As one of the top five peaks of the Qingchi Sect, Yuanwu Peak was twice as high as the adjacent Qingsui Peak. Looking down from above, it commanded a view of all the immortal peaks. Clouds and mist coiled around its heights, and because it was the premier peak for artifact refinement, fire veins surged and burst, with cultivators taking flight and landing at all hours, bustling with lively activity.
Deep within a secluded cave abode on Yuanwu Peak, the spiritual qi was dense, and a spirit spring gushed forth. Inky stone appeared starkly conspicuous against the pure white spiritual mist. A translucent jade table gleamed, bearing a pot of wine and two jade cups.
The person seated on the left wore white robes and a jade crown. Handsome, elegant, and otherworldly, he had an aloof, ethereal air between his brows. Cupping a jade cup in his hand, he cut the very picture of a fine immortal as he said with a beaming smile:
"Foundation Establishment is truly a different realm after all. From now on, one ingests qi to live, attains a lifespan of three hundred years, and commands divine abilities and methods!"
The man on the right had ordinary features. Hearing this, he nodded contentedly, paused, and said:
"Muxian, you endured twenty years of your flesh sloughing away, but you have finally weathered it."
"A trifling tribulation, nothing more."
Yu Muxian dismissed it with an indifferent wave of his hand. His expression resolute, he smiled faintly.
"Senior Brother Tang, my only desire is to master divine abilities and seek gold nature. Even if it costs a thousand hardships, I am willing to bear them. Though Golden Melting Cave is agonizing, it is a grand path pointing straight to the Purple Palace; I would not trade it for anything."
Senior Brother Tang nodded in admiration and said warmly:
"Now that you have achieved Foundation Establishment, do you plan to send word home? I see you haven't been in touch with the Yu family for quite some time."
"No need!"
Yu Muxian's expression turned cold, exuding an austere immortal aura as he said in a heavy voice:
"Chi Zhiyan deliberately said some things to Yu Mugao that alarmed him, and he hasn't sent me a letter in years. That elder brother of mine has always been shrewd; he has likely seen through my explanations and no longer trusts me.
"Yu Yufeng is already dead, and the Yu family has lost influence on the lake. Far from supplying me with Foundation Establishment-grade precious herbs, even their everyday provisions have grown increasingly meager. The Yu family is no longer of any use; as long as they don't drag me down, that is enough."
Senior Brother Tang saw nothing amiss in this, merely furrowing his brows:
"Why not prop the Yu family back up so they can scour the lake for supplies on your behalf?"
"That won't do."
Yu Muxian shook his head and answered:
"Xiao Chuting is best at divination, and his immortal foundation is exceedingly bizarre. I do not wish to cross him. Propping up the Yu family would bring more trouble than benefit; a wise man does not do such things."
Senior Brother Tang had an epiphany. He took a sip of spiritual tea and inquired:
"Junior Brother is thoughtful as always. Whatever you wish to do, just say the word. Though I lack great cultivation, I do possess some connections."
Yu Muxian pondered for several breaths before replying:
"The situation on the lake cannot be disrupted; it is the result of compromises among many factions. The moment when the Wrathful Mahasattva claims the fate draws nearer and nearer, and the eyes of the Purple Palace masters are all watching. It would be unwise for us to make any moves.
"Once Li Tongya crosses the river and the great undertaking of the Purple Palace masters is accomplished, I will stabilize matters on the lake so no major upheaval occurs."
Senior Brother Tang fell silent for a breath, then replied:
"Junior Brother means we should hold our ground and bide our time for now..."
"Indeed."
Yu Muxian nodded slowly and murmured:
"Jiangnan may appear clear right now, but undercurrents surge beneath the surface. To the north is a Mahasattva's reincarnation, and to the south, shamanic arts refine talismans. Though Foundation Establishment is exalted, amid these turbulent winds and crashing waves, one can only be considered a small pawn. All we can do is keep our heads down and wait in silence."
Senior Brother Tang sighed, took a sip of tea, and shook his head:
"It is only a pity that Yu Yufeng cultivated 'Jade Court General' and conflicted with that sword immortal. Had he not died, he might still have been of some use."
"He courted his own doom!"
Yu Muxian's expression finally shifted, tinged with resentment.
"Master Shangyuan demanded the Jade True Six-Nine Harmony of Emptiness nature. As soon as I entered the sect and learned of this news, I sent word to him specifically. Yet he still clung to wishful thinking and secretly conducted some blood sacrifice in the Yu family! In the end, the secret came to light. If I hadn't distanced myself quickly, I would have been dragged down with him!"
