Li Qinghong discussed matters of recent years with Lingyanzi a while longer. Free of temper and haughtiness, Lingyanzi stroked his snow-white beard and smiled.
"I must ask... does your noble clan have any juniors of moderate age and aptitude who might come to cultivate on my peak? I am forbidden from leaving the sect, so disciples on my peak have always been exceedingly few. The inheritance is truly in jeopardy..."
"This junior will keep it in mind and look into it upon returning to the clan."
Li Qinghong nodded. Not wishing to linger, she took her leave of Lingyanzi and rode the wind into the air. In the clouds outside the peak stood a young woman—none other than Shen Yanqing, who broke into a gentle smile and spoke softly:
"Allow me to escort Senior out."
Treading upon a blue-violet flying shuttle, she said in a quiet voice, "My Shen family has long heard of your noble clan's renown. If an opportunity arises, I will surely accompany my father to pay a visit."
"Wonderful!"
Seeing the young woman behave so courteously, Li Qinghong naturally nodded with a beaming smile. Shen Yanqing chatted with her for a bit, escorting her all the way to the boundary of Ziyan Gate before pointing into the distance.
"To the east lies the territory of Chijiao Island, while Xueji Gate lies to the north..."
This place was already close to the Eastern Sea. Though Chijiao Island was an overseas sect of the Eastern Sea, it occupied several coastal harbors within the State of Yue. Li Qinghong voiced her farewell and rode the wind northward.
Having seen her off, Shen Yanqing rode the wind into the depths of Ziyan Blessed Land, quickly arriving at Ziqi Celestial Mountain in the very center. She landed before a terrace of purple jade, where two elderly men stood flanked on either side.
Upon seeing Shen Yanqing, both men cupped their hands in unison and smiled.
"Junior Martial Aunt!"
Though young, Shen Yanqing was a disciple under Real Person Zipei and held an exalted status within Ziyan Blessed Land. She returned their courtesy and stepped inside.
The immortal's cave was thick with purple vapor laced with streaks of golden light, bathed in a sea of violet-gold. Shen Yanqing raised her eyes to see a woman standing with her hands clasped behind her back. Clad in violet-gold robes, she appeared barely in her twenties, with a speck of violet-gold radiance glistening between her brows.
"Master!"
This person was none other than Real Person Zipei. As Shen Yanqing bowed, the woman nodded slightly, her voice cool and aloof:
"It truly is Firmament Thunder... and she has consumed no blood qi."
Shen Yanqing replied respectfully, "Reporting to Master, it is indeed so."
Real Person Zipei nodded gently and said, "I just took a journey to the Eastern Sea. Dongfang You failed his attempt to break through to the Golden Core and perished, his Dao extinguished. He had accumulated power for many years and fell short by only the final step, summoning down nine portions of Harmonious Water nature, six of which were claimed by the dragonkind."
"With water harmonization failing, the Eastern Sea now experiences 'water receding and thunder rising,' making it an opportune time to cultivate lightning methods. Jiangnan is enveloped in the 'Xuanping Moderate Aura,' which does not suit you. Once you break through, you shall go to the Eastern Sea to hold down the fort and broaden your horizons."
Shen Yanqing hesitated, asking with some confusion, "Yet... since he was only short by that final step, this heavenly anomaly must rival the one from Real Person Donghua back then, wouldn't it? The Xuanping Moderate Aura is fragile to begin with; won't it be affected by the Eastern Sea?"
The purple-robed Real Person shook her head gently and spoke in a warm tone: "To facilitate Shangyuan's breakthrough, the Xiuyue Sect went to great lengths—capitalizing successively on the death of Chi Wei and the plunge of Eastern Fire—to adjust the spiritual mechanism of Jiangnan into the Xuanping Moderate Aura so as to accommodate Golden Cores like Yuzhen. They will never stand by and watch Jiangnan's spiritual mechanism shift again."
Changing the subject, she withdrew a brilliant purple crystal from her sleeve. Clear and translucent, it flickered with arcs of violet-white lightning. Real Person Zipei said softly, "We made a trip through Qunyi and discovered two Mystic Thunder Heavenly Stones. One was taken by Chijiao Island, and the other was claimed by me. Keep it on your person; it will be of immense benefit for breaking through to the Violet Palace."
