True Person Changyun paused slightly and said, "As for the Damu Dharma Realm, having reached this stage, why did they shrink back on the battlefield? Do you have any thoughts on this?"
None of the three True Persons was ordinary. The survival capability of the Damu Dharma Realm was among the very best within the Shakya path. Although Li Xuanfeng's arrow had been powerful, the monk's intervention to save Luejin was far too clumsy—it did not look like a forced rescue, but rather seizing a convenient pretext to bow out.
True Person Qiushui said in a low voice, "There is nothing strange about it. The Damu Dharma Realm has always been this way—half-ancient, half-modern, perpetually ambivalent. Otherwise, how would they have fallen from being the foremost Shakya path in those days to what they are today?"
True Person Yuanxiu disliked Shakya cultivators the most. His voice was solemn as ever, sounding dignified even when dripping with sarcasm. "When the monks see benefits in the south, they drool with greed; yet when they see tens of thousands slaughtered and blood flowing for myriad li, they suddenly remember the scriptures they recited, cry 'sinful, sinful,' wag their tails, and retreat.
"Isn't it like this every year? Using the rules of ancient cultivators to shackle modern cultivators, ending up as an incongruous laughingstock—that is their Baima Temple."
His words were sharp and scathing, leaving the other two True Persons unable to easily respond. Qiushui chuckled inwardly. *No wonder the martial brothers could argue to such an extent. Tiaoxiao's tongue was always sharp, and while Si Boxiu disdains sarcasm, when he does mock someone, he has quite the biting wit.*
Changyun awkwardly averted his gaze, his eyes lingering on the azure Heshui beneath their feet. He seemed to ponder something, hesitating before suddenly speaking up. "I only just exited seclusion and hurried over by tearing through the Great Void. Seeing this vast expanse of Heshui over Chenshui Mausoleum, I found it strange. I wonder whose handiwork this was, or if some extraordinary spiritual tool was employed?"
Yuanxiu replied with a stiff, impassive face, "No. Fellow Daoist Kan used the Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal, combining the inherent properties of that spiritual tool to turn this place into a swimming marsh. The Murong clan then utilized the resonance between the Water Virtues to convert Lu into He, ultimately creating this vast marsh."
His concerns somewhat relieved, True Person Changyun nodded. "So that was it! I thought the north had deployed some divine tool."
Perhaps because their sects shared the same stance, True Person Qiushui's demeanor was noticeably gentler than Yuanxiu's. Nodding slightly to Changyun, he gathered his sleeves and cautioned, "Lu easily transforms into He, but Heshui can also be undone by Lushui. We must still guard against petty schemers. The Great Void must be strictly guarded; if this expanse of Heshui is scattered and fails to receive the Daning Palace, everything will come to naught!"
Yuanxiu did not hold him in high regard, sneering coldly in his heart. His aged face twitched as he said, "With so many eyes watching from the Great Void, who would dare court universal condemnation and bear the collective fury of the northern and southern orthodoxies? Forget our immortal sects; not even the Wang and Xie clans could bear such weight.
"Now that the Daning Palace has descended, let everyone dispatch their men."
Changyun remarked, "I too am fortunate to have migrated into the inland seas and have the opportunity to witness such a grand ceremony... Having missed True Monarch Shangyuan's attainment of the Dao before was truly the greatest regret of my life!"
Qiushui said, "When the True Monarch attained the Dao, the snow mountains of the North Sea stretched for thousands of li, more than half transforming into Qingyu Tianshan. The True Monarch's disciple Nian Yi has already founded a sect there called Hezhen Dao, with their mountain gate at Azure Jade Cliff. If Fellow Daoist has the inclination, you may also go and have a look."
Standing quietly to the side, Li Xuanfeng and Lingu Rao stood like two stone statues, one on the left and one on the right, yet neither let slip a single word uttered by these True Persons. Li Xuanfeng had a sudden realization:
*It seems that Ning Heyuan accompanying me on the expedition and the Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal playing such a crucial role were not accidental at all, but planned long in advance. Senior Zipei, possessing the highest cultivation in the south today, personally made a move to transform the entirety of Chenshui Mausoleum into a swimming marsh, followed by the north's intervention to convert Lu into He. Every link is tightly joined; not a single step was without purpose.*
*For Senior Zipei to possess such great divine abilities, he will likely choose a date to form his golden core soon.*
*The north and south are hostile to each other, yet their tacit accord runs this deep—vying over pawns in minor clashes, but cooperating harmoniously on major events. The affairs of the world are truly like birds caught in a cage, fish trapped in a net, unable to escape in the slightest.*
***
Li Qinghong descended from the sky amidst rolling thunder. The front of Mount Qingdu was already crowded with people. Welcoming them at the forefront with evident emotion, Li Xizhi clasped his hands and smiled. "Seeing Aunt and Elder Brother return safely, my heart is finally at ease!"
