Riding the wind all the way, Li Yuanjiao landed back on Mount Qingdu. Li Xijun was in secluded cultivation attempting a breakthrough, so it was his daughter, Li Yuexiang, who came out to greet him.
Li Yuexiang had already grown into a graceful, slender young woman. Dressed neatly in white, her hair was adorned simply with a fingernail-sized white jade osmanthus blossom. She had inherited Xiao Guiluan's phoenix eyes along with the gentle grace of Jiangnan's watery towns. Cupping her hands, she said, "Yuexiang greets Father."
Her exceedingly polite demeanor caused Li Yuanjiao to lower his gaze and close his eyes. He said softly, "Xiang'er has reached Qi Refinement."
Li Yuexiang had already broken through to Qi Refinement, cultivating the *Pheasant Fire Continuous Motion Art*. Li Yuanjiao had remained completely oblivious. In his memory, she was still a tiny child; looking back now, he realized he had entirely missed her childhood.
Li Yuexiang smiled and nodded. Li Yuanjiao fell silent for a moment before speaking softly: "I only returned this time to see you and your mother. I am about to enter the Ruins of Qingsong Temple, and I fear the odds are heavily against me."
Li Yuexiang paused, glanced at the silent, black-clad middle-aged man before her, and replied, "Father has toiled hard."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Li Yuanjiao walked up the mountain beside her. His lips parted, awkwardly offering, "Do you... have any magical artifacts you fancy?"
"No."
Li Yuexiang answered offhandedly. The middle-aged man clumsily searched for words until they soon found Xiao Guiluan.
Xiao Guiluan had been stalled at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement for quite some time. Though Li Yuanjiao stood at the helm of the Li family, he could not procure a Suiyuan Pill for her. Xiao Guiluan knew he disliked her meddling in the Li family's affairs, so she had always cultivated quietly on the mountain.
Over the years, to pass the time, Xiao Guiluan had learned some talisman crafts. Seeing her husband return unexpectedly brought her great joy. Li Yuanjiao exchanged a few affectionate words with her before bringing up the matter of Qingsong Temple.
Xiao Guiluan watched him quietly. Once the black-clad middle-aged man finished speaking, she asked, "Must you go?"
Li Yuanjiao remained silent for a long while before answering, "Once he breaks through to the Purple Palace, our family will be left without even a place to be buried. We must kill him. I fear Second Uncle alone may defeat him but cannot slay him. I must enter with my sword so we can unleash our sword intent together to cut him down."
On the surface, Li Yuanjiao used the feud between the two families as a pretext, but in truth, the far more vital reason was that jade buckle. Xiao Guiluan's expression dimmed. She dismissed Li Yuexiang, and only then said in a low voice, "I know you have reasons you cannot avoid. I only hope you take care of yourself."
Li Yuanjiao nodded. Producing a small letter from his sleeve, he said softly, "If I do not return, send this letter to Qingchi for Xizhi."
Xiao Guiluan quietly accepted it. Li Yuanjiao looked her over, gazing into her phoenix eyes, before smiling. "Don't overthink it. Perhaps Yu Muxian is poor at combat."
With only three months, time was tight. He dared not dawdle. He soon retrieved the Immortal Mirror and soared into the sky riding the wind. Li Yuexiang was waiting at the summit. Li Yuanjiao paused to look at her. After hesitating for a moment, his daughter said softly:
"Take care, Father."
Li Yuanjiao gave a slight nod, chuckled, and flew off on the wind.
He did not head north, but traveled east first, flying all the way to Mount Xianyou.
The Xiao family's Mount Xianyou was renowned as a grand and famous mountain. Li Yuanjiao rarely visited. Once his arrival was announced, a man in brocade robes soon came out to greet him, walking with a dragon's stride and a tiger's step, radiating an imposing aura.
"So my brother-in-law has come."
Xiao Guitu had come in person to welcome him. Li Yuanjiao had not seen him in decades either. Seeing that his aura was consummate and he had already reached the late Foundation Establishment realm, Li Yuanjiao replied, "Congratulations, congratulations. The Patriarch's cultivation progresses with astonishing speed."
Xiao Guitu waved a hand and said quietly, "The road ahead is still long; such praise comes too early."
Li Yuanjiao exchanged a few courtesies and, cutting straight to the chase, asked softly, "Regarding Qingsong Temple, is your esteemed clan involved?"
Xiao Guitu paused, then replied, "Our Ancestor has already headed over, and Senior Xiao Yongling, the Elder of Mount Yu, will enter on our clan's behalf. As for gathering spiritual energy outside the grotto-heaven... our clan is short-handed, so we won't join that fray."
When Qingsong Temple approached the mortal realm, it was bound to stir up abundant spiritual energy and spiritual materials, and many were going specifically to collect them. Hearing this, Li Yuanjiao cupped his hands and told him that Li Xuanfeng would be entering. Xiao Guitu looked pensive and said, "The two elders share a deep friendship; they will surely handle matters with discretion."
