Li Zhouwei shook his head as he listened, replying, "I have met your brother Gongsun Baifan. Though he hails from humble beginnings, his temperament and resolve are truly exceptional. Rogue cultivators north of the river are beyond count, yet he has reached the very pinnacle among them. Setting aside that ineffable, mysterious stroke of destiny, he falls little short of Wang Quwan..."
He cast a glance at Zhou Baiyun and added, "Formidable though he is, since you are situated here in the East Sea, you must exercise greater caution—lest you squander his earnest goodwill!"
In years past, the Li clan had been hostile toward Duxian Dao, though tensions had eased somewhat in recent times. Zhou Baiyun had spoken far too bluntly—his words were hardly flattering toward Duxian Dao. If overheard by the wrong ears, that remark about how 'two birds cannot roost upon a single branch' would be practically holding a blade to his elder brother's throat.
It was only because it was Li Zhouwei standing here, who held a degree of appreciation for Gongsun Baifan, and because the discord between their two houses had lessened. Had it been someone else, they would not have hesitated to drive a wedge between Gongsun Baifan and Duxian Dao. Shouting a remark or two in the midst of a battle would surely turn even someone as steady as Gongsun Baifan pale with fright.
It was unclear whether Zhou Baiyun understood the implication, but he nodded repeatedly and said respectfully, "It was only because I saw how divinely martial My Lord is, and feared that speaking well of my brother's ties with Duxian Dao might displease you... that I spoke the honest truth."
Li Zhouwei was not overflowing with benevolence, and having spoken this much, he let the matter rest. Giving a slight nod, he stepped out of the pavilion room, musing inwardly:
'Among generation upon generation of rogue cultivators, producing a talent like Gongsun Baifan is already remarkable enough. How could there be a younger brother of the same caliber? That household of Wang Quwan... is truly a rare marvel.'
As he made his way out of the pavilion, Yuan Hu'e hurried over, smiling obsequiously:
"My Lord... I was just having someone appraise the magical artifacts. Why are you departing so soon... I have not even had the chance to entertain you properly..."
Li Zhouwei knew full well that the man wished for nothing more than his swift departure. Disinclined to waste words, he waved a hand and said:
"No need to see me off, Island Master!"
He instantly transformed into a ray of heavenly light and shuttled away, receding into the distance. Only then did Yuan Hu'e straighten his bowed back. With a sullen expression, he returned to the pavilion, Zhou Baiyun following uneasily behind him.
The old man shut the chamber doors tight and snapped coldly:
"When an affair like this arose, why didn't you inform me earlier! You merely sent word claiming there was major business... When someone brings out such a set of magical artifacts, how could he possibly be an ordinary figure! Nor did you even ascertain his origin! Look what a fine mess we have now!"
Zhou Baiyun felt increasingly mortified and kept silent. Yuan Hu'e's expression remained dark as he barked:
"Were it not for your brother, how could you have ever landed such a lucrative post! You nearly got this old man killed! You're relieved of your duties from this day forth!"
Scowling furiously, Yuan Hu'e stormed out with cold, heavy strides. Yet once he exited the pavilion and arrived at his own immortal's cave, the anger in his heart had largely dissipated. Instead, he pondered:
'Xunlin Plain cannot be saved. It sits right in that troublesome vortex, and our ancestors passed down that deadly heritage that has killed off multiple generations of elders, while the children born over time grow worse with each generation. If we linger there any longer, what way out could there possibly be for the Yuan clan?'
'Yuan Chengzhao is a selfish soul as well; the Yuan clan pales in comparison to his own Dao path. Now that matters have escalated to such a state, he doesn't even dare show his face to utter a single word. He can no longer be counted on. I must bring a few children out from there and establish a new mountain around these waters, breaking free of that wretched place and correcting our family traditions, so that our ancestral incense will not be extinguished...'
***
The brilliance of the Mingyang light emerged in the sky just as the morning dawn arose. The sea surface shimmered with golden splendor, and floes of ice, large and small, drifted upon the waters like countless shards of gold.
