The north wind howled through the sky, yet was shut out entirely from the sealed cabin of the boat. The wooden chairs aboard the Rosy Cloud Boat were cushioned with brocade and enchanted with spells, making the ride pleasant and comfortable.
"Yishan City..."
Liu Changdie sank into the wooden chair, his gaze lingering over the towering city below. Filled with emotion, he thought to himself, *In my past life, when I first came here, I was just a nobody at the second layer of Qi Refinement. In this life, I've already reached the peak of Qi Refinement.*
Looking at this ancient fortress that had stood through the ages, the image of that golden longbow surfaced in Liu Changdie's mind. He could not help but frown as deep doubt welled up within him.
*The deviations are only growing. Li Tongya slaying Yu Xiaogui with a sword... that was yet another event that never happened in my past life. Could the formation I set up for the Li family really have altered everything?*
Liu Changdie had originally been an ordinary cultivator who relied solely on his memories of the future to sail smoothly through life. Now that everything had changed beyond recognition, he could not help but feel a chill of trepidation.
*In my past life, after Li Tongya slew the Mahā, he vanished without a trace, and the Masters of Lotus Temple laid siege to Mount Lijing. I had even planned to go rescue them and earn a favor... Who could have guessed that in this life, Li Tongya would hold the fort at the Li family, while those bald donkeys of Lotus Temple have somehow had their heads crushed in a door and pulled back like turtles hiding in their shells.*
*Not only did the Yu family fail to breach the Fei family, but they even lost Yu Xiaogui in the process. The situation across the lake is completely different now, making my memories of the past life practically useless.*
Watching the altitude steadily drop, he felt utterly lost and thought to himself, *Now that Li Qinghong hasn't died, the Li family will inevitably become even more different. Without the shared trials and mutual aid from the past life, Brother Jiao might not even acknowledge me as a brother. Fortunately, I’ve established ties with the Xuan generation, so it’s not too bad.*
Seeing the advantages brought by his rebirth dwindle away to nothing, Liu Changdie’s mood grew somber.
*I wonder if Mufeng and Zhongqing have reached Qi Refinement yet. It seems I must return to the Li family after all... In the end, I simply don’t have the destiny of wandering the world alone.*
While he was lost in thought, his feet sank slightly as clouds and rosy mist drifted beneath him. A man standing at the bow poked his head into the cabin and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, we have arrived!"
Liu Changdie rose at once, stepping onto the rosy glow to alight upon the city. Before him stretched the towering ramparts of the great wall, densely carved with intricate formation patterns that merged into a unified whole; the entire city was itself a massive grand formation.
*As expected of a great city left behind by the Yuehua Yuan Mansion. The various formations of today's era simply cannot compare.*
Though Liu Changdie had climbed up and down this city wall countless times in his past life, he was still filled with marvel. Looking up, he saw eagles and hawks circling overhead and bones littering the ground, while in the distance lay a dense sea of forests, rippling like waves in the north wind.
"So this is Yishan City!"
Following his memories, Liu Changdie set foot upon the foremost stronghold of the State of Yue. The cultivators guarding this pass gathered round. Searching carefully, he indeed spotted a middle-aged man carrying a golden bow, looking at him with a smile.
"Brother Xuanfeng!"
Liu Changdie ignored everyone else crowding around and hurried forward, exclaiming in delight, "Congratulations! Congratulations!"
Li Xuanfeng raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity entering his eyes. "What is there to congratulate me for?"
"Hahahaha! Senior Tongya slew the Mahā with his sword and repelled the noble houses with a single strike! His illustrious name echoes far and wide!"
Most of the cultivators on this section of the wall hailed from Lake Wangyue. Hearing this, they all froze, finding it utterly unbelievable. Swallowing hard, they listened as someone blurted out before Li Xuanfeng could even speak, "Has Senior broken through to the Purple Mansion?"
"No, not that..."
Liu Changdie pulled the crowd down to sit, recounting the tale in detail. The listeners sighed and gasped repeatedly. But when he reached the part where Fei Wangbai died, Fei Yihe shot to his feet with a swish, his face flushed and filled with sheer disbelief as he snapped, "How is that possible! Is my family's Cloud Gathering Tiannan Formation just for show? What nonsense are you spouting!"
