"Offspring."
Real Person Tianwan murmured the word, then spoke in a mocking undertone:
"So what if they are? What even is 'offspring'? Is it someone I watched grow from childhood, fostering affection in my heart, or do they revere and love me? Neither, isn't that so? The moment I broke through and emerged from secluded cultivation, a crowd of old men hailed me as their ancestor... What does any of that have to do with me?"
The Tanyun Rat sighed. After all, a shred of affection between master and servant remained in his heart, and he urged:
"Yet the bloodline cannot be erased. Even if you harbor no feeling for them, they ought to be closer to you than strangers at least..."
"Close?"
Real Person Tianwan ground her teeth at the word, her tone fierce and icy cold.
"I possess a divine ability! I can see into the hearts of men. Whatever passes through their minds, is there anything I do not see with absolute clarity? Tanyun! What those women think of is only hatred and jealousy of me... What closeness could there possibly be?!
"As for Guo Hong'er... and Guo Hongjian..."
Her expression turned colder still, touched with venomous malice, as she whispered:
"Fine... at least they aren't as foolish as Guo Hongyao. They knew I could read the hearts of men, so in my presence they dared not let such thoughts surface. But the moment I entered seclusion, in secret they harbored lustful depravities, urges to violate and thoughts of incestuous defilement...
"What closeness is there to speak of?!"
These words left Tanyun frozen on the spot, unable to speak for the longest time. He muttered:
"This... this..."
"Yet..."
This time, Real Person Tanyun truly had no defense to offer on their behalf. In a matter like this, even if Guo Shentong were present, he would have had to hang his head in shame. Tanyun could only mumble:
"Separated by centuries as they are, it is hard for them to feel any genuine familial bond... You are untainted by the mortal dust, exceptionally beautiful even among humankind, and your cultivation is of ice and snow, awe-inspiring and inviolable. It is only natural they would harbor such sordid desires..."
His voice trailed off as he spoke. In his heart, he wished nothing more than to drag those Guo descendants up and slaughter every last one of them, yet aloud he still tried to persuade her:
"Madam... The ancients said that 'to see another's heart is to see demonic obstruction,' and for good reason. In antiquity, cultivators who mastered such divine abilities feared venturing into the mortal world above all else. A single glance with that divine ability was enough to plunge them into utter despondency and fill their hearts with virulent malice... The inner thoughts of a mind are the hardest to reproach... Who doesn't harbor greed and lust in their heart?..."
Real Person Tianwan merely looked at him in silence. The woman was enshrouded in the aura of ice and snow, revealing only a pair of exquisitely beautiful eyes. She said softly:
"Ancient texts often say that once a destiny divine ability is formed, all the world becomes vile. Thus Violet Palace cultivators grow ruthless and slaughter without inhibition—because in their eyes, every living soul is guilty. I understand now."
***
Zongquan Island.
Li Qinghong and Kong Tingyun arrived at Zongquan Island by boat. Li Zhouwei came forward to greet them, riding a brilliant beam of clear light, and cupped his hands in salute.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
A smile finally appeared on Li Qinghong's face at the sight of him, gentle and blossoming. Li Zhouwei turned to greet Kong Tingyun, cupping his hands.
"Greetings, Senior!"
Kong Tingyun smiled and nodded, her round eyes taking him in with subtle appreciation.
'Fortunately...'
Li Qinghong had never required Li Zhouwei to bow down or kowtow to her within the clan, and previously she had avoided letting him meet outsiders. She had done so with deliberate foresight: had Li Zhouwei not yet broken through to Foundation Establishment, meeting Kong Tingyun—the sect master of Xuanyue—would not have been a matter of a simple cupped-fist salute. According to the rules of the cultivation world, a full prostration would have been the proper etiquette.
Moreover, Kong Tingyun was clever; if he had refused to bow, there was no telling what she might suspect. Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, so a full bow was unnecessary, sparing them a great deal of trouble.
Stepping aside, Li Qinghong smiled. "This is the sect master of Xuanyue, Kong Tingyun—and this is our family's heir."
"I have long heard of your renown!"
