"The Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal..."
Within the Great Void, darkness reigned as faint phantoms descended. The scarlet brilliance of a great array shone radiantly. Though the void appeared empty of living souls, waves of splendor surged endlessly before sputtering out.
A shroud of boundless pale-yellow illusion fell, presenting a near-infinite spectacle of light and shadow. The clouds drifting across the void dissipated at an extraordinary speed in the wake of Chi Buzi's departure.
Once the brilliance receded, a man could be seen sitting upright in the midst of it.
He possessed a youthful countenance, delicate eyebrows, and large eyes that lent him an elegant air. He stared steadily into the Great Void, then suddenly turned his head and asked, "What do you think of this treasure, Daoist friend?"
A chorus of thunder rumbled, answered from the other side by billowing clouds and purple lightning. The shimmering haze manifested as a valiant woman with willow-leaf brows and almond eyes. Gripping a silver spear, she exuded a majestic presence.
"I didn't inspect it closely."
"Yet Lord Dragon Monarch said... this item indeed holds a connection. One simply cannot tell where it leads."
The two strode forward through the Great Void. With merely a single step, the surrounding sights plunged like a black curtain. Endless illusions shifted, purple lightning crackled in the shadows, and the void expanded into a circular pool of purple and white.
Densely packed droplets of purple-white thunder-liquid rose to the surface as bolts of purple lightning crashed downward one after another into the pool. Dark bronze iron inscribed with dense lightning patterns rose from the depths, out of which bounded a silver-white palace.
They had arrived at the Thunder Pool.
Dongfang Heyun wore an indifferent expression as he seated himself in a small pavilion within the palace. The woman born of purple lightning picked up a kettle—she was none other than Li Qinghong.
She poured tea to fill both their cups, asking in a soft voice, "Was that former Master of Yuzhen... truly so formidable?"
Dongfang Heyun chuckled twice, raised his cup, and murmured, "To put it bluntly, among all the remarkable figures from antiquity to the present, those who could cleanly outmatch him would not exceed the fingers on two hands!"
The dignified man lowered his head to take a sip, only to be caught off guard by a burst of startling flavor that momentarily made him grimace.
He smacked his lips, set down his cup, and finally said, "I have followed the lord for a long time, so let me explain it to you.
"The foremost beings from ancient times to this day are the Immortal Lords, a title usually referring to cultivators born before the emergence of the Five Virtues and the Five Waters and Five Fires. As for their lineage, the Dragon Monarch refers to it..."
He paused deliberately before continuing, "...as the Zhengshi Liangyi."
Dongfang Heyun took a breath and carried on: "Later, the Five Virtues came into being, the Five Waters and Fires descended upon heaven and earth, and fruits of attainment were claimed. The Three Mysteries successively produced True Monarchs and immortals. Though their might was preeminent, none of them styled themselves Immortal Lords anymore. Many yao beasts attained genuine fruits as well, the greatest among them being the True Chi. Known as the foremost monster, its profound cultivation placed it at the peak of the immortal status.
"Swimming and Joining waters intertwined, and nine sons were born. The master of Joining Water was the Dragon King of the East Sea, honored by the name Dongfang Riju, who was often suspected by ancient cultivators to be the reincarnation of the True Chi... From the moment he was born, he stood at the apex of the Golden Core realm.
"Of the nine sons of the True Chi, six were Joining and three were Swimming. The Swimming seats were all intercalary, while the Joining seats were all surplus. Later, one by one, they succumbed to lethal tribulations. The Dragon King of the East Sea fell at the hands of the world's first sword immortal... and the second sword immortal..."
He gazed gravely at Li Qinghong and answered, "...later became the Master of Yuzhen."
Li Qinghong fell into deep thought. "I see... Then could this Master of Yuzhen's attainment of the Dao have been aided by his status as a sword immortal?"
Dongfang Heyun nodded. "Precisely!"
He sighed. "Furthermore, Yuzhen is one of the Three Shaman Paths, governing the Great Dao of truth, falsehood, reality, and illusion. The shift between what is real and fake is exceedingly difficult to fathom. That being is already an immortal; anything he transforms into could fool even a fellow immortal standing right before him!"