The two had returned safely, and the Li family members were overjoyed; the heavy, melancholic atmosphere that had hung over the mountain was swept clean.
Li Quantao gazed in fascination at the grand array on the mountain. At Li Xizhi's reminder, all manner of aches and exhaustion welled up. He nodded and said, "I know a bit of array craft; the grand array on this mountain is truly wondrously laid out. Brother Zhi, go ahead without worry; I can recuperate right here."
Li Qinghong understood there were family matters that were inconvenient to discuss before an outsider, but she could not neglect Li Quantao. Turning sideways, she said gently, "Quantao's injuries are not light. He should first enter seclusion on our mountain to heal. There are many affairs in the clan, so I must go check on them first."
An Siwei led him away, while the rest rode the wind upward. Li Qinghong looked around and asked, "Where is my family's Minghuang?"
Elder Li Xuanxuan's expression grew solemn as he replied, "It is quite untimely. He only entered secluded cultivation a few days ago to seek a breakthrough. However, there is a troublesome matter—it's a long story, and we will need to ask Xizhi as well..."
Li Qinghong shared all that had transpired and passed along the news from Cheng Gao that Li Ximing was unharmed, which put everyone's minds at ease.
Everyone nodded and sat down in the main hall of the residence. Li Qinghong, never one for ostentation, had already disguised her long feather robe into plain white garments, saying softly, "Although we suffered a demonic tribulation this time, our harvest was equally substantial."
She produced several storage bags from her robes, laying them out across the table, and took out two magical artifacts along with a fist-sized pile of white fragments—the remains of the dharma artifact of Di Fu from the Chi Gate, which Li Qinghong had swept up at the time.
Having managed the household for many years, Elder Li Xuanxuan found value in even the smallest scrap. Taking out the Qi-refining storage bags, he counted through them one by one, separating the blood-tainted items from the normal ones. Having once been a market shopkeeper, the old man had sharp eyes and immediately estimated, "These Qi-refining items alone are enough to match ten years of our clan's profits!"
"Naturally."
Li Qinghong lifted the white fragments from the table with her magical power. Before she could speak, Li Xuanxuan's raspy voice came: "That is Wuxuanjin among the Gengjin metals, a material at the Foundation Establishment level."
The old man had lived long and possessed considerable knowledge. Li Qinghong nodded and set it down.
As for the Foundation Establishment spoils, the most valuable were naturally those taken from Qiu Ji and Demon Ge. One was a dim, ornate jar, and the other was a hazy grey short blade.
Li Xizhi still lacked a Foundation Establishment magical artifact and had been staring at the two items. Li Qinghong, discerning his thoughts, nodded and handed the hazy blade to Li Xizhi, instructing, "You will be heading north in a few days. The Pass is filled with large numbers of cultivators, primarily those from the Qingchi Sect, and perhaps other immortal sects will send people as well. Take this item to trade for a suitable artifact that pleases you."
Li Xizhi shook his head slightly, explaining, "You have broader connections in the sect; perhaps you could trade it for a dharma sword on my behalf."
Li Qinghong smiled at him. Although among the Xi-Yue generation only Xizhi had been raised by her own hand, as a woman she was naturally easier to approach, and Ximing and the others were all very close to her. She paused, then smiled. "Your cultivation has grown once again."
She then handed the ornate demonic jar to Li Xizhi, murmuring, "This artifact was tempered by that devil for years, with many fine materials refined into it. Unfortunately, it is attuned to his demonic art. If I were to use it, not only would it lack power, but it might even damage the artifact."
Li Xizhi shook his head as faint white smoke rose from the demonic jar. "Aunt's thunder techniques are foremost in purging demons, and our clan's Mingyang arts rank among the very top as well. Even if we gave this thing to Brother Ming, he wouldn't be able to use it either. Why not..."
Li Qinghong nodded naturally, taking the remaining items from the storage bags to enter into the clan treasury. She said gently, "Brother Ming will have to wait a little. Once the family weathers this crisis, we will scheme to obtain that Mingfang Sky Stone for him."
She then asked, "How are the clan's spells and techniques currently?"
Li Xuanxuan knew them like the back of his hand and answered immediately, "Seventy unranked spells, seventeen Tier 1 spells, one Tier 2 spell, and six Tier 3 spells—or eight if counting Mystic Water Sword Art and Folded Feather Spear. For Tier 2, there is only Tujun Sunflower Light. Eye arts and movement techniques are sparse: only Great Ink Golden Pupil, Clear-Sight Spiritual Pupil, and River-Crossing Torrent Steps."
