The Li family.
On Mount Qingdu, a continuous drizzle fell softly. Drops of rain pattered ceaselessly through the treetops, casting a gloomy air over the great hall. An old man paced in circles within the hall, gripping a letter in his hand. With a heavy heart, he summoned an attendant and said in a grave voice:
"Go and invite the clan heir up."
The letter contained speculations from Li Ximing and Li Xizhi regarding the situation between the north and the south. Li Xuanxuan had received it only moments ago, but after skimming just a few lines, he immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.
"The demonic cultivators in the north have broken free of restraint and are swarming south en masse. How could the defenses along the riverbank possibly hold them off?"
Li Xuanxuan read the letter back and forth twice, yet his heart remained deeply unsettled. Li Ximing was urging him to send the clan heir to the East Sea, which meant Ximing already harbored the belief that the riverbank could not be held.
The letter even advised Li Xuanxuan and several others to flee to the East Sea to take refuge. Seeing this, the old man frowned deeply and let out a heavy breath.
"How could there ever be reason to abandon our lake and flee! I have already lived long enough. If the north falls and the demonic cultivators sweep south all the way to Lake Wangyue, I will stand guard until the very last moment...
"If anything happens to our children and descendants, there must be an accounting. It falls upon me to lead them to the Netherworld to face our ancestors. If our house is to be destroyed, it must be sealed in blood."
He sat down and pondered for a couple of breaths, and his mind grew much calmer. After waiting a short while, Li Zhouwei arrived, clad in armor. He was eighteen years old now and already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. The mystic radiance on his person was remarkably dense—progressing at a pace of nearly one layer per year.
Although breaking through the late layers of Qi Refining was exceptionally difficult and usually required several times the effort, if he relied entirely on his own pace of cultivation, he would likely be able to attempt Foundation Establishment around twenty-two or twenty-three.
Yet the late layers of Qi Refining were completely different for the Li family. The family possessed the Three Completes Realm-Breaking Pill and talisman pills. As long as he accumulated cultivation for a period of time and took a Three Completes Realm-Breaking Pill to break through, and then stabilized his foundation, he could take a talisman pill.
The efficacy of a talisman pill was beyond ordinary elixirs. The cultivation it raised was as solid as cultivating on one's own, perhaps even slightly more flawless, allowing one to immediately push for Foundation Establishment.
Before Li Zhouwei could greet him, Li Xuanxuan waved his hand, drew him into the hall, and placed the letter into his hands. Li Zhouwei gave it a glance, his brows furrowing. Li Xuanxuan waited a moment and watched as the youth's golden eyes shifted slightly, before Li Zhouwei answered:
"Judging by Granduncle's description, I fear the riverbank cannot be held."
Li Xuanxuan was thinking of sending him to the East Sea, yet feared that the youth's pride and confidence would make him insist on staying to defend their home. For a time, he hesitated, simply asking:
"Minghuang, what do you think?"
Li Zhouwei read through the letter meticulously and replied:
"Looking at this disposition, if the riverbank defenses are breached and the demonic cultivators pour into Jiangnan, they will certainly take two routes: one flowing south along Lake Wangyue, and the other squeezing through the wilderness along the path between Shanji Commandery and Lixia Commandery.
"That second route is wedged between two Zifu-level powers and won't be easy to traverse. I fear they will still strike our family."
Li Xuanxuan had not expected him to bring this up. Just as he was about to ask further, Li Zhouwei said softly:
"After I depart for the East Sea, Patriarch should divide our clansmen into two groups: one will take passage through Lixia, while the other will herd the common folk toward Mount Dali. Senior Bai Rong and Lu Ken share a deep friendship with our family, so we can seek refuge on their grounds."
Li Zhouwei laid out the arrangements in detail. As Li Xuanxuan listened, a slight relief settled over his heart, though he asked:
"I fear the mountains won't be able to shelter many people."
Li Zhouwei nodded.
