Inside the mirror world, darkness stretched boundlessly. Buildings the pale white of moonlight stood arranged in neat rows amidst the crags and boulders. Most of these jade-like palaces were gracefully curved and pure, while vast clusters of stone gargoyles crouched upon the cliff edges, gleaming like silver under the moonlight.
Lu Jiangxian sat quietly before a jade table, a pale cyan radiance floating before him.
The moment Chi Buzi appeared on Zongquan Island, Lu Jiangxian had been awakened. The contingency he had once left within Chi Buzi’s soul rapidly transmitted everything back, and scene after scene of the Eastern Sea surfaced within his pupils.
Two breaths passed before Lu Jiangxian murmured, "Chi Buzi."
Back then, Lu Jiangxian had planted that contingency in Chi Buzi’s soul partly to seize the chance to read his memories, and partly to keep Chi Buzi in check. Now that he had acquired the immortal officer’s memories, he immediately realized something was amiss.
*Since memories are being transmitted back, the contingency left in his soul has not failed.*
Lu Jiangxian furrowed his brows. Reading through those memories, he saw that over all these years, Chi Buzi had indeed waged a battle of wits and courage against that Water Manor immortal officer, wandering across the Four Seas in search of traces of the so-called Immortal Court.
That memory of the Immortal Court had been casually concocted by Lu Jiangxian back then to provide a plausible origin for the immortal officer—how could it ever correspond to reality? After making a full circuit of the Four Seas, both the man and the soul had realized that something was wrong.
Those two fellows on Zongquan Island had schemed against each other for over a decade. One was a Purple Palace Real Person, an old monster who had clawed his way out of Qingchi Sect; the other fancied himself a former member of the righteous path, yet when turning to devious tricks, he was no less troublesome. It had truly been an endless clash of conspiracies and mutual calculations.
Yet the Daoist sects of this world seemed to share a common origin with those of Lu Jiangxian’s former life, even as they differed in numerous ways. Various Daoist arts could still find their roots here. The fabricated avatar of a soul had argued with Chi Buzi for a time, but in the end had to acknowledge that the Immortal Court had collapsed and vanished during some ancient clash between immortals and demons.
That immortal officer’s soul had originally been formed from a split soul of Gelian Maha. In the end, it was still a monstrous, bizarre thing. Seeing that the Immortal Court was gone, it had grown wicked intentions, seeking to seize Chi Buzi’s body and live a second life.
Ultimately, Chi Buzi had gotten his wish and consumed the talisman qi, while the immortal officer was devoured. Yet the radiance in Lu Jiangxian’s hands clearly proved that over the past decade or more, that immortal officer had applied what he learned on the fly, having long since mastered the soul arts of this path to profound depths. It was entirely possible he still lurked in some hidden corner of Chi Buzi’s soul.
Meanwhile, the restriction within Chi Buzi’s soul continued to shimmer faintly. Though Chi Buzi and the immortal officer had engaged in relentless intrigue and battered each other savagely, they had tacitly avoided touching that restriction.
"Chi Buzi might not be unaware that the immortal officer is still alive. Perhaps he simply dared not kill one of my subordinates, or perhaps he deliberately left a handle in my grasp... to make me think he is easy to control."
As for joining hands to deal with Lushui...
Lu Jiangxian did not give Chi Buzi’s proposal a second thought. He merely felt the man was nothing but trouble, and sighed softly. "I cannot even leave this mirror. What power would I have to drag him down from his divine throne?"
Lu Jiangxian certainly lacked the reckless urge to go against Lushui. The more he learned of this world, the more cautious he became. His only desire was to focus on restoring the magical mirror—why would he provoke Lushui?
Sitting quietly on his jade throne for a while, Lu Jiangxian—no longer the naive soul he had once been—began to deduce in silence: *At the very least, Lushui’s situation is grim. In this confrontation, he will undoubtedly suffer injuries, leaving him with even less energy to supervise those below... I must never expose myself.*
Those exalted figures were still battling beyond the heavens. Lu Jiangxian's true form was concealed within the Great Void, where he could still faintly sense the vibrations. Were he to reveal even the slightest trace of his presence, he would likely be perceived at once.
