The robust youth sat upright in the courtyard, forming hand seals. Surges of black flame poured from his palms and flowed all around him, while several black runes transformed into streaks of light that churned along his flanks.
Li Xijun swept a brief glance over him. Fearing that the youth might sense his gaze, he shifted his eyes aside, keeping watch only from the corners of his vision.
‘Chengliao was not influenced by him. This person is not as formidable as Chu Yi, and there shouldn't be any Purple Palace cultivator pulling strings behind him this time either. He likely has some karmic mandate upon him, perhaps stumbling across some secret heritage or treasure... or receiving guidance from some master.’
Li Xijun did not act rashly for the time being. First, he summoned Chen Mufeng.
"The patrolling Jade Court Guards are too dense; it is too easy for people to realize something is amiss. Disperse them along the perimeter. His lover is still up on the mountain, and I will have Senior Wushao keep an eye on Xu Xiao personally."
Chen Mufeng's mouth was filled with bitterness. His mind was consumed with thoughts of making amends so as not to be demoted too harshly.
Back then, he had only dispatched a trusted subordinate. That Centurion Chen, who had compromised and colluded with Xu Xiao, was a kinsman of his clan. Chen Mufeng had already quietly sent him off to Shanyue to isolate him from the events in town, waiting to deal with him after this matter was settled.
With these thoughts running through his head, Chen Mufeng acknowledged the order and hurried off.
Li Chengliao had granted Liu Lingzhen the qualification to cultivate on the mountain, originally intending to sow discord and win her over, but now it had resulted in the woman falling into the hands of the Li family. Li Xijun arranged for two subordinates to sound out information from Liu Lingzhen, while on the other side he spoke to Li Wushao:
"Senior, do you know of any faction or cultivation method famous for black flames? Particularly one capable of bewitching the mind and holding lives hostage."
Li Xijun knew the factions in the states of Wu and Yue very well. He had never seen any black flames capable of bewitching the mind and manipulating lives, so his thoughts had already turned to the overseas realms.
Li Wushao pondered for a moment before hissing, "The lineages upon the sea are countless, and those sunken beneath the seabed are more numerous still. Black flames... there is indeed one faction that is quite famous."
He paused, then said in a deep voice, "Chijiao Island, a major faction upon the sea. Their direct lineage cultivates Combined Fire from the Dao of Fire Virtue. Most of them spit black flames and are fond of using mind-bewitching shamanic hexes."
"Chijiao Island..."
Li Xijun's only worry was whether this person was a pawn of some Purple Palace cultivator. Yet there had been no news from Li Xizhi. With the Li family's current power, if a Purple Palace master were acting, they could easily give the Li family advance notice without stirring up unnecessary trouble.
Since his family had not received the slightest word and Xu Xiao's methods were limited, a killing intent rose in Li Xijun's heart. He suspected that someone was behind Xu Xiao, secretly scheming against their family. Yet the Li family had no ties or grievances with Chijiao Island. Unable to make up his mind, he summoned another subordinate and instructed:
"Find a clever female cultivator to pry news of the outside world from that Liu Lingzhen. Draw close to her and provoke her, but do it discreetly, to see what attitude he holds toward the immortal sects and lineages."
The man nodded hesitantly. With several capable assistants away, this man clearly couldn't grasp his meaning. Li Xijun had no choice but to spell it out:
"Simply send a female cultivator over to recount some news of overseas immortal sects, deliberately leaving a few errors while speaking with obnoxious certainty. See whether she can point them out, and what attitude she has toward these immortal sects."
Once he arranged these matters, Li Xijun did not make a move just yet. He intended to probe the bottom of this and buy time, ideally waiting until the ancestors returned.
‘If he can just leave peacefully, so be it... but if he harbors resentment, we cannot let him go.’
Li Xijun lingered in the sky for a while, unable to set his mind at ease. In the clan, only he possessed an ocular technique capable of seeing through illusions. He found a spot on Lijing Peak where he could overlook the large town.
