"Dongfang You." Li Zhouwei had made inquiries before coming to the Eastern Sea and naturally recognized the name. This Dongfang You was a dragon king at the peak of the Violet Palace realm who had fallen while failing to break through to Golden Core, an event that had given rise to the phenomenon of "water receding and thunder rising."
Having achieved Foundation Establishment, his memory was photographic, and the recollection surfaced at once. *Huiyao once mentioned that the original master of Zhunan Flood Dragon Palace was Dragon Prince Dingyuan. When Dongfang You failed his breakthrough and lost his patron, Dingyuan was stripped of his position and sent back to the Heshui Sea.*
With an expression of marvel, he offered a few complimentary words before asking, "May I ask what Dragon Prince Dingyuan's relation is to Your Highness..."
"Oh."
Dingjiao took a sip of spiritual wine as the pink-clad maiden behind him gently kneaded his shoulders. The young dragon tilted his white horns and raised his brows with a smile. "He is my second brother. Punished and banished back to Mount Xiashan, he left me no choice but to return from the North Sea to hold this place down for him."
From that single phrase, Li Zhouwei could tell that Dingjiao and Dingyuan likely stood on the same side, both being sons of Dongfang You. For Dingyuan, losing Zhunan Flood Dragon Palace was a punishment, but for Crown Prince Dingjiao, this place was probably hardly desirable either.
"Just call me Dingjiao," Dingjiao corrected him earnestly. Only then did he say in a solemn voice, "Zhouwei, I invited you here this time, first because our forebears share historical ties that we can now renew, and second... there are some matters I wish to inquire about. I have heard that your noble clan once had some connection with the monster cave of Mount Dali. Is this so?"
"My family's forebears once had ties with a direct-line demon fox of Mount Dali," Li Zhouwei replied, "though with the changing generations, contact has dwindled..."
"I see."
Dingjiao set down his teal cup and spoke softly. "I would ask Brother Zhouwei to help me seek out the fox of Mount Li—ideally so we might meet face-to-face. Should this succeed, Dingjiao will certainly repay you generously."
Unsure of the true relation between the dragon lineage and the foxes of Mount Dali, Li Zhouwei paused for a breath, his brow smoothing out. "If it is convenient, could you share a bit more? Without reason, it would be difficult for me to make such a request of the Violet Palace on your behalf."
Dingjiao's gaze lingered upon the dancing girls below as he said softly, "You and I are of the same kind; there is no harm in telling you. I wish to borrow the listening art of the Mount Li foxes to listen into a certain sea trench. However, we cannot enter the mainland, and ordinary great monsters cannot gain an audience with the Mount Li foxes."
Li Zhouwei hesitated for a breath. His clan's connection to the monster cave of Mount Dali was solely through White Banyan Fox, an affection rooted in Li Tongya's days. Though the Li family still sent spirit rice into the mountain year after year, and White Banyan Fox accepted it without fail, they had rarely met in recent years.
Yet this matter required only passing a message; Dingjiao did not even ask him to persuade them. Though Li Zhouwei knew he was extraordinary, who among the likes of Xu Xiao, Tu Long, and Changxiao was ordinary?
He nodded. "Very well, I shall deliver this message for Brother Dingjiao! Brother Dingjiao, why speak of repayment? Once I have news, I will come to the sea and have Huiyao send word down."
Dingjiao did not dwell on the matter, laughing for a moment. Then he studied Li Zhouwei for a moment, turned, and gestured sharply to the wide-mouthed, long-whiskered monster below. "Go, fetch my Qianyang Bracelets!"
The whiskered servant scurried away and soon returned presenting a jade box. Dingjiao set it down on the table with a firm thud and lifted the lid, revealing two bright, lustrous golden rings inside. He grinned. "Brother Zhouwei! These are treasures of Mingyang. Should this matter succeed, they are yours!"
Li Zhouwei raised his brows slightly. The two golden hoops had considerable thickness, making them appear not like talismans cast out to ensnare enemies, but rather ornaments worn upon both wrists, though their miraculous use remained unknown.
Applying a bit of strength, Dingjiao casually pinched the two gold rings between his fingers and extended them toward him.
Upon touching them, Li Zhouwei felt a soothing warmth. Each golden ring was as heavy as a walnut. He spun them around his fingers, turning them over and inspecting them repeatedly before praising, "Truly fine treasures."
At first, Dingjiao's pretext had held a sliver of credibility. But the moment his fingers brushed against the Qianyang Bracelets, a single sweep of Li Zhouwei's spiritual sense revealed their true nature: Violet Palace spirit artifacts! Ancient ones at that!
Even Violet Palace cultivators would fight tooth and nail over such treasures. No matter how wealthy the dragon race was, how could they bestow such a gift over a trivial errand? Suspicion surged within him to its peak. How could he dare accept them?
