Yishan City.
The imposing fortress stood tall, enveloped in flowing magical radiance. A middle-aged man clad in dark gold spiritual armor stood atop a golden shuttle, his sharp-browed eyes gazing into the distance like a falcon's.
His spiritual armor of black and gold gleamed with shimmering scales, harmonizing seamlessly with the golden bow slung behind his back. The rhomboid flying shuttle beneath his feet radiated a keen, golden astral energy.
The polishing of the years had stripped away his youthful arrogance. His eyes slightly lowered and narrowed, keeping all his sharpness concealed within—refined, accumulated, and waiting to be unleashed.
Li Xuanfeng rode the wind up from the city walls and lingered for a moment. In the sea of trees far off, demonic beasts circled without any intention of advancing. He descended back onto the battlements, where several people came up from below—all young, unfamiliar faces.
Only one middle-aged man stepped forward to greet him. Dignified and refined in demeanor, he spoke softly, "Brother Feng, Fairy Qiuhu is waiting below the city."
Of the crowd that had journeyed south with him back then, most had taken wives and fathered children here, only to end up as fodder for monsters across battle after battle. Only Fei Yihe remained by his side. Now over seventy, he still did not dare attempt a breakthrough.
Though the Qingchi Sect had never made an official stance, the tragedy that befell the Fei family was still vivid in his memory, so Fei Yihe naturally dared not act rashly. Li Xuanfeng nodded upon hearing this, unhurried and unsurprised.
*If Ning Wan has come, the Master must have emerged from seclusion.*
His spiritual armor clinked crisply against the ground as he walked. Li Xuanfeng then rode the wind down, and indeed saw a woman standing before a stall in the market, watching with keen interest.
Ning Wan possessed a distinctive aura. Although she had used Qingchi techniques to conceal her cultivation, Li Xuanfeng cultivated the Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil and had a cultivation level close to hers. With just a brief sweep of his gaze, he located her. Stepping forward, he greeted softly, "Xuanfeng pays respects to Senior."
Ning Wan was now at the peak of Foundation Establishment, not far from the Purple Palace, and possessed formidable strength. Turning her head to glance at him, she said gently, "Not bad... When do you plan to enter seclusion for your breakthrough?"
Li Xuanfeng had reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment long ago and had been constantly honing his cultivation. Hearing her question, he replied, "I worry my foundation is not yet solid, so I am in no hurry to break through."
Ning Wan nodded and said with a faint smile, "I have seen your archery. Thinking back on it now, when that disciple of the Tangjin Gate came south all those years ago, you were the one who killed him, weren't you?"
Li Xuanfeng had not expected her to bring up old events, but at this point, it was no longer a dangerous secret. He offered a polite word of apology, to which Ning Wan nodded and said, "How young were you back then, yet you had already comprehended arrow intent... Influenced by the Old Man of the Creek or Jiang Boqing, I mistook it for the work of a Purple Palace cultivator. That misunderstanding led to the fate we share today. How unpredictable worldly affairs truly are."
Memories of those bygone days stirred a pang of melancholy in Li Xuanfeng's heart, though his expression remained unchanged. Ning Wan continued, "There is a piece of news I should inform you of."
"I would be glad to hear the details."
Li Xuanfeng immediately perked up. Ning Wan shook her head and said, "Overseas on Chijiao Island, there is a direct-line female cultivator named Guo Hongyao. She rode the wind to your family's territory and caused quite a scene... It seems she wanted to take someone as a disciple, but in the end, things turned sour on both sides, and the matter broke off inconclusively."
"Chijiao Island?"
Hearing news concerning his family, Li Xuanfeng grew even more focused. Ning Wan cast a glance at him and said softly, "Yet on her way back across the sea, this female cultivator was abruptly ambushed and gravely wounded, nearly perishing on her own doorstep. She escaped only by relying on talismans, but an important magical artifact was plundered from her. The culprit was extraordinarily brazen, and Chijiao Island has already dispatched people to investigate."