Kong Tingyun gazed at him for a moment before slowly averting her eyes. Li Zhouwei was remarkably handsome, but beyond that, he possessed a compelling charisma that made it difficult to look away. She mused inwardly with a smile:
'They say the descendants of Wei are strikingly handsome, and it seems the rumors hold true. Qinghong and Xijun were proof enough...'
Fearing complications from lingering too long, Li Qinghong had no intention of remaining here, so she said:
"Let us board the vessel first."
The two boarded the boat. Seeing Kong Tingyun present, Li Zhouwei deliberated and refrained from bringing up Ding Jiao. As they went inside together, Li Qinghong asked with concern:
"How is Chengliao?"
"He remains in secluded cultivation; there has been no news..."
Kongheng answered in his stead. Li Zhouwei conversed with the two for a while, gaining some familiarity with Kong Tingyun, before asking:
"Senior Kong... junior has harbored a question for some time... Items like the Six Ding Combined Fire Medallion and the Six Xin Unified Metal Medallion appear to belong to a set. Where exactly do they originate?"
Kong Tingyun hesitated for a moment before replying:
"These spiritual tools... are fairly renowned. They ought to be connected to the immortal abodes, but beyond that, I am not certain..."
She spoke vaguely, seemingly unable to explain further. Heading northward while sea winds howled outside the boat, they arrived several days later at Yuezhou Island of Xuanyue Gate.
This was the ancestral base of the Kong clan. Kong Tingyun smiled and pointed toward the north.
"I almost forgot to mention to your clan—Tangjin Gate has sealed its mountain and abandoned Jindou Island. It has now fallen into our hands."
"Congratulations!"
Li Qinghong offered her congratulations. A Xuanyue disciple then came forward to deliver a report. Kong Tingyun read it carefully, then murmured in a low voice:
"Real Person Zipei has indeed fallen!"
Li Qinghong was not well acquainted with this Real Person, but as Zipei was a prominent cultivator of good repute, she sighed in sympathy. Yet Kong Tingyun smiled and remarked:
"Though she might not truly be dead."
Li Zhouwei raised his brows at her, questioning:
"Reincarnation?"
"Precisely."
Kong Tingyun said softly:
"Do you remember that period during the North-South Conflict when the Violet Palace masters vanished for a time? It was because traces of Anhuai Heaven appeared within the Great Void, and among them were several portions of the Tianwu True Qi Divine Fiend Nature!"
"True Qi!"
Li Zhouwei felt a jolt in his heart. A thought struck him like lightning:
'The old ape also cultivates True Qi... His breakthrough occurred remarkably close to that very time!'
The White Ape's breakthrough had been one of the most unexpected events for the Li family. After all, his body was riddled with old injuries, many of which had damaged his foundation. Li Xicheng and Xiao Guiluan had possessed far higher chances of success than him... yet he alone had succeeded.
'Thinking on it now... it truly was a blessing of fortune! Just at that moment, the Violet Palace masters were contending within the Great Void, and the emergence of the Tianwu True Qi Divine Fiend Nature granted him that celestial alignment.'
Li Zhouwei had previously held misgivings about the matter. Though he trusted the White Ape, he had suspected whether someone might have meddled with him in his earlier years. Now his mind was set much more at ease. Kong Tingyun continued:
"That metallic nature was claimed by Real Person Zipei. My clan's Real Person said that with a metallic nature in hand, one can reincarnate into carefree freedom. She has likely made her escape."
***
Mount Wu.
Mount Wu was where the spiritual energy of Lake Wangyue was at its thickest. Now, a grand array sealed the perimeter, severing all spiritual fluctuations from the outside. White vapors flowed across the jade steps of the mountain, rich and thick as milk, cascading downward layer upon layer.
The blood pool atop the mountain had long since been remodeled. Inside lay a small mound of spirit stones submerged in murmuring spiritual springs; wisps and ribbons of spiritual qi sprang forth, flowing across the ground paved with ancient jade.
Amidst a forest of jade pillars, Li Ximing, clad in Daoist robes, stood atop the tallest pillar. With every inhalation and exhalation, rich spiritual qi converged from all directions, pouring into his acupoints.