Liu Changdie gave a wry smile, having anticipated this reaction. He simply replied, "If you don't believe me, Fellow Daoist, you can go to the other watchtowers to verify it with others. I have no other way to convince you..."
Seeing Fei Yihe's incredulous expression, Liu Changdie thought to himself, *Only a Fei Wangbai died; that's already far better than having your entire clan wiped out!*
***
At the Li clan estate.
Inside the hall, Li Yuanjiao and Li Yuanping stood with hands cupped in respect. The middle-aged man seated in the host seat had several medicine pouches hanging from his waist and possessed a warm, gentle demeanor. Twirling his beard with one hand, he rested the other on Li Ximing's back, his eyes slightly closed.
"The cinnabar glow in the sea of qi rises fourfold, the rising yang balances water and fire, spiritual vitality flows steadily through the Juque court, and the twelve stories breathe as a single whole."
Xiao Yuansi nodded gently and said warmly, "Congratulations to you both. This child indeed possesses a constitution suited for alchemy. Moreover, his heart fire is calm and balanced, making him skilled at concocting pills that advance cultivation and break through bottlenecks. This is quite rare."
Xiao Yuansi had always been gentle, refined, and courteous, speaking politely even when facing two juniors. Li Yuanjiao was overjoyed upon hearing this and replied, "Thank you, Senior!"
Xiao Yuansi laughed softly and shook his head. "Why thank me? It just so happens..."
He drew a jade slip from his robes, placed it into Li Ximing's hand, and explained, "Your family's Shejiao tree bears fruit every year that must be sent to me, which is troublesome back and forth. I specially used a pill recipe I acquired privately to exchange for this Sheyuan Pill recipe from my clan. Consider it a greeting gift for Ming'er."
Li Yuanjiao had always heard that this senior looked after their clan and was someone to be trusted, which was why he had dared to invite him. He had not expected Xiao Yuansi to present such a generous gift. Somewhat overwhelmed, he said solemnly, "How could we accept this!"
"Come now!"
Xiao Yuansi chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to be polite. Since you invited me, I cannot be stingy. Having given my word to Jing'er, I naturally must look after your family."
Just as the two brothers were about to offer further courtesies, Xiao Yuansi waved his hand and turned serious. "Our clan's ancestor has been away for many years, and I had entered the mountains to search for medicinal herbs, returning to Lixia only recently. Yet I heard that Tongya slew the Mahā with a sword and repelled the prominent clans. What happened there?"
Li Yuanjiao felt a chill in his heart. *There is no way the Xiao family doesn't know the truth about Li Tongya slaying the Mahā. Even if they don't know the ancestor's final fate, they certainly knew he was acting as bait!*
Xiao Yuansi’s gaze was open and gentle, appearing genuinely oblivious. A cold sweat broke out across Li Yuanjiao's back as he thought, *It seems the Xiao family intentionally kept it from him... Should I speak of it... or not?*
Pausing briefly, his thoughts raced as he realized with inner shock: *Our Li family is not supposed to know! Even if Xiao Yuansi has good intentions, a gentleman can be deceived by righteous pretexts. Who's to say Xiao Guitu and the others aren't using this to test us...*
He immediately shook his head and answered, "The ancestor went into secluded cultivation as soon as he returned, so we do not know the details either. We only know that the Mahā was merely a reincarnated body."
Xiao Yuansi looked at him intently, then nodded thoughtfully before asking again, "Earlier, I received a letter from my junior sister. Did one of your clan's children become her disciple?"
"Indeed!"
Eager for him to change the topic, Li Yuanjiao hurried to call Li Xizhi forward.
Li Xizhi was dressed in brocade furs and possessed neat features. Though he could not compare to his younger brother Li Xijun, he was still handsome and carried a dignified presence standing in the courtyard.
"Xizhi pays respects to Senior!"
After Li Xizhi bowed respectfully, Xiao Yuansi nodded and mused, "Yuan Tuan... owes your family a great deal. She will surely keep this child safe. Do not stand on ceremony with her; if you lack anything, feel free to ask her for it... Ah!"
As he spoke, he glanced down at the gleaming, scaled Jiaopanying at Li Yuanjiao's waist and nodded. "This Jiaopanying remained in the hands of the Yuan family for many years. Even though they had no swordsmen among them, they refused to let it leave the clan. Yet they gifted it to your family so easily. That alone shows enough."
