The Buddhist cultivators filled the sky in magnificent array, their expressions frozen like statues. Wondrous light blazed from the clouds, and the golden colossus wore a countenance of serene calm—neither merciful nor joyous, simply bearing down in quiet supremacy over the air.
The cultivators below wore expressions of dread and trepidation. The entire island of Beidan was bathed in brilliant radiance. Li Wushao furrowed his brows and backed away, clearly disliking the celestial glare; his scowl was foul, and he was almost certainly cursing in his heart.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Li Xizhi.
Li Xizhi showed no sign of panic. He casually crushed a jade talisman, took a brief measure of the situation, and rose upon rosy clouds. Circulating his Dharmic power, he called out in a clear voice:
"Dakonghai Temple visits our Qingchi's Shitang so suddenly—may I ask what business brings you here? I am Li Xizhi, Master of the Jiutian Pavilion."
None of the Masters in the sky replied. The Lianmin remained motionless as a mountain. Only a Buddhist nun led a contingent forward, clad in loose, dark ascetic robes. Pressing her palms together, she chanted:
"My master, lord of the Vast Ten-Thousand-Li Temple of the Emptiness Sea, responding to the karmic affinity of the Great Wonder, attaining the profound Dao of the Five Aggregates, and disseminating the wondrous scriptures of the Three Vehicles, has specially dispatched Dharma Protector Arahat, the supreme Great Cultivator of the Lianmin seat, Zhu Zhen, to come and guard Beidan."
The moment these words were spoken, the Qingchi cultivators erupted in an uproar.
The history of Buddhist cultivation fell far short of immortal cultivation, so the titles they pulled out were naturally long and tedious. Immortal cultivation had enjoyed the golden age of antiquity, and down to the present day, its ranks remained rigidly defined: the Violet Palace was merely titled "True Person," while Foundation Establishment in some regions did not even carry the honorific of "Daoist." This Buddhist cultivator Zhu Zhen claimed both an "Honored Seat" and "Great Cultivator," sounding exalted to the high heavens, but in truth he was merely a Lianmin. Those grand titles like "Grand Master" among Buddhist cultivators were really just cultivators of the Foundation Establishment level.
What truly horrified everyone was his final sentence—to come and guard Beidan!
What did this mean? No matter how weakened Qingchi Sect had become, it was still a Taiyang lineage. Though the South Sea was home to many high-ranking Buddhist cultivators, and Dakonghai Temple had a Mohe backing them, there was absolutely no reason for them to march onto another sect's territory with such an attitude of taking whatever they pleased! This was an open declaration of war against Qingchi...
Li Xizhi looked up, his eyes cool and composed, and said in a heavy voice:
"I wonder what promise Dakonghai Temple received, and from which True Person an immortal decree was granted, that you come straight to take Shitang?
"Beidan has received no immortal decree from any True Person. If Dakonghai Temple intends to take advantage of our sect's Great True Person's demise to seize Shitang, this junior must decline."
The nun in the sky responded with a cold look, retorting:
"Lord Zhu Zhen is present—who are you to speak? Even if your title 'Tiange Xia' carries great renown, do you expect a Great Cultivator to explain himself to you?"
Seeing her unreasonable demeanor—not only refusing to hear reason but spewing nonsense—Li Xizhi frowned slightly. He knew the visitors harbored ill intent. With Qingchi in such a weakened state, they certainly could not spare a Violet Palace to intervene at this moment...
Just then, his wife Yang Xiao'er drifted down beside him on a cloud of mist, murmuring softly:
"Is everyone from Dakonghai Temple so utterly unreasonable? I am Yang Xiao'er of the Yang clan of the State of Yue..."
The nun was about to speak again when the statue-like Lianmin in the sky finally opened his mouth, his voice resounding like rolling thunder:
"So it is an imperial descendant."
