Leading the group across the Salt Lake, Li Xuanfeng reached the Near Sea. The waves surged in a vast expanse of azure. The eldest Ning brother, Ning Dingbo, stepped forward to gather the disciples.
Once the Qingchi disciples were assembled, he bared his white teeth in a smile. "This place is called the Near Sea. The water isn't very deep, as it all sank during the great war of antiquity. Most of the islands you see now were originally immortal mountains, while the rest were dragged here later to fill the sea."
Li Xuanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, listening in silence. Knowing his temperament, Ning Dingbo continued the explanation on his behalf.
"Back then, this was the south's six most densely populated commanderies. Every single one sank to the seabed to feed the fish and prawns, leaving behind countless ruins. Because the waters are shallow, past cultivators thoroughly swept them clean long ago.
"Further out lie the Zhulu Sea and Qunyi Gorge. Only there do you reach what was truly the Eastern Sea of ancient times... Dragon palaces lay everywhere, and flood-dragons and serpents ran rampant. If you journey into the depths, you will encounter many of dragonkind. None of them are to be offended."
The cultivators reacted with varied expressions. Those from wealthy, prominent backgrounds looked indifferent, clearly already aware of this, while those of humbler origin were enlightened. Ning Dingbo continued:
"The Zhulu Sea was named after the True Chi's eighth son, touching upon the ancient dissolution of Lushui and Joined Water. For that reason, countless fiends and rare treasures fill the sea, most of which have been claimed by dragonkind. Anyone venturing into its depths must be exceptionally careful."
A fine-browed youth in brocade robes suddenly spoke up, asking respectfully, "Instructor, may I ask... If they are clearly of dragonkind, why was it a True Chi that held the fruit position of Joined Water back then? Why are they not called chikind?"
"Well..."
Ning Dingbo was momentarily at a loss. He cast a hesitant glance at Li Xuanfeng, shook his head, and said in a grave voice, "This touches upon events of antiquity... I'm afraid very few know the truth."
A trace of disappointment flickered across the crowd, but then Li Xuanfeng took a step forward and spoke softly:
"Back then, had there been no Lushui dissolution of Joined Water, the True Chi would have become a true dragon."
Having spent many years drifting through the Southern Border, Li Xuanfeng indeed possessed knowledge of a secret or two.
He knew that Li Chijing had met his end at the hands of an old jiao in the Southern Border. Thus, whenever he fought, he made every effort to capture alive any serpent or jiao monster he encountered, interrogating them for news of that old jiao.
The old jiao was a demon king of great renown in the Southern Border named Can Lufu. He cultivated the divine abilities of the Lushui path and was said to be of dragonkind as well. Li Xuanfeng had once harbored the very same question as that youth, and only after thorough interrogation had he obtained the answer.
The moment he spoke, the young men and women looked toward him with admiration. The youth in brocade grew a little nervous and bowed respectfully. "I humbly beg the Daoist's guidance..."
Li Xuanfeng said softly:
"In antiquity, the True Chi roamed supreme across the Eastern Sea. Having held the fruit position for centuries, he was said to have reached the peak of the Dao Embryo realm. Believing himself to be the pinnacle of all demons between heaven and earth, he proclaimed himself Demon Emperor and established the Demon Palace of the Eastern Sea.
"He then journeyed westward until he came to an immortal abbey on a small hill, where he met an Immortal Lord.
"The True Chi asked only one question: 'Could there truly be any demon in this world with a body more perfect than mine?'
"The Immortal Lord replied: 'Dragonkind can be great or minute, ascend or hide away; they soar through the cosmos or dive beneath surging waves, transforming with the seasons and circumstances. You are merely a demon chi; you must transform into a dragon.'"
Li Xuanfeng paused before continuing in a quiet voice:
"The True Chi inquired in detail about the many characteristics of dragonkind. Afterward, he returned to the Eastern Sea, mobilized a massive host, and devoured the feathered serpent.
"Embodying two fruit positions in a single frame, he could not govern both Joined Water and Lushui at once. In the end, he perished prematurely, his remains carved up and shared among his nine sons. This threw the Eastern Sea into an uproar, plunging it into utter chaos for a time."