Jiaopanying had been the congratulatory gift presented by the Yuan family when Li Tongya achieved Foundation Establishment, and after many twists and turns, it had come into Li Yuanjiao's possession. Li Yuanjiao had never thought deeply about it before.
"The Yuan family of Xunlin owes your Li family a tremendous debt of gratitude; gifting the Jiaopanying hardly repays even a fraction of it. If you ever need help, you may freely seek assistance from the Yuan family."
Li Yuanjiao felt deeply suspicious upon hearing this. Instead of joy, alarm bells rang in his mind. Narrowing his eyes, he asked softly, "Junior was unaware of this... Would Senior be willing to enlighten me?"
"This..."
Xiao Yuansi seemed at a loss for words. After pausing for several breaths, he said cryptically, "I only learned of it recently through a letter... Qingxianyue was originally... originally a substitute for Lake Moon Autumn, which was why my junior sister delayed for so many years... Ah, what an absurd mess; how could anyone explain it clearly!"
Seeing the bewildered expressions on the two brothers' faces, Xiao Yuansi gave an awkward shake of his head and bluntly shifted the topic: "We haven't seen each other in years, yet Yuanjiao is already at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement at such a young age!"
"Senior overpraises me."
Li Yuanjiao paused briefly before politely replying. Xiao Yuansi gave a chuckle, speaking in a meaningful tone, "Talents emerge in every generation... Rare indeed, rare indeed!"
Looking up with a smile at the two respectful juniors, he said in a half-joking manner, "Senior Mutian... probably wasn't merely an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, was he?"
Li Yuanjiao and Li Yuanping exchanged glances. Li Yuanjiao was thoroughly confused himself, merely cupping his hands to reply, "The clan records do not detail this..."
Xiao Yuansi waved his hand, cutting him off, and said loudly, "Never mind, then. I have urgent matters to attend to and won't linger. When Tongya comes out of seclusion in the future, please let me know."
"Understood!"
After both gave their affirmation, Xiao Yuansi rode the wind away. Li Yuanjiao escorted him out of the territory with proper etiquette before turning back.
The affairs in the hall had already been put in order. Li Yuanping was currently reading the pill recipe. Seeing Li Yuanjiao stride back inside, he smiled wryly. "Senior Xiao was so attentive, yet we have no way to repay him. The Xiao family truly has been gracious to ours... Furthermore, we must rely heavily on the Xiao family nowadays."
"Xiao Yuansi is Xiao Yuansi, and the Xiao family is the Xiao family."
Li Yuanjiao replied with a sigh. "Senior Xiao’s protective care is heartfelt, but Xiao Guitu may not feel the same. There's no rush on this matter... Rather, how did the Yuan family come to owe our family a favor?"
"It sounded related to a sword immortal. 'Lake Moon Autumn' is a sword immortal Dao foundation. Perhaps Yuan Tuan owes a favor because of that... It's just a pity we can't ask the ancestor."
The two pondered for a while, but lacking sufficient information, they could deduce nothing and gave up. Li Yuanjiao picked up a jade slip, sank his spiritual sense into it, and remarked warmly, "This Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula is quite good, and the Huangyuan Pass possesses many mystical traits. However, this worldly spiritual qi called Golden Yang Huangyuan is truly difficult to gather."
Li Yuanping had also read the technique and chimed in at once, "That worldly spiritual qi sounds extraordinary from the name alone. We should be glad this manual includes a method for collecting the qi; otherwise, this kind of ancient spiritual qi couldn't be found even if you turned the State of Yue upside down."
Li Yuanjiao laughed and shook his head, reading aloud, "'Find a desert mountain pass spanning a thousand li. At dusk, when the wind and sand settle and the setting sun half-sinks, circulate magic power to extract the power of the blazing sun. Qi can be gathered for only a single quarter-hour, yielding one wisp every two years, and ten wisps make one portion.'"
"Ancient arts are ancient arts indeed—truly troublesome!"
Li Yuanping sighed and reminded him, "That's not all. Golden Yang Huangyuan must not come into contact with gold or iron; upon contact with copper, water, or wood, it transforms into Blazing Smoke Qi. It also requires a top-quality jade box for storage."