"It will take demonic cultivators less than half a quarter of an hour to fly here once they head south. In half a quarter of an hour, the nearly one million folk along the lakeshore couldn't even be counted, let alone squeezed into the mountains..."
Li Xuanxuan fell silent. Li Zhouwei could only add:
"Yet such things are hard to predict. The riverbank might not necessarily fall. Jiangnan has so many Zifu masters; who can say whether a few of them might intervene? We are merely making the necessary preparations."
Li Xuanxuan nodded and said in an aged voice:
"No time to lose. Take a group with you—select some young talents from the various branches—and bring the pills along. I will have Kongheng escort you right away."
Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment and said softly:
"It is just as well. Lady An is about to give birth, and the Master considers Jiangnan to be an 'Upper Evil Spirit Repository.' It is a good opportunity to bring her along to the East Sea to see if things turn out differently."
Being decisive by nature, he settled the matter swiftly and cleanly. Offering his farewell, he flew out of the great hall and descended immediately. In less than half a quarter of an hour, Kongheng landed upon the mountain with several people.
This monk had always been mild and calm. The years of cultivation made him appear increasingly unfathomable, though among Masters there was rarely any clear demarcation of rank, making it difficult to gauge his exact strength.
However, since Li Ximing and the others, who had broken through later than him, had sequentially reached late Foundation Establishment, this monk was unlikely to be far behind. The East Sea was utter chaos; the White Ape would have difficulty establishing a foothold there, whereas Kongheng was far more reassuring.
Upon seeing Li Xuanxuan, Kongheng greeted him warmly and said softly:
"Be at ease, Patriarch. Your noble clan has accumulated abundant virtue; you will surely turn peril into safety."
Yet Li Xuanxuan dreaded hearing talk of accumulating virtue and accumulating evil the most. Forcing a smile, he saw them off across the lake. Riding the wind back, he sat down in the great hall, once again all alone in the vast emptiness.
The old man racked his brains, unable to tally whether they had accumulated virtue or accumulated evil. Putting such thoughts aside, he stared quietly at the dreary rain outside the window. White frost had already crawled across the panes. After waiting a short while, a burly, nine-foot-tall man clad in white armor entered from outside the hall and stood silently at the lower end.
"White Ape!"
Li Xuanxuan called out. The old ape raised his head, his voice raspy like stones grinding together:
"Greetings, Master... Your old servant has just returned from patrolling the lake."
Man and ape had escaped together decades ago from the raging fires of the market and had kept each other company ever since; the tacit understanding between them went without saying. Sensing Li Xuanxuan's unease, the ape walked up beside him, stood quietly, and only then spoke:
"In recent days, this old servant's 'Embracing Stone Slumber' has been brimming with spiritual resonance and circulating smoothly. Perhaps a Zifu master of the True Qi path has broken through, or some spiritual object has surfaced."
Li Xuanxuan nodded silently, not detecting anything peculiar from it. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a chill wind blow through the doors, desolate and cold.
Li Xuanxuan raised his head, as if sensing something. Just as he was about to rise, a knock sounded at the hall doors, and a handsome man dressed in white stepped inside.
With sword-sharp brows and starlike eyes, he possessed an elegant countenance. In his arms he cradled a slender, chilled sword. His brows were furrowed, looking over with an air of mild concern.
"Xijun!"
Li Xuanxuan was overjoyed. Stepping forward with the letter in hand, he asked:
"Has your injury completely healed?"
"Greetings, Granduncle."
The man was naturally Li Xijun. He offered a bow first, coughed twice, and smiled.
"Not entirely healed yet. I was worried about our home, so I ended my seclusion early."
Yu Mujian's sword strike had indeed been formidable. Had it not been for the Diwang bloodstone, Li Xijun would likely have perished on the spot. After recuperating for several years, troubled by the family's situation, he had emerged from seclusion early, having recovered barely sixty percent of his strength.
