Background of the Three Sects

A brilliant golden shimmer stretched across Lake Wangyue. Inside the great hall on the islet, two Daoists stood in trepidation. Neither dared cast a second glance at the row of jade boxes set upon the low table. Seated nearby, a young woman in a red dress sipped her tea, her eyes curving into subtle crescents. "Lady Minggong..." Beside her stood a burly Daoist with black patterns painted across his face, clad in a tiger-striped robe. His physique was a good two sizes larger than an ordinary man's, and he bowed with the utmost deference. Though possessed of a late Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was utterly submissive. "My lady... has there been any word from the Real Person...?" This tiger-robed man was Daoist Wenhu, master of Miyun Cave—one of the Three Mifan Sects. He had achieved his immortal foundation in the South Sea. Just a day prior, the shore Li Minggong guarded had been repeatedly harassed by Miyun Cave, and obtaining an audience with Wenhu would have been impossible. Now, their positions were completely reversed. Seeing his humbled demeanor, Li Minggong put on no airs, replying softly, "Please wait for the cultivators of my clan to report up." The other Daoist possessed weaker cultivation, being only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. He had an ordinary face and an average build, and he held his aura tightly suppressed, not daring to release even a trace. This was Pingwangzi, master of Fanyun Cave and the only immortal cultivator among the three cave masters. Perhaps because Fanyun Cave was relatively weak, it had always been the quietest among the three sects. Yet despite being an orthodox immortal cultivator, the way Pingwangzi held his aura entirely locked away showed he had indulged in blood Qi and similar methods in ordinary times. Now, he was so terrified he did not even dare to speak. The two exchanged glances, took out several jade boxes, and tried to thrust them into Li Minggong's hands. Though Wenhu was a rough, hulking brute, his speech was slick and seasoned. He smiled shamelessly, saying, "Lady Minggong, we only hoped Fellow Daoist Siwei might put in a good word on our behalf. Who knew he would be so upright and unyielding, looking down on our modest offerings... If my lady would take a look..." Only a few days ago, Li Minggong had clashed with men from Miyun Cave. How could she possibly accept his gifts? She merely said with polite detachment, "Take them back. My words carry no weight before the Ancestor. You still need to give them to Siwei." Earlier, the Three Mifan Sects had stood on equal footing with the Li clan. Yet before the Violet Palace, they were ultimately powerless. Floating Cloud Cave was already destroyed, leaving the two cave masters squirming in the hall. At last, they saw An Siwei descend from the clouds. The two hastily rushed over to meet him, exhausting every flattering word they could muster. An Siwei ignored them entirely, leaving them no choice but to look toward Li Minggong. The young woman in red glanced at the table; catching her drift, the two quickly mingled their gifts into the seized spiritual items. Before Li Ximing came out of seclusion, An Siwei had seen firsthand how arrogant the Three Mifan Sects had been. Though his resentment had cooled, he remained cold toward the pair. In a grave voice, he said, "Honored masters, please follow me." Steeling themselves, the two took to the wind alongside him. The sky had grown somewhat dim. Wenhu lowered his eyes and submissively made his way through the corridors of the great hall, a heavy weight hanging over his heart. 'I only wonder what divine ability this Real Person has cultivated... Is it a lifebound divine ability? If it is a lifebound divine ability, he will be truly difficult to deal with...' Whatever contempt he had harbored toward Li Ximing in the past was now thoroughly wiped away. Before a Real Person, one dared not harbor rebellious thoughts; the safest path was not to think at all, so he hurriedly suppressed the notion. After walking for a while, he stepped into the great hall. High above stood a cultivator clad in a white-gold Daoist robe, facing sideways. One could faintly discern a piercing daylight gleaming between his brows, though his side profile seemed unexceptional. "Humble cultivators Wenhu and Pingwang pay our respects to the Real Person! We congratulate the Real Person on the grand completion of his divine ability!" Wenhu and Pingwang hastily bowed their heads together, prostrating themselves. They felt a sudden warmth at their crowns, realizing the Real Person was looking their way. Li Ximing cast a brief glance over them, the celestial daylight between his brows instantly seeing through their depths. Daoist Wenhu belonged to the Xiukui lineage, bearing the Juguinyin immortal foundation. Pingwangzi's immortal foundation was rather peculiar—perhaps of the ancient Binggu lineage, one he had never encountered before. 