"There's no need to worry about that."
Li Yuanjiao still possessed the Purple Mansion-grade jade box that Li Tongya had found on the Lake Central Islet years ago, which was more than enough to contain the Golden Yang Huangyuan. He was currently considering where to find such a pass.
"Brother, put those matters aside for now,"
Li Yuanping said with a gentle shake of his head. "The Rosy Cloud Boat is about to arrive!"
***
The cloud boat radiating golden rosy light was dazzling and brilliant. Its spread golden wings parted layers of mist and clouds, skimming across the deep green lake waters in the morning light, reflecting golden sparkles.
At the very front of the Rosy Cloud Boat stood a youth dressed in simple green robes. His features bore a strong resemblance to Yu Mugao's, yet the gloomy, sinister look seen on Yu Mugao was replaced on his face by aloof serenity.
"Lake Wangyue, once the Wangyue Marsh..."
As the Rosy Cloud Boat slowly docked in Milin Commandery, Yu Muxian stood with his hands behind his back. His transcendent demeanor made his simple attire appear ethereal and graceful. Merely by standing there, he drew the gazes of all the cultivators on the boat toward him.
Having been away from home for more than twenty years, Yu Muxian could barely recognize the scenery below. He looked down indifferently, turning a jade pendant continuously in his hand.
This pendant was as translucent as ice crystal, faintly giving off a moonlight-like sheen. As it rotated in his fingers, Yu Muxian stared straight ahead, as if silently observing something.
*Lake Wangyue... is truly a blessed land.*
The jade pendant in his hand faintly glowed with prismatic light, and the immortal foundation Gold Dissolving Cave within his body operated continuously. Several shadows surfaced in Yu Muxian's pupils as he counted quietly to himself:
*The Yu family's Jade Smoke Mountain, the Li family's Qingchi Sword, Daoist He's Nine Gates Monastery.*
*Eh?*
A glint of purple light appeared in Yu Muxian's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly. He murmured in a low voice, "So... there is also a spear hidden here!"
Retracting his gaze, he glanced around, raised an eyebrow, and said in wonder, "A mere Shanyue cultivator actually possesses a Foundation Establishment magical artifact... Ah, right. He hailed from Duanmu Kui's Mount Wu after all; it's only natural he'd carry one or two fine items on him!"
After observing it for a moment, Yu Muxian frowned, revealing a hint of disgust. Looking at the mountain of corpses and sea of blood that rose in his mind, he thought, *Human Head Mountain... what a vile and sinister magical artifact!*
Though he voiced disdain, he could not help but sigh at the ingenious craftsmanship of the artifact. Only then did he reflect:
*More than a dozen Foundation Establishment inheritances on a single lake, along with five Foundation Establishment magical artifacts. In the State of Yue, aside from the sanctuaries of the Three Sects and Seven Gates, I doubt anywhere is wealthier than this Lake Wangyue!*
Amidst these thoughts, the Rosy Cloud Boat beneath his feet came to a steady stop. As Yu Muxian walked down unhurriedly, a chorus of respectful greetings rose from the mountain peak below:
"Respectful greetings to the Envoy!"
Yu Muxian looked up to see a dense crowd of cultivators bowing deeply with heads lowered. Caressing the jade pendant, he replied, "No need for such formalities!"
Only then did the cultivators straighten up and return to their seats. From below, a cultivator stepped forward—a middle-aged man with a haggard face, yet his eyes were as aggressively sharp as an eagle's, grim and ruthless. Under Yu Muxian's calm gaze, he slowly clasped his hands and bowed, declaring loudly:
"Yu Mugao of the Milin Yu family greets the Envoy!"
This man was none other than his elder brother born of the same mother—Yu Mugao.
"Rise."
The expression on Yu Muxian's face, usually as still as a snow-capped mountain, finally showed a ripple of emotion as he stared at Yu Mugao slowly raising his head. Yu Mugao spoke with respectful politeness:
"Thank you, Envoy."
The two brothers locked eyes for a breath—one sinister like an eagle, the other cold like snow. Their two faces were remarkably alike, yet their demeanors were worlds apart. As their gazes clashed, neither spoke a word.
Chapter 325