Li Ximing gave a quiet acknowledgement. Li Xuanxuan immediately wiped away his tears and said with a smile, "This is a joyous occasion; there should be no tears. How is this divine ability of yours?"
Li Ximing lightly waved his sleeve. Immediately, a beam of daylight surged forth from his cuff, flowing along the hall's various decorations and plating the entire chamber in a luminous sheen, isolating the interior from the outside world with the divine ability.
"Mingyang divine ability, 'Audience at the Heavenly Gate'!"
Li Ximing said softly, "The Qingchi Sect possesses the Dongli Secret Records, obtained from the Dongli Sect's grotto-heaven. They discerned long ago that I cultivate the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula, and they knew the various wonders of our clan's Huangyuan Pass, so earlier on, they paid it little heed.
"Little did they know that while I used the Golden Hall Huangyuan Formula for Foundation Establishment, I subsequently transformed my magic power using the kindred fifth-grade Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan... and it was through the Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan that I achieved the Violet Palace. This divine ability is called 'Audience at the Heavenly Gate'."
Li Xuanxuan looked somewhat bewildered. He knitted his brows in thought for a moment and asked, "Could it be that divine abilities manifested from Huangyuan Pass have distinctions? Does an immortal foundation of a different grade lead to a different divine ability upon breaking through to the Violet Palace?"
Li Ximing paused slightly and murmured, "In truth, the difference is not particularly great. Aside from a few alternative substitutions, methods capable of manifesting a divine ability are generally fifth-grade and above. Whether it is Huangyuan Pass or Audience at the Heavenly Gate, they are essentially the same Mingyang divine ability; they merely excel in slightly different areas.
"As for sixth- or seventh-grade methods, their divine abilities might be even stronger, but I have never seen them."
The daylight at his glabella flickered faintly. With a thoughtful look, he said, "Only, after cultivating the divine ability, I found that an individual's divine ability is tied far more to one's personal Dao attainment, gradually breaking free from the constraints of the method... Perhaps this is the difference between innate nature and life... Once the Violet Palace touches the karmic mandate, it seems one is no longer bound by methods."
Li Ximing paused, then continued with some caution, "As I connected with the Great Void, an inexplicable premonition arose in the dark. It seems that within the path of Violet Palace and Golden Core, the reach of methods is limited: breaking through to the Golden Core at the peak of the Violet Palace is already their limit... Once one tempers a golden nature and ascends to the fruit of attainment... one no longer needs any methods at all... It will rely entirely on one's own cultivation."
He lifted his teacup, took a gentle sip, and answered, "Perhaps the ancient arts of qi ingestion and nature cultivation still have spells beyond the Golden Core for reference, but the path of Violet Palace and Golden Core culminates in the Golden Core... Once one ascends to the fruit of attainment and becomes a True Sovereign, altering heaven and earth with a single thought, what method could possibly guide them?"
Li Xuanxuan nodded, pondered for a moment, and said in a low voice, "I have heard that Answers to the Beggar Beneath the Mulberry Tree, bestowed by an immortal, is merely of the seventh grade. Fifth and sixth grades are likely the most profound scriptures along the path of Violet Palace and Golden Core."
Li Ximing nodded. Touching his glabella, he pointed outside the hall. The multicolored clouds in the sky immediately dispersed. He said softly, "Chenghuai cultivates 'Do Not Investigate Me'. This brilliant daylight is not good for him, so let us withdraw it for now...
"These ten-odd years... how has the family fared? How stands the realm?"
Li Xuanxuan sighed and shook his head. Clearly, the past ten-odd years had not been easy. Yet now that their family possessed a Violet Palace master, none of that mattered anymore. With a look of gratification, he said, "The main issue has been the shifts north of the river. True Person Changyun's Chengyun Gate occupied considerable territory, and as the situation stabilized, two overseas Violet Palace masters settled north of the river one after another. Sects and clans, large and small, have blossomed everywhere.
"With spiritual energy congregating north of the river, the various wild temples on the opposite bank—interlinked by the water veins—have also flourished greatly, the spiritual energy changing with each passing day..."