After all, northern and southern cultivators rarely carried their core scriptures on them; one almost never obtained cultivation arts from slain enemies. It was only because these demonic cultivators had recently rampaged through the State of Xu, destroying sects and slaughtering clans, that their storage bags contained numerous plundered manuals.
Li Qinghong said, "The northern demonic arts cannot be practiced by our family, but the spells can still be put to use. These storage bags contain Tier 3 spells: White Flow Control Method and Cloud Talisman White Smoke, which can be studied."
Li Xuanxuan accepted them as though receiving priceless treasures.
***
Li Xizhi then led several people down to the foot of Mount Lijing. They opened the great array, wound around to the back mountain, and dispelled several more barrier formations, revealing a bluestone residence.
The house had east and west wings, with a circular white stone pond in the center. Li Xuanxuan sighed softly, murmuring, "It has been many years since I returned to this old house."
This residence was originally built with their own hands by the old master and the four brothers when the Li family first established itself. Li Yuanxiu had handled clan affairs here back then, and Qinghong had lived here for some days—memories still fresh. Now reinforced by formations, the flagstones faintly gleamed with soft light.
Li Xizhi and the others rarely visited this place. Stepping into the backyard, Li Qinghong caught sight of a stone cage neatly placed in the center of the courtyard.
The stone cage had no superfluous ornamentation, emitting only a faint luminescence, clearly inscribed with formations. In the exact center huddled a child, lying on his side while hugging his knees.
"That is Jiang'ao..."
Seeing people approach, the child raised his golden pupils. Dense feather-scales covered his cheeks, and he stared blankly.
"He was born only a few months ago. He drinks no mother's milk and eats no cooked food, craving only raw meat. He cannot understand reprimands or speech; whenever he sees a person, he pounces to devour them like a wild beast."
Li Qinghong sighed inwardly. After inspecting him closely, she flicked a ribbon of rosy light from her hand to lift him. A look of fierce greed immediately surfaced on the child's face, his mouth full of white teeth gnawing voraciously at the light, snapping until his mouth was bloody without halting.
Li Qinghong set Li Jiang'ao down and said, "My thought is that we need not condemn him outright. Anything involving Gengjin karmic destiny is always peculiar. Let them have a few more offspring, and we shall see then. Keep him fed and raised for now... Perhaps there will be a way to dissolve this mental obstruction in the future. After all, he is our own flesh and blood; there is no reason to end his life rashly."
She added softly, "Because cultivators from the East Sea are involved, everything must be treated with caution, primarily out of fear of dragonkind meddling."
The young man Li Zhouwei nodded as everyone turned their gaze toward him.
Li Xizhi's expression softened into serenity. Turning toward his younger brother Li Zhouwei, the corners of his mouth curved with an elder brother's magnanimity and warmth, his voice gentle. "Yet that place is known as the Kingdom of Women, where Yin and Yang are inverted. How could they ever allow a daughter to marry out as a wife? I fear they would only permit you to marry into their family."
Li Zhouwei had been mulling over this matter for a long time, perpetually distracted. His brother's words struck right to the core of his heart, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. After choking on his speech for a long time, he could only stammer, "This... I... Brother, I heard that the State of Chen in Jizhong is a kingdom of women, possessing the Jueyin lineage. Perhaps going there to seek a bride might be of help..."
Li Xizhi shook his head slightly. "It is not that simple. Ever since I learned of this, I investigated extensively in many places. When Emperor Wei gathered the world's orthodoxies, the Jueyin path was dealt a heavy blow—all of it was relegated to the inner palace for cultivation or turned into eunuch methods. Since the Wei Dynasty, it has been extinct for many years; the only place where it can truly be found is indeed the State of Chen."
Li Xizhi paused, then sighed in a low voice. "I watched carefully from the flying boat just now. A crystalline radiance fell from the north, landing squarely on Chenshui Mausoleum. The State of Ning's seal, however heavy, cannot outweigh what fell from the royal tomb. If my guess is correct, this struggle between north and south will soon draw to a close.
"Although the defeat at Chenshui Mausoleum was not our fault, going back will not be easy. Yet we cannot delay our return indefinitely. The Sword Sect's flying boat escorted us all the way to the lake; Qingchi has most likely detected my return home.
"The jade plaque on my person is linked to the Hall of Miscellaneous Affairs in Qingchi; I must return north.
"As for Zhouwei..."
Li Zhouwei paused, let out a deep sigh, and replied, "Brother, just take care of yourself. My cultivation is still far from sufficient..."
Chapter 586