Li Xuanxuan was thoroughly delighted, hurriedly pulling him over to find a seat. The White Ape silently served tea. Li Xijun examined him, then said softly:
"So it was you... Truly a profound fortune. My congratulations!"
The White Ape cupped his fists and withdrew. Li Xuanxuan recounted the events of recent years one by one. As Li Xijun listened, his brows knit tighter and tighter. Exhaling a heavy breath, he answered:
"Just as expected... I knew Qingchi would never arrange anything good for our family... Indeed it is so."
He lowered his gaze, his eyes gradually reddening as he murmured:
"It was my poor judgment. I shouldn't have trusted that Zhao Tinggui... He died and ended it all... yet he brought such disaster upon our family..."
"Qinghong has already ridden thunder in pursuit..."
Li Xuanxuan did not know how to respond to him. After waiting a moment, the old man could only say:
"Still, your injuries have not healed and you cannot fight. You should focus on cultivating and remaining in seclusion."
Li Xijun closed his eyes and breathed out, still carrying some sorrow, but the Frost-Bright Pine Ridge within his body circulated on its own, expelling all emotion from his mind. His tone settled into calm as he said softly:
"Not necessarily... Though I carry injuries, stepping in once or twice will be no problem."
He shook his head slightly and held one hand flat. In his palm appeared a gleam of condensed frost and snow—pure white, translucent, resting quietly in his hand. At a glance, a wave of cold mingled with sharpness rushed toward the senses.
This thing was like a spell yet not quite a spell, like a spiritual object yet not quite a spiritual object. It resembled a ball of qi condensed to the utmost extremity. With a shift of Li Xijun's thought, the gleam jumped and swam like a fish, circling through the air once. Its fine scales were clearly visible; with a flick of its tail, it fell back into his palm.
"This is..."
Li Xuanxuan had never seen such a thing before and could not make sense of it for the moment. As the old man stared in bewilderment, Li Xijun raised a sword-like brow and said softly:
"Sword origin."
...
Salt Lake.
Li Qinghong rode the wind for a hundred li. The black smoke before her gradually thinned, yet the sky remained overcast with rolling grey clouds. The skies of north and south shared the same dreary grey, hazy without a glimpse of the sun.
After flying for a while, thoughts of those two figures inexplicably resurfaced in her mind, and she calculated privately:
"From the look of things, I have at least offended Chijiao Island. In recent years, the eastern and western reefs of Chijiao Island have been at odds; I do not know whether Guo Hongjian's faction belongs to the east or west, nor whether there is any room for tactful reconciliation.
"As for that Yu Jiang, judging by Guo Hongjian's attitude, he is also a formidable figure from the South Sea..."
As she flew south, she realized that returning to Mount Bianyan was no longer an option, which brought a sense of relief to her heart:
"All the better. There is no need to take orders from them... Then let me return to the riverbank and help my family guard our lake's edge..."
The demonic cultivators had already pressed close to the river. How could she have any desire to deal with that crowd at Mount Bianyan? Like Li Xizhi, she wished only to stay as far away from them as possible.
She veered across Salt Lake and caught sight of Xuanyue Gate's Shanji Commandery radiant with brilliant light, streams of glow encircling its borders. As she drew nearer, she could faintly see a towering dark mountain suspended high above Shanji Commandery.
The mountain loomed indistinctly among the clouds, radiating a hazy prismatic light. She had only just approached Shanji Commandery when her body felt increasingly heavy. Looking up in contemplation, she thought:
'It should be a Zifu divine ability.'
Such overwhelming might could only belong to Real Person Changxi of Xuanyue Gate. Only now did she understand why the demonic smoke halted at Salt Lake, and why the demonic cultivators did not cross Salt Lake into Jiangnan.
'With such a threat hanging suspended in the sky... how would they dare cross the boundary by a single step?'
She soon flew past the area, diving into the wilderness along the river. Not far away, a streak of golden light pursued her, halting dazzlingly before her eyes to reveal a woman in light orange-yellow robes.
"Sister Qinghong!"