The wilderness was also part of the riverbank earth veins, situated between Lake Wangyue and Xuanyue Gate. Previously, its spiritual energy had not been abundant, home mostly to desolate mountains and wild temples. Now that the spiritual veins surged, numerous sects and clans had sprung up immediately.
"As for our clan, probes from various quarters have grown increasingly frequent, all directed at Zhouwei. Using Tangjin Gate and the Mifan Three Sects as cat's paws, they quietly tested the relationship between dragonkind and our family... growing bolder by the day.
"The Mifan Three Sects coming to our door today was just like this... Had your breakthrough not succeeded, endless troubles would have followed."
"Where is Zhouwei?" Li Ximing asked.
Li Xuanxuan replied, "He feigned going to the East Sea to slay monsters, but in fact he had already reached the opposite bank. He had estimated that the Mifan Three Sects would wage a major battle crossing the river to the northern bank... and was preparing to respond in secret. However, interrupted by your breakthrough, the situation has completely shifted.
"Not only did the Mifan Three Sects refrain from crossing the river, they even sent men over under the guise of congratulation to provoke us, though what they planned is hard to say."
Li Ximing nodded and murmured, "Whatever their schemes were, all is well now. Within three months, the sects will all send gifts; we must receive and settle them properly."
After hesitating again and again, he finally asked, "Is there... any news of Aunt?"
Li Xuanxuan choked up, whispering, "This matter... I don't know what to say... Qinghong has truly been away from home for too long. Five years ago, that jade talisman lost the magic power nourishing it and dimmed, no longer able to indicate its owner's fortune or peril..."
Li Ximing's heart steadied, and he consoled him, "Once things settle, I will consult with Zhouwei and assess the situation to see whether we should pay a visit to dragonkind... and inquire about this matter."
Li Xuanxuan nodded repeatedly. A stir arose before the hall. With a thought from Li Ximing, the hall doors rumbled open on their own.
Two figures ascended outside the hall. The woman wore a light-red cloud-satin long gown, with a silvery-white ornate torque around her neck, a talisman brush hanging at her waist, and several talisman slips tucked inside her cuffs.
Free of powder and rouge, her skin was fair, and her eyes were brimming with spirit. Her smiling eyes curved in crescents, her expression mixed with delight as she bowed respectfully.
"Junior Quewan pays respects to the True Person!"
The young man wore a pleated robe of purple and white. The crossed collar and cuffs were painted with Lihuo patterns, while a white jade hung at his waist, adorned with golden tassels. His gaze was bright, bearing a lofty and spirited air.
"Jiangqian greets the True Person!"
Li Ximing raised his head and beckoned the two closer. Li Quewan possessed a cultivation of the sixth layer of Qi Refinement and was slightly restrained, while Li Jiangqian was even faster, already at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. He spoke warmly, "Ancestor has broken through to True Person! The family is filled with joy, and the looks on those fools' faces were so satisfying..."
Li Ximing chuckled and admonished, "You two are cultivating too fast. There is no need to rush your cultivation; you should practice your spells more."
"Junior understands."
After bowing, Li Jiangqian smiled and said, "Earlier, we did not know Ancestor would emerge from secluded cultivation so swiftly, and the family's Foundation Establishment masters were stretched thin. That was why I discussed it with Sister Wan—I would rush to break through first, achieve Foundation Establishment, and come out to assist the clan, while she could take her time.
"Now, it seems there is no need at all!"
Li Jiangqian's words pleased Li Ximing, who nodded and asked with amused curiosity, "Your father... how many children does he have now?"
Li Jiangqian replied respectfully, "Over the past ten years, he has given me four more younger brothers. They have not yet taken up duties in the clan, but they have all performed quite well."
Li Ximing sipped his tea and chatted for a while longer before An Siwei once again rode the wind and landed before the hall, reporting respectfully, "Reporting to the True Person, from the opposite shore... the envoys of the Mifan Three Sects have arrived..."