Setting aside the various cultivation methods and spells within this cluster of memories for the moment, Lu Jiangxian stirred his divine sense. Sure enough, he discovered that the numerous shamanic talisman arts he had previously researched had all undergone changes, lacking an ingredient called Yuzhen Complement, making them quite distinct.
He conjured these memories forth, and soon a dense array of texts materialized before him, preserved within cyan jade slips.
"Chi Buzi was cautious, showing him only the Foundation Establishment chapters of those Qingchi techniques. Still, all five paths of Lushui are present."
He singled out these five paths:
"The Scripture of Dark Floating Old Clouds, the Mystic Scripture of the Pool Cavern, the Chougui Water-Seeking Method, the Scripture of Clear Peaceful Dusk, and the Dew Tribulation Falling Blossom Method."
They corresponded respectively to the five paths of Lushui:
"Like Heavy Turbidity, Sound of the Cavern Spring, Chougui Concealment, Clear Dusk Rain, and Cleansing Tribulation Dew."
He did not inspect the other Qingchi techniques in detail, glancing only at a few spells and movement arts of various sizes, all bearing the distinctive marks of Qingchi.
Lu Jiangxian set them aside for now. Naturally, he could not allow the Li family to cultivate such methods; they could only serve as references for compiling his own spells and as materials for researching the true nature of Lushui Wuyuan Fuyu.
After all, the Dao of Lushui was intimately connected to talismans, which was why talisman crafting was so easily accomplished in Jiangnan. Perhaps he might gain some insights from them.
Lu Jiangxian had obtained much information from the immortal officer’s memories, but what he desired most was to uncover his own origins. After all, he might well have had a past life, perhaps even as the Master of the Yuehua Origin Manor.
Among the records was a rather ancient biographical sketch that Chi Buzi had specifically sought out, intending to show it to the split soul to see if any figures might correspond.
The book was quite peculiar. Its author was surnamed Chen and named Chen Xuanxiang. Lu Jiangxian called it up specifically, condensing it into a small booklet held in his hands.
"On the twenty-first day of the eleventh month in the winter of the year Weizi, just as the turbulent times were beginning to settle, I was betrothed in youth to Lady Li. Accompanying my mother, I returned to the State of Ning, assisted by two servants named Xiao and Quan, traveling southward across Jiangnan."
This person lived in a distant age, likely a thousand years ago, during the heyday of the Yuan family when the Dongli Sect still existed. Remarkably, it recorded news of the Six Luminaries of Chongming.
"Taiyue, Taiyi, and Taiyu shone bright before; Taixu, Taizhu, and Taiqing ascended thereafter. The Qingsong lineage flourished in antiquity..."
He murmured softly, "Just what kind of lineage was Qingsong Abbey?"
Reading through it, he indeed discovered some interesting matters.
Lu Jiangxian studied it carefully for a time and matched the names one by one, feeling an odd sensation in his heart. Doubts rose within him, and he mused silently, *Does this mean... all these people were disciples of Yingze...?*
*Five Golden Cores in a single sect? Perhaps even six...?*
*Taiyuan of Jinyu Sect addressed Yingze as a senior. Yingze was at least a True Monarch, or even an entity of the Dao Embryo realm. Regardless, at least five True Monarchs bowed before this Yingze...*
Sitting before the stone table for a moment, he conducted a quiet tally in his mind: *Over the past century, I have gradually come to understand this world. Not to mention Purple Palace cultivators, I have learned a good deal even about Golden Core cultivators...*
*In the State of Yue, there are Qingchi's Lushui, Jinyu's Taiyuan, and Xiuyue's Taiyue—that makes three True Monarchs. The State of Wu is similar in scale to Yue; I only know of Changhuai's Taiyi, but there are likely two or three as well. By this count, Jiangnan should have around six True Monarchs.*
*And if we include the Wang and Xie families, Mount Luoxia, the Underworld... there are indeed quite a few.*
Mount Luoxia had one, and the Underworld should have one as well.