Li Qinghong furrowed her brows. "So the method behind the Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal..."
"The Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal cannot be divined."
Dongfang Heyun shook his head and whispered, "The story of the Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal wasn't calculated by any great lord; it was spoken by Immortal Yingze to the Six Sons of Chongming back in the day!"
Li Qinghong gave a silent nod. Recalling past lore, she asked with a frown, "The Dragon King of the East Sea... fell at the hands of a sword immortal... There ought to be generation and overcoming among lineages. What Dao lineage did that immortal cultivate?"
Dongfang Heyun's expression turned eerie as he replied, "His honorable title can no longer be spoken... That lord achieved an empty realization!"
"An empty realization?" Li Qinghong pressed.
Dongfang Heyun explained, "An empty realization means verifying the void through the existent. Originally, no such fruit of attainment existed; whether by borrowing or by concealing, one can use the Great Dao to achieve realization out of nothingness, causing the world to gain an extra realized seat!"
"What?"
Li Qinghong now knew a great deal about fruits of attainment, yet hearing this left her feeling that it was utterly inconceivable. Dongfang Heyun shook his head, a look of profound horror surfacing in his eyes.
"This is ancient history; treat it as a curious tale. That seat was the seat of the Sword Dao... the source of all sword origin and sword intent across heaven and earth, as well as the fundamental heel and status of a sword immortal!
"The sword is revered as the sovereign of all weapons precisely because of this."
Dongfang Heyun lapsed into silence for a long time before letting out a soft breath. "I have heard that empty realizations also have distinctions. Yet that lord was truly terrifying: borrowing nothing and concealing nothing, he attained it out of sheer nothingness. It could be called one of a kind. In the clash between immortals and demons, he successively slew two Wood Virtue sovereigns, severely injured an unknown number of ancient cultivators, and drifted away into the distance. From ancient times to the present, he deserves to be called the foremost figure..."
His voice dropped lower. "It is also the reason Wood Virtue has remained languid to this day."
Li Qinghong stood dumbfounded, her mind racing. After a long silence, she remarked, "So that is the fundamental status of sword cultivators... No wonder... No wonder a sword immortal can sever divine abilities and strike down Rising Sun cultivators! So that was the reason!"
Dongfang Heyun gave a wry laugh and shook his head. "Do you know why a sword immortal must usually achieve it before attaining their divine abilities?!"
Li Qinghong's pupils dilated slightly as she looked at the polite man before her.
"A divine ability is a Dao lineage, and sword intent is an exceptionally domineering and wondrous art that will brook no room for a cultivator who has already embarked upon another path!"
Li Qinghong let out a long breath, a sudden realization dawning upon her. Quick-witted as she was, she drew an immediate parallel and asked, "In that case, back then True Monarch Shangyuan possessed two strands of sword intent... Were those two wondrous arts of the Sword Dao?! Could his strength be taken lightly?"
Dongfang Heyun hesitated, bowing his head in thought for a good while before shaking his head. "I don't think it should be understood that way. That sword immortal's path was singular; a single strand of sword intent was already the absolute limit. Nowadays, the various lords actually suspect that True Monarch Shangyuan's two strands of sword intent were merely transformations of the Yuzhen path of reality and illusion..."
He gave a faint sigh. "Besides, once one ascends to a fruit of attainment, the assistance provided by sword intent is no longer as great as it was during the Violet Palace realm..."
Before they could say more, a disturbance echoed through the Great Void. A woman with narrow eyes manifested, her robes fluttering with an imposing aura, two strands of hair framing her cheeks.
Both of them rose together, as though to receive her, but the woman waved her hands repeatedly to urge them to sit, saying only, "Fuxin has received instructions from the lord to deliver a message. There is no need for formalities!"
She looked stern and dignified, devoid of smiles. Even her polite words carried little warmth. Skirting past pleasantries, she continued, "Word has come that movements have occurred in both Changhuai and the Underworld. The overarching trends within the seas are beginning to show their shape. Having devoured thunder and gestated for so long, the lord's True Qi nature is about to undergo transformation. I must ask the two of you to lead the kings there."
