Although Situ Mo had only been wounded, the Shakya monk was rendered incapable of stirring up further trouble. Li Yuanjiao politely declined Kong Tingyun's invitation, and the group did not linger on Yuezhou Island, heading straight toward the northern part of the Zhulu Sea.
Kong Tingyun escorted them all the way out of her territory and drifted back on a cloud in high spirits, humming a tune or two. Seeing her subordinates respectfully coming forward to greet her, she quickly composed her expression and mused inwardly,
'Moutuo truly failed to divine Brother Jiao's presence! The Li family certainly possesses remarkable means... Was it Xiao Chuting secretly intervening, or is there another Violet Palace figure backing them? Li Yuanjiao's fate is obscured, but it is impossible that he cannot be divined at all, like Liu Changdie or Tu Longjian, right?'
In any case, Kong Tingyun had played this move brilliantly. She had struck down her enemy while solidifying her ties with the Li family, achieving two ends with a single effort. Riding the wind back to Yuezhou Island in delight, she thought only of having a good, deep sleep.
As the members of the Li family flew along, Li Qinghong felt quite relaxed and content. Yet once they left the Kong family's borders, Li Yuanjiao's expression darkened slightly. His brows drew together with suspicion. Sensing something amiss, Li Qinghong asked softly,
"Brother, what is it?"
Grasping his sword, Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice,
"There may be something unusual about Kong Tingyun's strength... Back when I ambushed the hook snake with her at the Salt Lake, she was nowhere near as powerful as she is today. Had she possessed such strength back then, a mere hook snake beast, even one at the mid Foundation Establishment realm, would have had little power to fight back before that golden mountain of hers. Why would she have needed me to share a portion of the spoils?"
Li Qinghong pondered for a breath and nodded. "I was just thinking it was the effect of that talisman. Yet judging by how she used it without the slightest hesitation, it could not be a rare commodity to her. Her background might not be simple."
Stroking his cyan blade, Li Yuanjiao whispered,
"Precisely. My thought is... Realized One Changxi was intentionally showing goodwill, and Kong Tingyun might be his junior kin. When it came to the hook snake, she lent her formation with great generosity, then dawdled and delayed for two whole years before coming to retrieve it... At the time, I assumed it was mere coincidence. Looking back now, it finally makes sense."
"At any rate, it is no bad thing."
Whether Realized One Changxi was extending goodwill to Xiao Chuting or to them, there was currently no malice. The Li family members could only quietly accept it. Li Yuanjiao thought to himself,
'One thing has certainly been confirmed: as long as one carries the Immortal Mirror, not only can it shatter fate, but it also shields against divine abilities and prevents eavesdropping and scrying. Its rank is truly unfathomable.'
Glancing at his sister, he saw that Li Qinghong was also lost in thought, evidently pondering the same matter. Kongheng alone kept his eyes on his nose and his nose aligned with his heart, not uttering a single word.
After flying over the sea for a while, Li Yuanjiao brought out a nautical chart to examine.
The largest island in the Eastern Sea was as vast as the State of Yue, located in Yinzhou to the east. Demonic beasts there were powerful, and there were also many sects. The Li family had no intention of going there; instead, they planned to head straight south to find an island to settle upon in a remote corner.
After studying the chart for a while, Li Yuanjiao used his immortal foundation to summon an Embryonic Breathing demon fish. Listening to it gurgle and spit bubbles for a time, he turned and said,
"Not far away is a southward water vein. We can hitch a ride on it."
The group traveled along the water vein, breaking through the sea surface only three days later to reach the southernmost edge of the Zhulu Sea, bordering the coastline of the Great Xiukui Abbey. The sky was overcast, and thunder rumbled incessantly.
Li Yuanjiao raised his eyes and saw shifting clouds and churning winds over the mountain gate of the Great Xiukui Abbey to the west, shrouded in a sheet of black rain. Faint, thunderous booms echoed from that direction.
"Either someone has broken through to the Violet Palace, or a Violet Palace cultivator has fallen!"
Li Qinghong said,
"Jun'er is at home. If someone truly broke through to the Violet Palace, he will dispatch people to deliver congratulations and gifts. There is no need to worry."