"After all, blocking someone's Dao path is no small matter," Senior Brother Tang let out a long sigh.
***
Li Yuanjiao and the others knelt quietly before the cave abode's stone doors. After waiting for a short while, a man with broad shoulders and a face as calm as still water emerged. He bore a sword on his back and appeared to be in his sixties. Striding out of the cave abode, he was met by the Li family juniors, who all bowed respectfully:
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
"Mm."
Li Tongya acknowledged them with a nod. Holding two small letters in his hand, he looked down at Li Yuanjiao and said warmly:
"Good. You have already reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement."
Li Yuanjiao's innate talent was quite good to begin with, and when he received the talisman, cultivation had accumulated within his body, steadily rising at every moment. While Li Qinghong was in secluded cultivation breaking through to the third level, he had naturally broken through to the fourth. At that moment, he merely bowed slightly and said respectfully:
"It is entirely thanks to the power of the talisman qi."
Li Tongya sat down at the jade table inside the cave abode and retrieved the two small letters from his sleeve. One of them was written by Li Yuanjiao, recounting the matter of Yu Muxian; since both of them already knew of it, they skipped it. The other letter had come from Guanyun Peak:
"Respectfully reporting to Second Paternal Uncle: Brother Ling went north three months ago and has not returned to this day. His jade talisman remains bright and unharmed."
"Uncle Xuanling... is missing?!"
Li Tongya nodded slowly, not appearing the least bit surprised. He simply fixed his gaze upon Li Yuanjiao and asked in a low voice:
"Indeed. What do you make of this?"
Li Yuanjiao paused briefly, contemplating within before gritting his teeth and saying in a solemn tone:
"Third Uncle is missing and his safety unknown; Jiao'er ought not speak so presumptuously, but speaking from the heart... I fear there is deceit at play!"
"Oh?"
Li Tongya nodded, as though the one missing were not his own son, and asked steadily:
"Why do you say so?"
Li Yuanjiao cupped his hands and replied:
"Uncle Xuanling has always been prudent; he would never disappear for months without sending back a single word... If there has been no news for so long, yet his jade talisman shows no sign of dimming or shattering, he must have been deliberately trapped... I fear their drinker's intention lies not in the wine—this is either to lure the tiger from the mountain or coax the snake from its hole. It is targeted either at Ancestor or at Mount Lijing."
Li Tongya nodded approvingly and said in a mild voice:
"If I continue to stay on this mountain and refuse to head north, within a few months someone will arrive bearing a handwritten letter from Xuanling pleading for rescue, forcing me to go."
Li Yuanjiao said in a raspy voice:
"And if Ancestor still does not go?"
"Then they will deliver his severed head."
Li Tongya shook his head and gave a faint smile.
"Those grand figures have coveted this fate of mine for many years. I have clashed with them time and again, and now we have arrived at the final chess piece. If I comply, it will merely be the death of us, father and son. But if I refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, clinging to life and fearing death, the consequences will go far beyond that."
"So it is the grand figures of the Purple Palace and Mahasattvas..."
Li Yuanjiao murmured cryptically, before adding with indignation:
"I only do not understand why they must harm Ancestor."
"At first, this old man didn't understand either, assuming some Purple Palace master needed my immortal foundation."
Li Tongya chuckled softly, looked into Li Yuanjiao's eyes, and said solemnly:
"Later, when Murong Xia traveled south and Minghui stepped in to obstruct me, subtle hints were leaked. After inquiring through various channels, I finally came to know...
"The one who wants my life is not a Purple Palace cultivator... but a Mahasattva."
Li Yuanjiao's brows knit tight, grief and anguish welling in his heart. Caressing the Jiaopanying sword at his waist, he said in a heavy voice:
"B-but a Mahasattva has no need for an immortal foundation! What good does it do them to harm Ancestor?!"
Li Tongya took down the Green Ruler Sword, unwrapped the layers of cloth binding it, and flicked his finger against it. The long sword popped out an inch, clear and translucent in bluish-white. The sword ray cast a bright glimmer across his brow and eyes. As his eyebrows arched, his originally steady bearing transformed drastically, revealing the sinister menace of a serpent-dragon.
Li Tongya gazed tenderly at this immortal sword of the Foundation Establishment peak and said softly:
"Immortal cultivators feed on qi; Shakya cultivators feed on fate. The Mahasattva covets this Heavy Sea Whale Jiaolong fate of mine."
Chapter 292