His eyes were deeply imposing as he said coldly:
"Our Dakonghai Temple once crossed hands with Fellow Daoist Si, Fellow Daoist Tang, and Fellow Daoist Ning. Beidan was also a cherished place where I discussed the profound mysteries with those two Daoists... Shitang, furthermore, was the very place where my master attained the Dao. There was a great battle back then, and the three True Persons stated that so long as they remained, Shitang would belong to Qingchi."
He paused briefly, then said softly:
"My master respected Qingchi's lineage, so he pledged to withdraw from Shitang. Now that your Dao's karmic affinity with Shitang has ended, we have come to reclaim it."
Li Xizhi's expression darkened slightly.
The Lianmin's meaning was crystal clear. In his telling, Shitang had been seized from Dakonghai Temple by Qingchi's Three Primes, and now that the Three Primes were gone, they had returned to take it back. Qingchi's secret records were not something Li Xizhi had the clearance to read, but never in the sect had he heard any claim that Shitang had been stolen. Had three Violet Palace masters truly stepped in, the sect could not have lacked all trace of the matter. Even if this figure before them was not spouting outright lies, he had certainly concealed a great deal of the truth.
Yet what the truth was no longer mattered. The enemy had encircled the island; there was plainly no room for negotiation, and they intended to catch them off guard. Could Li Xizhi possibly debate the matter with a Lianmin?
Since the other party came with malice, he dropped all pleasantries as well, asking quietly:
"What does the Lianmin intend?"
Addressing him directly as "Lianmin" was the Jiangnan convention, clearly uncommon in the South Sea and carrying the distinct flavor of the northern Buddhist tradition. The Lianmin frowned, and Sanskrit chants rumbled from his mouth:
"Our Dakonghai Temple does not wish to create excessive slaughter. Out of respect for True Person Zhaojing and the State of Yue, take your family and disciples and depart, yielding Beidan."
Li Xizhi fell silent.
Yield? Or refuse to yield?
The formation on Beidan Island was formidable, but hoping it could repel a Lianmin was pure fantasy. Li Xizhi had no desire to throw away his life in loyalty to Qingchi, and what was more, Dantai Jin and the Ning clan both hoped he would preserve his life. He weighed the matter over and over in his mind, merely calculating whether the enemy would make a move to kill him.
'It would not take True Person Ning long to cross over from Jiangbei. The trouble is that sending word to her takes time. On my end, crushing the jade talisman only informed Dantai Jin first, and Dantai Jin may lack the resolve to strike the bronze bell at once to summon the True Person back.'
He quickly looked up and said in a calm voice:
"We must receive a True Person's immortal decree before we withdraw. I ask the Lianmin to wait a moment. Once the True Person's decree arrives, we shall give you our answer."
If Zhu Zhen were to wait here, he would become an absolute laughingstock. Those words were an unmistakable refusal. The golden light over the Lianmin flickered slowly, clearly betraying his rising anger. Furthermore, having spent so many years in the South Sea, there was no way Li Xizhi was ignorant of its customs; his stubborn refusal to address him as Great Cultivator, calling him Lianmin at every turn, was only adding fuel to the fire. The high-ranking cultivator said coldly:
"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
The moment his words fell, the surrounding crowd of Masters roared in unison. The heavens instantly shook like thunder, the roar resounding across the firmament. Li Xizhi swept his gaze across them, his hands weaving an incantation seal.
A thick, radiant brilliance was already descending from above as the Masters pressed toward the array. Li Xizhi remained in place. A crowd of rosy-light avatars leaped forth, and a blaze of magnificent, colorful light surged upward:
"Chao Yinhong!"
This spell, which in years past could not even breach Tuoba Chongyuan's Dharmic body, was now completely transformed. The brilliant rainbow light formed colossal beams as large as houses, flying across the sky and grazing past the faces of the Masters one after another.
As this spell shot skyward, the nun attending beside the Lianmin was startled. Steering her cloud downward, she cursed:
"What a vicious scoundrel! How dare you act so insolent!"