Scarcely had a night passed when a person rode the wind closer and reported respectfully, "Replying to My Lord, according to your instructions, we sent someone over, and Liu Lingzhen let slip some information."
Following Li Xijun's orders, his subordinates had sent an arrogant female cultivator to boast and mysteriously introduce some overseas matters. Liu Lingzhen was simple-minded and could not stand her haughty demeanor, so she had retorted.
"She pointed out the errors in what our people said, putting on airs to boast. Once the floodgates were opened, she couldn't stop. She held those immortal sects in high esteem and spoke in great detail about several magical treasures."
‘Xu Xiao is cautious enough, but this lover of his looks pretty but lacks substance... she left far too many handles to grasp.’
As soon as those words slipped from Liu Lingzhen's lips, they were delivered before Li Xijun. The word "overseas" spun through his mind. Li Xijun lowered his brows.
"A woman who hasn't stepped foot outside the town since birth actually knows about the magical treasures of overseas immortal sects."
Probing around like this eliminated many possibilities. Xu Xiao had either been blessed by a karmic mandate, obtaining the legacy of Chijiao Island and having his mind bewitched, which caused his drastic change in temperament, or he was originally a member of Chijiao Island who had possessed this body.
If he truly had deep ties to Chijiao Island, it might involve some special technique of reincarnation to escape death. In that case, the threat he posed would be even greater, and he would be even harder to kill.
Li Xijun pondered for a breath and first ruled out this possibility:
"If it truly were a death-evading reincarnation technique, he would only need to state it openly... and give our family advance notice. Our family would naturally ensure his safe escort back to the island... unless he is some renegade apostate..."
Li Xijun was meticulous. In the short time since receiving the information, myriad twists and turns had already flashed through his mind. The more he thought, the harder it was to judge. Li Xijun let out a quiet breath, his thoughts turning toward the delusion of the womb.
"No matter what, it is certainly connected to Chijiao Island."
Setting those aside, he flipped through the dossiers submitted by his subordinates. Li Xijun spent the night carefully reviewing everything Xu Xiao had done over the past few years, and had to admit that given the youth's character and temperament, he was very likely already harboring resentment and coveting their family.
Li Xijun could hardly tolerate a person bearing a karmic mandate who hated his family and was on the loose outside. That was far more terrifying than a Foundation Establishment cultivator glaring covetously. If things truly came to that point, even if it risked offending Chijiao Island, he would resolve to slay this person.
"Just because a karmic mandate is upon him, does that mean he cannot be killed?"
Caressing his precious sword, killing intent gradually rose within Li Xijun's heart. Suppressing it for now, he thought quietly:
‘Against someone like this, one must either bide one's time without acting, or strike to kill in a single blow. He must not be given any chance to escape.’
He stood up and calculated the time the elders had been away. Their return was still far off, and flying across the vast overseas, their whereabouts were uncertain. Xu Xiao was growing stronger with each passing day; Li Xijun feared they could wait no longer.
As he was thinking, another person suddenly entered and reported:
"Reporting to My Lord, that demonic fiend took a large barrel of medicinal herbs. We do not know what technique he intends to perform!"
Why the Li family placed such great importance on Xu Xiao was clear to a few direct descendants, but most subordinates below were thoroughly baffled. Li Xijun had issued instructions long before, labeling Xu Xiao internally as a vicious demonic cultivator who had seized another's body. Combined with Old Man Liu's bizarre and gruesome death, the subordinates were filled with both dread and hatred toward him.
Hearing this, Li Xijun hurriedly stood up and rode the wind out. Li Wushao came up to greet him and hissed:
"He just stepped out of his courtyard gate."
