Xiayou

"Instructions?" As Five-Eyed Lianmin trembled, a cold voice came from above: "What bold insolence..." Kowtowing frantically, Five-Eyed Lianmin cried in terror, "This lowly cultivator understands! I understand! Your celestial undertaking is boundless, your nature ordained by heaven. Lacking in fortune and meager of destiny, I strayed onto the wrong path, yet by some twist of fate, I have been permitted to catch a glimpse of Your Eminence's divine countenance! "Having seen Your Eminence, my humble life has touched the highest honor... I understand completely. Even if all the venerable ones above were to arrive together... once they beheld this celestial visage, every last one would instantly perish here! Now, in my heart, there is only devotion and obedience!" In a voice laden with sorrow, Five-Eyed Lianmin pleaded, "For all my worldly entanglements and the karma I have wrought, I am willing to pay with my very body, enduring the burning of myriad karmic fires. I ask only to shed this shell for a cleansed form, that I might throw myself at the Immortal's feet—to serve as a Dao child in Your Eminence's grotto-heaven or a petty clerk in your dharma realm..." His voice and expression were steeped in grief, tears of dharma brimming in his eyes. Watching this, Lu Jiangxian could not help but marvel in thought: *Truly worthy of a Shakya Lianmin! What a glib tongue!* Five-Eyed Lianmin knew the critical moment had arrived. Wishing he could tear out his heart to lay bare his sincerity, he pleaded in terror, "Immortal... Immortal! This lowly cultivator still possesses some methods! I will surely handle matters flawlessly! I will never cause Your Eminence a shred of concern. If any mistake is made, I shall suffer the deepest, most excruciating agony, never to be reincarnated for all eternity!" Ignoring Five-Eyed Lianmin's desperate pleas, the cold voice drifted softly through the air: "Your oath today shall bind your body." A streak of bright light descended from above, piercing straight into his mind. The ethereal voice of the white-robed immortal echoed: "This venerable one has placed a piece in the mortal realm, yet you had to meddle. If you leave any trace hereafter, you shall burn in myriad karmic fires." Radiance flowed from Lu Jiangxian's hands, the nature of bright Yang shimmering. Before him, Five-Eyed Lianmin drifted away like smoke and vanished. The moon-white grand hall slowly faded, returning once more to the deep, silent void. Five-Eyed Lianmin's memories flowed in, and Lu Jiangxian examined them twice over. This Five-Eyed Lianmin had the secular surname Xiao. Long ago, he was a minor cultivator in the northern state of Tiefu, practicing demonic arts. Back when Emperor Zhaowu, Fu Qiyan, ruled, he was merely an attendant in the Duanmu family. *This Fu Qiyan was an open-minded ruler. Under his governance, the three paths of Immortals, Demons, and Shakya were balanced, each flourishing and holding a place of its own.* Around the time Five-Eyed Lianmin broke through to Foundation Establishment, the memories turned dim and somber. Red blood rained across the skies, trees and stones wept along the roads, and panic seized everyone. The ancestor of the Duanmu family had barely poked his head out when something hooked him away, leaving behind only terrified screams. Five-Eyed hid underground for three months. Only upon emerging did he learn that Emperor Zhaowu, Fu Qiyan, had perished in Yincheng Commandery. Crown Prince Fu Qidangle succeeded the throne and welcomed a Taoist statue into the capital. Hunted repeatedly due to his identity as a demonic cultivator, Five-Eyed had nearly lost his life. Hastily abandoning his lineage, he turned to the Shakya path. Unexpectedly, his temperament matched it perfectly, and step by step he climbed to the seat of Lianmin. This man valued his life above all else. Even after becoming a Master with various means of rebirth, he rarely ventured away from the north, indulging his desires solely on his own one-third of an acre at Five-Eyed Temple. Out of six hundred years of memory, fully five hundred were spent in pursuit of pleasure. Once, on a rare whim, he decided to travel south. Yet the moment he arrived in Daxu north of the river, he happened upon Quan Yikui, who had come searching for items and had previously met the Immortal. Seeing that Quan Yikui was merely in early Foundation Establishment while he himself was already a Lianmin, Five-Eyed laughed thrice—only to be battered into meat paste by Quan Yikui wielding a book. His freshly attained Lianmin body was ruined, and from then on he never crossed the river again. *No wonder Five-Eyed Lianmin did not classify the Purple Mansion Golden Core path as demonic cultivators.* Most of his memories concerned Shakya techniques, yet across his centuries of cultivation, he had examined demonic and immortal arts as well. The demonic arts needed no mention, but the immortal arts were ancient methods. Lu Jiangxian read through them briefly; in those arts from the transition between the Liang and Zhao dynasties, demonic and immortal methods were not clearly separated, and Purple Mansion Golden Core manuals naturally appended various techniques for ingesting dao complements. Lu Jiangxian quickly turned his attention elsewhere and investigated thoroughly. Within Five-Eyed Lianmin's memories, omens marking the fall of True Monarch-level figures, like that of Emperor Zhaowu, had occurred three other times, to say nothing of suspected ones. *The other three occurrences were all concentrated in the two hundred years between four hundred and six hundred years ago.