A faint glimmer of yearning surfaced in Li Xuanfeng's eyes as he spoke softly:
"Only then did the demons of the world learn that there was a distinction between chi and dragons, down to jiao, snakes, and hui serpents. All of this originated from the Dragon Palace.
"Although the True Chi was devoured by his nine sons, his descendants proclaimed themselves dragonkind and founded the Eastern Sea Jiao Palace."
Not only the disciples, but even the Ning brothers were hearing this for the first time, and they marvelled in astonishment. Li Xuanfeng shook his head.
"It is merely what came from the mouth of a hui serpent. Take it as an amusing diversion, nothing more."
"We thank the Daoist for his guidance!"
The disciples expressed their gratitude with deep respect. Li Xuanfeng waved a hand, a clear gleam flowing in his eyes as he stared at a shadow in the biting wind. He said softly:
"Speak of them, and here they come!"
Sure enough, two streaks of light flew toward them from not far away, one large and one small. The beast in front possessed the form of a serpent with twin hooks upon its tail, pale white in color, trailing a streak of blood through the air. The beast behind was a full circle larger, covered in blue-grey scales. Shaped like a tiger, its abdomen was slightly elongated as it crawled and lurked forward.
This blue-grey scaled beast had strong, muscular limbs, yet its waist and belly were unusually long, trailing an extended tail. It looked rather bizarre, yet it rode the clouds and mist with relaxed ease, trailing behind the white serpent like a cat toying with a mouse.
Ning Dingbo caught sight of it and immediately steered the jade boat with his brother to pull away, saying in a low voice, "It is a dragon son... Move away quickly... Do not disturb this one."
Li Xuanfeng observed closely. The creature in front seemed to be of feathered serpent stock, with twin hooks on its tail; it was likely a hook snake. Its scales were shattered all over, dripping with pale-green blood, and its window-sized pupils were filled with despair as it let out mournful howls.
"Judging by its state, it was wounded by Joined Water! Even if it manages to flee, its life will not last long..."
The crowd watched with bated breath. The Ning brothers pushed their speed to increase their distance, though they too watched with great curiosity. Catching up to the white hook snake, the dragon son was in no rush to kill it; instead, it entwined around it, nuzzling and rubbing against its body.
Ning Dingbo's expression turned slightly bizarre. Cursing under his breath, he quietly sped up, thinking to himself, *Truly worthy of dragonkind... The Joined Water lineage loves indulging in these tastes... No matter whether it's the right species or not, they always have to try.*
The cultivators stared transfixed, deeply shaken. Listening to the white hook snake's mournful wails, they flew on for several breaths before a scattering of pale-green rain suddenly began to fall from the sky.
The rain was crystal clear, yet as that pale turquoise downpour lashed down over them, it cast heaven and earth in a dreary grey haze.
The youth in brocade robes propped up his magical power to shield himself, sighing with emotion. "This is the phenomenon of a Lushui Foundation Establishment cultivator's fall... So this is the Eastern Sea... A Foundation Establishment cultivator can simply die so casually in any stretch of water."
Li Xuanfeng, meanwhile, was pondering the aura and form of the dragon son he had just witnessed. *It is indeed out of the ordinary. The dragonkind of the Eastern Sea likely wield a good deal of spells, and trying to kill one in a true fight would probably be no easy feat... If there were a sufficiently vast stretch of sea, one could test whether it could be worn to death.*
Naturally, he had no intention of provoking dragonkind; he was merely weighing the strength of both sides to have a measure in his heart.
Ning Dingbo stepped closer from behind him and whispered, "Chief, encountering this dragon son was likely no coincidence. It came to see whom our Qingchi sent to garrison Fenkuai Island."
Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly. His mission this time was not merely an escort; he was also to oversee the handover on the island for half a year to a full year. The situation on Fenkuai Island was complex, so it was only natural for dragonkind to take a look.
As the largest market in the sea and one of the foremost immortal islands, Fenkuai Island possessed all manner of precious grounds. Because of its peculiar terrain, however, it was nearly impossible to lay down formations, and turmoil broke out there almost incessantly.