Having conveyed what he came for, Li Yuanjiao exchanged pleasantries and departed. Xiao Guitu saw him out, then descended on the swirling wind, murmuring:
"I fear they intend to kill Yu Muxian... Though our senior is on good terms with him, he wouldn't drag our clan into danger. There's no need to worry."
Leaving Mount Xianyou, Li Yuanjiao flew north.
He had never expected the Xiao family to offer assistance. After all, this meant offending at least one Real Person; and should the attempt fail, they would offend a future Real Person as well. The Xiao family would never wade into such waters. His visit was merely a courtesy call to show respect.
*This matter... can only rely on ourselves.*
Flying steadily onward, he reached Salt Lake and followed the waterways east. Soon he skimmed past the inshore waters, plunged into the sea, and arrived at the market town on Fenkuai Island.
More and more cultivators were coming and going through the market. Many Foundation Establishment cultivators, usually elusive, were flocking here to gather intelligence.
The dispute over the Ruins of Qingsong Temple had gone on for many years, and word had gradually spread. Rumors had it that the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven was about to draw close to the mortal realm, drawing cultivators like sharks scenting blood, making them increasingly active across this sea.
Whether one could enter the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven or not, its approach to the mortal realm was a momentous event. It would trigger all manner of strange phenomena on Qingsong Island, giving rise to many unique spiritual energies of heaven and earth—some long since extinct—or spiritual waters and spiritual fires, much like what had happened with the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven in the past.
Though the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven was merely drawing near, unlike the fall of the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven where countless objects plummeted down, it was far larger and ancient. The sheer variety of spiritual items it produced would be more than enough for these cultivators to fight over.
Li Yuanjiao flew back on the wind and conferred with Li Qinghong. Seeing that only a few days remained, he browsed through the market, selecting a few items, when he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.
This middle-aged man was plain-looking and simply dressed. Behind him followed a burly fellow with a tiger's back and bear's waist. The man had sharp eyes and hastily stepped forward to greet him:
"Han Shizhen of the Dongliu Han family greets Fellow Daoist!"
This man was none other than the Young Patriarch of the Han family of Dongliu Island. He had once visited the Li family to buy Wanling Flowers. On several of his voyages out to sea, Li Yuanjiao had specifically gone to Dongliu Island to verify whether the prices he offered had cut into their clan's share.
Han Shizhen had been called out by him back then, and had acted fairly decently over the years, so their meeting was quite amicable. Han Shizhen glanced at Li Qinghong beside him, nodded, and smiled:
"This must be your esteemed sister?"
He offered a few compliments as courtesies, then cut straight to the chase: "Does Fellow Daoist know of the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven?"
"Naturally."
Han Shizhen immediately broke into a warm smile and discussed it in a low voice: "Our Dongliu Island has joined forces with several clans. We plan to hold a position ten li off the coast of Qingsong Island to gather spiritual energy and fend off enemies together, dividing the spiritual energy at the end. I wonder if your esteemed clan has any interest..."
Li Yuanjiao planned to leave the matters outside Qingsong Temple to Li Qinghong. Snagging a few treasures would be best, but missing out would be fine as well. He had originally hoped to join forces with the Xiao family, but perhaps fearing that whatever happened inside would spill over outside, the Xiao family had not sent anyone at all.
He immediately discussed the details with Han Shizhen. Li Qinghong possessed formidable combat strength now, and teaming up with a local power like the Han family suited them both well.
Once they settled on a date, Han Shizhen took his leave. Li Yuanjiao whispered to his sister, "Do not draw too much attention. Take one or two spiritual items and leave. There is no telling what may transpire then, so return to the clan first to avoid the storm."
Li Qinghong nodded silently. Without another word, Li Yuanjiao rode the wind to find Li Xuanfeng once more. Calculating the days, they set off together toward Qingsong Island.
***
Qingsong Island lay near Chijiao Island. Thanks to Li Xuanfeng, the Evergreen Drifting Cloud Vessel was still in his possession. Li Xuanfeng tossed it into the air, and it instantly expanded amid surging jade light into a grand vessel over a hundred feet long.
The three of them—Zhong Qian, Li Xuanfeng, and Li Yuanjiao—boarded with keen interest and traveled like lightning to Qingsong Island. It was very close to Chijiao Island, and Zhong Qian's two friends were already waiting for him here.
The foremost among them was a woman at the mid Foundation Establishment realm. Dressed in purple robes swirling with purple mist, she had a comely face and carried a purple jade longsword on her back. She first smiled at Zhong Qian, then cupped her hands toward Li Xuanfeng:
"Kan Ziyu of Ziyan Gate greets Fellow Daoist."
The other wore black robes, with short, faint eyebrows and a brash, aggressive demeanor. His gaze was fierce, and he wore numerous pieces of jade and beast bone all over his body. Still, he was relatively polite toward Li Xuanfeng, replying:
"Lin Chensheng of Great Xiukui Temple."
Zhong Qian smiled and said, "Both of these seniors are friends this junior made while traveling. And this is Senior Li Xuanfeng; both of you have surely heard of him."