Li Xijun focused his gaze. In the courtyard, Xu Xiao was sitting cross-legged, soaked in crimson medicinal liquid, seemingly preparing for a breakthrough. Li Xijun thought, *This bodes ill.*
‘No, we can wait no longer. At this rate, three to five years down the line, across the boundless Eastern Sea before the elders have returned, this person might already be ready to push for Foundation Establishment! What's more, who knows when he might sneak away, or what methods he might possess as his power grows! Rather than waiting until then to strike, it is better to take the initiative!’
Li Xijun waved his hand decisively.
"Everyone, gather here!"
He narrowed his eyes, pushing his ocular technique and talisman qi to their limits, quietly watching the flow of spiritual energy within the medicinal bath, merely waiting for Xu Xiao to fully enter the state.
"When this person reaches the critical juncture of his breakthrough, I must ask you all to strike together."
Li Xijun murmured softly, his hand already pressed against the emerald blade at his waist. Beneath the hem of Li Wushao's robes behind him, dark currents churned, while White Monkey, Chen Mufeng, and the others also stood ready in strict formation.
Li Xijun sighed inwardly:
‘Ah... to think!’
‘Ever since our family produced Foundation Establishment cultivators and became the overlord of the lake, how many years has it been since we stood on such high alert... and now it is actually for a mere Qi Refinement cultivator!’
Watching the youth gradually calm his mind, his aura beginning to rise and fall erratically while the medicinal fluid in the tub spun rapidly, gradually lightening in color—with the cautionary tales of Chu Yi and the Kong family fresh in mind, Li Xijun dared not be careless. Even more, he feared the retainers might be careless, so he repeatedly warned:
"This person is most likely a reincarnated fiend. Who knows how many secret treasures and arcane techniques he possesses? None of you must lower your guard. The slightest laxity will surely court disaster upon our lives!"
Sure enough, once he said this, solemn expressions appeared on everyone's faces. Even Li Wushao, who had stood aside with a stern countenance, looked slightly surprised, a touch more vigilance entering his gaze as he looked down.
Xu Xiao's momentum surged. Li Xijun held his breath and focused his mind, waiting for him to make his breakthrough attempt.
***
The Eastern Sea.
Li Yuanjiao escorted Li Qinghong all the way back to the Salt Lake. Only after confirming his younger sister had flown into the river channel of the Xiuyue Sect did he turn back and fly eastward once more.
Cautious by nature, he did not return along the same path. Instead, he took Kongheng on a different route back to Zongquan Island, making a slight detour that posed no harm.
After flying in silence for a while, they passed an elongated island covered in green pines. From afar, they could see the sky filled with colliding rays of magical light, the spectacle grand and imposing.
Li Yuanjiao calculated the location. This was likely the "Ruins of Qingsong Temple" that had caused quite a stir in recent years. The Sword Sect, Chunyi Dao, and Chijiao Island had fought over it for many years without any conclusion.
Li Yuanjiao glanced over, a sudden thought striking him, and asked, "Master, do the lineages of the Liao River contain records of this ancient Daoist sect, Qingsong Temple?"
Kongheng pressed his palms together and said softly, "Naturally there are. This immortal temple was established even before Yuehua Yuan Mansion. It produced two True Monarchs across its history. The first has scant records; it is only known that he belonged to the lineage of Fire Virtue. The latter attained the fruit of Dui Metal and died at the hands of the Shaoyang Demon Lord..."
Li Yuanjiao still remembered this Shaoyang Demon Lord—Fenkuai Island had gotten its name from that very demon lord. He nodded and caught on immediately:
"So inside Qingsong Temple are inheritances of Dui Metal and Fire Virtue?"
"Indeed."
Just as Kongheng answered, suspicion arose in Li Yuanjiao once more. He asked:
"Since it produced two True Monarchs, why is it left to these few Purple Palace sects to fight over? Are other Golden Core masters uninterested? There seems to be a Dui Metal True Monarch in the realm, isn't there?"