This woman always dressed in xiang-colored robes, with a round face and almond eyes, holding a tiny golden mountain in her hands. It was none other than Kong Tingyun of Xuanyue. With an expression of worry, she closed the distance in a few steps and greeted her in a low voice.
Li Qinghong had assumed she would be in Daning Palace and had not expected to run into her here. She nodded in surprise, and Kong Tingyun said softly:
"It has been a long time since we last met. Sister, why not come sit in my sect for a while?"
'Hm?'
The moment those words were spoken, Li Qinghong sensed something amiss. When Kong Tingyun returned from the northern ruins, she had landed at Yanshan Pass, and the two of them had met at Yanshan Pass only days ago. Saying "it has been a long time" was rather strange...
While the greeting could be brushed off as polite banter, this was a critical juncture of conflict between north and south for Qingchi—hardly a time for leisurely visits. The timing was entirely wrong.
Being an astute woman, Li Qinghong did not immediately accept or refuse, merely asking:
"Passing through Shanji Commandery, I ought to have paid a visit of my own accord. I was just observing the abnormalities in the north..."
Kong Tingyun replied in a low voice:
"Something has happened in Daning Palace!"
Stepping closer, she transmitted her voice through a secret art:
"Sister must have felt how bizarre the confrontation between north and south has been—it is because the Zifu masters and mahas from both sides have all entered Daning Palace! Now the northern demons have run wild without restraint, and the southern cultivators have no protection whatsoever!"
Li Qinghong's pupils dilated slightly. Kong Tingyun continued:
"Our Real Person has grudges with several of the newly arrived demonic lords, so he did not go, nor does he know exactly what transpired. But now, Anhuaitian has manifested within the Great Void, and the host of Zifu masters has entered it."
Li Qinghong's voice grew slightly hoarse as she asked:
"The north was already overwhelmingly strong, and my Second Uncle is still in Daning Palace. The riverbank defenses at present are merely hastily thrown together... How could they possibly resist the swarming northern demons..."
"They certainly cannot..."
Kong Tingyun nodded with conviction, hesitated a moment, and asked softly:
"Sister, do you know which route the demonic cultivators will take as they head south?"
Li Qinghong had traveled extensively north and south in recent years, so naturally she knew. She replied:
"Crossing Daxu, they can either enter Wu from the riverbank up west of Mount Xiping, or follow the entire riverbank downstream and enter the State of Yue at any point..."
Kong Tingyun nodded, a solemn expression gracing her round face as she said softly:
"At present, Qingchi only has Real Person Yuanxiu left, and right now he has entered Daning Palace. Meanwhile, Jinyu Sect has four Real Persons in total, two of whom are currently holding down the fort. If you were a demonic cultivator heading south, which way would you go?"
"Naturally toward Qingchi..."
Having reached this point, Kong Tingyun abandoned all concealment, speaking as if treating Li Qinghong as one of her own, her voice very gentle:
"Qingchi has already suffered consecutive deaths among its Zifu masters, with no high-realm cultivators to show for it—reaching its lowest ebb in five hundred years. Yuanxiu is trapped within Anhuaitian without news, yet Chi Zhiyan and the other direct lineages of Qingchi are still at Mount Bianyan!
"Now that the northern demons have broken free of control, how could the immortal sects lack the means to sway them? From the sudden turn of events when Anhuaitian experienced its upheaval, taking advantage of the error and riding the momentum, a new chessboard has already emerged—one aimed directly at Qingchi Sect!
"Isn't the present situation a blade formed by divine providence and extraordinary coincidence? Taking advantage of Qingchi's weakness, the various immortal sects want to sever the roots of the demonic sect! The remaining high-realm demonic cultivators and Buddhist cultivators of the north are also glad to see this play out, deliberately keeping themselves hidden and out of sight..."
Her voice dropped, her expression grave:
"Right now, this is a catastrophe for Qingchi, while the various sects stand by and watch! Sister, I fear it is unwise for you to return."
Chapter 602