Even Zhu Zhen frowned slightly, thinking to himself:
'Indeed, a cultivator exceptionally skilled in spells... That reputation was not unearned... Fortunately, he cultivates rosy light; unless he enters Luoxia, there is no Dao path ahead of him... To an immortal True Person, he truly is a sharp blade.'
He did not appear quite as domineering and furious as he seemed on the surface, but instead scrutinized Li Xizhi carefully. Seeing his cautious demeanor, Li Xizhi felt much steadier in his heart. He commanded:
"All cultivators on the island, join me in defense!"
The cultivators immediately dropped toward the array platforms. The formation on Beidan Island had been constructed by an array master during Chi Wei's era, at the very height of Qingchi's prosperity when five Violet Palace True Persons held sway. Consequently, the materials used for this array were exceedingly solid. As over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators channeled their Dharmic power together, the grand formation blazed with sudden brilliance.
Yet there were far more Masters in the sky, and their strength surpassed that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. The grand formation immediately began to waver. Li Xizhi stepped into the void, forming seals with both palms as he spurred a spell:
'Danxia's screen, from luminance to fulfillment; the embrace of layered peaks, joining the Nine Nether to pierce the true... Where rosy clouds and glowing mist arise, forthwith emerge...'
A swath of six-colored light flew from his palms, darting like swallows beyond the array, transforming into a sea of rainbow mist that bolstered the grand formation and blanketed the surroundings.
Li Xizhi's Xianji, Enduring Rosy Mist, excelled at escape arts, gathering rainbows, and casting spells. It naturally possessed the power to muster rainbow mist, disorienting foes and fortifying a mountain or a domain. Yet he had rarely used it over the years; now that it emerged, it immediately dampened the momentum of the Masters outside the array.
The confounding power of this rosy mist was extraordinarily potent, and Li Xizhi's spellcraft was formidable, instantly throwing the cultivators outside the array into disarray. Above, Zhu Zhen lifted his eyelids, appearing somewhat displeased. The nun beside him immediately said in a deferential voice:
"Does the Great Cultivator wish..."
Before she could finish, Zhu Zhen shot her a cold glance. Clearly, Dakonghai Temple was beginning to lose face. Yet the Lianmin seemed preoccupied with something else, his gaze wandering over the island.
He observed Yang Xiao'er closely, as if confirming something. Seeing her composed and entirely fearless, he frowned inwardly. Naturally, he could not allow Li Xizhi to hold out. The Lianmin had to make a move after all, so he casually gave a gentle blow.
"Whoosh!"
With that single blow, a gale howled across the island. No matter how formidable the rosy mist was, the moment the Lianmin blew upon it, it scattered completely, once again revealing the white-robed man suspended within the formation.
Li Xizhi's expression grew solemn. Seeing the group of Masters closing in once more, his hand finally came to rest upon the hilt of the longsword slung across his back. His pale, slender fingers pressed against the jewel on the hilt, yet hesitation lingered.
Beside him, Yang Xiao'er looked equally displeased. Seeing her husband's hesitation, she stepped forward and said in a gentle voice:
"Husband, have no worries..."
The understanding between them required no words. Yang Xiao'er knew he was in the dark regarding the broader situation and feared that injuring these Masters would provide an excuse for the Lianmin to pursue them relentlessly; Li Xizhi equally understood that his wife possessed full confidence.
Li Xizhi trusted his wife completely. Over the years, he had escaped death several times largely thanks to this capable partner. He gave a slight nod, and his wrist flicked.
"Clang!"
The longsword gleaming with multicolored brilliance was drawn a fraction, revealing a pristine white blade and a sharp, smooth, elegantly contoured edge.
Above, the absentminded Zhu Zhen's eyes blazed with light. Shivering as if struck by an electric jolt, he turned his head and let out a roar like rolling thunder:
"Insolence!"
At the same time, a swath of brilliant, warm-white streaming light leaped from within the array, shifting into shades of yellow and white. The instant they materialized, they each split into three points of streaming light that wove and drifted with extraordinary agility.
