The Conspiracy

The youth's voice echoed through the air. The expressions of those present shifted, some lost in thought, some nodding, others showing disdain. Beside him, Tu Longjian fixed his gaze upon the jade pot held in the youth's illusory hand, remaining silent. The white-robed figure stood bleak and solitary amidst the clouds. After a brief pause, he spoke: "In the primordial era, we established morality and governed the world through virtue. In those days, mortals were newly enlightened, innocent and good. Together with Gonggong and Zhurong, we forged a realm of Great Unity. Thus were the Five Virtues born into the Great Void—five waters and five fires—and the world rejoiced. "Morality was established by us in the first place. You refuse to be bound by it, wishing instead to be bound by an unchanging celestial law from antiquity. Yet that law itself is vague, mutable, and capable of infinite extension, much like a dao fruit. "It is neither noble nor sacred. Whether you revere it or despise it, if you cannot see through it and remain trapped within the Dao yourself, how can you ever claim a dao fruit?" The youth set down the jade pot and fell silent. The white-robed figure slowly turned his head to look at the crowd amidst the clouds, his face indistinct, seemingly smiling. "What!" In an instant, everyone stepped back in fright, hearts gripped by terror. Yet the two figures gradually faded away, leaving only the empty sea of clouds. The cold jade wall stood silently within, with nothing else remaining. The characters carved upon the jade wall lit up one by one, scattering into the air. Each transformed into a streak of radiance soaring straight into the sky, then split into descending beams of light that fell upon the crowd. Li Yuanjiao felt his vision blur. A brilliant gleam surged from his Shengyang Mansion as his surroundings slowly drifted away into the distance. His consciousness sank inward. Looking down, he felt his feet touch solid ground. Raising his brow, he found himself standing inside an ordinary Taoist temple. Beneath his feet were common grey flagstones, in the corner sat a simple large vat, and incense stood in an offering burner above, though no statue or tablet was enshrined. Facing him was a stone wall. With just a glance, dense rows of cultivation method names appeared before his eyes, pointing to various immortal foundations. Understanding dawned in Li Yuanjiao's heart: 'This must be the fortune granted here. This Three Drums Wall was placed within the grotto-heaven to impart cultivation methods.' Examining them closely, he felt a twinge of regret. These methods were titled after immortal foundations and comprised solely Foundation Establishment sections. Though they followed the Violet Palace and Golden Core path, all appeared to be ancient arts, making it terribly difficult to gather their required spiritual qi. 'Let me search for Huangyuan Pass first!' He did not look for his own Jing Dragon King right away. Instead, his gaze swept up and down until he caught sight of the words "Huangyuan Pass," inscribed in striking golden patterns. The *Huangyuan Pass Art*. Li Yuanjiao paused and read through it once, yet could remember nothing. Thousands of characters were clearly inscribed across the stone wall, but staring at them left his mind entirely blank, as if confronted with something so profoundly intricate that it defied comprehension. He could only watch as the golden characters drifted three times before finally scattering into starlight and vanishing. Slowly opening his eyes, he was still within the Taoist temple. Looking at the jade wall before him, radiant golden script suddenly surfaced upon it once more. This ancient art had no grade marked upon it. Heartened, Li Yuanjiao committed the general text to memory and examined it closely. The required heaven-and-earth spiritual qi was [Tianqian Mingyuan]. Seeing this, his heart sank. Ancient spiritual qi was naturally different from that of the present day, to say nothing of whatever grade the *Huangyuan Pass Art* was; his clan's [Jinyang Huangyuan] could hardly compare. With the experience gained from the *Huangyuan Pass Art*, an idea stirred in his mind, and he immediately thought of his younger sister. He did not bother looking at arts for Dongleisheng, as his clan possessed no method to collect the corresponding spiritual qi. Instead, he sought arts for Xuanlei Pool, hoping to find a higher-grade method for Li Qinghong to switch her cultivation. The *Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method* that Qinghong cultivated had been modified, turning what was originally Dongleisheng into Xuanlei Pool. The *Xiaoyun Lightning Asking Art*. This method also lacked a marked grade, and the immortal foundation it produced was precisely Xuanlei Pool. Li Yuanjiao did not understand lightning arts and could not judge its quality, so he only checked the required qi: it was precisely [Xuanyin lightning liquid]! 