Si Boxiu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, seemingly lost in deep contemplation. The Real Person of late Zifu uttered not a word. Si Yuanli was by no means incapable of reading expressions; suspicions had already taken root in his heart, and a sudden dread welled up within him.
'Could it be…'
Just as the chill arose, he noticed a look of faint amusement surface on Real Person Yuanxiu's face. The old man turned away and spoke: "Though Li Xuanfeng did not reach Zifu, he was nonetheless a hero of his era. Yuansu's judgment was always sharp."
These words allowed Si Yuanli's heart to ease. Before him, the old man fell into contemplation, raising his brows to gaze northward, musing inwardly: 'A fine calculation. That lad Houfu must have had a hand in it. Sword Sect and Hengzhu are aloof, so it should not be them… Xiao Chuting had his hands full as well. Who else? Could it be Changxi? Does he have the courage?'
Pondering whose scheme it had been was no longer important. Si Boxiu soon turned his head and remarked casually, "I met Chi Buzi in Anhuaitian. He has already reached late Zifu, cultivating his own true nature. Truly the prized tree of the Chi family."
The words drained the color from Si Yuanli's face. Before he could ask, Si Boxiu glanced at him and continued, "However, he is wholly devoted to seeking immortality. He himself stated that he will no longer concern himself with Qingchi's affairs, having severed his mortal ties with the Chi family."
Beside him, Si Yuanli nodded and spoke up, "The items the Real Person commanded—this junior has already obtained them."
Si Yuanli felt an immediate relief, growing more confident in his own designs. He formed hand seals and drew a small bronze cauldron from his sleeve, along with that tightly bundled scroll.
The small cauldron was naturally the bronze cauldron from Daning Palace. During the ceaseless combat within Daning Palace, there had been no time to refine it, forcing him to haul the massive cauldron as he hurried about; now that he had found the time to refine it, it had shrunk to the size of a palm.
Si Boxiu casually put them away, narrowing his aged eyes.
Si Yuanli took the opportunity while Real Person Yuanxiu was in a good mood to say in a low voice, "It is only that our clan still has too few Foundation Establishment cultivators of our own surname. I wonder if there is an opportunity to bring my elder brother back…"
The moment he mentioned his elder brother, Si Yuanbai, Si Boxiu's face darkened instantly, an ember of rage flaring as he said coldly, "He rebuked Chi Wei to his face before all the Real Persons—who gave him such audacity! That rabid dog's eyes were glowing green with the desire to prolong his life; even Yuansu had to yield! Yet my good grandnephew ran up to Yuanwu Peak to scream curses!
"Had I not acted first to suppress him beneath the pagoda… Chi Wei was nearing the end of his lifespan. Out of regard for my face and consideration for his own descendants, he did not lash out. Otherwise, not even Yuanbai's bones would be left!"
Si Yuanli could only sigh, lowering his head. "May the Real Person calm his wrath…"
Real Person Yuanxiu casually cut off his words, his voice heavy: "Him? His stubborn mind cannot adapt, his heart is too soft, and he misjudges the situation while easily trusting the words of others. Even if you bring him back, he will only work against you! Better to leave him to roam freely."
Si Boxiu's expression eased slightly, and he lowered his voice: "Yuanwu Peak holds the Moon-Bright Glazed Tree, an item that can assist in breaking through to Zifu. If you have the chance, you might keep an eye on it. As for Chi Zhiyun, pay him no heed. If he breaks through too soon, I am still here.
"The younger generation's fear of Buzi is overly impatient. Next will come Zipai's breakthrough, and dragons will swallow thunder… The spiritual atmosphere between heaven and earth shifts every ten-odd years. Mount Qingchi is merely a thousand li from Ziyan Blessed Land. Breaking through to Zifu to attain a Fire Virtue divine ability? That would condemn him to decade after decade of futile labor!
"The juniors stirring up storms makes for an opportune moment… As for Chi Zhiyun…
"Once you return to the sect, announce that I have entered seclusion for dead-door healing and ignore everything from the outside world."