'Threefold Moonstream!'
The many Masters surrounding the formation retreated in unison, a bone-chilling sense of peril surging through their hearts.
"Clang!"
A colossal golden palm traversed the Great Void, manifesting out of thin air before the Masters. Dharmic power surged from this golden palm, forcibly shielding the group of Masters behind it.
Zhu Zhen was a Lianmin after all; traversing the Great Void offered far too many advantages. All six points of warm-white streaming light were seized at once. The nearest one had almost reached a certain Master's neck, sending a shiver through his Dharmic body and drawing a faint trace of red.
The Masters broke into a cold sweat, exchanging terrified glances.
'He nearly killed someone...'
Only Zhu Zhen's swift reaction had prevented it. If Dakonghai Temple had mobilized in full force with a Lianmin leading them, only to have several Masters slain, they would have been thoroughly disgraced!
In the space of a single thought, the golden hand barely managed to grasp the sword origin, producing a dense, sharp, grating screech of colliding metal. Yet like sunlight breaking after rain, a long rainbow suddenly manifested, its colors interweaving as rays of radiant light seemed to descend from the heavens.
Li Xizhi had already sheathed his sword.
'Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony!'
It was none other than the third stance of the Yueque Sword Canon!
Li Xizhi had attained his sword origin more than twenty years later than his younger brother, only crossing the threshold to cultivate this sword technique by relying on the Five Colors Deep Vast Sword Art. Yet his talent and genius were in no way inferior to Li Xijun's. Combining the Five Colors Deep Vast Sword Art with Threefold Moonstream produced six sword lights, and executing Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony on that foundation made it even more devastating!
In the next instant, a violent, piercing, earth-shaking screech erupted from within the palm. The sound was so shrill and crisp that the Masters winced in agony, while the monks below bled profusely from both ears.
The golden palm felt as if it had seized an iron nail. It flung its hand away in pain, then, as if driven by mortified fury and sheer reflex, suddenly raised its hand and struck down upon Beidan's grand formation.
"Rumble!"
The dozen-plus Foundation Establishment cultivators within the array coughed up blood simultaneously, thrown backward like arrows loosed from a bow. Beidan's grand formation detonated with a roar, billowing dense golden smoke like a glass dome struck by a hammer, instantly covered in fine, dense fractures.
"Bang!"
A violent boom resounded from the grand hall at the peak of Beidan, and thick white smoke surged forth. Clearly, the formation plate had been shattered beyond repair and could hold no longer.
Silence enveloped the field.
"Crack..."
Beidan's grand formation emitted splintering sounds. Whether it was the monks over the sea or the cultivators on the island, not a single person had recovered from their stupor. They were not shocked because Zhu Zhen had broken the array with a single strike—on the contrary, it would have been unnatural if a Lianmin could not shatter a Foundation Establishment array with one palm...
What left them stunned was Zhu Zhen's reaction of pain.
'This is a Great Cultivator of Dakonghai Temple...'
In several centuries across Jiangnan, only one cultivator had ever fought a Lianmin as a Foundation Establishment practitioner—Duanmu Kui.
Li Xizhi had merely caused Zhu Zhen a twinge of pain; had the array not absorbed the brunt of that strike, he would have been obliterated on the spot. He could not be compared to Duanmu Kui, who had held an immortal scripture and beaten a certain southward-advancing Lianmin until he bled and was forced to retreat... Yet even that was under the premise of holding an immortal scripture. What kind of man had Duanmu Kui been? An extraordinary figure who had dominated an entire era and single-handedly altered the reputation of the Huaiyin Ghost Xianji! Not just anyone deserved the title of dominating an era; even without the immortal scripture, how many in Jiangnan could have stood against him?
The scene before them silenced the entire expanse of Shitang. No one dared look up at the Lianmin at this moment. Even Yang Xiao'er was taken aback, having never expected her husband's sword strike to be so formidable. She immediately gripped a talisman in her hand:
'Don't let him fly into a rage out of humiliation...'