It was the first time any of them had seen such a vast atmospheric phenomenon, visible even from the Eastern Sea. Li Yuanjiao watched for only a glance or two before turning his attention back to the nautical chart in his hands. After a long while, he said,
"Let us stay in this vicinity. It is far from the contested sea domains, right at the corner of the Zhulu Sea. Though somewhat remote, its sparse population makes it very safe."
After a brief discussion, the group dispersed to search for a suitable island to settle upon. Li Yuanjiao headed straight south, observing as he went, and found several small islands. The largest was merely the size of a town, while the smallest spanned only ten li.
Although their family could hire someone to channel earth veins and gradually expand such an island, they were not the Xuanyue Gate, and commissioning people was extremely troublesome. Li Yuanjiao had little inclination to do so.
After flying for a considerable distance, a small island emerged on the horizon. It appeared relatively flat, covered by a modest ward whose power was merely at the mid Qi Refinement realm.
Li Yuanjiao estimated that it was roughly two-thirds the size of the Li family's territory. He drifted down lightly and gave the ward a tentative knock.
***
Zong Yan completed a patrol around the island and rode the wind down into the hall. His subordinate had already brought up a young boy and said respectfully,
"Island Master, this is the boy recorded on the island as having been born on a Kuiyin night."
Zong Yan lifted the boy's clothing, confirmed that the child indeed had a navel, and only then took two bottles of blood qi from his storage bag. Speaking gently, he said,
"From now on, you will reside in my side hall. Take this medicine once every three days; it must not be interrupted."
The boy nodded obediently. Zong Yan dismissed him and appeared much more relaxed, laughing,
"Fortunately, I registered everyone years ago. Otherwise, if we had to search for one on short notice, who knows how long it would have taken."
"My lord is wise," his subordinate replied with cupped hands. "Once that cyan fish is appeased, the rest will be far easier to deal with."
Zong Yan nodded repeatedly, but then saw someone scrambling up frantically from below, eyes bloodshot and voice choked with sobs:
"My lord! My lord! Another Foundation Establishment cultivator has arrived outside! Ferocious-looking! Disaster is upon us!"
Zong Yan's face drained of color in an instant. Stumbling backward, he choked for a breath before stepping forward, murmuring,
"Why has another freeloader come to extort us... It is ruined... Who knows how many people this one will demand?"
Ghastly pale, he hurried out to receive the visitor. Undoing the formation, he looked up into the air and saw a figure.
The man indeed bore a somber countenance, with closely set brows and narrowed grey eyes resembling a serpent or flood dragon. A black robe snapped loudly in the wind, and a sword hung at his waist, wrapped tightly so its shape could not be discerned.
Bracing himself, Zong Yan stepped forward and bowed until his torso was nearly parallel to the ground, saying humbly,
"The humble cultivator Zong Yan greets my lord. We are filled with utmost trepidation that an exalted immortal has graced our wretched island with your presence..."
Li Yuanjiao glanced at him. The man was merely at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, hardly worth mentioning. The mortals on the island, however, looked up one after another, numbering roughly five thousand by his estimate, which pleased him considerably.
'Relocating mortals here would be exceedingly troublesome, and across this boundless sea, there are precious few places to settle. Having five thousand people already here could not be better.'
Seeing the clear qi radiating from him, Zong Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Yet as Li Yuanjiao inspected the mortals, his heart began to pound again, and he thought,
'He seems to cultivate an immortal foundation, and he bears no injuries. Since he did not come specifically to demand mortals, he likely will not take too many...'
Thereupon, he guided Li Yuanjiao down to the summit of the island's mountain. Across the entire island, the mortals stopped what they were doing and looked up in apprehension. Zong Yan tentatively spoke,
"To report to my lord, this is Zongquan Island. It serves Dragon Child Dingyuan under the Water Palace's jurisdiction."
Islands large and small in the Eastern Sea all paid tribute to demonic beasts; Li Yuanjiao had heard of the Eastern Sea's customs, so he asked offhandedly,
"How much tribute does this Dragon Child collect each time?"