Si Yuanli immediately understood, nodding in assent. "Yes!"
Si Yuanli complied. Si Boxiu's gaze finally settled upon his face, his voice softening slightly as he whispered, "You are more sensible than those uncles and brothers of yours. From you on down, Tongyi and Tongwen are sensible ones. In the past, I had to carry this burden alone; now our Si family shall rise, and you may stretch your wings.
"Henceforth, under Qingchi's rule and even across the Southeast Seas, if you discover any talented youth cultivating 'True Qi', report it to me immediately.
"No need to ask further."
With this instruction, Si Boxiu paid no further heed to what arrangements his junior might make next. With a flick of his sleeve, he cast him back to the mundane realm. The old man traversed the void alone, lost in thought.
The elder stowed the talisman in his hand, his figure gradually fading in the Great Void, leaving only a muttered whisper: "Yuanli's conduct is harsh, yet it answers the times. All the Zifu have identical intentions; Li Xuanfeng, this immortal bow, has been used to the utmost. He both preserved Jiangnan and died in a timely manner. There is no need for me to step forward."
Si Yuanli sat in the cabin, somewhat entranced, still reeling from the shock within his heart.
Break through to Zifu!
Zifu… So the Moon-Bright Glazed Tree was a spiritual item that could assist a breakthrough to Zifu!
Those words struck Si Yuanli's ears like thunder. How tremendous was the temptation of a Zifu divine ability! He felt a surge of heat rush into his heart, his mind profoundly shaken with disbelief.
Yet as a descendant of Zifu immortals, Si Yuanli knew that methods for assisting a breakthrough to Zifu were exceedingly scarce—pills? For some reason, after the Heaven-Change, the pills that previously aided Zifu breakthroughs had all lost efficacy, leaving only a scant few kinds from before the Heaven-Change that still worked, making them exceedingly rare.
As for consuming Zifu spiritual items to break through, the chances were profoundly enigmatic and impossible to gauge; frankly speaking, most Zifu breakthroughs were desperate gambles with one's life… Now that this fruit existed, how could his heart not race?
The means of breaking through to Foundation Establishment were plentiful in truth: the Three-Perfections Realm-Breaking Pill, Tonghua Powder, Suiyuan Pill… most were reserved for the direct lineage of the Chi, Si, Ning, and Tang clans. The Suiyuan Pill in particular was a marvelous substance; swallowing it directly gave a five percent chance, and if refined alongside an immortal foundation or Foundation Establishment demonic beast, the odds multiplied several fold; if the immortal foundation matched the user's cultivation art, the chance could even be pushed to forty or fifty percent!
Beyond that, there were only cultivation arts and secret techniques. His Si family's *Wei Sang Jing* was a Zifu cultivation art belonging to the relatively rare Wood Virtue with an ancient lineage. It possessed seven secret techniques; cultivating them all could add a twenty percent chance, which was extraordinarily precious.
Most of these secret techniques had been painstakingly developed by ancestors and had little bearing on the grade of the cultivation art itself, depending almost entirely on ancestral glory. The Si family had an ancient lineage and was naturally superior to the Ning family.
'That Ning Wan's cultivation art holds but a single secret technique… Even the Chi family's heavy and murky *Anfu Yinwen Jing* possesses no more than five!'
Taking the reins of Qingchi was not merely a matter for the Si family—it was his, Si Yuanli's, opportunity for Zifu! The middle-aged man's resolve had never been so steely.
"My lord, Mount Qingdu has arrived!"
Pulled back to reality by this single sentence, Si Yuanli straightened his robes and rose, parting the jade curtain in the cabin. His gaze had already grown sharp, completely different from before. His movement parting the jade curtain was crisp and decisive, though he wore an expression of grief, stepping out with reddened eyes.
Without the Rosy Glow Cloud Boat, Si Yuanli's retinue was noticeably diminished. It lacked Qingchi Sect's customary majesty where the rosy glow arrived before the immortal was seen. The white cloud boat swayed as it flew, not drawing notice until it reached the lake.
