Si Boxiu stood firm upon the clouds. When he finished speaking, Li Ximing immediately cupped his hands in return and said softly:
"Our clan has cultivated for a hundred years under the upper sect's protection, and your noble clan has offered much assistance. That kindness has never been forgotten. My elder brother still serves within the sect, so I must ask Senior to look after him well in the days to come!"
Si Boxiu's gaze remained complicated, though his expression softened considerably. Li Ximing's breakthrough to the Violet Palace was now an established fact; what else could he say? He let out a sigh and said amiably:
"Back during the Chi clan turmoil, you suffered much harsh treatment. This old man offers his apologies!"
Li Ximing made no definitive judgment, maintaining a respectful tone. "Senior speaks too heavily... this junior does not deserve it!"
As their exchange came to an end, a blazing crimson Liguang talisman burst forth from the Great Void and materialized in the sky. Its light vibrated, coalescing into floating streaks of radiance, from which the figure of a thick-browed man emerged.
The man wore a narrow-sleeved robe with a broad lapel, its borders embroidered with Liguang talismans, dense with tiny, glowing scarlet runes. He possessed a hearty countenance, thick brows, and large eyes. Lightly clasping his hands, he boomed:
"Hengli of the Hengzhu Immortal Dao congratulates our Fellow Daoist on behalf of my sect! May Fellow Daoist find affinity with the Five Dharmas, attain the Golden Lotus with ease, pass effortlessly through each stage of the Violet realm, and successfully gather every intercalary remainder."
The man before him was Master Hengli of Hengzhu Dao, one of the premier artifact refiners in Jiangnan. That he had come in person to offer congratulations showed the sincerity of Hengzhu Dao. Li Ximing had long heard of his renown and took him seriously, returning the courtesy:
"I have long heard of Senior's great name, and seeing you today confirms your reputation is well deserved."
Hengli chuckled gruffly and nodded. "The Nine-Color Mysterious Mercury you deposited with my Hengzhu has been properly preserved by my sect all along. Now that you have achieved the Violet Palace, someone has already been dispatched to deliver it, and it is on the way."
Li Ximing understood that the Nine-Color Mysterious Mercury he referred to was the Violet Palace spiritual object obtained from Wang Fu. He responded cordially. Then, a golden light manifested to the west, revealing a broad-shouldered, burly man whose eyes glared coldly at Hengli before turning to Li Ximing:
"I am Tianque of the Jinyu Immortal Sect. On behalf of our Jinyu Sect, I congratulate Master Zhaojing! May Fellow Daoist's divine abilities be tempered a hundredfold, may the orthodox Dharma never wane, may your radiance illuminate the cosmos, and may you attain true nature!"
Both of these masters were adept at combat and notably at odds with one another. Li Ximing quickly steered the conversation, saying softly:
"The Immortal Sect has long maintained good relations with my clan's forebears. The Master's esteemed presence brings immense honor to our humble abode."
Only after Master Tianque nodded did another figure appear standing in the clouds—a tall, thin man clad in a shamanic robe. His eyes were impassive as he casually clasped his hands.
"Houfu of the Great Xiukui Abbey congratulates the Master!"
Though Great Xiukui Abbey was still counted among the orthodox paths, its heritage was rather eerie and sinister, and its members rarely mingled with outsiders. Houfu's presence was solely out of respect for the Li clan's upright conduct. The moment Li Ximing gave his reply, Houfu vanished into a puff of black smoke.
To the other side, a middle-aged man carrying a sword on his back offered his salutations. His tone was relatively mild as he spoke in a low voice:
"I am Cheng Jiuwen, offering congratulations on behalf of Sword Sect. If Fellow Daoist finds the time, you are welcome to visit our Sword Sect."
Sword Sect and Xiukui Abbey were notoriously haughty and detached. The middle-aged man from Sword Sect seemed disdainful of such social gatherings; as soon as Li Ximing acknowledged him and returned the courtesy, he took off into the Great Void and departed.
Only after the middle-aged man from Sword Sect left did another Daoist-robed man appear. He had a gentle, benevolent countenance with willow-leaf eyes, and he smiled:
"I am Changxiao, here to congratulate Master Zhaojing!"