*As for the dragon-kind of the Eastern Sea, there are two, and I hear Pinshui is among them. The Northern Sea is said to have two. The Southern Sea is comparable in size to the Eastern Sea, so the Four Seas should have around eight...*
*Shangyuan has attained True Monarch as well...*
Calculating it over and over, Lu Jiangxian found that the Immortal Dao had at least ten True Monarchs, holding a clear advantage. No wonder Northern Buddhism had remained thoroughly subdued and obedient.
*As for ancient True Monarchs, were there not even more?!*
Scanning his thoughts, he still felt that Yingze was the most likely candidate. For now, he could only list Yingze as his primary suspicion.
First, although his magical mirror was a Yuehua treasure, he had heard that the Yuehua Origin Manor possessed the Sun and Moon Dual-Aspect Mysterious Light. This could provisionally be surmised as being formed from Taiyin Mysterious Light and Taiyang Mysterious Light, embodying the completeness of both yin and yang—which precisely matched the name "Yingze."
Second, this Yingze belonged to Qingsong Abbey, and the Jianyang Ring also bore the inscription "Qingsong Abbey, Lu Jiangxian," which was another direct correspondence.
Most importantly, the Qingsong Abbey Cave-Heaven reflected above and below, and that cave-heaven had been forged by Yingze.
With these three points aligning, the likelihood of Yingze was the greatest.
Yet the matter could not be concluded so easily, for two puzzles remained: the Master of the Yuehua Origin Manor was said to be an Immortal Lord, a realm Yingze likely fell short of; and Jiangqun had seen her, showing she had left traces at least in recent antiquity, whereas Yingze seemed to have fallen many years ago.
***
Meanwhile, Li Qinghong waited briefly in her cave dwelling. Receiving no further disturbance, and with Chi Buzi's presence having vanished, the spring water in the cave settled, turning from murky back to clear. The tinkling sound of flowing water ceased.
Deep inside the cave, she let out a long breath. Daring not dwell on it, she turned and exited the dwelling. All was silent. Zongquan Island was shrouded in the night. The grand array remained intact and undamaged, without the slightest ripple or warning sign.
Just outside was the ritual altar of the Xuanlei Pool. Li Cheng'an sat cross-legged atop it, immersed in cultivation. He was barely a dozen paces from the cave entrance, yet had noticed nothing at all; even the earlier knocking at the door had not reached his ears.
*For a Purple Palace cultivator to take our lives is as effortless as reaching into a pouch. Ximing is already approaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment; I wonder how many secret arts he has mastered, and what chances he has.*
Li Qinghong walked out with gentle steps. The night sky was clear and bright with stars. Only just now had she witnessed the falling of the sea, the dragon swallowing the purple pearl, and the personal arrival of a Purple Palace Real Person.
The moment she stepped out of the dwelling, Li Cheng'an beside the altar was startled awake. He rose steadily to his feet and said in a low voice, "Grand-Aunt, the matter the family asked us to look into years ago has finally yielded a lead."
"Is it the Mingyang treasures?"
Li Qinghong inquired in detail. Li Cheng'an presented a jade slip, in which everything had been noted with absolute clarity—including the degree of credibility for each piece of news gathered, and how to identify the anticipated topographical changes once the waters receded, all described in detail.
Li Cheng'an had uncovered other information as well, saying, "There is an inheritance cultivating Mingyang in the Zhulu Sea, situated in a remote spot to the east. Now that its exact location has been found, we can pay a visit. Perhaps there will be something to gain."
She had received a letter from Li Xijun asking her to keep an eye out in the Eastern Sea beforehand for several Mingyang treasures to assist Li Ximing in charging into the Purple Palace. Li Qinghong had inquired repeatedly without finding any lead. Now, with this reminder, she pondered the matter.