Li Zhouwei swept his eyes over them, casually placed them back into the jade box, and looked up, saying softly, "Brother Dingjiao is too polite; there is no need for this. Whether this succeeds depends on Mount Dali. You and I have spoken cordially, and carrying a message requires no such artifacts."
He pushed the jade box back. Dingjiao pressed down on the box, glanced up, his smile fading, and said quietly, "These matters must still be kept distinct."
Though Dingjiao appeared candid, Li Zhouwei had no way of knowing how much of it was true. Better to leave that judgment to the fox of Mount Li.
Though Dingjiao and his companion had guessed he was of dragon blood, they had brought out this treasure intentionally to confirm it and avoid any embarrassing blunder. Now that it was confirmed, their manner grew noticeably warmer.
*He can lift the Qianyang Bracelets, so he is indeed a white flood dragon, just as expected.*
*This Dragon Prince never regarded me as human from the start,* Li Zhouwei reflected inwardly. *Though he invited the Li clan heir, he sees me as a white flood dragon transformed into human form. Otherwise, with a bloodline as noble as his, why would he show such courtesy?*
The red-feathered woman Wu Pian covered her mouth with a light chuckle, glanced at Li Zhouwei, and spoke gently.
Dingjiao retracted his gaze and looked toward the fire luan Wu Pian. The two monsters exchanged a glance, and Dingjiao thought to himself, *Uncle Heyun mentioned this Li family, and the Cloud-Moored Lightning Strategy Method Dao just happens to have Li Qinghong as well. Who knows if it wasn't a hint from him? If possible, befriending this white dragon does no harm.*
Dingjiao chuckled. "Brother, since you are a white dragon, your progeny must surely be abundant. Across all celestial dynasties, only the lineage of Wei flourished most. Do you have any arts to teach me?"
Li Zhouwei choked for a moment. The dragon race was notoriously lustful by nature, and this young prince was no exception. Having settled serious matters, every word turned to dual cultivation and progeny. Li Zhouwei chuckled and replied, "Most of my family's heritage has been lost, and techniques of that sort are even scarcer. After all, we have little use for them."
Dingjiao took no offense, laughing for a while before pivoting to share a few ancient anecdotes of Emperor Wei. He nodded and said, "Brother, if you come across any Mingyang spirit items that promote fertility, please keep me in mind. I cannot speak for other things, but our dragon kind possesses spirit items and artifacts in abundance. I will certainly make it worth your while!"
Li Zhouwei gently turned his cup and asked, "What role does Dongfang Heyun actually play among your kin? I have heard he is of an elegant and refined disposition, yet two completely contradictory accounts circulate about him."
Dingjiao continued watching the women in the hall, his pale blue eyes shifting beneath prominent brow ridges. "His standing before the Dragon Lord is by no means low, and because he is connected to the True Lord's incarnation, he possesses many extraordinary wonders. Yet a few of us in the Violet Palace can summon him out whenever we wish. Still, my mother told me that once the Dragon Lord swallows the thunder, Uncle Heyun will reap unimaginable benefits—far beyond merely achieving a divine ability. It is best to remain on good terms with him during this period."
Dingjiao laughed twice as music swelled in the hall. The Violet Palace prince gathered the pink-clad girl into his arms, casually adding, "I am far less rigid with rules than Dingyuan. When I fly across the south of the river and stop by Lake Wangyue to rest, do not drive me away, Brother!"
"Naturally," Li Zhouwei replied with a smile.
He put away the jade box and hesitated a moment, seemingly lost in thought as his words grew sparse. After another half hour, Li Zhouwei rose to take his leave. The white-horned prince escorted him out of the hall, his expression solemn and his voice low.
With two monsters escorting Li Zhouwei out, the Dragon Prince turned back inside, furrowed his brows, and remarked with a hint of regret, "Wu Pian, that white dragon seems to have befriended me with sincere intentions, yet I tested him with a spirit artifact... His family has fallen on hard times and he remains wary; I handled this rather poorly."
The fire luan Wu Pian shook her head with a smile, curiosity coloring her tone.
Dingjiao sat down and sipped his wine, his brow soon relaxing as he said softly, "No matter."
Escorted back aboard the water beast by the two monsters, Li Zhouwei departed the Flood Dragon Palace. He had harbored misgivings all along. Dingjiao had mobilized such an imposing aquatic mount to escort him into the sea with staggering fanfare. Li Zhouwei had initially worried about complications returning from beyond the sea, but after such a spectacle, until the various Violet Palace masters investigated the matter, who would dare lift a hand against him?
***
Meanwhile, Li Qinghong flew eastward, leaving the boundary of Lake Wangyue behind. Crossing into the wilderness along the riverbank, she suddenly noticed the sky turning purple.
A drift of floating clouds took on a pale violet hue as the setting sun sank in the distance, casting a radiant golden glow that tinted the clouds gold above and purple below, adrift across a violet-red expanse.
