The moment Wang Xun stepped into the Li family's territory, Lu Jiangxian, who had been buried in research, was instantly jolted awake.
By now, Lu Jiangxian had established several triggers for his roving divine sense to awaken him: a direct descendant of the Li family on the verge of death, the appearance of a Violet Palace aura, a Li clan member breaking through to Foundation Establishment...
Meanwhile, he had been using sorcery to repeatedly sift through the memory fragments of Jinlian Maha from back then, trying to trace the origins of the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula or uncover clues to its Violet Palace chapter.
Wang Xun's sword qi, soaring skyward in the realm of divine sense, was as dazzling as a great ball of light. It wrenched Lu Jiangxian awake at once, leaving him to stare at the youth in some bewilderment.
"He does not cultivate the Violet Palace Golden Core Path?!"
Lu Jiangxian's divine sense hovered over the young man for a moment. He sensed only an empty destiny, devoid of any discernible traces—most likely sheltered by the profound methods of an exalted figure to avoid forging ties with the mundane world.
Focusing his vision further, a shimmering golden sword casket emerged over Wang Xun's broad, upright back. Its carvings were intricate, mostly etched with cloud patterns, numbering one hundred and twenty-eight in total.
Within the casket were sixteen sword slots, ten of which already held swords. Each was concealed inside, their forms impossible to discern clearly.
"A divine ability... or destiny?"
The sword casket on Wang Xun's back was invisible to mortal eyes, yet exceedingly wondrous. Though plainly a divine ability, it was brimming with the resonance of destiny. Lu Jiangxian, possessing considerable attainment by now, observed it closely for a time before reaching a conclusion in his mind.
"This northern path of immortal cultivation... is the dual cultivation of nature and life. It ingests qi to seek the nature, yet nurtures life through divine abilities... Difficult, truly difficult!"
Lu Jiangxian glanced at the sword casket a few times, prudently refraining from extending his divine sense to probe deeper. After all, the youth was the descendant of a Golden Core master, and there was no telling what hidden safeguards or treacherous methods he might carry.
Looking closely at the youth once more, Lu Jiangxian felt a strong premonition: this was the most orthodox, primordial method of cultivation in this world—a Great Dao that cultivated heart and nature, sought truth and immortality, and led directly to the immortals!
"Yet if one cultivates in this manner, the difficulty is simply too immense... Could even one in a thousand spirit aperture bearers cross the threshold? I doubt even that. If today's Li family were to practice this art, probably not a single person could get started; sparking a wisp of flame from a spell would already be considered remarkable..."
Lu Jiangxian stared at the sword casket as countless profound thoughts welled up in his mind. Unable to help clicking his tongue in praise, he sighed:
"Dual cultivation of nature and life!"
Compared to this immortal art, the Violet Palace Golden Core Path was entirely different. First came Wheel Cultivation and taking in qi; upon reaching the ninth level of Qi Refinement, one discarded that to forge an immortal foundation and cultivate divine abilities; after cultivating divine abilities, one returned to seek one's nature, and could even devour an immortal foundation of the same kind to boost one's cultivation...
If the immortal path Wang Xun pursued was scaling a sheer mountain peak upright and dignified, then the Violet Palace Golden Core Path chose only the easiest paths, smashing and plundering every step along the way. With no need to verify the Dao or seek the heart, every step forward brought immediate power.
"No wonder the Violet Palace Golden Core Path holds sway. After all, it lowered the threshold of cultivation by far too much..."
Lu Jiangxian stared at him for a while, gradually forming a conjecture about the war between immortals and demons all those years ago, and could not help sighing softly.
Seeing Li Yuanping lose his composure for the first time in years, Lu Jiangxian chuckled softly. He could sense that the youth harbored no ill intent; indeed, the young man was eager to minimize his contact with the Li family so as not to taint himself with worldly karma, let alone commit murder.
"This might even turn out to be a good thing!"
***
In a side courtyard at the foot of the mountain.
"Indeed. My family's True Monarch is Xiaojin, foremost among the three remaining Golds within the seas... er."
Wang Xun nodded, dimly realizing something was amiss—he had probably spoken too much. He explained, "Fellow Daoist Yuanping, Xun has only just arrived in Jiangnan and is unfamiliar with southern customs. I have come this time to ask a favor, not to overawe you with authority. If I have caused any offense, please do not take it amiss..."
"I wouldn't dare! Not at all!"
