Time shifted and blurred across the lake. Li Ximing had merely spent a brief while tempering his divine ability, yet hours slipped by in the snap of a finger. When he opened his eyes, Li Jiangqian had already arrived in the mountains and said respectfully:
"Reporting to the Real Person, the esteemed lords have arrived together and set foot upon the islet. They invite you over..."
Li Ximing knew then that Kuiqi and the others had returned. Beside him, Ning Wan opened her eyes at the same time, her expression gentle as she said to Li Ximing:
"Your noble clan is raised with admirable discipline. The so-called righteous path... ought to begin with upright conduct and extend to an upright heart."
Only then did Li Ximing recall that this Real Person Qiuhu cultivated the divine ability Attuning to Clear Whispers, the destiny divine ability of Cold Qi. She had likely heard not the slightest disrespect in Li Jiangqian's heart, which prompted her remark. Yet he could not say for sure whether the Talisman Seed had played a part, and he dared not bring it up. Hurrying, he smiled and said:
"You flatter us. Let us not keep the two seniors waiting..."
The two dissolved into bright light and icy qi, remanifesting within the grand hall on the islet in the blink of an eye. Two figures stood within the previously empty hall—both at the Violet Palace realm!
The leader was naturally Ling Mei, his hair and beard half-gray. He cradled the snow-white spirit sword cherished in his embrace, a smile on his face, his breathing steady, his Daoist robes fluttering as he spoke of something.
Behind him stood Real Person Kuiqi, clad in black, nodding slightly. The black rope from earlier was tied around his waist; had one not witnessed this spirit artifact deployed, no one would have imagined it to be a formidable treasure.
With the arrival of Li Ximing and Ning Wan upon the islet, four Real Persons were now gathered all at once on this small Lake Central Islet.
Catching sight of Li Ximing, Ling Mei smiled and said softly:
"Zhaojing, it has been a long time!"
Li Ximing bowed hastily and said with deep respect:
"Greetings, Senior. Having returned from the East Sea in haste, I have not yet visited the Sword Sect to offer my thanks... Regarding my clan's Zhouwei, it was entirely thanks to your sect stepping in to save him! Zhaojing is endlessly grateful. If there is ever any use for me in the future, or any pills that need refining, please do not hesitate to command me..."
"You are too courteous."
Ling Mei waved his hand with utter nonchalance. As Li Ximing ushered him to a seat, Kuiqi remarked regretfully:
"A pity. Zhelu gained advantages after all, and his divine abilities have grown ever more exquisite over the years. This time, we failed to wound him severely, only injuring a few of his eyes..."
Ling Mei stroked his beard and took up the thread of conversation:
"Though this old man has Daxue Juefeng, fighting him as a mid Violet Palace cultivator was truly stretching it. Only if Senior Louxing were here, empowered by sword intent and wielding Daxue Juefeng, could he truly inflict grievous wounds upon that man."
The sword cultivator raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Qiuhu... how is Tinglan?"
Ning Wan gave a brief account, keeping her words concise. Ling Mei nodded in understanding. Li Ximing, meanwhile, felt a twinge of reluctance as he fingered the Chongyang Governing Star Treasure Plate inside his sleeve. Naturally, he could not wait for someone to ask for such a precious item to his face, which would look ungracious. Holding it out in his hands, he smiled and said:
"Now that the matter is settled, this spirit artifact should be returned to its rightful owner."
As the golden plate was brought out, Kuiqi nodded with a smile. Accepting it, he praised:
"Zhaojing is formidable indeed. No wonder you could depart from Changxiao's grasp with such composure. Now that I have witnessed your Mingyang True Fire and seen you slay a Lianmin with a single palm... I finally realize just how capable you are."
Li Ximing demurred modestly:
"I merely took advantage of Audience at the Heavenly Gate suppressing the Lianmin. It pales before the two seniors."
Kuiqi shook his head, evidently having formed his own judgment, and said in a heavy voice:
"Tinglan will be unable to act for a while, yet the matters in the north must still be settled. Since that is the case, let us all make a trip to my Xiukui's Mount Huyi to finalize the arrangements first..."