Li Ximing raised his brows to look at him. The man's face held not a shred of hostility, looking upon him with a pleasant, warm smile. Naturally, Li Ximing could not trust him. Setting aside that this man was notoriously difficult to deal with, the very Mingfang Sky Stone Li Ximing had used for his breakthrough had come from Changxiao Gate!
*Even though all the various factions were playing their games back then and Changxiao Gate bled a little, Changxiao still managed to use the Mingfang Sky Stone as bait while Chengyan was unable to leave the sect, turning the tables on Hengzhu Dao so that Tulong would not lean to either side... My family merely reaped the spoils... But who knows what this old fox is truly thinking?*
Though guarded in his heart, Li Ximing maintained a polite facade and replied cordially. Changxiao's voice was deep and resonant as he said:
"Master Zimu of Ziyan Gate is in secluded cultivation, and the other master, who is of your generation, has gone abroad to search for the reincarnated body of Zipei, so neither could come to greet you. Please do not take offense."
He spoke as though he had an extraordinarily close relationship with Ziyan Gate, leaving Li Ximing momentarily taken aback. Li Ximing returned the courtesy with outward civility. The remaining figures lingering in the Great Void did not reveal themselves, nor did Xiao Chuting arrive. The few masters paid their respects one after another and vanished.
Si Boxiu remained until the very end, his eyes fixed on the Heavenly Gate in the sky, his hands clasped behind his back. Seemingly sorting through his thoughts, he gave Li Ximing a slight smile and finally departed.
The heavenly light behind Li Ximing withdrew back into his glabella, the iridescent clouds in the sky dimmed, and the gleaming Heavenly Gate among the clouds gradually faded away. He descended toward the lake, where over a million eyes looked up at him.
"We pay homage to the Master!"
Li Cheng was the first to step forward. The young man was so overwhelmed with excitement and joy that his eyes were flushed red. He bowed respectfully before him. An Siwei and the others kept their heads lowered, not daring to look directly at him, while holding Zai Xingzi's few henchmen waiting off to the side.
Li Ximing first motioned for Li Cheng to pause. He brought two fingers together, held them an inch before his lips, and with faint golden light flashing in his eyes, gave a gentle blow.
"Whoosh...!"
Instantly, bright light fell like rain. The endlessly blazing purple flames on Mount Wu were finally suppressed, writhing like living creatures as they burrowed back into the mountain body along the earth veins.
The Earth Fiend Spring Eye was filled with purple flames, releasing faint wisps of purple fiendqi and occasionally spewing a burst or two of purple fire, having clearly undergone a new transformation.
After calming the flames on Mount Wu, Li Ximing finally smiled and said:
"Having just broken through to the Violet Palace, I was uncertain of the regional situation and did not wish others to know prematurely. Fearing that speaking to you all might be overheard by someone's divine ability, I first went to see Master Chuting and only just rushed back.
"Though this could hardly be called drawing the snakes from their holes, it still managed to catch one or two."
Li Cheng replied respectfully. The excitement in the young man's heart still refused to subside; even now, he felt a sense of dizzying disbelief:
*Our clan has a Violet Palace now? Our clan is now a Violet Palace immortal family?!*
Everyone looked at him with uncontrollable excitement. Li Ximing's gaze settled upon the cultivators from Mount Xiaoshi's Mifan Three Sects. Their faces were already deathly pale, and they had fainted several times over. None dared meet his eyes, terrified that a single glance from him would strike them dead.
The jade box still floated in the air. Li Ximing sneered:
"Cheng, take the Mifan Three Sects' congratulatory gift and open it for a look."
Li Cheng caught his meaning immediately and gently opened the jade box. Inside lay a round, pale-white spiritual object resembling an eyeball, emitting waves of icy-cold qi.
Li Cheng's voice was not loud, but it was powerful and cold:
"Floating Cloud Cave of the Mifan Three Sects presents the Jueyin spiritual object: the Falcon Yin Pearl."
At this, the knees of the captives gave out once more, kept upright only by the Foundation Establishment cultivator's magic power. Across the entire lake, gazes converged on them like sharp blades.