* Silently committing this to memory, Lu Jiangxian utilized the measure he had planted within Five-Eyed Lianmin's soul to quietly observe the scenes within the Great Void. *** Five-Eyed Lianmin awoke in a daze within the Great Void. His hand seal was only half-formed, and barely a single breath seemed to have passed, yet it felt as if a lifetime had gone by. Before him, golden light shimmered, and lotus petals drifted down. He shuddered, feeling the faint, searing magic power buried deep within his soul. Knowing that none of it had been an illusion, a bottomless bitterness welled in his heart. *The Immortal's methods are truly profound. My karmic mandate was entrusted into the hands of the Maha, yet something was planted in my soul without his knowledge. This is at least a Golden Core-level art!* What terrified him even more was the Form of Void Maha, Zhelu, behind him. Though Zhelu was currently submerged in the Great Void, manifesting a thousand-eyed body to watch Daxu, any major commotion would inevitably draw his gaze, making Five-Eyed's predicament even more perilous. Maintaining his composure in the face of danger, he feigned panic as he tucked away his small bronze sword. Sure enough, a green-eyed, red-skinned Lianmin burst into mocking laughter: "Lord Five-Eyed has awakened so abruptly. Surely your karmic mandate was stirred by some great opportunity! Why not share it with us?" The bodhimanda of this Chi Luo Lianmin neighbored Five-Eyed Temple, and the two had never gotten along. Having bickered often in their earlier years, Five-Eyed had loathed him for ages, but for the first time found the fellow useful. Putting on a facade of blustering bravado, he heard Chi Luo sneer, "So, did your Arhat die? Did he perish in Jiangnan? "Quan Yikui is long dead! To be frightened to such an extent... you have utterly disgraced the Form of Void. How could Lord Zhelu keep such a useless piece of trash under him? Had I been there, I would have beaten that barbarian bloody!" Hearing this, Five-Eyed secretly rejoiced, and sure enough, most of the prying gazes withdrew, turning away in boredom. Five-Eyed merely snapped coldly, "Chi Luo, what does that have to do with you?" Yet he inwardly cried out in dismay. The moment Zhelu was mentioned, an eye slowly turned from behind to stare straight at the two of them. A ghostly voice rasped: "Silence your clamor! A guest arrives." Immediately, a minor cultivator below heralded: "Welcoming the arrival of Lord Jinlian Maha, the Great Compassion Joyful Lotus World-Aspect of Lotus Temple!" As the thought flashed through the minds of the Lianmin, a hundred golden rays rose from behind. A lotus throne ascended into thin air, upon which sat a child of seven or eight years. Fair as carved jade, delicate and lovely, he was backed by a floating golden temple from which incense and smoke cascaded like a waterfall, gentle and pleasing to the eye. The child's voice drifted out, calling: "Zhelu! The Tuoba clan has come!" *** Li Xizhi had been cultivating for half a year in Baixiang Valley. All remained peaceful. With the approach of winter, snow began to fall, blanketing the mountains and forests in white. The scenery had a charm distinct from Jiangnan, bringing a tranquil ease to the heart. The two who had come with him—Yu Yuwei of Panqi Peak and Quan Yi of Linghe Peak—had gradually settled down as well. Yu Yuwei's two disciples had arrived, and Quan Yi, initially timid and hesitant, now cultivated in peace. During their extended garrison, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth shifted repeatedly, rosy light flowing across the sky. With his deep accumulations, Li Xizhi swallowed a talisman pill and smoothly broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. In his half-year at Baixiang Valley, Li Xizhi had grown familiar with Quan Yi. Having grown up within the sect, Quan Yi possessed little cunning. He had neither wife nor children, only an elderly mother on his peak. He harbored no thoughts of finding a Dao companion and had few close friends; his only proud achievement was succeeding in Foundation Establishment, wanting nothing more than to shield his mother through her final years. Being conscripted here had naturally left him reluctant, but over the past half-year of familiarity, smiles had begun to grace his face. Now, the middle-aged Quan Yi addressed him as a brother: "Brother Xizhi! That elder of your family is truly awe-inspiring, slaying Murong Wu in battle!" Li Xizhi gave a wry smile. When he first received the news, he had indeed rejoiced, and Quan Yi had pelted him with questions. Over the past few months, the excitement had faded, yet Yu Yuwei kept it constantly in mind, always bringing it up with a reminiscing look. Sitting to the side, Yu Yuwei took a sip of wine and sighed: "A hundred years of cultivation..." Quan Yi sighed as well. "If only my Quan clan's ancestors hadn't missed the opportunity... Throwing oneself into Qingchi early