Mount Qusi arrived. You had left the Crane-Embracing Stone with the clan, Granduncle, so I took the Listening Purple Intent Qi and had him deliver the Crane-Embracing Stone.”
With a turn of his hand, he revealed a precious orb gleaming with scorching golden light and glazed colors, bearing quite a hallucinatory aura. Letting Li Ximing examine it closely, the youth smiled:
“This is the true treasure!”
“Hmm?”
Li Ximing raised his eyebrows in astonishment:
“Hong Fire?”
Possessing profound attainments in fire control, Li Ximing inspected it with his spiritual sense in delight. After a good while, he said:
“It looks like Bright Crimson Drought Fiend Fire to me. It is a Hong Fire that has lost the balance of pure harmony, drawing upon the baleful energy of subterranean fire—a fire that strips heat to destroy the body. Originally, it was an excellent spiritual fire for combat and slaying enemies, possessing immense value… It is just that the Buddhist cultivators tampered with it, adding an aura of dazzling, confusing brilliance, which ruins its purity.”
He looked suspicious:
“Minghui gave this to you? He must want something!”
Li Zhouwei nodded:
“First is the matter of Granduncle’s Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood; second is asking that his dharma body be preserved when heading south. Yet I see he is not honest and still harbors schemes. Who knows what he is plotting.”
This caused the Daoist to rise and pace twice among the mountains, yet he could not bear to part with the spiritual fire in his hand. He said solemnly:
“Good things never come without a price. He must be after something, and perhaps there is trickery behind this Crane-Embracing Stone as well.”
Li Zhouwei nodded:
“Lotus Temple has kept to itself all these years; they certainly have their schemes. I considered this early on: the Bright Crimson Drought Fiend Fire cannot be kept as is… Let us first try the Runyang Method. If it cannot be resolved, we will need to find one or two cultivators of Fire Virtue to trade it.”
Li Ximing nodded in deep agreement. He pinched a thread of divine ability and drew out a wisp of flame from it, resting the flame upon his fingertip. Tapping his divine ability thrice, he calculated for quite some time before shaking his head hesitantly:
“The Runyang Method primarily deals with True, Li, and Mu fires. The Bright Crimson Drought Fiend Fire is Hong Fire. I calculated using the Runyang Method… Though there is interference from the Buddhist brilliance, the result is mostly certain—I fear it does not seem like something that can be adapted by that technique…”
Withdrawing his divine ability, he mused:
“This could originally have been asked of True Master Junjian. He cultivates Fire Virtue and possesses many treasures, making him the most suitable. But I have inquired several times; he has spent these years seeking the Dao in the Feather Shedding Ground and has not returned south… Thinking about it now, he likely does not wish to wade into the murky waters of the State of Yue.”
“Now that Guo Nanwu is here, we could perhaps ask him to inquire with that Poluoduo’s Spirit Sparrow Disaster Yang…”
Li Ximing hesitated for a moment, then shook his head:
“A pity… The Buddhist cultivators altered it with those bizarre arts, leaving it neither fish nor fowl. If we want to change it, we will have to pour more spiritual materials into it. It would be best if we could negotiate for them to take it back themselves to refine and cleanse away the impurities.”
While he was lost in deep thought, Li Zhouwei asked:
“Guo Nanwu?”
Li Zhouwei frowned as he listened to Li Ximing recount the full background. The golden-eyed man stood up and pondered for a long time.
“No wonder that Real Person from Mount Qusi was so enthusiastic…”
Only after a good while did he look up and smile:
“A fine calculation. Quite bold.”
Li Ximing shook his head with some helplessness as Li Zhouwei laughed:
“After all, our family will certainly have no shortage of benefits in the future. Having lost the radiance of the Great Sun, their standing is awkward, and they need to endure through these troubled times. Their clan’s old Real Person indeed has sharp eyes, though setting it at thirty years is rather conservative.”
“Even if I, Li Zhouwei, fail to attain the seat and die, will it only last thirty years?”
Li Ximing replied:
“How could I not know? Kuangyu explained it to me early on: their old Real Person cannot hold on for much longer. The two sides complement each other. In agreeing to Guo Nanwu today, both sides take what they need… At the very least, it spares us a great deal of trouble.”
“As for thirty years… it is merely testing the waters.”
Li Zhouwei gave a subtle nod and smiled:
“Just as well. I rushed back in haste and had no time to head to Nanshun Rāja. If this person is trustworthy, we can have him handle it along the way.”
Li Ximing said solemnly:
“The matter of Qingyan is the same… Mount Qusi may be trustworthy, but Guo Nanwu is not necessarily so. We have no influence in the South Sea, nor can we keep an eye on his clansmen. Besides… he is a Violet Palace cultivator; so long as he is shameless enough, once he slips away and hides in some corner of the world, how could we ever find him again? Let us entrust him with minor matters first and test his character thoroughly.”
Seeing that Li Ximing had a measured grasp of things, Li Zhouwei set his mind at ease. Yet Li Ximing shook his head and said:
“There is something else on my mind… Back when I cultivated secret methods, I could draw upon the revelations granted by holding the spiritual treasure Huaijiang Map, which benefited me greatly… So today, when Jiangqian was cultivating, I took the Double Fire Dual Brightness Instrument over.”
A look of doubt appeared on his face:
“Yet… the Double Fire Dual Brightness Instrument offered almost no assistance to his cultivation…”
Back then, Li Zhouwei had cultivated his secret methods in a single unbroken effort, never thinking about spiritual treasures, so he had never considered this aspect. But his current cultivation was profound; after brief thought, he replied:
“I have seen that spiritual treasure as well. The Huaijiang Map is extraordinary. It was not originally a top-tier treasure, but it bears the handwriting of True Monarch Shangyao, which lends it wondrous profundity…”
Now Li Ximing understood. Feigning gritted teeth, he laughed:
“Sooner or later, I will bring that thing into my hands!”
