West Shore

The West Shore was covered with Daoist temples and clan estates, and its population flourished. Yet the cultivators lived truly miserable lives; across the vast expanse of the West Shore, to say nothing of Foundation Establishment, cultivators even at Qi Refinement did not number enough to fill two hands. Qingchi might leave Daoist He alone, but these petty clans possessed no such privilege. Every five years, they had to pay tribute both to Daoist He and to Qingchi; the spirit rice they broke their backs to grow was not even enough to meet the demands of both sides. Consequently, they were forced to resort to every means imaginable to scrape together spirit stones from between their fingers—either venturing into Mount Dali on perilous expeditions, taking up service under the Li or Yu families, or simply crossing the lake into the wilderness to turn to banditry, sending whatever they earned back home. Under such crushing burdens, the cultivators of the West Shore had not a sliver of time to devote to cultivation. If someone finally managed to reach Qi Refinement against all odds, they would even have to be sent to Daoist He's temple to assist in forging dharma artifacts. As a result, not a single Foundation Establishment cultivator had emerged in nearly two hundred years—indeed, not even someone who stood a chance of attempting the breakthrough had appeared. Observing the scenes along the way, Li Xizhi and his companions found the place utterly lifeless. In some immortal cultivation clans, the sole cultivator had gone abroad to risk his life, leaving mortals to manage the household. Having grown accustomed to the plights of those at the bottom, Li Qinghong remarked with appreciation: "At least the mortals here live quite comfortably. After all, every family is desperate for cultivators, and Daoist He demands no flesh sacrifices. He only hopes that more people are raised and more spirit apertures are opened, so there is one more laborer." Only Yang Ruizao, who had lived in comfort and privilege since childhood, kept his brows deeply furrowed after taking it all in. With a sigh, he said: "Lake Wangyue is truly a desperate land teeming with talent." As they rode the wind toward Mount Jiumen on the West Shore, an elderly cultivator rode the wind out to receive them. Clad in Daoist robes, he had worn an indifferent expression, but upon reaching them, his pupils instantly dilated: "Four Foundation Establishment cultivators?! And two at late Foundation Establishment?!" "Disaster! The Li family is attacking!" His legs went weak, and he bowed all the way to the ground, his voice trembling: "Greetings, My Lords!" Serving as the mediator this time, Yang Ruizao stood at the fore and spoke plainly: "No need for such ceremony. Inform your master that Yang Ruizao has come to visit." The old Daoist fled back into the formation as if for his life. Several dozen breaths later, a white-haired elder indeed rode the wind out of the array. He had a rather long face and bright, spirited eyes, though his expression was full of surprise: "The third lad of the Yang family? A rare guest indeed! What brought you to this old man's threshold?" Yang Ruizao responded warmly and courteously. The four entered together. Jiumen Peak was entirely crimson, its fire vein surging ceaselessly with scorching, stifling heat. Flying into the depths of the cave dwelling, they took their seats in order. He Ting was, after all, an old man nearing three hundred years of age. Merely glancing at their expressions, he had already deduced most of Yang Ruizao's intent. Having the elderly Daoist serve tea, Yang Ruizao introduced: "This is Peak Master Li Xizhi of Changtian Peak..." "I know! I know!" The elder chuckled amiably and said: "Back in those days, your family ancestor Li Mutian accompanied Brother Tianya on the campaign against the Shanyue. His bearing was truly exceptional. Though I did not go along, I often heard Tianya praise that sword technique of his..." The Li family members fell momentarily silent. Li Xizhi replied gently, and after Yang Ruizao exchanged a few words with the elder, He Ting chuckled: "Back then, refining the Seal of Yue Enfeoffment was rather difficult for Tianya. It was I who suggested he lead troops to put down the rebellion, sharing food and quarters with his soldiers, which finally allowed him to finish refining that treasure. In the end, I share a sliver of fate with it as well." "Old Ancestor," Yang Ruizao began, but He Ting waved a hand to cut him off, answering in an aged voice: "If you've come to ask me to lend a