'Fortunately, the *Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method* is itself an ancient art, so there shouldn't be too much of a difference.' Having committed that to memory, he noticed the jade wall before him had not yet vanished, so he finally searched for Jing Dragon King. That immortal foundation happened to be an ancient appellation, making it easy to spot. The *Cang Snake Toward the Sea Art*. This method was naturally not so fortunate as to use [river clear qi]; instead, it called for [Chunyuan Qingjiang]. Li Yuanjiao committed it carefully to memory. Finally, the myriad cultivation arts and immortal foundations before him faded away. The temple receded into the distance, and once his senses cleared, he was back amidst the sea of clouds. The jade wall in the distance was nowhere to be seen, having vanished along with the cloud mist, leaving only the dim moonlight and starlight. Most people looked as though they had gained something, their faces showing pleasant surprise, though some wore looks of regret—evidently finding that the spiritual qi for their paths had long since vanished from the world. *** Yu Muxian walked with hands clasped behind his back through the sea of clouds, his posture leisurely and relaxed. Tang Shedu held a halberd, quietly following by his side. He had rarely felt this relaxed. Ever since entering Yuanwu Peak in his youth, Yu Muxian had cultivated quietly, never showing off before others. In several decades, this was a rare moment of respite. 'Back then, I was merely a half-grown child. If not for the jade buckle steadying my mind, I would have collapsed and gone mad long ago under that silent oppression. I could only rely on the buckle's influence to act cold, detached, and in tune with the heavenly mind of the Great Dao.' Decades of sharp blades cutting through his meridians... decades of enduring spiritual sense probing through him day after day... decades of sitting cross-legged in silent cultivation in his cave abode... Only when he read Daoist scriptures did he understand that an Embryonic Breathing cultivator was never supposed to discern the movements of a Violet Palace cultivator's spiritual sense. Watching Tang Shedu sweat profusely and fall into a daze before Yuanwu, he finally understood that it was not his own willpower that had carried him through—it was entirely that jade buckle! If the jade buckle had not recognized him as its master, making it useless to anyone else, he would have died by Yuanwu's hand long ago. Fortunately, his natural talent was exceptional. Relying on the jade buckle, he displayed comprehension far beyond ordinary mortals, gradually leading Yuanwu toward another suspicion—that he was the reincarnation of an immortal cultivator. Back then, he had been young and did not understand the weight of Yuanwu personally taking him as a disciple. Seeing Yuanwu's spiritual sense constantly lingering over him, he had thought his master was keeping watchful care over him at all times. Only later did he gradually come to understand, but by then it was already too late. Yuanwu discovered that his divine ability could not sway an Embryonic Breathing junior, and his expression grew deeply wary. No matter what Yu Muxian did, Yuanwu's spiritual sense clung to him like a haunting specter. A gloom weighed on his heart. He had endured bitterly for decades and was finally approaching the Violet Palace realm. As long as he took that final step, he could slowly break free from that man's control. 'Once I achieve Violet Palace, I can rightfully establish my own peak, unite Lake Wangyue, sweep through the various clans, and uncover the origins of this jade buckle.' *** Tu Longjian gently stroked the dark-red token at his waist, his spiritual sense stirring. His consciousness sank inward, and pale-purple ancient seal script soon surfaced before him. Tu Longjian questioned the spirit within: "He is only Yu Muxian. You were forced by Yuanwu to hide in this grotto-heaven and have stayed within this Combined Fire token for so long, having long since mastered a trace of its golden nature's might. Yet you cannot deduce even a shred of that person's background. I suspect he must have ties to something at the Golden Core level!" "Definitely not! Both Guo Shentong and you possess karmic mandates, yet you could still be calculated." "Could multiple spirit treasures on him be warding off your divine ability? Or does he possess a karmic mandate of his own?" Tu Longjian pondered for a moment, sensing that something was wrong, and asked, "Did it truly have no effect whatsoever?" The token buzzed, its tone carrying a hint of gnashing teeth: "It's Yuanwu Peak again! Dammit, year after year, I just can't get past Yuanwu Peak... There is definitely something wrong with this Yu Muxian! My divine ability has no effect on him whatsoever. If you ask me, Yuanwu must have known all along, perhaps treating that kid as his own lucky chance and watching him secretly!" "According to you, several True Monarchs are watching within the grotto-heaven. Wouldn't they have noticed him long ago?" The token trembled slightly: "What kind of existence is the Mirage Mirror Grotto-heaven? For them to watch in secret while it