Li Zhouwei chuckled and shook his head, then asked:
“Regarding the Imperial Book of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light, has Granduncle paid attention to it?”
“This is an urgent matter, not to be forgotten!”
Li Ximing smiled:
“The scrolls of this Imperial Book of Ten Thousand Chariots Slaying Light record that one must gather the Qi of Humbling One’s Eminence to Mount the Light. It requires the concentration of clan honor and imperial sovereignty, or places where halberds broke and sank beneath the sands, where exalted eminences were humbled and put to death; or halls where decrees were received and banners raised, where vengeance was cleansed and foes vanquished. Tens of thousands of armored men must bow in worship and sacrifice, aided by the celestial weather of Bright Sun, taking half a year to yield a single wisp.”
This led Li Zhouwei into deep thought. Furrowing his brows, he asked:
“It requires such an ordeal?”
Li Ximing had a strange look on his face as he replied:
“There is no need for such trouble. I investigated with my divine ability and dispatched people to each site. Across this grand Lake Wangyue, the mountains and halls that qualify number as many as four… Even… even the northern shore has one.”
Li Zhouwei nodded immediately:
“True enough… A hundred years of Lake Wangyue’s blood and tears soaked into our robes; it certainly warrants such qi.”
Li Ximing, absorbed in thought, replied:
“Weighing back and forth, I felt the imperial qi was stronger than the others. Dajueting has been the residence of kings for generations, more noble and convenient than the other sites, so I chose Dajueting to gather the qi.”
“Counting the days, it will take merely three or four years.”
Li Zhouwei was in no rush. His cultivation progress was extremely swift, and Jun Daowei had only recently been achieved. Excess was as bad as deficiency; refining divine abilities one after another was something even he, with his karmic mandate, could scarcely bear. He merely nodded:
“I trouble Granduncle.”
A trace of complexity crossed Li Ximing’s expression as he answered:
“In truth… Mount Meichi behind our ancestral grounds… could also be used. It is just that it was never a treasured land, and its qi is somewhat congested, so gathering qi there would likely not proceed smoothly.”
“That place… is where the ancestor of the second branch, Duke Tongya, fell; where my second uncle received the mandate…”
This brought silence to Li Zhouwei for a moment. He answered:
“Minghuang swears to slay Can Lufu.”
“Alas!”
Ever since defeating Changxiao, Li Ximing’s mind had never truly found peace, and the matters regarding the dragon kind weighed heavily on him. Now, as those words fell, a lump rose in his throat, and he choked out:
“This… situation, when will there ever be an end? It looks like oil boiling over a blazing fire, yet gods look down from above, making things difficult at every turn. It is hard on you, having to keep that demon king in the Southern Border in your thoughts…”
Li Zhouwei shook his head in silence, answering:
“Granduncle… matters are not reckoned like that. Even if Zhouwei is swept along by the grand currents of Heaven and Earth, the vendetta of our forebears must be avenged! If there comes a point where Zhouwei is powerless and generously lays down his life, this vengeance will naturally be left for future generations to repay.”
He comforted Li Ximing with these words. It was as though Li Ximing had received some solemn promise; he sighed secretly, feeling all the more wistful. Putting away his emotion, he rose and stored away the Listening Purple Intent Qi, sighing:
“I will go adjust my breath at once. The success or failure of my divine ability hangs on this single battle! I must not relax in the slightest.”
Li Zhouwei nodded and saw him out of the mountain. Only then did he come to a halt amid the swirling rain of blossoms, suddenly falling silent.
The golden-eyed youth paced a circle with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze freezing cold:
‘Years ago, feeling that his sons could not survive, he refused to enter the genealogy. But today… I fear the entire clan could easily be annihilated!’
He gently extended his hand. His sleeve, embroidered with golden patterns, gleamed brilliantly in the sky-light. A petal or two of gardenia blossoms drifted onto his palm:
‘Granduncle… in truth, there is nothing to leave for descendants to avenge. I will kill Can Lufu because all that is borne and all that is held dear should end in my hands. What Zhouwei contends for is not the past, nor the present, nor three or ten generations, but the undying splendor of ten thousand generations.’
‘Nearly two thousand years… A lineage as unstable as Bright Sun, locked in mutual enmity with the mountain, a lineage that cost Mount Luoxia nearly two thousand years of painstaking effort, can brook not the slightest further variation.’
‘I do not believe Luoxia and the dragon kind have made no preparations regarding Bright Sun, nor do I believe the dragon palace and the mountain lack great cultivators practicing Bright Sun. There is no turning back along this road. If the father falls and the son cannot take his seat, others will take it. Even if they cannot sit securely, they will sit beside it first, waiting with burning ambition. Regardless of whether others can sit upon it or not, so long as they still desire that seat, would any descendant be allowed to live?’
‘After all…’
He murmured with a hint of self-mockery:
“Provided the seat has a master, who is not fit to sit upon it?”
*Rustle…*
A breeze swept through the mountains, carrying away all the white blossoms from his palm. The youth had already vanished, leaving behind only the swirling white petals and the profoundly serene immortal mountain bathed in sky-light. The grand array slowly locked shut, freezing everything in the past.
Within the mountain, the sky-light was quiet, but to the east, the clouds churned ceaselessly, congealing into shifting forms of entwined serpents, water, and fire. The radiance of the Combined Fire grew dimmer and dimmer, swiftly driven back toward the north.
Chapter 1023