hand, I'm afraid you will be disappointed." He pulled open the Daoist robes at his chest—underneath, it was entirely hollow. All this time while conversing with them, He Ting had been nothing more than a head draped in a dharma robe. Yet He Ting's expression remained tranquil as he spoke warmly: "To refine that spirit embryo for the Perfected, my Dao Foundation shattered entirely, and even this mortal vessel was sacrificed in the process. The Perfected was boundlessly generous and bestowed a spirit elixir upon me, allowing this head to endure for another three to five years." For a moment, everyone fell silent. Yang Ruizao paused for a full three breaths before saying: "My visit this time was also to invite Old Ancestor... to return to Qingchi once, to see the brethren and elders..." "It is only right!" He Ting smiled gently, then turned to the Li clan members, speaking in an amiable tone: "I have neither sons nor daughters, and was as close as brothers with Yang Tianya. I have long entertained such a thought. As for this vast West Shore and its hundreds of thousands of common folk, I leave them in your noble clan's hands!" "Rest assured, Daoist," Li Xizhi replied. He Ting then beckoned the old Daoist forward and said softly: "This is my adoptive son, He Jiumen. He has inherited some of my teachings and will follow your noble clan's orders from now on." Turning to look around, he sighed: "Mount Jiumen's spiritual energy is not particularly dense, and its formation is unremarkable—merely at the Qi Refinement level, so I need not elaborate. However, its fire vein and baleful energy are the most vigorous across all of Lake Wangyue, the sole feature worth taking note of. "Third lad Yang, stay and chat with me. The rest of you may take your leave!" The Li clan members naturally had no objection and stepped out of the mountain together. Li Xijun let out a soft breath and said: "Now we owe the Yang family a favor." Walking atop a rainbow, Li Xizhi nodded silently. Gazing toward the Forbidden Grand Array in the lake where lightning flashed, he suddenly recalled something and remarked: "I looked over the array patterns mentioned in the letter, but couldn't find any records of them. However, I did trace the origins of that stack of golden talismans." "Oh?" Li Qinghong and Li Xijun quickly turned to look. Li Xizhi held out his hand, and Li Xijun immediately retrieved the stack of golden talismans—twelve in total—and handed them over. Examining them closely, Li Xizhi murmured: "Si Yuanli specifically sent someone to explain it to me in detail. These are shamanic talismans of the Binggu tradition, divided into three kinds with abilities of 'Transformation', 'Concealment', and 'Incantation'." Sorting them into three piles, Li Xizhi said: "In this stack, there are two of 'Transformation', five of 'Concealment', and five of 'Incantation'... "It is said that 'Transformation' allows one to take another person's appearance using their blood, but any Foundation Establishment cultivator with an ocular technique can see through it, so it is of little practical use... 'Concealment' can temporarily shield against divination and deduction, making it quite valuable... As for 'Incantation', it is rather complex and cannot be explained in a few words." Producing a small booklet, he handed it alongside the stack of golden talismans into Li Xijun's hands, saying: "The Si family gave this to me. Brother Jun, you should look through it. When the time comes to use them, they might prove of great help." Seeing Li Xijun nod, he continued: "As for that mercury droplet, it should be a treasure of the Quandan nature, and of no low rank. Most cultivation methods of this type are exceedingly difficult to practice yet exceptionally formidable. I sent a copy home in the past; we can try letting the younger generation cultivate it." Committing his words to memory, Li Xijun noticed Li Xizhi gazing toward the distant lightning as he asked: "Is Lake Central Islet ready?" Li Xijun replied: "We originally dispatched people to seek Senior Liu Changdie, but after searching all the usual places, there was still no trace of him. Even the boy attendants guarding his cave dwelling haven't seen him, so we won't be finding him anytime soon. "Fortunately, the patterns within the array offer some reference, and unraveling this Forbidden Grand Array is not overly difficult. I have already sent people to invite array masters from the commanderies. With so many Foundation Establishment cultivators in our clan, breaking this array will only take a year or half a year at most."