Ning Wan pursed her lips in a smile; clearly, this news had put her in good spirits. She suddenly added, "With the ruins of Qingsong Temple looming ahead, Chijiao Island will not pursue a thorough investigation. That woman suffered her injuries for nothing, and she will hardly make any progress in cultivation for decades."
Li Xuanfeng was taken aback, his brow furrowing. "To dare rob a direct descendant of an immortal sect right on their doorstep—who could be so bold..."
Ning Wan smiled without answering. The two flew for a time, then landed in unspoken harmony before Yuansu's cave abode. Bypassing the bizarrely shaped bronze beasts in the courtyard, they walked amidst rolling, unending white vapors that lapped coolly around their ankles. Master Yuansu lay resting upon a stone dais at the head of the chamber.
"Greetings, Master!"
Master Yuansu had a rounded face and had never carried an imposing demeanor; now he appeared all the more transcendent. A pale gold seal swayed gently at his waist. As Li Xuanfeng and Ning Wan bowed, Yuansu raised a hand to bid them rise, asking, "Wan'er, how did matters go?"
Ning Wan answered respectfully, "Reporting to the Ancestor: the several individuals suspected of bearing destiny have all received word of Qingsong Temple and set out toward the sea one by one. All is well..."
"Mm."
Yuansu nodded, pinching the seal in his hand as he remarked calmly, "After all, Mount Luoxia allowed the Dao fruit to descend into the mortal world for a turn. It is only natural that several threads of destiny were stirred and coalesced. Whether these standout figures actually bear destiny or not, they at least possess some genuine skill, and should be able to bring something out of the ruins."
Ning Wan nodded and added softly, "Only... there is another major matter... Master Suiguan paid a visit to Chijiao Island, and then went to the Jinyu Sect. Zhang Tianyuan saw him off in person, showing great deference."
Master Suiguan was the Purple Palace cultivator who had inexplicably emerged from the lifeless, jade-green waters of the Qingchi Grotto-Heaven. Hearing this, Yuansu's expression darkened, and he murmured, "What is he up to now!"
Yuansu had a massive headache when it came to this man. No matter how foul Chi Buzi's temper was, he was at least an acquaintance with whom Yuansu was on decent terms, and his cultivation was not excessively high. But this Suiguan's motives were utterly impossible to fathom.
Yuansu had stayed hidden in Yishan City and even gone into seclusion under the guise of seeking a breakthrough simply to avoid the man. Hearing news of him now, his expression was sour. Ning Wan hesitated for a breath before replying, "According to the Chi family... he went to obtain a portion of..."
Reaching this point, she abruptly held her tongue.
Yuansu waved his hand and said softly, "Speak freely."
"To obtain a portion of Xuanming Liangyi Qi."
Yuansu straightened his posture and pondered for a moment before saying, "Indeed... it must be Xuanming Qi. Only such a thing could warrant Suiguan making a personal trip to the Jinyu Sect... He is at the peak of the Purple Palace realm... Could he be preparing to break through to the Golden Core?"
No sooner had he made this deduction than he frowned and dismissed it: "No... that does not seem right."
The two standing below remained silent. Yuansu quickly collected his thoughts, dropped the subject, and looked toward Li Xuanfeng, nodding. "Not bad. You have progressed faster than I anticipated."
"It is entirely thanks to Master's guidance."
Li Xuanfeng offered a few words of gratitude. Over the past decade or more, Yuansu had truly treated him well—spiritual armor, precious herbs, metal and stone qi, secret arts and techniques had all been prepared for him by Yuansu, who practically treated him like a junior of his own.
Had these items not been granted by Yuansu—making them somewhat sensitive—Li Xuanfeng would have wanted to send some back home. Yet the better Yuansu treated him, the more uneasy he felt.
Yuansu looked at him for a moment and said mildly, "Enough. Your present strength can be considered presentable now. Make a trip to the East Sea and handle two matters for me."
Li Xuanfeng was overjoyed at once and replied repeatedly, "Please give your orders, Master!"