Having said this, he tilted his head slightly toward Li Ximing and added:
"And in passing, I shall hand over the medicinal pills from our vault to Fellow Daoist."
Ning Wan took the opportunity to say:
"Speaking of which, Sister Tinglan originally promised the Li clan that she would construct a Violet Palace grand array. The foundations had just been completed when this matter delayed everything. Before returning to her sect, she entrusted the task to me. Lake Wangyue sits right next to Jiangbei, making this an urgent matter as well... My own strength is insufficient for the task alone... I must trouble Senior to take a look..."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Kuiqi chuckled and shook his head:
"That is only natural. Having just made a trek north and returned to the lake, I should certainly lend a hand."
Ordinarily, securing Kuiqi's personal aid would incur no small expense. Yet the Sun dao lineage possessed pride, and Xiukui was aloof; having just returned from aiding in battle, he would never stoop to discussing compensation. Ning Wan simply produced a jade slip, sketching out the terrain in the empty air, and fell into a detailed discussion with him.
"Wait a moment, Zhaojing. Keep Senior Ling company for a chat."
Both possessed profound mastery in formations—one backed by deep heritage, the other blessed with extraordinary talent. As their discussion deepened, both reaped insights. No longer content with merely gesturing over diagrams, they nodded to Li Ximing and rode the wind outside to survey the grounds, as though none of this concerned Li Ximing at all.
This left him both flattered and amused. Ling Mei took it all in, sighing with a smile:
"Kuiqi regards you as one of his own... The Sun dao lineage was originally quite warm toward its own members. Had it not been for various sects straying from the righteous path one after another and breaking the hearts of Xiukui and Hengzhu... relations would never have grown as estranged as they are today..."
Li Ximing nodded inwardly. He had witnessed Kuiqi's attitude firsthand; the man had shown nothing but contempt toward Real Person Luo, who had refined living humans, let alone Qingchi back then... It was no wonder that hearts had scattered so thoroughly.
At this mention, Li Ximing already harbored some guesses, and he asked in a low voice:
"Hengzhu... was it because Murong Xia went south back then? But why did it deteriorate to such an extent..."
Ling Mei's expression turned complex as he shook his head:
"Since you have reached your current height, Zhaojing, there is no harm in speaking freely. The matter of Murong Xia... though Luoxia did not directly hand down an edict, Jinyu and Qingchi had agreed, and the division of Jiangbei was already settled... There was no reason to go back on their word... Hengzhu... sigh..."
This affair clearly troubled Ling Mei deeply, even causing him pain. Stroking his beard, he shied away from dwelling on it and sighed instead:
"Right now, everyone in the north is guessing at Louxing's whereabouts, so turmoil is inevitable. Although they failed to achieve their objective this time, they have largely figured out the full combat strength that the Sun lineage can muster at once, while their own losses amounted to merely a few Lianmin. Incidents like this will not be rare. Your clan lacks their deep foundations; always keep a card up your sleeve, so that you may preserve yourselves when the time comes."
Coming from a cultivator of the Sun dao lineage, Ling Mei's words already displayed great favoritism. Li Ximing nodded in thanks and sighed:
"Senior's kind intentions are deeply appreciated; this junior shall keep them firmly in mind. I wonder if the disciples of my clan might have the affinity to enter your mountain for cultivation..."
The sword cultivator stroked his beard and replied softly:
"Our Sword Sect cannot shake off its entrenched customs after all. We can make minor adjustments, but nothing that touches the core foundations. If your noble clan sends disciples to practice the sword, my Sword Sect will welcome them wholeheartedly. Yet by the same token... the child must be sent over at six years of age and sever all mortal ties... making the upholding of virtue and morality their foremost duty."
This would likely mean the clan's disciple would never return, and perhaps due to various rigid customs, they might not even receive optimal resource support—even if the family sent spiritual goods to the sect, it would draw gossip. Li Ximing was naturally unwilling. Pausing briefly, he nodded with a smile, just as Ning Wan descended through the air.