*A Mingyang cultivator breaks through to the Violet Palace, condenses a divine ability, and attains the title of Master, yet they dared to present a Jueyin spiritual object as a congratulatory gift! The implication behind this is all too obvious—Zai Xingzi died a well-deserved death!*
An Siwei's lingering fury had not abated, and he inwardly cheered. Li Ximing chuckled softly and said placidly:
"Cheng, return the object to them and let them go."
He turned his gaze toward them. Scared out of their wits, the Qi Refinement cultivators lowered their eyes in terror, faintly sensing the heavenly light at Li Ximing's glabella shining down on them like a scorching sun, causing sweat to pour from them like rain.
"Within three days, Floating Cloud Cave—or rather, the Mifan Three Sects—must give me, Zhaojing, an accounting."
An Siwei released them. The Qi Refinement cultivators had never imagined they would walk away with their lives. Wailing and kowtowing repeatedly, they were glared at by Chen Yang and hastily rode gusts of wind, staggering as they flew back toward their sect.
"The Master is truly benevolent; letting them off like this is far too generous!" Li Cheng said, watching their retreating backs coldly.
Li Cheng was right. Li Ximing's action was already exceedingly magnanimous. One had to remember that he was now a Violet Palace Master. After suffering such an insult from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if Zai Xingzi had belonged to the Three Immortal Sects of Yue, unless he were a true direct descendant, his life still would not have been spared, and a master would have had to step forward to apologize.
Even if Li Ximing were to tear open the Great Void right now, appear in the skies above the Mifan Three Sects, and rain down blazing heavenly light and endless purple flames to reduce the entire Floating Cloud Cave to a scorched, pulverized wasteland, it would have been entirely justified! At most, people might remark that he showed little regard for lesser lives...
However, Li Ximing was unfamiliar with the Mifan Three Sects and chose not to act rashly. Having just reached the Violet Palace, he was not yet fully accustomed to his divine abilities. Fearing he might fall into a trap, and knowing it unwise to act with excessive brutality right away, he released the men to let Floating Cloud Cave come and make amends of their own accord.
As they descended, Li Cheng immediately whispered:
"Master, behind the Mifan Three Sects stands Tangjin Gate... It is slightly tricky."
Li Ximing understood what his nephew meant. Tangjin Gate was currently like a clay idol crossing a river, unable even to save itself. Leaving aside the relentless internal fighting over the past century, none of the surrounding sects were easy to deal with.
Ever since the mid-stage Violet Palace cultivator of the Situ family perished, their sole surviving Violet Palace cultivator, Situ Huo, had no choice but to wander the South Sea all year round, not daring to return inland. It was rumored that he had been heavily injured by Yuansu a few years back, and it was still unknown whether he had recovered.
"Situ Huo does not dare return to the inland, which is precisely how Tangjin Gate has been preserved, allowing the sect to eke out an existence north of the river. It was only in recent years, when Situ Mo rose to power with an iron hand and the spiritual energy north of the river flourished, that things gradually began to turn around..."
"The spiritual energy north of the river was bought with the lives of cultivators from both the north and the south back then..."
While Li Cheng was speaking, a beam of light flashed from the north. A faint red streak of escape light sped toward them amid billowing flames, revealing a brightly dressed, graceful woman upon the lake.
"Minggong!"
The newcomer was Li Minggong. Clad in a red dress with a sword in hand, her expression was a mix of delight and sheer disbelief. She brought her flight to a stop before the two, fell to her knees in haste, and said respectfully:
"Junior... pays homage to the Master!"
As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes, and her voice choked with emotion before she continued:
"Congratulations to Seventh Uncle on mastering your divine ability! This junior offers her deep respect... Junior... has crossed the barrier of life and death, successfully cultivating the Dao foundation 'Pheasant Separation Motion'!
"The 'Pheasant Separation Motion' harnesses the Pheasant Separation True Fire, refining the five viscera within, tempering all metals without. With the pheasant fire held in the mouth, one can spit fiendqi and spew flames, transform into a bird, and tread upon raging fire..."
The clan's fourth-grade *Pheasant Fire Continuous Motion Art* had always been a fairly formidable heritage of true fire. That Li Minggong had become the first person to cast a true fire Dao foundation was somewhat unexpected, leaving Li Ximing deeply gratified. He said amiably:
"Good!"
Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, Li Minggong was actually the closest to Li Ximing; she was Li Xuanxuan's direct great-granddaughter. Smiling warmly, Li Ximing helped her up and nodded.
"True fire is well suited for artifact refining. You should study those matters more. He Jiumen does not have much lifespan left, and Mount Jiumen, our clan's peak for artifact refinement, still has no one to take charge."
He raised his brows and asked, "Where are Chengliao and Chenghuai?"
Li Minggong clasped her hands and replied in a hushed tone, "To report to the Master, Eldest Brother... failed his breakthrough a few years ago..."
"Oh..."
Li Ximing paused, an expression of profound regret crossing his face. Li Minggong and Li Chengliao had possessed comparable talent, but Li Chengliao's temperament had been the best of all. Li Ximing had assumed he would succeed in his breakthrough; he had not expected that, despite entering seclusion first, he would lose his life.
*Thinking back, managing the clan took up far too much of his time... He always had to look after his brothers and sisters, spending far too little effort on his own cultivation... Though his cultivation was solid, how could it compare to his siblings, who were tempered and polished through countless trials every day...*
Li Ximing fell silent for a moment. This matter had occurred five or six years ago, and the family had largely recovered from the grief. He merely sighed in his heart, unwilling to dwell on sorrowful matters, and asked:
"How is Chenghuai?"
Li Chenghuai was the most talented among the Cheng and Ming generations. By all rights, reaching Foundation Establishment should not have posed much difficulty for him, but cultivation depended heavily on opportunity and often involved sheer luck, making it difficult to predict.
Accompanying him at his side, Li Minggong said respectfully, "He is still in the middle of his breakthrough."
Within a few sentences, Li Ximing and his party descended onto the islet. Over a hundred thousand people raised their heads to look upon this brilliant, radiant light. Li Ximing pinched his fingers to calculate, then frowned:
"It has taken rather long."
Li Cheng, standing beside him, explained respectfully:
"Given Twenty-Ninth Brother's cultivation speed, he should have entered seclusion much earlier. However, Clan Uncle Xizhi went to great expense within the sect to find him a fourth-grade compatible art called the *Hidden Mystery Concealment Method*. Hearing that it possesses profound wonders, he had him enter seclusion to convert his entire cultivation and use this art to attempt Foundation Establishment, which caused a delay of five or six years."
Li Ximing chuckled heartily and nodded. "Good! A fourth-grade cultivation method is indeed different."
Listening to Li Cheng's explanation, he continued down toward the islet under the bright sun and a sky full of iridescent clouds.
Li Xuanxuan came out to meet him with a face streaked with tears and a wide smile. The old man's lips trembled as he reached out with shaking hands. After staring at him for a long time, he finally choked out two words:
"Ming'er!"
Li Ximing had initially felt immensely refreshed and clear-headed, but upon hearing those two words, an indescribable wave of grief and tenderness surged into his chest, causing him to shut his eyes tight. He paused for several breaths before murmuring with a cracked voice:
"Grandfather! Ming'er has not failed your hopes!"
Through all the countless illusions of being devoured by beasts, walking over mountains of blades and seas of fire, and having his chest pierced and intestines rotted, Li Ximing had not uttered a single whimper. Yet a single call from the old man had brought him to the verge of tears.
He turned his head slightly and said softly, "Cheng, three months from now, the Three Sects and Seven Gates, as well as the various clans, will send representatives. Go make preparations without delay."
Li Cheng and Li Minggong understood at once. Backing away two paces, they pulled the palace doors shut behind them. The grand hall instantly grew quiet and empty, leaving only the grandfather and grandson.
Li Xuanxuan's cloudy old eyes were filled with tears. He stood dazed in place, looking repeatedly at the brilliant heavenly light radiating from Li Ximing's glabella. After half a quarter of an hour, he squeezed his eyes shut, pressing out two streaks of tears.
The old man smiled:
"Even if this old man were to die this very moment, I would have no shame in facing Second Uncle and Third Uncle... Ximing, you have brought honor to us all! If Yuanping and Yuanjiao know of this in the Netherworld, they must be overjoyed beyond measure..."
Chapter 689