He also presented an account of the island’s developments over recent years: how much land had been exposed by the receding sea, how it had been managed, and how it had been distributed between the clansmen arriving on the island and the native inhabitants, all organized with impeccable clarity and fairness.
Li Cheng'an had originally lived a comfortable life. He had been an outstanding student at Qingdu, and with his talents, governing a small island was child's play. He had only wished to manage his post in peace and await the family’s orders.
Li Qinghong read through it, the anxious furrow between her brows easing considerably. She said softly, "Good boy. In the Chengming generation, only Chengliao, Minggong, and you have amounted to something. Chengliao is now the family head, and Minggong is gradually taking charge of clan affairs. Only you are out here at the ends of the earth with me. You have truly had it hard."
Li Cheng'an shook his head. He had always been a man of few words and little ambition, content to handle the clan's assigned tasks in good order without involving himself in gossip. For once, he spoke earnestly: "By all reason and propriety, and considering only the young heir, Eldest Brother is naturally the family head. I know my own modest talents; governing this tiny island is more than enough for me."
Li Qinghong understood full well. Li Xijun had written several letters specifically mentioning this matter. Nowadays, talisman seeds were increasingly difficult to bestow, which meant the younger generation could not receive registers. Being naturally less gifted than their forebears, and lacking these two advantages, how could they ever keep pace?
No matter how diligently the younger sons cultivated, they found themselves lagging far behind the records left by their fathers and grandfathers. Strive as they might, they could not close the gap in the slightest. And then came Li Zhouwei, who rose as swiftly as the morning sun, dimming all the stars and moon by comparison.
These youths were earnest and perceptive. Looking at one another, they constantly felt unworthy of their positions at Qingdu. This had even resulted in the Chengming generation having an extremely faint voice in the clan today, with most daring not speak up—a far cry from before.
"Your eldest brother... did not deliberately send you here. The family simply had no one else to dispatch. Bear with it a little longer..."
Li Cheng'an’s words voiced the inner heartache shared by the entire Chengming generation, from eldest brother Li Chengliao down to the youngest, Li Chenghuai: far inferior to their predecessors.
"The three of us cultivated together from childhood," he said. "Yet compared to our fathers, our cultivation cannot begin to hold a candle. Whenever this is discussed, we are filled with dread and can find no peace. To be as I am now is already good; Cheng'an is content."
Li Qinghong could only offer encouragement: "Good boy... Just be diligent on this island. Matters across the sea change in the blink of an eye. Breaking through to the Purple Palace is ethereal and uncertain. Success brings an immortal clan, but failure... If misfortune befalls the family and we are no longer around, there must always be a Foundation Establishment cultivator to hold the line. Whether fleeing overseas or gathering the remnants, you must at least reach Foundation Establishment.
"I have prepared various medicinal pills for you. Right now, with water receding and thunder rising, cultivation progresses swiftly, making it an opportune time to break through to Foundation Establishment. To put it bluntly, among the Chengming generation, you are the only one with a chance."
*If catastrophe strikes the family, you shall be our hidden card, brandishing your spear and riding the thunder into battle.*
Hearing her speak so plainly, Li Cheng'an was shaken. He stared blankly at her for a moment before understanding dawned. He prostrated himself in formal obeisance and said resolutely, "Cheng'an will keep this engraved in his heart and dare not slacken."
Yet Li Qinghong seemed to see right through his thoughts. Her words brought about a profound shift in his bearing. Though his eyes remained lowered, a sharp gleam stirred within them. He sat cross-legged once more to resume his cultivation, holding down the stirring in his chest as his aura faintly resonated with the thunder amidst the clouds.
As for the young heir Li Zhouwei, Li Qinghong naturally pinned high hopes upon him. Yet she had witnessed too much in life: earnest expectations often ended in defeat, while unintended seeds frequently bore fruit. When she had kept Cheng'an behind to cultivate lightning techniques back then, she had also harbored her own plans.
Li Qinghong nodded, soared into the air astride a flash of thunder, and flew swiftly in the direction indicated on the jade slip, leaving Li Cheng'an standing quietly for a moment.
Chapter 530