Shen Yanqing bowed in gratitude. Real Person Zipei let out a soft chuckle and dismissed the young woman, remaining standing amidst the violet-gold spiritual mist as the purple radiance between her brows slowly brightened.
Before her, the purple qi flowed swiftly, gathering into rivers that surged and collided. She murmured to herself, "To preserve the Xuanping Moderate Aura, the Xiuyue Sect will have no choice but to intervene. It will be a good chance to see what stage that True Monarch has reached by now... Back then, he ascended to his exalted seat by leveraging the fall of Liang and the rise of Zhao. By now, he must have reached an astonishing realm."
***
Meanwhile, as Li Qinghong passed Xueji Gate, she found the mountain completely sealed, its gates closed to all visitors. Flying directly across its airspace would be a breach of etiquette, so she had no choice but to take a slight detour.
"For eighty out of every hundred years, Xueji Gate keeps its mountain sealed, and hardly any of their disciples are ever seen... It is truly peculiar. Rumor has it their lineage was nearly broken centuries ago... but surely it shouldn't warrant sealing the mountain to such an extent..."
Only when she followed the river all the way to the Eastern Sea did she see a heavy, oppressive expanse of blackness at the horizon. Countless storms and thunderbolts roved across the edge of the sky, like drops of ink bleeding into clear water, rolling in from the distance.
"The anomaly over the Eastern Sea... has actually reached such a massive scale..."
Li Qinghong pondered slowly:
"Back when Duanmu Kui perished, there was clearly no grand anomaly... and even when Chi Wei died during his breakthrough, there didn't seem to be such an enormous commotion... Was it because the Netherworld intervened? Or is it a disparity in strength?"
As she pondered, speeding across the sea's surface, the world turned pitch-black before her eyes until she could scarcely see her own outstretched fingers. The ocean was like ink, lightning rose and fell, and the endless dark waters mirrored the heavy clouds in the sky, as if plunging into an infinite, borderless night.
She descended from the river mouth, accompanied by several Qi Refinement cultivators who kept their distance from her. As Li Qinghong observed the scenery, the cultivators entering the sea beside her suddenly cried out in alarm:
"Look... look at the sky!"
Li Qinghong lifted her gaze. Her ocular technique had not yet been mastered, so in the pitch darkness, she could only make out a single point of light floating in the air above the Jiangnan coastline to the west, faintly outlining a human silhouette, yet nothing else was clear.
"This is... at least a Real Person..."
She paused, realizing in an instant that an exalted cultivator was present. She dared not look any further, yet a sudden dizzy spell struck her as myriad visions appeared before her eyes, crossing thousands of li to surface in vivid detail.
There was the rise of prominent clans amidst singing and dancing; the fall of dynasties with weapons clashing everywhere; the blurred sight of a man in armor donning a golden robe; commoners displaced across the realm; the sun plummeting and stars encroaching; sea cliffs battered by crashing waves, pitted with countless hollows... until cold seawater dripped down drop by drop, finally jolting her awake.
The figure seemed to hold a sword, standing motionless before the black clouds sweeping in from the Eastern Sea. Only when the dark clouds drifted right before him did he wield the immortal sword in his grasp.
*Clang...*
A brilliant white light rose into the sky, a pillar of radiance blasting through the void. The heavens plunged into total darkness for a split second, only for streak after streak of blue-white light to ignite in its wake.
"It's comets..."
Countless comets trailing long plumes of flame streaked across the pitch-black sky. The world first darkened to the absolute limit, then lit up with myriad starlights, as if countless glaring eyes had snapped open across the firmament.
*Rumble!*
The dense, black storm clouds split apart abruptly, scattering to either side. The sea roared with deafening thunder, slowly sinking downward as it parted along the trajectory of that sword strike, laying bare the jagged undersea mountain ranges and countless unconscious demon beasts.
The sound rattled the gathering of cultivators until they swayed as if maddened, closing their eyes with anguished screams, weeping and wailing, while several whose foundations were unstable plunged straight down like birds with broken wings.