Li Yuanping still found it hard to believe, wishing the youth would open his mouth and spill even more. Seeing his earnest demeanor, he hurriedly made polite replies while calculating silently in his mind. He inquired, "Although my humble family has some modest reputation in this area, our estate is small and insignificant, hardly worth mentioning. May I ask what matter brings Senior to visit us in person?"
"It is a long story," Wang Xun replied. A smile appeared on the youth's face as he continued, "What my Wang clan cultivates is not Jiangnan's Violet Palace Golden Core Path, but the ancient Qi-Ingesting Nature-Cultivating Method. This path has long been lost in Jiangnan. If I were to explain it in detail to Patriarch, it would take three days and three nights.
"In the understanding of Jiangnan Daoist cultivators, I am seeking to cultivate the divine ability 'Nurturing the Azure Skies.' To do so, I must gather one hundred and twenty-eight strands of sword qi and sixteen strands of sword intent, synthesizing them into a school of my own to master this divine ability."
Lifting his jade cup with a smile, he looked at Li Yuanping with eager anticipation and said:
"My clan naturally has over a hundred people who have mastered sword qi, so I have already gathered all the sword qi required. Sword intent, however, is rare; my Wang clan possesses merely two. The rest I must venture out to find on my own to complete my Dao undertaking.
"So I went to ask my father. The old master pinched his fingers in divination and said there are four sword immortals and two spirit swords left in Jiangnan from which I could gather intent."
Hearing this, Li Yuanping had a rough idea of why this person had come. He watched as Wang Xun took a sip of tea and said somewhat bashfully:
"When I reached the lake, I secretly cast a hexagram myself. Your noble clan possesses a spirit sword resting on Mount Lijing, named Qingchi."
Setting down the jade cup, Wang Xun stood up solemnly, shook his sleeves, stepped back, and said respectfully:
"I beseech Patriarch to lend the sword for my inspection to fulfill my path. Xun would be eternally grateful!"
Wang Xun merely cupped his hands lightly and dipped his head slightly without bending at the waist. Though his words were reverent, the gesture seemed somewhat haughty. Li Yuanping assumed it was owing to his immortal clan background and found nothing odd about it. To his surprise, Wang Xun looked embarrassed and quickly added:
"Xun carries destiny upon himself and must not bow to serve another, lest it bring harm upon Patriarch. Please do not take offense!"
Having never heard such a notion before, Li Yuanping's eyes lit up, and he committed it to memory. He uttered a polite demurral and replied:
"The Qingchi Sword is our clan's protective heirloom, serving as both a magical artifact and a ritual vessel. This matter is of great weight; Yuanping must report it to the clan and request the elders to decide. Please wait a moment."
"Very well, very well, as it should be!"
Wang Xun nodded repeatedly in agreement. Li Yuanping stepped outside, whispered a few words to Li Wen standing by the door, recounted the details, and instructed him to go up the mountain to report.
Watching the burly fellow depart, Li Yuanping returned to the hall, his mind turning actively:
*This person is exceptionally knowledgeable; every word he speaks touches upon secrets guarded by ordinary sects. I might as well seize this rare opportunity to learn more. This is lore passed down by a True Monarch's clan, something money cannot buy.*
Before Li Yuanping could even speak, Wang Xun spoke up eagerly:
"Your noble clan has passed down sword cultivation for generations, bears the surname Li, and resides by Lake Wangyue. Could you be the kin of Master Donghua from the former Yuehua Yuan Mansion?"
Finding the name unfamiliar, Li Yuanping merely answered:
"We are not. Our clan descends from Ancestor Mutian; we are merely Foundation Establishment immortal cultivators, and our lineage prior to that can no longer be traced, nor have I ever heard of the Master's venerable name."
Wang Xun nodded and smiled. "The Master's secular surname was Li, his given name Jiangqun. His sword Dao reached the realm of spirits, and his fame was known even in our Yinghua Commandery. In those days, he was an exalted cultivator on Wangyue Marsh as well."
"So it was an heir to the Immortal Mansion."
Speaking of this, several direct members of the Li clan had suspected as much in private. Yet, on one hand, there was no proof to verify it, and on the other, the karmic entanglements surrounding Li Jiangqun were far too immense. The Li clan was merely a minor lineage; they could hardly avoid it fast enough, let alone dare get involved.
For now, Li Yuanping merely shifted the topic, probing the stance of this Qi-Ingesting Nature-Cultivating Path with a smile. "I had heard the north has fallen into the hands of Hujie Shakya cultivators. I never imagined our fellow Daoists would still remain there."