Ning Wan first bowed to Ling Mei, then smiled:
"Zhaojing, the positions of the thirty-two Purple Gen Broad Valley Mountain-Piercing Profound Spikes have been finalized. Come, take a look."
Li Ximing was overjoyed. Instantly riding a streak of light into the air, he looked around and saw numerous purple-gold pillars standing upon Lake Central Islet. Each was as thick as a house, soaring straight into the sky and radiating interwoven hues of purple and yellow.
It was early morning, with white mist rising all around. Spikes near and far stood staggered, looming half-visible through the hazy dawn mist. The Li clan cultivators standing on the islet looked on in wonder and amazement; one or two daring individuals had already taken to the wind, flying loops around these towering, staggered purple-gold pillars.
Complex purple-gold patterns intertwined in the air, casting their glow onto the roofs of the pavilions and terraces below, making the structures appear diminutive by comparison. Set against these profound pillars, the originally tranquil Pingya Islet now seemed mysterious and magnificent, its former ethereal grace transformed into an aura of solemn, dignified majesty.
With these thirty-two Purple Gen Broad Valley spikes erected, even before the array had been activated, Li Ximing was already clicking his tongue in admiration. Ning Wan said softly:
"Of these thirty-two Purple Gen Broad Valley spikes, sixteen are on the islet and sixteen are in the lake bordering it. Presently, those on the islet stand on level ground at a height of one hundred and eighty ren. Once driven into the earth, their exposed heights will vary: the tallest in the center of the islet will have one hundred and sixty ren exposed... while those surrounding it will step down gradually. Factoring in the earth veins, there will be variations in elevation, so the array's radiance as a whole will form a canopy.
"The remaining sixteen are submerged in the surrounding waters, covering a broad expanse of the lake, with most protruding above the water's surface. These thirty-two profound spikes serve as the focal convergence points for the Violet Palace grand array's spiritual qi. In the future, you may also build pavilions and terraces anchored to these pillars...
"Your noble clan resides upon an islet rather than amidst mountains. Sister Tinglan's design for this grand array is exceptionally precise; rarely does one see such a standard canopy shape... This also happens to be a specialty of her Ziyan lineage..."
Ziyan Blessed Land itself was not built upon a mountain either, bearing a close resemblance to Lake Central Islet. Li Ximing had clearly approached the right person in seeking Tinglan's aid. However, the Li clan's domain certainly could not match the size of a blessed land, particularly in height. Lake Central Islet was quite flat, with only a slight rise in its center; adding those one hundred and sixty ren, it would reach a height of roughly one hundred and twenty zhang.
Such a height could only be considered standard, roughly one-fifth the height of Mount Xiaoshi in the north. Although Li Ximing felt it was somewhat low, his clan had never possessed an immortal mountain to begin with, so being somewhat low was only normal. He nodded repeatedly.
Ning Wan then said:
"Those along the lake have already been driven down, and the earth veins across the lake have been surveyed. Currently, Senior Kuiqi is holding them in place with his immense magic power. Once you give the nod, Zhaojing, and the people on the islet are evacuated, we can establish the array!"
Li Ximing had not expected the two Violet Palace seniors to work with such efficiency. He hastily summoned Li Jiangqian and instructed him to clear everyone out, thinking to himself with a nod:
*Fortunately, the previous array on the lake was merely the slipshod setup from before, offering little defensive power. As a result, our clan members all conduct their seclusions at Qingdu; otherwise, once this new array comes crashing down, they would almost certainly have been disrupted...*
Seeing the Li clan members withdrawing in a mixture of joy and apprehension, Li Jiangqian reported back. Ning Wan smiled and said:
"The only issue is that your previous array will be smashed to pieces."
How could Li Ximing care about such a minor thing now? Besides, there was no reason to keep Kuiqi holding the weight while his clan dispatched men to dismantle the old array. He waved his hand dismissively. Ning Wan swept her sleeve, sending a blast of freezing qi shooting into the sky.
High above, Kuiqi formed an incantation seal and released his grip. The thirty-two Purple Gen Broad Valley spikes instantly erupted in brilliant radiance, violet and yellow intertwining. The earth veins opened one after another, plumes of pitch-black earth fiend surging toward the heavens—yet scarcely had they risen for an instant before these thirty-two colossal pillars plunged downward with a resounding crash.