Even Li Qinghong had to drop to the surface of the water and halt her steps. She saw the dark clouds along the coast swept clean as if by a tempest; several hundred li before reaching the shore, the distant thunderstorms and black clouds ground to a dead halt, wavering and unable to advance.
'This Real Person... cleaved right through the celestial anomaly...'
The cultivators turned pale, staring blankly at the wind and clouds in the sky as icy rain drizzled down. Li Qinghong lowered her head and closed her eyes, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. By her ear, she heard an elderly cultivator speak:
"A solar eclipse and falling comets, celestial warnings laid bare in the heavens... It is Xiuyue's True Monarch who has made his move!"
The Qi Refinement cultivators had not even been able to make out the True Monarch's form clearly, so they had suffered less agony. Li Qinghong possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation; that fleeting glance had instead subjected her to a barrage of illusions. Only after letting out a long breath did she feel much better, though a lingering sense of dread weighed upon her heart.
Submerging herself into the water away from the crowd, she kept silent for a long time before carefully turning things over in her mind, thinking:
'What magic treasure did that True Monarch use just now? A staff? A sword?'
Pondering a moment, she glanced left and right, her eyes filled with bewilderment as she murmured:
"How did I end up flying into the seabed?"
Riding the wind to break through the surface of the sea, Li Qinghong gazed far into the distance at the motionless dark clouds, then turned back to look at the bright, sunny expanse of Jiangnan. She murmured in confusion:
"Strange... how is it that these dark clouds aren't moving at all?"
Li Qinghong flew for a few li, constantly feeling as though she had forgotten something. Suddenly, a wave of cool clarity swept through her Shengyang Mansion. Only then did she pause ever so slightly, and forcing down the terror in her heart, she dove deep into the seabed.
***
While several commanderies of the State of Yue were plunged into gloom, Fenkuai Island in the Eastern Sea was shrouded in even deeper darkness. The seabed was pitch-black as dense clouds swept overhead; the previously bright sky darkened rapidly, and the seawater turned as black as ink.
The thunderstorms raging across the sea's surface stirred violent waves. Violet-black lightning cascaded downward, unleashing roars like collapsing mountains and roaring tsunamis.
Li Xuanfeng had stayed here for several months and had grown accustomed to the surroundings. He stood amidst the seawater with his hands clasped behind his back. Beside him stood Ning Heyuan, positioned half a step behind. Looking at the ink-black seabed, Ning Heyuan said softly:
"Brother-in-law... storms like this are rare, let alone a thunderstorm of this scale. The water is like ink, stretching for ten thousand li; something major has happened."
Li Xuanfeng tilted his head toward him. Ning Heyuan, being better informed, whispered:
"News came from within the sect. A demon beast in the Eastern Sea failed its breakthrough, and its Dao was extinguished."
Pausing, Ning Heyuan continued, "It belonged to the Harmonious Water lineage, which has little to do with us. But there should be many shifts within the Flood Dragon Palace. Since this anomaly has manifested, the dust has likely already settled."
Li Xuanfeng gave a slight nod. Ning Heyuan added, "I've caught wind of a few matters recently that are worth discussing... allow me to share them with you, Brother-in-law."
Li Xuanfeng nodded in assent, and Ning Heyuan continued:
"Tangjin Gate's Jindou Island has been completely quiet these past years, yet a temple was built on the island. Word has it that a woman on the island gave birth to someone blessed with spiritual roots."
Hearing the news, Li Xuanfeng cast a glance at the distant thunderstorm and said in a low voice, "That Master of the Wrathful lineage didn't die? He hasn't returned north, yet he dares to reincarnate on Jindou Island?"
Ning Heyuan nodded and whispered, "I looked into it thoroughly. It is not that he refuses to return, but that the Wrathful lineage in the north has declined sharply in recent years. Carved up extensively by the other six paths, many of their temples were destroyed. It takes a monk to know a monk. Not just in the Eastern Sea, but many Masters of the Wrathful Aspect in the north had their fallback preparations completely dismantled, forcing them to reincarnate through their contingencies scattered across the four seas and Jiangnan..."