Puzzled, Zong Yan answered subserviently,
"Three hundred mortals or three medicine humans."
Li Yuanjiao furrowed his brows and asked in a low voice,
"Only humans?"
Zong Yan was taken aback, and a sudden thought struck him:
'Could this man have come from the inland realm? From the looks of it, he has only traveled overseas a few times and knows little of the particulars...'
At this thought, Zong Yan's gaze grew eager, and he hastily replied,
"Senior may not know, but my island possesses neither mineral deposits nor spirit plants. Everything beneath the sea's surface belongs entirely to the demon race, and we are forbidden from touching it. The only thing we can surrender as tribute is mortal population...
"Not to mention my small island, even those islands guarded by Foundation Establishment cultivators or Violet Palace masters must all pay tribute of mortals and treasures to the dragon lineage. It is merely a matter of degree..."
Having come to such a remote place, Li Yuanjiao had never counted on using mineral veins or rare treasures. He merely nodded, feeling conflicted and remaining silent. Assuming he had said something wrong, Zong Yan was stricken with panic, horrified inwardly:
'In the inland realm, they seem to still distinguish between immortal and demonic! Could he be an ancient cultivator! Of the lineages like Xiuyue or Wanyu...'
Coupled with the clear qi on Li Yuanjiao's face, Zong Yan completely lost his composure. He prostrated himself in terror and pleaded tearfully,
"Exalted immortal, spare my life! We acted out of sheer desperation; we never intended to do such a thing!"
Li Yuanjiao merely glanced at him. The man was no disciple of an immortal sect; the turbid qi on his face could not be concealed. Yet having never harbored high expectations for overseas cultivators, Li Yuanjiao said in a naturally heavy voice,
"Paying mortal tribute to the dragon lineage is out of necessity, yet observing your true essence circulate, it surges with vigorous force. You have clearly consumed blood qi and resentment qi—what more is there to say?"
Zong Yan was stunned for two whole breaths before pressing his forehead to the ground, saying in a humble tone,
"My elders were also of righteous origin... How could Yan not know... But!"
"But..."
He paused, looking up at the common folk gathered behind Li Yuanjiao, and said despondently,
"If this humble one consumes blood qi, I stray forever from the righteous path. Yet if this humble one refuses to consume it, I cannot protect them. There are countless demonic beasts at sea; Yan has done his utmost."
Li Yuanjiao took a deep look at him and said softly,
"There is no righteous path to speak of these days. Rise."
Zong Yan answered respectfully and stood aside in attendance. Li Yuanjiao looked across the island; kneeling commoners stretched everywhere, and one or two children peeked upward, their eyes filled with dread.
Li Yuanjiao sank into pensive thought:
'Paying mortal tribute to the Dragon Child on this island... is likely unavoidable. To gain a foothold in the Eastern Sea, one must first sate the dragon lineage... But... how should this be handled!'
Not only was his own family's ancestral code strictly forbidding of such practices, but the Immortal Mirror in his robe was also emitting a faint chill, chilling his heart to the core. The Taiyin Mysterious Light had never missed its mark, and sacrificing one's body to Taiyin was no empty threat.
"Let us summon Qinghong first."
Li Yuanjiao flicked out a talisman, which flew high into the sky and emitted a soft, luminous glow, leaving Zong Yan trembling with fear. Li Yuanjiao turned back and asked,
"Do you have family or descendants?"
Zong Yan had already guessed much of the situation. He had often heard of inland cultivators coming overseas to settle, but his remote island had rarely encountered any. Seeing that Li Yuanjiao was not as ruthless as his appearance suggested, and was even quite principled, he rejoiced inwardly and replied hurriedly,
"To report to my lord, this humble one is an earth-nurtured child and cannot bear offspring."
"An earth-nurtured child?"
Li Yuanjiao frowned. Convinced of his own deduction, Zong Yan answered respectfully,
"Heading straight east across the Zhulu Sea, beyond the Qunyi Long Gorge, lies an island named Shiqi. Upon it is a realm called Diyang. The springs of Diyang are called the Haoyang Springs. As long as one casts spiritual materials into them, infants will surge forth."