First, he had been confined to this place for several decades, so finally having an opportunity to leave was a great joy. Second, Yuansu was finally asking something of him; otherwise, holding all these spells and spiritual treasures felt like clutching burning coals, yet he had no choice but to accept them.
As Li Xuanfeng voiced his agreement, Yuansu continued, "First, I have a group of disciples from my family who need to go to Fenkuai Island. That stretch of sea has not been peaceful lately, and Ning Wan cannot move lightly, so you shall make the trip."
He cautioned, "Do not provoke trouble. Simply escort them there safe and sound. If anyone truly dares to block your path, anyone who is not of dragon lineage may be killed."
Seeing Li Xuanfeng nod in assent, Yuansu went on, "Once you reach Fenkuai Island, head north all the way to the Hetian Sea. A market belonging to our Ning family there is being harassed by a monster. Slay it while you are in the area before returning."
"May I ask what kind of beast...?" Li Xuanfeng inquired.
Yuansu said, "No need to worry. It is merely a water ape. Ordinary cultivators are no match for it, but for you, it poses no great challenge."
He fastened the jade seal back at his waist and said softly, "I see you have not returned home in many years either. Go and catch up properly."
"Thank you, Master!"
Li Xuanfeng gave thanks once more. Seeing Master Yuansu wave his hand, he slowly withdrew.
Ning Wan remained silent for a moment, then murmured, "Master... Li Xuanfeng's cultivation has progressed swiftly in recent years. It seems that previously it was merely due to the Li family's lack of resources and crude cultivation methods; he had not mastered any spells back then and achieved Foundation Establishment so late."
"He is of the Wei Li, after all," Yuansu replied. "Had he cultivated a Mingyang nature, he would be even faster... A thousand years ago, when the direct line of the Wei Li channeled the golden nature—that was what truly deserved to be called Mingyang descending into the mortal world."
While the two spoke, Li Xuanfeng took his leave from the cave abode, rode the wind for a short distance, and landed before his own dwelling.
Li Xuanfeng's cave abode was considered top-notch within Yishan City. Pushing open the door, his wife, Ning Hemian, carrying their child, came forward to greet him with a bright smile, asking softly, "What did the Master say?"
Ning Hemian was of the Ning clan and was even better informed than he was, so Li Xuanfeng was not surprised. Taking the child into his arms, he answered, "I am to set off for the East Sea on an auspicious date—escorting people and slaying a monster."
The boy in his arms pressed his lips together, his eyes dark gray. His eyebrows, however, were much softer than his father's, and being young and undeveloped, he looked rather delicate.
"Qin'er..."
"Father."
Li Xuanfeng hugged him and asked about how he had been lately. Li Yuanqin did not say much, only murmuring assent.
Ning Hemian closed the stone door of the cave abode and asked with some concern, "What does the Master intend? Could he be having you offend someone? Is there any danger?"
"Likely not." Li Xuanfeng showed a thoughtful look and raised his brows, saying, "I have now mastered Shangmang Huifeng and have the Dark Gold Spiritual Armor to protect me; my combat strength is formidable. Unless I clash head-on with a direct-line Foundation Establishment cultivator from the three sects, few can do anything to me.
"If I am allowed to lie in ambush beforehand, keep my distance, and prepare in full battle array, even a late-stage Foundation Establishment direct descendant of the three sects would have to cough up several mouthfuls of blood before my arrows. As for ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators... they are no different from the monsters shredded in dozens of exchanges before the pass."
Li Xuanfeng's tone was calm, yet it dripped with heavy bloodlust. He murmured, "Only the Southern Border knows my reputation as the Jingeng Astral String. With this trip overseas, I can also see what kind of figures those cultivators really are."
Ning Hemian tucked her hair behind her ear, tidying the spiritual medicines in the cave abode as she replied casually, "Yes, yes, yes, I know how formidable you are!"
There was a wide age gap between Li Xuanfeng and her; seeing her act like a child at times, he gave a quiet chuckle and mused to himself: *When the time comes, I must bring Qin'er back home... I wonder how Yuanjiao and Qinghong are doing these days.*
Through the Ning family's connections, he had learned quite a bit of news about the Li family, but it was only superficial information in the end. The thought of being able to go back and see home made his heart stir with anticipation.