remains ownerless is already remarkable! How could they peer through a grotto-heaven to divine the people inside? How do you think Guo Shentong and Changxiao escaped back then? "Besides, things beyond the Golden Core might seem terrifying to ignorant folk like us, but to them, it might just be a minor chess piece laid by someone. "That is why I told you not to provoke him... Were it not for that, I also share a blood feud with Yuanwu Peak. Yuanwu destroyed my physical body, leaving me to linger on half-dead. How could I not hate him?" Tu Longjian frowned and murmured, "Still... he alone is exceedingly difficult to deal with, not to mention that Tang Shedu by his side. That man made his name many years ago... With just the two of us, I'm afraid we cannot succeed. "Moreover, though Tang Shedu has rarely fought in recent years, his strength has advanced considerably. He will be difficult to handle, so do not underestimate him. If this succeeds, I want the jade box on his person." The token's tone turned solemn: "Fine. But we do not know when this grotto-heaven will close. We had best act quickly and cease looking for other treasures here! There should be only one day left before the grotto-heaven shuts. Whatever arrangements we make, we must move swiftly." *** Li Xuanfeng had previously determined the direction in which Li Yuanjiao landed. Soon, the jade pendant at his waist began to glow with a warm sheen. The clouds and mist cleared before them, revealing a small hilltop. Li Yuanjiao looked across the clouds and saw Li Xuanfeng standing quietly in the air not far off, clad in dark-gold armor, with a white-robed middle-aged man standing beside him. The two caught each other's eyes and looked away. Tu Longjian appeared quite satisfied and quietly withdrew from the sea of clouds. Not wishing to waste time, Li Yuanjiao silently retrieved a jade slip to record the arts he had obtained, then rode the wind downward with him, landing upon the small peak. Passing through the mist, they were immediately exposed to spiritual sense. Tu Longjian's gaze flickered, seemingly understanding Li Yuanjiao's purpose in lingering here, and stepped back slightly without speaking first. Xiao Yongling stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Lixia Xiao clan, Xiao Yongling." Tu Longjian cupped his hands: "So it is Senior Elder of Mount Yu..." Li Yuanjiao expressed his thanks. Tu Longjian gazed toward the stars above and said softly, "Senior, my Tu Long lineage has been destroyed, leaving only me behind. You alone share ties with my Tu Long lineage, and you extended life-saving grace in the past. Say no more—I will certainly take action. "Leave Tang Shedu to me. Holding him off for a while won't be an issue." Xiao Yongling looked at Tu Longjian behind Li Yuanjiao, secretly astonished, and felt far more confident about the matter. Li Xuanfeng stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "How is it?" Xiao Yongling was silent for a moment, then replied softly, "The Li clan has risen all this way, and the Xiao clan supported you from behind the scenes for years. We know the situation on the lake intimately, so it isn't hard to see." Li Xuanfeng said in a low voice, "Needless to say, if Yu Muxian attains Violet Palace, no clan will welcome it. What's more, years ago, when the Yu clan contended with your family, they bore an early grudge against mine." Xiao Yongling nodded and said, "On the surface, Yu Muxian acts above worldly affairs and remains cold and detached toward his own clan, but who is to say that isn't a deliberate disguise? Furthermore, Master Yuanwu had bad blood with my Xiao clan's forebears... Whatever the case, I will take action in this matter. "This matter will be difficult to accomplish. Yu Muxian possesses two Violet Palace spirit artifacts on him..." Once the two reached an agreement, Li Xuanfeng said solemnly, "Good." Without exchanging further pleasantries, they took to the wind. As they flew, Tu Longjian suddenly spoke: "You say... there is an anomaly with Yu Muxian. What do you mean by that? Does he possess a karmic mandate?" At these words, Xiao Yongling's pupils dilated in shock, and he murmured under his breath. Tu Longjian pondered slightly, then asked in a low voice, "Senior... your clan's Zhenren has thoughts as deep as an abyss. Did he know your purpose in entering this grotto-heaven?" Xiao Yongling replied softly, "The Zhenren's arrangements always have their meaning, though he did not speak plainly to me. But since he sent me into this grotto-heaven, he must have intended to lend aid." Li Xuanfeng nodded, followed along, and reminded them in a low voice, "The sea of clouds blocks spiritual sense. Earlier, I only noticed him heading east. To pick up his trail, we need to catch up quickly." Tu Longjian turned his head slightly and answered softly, "Let me search. I have a way." Tu Longjian appeared capable of bypassing the cloud sea's suppression of spiritual sense. He rode the wind toward the very front, clutching the token at his waist with one hand, his eyes fixed intently ahead. "Found him!"