during that prime opportunity... Even seizing a bit more territory while waiting to be annexed would have been good... Then our Quan clan could stand alongside the Yuan, Yu, and Ning clans, rather than being reduced to passing down through a single heir each generation..." The men often conversed in the courtyard facing the falling snow, with the two juniors attending behind them. The cultivators of the valley sat listening from below, enraptured. Drinking wine and discussing worldly matters, the scene carried a genuine sense of carefree leisure. Several checkpoints around Baixiang Valley under their jurisdiction sent messengers, but the stationing Foundation Establishment cultivators reported no major incidents, only a few stray demonic cultivators scurrying about. Li Xizhi nodded slightly. Still mindful of his family on the other side of the mountains, he gazed quietly at the snow. Before long, he spotted a streak of dark light speeding from the south, coming to a halt outside the grand array. Suddenly, a call came from outside the array: "Eighth Young Master! Eighth Young Master? Wushao is here! I have brought some items to deliver!" Li Xizhi was somewhat surprised. Li Wushao had been personally subdued by his father, Li Yuanjiao, so Li Xizhi had naturally seen this demon snake before; in fact, strictly according to clan hierarchy, he was Li Wushao's true master. Scanning with his spiritual sense, Li Xizhi confirmed it was indeed Li Wushao. Flying before the array, he inspected several identity tokens before guiding him inside. In a low voice, he asked, "What is it? How is the family? Why were you sent here?" Covered in the dust of travel, Li Wushao shook the snow from his body, revealing his unchanging black attire. "Eighth Young Master! The pass just repelled a wave of demonic cultivators without much trouble. Instead, Lord Qinghong had a captured magical artifact reforged and sent me to deliver it to you." Li Wushao studied him, envy showing on his somber face. "Eighth Young Master's cultivation has surpassed mine as well! I truly envy you." Li Xizhi smiled faintly. "Though you cultivate slowly, your lifespan is long. Each has its advantages. Let us not speak of who envies whom." From his sleeve, Li Wushao drew out an object and presented it. Li Xizhi took it into his hands, examining it closely. The fan was a shadowy blue, forming a wide arc. Its seventeen ribs were clean and crisp, emitting a faint luster infused with the hues of evening mist, while specks of colorful light flickered across the surface. Li Wushao explained, "Lord Qinghong seized this after slaying a member of the Murong clan. Originally, it had only eight ribs and was a demonic artifact, refined crudely with souls and blood qi. It could whip up grey demonic winds and perhaps held other uses. Later, she had someone carefully reforge it, intending to bring it for Young Master's use. The missing ribs were supplemented with Cold Essence and Dark Steel. While the quality dropped slightly, it remains quite fine. It used to be a large fan capable of shielding half a person, but with ribs added and the leaf thickened, it is now only chest-sized. She searched around, obtained some rosy-glow treasure, and melted it in." Li Xizhi tested it briefly. Though not as handy as a sword, it had unique advantages, making spells for repelling, surveying, and capturing exceptionally convenient. He said softly, "Back when I broke through, Xiao'er gathered an Eight-Colored Rainbow Mist for me. It is still in my storage bag. I can take it out to refine day and night, incorporating it into this fan leaf." Listening to the explanation, Li Xizhi gave a gentle nod of approval. In his eyes, this magical artifact was merely decent among Foundation Establishment tools, yet it carried a special significance. He smiled and said, "Let it be called Xiayou." Li Wushao nodded quickly, took out a letter, and handed it to him, cupping his hands. "I will certainly relay your words. Now that Young Master has named it, I can report back as well... This subordinate must take his leave. Staying away too long might give others an excuse if trouble arises at the pass..." Li Xizhi nodded. "Please tell Aunt that I thank her for her care." A trace of hesitation crossed Li Wushao's dark face before he replied, "The old master is no longer in this world. Wushao ought to stay by your side, but being assigned elsewhere, I cannot remain near. Please take care, Young Master..." That old snake was usually sullen and sharp-tongued when scolding others, yet after decades of living a life far better than in the Eastern Sea, he remembered the kindness shown to him. Li Xizhi fell silent for a breath, then nodded and accompanied him all the way outside the grand array, seeing him off from the valley. Fastening the Xiayou spiritual fan to his waist, Li Xizhi flew on the wind, reading the letter to gain an understanding of affairs at the pass. Returning to the array, Yu Yuwei took one look and smiled: "Congratulations, Xizhi, on obtaining a magical artifact." Just as Li Xizhi sat down, Yu Yuwei and Quan Yi suddenly stood up in alarm, both staring toward the north. A grey mist was rising, drifting faintly in the air. Quan Yi's face drained of color as he gasped in terror: "The Tuoba clan is on the move!"