*Boom!*
The tallest Purple Gen Broad Valley profound spike at the center of the lake blazed with purple and yellow hues. Purple spread across the sky, bleeding outward from the center in all directions to form a purple dome that descended like a canopy, accompanied by a thunderous boom. Yellow light spread across the inner surface of this purple canopy like the veins of a leaf, illuminating every single node corresponding to the profound spikes one by one.
The connection between the Great Void and the mortal realm was gradually severed. The wondrous workings of the Violet Palace grand array cleaved the Great Void inside and outside into two distinct spaces. This profound sky of purple laced with yellow veins shone with peak intensity before finally turning transparent and fading away.
*Clatter, crash...*
Due to the shifting of the earth veins, the independent arrays within the pavilions and towers lost their power entirely. Before this tremor, the houses and courtyards upon the islet shattered like paper windowpanes, leaving behind only the profound pillars piercing the heavens, standing tall upon the islet and radiating a dim yellow glow.
*The Violet Palace grand array is complete!*
Li Ximing's heart surged with excitement and praise. Hearing the exclamations and cheers rising from both shores, Ning Wan smiled gently and bowed in congratulation:
"Congratulations, Zhaojing!"
"Congratulations, Zhaojing!"
Kuiqi descended from the sky with a hearty laugh, the illusory luster of his magic power somewhat dimmed, showing that the exertion had taken a heavy toll. After they had labored so extensively on his behalf, Li Ximing bowed hastily in return, smiling:
"It is all thanks to both fellow daoists!"
Ning Wan replied with a smile:
"This array... Sister Tinglan never gave it a specific name. We invite you to name it yourself, Zhaojing."
Li Ximing was in high spirits. After pondering for a moment and looking around, he stroked his beard and said:
"Let it be called... the Zhaoguang Xuanzi Spirit Array."
Li Ximing had not chosen this name at random. The Violet Palace grand arrays of the Sun dao lineage all possessed four-character titles followed by the words 'Spirit Array'. He did not deviate from this tradition. Rising into the air atop a beam of light, he landed upon the tallest pillar, where a small platform was indeed set.
Upon the platform, densely packed grayish-gold patterns were drawn. The array disc had evidently dissolved into these runes and embedded itself within; none below the Violet Palace realm could ever extract it. Li Ximing brushed his sleeves lightly and activated his divine ability to refine it, claiming the grand array as his own.
Ning Wan said softly:
"The array disc of the grand array rests upon this tallest profound pillar. Should you require any entry and exit tokens, you may carve them yourself, Zhaojing. This array possesses the basic capability of any Violet Palace grand array to isolate the Great Void. Furthermore, in accordance with the customs of the Sun dao lineage, it is divided into two layers, inner and outer. The inner and outer arrays do not connect; the inner array is merely the size of a palace chamber, suitable for storing treasures, while the outer array serves for the coming and going of disciples.
"The grand array itself possesses two mystic properties. One is [Mountain Suppressor], which serves to steady the earth veins and gather spiritual qi. Precisely because its control over the earth veins is extraordinarily powerful, the thirty-two spikes are separated from one another, allowing them to foster thirty-two types of precious cultivation lands to nurture clan disciples."
Li Ximing naturally knew where this mystic property of [Mountain Suppressor], so discordant with Purple Qi and Mingyang, had come from, and he sighed inwardly. Ning Wan continued:
"The second is [Purple Demeanor]. The thirty-two profound pillars each emit spiritual radiance, converging together to draw upon the reserves in your vault and the spiritual qi of the islet to produce the [Broad Valley Purple Demeanor Light] for repelling enemies... As for its might... it can be considered respectable."
Ning Wan added thoughtfully:
"This property was modified by Sister Tinglan according to her own inclinations... She was very inventive with many of the nodes. Yet although it gained the [Broad Valley Purple Demeanor Light], these modifications also left it lacking quite a few mystic properties for warding off external foes..."
Chapter 896