"Well..." Wang Xun paused, explaining, "Though the Hujie's southward drive has firmly established the ascendancy of Shakya cultivators, many grotto-heavens and blessed lands in the north still keep to themselves in secluded cultivation, and there are even a few small principalities outside the Shakya cultivators' rule... Moreover..."
He smiled awkwardly and answered, "A thousand years ago, our Qi-Ingesting Nature-Cultivating Path fought a great war against your Violet Palace Golden Core Path. Though compelled by circumstances to join hands often over the past century, we can hardly be considered fellow Daoists..."
"So that is how it is! My apologies for the blunder."
Li Yuanping chuckled, enlightenment dawning upon him. Though deeply curious about this so-called Qi-Ingesting Nature-Cultivating Path, he did not dare pry into another's orthodoxy; after all, the young gentleman before him was merely naive in the ways of the world, not foolish. Probing lightly for information was enough.
Seeing Li Yuanping apologize, Wang Xun felt slightly guilty and hurriedly added:
"The Dao knows neither good nor evil; it depends entirely on the person. Xun is not one to judge good and evil by school of cultivation. A year ago, I went to Xiuyue Sect to ask Senior Shangyuan for a sword, and we enjoyed a delightful conversation as well..."
"Master Shangyuan."
Hearing a name spoken only in legends, Li Yuanping replied, "The Master is a sword immortal second only to Golden Core masters. His sword intent must surely be peerless."
"He is indeed formidable."
Wang Xun sighed, a solemn look gracing his face for the first time as he answered, "His sword is far too astonishing. On one side, it is ethereal and otherworldly, dispelling demons and slaying evil; on the other, it is vast skies and pure snow, biting and freezing to the bone. Even my family's True Monarch has never seen anyone who embodies two such sword intents in a single person."
***
Meanwhile, having received his orders, Li Wen silently rode the wind upward.
In the courtyard atop the mountain, all was quiet. Clad in black, Li Yuanjiao stood motionless with a grim expression.
Xiao Guiluan held his arm silently without a word, worry showing on her face. Having recently broken through to Qi Refinement, her cultivation method brimmed with vitality, adept at soothing injuries and dispelling poisons.
"Brother."
Li Qinghong looked equally solemn. Holding her long spear in silence, she spoke after a long pause:
"Though that may be the sensible choice, leaving Brother Ping alone at the foot of the mountain weighs terribly heavy on my heart."
"There is no other way..."
Li Yuanjiao gritted his teeth and looked down. "After all... there is no room left to indulge personal sentiments. I swore before Granduncle's spirit tablet that nothing must happen to the two of us."
"Give me that spear!" Li Qinghong said in a muffled voice.
Li Yuanjiao blinked slightly, then took a jade box from his storage bag. He whispered:
"I already considered it before coming and brought it along. Granduncle said this spear is fierce, domineering, and untamable; he feared it would damage one's vitality and shorten one's lifespan. He never once wielded it after acquiring it, and said it could not be placed in your hands unless you reached the peak of Qi Refinement.
"Yet if things truly go awry, putting this spear in your hands will give you a slightly better chance of escaping with your life..."
He handed over the jade box, which Li Qinghong quickly received. Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open. Several Qi Refinement cultivators of different surnames and guest elders had arrived in haste. Calling out in unison, they stepped into the courtyard.
After exchanging greetings with them, Li Qinghong gently opened the jade box to reveal a long spear resting within.
The spear was silvery-white throughout. Its head measured seven inches, with square ridges at the tip and flattened like a buckwheat grain. The shaft measured six feet, etched with intricate patterns and swirling with magical light, though because it was uniform in color, one would not notice without close inspection.
The instant it opened, as if unleashing fury pent up for years, the spear burst with a crackling burst of lustrous white lightning and leapt from the box. Li Qinghong caught it with one hand, wrestling it down.
"Hah!"
A delicate purple glow swirled in her almond eyes. Grunting softly, Li Qinghong looked pleasantly surprised. With a turn of her wrist, the spear gradually grew docile. Streaks of purple lightning surfaced across it as it rested obediently in her fair, rosy palm.
"The spear's name?"
The spear bore no inscribed markings, for its creator had left no name upon its body; only once it recognized a master could its name be known. Li Yuanjiao had wondered for a long time, and seeing Li Qinghong subdue it, he promptly asked.
Li Qinghong spread her jade-like fingers, gripped, and spun. Like a flash of white light, the spear flipped in the blink of an eye from resting flat into an overhand grip, thrusting out straight with a swoosh. Its long, flattened tip pointed diagonally at the ground, humming softly.