It was laughable, really. The Rosy Glow Cloud Boat was originally a rare and luxurious vessel. The struggle between North and South was, after all, a clash of grand cultivators, and Chi Zhiyan had been reluctant to deploy it; thus Li Xuanfeng had only used the Rosy Glow Cloud Boat to ferry people over, and the vessel remained moored at the Si family's grounds.
A transmission came from the riverbank, reporting that the northern cultivators had retreated, and the Qingchi celestial carriage had reached the north shore, heading straight for Qingdu.
Li Qinghong's expression was still somewhat downcast. The aunt and nephews were all clad in white. In the distance, the white luster of a spiritual vessel faintly emerged; though incomparable to the Rosy Glow Cloud Boat, it was still a respectable immortal skiff.
In this clash between North and South, the Li family's contribution could rank first among all clans: during the turmoil of Chengshui Ze, the disastrous defeat at Yanshan Pass, and the battle along the riverbank, the Li family had deployed all their men and suffered devastating losses.
The turmoil of Chengshui Ze and the defeat at Yanshan Pass had been unexpected disasters. In Chengshui Ze, every cultivator below Foundation Establishment was wiped out; at Yanshan Pass, not one in ten survived. As for the battle along the riverbank, Lake Wangyue lay directly behind it, so the Li family had fought with the utmost disregard for their lives.
Li Qinghong took the registry in her hands, packed densely with names. Reading it in silence, she sighed inwardly.
Although the clan's Foundation Establishment cultivators were nearly all preserved, the various prominent surnames, guest elders, and even the Chengming generation of the Li family suffered unprecedented devastation. White mourning banners fluttered outside every household.
All of the Li family's guest elders with notable cultivation had gone north. Chen Donghe was wounded in the battle along the riverbank, though fortunately not gravely; An Zheyan had lost an eye; aside from Li Wen and Tian Zhongqing, nearly every other person had fallen in the north.
The Chengming generation was virtually wiped out. From Yanshan Pass, only Li Minggong escaped back; among those guarding the riverbank—Li Chengliao, Li Chenghuai, and Li Cheng—out of over a dozen Qi Refinement cultivators previously, only four remained in the end.
Li Qinghong was, after all, the master of Qingdu Peak and relatively well-informed. Hearing this news, the others looked at each other, and Li Ximing raised his head thoughtfully, murmuring in a low voice:
"I have already received word that Mount Bianyan suffered a crushing defeat. It is said the great formation was breached and the cultivators scattered, but nine out of ten are unlikely to survive.
"Mount Changhuai dispatched several Zifu masters to safeguard that golden nature… They likely harbor deep schemes. Wu's immortal system differs from Yue's: seven sects and eight clans, with Mount Changhuai reigning solitary above all other sects. Whatever they wish to do is far easier."
Li Ximing looked around with a heavy heart, looking up at Li Qinghong; she had already read the registry, seated at the head, and her mood was visibly sorrowful.
"For it to reach such tragic extremes, there must have been calculations by Zifu masters. Granduncle calculated well; the Chi family's tail has grown too large to wag."
Li Xijun personally participated in this matter and understood it most clearly; he even knew that Real Person Changxi of Xuanyue Gate had a hand in it. However, such words were unfit to speak aloud, so he merely nodded gravely. Li Ximing followed closely behind, and together they rode the wind out of the great formation.
Li Xijun waited personally upon the lake. Gazing out, Si Yuanli saw that the several Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family had all arrived, giving him ample face. Si Yuanli truly felt a measure of grief and sorrow over Li Xuanfeng's death, so his expression was natural and required little acting.
Descending upon the peak, Si Yuanli first looked at Li Ximing, noting his abundant magical power yet finding nothing particularly exceptional, before fixing his attention on the dignified and graceful Li Qinghong, observing her in secret.
'Behind this person stand both the Yang and Li families. Her cultivation is deep and her conduct perceptive. Chi Zhiyun tried hard to win her over back then and saw through her early on… Fortunately, Chi Zhiyan committed every foolish blunder imaginable.'