Rarely seeing such a wondrous spectacle, she surmised that either someone had broken through to the Violet Palace or another Violet Palace master had fallen. Flying much lower, she hastened through the wilderness, heading straight east.
The domain of Xuanyue Gate bordered the Salt Lake. Arriving amidst the flash of lightning, Li Qinghong called out before the mountain ward. Upon hearing that she was from the Wangyue Li family, the disciple hurried inside to report.
After only a short wait, a woman in an ochre robe rode the wind outward and landed nearby. She hastily looked at Li Qinghong, and seeing that her expression was relatively calm, stepped forward with slight unease to greet her in a low voice. "Sister Qinghong..."
Li Qinghong responded courteously. Knowing this was no place for conversation, Kong Tingyun ushered her through the array and flew toward the main peak.
Li Qinghong seldom visited the inner grounds of Xuanyue Gate and had never ventured deep inside. Ascending the main peak, she saw strangely shaped mountains on both sides exuding completely different auras—some with fire veins rising in heat, while a mile or two farther lay a tranquil lake, clearly having been transplanted here from elsewhere.
Glancing left and right, she noticed that the sky above Xuanyue Gate was likewise bathed in purple-red, with violet-gold clouds drifting overhead. Li Qinghong murmured, "Could that be..."
"It is Real Person Zipei of Ziyan Gate," Kong Tingyun answered softly. "A few days ago, my sect's master went to attend the ceremony. Seeing this celestial sign today, nine times out of ten he failed his breakthrough, his life and Dao ending together."
*Real Person Zipei!*
Li Qinghong naturally remembered him. Since Shangyuan's breakthrough, this cultivator had held the highest cultivation across both sides of the river. Yet after several years, he had ultimately failed to achieve the Golden Core as True Monarch Shangyuan had.
With this, Ziyan Gate would weaken, and the State of Yue would have no single figure who completely dominated the rest.
Kong Tingyun shook her head. "My master spoke with me about it. It is said that in his early years, Real Person Zipei nearly became Dao companions with Real Person Dongzhen, but a twist of fate turned them against each other in the end..."
"What a pity."
Though the Real Person was most likely dead, Li Qinghong dared not dwell on the subject. Kong Tingyun was similarly circumspect, letting the topic drop after a brief mention before saying, "Qinghong... About the Mingfang Sky Stone, I originally intended to help, but the situation shifted too swiftly, and the intelligence I provided turned out to be flawed. I truly am terribly sorry."
Once inside the cave dwelling, Kong Tingyun said apologetically, "Please forgive my lack of hospitality during your visit, Qinghong."
Li Qinghong had never intended to blame her and shook her head. "Elder Sister acted out of goodwill. I understand."
Yet inwardly she reflected, *Some matters were indeed beyond her ability, but both the battle on the riverbank and the affair of the Mingfang Sky Stone were based on messages she passed. Ultimately, the fault remains hers.*
After all, affection was something that cooled once people parted...
Hearing her gentle tone, Kong Tingyun breathed a sigh of relief. She pointed toward the stone table where two jade boxes rested, murmuring, "I felt deeply uneasy in my heart, so I prepared two secret arts. Though they cannot make up for even a fraction of what happened to Xijun, they serve as a token of my sincerity. These matters must still be set right."
Li Qinghong naturally refused, declining repeatedly until Kong Tingyun whispered, "If you accept, it means you hold no lingering grudge."
Li Qinghong had always enjoyed a good rapport with her and understood the fault did not lie with her personally. She relented with a nod. A smile returned to Kong Tingyun's face as she brought over the jade boxes, opening the first to introduce it.
"This is a Grade Eight cultivation method, the Mingyuan Guanli Art, which yields the Immortal Foundation Changming Steps—or what ancient texts called Diguan Yuan.
"It was obtained from the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven. This Immortal Foundation is extremely difficult to cultivate, but it transforms light into flame, manifesting into various forms of men or beasts to guard oneself. It can also be inscribed as talismans to manifest fire and subdue spirits."
Li Qinghong glanced at it twice and returned it to the box. She noted the ancient name down, thinking it far more fitting for that era, given that Emperor Wei had ruled as an emperor and his Immortal Foundation had naturally undergone corresponding shifts.
Kong Tingyun shook her head and added, "It is merely a Grade Eight method. Although derived from a grotto-heaven, cultivating it is immensely difficult, and gathering Qi is equally arduous. Truth be told, it is rather mediocre, so I would never use only this to brush you off."
She picked up the other box and smiled. "This item, however, was begged from my sect's master, and it is truly something worth speaking of! It ranks among the finest of Grade Seven spells. Master obtained it in his early years from the State of Xu, so returning it to your house is returning it to its rightful master!"
She brought out an ancient jade slip and whispered, "Subduing Light of the Great Luminary."
Li Qinghong received the slip, noting its pale golden sheen and the tiny characters carved along its edges.
"Thank you, Elder Sister!"
Chapter 649