...
Mount Qingdu.
The process of burning incense and praying was not complicated; in truth, meditating cross-legged before the incense sufficed. Li Qinghong bathed carefully, changed from her protective armor into a Daoist robe, bound up her hair, and cultivated before the incense for several months before riding lightning toward Mount Yuting.
This immortal mountain was now blanketed in green pines. Standing atop the snow-covered peak was a sacrificial altar over a hundred feet high, carved with patterns of rain, mist, and thunderbolts. Constructed primarily of bluestone, it had been forged with various kinds of copper and iron.
At its crest stood a ring of diverse bronze and silver statues, twelve in total. Some seized thunderbolts to spread clouds, while others held halberds with glaring eyes; eight were in human likeness, while the remaining four belonged to dragon and serpent kinds.
The moment Li Qinghong stepped onto the altar, she felt the magical power within her stir vigorously. The thunder pool in her body surged with anticipation, and the Profound Lightning Talisman bobbed up and down in excitement.
She sat cross-legged in the center, palms facing upward upon her knees. Arcs of purple lightning surfaced on her body, streaming along the patterns on the ground.
*At this point, all twelve statues should light up simultaneously, dark clouds gathering across the sky and thunderbolts emerging... only then would the ritual truly begin.*
Li Qinghong activated her immortal foundation and waited for a full half a quarter of an hour. Yet nothing more than purple lightning flowed around her; there were no celestial anomalies, nor any sign of the so-called telepathic resonance between Heaven and man. On the contrary, a considerable amount of her magical power had been consumed.
"Could it truly be entirely useless?"
Li Qinghong waited a while longer, but the sky showed not a hint of a dark cloud, let alone lightning. With a soft sigh, she abandoned the secret art and instead used her lightning to commune with each statue one by one.
This was another function of the altar: it could divine when and where thunderbolts in the world would strike, how many tribulation lightnings had fallen recently, and who had committed heinous evils and was destined to be struck by lightning.
"Most likely this is useless as well. Where could tribulation lightning even be found nowadays... I have never even heard of such a thing... This art is truly ancient enough."
She tested them one after another, but still returned empty-handed. Unwilling to give up, Li Qinghong tried twice more, until finally, at the last dragon-shaped statue, there was a faint reaction.
*Crackle...*
The dragon-shaped bronze statue's eyes flickered with light for a moment, and an understanding suddenly struck Li Qinghong's heart:
*State of Wei, Yincheng Commandery. Twenty-fourth day, third quarter of the Zi hour. Xuanwei Vigorous Lightning strikes the great cypress west of the commandery.*
Lightning surfaced on the bronze statue, only to quickly extinguish, yielding no further response.
"Huh?"
Li Qinghong blinked, marveling inwardly: "It truly is an ancient art! But... but what use is this..."
If she could truly ascertain the location, it would have been fine; Li Qinghong could ride lightning there and capture the fallen thunderbolt with her spells. Judging by its name, it had to be some kind of natural spiritual lightning, which was extraordinarily rare in this day and age.
First, ever since the near-ancient era, thunder and lightning between heaven and earth had grown scarcer, making lightning cultivators increasingly rare. Second, unlike flames or spiritual water, lightning discharged the instant it struck the ground; unless by coincidence or an accidental encounter within the clouds, it was exceedingly difficult to obtain.
Yet the information produced by this spell turned out to be an ancient place name. Even knowing such a place existed, she had no way to find it... Li Qinghong could only sigh.
"What's more, that place is most likely in the north. The Wrathful Path still holds deep animosity toward us, and with all the entanglements of destiny, I absolutely cannot go there."
Li Qinghong calculated the time; the next lightning prayer should be three months from now. She mused to herself: *The altar has already been built anyway. Performing the ritual merely expends some magical power. I might as well test it once every three months. If I ever come across a commandery in the State of Yue with a familiar name, I could bring back some lightning.*
Chapter 430