Zong Yan pulled up the hem of his robe. His abdomen was completely smooth, devoid of a navel.
"These children are earth-nurtured children, born without navels and lacking the ability to reproduce. When eaten, their flesh is as insipid as water, utterly flavorless. As long as the cast spiritual materials are sufficiently precious, there is a very high probability of having a spirit aperture."
He smiled and continued,
"Cultivation is arduous and often leaves lineages severed. Many cultivators who cannot father descendants travel there to pass on their heritage. My father did the same; he passed away many years ago, leaving me to manage this island."
Li Yuanjiao was truly amazed. He appraised him in silence. Zong Yan lowered his head and added,
"It is just that people like me are denied the wondrous mysteries and remain halted at Qi Refinement. In the Dao, we cannot achieve Foundation Establishment; in Shakya, we cannot obtain the Dharma; in the Demonic, we cannot open a mansion; in magical arts, we cannot refine talismans..."
Only then did Li Yuanjiao find it far more reasonable, though he remained profoundly astonished.
"The grand creation of Heaven and Earth is wondrous indeed."
***
Mount Qingdu.
Li Xijun sat in the courtyard clad in white robes, Hanlin resting across his knees, its blade gleaming with a faint, icy radiance. In his hand, he held a piece of white silk, carefully wiping the sword.
He seemed somewhat abstracted and absentminded, polishing the blade over and over until it gleamed brightly. On the table before him sat a jade bottle containing the Suiyuan Pill.
Li Ximing had handed him the medicinal pill with great reluctance before quickly entering seclusion to adjust his breathing and cultivate in preparation for Foundation Establishment. Leaving Li Xijun to watch over the household, with several Foundation Establishment cultivators away, he held the highest authority.
As Li Xijun absentmindedly wiped his sword, an elderly man in plain robes, at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, came up. Slightly bending his waist with cupped hands, he was about to bow when Li Xijun quickly helped him up, saying courteously,
"Clan Elder, why do this... This junior cannot bear such deference."
The man before him was Chen Donghe, currently one of the most senior figures in the clan. With Li Xijun supporting him, he had no choice but to stop, saying softly,
"News arrived today that Daoist Houfu of the Great Xiukui Abbey has broken through to the Violet Palace and attained a divine ability. The Clan Head intends to send me to deliver gifts and had this old man come up the mountain to fetch them."
Li Xijun was precisely brooding over this matter. Reasonably speaking, the Great Xiukui Abbey had no dealings with their family, so there was no need to send anything overly valuable. Yet he had learned that this Daoist Houfu had no particular preferences except for an intense regard for face. He worried that an inadequate gift would offend his dignity, leaving him torn.
Seeing Chen Donghe arrive, he simply asked,
"I wonder what kind of gift the Clan Elder deems appropriate?"
Chen Donghe pondered briefly, his aged voice steady:
"Our family offered Realized One Chuting a precious herb, so this gift must not exceed that medicine. In my humble opinion, a magical artifact at the peak of Qi Refinement will suffice.
"Realized One Houfu does not lack our family's meager offerings. It is just that he is young and rumored to be very fond of fame. In that case, let the most senior old Clan Head represent us, accompanied by six Qi Refinement cultivators, assuming a posture of utmost respect. What we actually send is secondary."
Li Xijun weighed the suggestion and replied,
"This news has spread far too widely, as if driven by someone, or perhaps required by Houfu's divine ability. In that case, our family will grant the Realized One ample face. We must only be mindful of safety."
He mused,
"Go to the Xiao family first. The Xiao family will surely send congratulations as well. Traveling together with them will spare us any worry."
***
Before the two arrived, Li Yuanjiao simply stood with his hands behind his back, listening to Zong Yan report on the island's affairs:
"The island has over five thousand people, most of whom make a living by fishing. Crops of rice and fruit are grown on the island, but arable land is scarce, tended mostly by women and small children..."
"There are quite a few demonic beasts in the surrounding waters, some of whom are subordinates of that Dragon Child, making it inevitable that..."
Chapter 419