*To befriend three Foundation Establishment cultivators from immortal sects while merely at Qi Refinement... how utterly absurd.*
All three were well aware of the unspoken truth. Li Xuanfeng stowed the jade boat and announced his name. Kan Ziyu smiled and said softly, "I have already excavated a cave abode here. We must activate the formation to enter right when the grotto-heaven is closest to the mortal realm, which is still ten days away. Why not come with me to sit down and discuss the details?"
Li Xuanfeng nodded and sent a voice transmission to Li Yuanjiao:
*Go take a look at the situation first, then come find me.*
After all, they still did not know whether they could enter using the Immortal Mirror. If not, Li Xuanfeng would have to enter alone carrying the sword. Li Yuanjiao nodded quietly and watched the group leave.
Li Qinghong had gone to look for the Han family, while Li Yuanjiao took to the wind alone, heading toward the island.
Cultivators abounded here, darting back and forth across the sky, stopping now and then to observe. Clearly, news of Qingsong Temple had gradually trickled out, drawing many clan cultivators and rogue cultivators to investigate.
Qingsong Immortal Island was modest in size, with gentle slopes and pine trees covering its entirety. Many figures were already landing and ascending upon it, and some had even come to blows over favorable positions.
As the Qingsong Grotto-Heaven drew closer, the spiritual energy across the island grew increasingly dense. Many spiritual plants inexplicably blossomed and bore fruit, ore veins thrust up above the surface, and fire veins surged relentlessly.
Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes, observing for a while, and extended his spiritual sense to slowly sweep across the sky before him.
Calm waters stretched before him under the dark green-black sea. A sizable island rose from the vast expanse of ocean, blanketed in green pines beneath an azure sky, appearing tranquil and serene.
He stopped among the cultivators and looked back and forth twice, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
The island before him seemed thoroughly ordinary, showing nothing unusual. Observing it through the Immortal Mirror made little difference from viewing it with the naked eye, leaving Li Yuanjiao slightly surprised:
*It seems... one truly cannot tell. This is troublesome.*
***
While Li Yuanjiao was inspecting the island, Lu Jiangxian had already focused his divine consciousness, remaining completely still.
With a single look, the serene island with its whispering pine breezes appeared entirely transformed in Lu Jiangxian's eyes.
The sky, which had seemed empty, was densely packed with human figures. Multicolored magical lights streamed across the heavens, carving the sky into five domains.
In each of the five quarters sat a colossal figure cross-legged, towering between heaven and earth, blotting out the sky and sun as they stood amid the clouds. Layered rings of iridescent light enveloped them from behind, and various golden seal scripts showered down from their bodies like raindrops. Countless human figures hung upon them like ants, each bearing a different expression.
Directly ahead in the sky hung ten sun-sized spherical orbs, white on the outside and black within—they were actually ten eyes! Their pupils were vertical slits, square, or shaped into six-pointed stars, staring fixedly down at the small island in the center.
*Eyes...*
The suns seen earlier were the very eyes of these five figures! Their faces were concealed within endless clouds, yet those eyes surfaced in the mind like blazing suns, at once at the far edge of the sky and right before his face.
Their heads touched the heavens, their forms extending upward into the boundless celestial mists. It was as if their bodies were so gargantuan that they pressed against the highest heavenly canopy, forcing them to hunch forward like children huddling with their heads together to watch ants on the ground.
They sat upon the seabed, their lower bodies stretching endlessly into the deepest oceans where they vanished from sight. Some gazed into the distance in deep thought, some clasped their palms together, and some rested their chins upon their hands, cloaking the entire sky completely.
The five figures sat circled around. The Qingsong Temple in their midst was like a dice cup waiting to be lifted, each of them having guessed their numbers and waiting in silence.
And above this island, an arc was slowly surfacing, accompanied by shifting visions of earth, water, wind, and fire manifesting in turns. That had to be the grotto-heaven, appearing before the five True Monarchs like an exquisite pastry.
Lu Jiangxian stared blankly, not daring to turn his head. The four giants before him surrounded him; upon their shoulders, knees, and even fingertips stood crowds of diverse figures holding magical artifacts, motionless as statues in varied postures, staring straight at him.
And the final gigantic figure sat directly behind Li Yuanjiao. One hand was held upright before his philtrum and golden-white lips, while his other hand lay flat before his chest, its palm raised like an island.
The two of them sat squarely in the palm of his hand! The palm lines were like deep trenches, the skin golden-white as though it were some extraordinary, wondrous treasure.
His robes were like golden-white clouds enveloping the world, or a waterfall reaching all the way into the endless clouds above. Lu Jiangxian focused his gaze, faintly discerning a face whose features were indistinct.
The True Monarch wore a jade crown like a towering mountain. His pupils were silver-white ovals, within which all manner of illusions surfaced one after another: true gold refined in fire, clashing gold and iron, rising sand and stone...
What made Lu Jiangxian choke with sudden terror was that the figure was staring down coldly at Li Yuanjiao in his palm.
Faintly, Lu Jiangxian heard a chilling voice emerge from the Great Void. Like a handful of falling iron fragments and crushed stone, it drifted from the Great Void all the way before the world within his mirror:
"Senior Yingze... I have finally waited long enough for you."
Chapter 455