'Wenhu has some strength, but Juguinyin happens to be countered by my methods. Even before reaching the Violet Palace, I could have suppressed him. As for Pingwangzi, his immortal foundation does not seem suited for combat; he is hardly worth mentioning.' Together, the two would not have been a match for his elder brother, Li Xizhi. No wonder they had procrastinated for over a decade, aiming only to whittle the family down through slow cuts. Neither dared look at him. Li Ximing took a sip of tea and spoke softly: "Speak of your origins, both of you!" Although it was the Three Mifan Sects colluding with Tangjin Gate on the surface, Li Ximing knew there had to be other Violet Palace machinations lurking behind them. Tangjin Gate was merely an overt pawn. Now came the moment to present their backgrounds to preserve their lives. Wenhu dared not dally. The burly man cupped his hands first and spoke respectfully: "Wenhu's original name is Shi Wenya, an itinerant cultivator of Mount Xiaoshi. Later, having received guidance from Daoist Chidu of the Baiye Du Immortal Dao, I traveled south to cultivate in the blessed lands of the South Sea, where I achieved an immortal foundation and gained some modest renown. Upon hearing Daoist Chidu say the lands north of the river were stable and rich in spiritual soil, I came to settle down." Lowering his brows, he kowtowed and laid out his name plainly. The Baiye Du Immortal Dao he spoke of was one of the two Violet Palace sects established north of the river a decade ago. Resting one hand on the table, Li Ximing nodded. "So it is the Baiye Immortal Dao. My clan has never had any enmity with your esteemed sect. Now that matters have reached this point, has Daoist Chidu left any message?" Wenhu assented repeatedly, speaking with deference: "The master said he will personally apologize to the Real Person three months from now." Li Ximing neither agreed nor disagreed. That Daoist Chidu from the Baiye Immortal Dao clearly possessed little sincerity. Still, the Violet Palace Real Person behind him was rumored to be an Eastern Sea loose cultivator who had cultivated three divine abilities; naturally, he had capital to lean on. Turning his gaze toward Pingwangzi, he watched as Pingwangzi hastily offered a fawning smile and said ingratiatingly: "May the Real Person see clearly: regarding the three sects' actions against your noble immortal clan, Fanyun Cave has never involved itself much. At most, when the other two sects pressured us under the pretext of shared alliance, our Fanyun Cave was forced to contribute a few men..." Li Ximing had already heard from An Siwei that Fanyun Cave was indeed not very active. Yet ninety percent of the reason was simply a lack of strength and manpower. He merely said in a soft tone, "I asked of your origin." Terrified by these words, Pingwangzi broke into a cold sweat that beaded across his nose. Not daring even to blink, he said hoarsely: "This lowly one's original name is Wang Jun, a cultivator of Mount Xiaoshi's Fanyun Cave. In my early years, I received the patronage of Master Zhong Qian, achieved Foundation Establishment, and accompanied him north of the river. "Later, guided by the master, I returned to Mount Xiaoshi to revitalize the line of Fanyun Cave and operate north of the river under the covenant of the three sects..." Li Ximing's expression softened slightly, and he murmured, "So it is the Chengyun Immortal Sect. Sect Master Zhong Qian has quite a few connections with my family." Setting down his teacup, he asked, "What of Floating Cloud Cave?" Pingwangzi hurriedly chimed in, lowering his voice: "Floating Cloud Cave occupies the southernmost territory and has always been the one stirring up trouble. There is no doubt that Tangjin Gate stands behind them; the Real Person may rest assured on that." Li Ximing pondered quietly. By now, the backgrounds of all three caves were clear. The Chengyun Sect was originally founded by True Person Changyun alongside a group of demonic cultivators; it was the weakest among the various powers and held some connection to his clan, so Fanyun Cave naturally lacked manpower and had no desire to provoke trouble. Tangjin Gate still possessed some foundation, colluding with Floating Cloud Cave along the Li clan's borders to cause constant unrest. As for the Baiye Du Immortal Dao backing Miyun Cave, they were clearly not benevolent either, perhaps posing an even greater threat! Seeing Li Ximing remain silent, Wenhu chimed in eagerly: "Reporting to the Real Person, most of the cultivators from Floating Cloud Cave have been captured and brought back by your subordinates! They are weeping bitter tears, yearning only to pledge their lives in service to the Real Person... May the Real Person examine the matter clearly!"