"I see."
Li Xuanfeng nodded, while Ning Heyuan advised:
"That island possesses a Foundation Establishment grand array and is guarded by many guest elders. Though Tangjin Gate is declining, it still retains some foundation, making it safer than other places."
Li Xuanfeng was his brother-in-law and the only person on his side capable of attending upon a Real Person. Ning Heyuan could not bear to see him come to harm, so he phrased his warning tactfully.
Li Xuanfeng murmured, "The Real Person holds no love for the Situ family."
Li Xuanfeng had previously heard vague rumors of bad blood between Yuansu and the Situ family. Before departing, Yuansu had emphasized that 'all may be killed except dragonkind.' Having heard no specific news back then, Li Xuanfeng had not fully understood.
Recalling it now, Yuansu's hint had been abundantly clear. Evidently, one of the reasons for sending him out was to target Tangjin Gate while soothing his emotions—killing two birds with one stone.
Hearing this, Ning Heyuan nodded slightly and said softly, "Years ago... the Real Person was gifted a Three-Eyed Tiaoshan Beast by a friend and cherished it dearly, only for Situ Tang to slaughter it and gouge out its three eyes... Though spiritual wealth was paid in compensation, a grudge was forged."
"As for the several Real Persons in the sect, only Real Person Yuanwu maintains good ties with the Situ family; the rest hold little affection for them."
Li Xuanfeng looked coldly at the storm churning in the distant depths of the sea, murmuring, "Is there a way to lure them out?"
Ning Heyuan hesitated momentarily before speaking softly: "Situ Mo is cautious; having suffered a setback, he likely won't venture out easily... That Jindou Island is built like an iron fortress and cannot be taken by force. Brother-in-law, you would do better to wait... wait for an opportunity when Tangjin Gate escorts merchant ships out to sea to slay that monk. Masters often place faith in their own divination arts, making them easy to scheme against."
Regardless of its decline, Jindou Island remained a market of Tangjin Gate, heavily guarded. Ning Heyuan said:
"As for luring him out, I do have a method."
From his sleeve, he produced a transparent jade box containing a delicately carved jade statue. The statue possessed three heads and six arms, each holding a weapon such as a short staff or short axe. Ning Heyuan explained:
"I procured this specifically for you, Brother-in-law. It is a Wrathful artifact of the Shakya cultivators, equivalent to our Foundation Establishment artifacts, and quite rare."
After all, Shakya cultivation had only arisen in the near-ancient era. Though their lineage had been supplemented by several World-Honored Ones over time to achieve relative completeness, their arts of artifact forging and alchemy remained rather crude, making such artifacts precious to Shakya cultivators.
Passing the item over, Ning Heyuan whispered, "This artifact can be sensed by cultivators of the Wrathful lineage within a hundred li. In the past, when a Wrathful Mahasattva presided over them, it could be detected from across ten thousand li, and the Mahasattva would dispatch subordinates to reclaim it, which was why no one ever dared bring it out. But now... it can serve as bait."
Ning Heyuan was, after all, of the core lineage of an immortal sect; dealing with a Master whose lineage had fallen was well within his grasp. He said with great confidence:
"Over so much time, that Master must have left behind numerous reincarnation measures on the island. Even if weakened, with their audacious nature, he will certainly find a physical vessel and boldly venture out to make an attempt. As for whether you can completely slay him, that will depend on you, Brother-in-law!"
"Mm, well done."
Li Xuanfeng offered a rare word of praise. Taking the jade box, he said softly, "I've troubled you."
A smile surfaced on Ning Heyuan's face as he hurriedly waved his hands, whispering, "What are you saying, Brother-in-law! We are family."
The passing years had long smoothed away Ning Heyuan's sharp edges and arrogance. Cultivating ties with Li Xuanfeng was not merely to seek favors before the Real Person, but also to cement this familial bond and prepare an additional path for himself.
Li Xuanfeng lowered his gaze to the statue within the transparent jade box. His expression turned cold as he thought to himself:
'The blood debt of my second uncle remains; I shall collect some interest from these bald donkeys first!'
Chapter 439