The Dragon King of the Reef Sea cultivated cold qi and had been enfeoffed in this domain; thus, the Reef Sea was gripped by waves of biting chill, with icebergs floating all about. Li Zhouwei had read the jade slip obtained from Tai'e Island, which recorded that the Reef Sea had prospered considerably in recent years. Several spiritual mines and deposits had surfaced, drawing an influx of cultivators.
Midway through his flight, he swept his gaze across his surroundings. He saw no monstrous beasts, but rather caught sight of several flickering trails of grayish-red flames and roaring claps of thunder. Cultivators from two factions were locked in a ferocious clash atop an iceberg.
Li Zhouwei cast a brief glance. On one side, ferocious flames blazed, scorching magical artifacts until they hissed and sputtered; on the other, thunder rumbled, blasting the iceberg into jagged fragments. A look at their attire and garments was enough for him to identify them immediately:
"One side is Chijiao Island, the other is Tinglei Island. A brawl between a foolish bird and a vicious hound—each side reeks worse than the other, neither of them up to any good."
The leader of Chijiao Island was a young woman dressed in blue, standing in stark contrast to the red robes of those around her. The leader on Tinglei Island's side wielded two bronze alms bowls that thundered with lightning. He was an old acquaintance named Miao Ye.
This man was a direct descendant of the Miao clan who had once visited the lake to inquire about the Duruo Spear.
Looking again at the iceberg, he saw that atop its peak blossomed a cluster of icy-blue white flowers, about the size of a fist. Their stems were jade-green, their roots burrowed deep into the ice, and beside them crouched a black turtle the height of a man and the size of a table, shivering as it shrank into its shell.
Recognizing it after a quick look, Li Zhouwei understood:
'So it is the [Tu Jade Ice Flower]... a rare precious herb. Legend has it that it blooms only beneath snow-chilled pines; I never expected one to appear here.'
'Strange... Even if this flower did not sprout beneath a pine, it certainly shouldn't grow atop an iceberg. It looks more like the manifestation of someone's breakthrough in divine ability... Most likely the Reef Sea Dragon King...'
The oddity of the spiritual plant aside, Miao Ye was of no lowly status; it was unthinkable that he would travel tens of thousands of li merely to vie for a Tu Jade Ice Flower. Clearly, both factions had an ulterior motive for appearing in the Reef Sea, and this precious herb was merely an unexpected prize over which they skirmished.
The Li clan's enmity with Tinglei Island was not as deep as that with Chijiao Island, but it was hardly any better. Sweeping his gaze over the battling cultivators, he committed their position to memory, took a detour as a beam of light, and pondered to himself:
'Once I return from Liehai, I ought to find a place to enter secluded cultivation. Without leaving the Hetian Sea, I could simply halt in the Reef Sea to see what these two houses are scheming.'
He had already covered more than half the journey, and shuttling along as light made his speed extraordinarily swift. Yet he soon noticed goose-feather flakes of heavy snow falling from the sky, dense and fast, blanketing his entire field of vision in pristine white, while below his feet stretched an interwoven tapestry of white and blue.
Li Zhouwei caught the fragrance of pine in the air. Down on several reef islets beneath him, countless pine trees burst forth through the solid rock, stretching taller and taller amidst the fluttering snowfall, only to be quickly buried beneath mounds of white snow.
Only after he had flown for a hundred li did the heavy snow around him gradually abate. By the time he reached the outer sea, not a single snowflake fell upon the waters. Li Zhouwei grew suspicious once more:
"I have never heard of mastering a divine ability causing such an immense display, nor does it look like the fall of Foundation Establishment cultivators. It resembles more closely a monster in the Reef Sea breaking through to the Violet Palace... perhaps a subordinate of that Dragon King."
He focused his mind and flew on for a time. Guided by the map, he flew for nearly half a day until a small cluster of pitch-black reefs appeared along the waters, with the orderly silhouettes of distant islands emerging on the horizon.
Li Zhouwei landed upon the black reefs and looked around. The ground beneath his feet trembled faintly, and upon the sea surface emerged a carriage gleaming with violet radiance, riding atop a surging wave flecked with violet lightning.
A female attendant in white appeared. Her features were delicate and refined, her pupils a deep violet. Leading the carriage, she spoke with utmost courtesy:
"My master invites you. Please accompany me, Young Master!"