Li Ximing had been seated for barely half a day; the Mifan Three Sects were quite swift in their movements indeed. He remarked casually, "How was Mount Xiaoshi dealt with?"
An Siwei bowed and answered respectfully, "Floating Cloud Cave fell into total turmoil, scattering in all directions. The sect's elders and guest elders breached the pavilion to carve up the treasures. The cave master committed suicide out of fear of retribution; his corpse was fought over by the cultivators and dissolved into an anomaly, leaving behind only his head.
"Midway through the chaos, the other two sects of Mount Xiaoshi stormed Floating Cloud Cave together. Under the guise of purging rebels of the orthodox lineage, they rounded up and imprisoned the cultivators, severing and sealing the heads of those involved. Zai Xingzi's lineage had long been trampled into powder... not even their bones could be found. They merely gathered the spiritual items of that faction and brought them over.
"Now, the cultivators of the other two Mifan sects have escorted the people of Floating Cloud Cave to the northern bank, delivering the heads and spiritual items along with them."
Li Xuanxuan clicked his tongue in amazement, speechless for a moment. Li Ximing sipped his tea without a word. Only Li Jiangqian stroked the jade pendant in his hand and sneered, "What swift reflexes! In the end, only the cultivators of Zai Xingzi's faction and a late Foundation Establishment cave master died, yet they lower their posture so dramatically... Seizing the day our True Person broke through, they didn't dare wait overnight, eager to offer their cheeks to be slapped."
He paused, calculated the time, and murmured, "Judging by the timing, Mount Xiaoshi's turmoil must have begun the very moment our True Person revealed himself. Otherwise, delivering the news alone would take nearly half a day, let alone arriving before nightfall. Someone behind the scenes must be directing them."
Li Ximing naturally knew that behind the Mifan Three Sects lay more than just Tangjin Gate; even Tangjin Gate only targeted his family repeatedly because there was profit to be made. Pausing briefly, he said softly, "Present the items."
An Siwei immediately withdrew, and before long brought in a row of jade boxes. He opened the largest and most ornate one, revealing the head of an old man bristling with fury, his features twisted as though full of remorse.
The daylight at Li Ximing's glabella shifted, and the techniques shrouding the face dispersed instantly, restoring it to how it looked at the moment of death. His features were unchanged, but where was any remorse? His face was filled with nothing but shock and rage.
He lowered his head and sipped his tea. An Siwei replied, "It is indeed him, without doubt."
Li Ximing lightly waved his sleeve, and blood immediately seeped from the sealed head. He said softly, "Quewan, check his blood kin."
Li Quewan understood immediately. Placing one hand over her other wrist, she brought two fingers together and drew up the blood with magic power, chanting an incantation. Silvery mercury light floated within the blood as she murmured, "A fish with a red tail, its chamber in ruins; a parricidal son, distant kin."
She drew out a talisman, affixed it to her wrist, and let the silvery glow disperse, saying respectfully, "This man had few offspring. His parents died early, all rogue cultivators. His eldest son despised him and just committed patricide and matricide, only to be slain by another."
Li Quewan utilized shamanic talisman arts, which were fairly accurate. Li Ximing nodded and murmured, "It seems the chaos was real chaos after all; there truly is a Violet Palace master watching Mount Xiaoshi."
Whether or not Li Quewan's divination was accurate, that a Violet Palace master was guiding Mount Xiaoshi behind the scenes was set in stone. Li Ximing dismissed the two juniors, then turned to An Siwei and instructed, "Have them leave the compensatory gifts, and send the guest elders and cultivators back... Let the two cave masters come up to see me; it will suffice for them to have a thorough discussion with me."
...
Qingchi Sect, the main hall.
Dantai Jin, dressed in opulent robes, waited before the hall for a moment before guards promptly invited him inside. He took a couple of strides, stepping past the misty white stone steps and directly into the great hall.
Si Yuanli was wielding his brush, writing with seemingly high spirits. Dantai Jin moved forward several steps, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled, "Sect Master!"