Kongheng pressed his palms together and replied:
"After Qingsong Temple fell, it was carved up and looted in succession by multiple factions. Long turned to ruins, nothing truly precious remains, which is why it is now called the 'Ruins of Qingsong Temple.'
"Yet even without treasures, the cultivation methods are still recorded within the grotto-heaven, and there are many spiritual herbs that have grown over hundreds or thousands of years, which are quite vital to immortal sects."
Li Yuanjiao nodded while looking toward the mountain. Kongheng followed his gaze, looking over as he said mildly:
"The Sword Sect possesses the Dao of Dui Metal, and Chijiao Island cultivates Combined Fire, so both covet it dearly. As for Chunyi Dao... they merely style themselves as descendants of Qingsong Temple and want it all.
"The grand array of Qingsong Temple remains tightly shut, unbroken for years, waiting for that fated person."
"A fated person."
Not wishing to invite trouble or linger, the two bypassed the mountain. Li Yuanjiao murmured the words, and Kongheng said:
"It is also called a karmic mandate... profound and mystical... Until that person arrives, unless a Golden Core master intervenes, the three sects could smash their heads open and still never get in."
Kongheng paused slightly and explained:
"Some arrays need only for that one person to pass by, and they will break open naturally. Some magical treasures lie buried in the earth for thousands or tens of thousands of years, waiting only for that one person to pick them up. Some people endure countless hardships and possess foreknowledge without divination, surviving no matter how others try to kill them. These are all signs of a karmic mandate upon them."
"Is a karmic mandate truly so wondrous? Would they not be invincible under heaven?"
Li Yuanjiao listened and took it to heart, but Kongheng said:
"A karmic mandate is not a golden nature, and even a golden nature has its limits. Right and wrong, success and failure can all be considered results of destiny. There is a line in the scriptures: *Whatever lies beyond the reach of effort is called fate.* It is just so."
Buddhist cultivators never spoke plainly. Li Yuanjiao pondered it for a moment and said in a low voice:
"In my view, a karmic mandate and a golden nature are strikingly similar. Both are things against which one is rendered powerless upon contact, often transcending wit and strategy and confounding the human heart."
Li Yuanjiao recalled his elder, Li Tongya, while Kongheng pressed his palms together and chanted:
"It was not like this in ancient times. It is only because the Immortals, Demons, and Buddhists all sought freedom and unfettered ease. Now that they are free, this is what it looks like."
Ripples stirred across the greenish-red water. Li Yuanjiao did not reply further. Flying together, they soon arrived at Zongquan Island. The people on the island had all been craning their necks in anticipation, and seeing the two return, a burst of cheers erupted.
The two descended, and Zong Yan came forward respectfully to greet them. Kongheng chanted a prayer and took his leave, while Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice to Zong Yan:
"Send a few people out to gather information for me in the major market towns. Pick trustworthy and loyal hands, and do it discreetly."
Zong Yan bowed and said, "Rest assured, My Lord. The brothers on the island all survived the jaws of demon beasts; they are loyal and reliable."
Li Yuanjiao said in a deep voice:
"There is an immortal foundation called 'Gold Dissolving Cave,' capable of sensing magical instruments, forging weapons, and concealing sharp edges. Inquire which of the Three Metals it belongs to, and what dao complements exist for it, then report back to me."
Zong Yan acknowledged the order and departed. Li Yuanjiao had formed an idea:
‘The Qingchi Sect has no dao complement for the Gold Dissolving Cave. Yu Muxian is proud and haughty; how could he tolerate his path of cultivation being severed? As long as I can find word of relevant cultivation methods and pin them to the Ruins of Qingsong Temple, I will surely be able to lure Yu Muxian out...’
Having arranged the matter, he sought out a secret chamber and activated its warding formation. Thinking it still wasn't safe enough, he took out an array disk and set up another formation himself before finally settling down in seclusion with peace of mind.
"Time to prepare to break through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment!"
Chapter 424