Lianmin Zhu Zhen slowly raised his head, examining his palm.
The golden palm was entirely smooth; naturally, nothing remained. No matter how hurriedly he had acted, it was impossible for Li Xizhi to breach his Dharmic body, leaving not even a scratch. Yet he had truly, undeniably felt pain.
'It must be a sword technique capable of harming the Shengyang Mansion... What magnificent swordcraft...'
Zhu Zhen's deduction was accurate. When Autumn Moon Listens in Harmony was unleashed, Threefold Moonstream followed immediately, three merging into one to simultaneously sever the three mansions of Shengyang, Qihai, and Juque. It was precisely why it required sword origin to perform. If imbued with sword intent capable of cutting into the Great Void, the technique would become even more terrifying.
'A pity the gap between him and me is far too vast; it was merely a fleeting shock.'
Zhu Zhen's thoughts raced in a single breath. His gaze fell upon the white-robed swordsman on the island, anger igniting on his face as his voice grew chilly:
"Good... Very good... Everyone says your single sword strike startles heaven and earth. You truly are the descendant of a sword immortal."
As his voice dropped, Yang Xiao'er gripped the talisman in her sleeve even tighter. Li Xizhi had already whispered instructions, and the cultivators were retreating. He, however, remained unhurried, cupping his hands:
"This junior merely used a clever trick. I thank Senior for the guidance."
In the next breath, a gust of black wind burst from Yang Xiao'er's sleeve. At that exact moment, Zhu Zhen's colossal golden body vanished from the sky. A host of Masters surged forward in pursuit of the Qingchi cultivators, the array continuing to crackle as it disintegrated, while monks swarmed onto Beidan Island like ants.
"Rumble."
The golden palm materialized out of thin air, seizing the black wind. Its fingers tightened, violently yanking it backward. Swept along by the black wind, Li Xizhi and Yang Xiao'er coughed up blood together. Yet Li Xizhi saw that Yang Xiao'er remained utterly unfazed, simply steering the wind calmly as she murmured:
"True Person Ning has made her move."
Calculating the time, it should have been impossible for Ning Wan to arrive here from the north so quickly. Li Xizhi could not tell whether "True Person Ning has arrived" or "True Person Ning was already here all along." Zhu Zhen's conduct had also been rather peculiar:
'Was he unable to capture us in that moment, or was he unwilling to capture us?'
He could only lower his head, casting all such thoughts from his mind.
Just as Yang Xiao'er's voice fell, fluttering snow began to fall from the sky. A woman in white emerged, breaking through the Great Void. Unlike Zhu Zhen's hesitant, feigned coldness, this immortal maiden's chill was tinged with genuine fury:
"Dakonghai Temple puts on quite the grand display."
The cultivators on the scene instantly let out sighs of relief, and Li Xizhi and his wife relaxed as well. Zhu Zhen secretly breathed easy, his body blazing with golden light as he replied:
"True Person Ning arrives right on time. Regarding the matter of Beidan, my temple's Mohe was just about to have a detailed discussion with you."
He stood in place, the golden light behind him shooting straight into the heavens. A slender silhouette slowly emerged—a monk clad in gray robes, holding a zen staff.
This monk had sharply slanted eyes, one hand held before his chest, and a pointed chin carrying quite a sinister air. Unlike the towering Dharmic bodies of the seven northern lineages that soared directly into the clouds, he resembled an ordinary monk. Yet when his staff tapped against the ground with a crisp ring, all wind and snow ceased at once.
Ning Wan looked at him quietly, her voice calm:
"Now that the Three Primes have fallen, a thing like you creeps out to stir up trouble..."
An exaggerated expression of joy surfaced on the monk's face. He grinned, revealing snow-white, perfectly aligned teeth:
"No matter how peerless they once were, they are dead now, while I have become a Mohe. My road to immortality has only just begun. Such is the distinction between immortals and Buddhists. Even if you were allowed to revel in glory for a couple of years, what use was it?