Si Yuanli sighed deeply. "Brother Xuanfeng fought until his strength was spent to protect the tens of millions of people in Jiangnan. It is truly heart-wrenching…"
The funeral lasted three days. On the table, Li Xuanfeng's storage bag still lay quietly. After finishing the funeral rites, everyone sat down together.
Li Xuanxuan had slept for two days before awakening. The Wanling flower preserved life while dispelling sorrow; Li Ximing had prepared it specifically so the old man could open his heart and drink his fill, and its effects were still lingering, leaving him looking somewhat dazed.
The seals on Li Xuanfeng's storage bag had long been dispelled. Li Xijun picked it up and looked at Li Xuanxuan. The old man shook his head, so Li Qinghong could only rise and say gently, "Everyone, let us distribute the public property according to need…"
She unfastened the storage bag, and with a clatter, a multitude of items spilled out. Before coming north, Li Xuanfeng had evidently made thorough preparations, leaving a large portion of spiritual items for Li Yuanqin. Most of the items here had been acquired from Daning Palace, bearing an aura of ancient antiquity, a dazzling and gleaming array.
The Li family had operated upon the lake for a hundred years, so their storehouses were naturally full of Embryonic Breathing spiritual items, and Qi Refinement talismans and magical artifacts were plentiful, but Foundation Establishment spiritual items and precious medicines were few and far between; under ordinary circumstances, their Qi Refinement spiritual items numbered less than twenty varieties.
The spiritual items here were by no means few, and there was not a single Embryonic Breathing item among them. Li Xuanfeng had fought his way through Daning Palace and back, and the Foundation Establishment spiritual items he had obtained far exceeded the Li family's entire treasury!
There were eleven Qi Refinement magical artifacts, eleven varieties of Foundation Establishment spiritual items, four precious medicines, and seventy-one varieties of Qi Refinement spiritual items.
Setting aside the armor and sundry items prepared for Li Zhouwei, the few objects placed right in the center immediately drew everyone's gaze.
From left to right, there was a golden talisman, a letter, an incense burner, a painted screen the length of an arm, and a droplet of mercury.
Li Xijun looked closely: neither the golden talisman nor the droplet of mercury could be clearly deciphered; the incense burner was an unrefined Foundation Establishment ancient magical artifact of dark red hue, with the seal script 【Sima】 inscribed on its base.
He first picked up the letter and unfolded it. The paper was made of some spiritual cloth, folded quite casually, bearing several deep circular impressions from having been pressed beneath the incense burner for who knew how many years. The calligraphy danced like dragons in ancient seal script:
"…The brothers Chen Xuanli and Chen Xuanxiang have gone south into Yue and founded a sect called Lingyu Gate. The King of Yue holds them in high regard. The two are not easy to deal with. Your clan guards the riverbank year-round and must remain vigilant… The True Monarch has not responded for years; caution must come first in all things."
The letter appeared to be correspondence from a cultivator of the State of Ning to the Sima family concerning the ancient history of Lingyu Gate. Li Xijun read it carefully, thinking inwardly: 'The Chen clan of Lingyu Gate indeed migrated from the State of Ning. No wonder they aided with all their might during the siege against Real Person Donghua; it must be an old connection to the Ning and Li families.
'The King of Yue held them in high regard… Now the Chen clan is extinguished, and the Yang clan's numbers are sparse. Who knows when that old ancestor will be able to break through.'
He passed the letter along and picked up the screen. It likewise had not been refined with magical power, reduced to the length of an arm, its painted surface hazy and indistinct. Resting quietly in his palm, it was another ancient magical artifact.
However, the screen possessed an enigmatic luster and had been placed in a corner by Li Xuanfeng with special care. Clearly no ordinary object, it drew a few extra glances from Li Xijun.
Both ancient artifacts were extraordinary, requiring several months just to refine, and their brilliance could not be displayed immediately. Just as Li Xijun was about to speak, the old man transformed from the white ape landed in the hall and spoke in a booming voice…
Chapter 617