He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of celestial light, which flashed brightly amidst the mist before fading away.
Within the sea of qi inside his body, a serene lantern lit up, hovering above his immortal foundation. Its shimmering brilliance illuminated everything in his sea of qi with a radiant glow.
'The Tiandeng is formed!'
The Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan contained nine secret arts. In textual order, they were Yangyuan, Tiandeng, Precious Steps, Great Fissure, Refraction, Hundred Weapons Abode, Sovereign's Edict, Golden Scales, and Red Cicada, each possessing its own unique capacity. With his seclusion and the influence of the Huaijiang Map, Li Ximing had finally mastered the second.
It had to be said that Li Ximing's aptitude was extraordinarily high. Having just turned sixty, he had already mastered two secret arts. Now that the Tiandeng was completed, his immortal foundation underwent further subtle transformations.
"The method of the Tiandeng can illuminate obscurity, bringing clarity to the mind and spirit, making the study of scriptures and the practice of arts twice as effective with half the effort..."
Li Ximing suddenly had an epiphany:
'It would have been best to start cultivating with the Tiandeng, though the simplest, Yangyuan, did not take much time either. Cultivating these two first was indeed the right choice...
'Yet these secret arts...'
Gazing at that brilliantly glowing Tiandeng floating in his sea of qi, Li Ximing pondered inwardly:
'They are truly conceived with exquisite ingenuity. No matter how deep the heritage of the Three Sects and Seven Gates might be, they would never possess many secret arts of this caliber.'
The deeper his comprehension grew, the more he felt the preciousness of these secret arts. Even with the simplest Yangyuan, the profound wonders contained within were beyond comparison to any spell he had previously encountered.
'Except for the immortal arts, the Guiding Method and the Sacrificial Offering Method.'
The Li clan was utterly baffled by those two methods. They revealed no discernible marvels, nor did chanting them evoke any spiritual resonance; it was like calling for rain twice and having rain fall from the sky—inexplicably taking effect simply through recitation.
Aside from those two, the Li clan's other spells could not begin to compare. Every time Li Ximing practiced these arts, it felt like steering a vessel across a boundless sea, often leaving him so entranced he forgot to return.
He let out a breath and spent more than half a month stabilizing the Tiandeng within the array before beginning to practice the next art. Suddenly, he noticed the array flickering, and a small letter materialized atop a jade pillar.
Li Ximing picked it up and scanned the contents:
"Reporting to My Lord, the Xiao family has arrived for a visit. If My Lord has exited seclusion, please grace us with your presence."
Li Ximing pondered for a moment. Since the letter had been delivered directly to him, his aunt was likely not at home, and the Xiao family could by no means be slighted. Thus, he soared into the air upon a ray of light, taking flight from Mount Wu.
When he landed in the main hall on the islet, he found quite a few people gathered inside. His grandfather Li Xuanxuan stood off to the side with a hearty smile, while the White Ape stood guard on the other side like a stone statue.
In the center of the hall stood a middle-aged man with an honest, gentle countenance and graying temples. Two strands of medicine pouches hung from his body, and a faint smile touched his face as his brows relaxed and he looked toward him.
"Master!"
Li Ximing knew this face better than any other. This was none other than his master, Xiao Yuansi!
This man had always possessed a warm and gentle countenance, but age now weighed heavily upon him. A weathered exhaustion lingered deep in his eyes, and his complexion was somewhat pale, as if nursing minor injuries.
Li Ximing had never expected him to come in person. He hurriedly performed the disciple's salute and stood by his side. The middle-aged man took his hand, his eyes softened with warmth, his voice as mellow as it had been all those years ago:
"Ming'er has grown so much."
Following Li Xijun's death, Li Ximing had wept only once, having had no leeway to mourn thereafter. Yet this single greeting made his eyes grow hot, and he said in a solemn voice:
"Ximing greets Master!"
"Good..."