For reasons unknown, Purple Palace cultivators rarely appeared around Fenkuai Island, and the various sects never dispatched Purple Palace cultivators to garrison it either, leaving mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators in charge.
Having acknowledged the remark, Li Xuanfeng soon saw a majestic island appear before them. While the Ning brothers introduced the origin of Fenkuai Island to the crowd, they steered the boat down into the sea.
This spot was roughly ten li from Fenkuai Island. A massive light barrier emerged from the seabed. Li Xuanfeng produced a jade medallion, and they passed straight through.
Sure enough, an expanse of brilliant light appeared beneath them, with houses of various sizes arrayed within. Just as the two brothers brought the jade boat to a mooring, a cultivator rode the wind toward them.
The man wore green robes, and the storage bag and Dharma sword at his waist gleamed with magical light. From head to toe, he wore spiritual gossamer as a cloak and spiritual cloth as a robe; even the jade stones adorning him were of supreme quality, extravagant to the utmost. He glanced at Li Xuanfeng and nodded.
"Heyuan greets Brother-in-law."
This person was his wife's younger brother, Ning Heyuan, an early Foundation Establishment cultivator and the person in charge of this market. This was not the first time Li Xuanfeng had met him, and he gave a slight nod.
Ning Heyuan belonged to the main branch of the Ning family, but he had been taken into the Chi household at a very young age, only returning when he grew up. Within the Ning family, he belonged to the faction that favored the Chi family.
However, with Chi Wei's death, True Person Yuansu had simply left for Yishan City, taking a large contingent of the Ning family to shift their focus southward. Even with Chi Zhiyun's status as Sect Master, he dared not order around a senior predecessor like True Person Yuansu, who in the Southern Border obeyed neither summons nor commands.
With friction emerging between the Ning and Chi families, Ning Heyuan's position had become awkward. Li Xuanfeng had met him once more than a decade ago, when he was smug and flamboyant. Having remained hidden away in the sea for over ten years, seeing him now revealed a man far more worn and disheartened.
He brought a group of guest retainers to offer their greetings, ordered his subordinates to lead the disciples away to assign duties, and immediately pulled Li Xuanfeng to one side, saying:
"Brother-in-law... This is the first time I have worked together with you. If there is anything I overlook, please give me plenty of guidance."
His attitude took Li Xuanfeng somewhat by surprise. Giving a slight cupped-fist salute, Li Xuanfeng followed Ning Heyuan into the cave dwelling. Ning Heyuan then excused himself to go meet the disciples, while Li Xuanfeng penned a letter and handed it to the eldest Ning brother, bidding him deliver it to the Li clan.
***
Dajueting.
Dajueting was an ancient city of magnificent grandeur. At its peak, it had boasted a population of a hundred thousand. After Fu Daimu occupied it for decades, fewer than ten thousand remained. Fei Luoya had reclaimed it and nurtured it for many years, bringing the population back to thirty or forty thousand.
The stone bricks of the ancient city were mottled, steeped in the marks of passing ages. The Li clan's soldiers moved swiftly through the narrow alleys, while the Shanyue commoners in the city hid inside their houses, looking outside with no small amount of anticipation.
Just as the Eastern Shanyue envied the Eastern people, the populace of Dajueting envied the prosperous lives of the Eastern Shanyue. They had long heard of the Li clan's reputation, and now, hearing that the Li clan had come to take over, each and every one of them was filled with hope.
Clan cultivators and Jade Court Guards crisscrossed the sky. Li Xicheng rode the wind, flanked by his younger brother Li Xijun. The two gathered around a map, discussing matters in detail.
"The Liu and Xu families cannot be permitted into the new lands... As for the prominent clans, they must all be placed under restrictions. It would be best to promote from the humble families and send them to the western lakeside to establish villages..."
Fei Luoya had acted as an unburdened manager, tossing the territory to the Li clan before going into secluded cultivation himself. The Li clan had sent men to patrol it twice, finding that the entire domain was broadly divided into two major sections.
One was the great Shanyue city, Dajueting, which spanned a vast area and was a rare ancient relic. Beyond that lay a fertile plain, devoid of any great mountains.