"Beidan belongs to our temple, so naturally we have come to reclaim it. Fellow Daoist Ning, our temple shows some respect to your Taiyang lineage by harming no one. Go back to where you came from!"
Ning Wan smiled faintly, like a spring breeze melting winter ice, her tone exceptionally gentle:
"Even if Senior lives another four hundred years, you cannot erase the matters of 'Yuanwu Stepping on Your Face' and 'A Single Talisman Suffices.' In years past, we refrained from mentioning them for the sake of goodwill between our sects. Now that the world hears Baoqing has achieved Mohe, perhaps those old tales ought to be shared."
Her words were spoken placidly, yet struck like thunderclaps. After all his grandiose proclamations, Mohe Baoqing found himself clenching both fists at Ning Wan's single sentence. A jeweled radiance flared in his eyes as he suppressed his fury and sneered:
"Bitch, you had better worry about yourself!"
***
Lake Wangyue.
Radiance flowed through the great hall. A man in black robes and a crimson inner garment stood before the corridor, gazing out at the heavy rain over the lake. His hand tapped gently against the stone balustrade, appearing entirely at ease.
After a time, a white-haired old man approached from the other end of the corridor. Thin and small, his face lined with deep wrinkles, he looked like an exceptionally shrewd character.
He bowed deeply upon drawing near, saying respectfully:
"Reporting to the Patriarch, the Locust Soul Hall in Jiangbei... has obtained the Midong territory, expanding their lands by a thousand li. Many prominent clans in Midong have submitted to their banner. Their power grows steadily and is now quite considerable."
Li Jiangqian nodded with a hint of amusement, asking:
"How did they obtain it? Did Duxian hand Midong over? Did Guan Gongxiao fail to come up with any clever scheme?"
Qu Bushi hurriedly replied:
"Reporting to the Patriarch, unrest broke out in Midong, and several clans defected to the Locust Soul Hall... Daoist Bai originally refused to accept them... but these clans brought news that the entire Baijiang Creek was historically territory of the Mifan lineage. Lord Guan simply went with the flow and handed Midong over... As for those defecting clans, Daoist Bai left them untouched, seemingly intending to put them to use once the storm passes."
Li Jiangqian nodded, replying:
"That is passable enough. Daoist Bai is no fool, merely overly greedy. If something were to cause too grave an offense, he would be unwilling to do it; but when it comes to a minor grudge, once his greed flares up, he no longer cares."
Qu Bushi nodded repeatedly, adding:
"Precisely because he received this news, word has it... in recent days, Daoist Bai also intends to reclaim Fanyun and unify Baijiang Creek."
"This Locust Soul Hall really leaks worse than a sieve..."
Li Jiangqian chuckled softly, replying:
"People are all like that. After one or two such experiences, they assume everyone behaves the same way. Our family and Duxian Dao yielded ground, so his fear of Violet Palace factions gradually faded, and he came to think they were nothing special. Seeing Chengyun Gate and Lotus Temple locked in fierce combat, unable even to manage the unrest on their own soil, he began getting ideas.
"Chengyun Gate is more than happy to let them fight. With the Mifan lineage gathered, Fanyun no longer serves any purpose. Ridding themselves cleanly of their vassals in this land kills two birds with one stone, while they themselves are bogged down by the Buddhists, unable to pull away... They have nothing to fear."
He surveyed the board of the entire situation, musing to himself:
'Chengyun Gate is truly formidable. Throughout the entire affair, they never laid a finger on the board, yet they detached themselves completely from everything. After all, when faced with such developments, even those setting the trap feel a tremor in their hearts.'
Qu Bushi had no idea what he was pondering and dared not speak out of turn. He merely saw Li Jiangqian suddenly appear lost in thought, asking:
"Guan Gongxiao... seems to have a younger sister named Guan Lingdie, doesn't he? I hear she is remarkably beautiful... hmm... a demonic saintess... Has she still been in Jiangbei recently?"
Chapter 866