"Brother Dantai has arrived!" Si Yuanli laughed heartily. He withdrew a small letter from his sleeve and handed it over, looking quite smug and pleased with himself.
Dantai Jin took it and examined it closely, delight immediately surfacing on his face.
Upon the letter were written only a few brief lines:
"On the twenty-second, True Person Buzi appeared at Lüfang Island in the South Sea, wielding his divine ability to travel in great haste... seemingly in pursuit of a monster. Appearing for merely a few breaths, he cast a spell to search, then vanished immediately."
"Chi Buzi has shown himself!"
How could Dantai Jin fail to understand Si Yuanli's thoughts?
Over ten years had passed since the Qingchi turmoil, yet Chi Buzi showed no reaction at all, occupying himself entirely with his own affairs. His meaning was clear enough—he, Chi Buzi, did not care in the slightest!
Had he harbored even the faintest intention, he would not even have had to return to Qingchi Sect; leaving behind a single word would have prevented the tragedy back then from unfolding...
Having smiled, Dantai Jin lowered his gaze slightly and asked in a voice as low as could be, "Could the True Person... harbor grievances against a certain esteemed one?"
A man of Si Yuanli's caliber grasped the implication at once. A trace of dread stirred in his heart, and hesitation flickered across his face; he knew exactly whom Dantai Jin referred to.
'Lushui!'
"Who knows..." Si Yuanli's expression remained somewhat gloomy and unsettled as he whispered, "Perhaps he held grievances against Chi Wei... That man's determination to seek the Dao is resolute, and he is adept at dissembling and hypocrisy. Back when Chi Wei was alive, one could not tell his true nature at all, yet the moment Chi Wei died, he became practically a different person."
His subsequent thoughts remained buried in his chest, unvoiced:
'Even if he does harbor grievances against Lushui, what of it? Was Ning Tiaoxiao merely dissatisfied? He spent his entire life in hatred, abandoning even the cultivation of his divine ability, yet what came of it? He merely hated himself into an early grave.'
Chi Buzi was a clever man; Si Yuanli did not believe he would act so foolishly. At most, he simply wished to leap out of Qingchi.
"I only worry about matters following the Old Ancestor's passing..."
Si Boxiu was proficient in talisman arts and possessed several fine inheritances, but time could no longer be delayed. Si Yuanli was waiting for that Moonlight Glazed Fruit to enter secluded cultivation.
He stared at the painting on the desk for a moment, then lifted his brush to inscribe a title.
Dantai Jin suddenly cocked his head, listening intently. Si Yuanli paused, his ears twitching faintly. A vast voice burst forth from the Great Void, echoing within the great hall:
"Li Ximing, Zhaojing of the Wangyue Li clan, this day attains the Mingyang divine ability! Establishing the lineage as a Violet Palace immortal family, a sacrificial ceremony will be held in three months' time..."
"Li Ximing, Zhaojing of the Wangyue Li clan..."
Si Yuanli's hand froze abruptly. The half-inscribed name ground to a halt, leaving a pea-sized blot of ink that bled across the painting, ruining this exquisite work of art in an instant.
Crack.
The precious white-hair jade brush in his hand shattered with a snap. Fine jade dust poured from between his fingers, scattering slowly onto the painting below—falling over the face of the old jiao in the very center, shrouding those draconic eyes in gloom.
"How can this be..."
Si Yuanli's expression altered drastically, the composure he had cultivated over years completely shattering in an instant. His brows knitted tightly, his gaze dazed as it met Dantai Jin's equally incredulous eyes.
'A Violet Palace master in a dozen-odd years?! Li Ximing?'
Dantai Jin looked up, his shock rapidly shifting into a dark, sullen regret. He murmured, "I fear we have fallen into a trap... Not only you and I, Sect Master, but more than ninety percent of the Violet Palace masters in Jiangnan... all underestimated him..."
Si Yuanli possessed fortitude far beyond ordinary men. Exhaling slowly, he waved his hand decisively:
"Say no more! Go at once to pay a visit to Li Xizhi!"
Chapter 690