***
Mount Zhijing.
*Rumble!*
The rolling roar of thunder echoed from the clouds, spreading outward from the dark clouds atop the mountain peak and quickly carrying down to the surging lake below. Yet the passing cultivators were long accustomed to it, flying past the mountain's base in haste without even looking up.
The mountain was blanketed in ferocious purple flames. A small, pristine white bottle hung suspended in midair, tilted forward as though pouring. Sheets of brilliant light fell from its mouth, mingling with fire fiendqi as they drifted downward.
On the other side floated eighteen bronze-gold boxes of solemn hues, rotating in the air. Spiritual thunders rose from them one after another, descending in strict succession into two raised fingers.
Radiance intertwined with thunderfire, bursting forth amid fire fiendqi, all absorbed by the divine ability and drawn into the massive Juque Platform below.
Atop the platform stood a grand hall, five bays wide and three bays deep, supported by eight inner pillars. It was magnificent and ethereal, woven in gold and red with shimmering light. The thunderfire, radiance, and fire fiendqi converged into the hall, forming a swirling vortex of thunder and fire that swept across the surrounding space.
After an indeterminate time, the Juque Court shuddered. The grand hall perched high above radiated resplendent hues, giving off waves of wondrous essence. The man opened his golden eyes and exhaled a breath of fire fiendqi.
"The Diqi Light is completed!"
The eighteen bronze boxes descended one by one. The Mystic Pattern Bottle in the sky reined in its brilliance, ceasing its pour of radiance before fluttering lightly onto the desk. With a thought from Li Zhouwei, it sprang into the air and plunged toward the fiend spring on the mountainside.
Nine of the eighteen bronze boxes still crackled with lightning, clearly not exhausted.
Li Zhouwei counted on his fingers; only nine months had elapsed.
*Though the Diqi Light is complex, it is not excessively difficult for me, especially with an unending supply of radiant thunder and fire fiendqi...*
He had fetched a full eighteen strands of spiritual thunder, but the spell had never demanded much thunder to begin with. Even with most of it spent to swiftly advance his mastery, he had ultimately consumed only nine strands.
As Li Zhouwei exhaled the fire fiendqi, the space between his brows shone faintly. A spark of brilliant light flashed and vanished, sinking deep within as diverse profusions of esoteric comprehension surged through his mind.
Though both originated from Juque and projected from between the brows, unlike the Divine Radiance Filling the Chamber of the Shangyao Subduing Light, the Diqi Light was described as Drifting Forked Light. Once invoked, it could loose streaks of light and lightning from between the brows in immense numbers and at astonishing speed.
*This makes up for a portion of its clumsiness...*
His mood improved considerably. Ordering the bronze boxes to be carried away, he saw Li Quewan approaching to give a report.
Li Zhouwei looked over with bright, penetrating eyes, sizing her up before nodding. "Your cultivation is profound and your spiritual sense condensed. Your current foundation has stabilized; you may take the pill to break through to the late stage."
With the talisman pills supporting them, each phase of cultivation for the Li clan was effectively spared an entire minor sub-realm. While the difference was modest at Embryonic Breathing and Qi Nourishment, for Foundation Establishment and the Violet Palace, the effect was immediate. Li Quewan understood that the pill he referred to was the talisman pill, and replied with an acknowledging nod:
"I came to report... Over the past few years, many elders of different surnames entered secluded cultivation to charge at Foundation Establishment, yet most failed and perished one after another... However, good news arrived recently: An Xuanxin and An Xuantong of the An family have both broken through to Foundation Establishment in succession."
Li Zhouwei was naturally aware of this. Most who had entered seclusion around this time were elderly cultivators with modest talent and mediocre cultivation methods, so their chances were naturally low. The younger generation of rising talents, on the other hand, had higher odds of success. This was undoubtedly good news. He nodded and said, "The An clan's bloodline is indeed out of the ordinary."