The Li clan placed its primary focus on that majestic stronghold of Dajueting. It was exceedingly ancient, holding a status among the Shanyue second only to Mount Wu. Li Yuanjiao had visited once before, but he had been busy divvying up the spoils of war and had not inspected it in detail.
Now that the two juniors had toured the grounds, they found every corner simple, ancient, and grand. Within the palace halls were numerous murals, heavily damaged by years of war, yet still showing many scenes of the earth caving in, the heavens crumbling, and dark, hopeless despair.
Li Xijun stepped inside, studying them closely. The most recent paintings depicted the rise of the Li clan, showing blooming flowers and blazing fires in the east, bustling with prosperity.
Stepping further inside, the style of the paintings grew bleak and desolate: locusts swarming the land, severe drought on all four sides, foreign foes invading, the great king passing away... Li Xijun paused to gaze at them, then looked back and said:
"This should be the legendary Jianixi."
The two strode further in, passing through layered palace chambers filled with depictions of heaven and earth inverted, and bitter hardships born of drought. Beyond this stretch were murals portraying scenes of widespread prosperity.
The rest had long since blurred into illegibility. After searching for a time, the two finally came upon another mural.
Depicted upon the wall was a black-robed figure whose face could not be discerned. In one hand, he held what appeared to be a book, and in the other, a staff. Beneath him, many people knelt in worship, while to one side was the scene of a sun setting from high in the sky.
"That must be Duanmu Kui..."
Both Li Xijun and his brother had read their clan history and were familiar with records from many sources. Li Xijun said:
"Duanmu Kui dominated an entire era, even daring to lay siege to the mountain gate of the Qingchi Sect... Yet in the end, he failed to break through to the Golden Core realm... That immortal book disappeared without a trace, and to this day its whereabouts remain unknown.
"As for the sun..."
Li Xijun paused, sighing. "Perhaps it refers to the matter of the Wei Li."
Toward the Wei Li, his feelings were rather complicated. Many Purple Palace and Foundation Establishment cultivators believed the Li clan was of the Wei Li main line. Li Xuanfeng had sent word back regarding this as well, and after investigating for a time himself, Li Xijun had formed a few conjectures.
*True Person Yuansu genuinely used spells to inspect our household when he took us for the Wei Li... If the divine abilities of a Purple Palace cultivator are accurate, then eight or nine times out of ten, our family truly is of the Wei Li. That would explain why we became entangled with so many monks.*
*As for whether we belong to the main line, that is difficult to say...*
One's own family knows its own affairs best. The Li clan's succession of stunning Foundation Establishment cultivators was dazzling, yet Li Xijun knew it was not because of noble bloodlines.
The rapid cultivation speed of the Li clan stemmed first and foremost from the fact that each member of the main line possessed a talisman seed, which boosted their cultivation speed. Furthermore, receiving the talismans elevated them by several stages, and with the addition of a talisman pill, each of them appeared extraordinary.
Connecting these speculations together, he quickly drew an inference:
*Our family is likely a branch of the Wei Li. It is merely through the blessing of the immortal artifact that we appear like the main line, drawing in so much karma.*
As he pondered, he looked at the heavy, unadorned palace, stopped in his tracks, and turned around.
"Elder Brother, I shall head back for a moment. I leave the affairs here in your hands."
Not understanding his intention, Li Xicheng simply nodded. Li Xijun, however, took off on the wind at full speed. Lost in thought, he descended upon Mount Qingdu, briskly entered the ancestral hall, activated the formation, and stepped into the secret chamber.
The cold-iron altar emitted a faint, serene glow, carved all over with laurel patterns that lent it an aura of quiet mystery. Li Xijun bowed and said respectfully:
"Li clan descendant Xijun respectfully petitions the magical mirror: scour the unseen and probe the minute, perceive the profound mysteries, illuminate the eight directions, and capture the ghosts to inspect the gods..."
Seeing that Dajueting appeared utterly ordinary, having revealed nothing remarkable under the repeated inspections of several Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Xijun only thought to himself:
*Using the Immortal Mirror to investigate ought to reveal something different.*
Chapter 434