Li Zhouwei's pupil technique flickered faintly, discerning that she was a violet-feathered sparrow. Understanding that the master of Liehai had sent for him, he gave a slight nod and replied:
"I trouble you, Envoy."
"You honor me too much!"
With a hint of trepidation, the female attendant ushered him into the carriage. This carriage was merely the size meant for ordinary folk, strikingly different from the dragonkind's carriages that were as vast as houses or small hills; it seemed quite petite and exquisite.
Lifting the curtain, Li Zhouwei stepped inside. In the center sat a small stove, behind which was a single cushioned seat—a simplicity quite uncharacteristic of the dragonkind's tastes.
The carriage's interior furnishings were intimately familiar to him. Following well-remembered habits, he lit the stove, waiting with a mixture of anticipation and melancholy. The carriage had already leaped into the air, and the female attendant's voice drifted in:
"Pray be patient, Young Master. My master awaits atop Liehai's [Xuanxiao Thunder Pool]. We shall arrive momentarily!"
Li Zhouwei acknowledged her. Gazing out the window, he watched the drifting mist gradually darken to gray. The carriage beneath him jolted suddenly as though touching down, then began galloping at breakneck speed.
The lightning flanking them grew denser, the dark clouds deepening in hue. Plunging into the depths of the black clouds, the carriage finally ground to an abrupt halt, revealing an entirely different spectacle before his eyes.
Before him lay a circular, violet-white pool filled with a dense expanse of shimmering violet-white liquid thunder, stretching as far as the eye could see without end. Violet lightning continuously cascaded from above, slamming down into the circular pool. Though each strike carried immense, earth-shaking momentum, the liquid thunder beneath seemed forged from fine iron, stirring with only the faintest ripples.
The surrounding rim of the pool, about three zhang wide, was a deep bronze-green, gleaming with the metallic sheen of copper and iron and etched densely with lightning runes. A group of female attendants in white waited quietly by the poolside.
Li Zhouwei stepped down from the carriage. The white-robed attendant handed the reins to another attendant waiting nearby, then gestured respectfully:
"Please follow me, Young Master."
Li Zhouwei walked forward, the shore beneath his feet trembling faintly with each strike of heavenly thunder. After leading the way for a short distance, the attendant smiled and said:
"This place was formed from the devouring of thunder. The metal along the pool's rim is the remnant of the grotto-heaven, and the liquid thunder was also poured out from within the grotto-heaven. It is called [Tingming Thunder Water]—solid as black iron, never dispersing, never stirring or sounding, yet it is truly lightning.
"Above the Thunder Pool hover thirty-six Xuan Thunders and twelve Xiao Thunders. Within this domain, not only is flight forbidden, but I must urge Young Master on no account to draw forth weapons of metal or iron. Even if a magical artifact is drawn, it must never be pointed up at the mysterious heavens; should forty-eight strikes of thunder crash down, they would claim a person's life."
Li Zhouwei nodded in understanding. Fortunately, the [Yuan'e] he wore was soft armor without any sharp edges. He simply followed the attendant forward. As everything behind them gradually became shrouded in a dark sea of clouds, he spotted an opening along the pool's rim; the violet-white liquid thunder did not spill out, standing firm like a solid mass.
The attendant stepped onto the Thunder Pool with a clear, metallic clank, walking across the liquid thunder. Li Zhouwei followed behind her, finding it indeed as hard as iron and stone.
At the center of the Thunder Pool stood a small, silver-white palace. It was not grand. Li Zhouwei raised his eyes and saw a figure leaning against the railing of the pavilion.
The woman was draped in violet-and-white plumage. She had a high nose bridge, willow-leaf brows, and almond-shaped eyes. Her long hair was coiled behind her head and fastened with a silver-white hairpin, while the rest of her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall through the pavilion window.
Her eyes were suffused with violet qi, and her garment of violet-and-white feathers rose and fell as though breathing. Behind her, a violet-white circular disc faintly gleamed. Merely sitting there, she blazed brilliantly in one's spiritual sense, like a terrifying tempest of lightning condensed to its utmost limit and contained within this mortal vessel, yet appearing calm and gentle on the surface.