Xiao Yuansi was an old man weathered by time himself; having consumed numerous pills since childhood, he still retained the appearance of a middle-aged man. He looked at him with a smile, then turned to Li Xuanxuan and said:
"Xuanxuan, you and I have caught up enough. Take your rest for now; I would like to speak with Ming'er in private."
Li Xuanxuan held the highest seniority in the Li family, and only the man before him could address him in such a manner. Stroking his white beard, he promptly took his leave. Xiao Yuansi looked at the young man before him, coughed twice, and said with a smile:
"Ming'er, come. Let us speak on your Mount Wu."
Li Ximing hurriedly supported him, but Xiao Yuansi smiled and shook his head. Toward this elder, Li Ximing felt nothing but profound gratitude. Descending together onto Mount Wu and landing atop its summit, Xiao Yuansi looked around and chuckled:
"You... you were born to have the best. This Mount Wu is even better than my cave abode on Mount Xianyou."
Li Ximing nodded silently. Master and disciple sat down by the jade table, and Xiao Yuansi said softly:
"Your family hasn't made further use of this blood pool either... Good... Tongya did not teach in vain."
Li Ximing could only nod. Xiao Yuansi looked at him and said:
"In my entire life, I have taken you as my sole disciple, passing on everything in the Dao of Alchemy that I could teach... Ming'er... I understand you too, perhaps even better than Xuanxuan does. That is why I came on this trip..."
He said gently:
"Ximing, if you intended to attempt the Violet Palace, why didn't you mention it to your master first?..."
Li Ximing looked up to meet Xiao Yuansi's smile. The older man said:
"Xuanxuan might be unwilling to give you that Mingfang Sky Stone, but do not resent him for it."
"Master... Ximing would never dare!"
Li Ximing rose in alarm. Xiao Yuansi pulled him back down into his seat, retrieved a jade bottle from his sleeve, and placed it in his hand, smiling.
"Take a look?"
Li Ximing felt a pervasive warmth against his palm. Sweeping his spiritual sense inside, he discovered a brilliant pill resting within the bottle. Upon its surface were five golden veins twisting like bared claws and fangs, harboring a concentrated burst of bright light, while the entire jade bottle was locked with dense golden radiance.
Li Ximing cultivated Mingyang and was well versed in alchemy; how could he fail to recognize it? The pill was imbued with intensely potent Mingyang dharmic powers, yet its aura was ethereal and tranquil. There was no telling how many Mingyang spiritual objects and precious medicines had been used to refine it!
"Mas... ter...!"
Li Ximing was struck dumb. Xiao Yuansi let out a few chuckles, coughed, and said softly:
"You, ah... I have always known you harbored great ambitions. From the moment you broke through to Foundation Establishment, I began keeping an eye out for Mingyang spiritual objects. Originally, I thought I would gather them slowly, but I never expected you to cultivate so quickly, leaving me scarcely able to keep pace.
"Fortunately, your master has developed connections over the years and knew of a few Mingyang spiritual items. I acquired two precious medicines—one was a Sea Bright Lotus, the other a Three Yangs Bright Qi Fruit. Then I rushed to the Eastern Sea in all haste, and managed to assemble everything in the nick of time."
Xiao Yuansi said softly:
"Violet Palace spiritual objects are far too rare; I lack that kind of capability. Only in the Dao of Alchemy do I possess some skill. Though I have no pill formula specifically meant to aid breakthroughs to the Violet Palace, this item is pure Mingyang essence. It is called the Ziming Pill, and it should prove of no small benefit."
Looking at Li Ximing, he said warmly:
"It is a fairly precious item... Fearing ears might listen in, I called you into the array before speaking. I undertook this secretly, without letting my clan's Real Person know... He is in the Northern Sea anyway, so he cannot oversee everything... You may take and use it with peace of mind."
Li Ximing could hardly bear to meet Xiao Yuansi's gaze and could only say:
"For Master to go to such lengths... your disciple can never repay this debt..."
"Repay?"
Xiao Yuansi shook his head, a hint of reminiscence gracing his face. He laughed long and softly, patting him on the shoulder. The old man said no more; it was as though those few pats had said everything he wished to say.
Chapter 653