"Duruo!"
Li Qinghong's voice was crisp and clear, her eyes shining like bright stars. Clad in jade armor and high boots, her valiant attire paired with the spear gave her a breathtaking presence that drew everyone's eyes at once.
Nearly all the clan's Qi Refinement cultivators were present. Tian Youdao, An Zheyan, and the older ones remained composed, but Tian Zhongqing and Xu Gongming both stared blankly for a moment before hurriedly averting their gazes.
Meanwhile, Lady Dou, dressed in a red gown, looked at her niece with a trace of envy.
"Good!"
Li Yuanjiao could not help praising her, a flush of pride rising in him. Without time to ponder why the spear bore such a name, he thought to himself:
*With Qinghong outfitted like this, even the disciples of the major sects could hardly boast better. This spear of our family will surely make a resounding name for itself sooner or later!*
The Duruo Spear was respectable even among Foundation Establishment magical artifacts. The Li clan had not seen many Foundation Establishment artifacts, but both the Qingchi Sword and this spear were clearly superior to the Yu family's Jade Smoke Mountain.
Collecting himself, Li Yuanjiao coughed twice, causing Tian Zhongqing and Xu Gongming—whose eyes kept drifting toward Li Qinghong—to flush slightly in embarrassment. He then said in a deep voice:
"An external cultivator at the Foundation Establishment level has arrived at our home and is waiting at the foot of the mountain. It just so happens that our ancestor has journeyed north to seek an opportunity to break through to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, far away..."
The doubts filling their minds vanished at once. Tian Youdao stroked his long beard and said in an aged voice:
"The fear is that this man might be a demonic cultivator... If he flies into a madness, rivers of blood will surely flow!"
Tian Zhongqing and Xu Gongming exchanged glances, understanding dawning upon them. Only now did they realize why they had been summoned up the mountain. If the visitor truly were a demonic cultivator, probably only the Sun Dial Profound Light Formation could hold him off for a while...
"Many thanks to the master family for your protection!"
An Zheyan offered a word of flattery, though his expression remained uneasy. After all, his wife and children were still down the mountain; Li Feiruo had borne him two sons and a daughter, all of whom possessed spirit apertures—a truly rare blessing.
Li Yuanjiao shook his head slightly and responded:
"The Clan Rectory has already evacuated everyone's direct family, wives, and daughters. They are at the foot of the mountain now."
At these words, everyone felt a wave of relief. Li Yuanping had long prepared contingency plans of this sort; handling matters so thoroughly relieved much of Li Yuanjiao's burden. After all, these people might well be needed to defend the formation shortly, and removing their worries would allow them to do their utmost.
When Liu Changdie initially erected the Sun Dial Profound Light Great Formation, he had left behind eight high platforms from which they could take turns bolstering the formation. With exactly eight people present right now, if they activated the Sun Dial Profound Light Great Formation with all their might, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would not find it easy to breach.
*Li Wen is still down the mountain...*
Just as Li Yuanjiao was thinking this, someone rode the wind down into the courtyard. A massive figure holding a large golden melon mace in each hand, he looked exceptionally fierce—it was none other than Li Wen.
The moment his feet touched down, Li Wen bowed and said respectfully:
"Patriarch!..."
Once he finished relaying everything Li Yuanping had instructed, setting forth the full situation, Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly and waved his hand.
"First, go man your respective formation nodes."
The guest elders and cultivators of other surnames nodded and dispersed. Li Qinghong pointed Li Wen toward a node. Only then did she turn back and ask:
"Brother! Can he be trusted?"
"There is some credibility to it."
Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes slightly. Li Qinghong cautioned:
"I only fear Brother Ping has been blinded by spells."
Li Yuanjiao's mind stirred, and an idea came to him. He replied:
"A look will tell!"
With that, he turned and went into the inner courtyard, returning shortly with a small, greenish-gray mirror. Understanding dawned on Li Qinghong at once. Li Yuanjiao closed his eyes, centered his focus, and peered through it.
By a small table in the side courtyard sat a youth in white, wearing a Daoist cap upon his head and possessing an ordinary countenance. His aura was calm and measured, appearing remarkably clear and translucent before the magical mirror, even radiating an airy, immortal presence; at a glance, he clearly was no villain.
At that moment, Wang Xun was lifting his jade cup to sip tea, a peach-wood sword resting across his knees. The cuffs of his Daoist robe were embroidered with golden patterns, and upon his back rested a sword casket, shimmering with golden light and bearing an illusory quality.
"A sword casket?"
Chapter 334