Li Zhouwei exhaled deeply, then fell to his knees in a sweeping, formal prostration, his voice ringing with resonant force:
"Li Zhouwei of Wangyue pays respects to My Lord."
The woman let out a soft laugh:
"Minghuang has arrived."
The woman in the Thunder Pool was none other than Li Qinghong!
Hearing her reply thus, Li Zhouwei felt a burden lift from his chest. The woman descended from the pavilion and helped him to his feet. Li Zhouwei's voice was slightly hoarse as he said:
"The Old Lord... is still worried sick about you, believing some great disaster must have befallen you in the grotto-heaven. The longer it went, the more anxious he became. Who knew that My Lord has already mastered the thunder and attained dominion over a sea... When I return and report this to the Old Lord, he will surely weep tears of joy."
Though he had guessed before coming that this was tied to Li Qinghong, Li Zhouwei had dared not harbor too much hope. Even upon seeing Li Qinghong with his own eyes, he had still harbored doubts about whether her true soul was intact. Only with this exchange did all hesitation vanish from his heart, leaving behind pure relief and rejoicing.
Hearing his words, Li Qinghong's expression took on a trace of worry. She said in a low voice:
"Certain things are unfit to be committed to paper, lest calamity be invited... nor is it prudent to reach my hands into the inland. Back then, when Dingjiao wished to meet the foxes, he still had to go through you in the East Sea rather than sending a letter...
"My circumstances are even more peculiar. They involve many matters regarding the Dragon Lord's devouring of thunder, which cannot be exposed, nor is it suitable for me to leave this sea..."
Li Zhouwei bowed and said:
"Now that I have word of My Lord, I feel only profound gratitude and relief! Only now do I know that the Real Person was able to escape peril... all thanks to My Lord stepping in. I only fear it may have brought you inconvenience or compromised your affairs..."
Since Li Qinghong had voiced these concerns, her current allegiance was likely aligned very closely with the dragonkind. To learn that she was safe and sound, and that she had even stepped forward to rescue Li Ximing, was already the best conceivable outcome. Li Zhouwei had no wish whatsoever to burden her, addressing her repeatedly as 'My Lord' to make his stance crystal clear to the dragonkind.
Yet what filled his heart most was gratitude and joy:
"Our clan has only just attained the Violet Palace realm and is ignorant in all matters. The Real Person does not possess a temperament inclined toward managing worldly affairs, and having been plotted against, he nearly perished in the East Sea... It was solely thanks to My Lord saving him..."
Li Qinghong, however, gave a slight shake of her head and smiled:
"Ximing achieving the Violet Palace is far more impressive than what I have done. He did not fail our expectations... Be it myself or the Old Lord at home, all of us owe him our thanks... We have all walked this path through blood and tears, step by step... With him, those tears and blood have not been shed in vain.
"Had he failed to grit his teeth and hold fast at that heart hurdle, there wouldn't even be room for maneuver today... Besides... you all always underestimate him."
Li Qinghong smiled gently and invited him into the pavilion. Sitting down within the pavilion atop the [Xuanxiao Thunder Pool], she blinked her pale violet almond eyes slightly and explained:
"The [Cloud-Moored Lightning Strategy Method Dao]—that is, the grotto-heaven of Leiyun Temple—claimed the lives of many cultivators. Tinglei Island of the South Sea, the Xi clan of the North Sea, the method daos of the Western Sky Plains... those from south and north of the river, from Zhao, Yan, Wu, and Yue... every single one was an orthodox lineage seeded by the dragonkind over the past thousand years...
"My cultivation method originated from Lingyanzi. Back then, he too was selected by the dragonkind to enter. It was originally promised to Ziyan Gate, but he handed it over to our family beforehand, and this karmic affinity fell upon me from then on... That this cultivation method ended up in our clan's hands involved Changxiao and Ziyan, and now it has come to fruition once again through Changxiao and Ziyan..."
The white-robed female attendant who had guided him earlier brought forward a jade pot. With a wave of her slender hand, Li Qinghong stayed him. In those eyes that had always been brimming with heroic spirit, there was now an added touch of gentleness as she replied:
"It can no longer be unraveled clearly. Taking everything into account, perhaps I was simply born with the destiny to devour thunder."
Chapter 819