Li Quewan continued in a gentle voice, "Besides them, there is also a Shanyue cultivator who had earned the qualification to charge at Foundation Establishment long ago. He requested an aligned cultivation method from the clan, spent time converting his magical power, and remained in seclusion for a long time. A year ago, he fortunately succeeded. His name is Dili Youjie. He has been eager to pay his respects to you, Uncle, but did not dare disturb you..."
Li Zhouwei showed a touch of surprise. "I know of him... His talent is poor; the only virtue he possesses is diligence. He is certainly lucky... to have broken through to Foundation Establishment!
"He is an old hand of the clan as well. Bring him in for an audience."
Just as Li Quewan nodded and withdrew, before Dili Youjie could come up, a crimson-robed youth who had been waiting for a long time hurried up the mountain. Bowing before Li Zhouwei, he said respectfully, "Your son has returned from the Xunlin Plain and has come to report!"
Li Zhouwei raised his brows at once, listening with rapt attention as the youth recounted everything that had transpired from start to finish.
"Crystalline brine, white cranes, crossing serpents, water and fire..."
Light shimmered across Mount Zhijing as white blossoms drifted like rolling waves. Li Zhouwei's expression turned grave as he murmured, "'True Qi'..."
"Father, it is indeed 'True Qi'!"
Li Jiangqian's voice was laden with suspicion as he murmured, "That man has rounded brow ridges, short eyebrows, and sharp eyes, projecting an extraordinary presence. He bears the aura of an immortal cultivator seeking the Dao, yet harbors the ambition to pacify a whole realm by force of arms. The Yang clan's schemes are as clear as day."
Li Zhouwei lowered his eyes thoughtfully. "He is no ordinary person; he may very well be the transformation of that escaped fiend!"
Back then, True Monarch Tianwu of the 'True Qi' seat had left three suits of armor in the grotto-heaven to guard the Anhuai Heaven. Later, when the Anhuai Heaven fell, those three suits of armor transformed into three portions of golden nature.
Two of those three portions had been obtained by Changhuai and Ziyan respectively. The remaining portion escaped into the Great Void, instantly transforming into an evil fiend that claimed the life of a South Sea Violet Palace cultivator from the Jingyi lineage—a fellow sect member of Daoist Xuanyi.
Once a golden nature transformed into a fiend, it could ultimately only be restrained by the Underworld. The Yang clan had always maintained murky ties with the Underworld. Now that a figure of True Qi had appeared, he was likely the transformation of the 'True Qi' obtained by the Underworld!
Li Jiangqian nodded silently. Li Zhouwei murmured, "Pacifying the State of Yue... What immense skill, and what impeccable timing."
What kind of world was the State of Yue right now? The Three Sects and Seven Gates were collapsing one after another. Hengzhu, Ziyan, and Xiukui were all living in seclusion; Changxiao had vanished into hiding; and Qingchi did not even have a True Person presiding over it...
Now that Yang Zhuo had emerged, who was left to rein him in?
Li Zhouwei held the golden slip in his hand, lightly tapping it against the desk. As he sorted out the tangled threads in his mind, everything grew clearer. He said quietly, "Yang Zhuo's trail has not been a matter of a day or two. Ning Wan must have noticed long ago. No wonder the moment Sui Guan left, she simply cast Qingchi aside and hid away in closed-door cultivation... She simply couldn't afford to provoke them!"
Li Jiangqian's gaze turned heavy as he murmured, "To your son, this scheme has been brewing for far longer than just a few days... In Jiangnan, the first to know of our clan's Wei Li bloodline was bound to be the Yang clan. The matter with Yang Tianya back then was a planted seed, subtly dropping hints... All to ensure that our clan would willingly let their people pass today without meddling in the Yang clan's great undertaking!"
"Mm..."
Li Zhouwei glanced at him and answered, "As for your claim that he and I are the same kind of figure... that is not accurate.
"I merely caught the wandering eye and favor of a fruit of attainment, whereas he is very likely endowed with the exclusive love of a portion of Tianwu's golden nature. It might reside right upon his body, within his Rising Sun—scarcely different from an evil fiend. With the Underworld backing him, few beneath heaven could match him."
"Yet..."
Li Jiangqian's gaze darkened as he murmured, "If that is so, where does that leave our clan?"
Chapter 960