Despite everything, Daoist Nun Xiangchun had connections to the Dragon clan. Though he had never heard of any link between the dragons and the Douxuan lineage, the Dragon clan was one of the greatest powers beneath the heavens. Backed by the Dragon Lord, they possessed their own means after all.
Even with potential conflicts of interest, and the chance that the Dragon clan might turn against Li Zhouwei in the future—coupled with their presently opaque methods—the White Dragon Branch had predominantly bestowed benefits up to now. When Li Zhouwei broke through, the dragons had even sent a spirit treasure. Thus, he nodded to the nun and replied:
“Since the occasion presents itself, let us go together.”
After all, the surrounding lands had been thoroughly scavenged, leaving nowhere else to explore. Having her guide the way was fortunate, saving him quite a bit of effort.
Hearing this, Xiangchun’s expression brightened. Beside them, Real Person Yuming shook out his sleeves and said with open magnanimity:
“This old man only came in to try his luck. Having reaped decent gains from start to finish, I am quite content. I won’t venture into the depths. I’ll just look around the periphery, gather a few minor trinkets, find a weak point in the formation, and return!”
This was unquestionably a wise choice. Although Real Person Yuming had little lifespan left and had come with the resolve to risk his life building a foundation of wealth for his clan, whatever he won had to be carried out alive to count. If he truly lost his life here, he would leave empty-handed and forfeit far too much.
Watching him ride the wind away, Xiangchun nodded in acknowledgment, then took flight alongside Li Zhouwei, murmuring:
“Jiangbei is unstable. Xiuyue has kept its mountain gates shut all along, and the Shen clan has lost much of its territory. But the old man is shrewd; he took advantage of the situation to relocate his people overseas, settling them in the outer seas. In practical terms... it seems they intend to become an overseas noble clan.”
Li Zhouwei nodded inwardly. With the Zhentao Mansion abroad, his own family also possessed excellent conditions and the certainty of retreating afar. Had they not been a crucial piece on the board, they too would have departed long ago. He merely replied:
“After all, their successors lack strength... and Jiangbei is perilous.”
Xiangchun shook her head faintly:
“Not necessarily... though perilous it truly is.”
The Dragon clan controlled the East Sea. If the Shen clan had laid any schemes, nine times out of ten they could not escape the dragons’ eyes. Li Zhouwei noted this silently. Meanwhile, as Xiangchun traveled, she asked softly:
“Fellow Daoist hasn’t left the lake often in recent years?”
Li Zhouwei gave a light nod. With the grand trends of north and south hanging in the balance, he had to consider his clan, leaving little room to wander outside. He replied:
“Lake Wangyue lies by the river; the storms are hard to settle.”
Xiangchun’s eyes flickered, and she lowered her voice:
“Not necessarily so... At present, several factions are indeed still scheming against you, likely planning to probe your strength. If you truly wish to preserve your bloodline on the lake, remaining still is naturally the prudent course. But once you advance another step to possess three divine abilities—or advance yet further to become a Grand Real Person with perfected divine abilities—none of it will matter anymore...
“By then, those in the world who could claim superiority over you could be counted on one hand. Petty scoundrels might try to probe you, but they will no longer be able to bear the price of probing.”
Her expression gradually grew solemn, taking on a measured gravity:
“When that time comes, you might well visit the East Sea more often. Before the various branches, the Dragon Prince has shielded you extensively. If you are willing to visit the Dragon Palace a few times afterward to meet him, it would grant him much more composure.”
Li Zhouwei pondered briefly, knowing the Dragon Prince she referred to was Dingjiao. This crown prince of the White Dragon Branch carried an impressive bearing. Both he and his father, Dragon King Beihai, belonged to the faction that advocated indulging Li Zhouwei, the White Qilin, and forging strong ties with him. He had sought out Li Zhouwei’s friendship early on and had even brought him to see the late Crown Prince of Wei...
‘As things stand, true or false remains unknown, but at least no other dragon has been willing to make contact. The White Dragon lineage must have endured considerable pressure as well...’
Li Zhouwei fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist.”
She smiled faintly, shifting the conversation, and finally asked:
“I have heard... Wuguang Luoxia left no instructions for the various orthodoxies, turning a blind eye to your existence... That is intriguing. I wonder where Real Person Xue went when he traveled south.”
Her eyes shone brightly as she looked directly at Li Zhouwei, though it seemed as if she were talking to herself:
“Real Person Xue has perfected divine abilities, his five dharmas honed to the utmost, with a remnant seat in sight. Even in ancient times, he would have been a hall master or deputy executive of an immortal abode. Broad though Wanling Heaven may seem to you, had he been born there, he would be seated right beside the foremost figure at the very top.”
‘Real Person Xue?!’
The image of that figure from back then surfaced in Li Zhouwei’s mind. Feigning casual indifference, he asked:
“Real Person Xue? Might I ask his esteemed name...”
Daoist Nun Xiangchun turned her head, an enigmatic look in her eyes as she replied:
“Surname Xue, with the single given name Yang. He belongs to the Wuguang Xuan tradition, an orthodox cultivator of Tongxuan.”
“An orthodox cultivator of Tongxuan...”
Li Zhouwei raised his brows and asked deliberately:
“A figure on par with Real Person Donghua?”
Daoist Nun Xiangchun had not expected him to bring up Li Jiangqun. After a moment’s thought, she said:
“It is difficult to compare them that way. Luoxia dares to style itself the Wuguang Xuan tradition, elucidating the doctrinal precepts as the world’s Tongxuan Master. Back then, while the Yuan Mansion made no such proclamation, daring to call itself the Yuan Mansion gave it the demeanor of a Xuan Master as well. In that respect, they share similarities. However... although Real Person Donghua’s talent far surpassed his, the orthodoxy was in decline at the time... When he died prematurely, his cultivation had not reached Xue’s current level. I fear they cannot be compared...”
“Yuan Mansion...”
Hearing her words, Li Zhouwei only now realized the implication. Over the years he had heard of many immortal abodes, but whenever high-level cultivators mentioned the ‘Yuan Mansion,’ they always meant the Yuehua Immortal Abode on Lake Wangyue, sometimes even directly calling it the Yuehua Yuan Mansion. Evidently, there was a reason:
“So that was the significance... It seems Real Person Donghua was, in terms of lineage, the heir to the Yuehua Xuan tradition.”
“Indeed,” she murmured. “An orthodox cultivator of Qingxuan, one of the Three Xuan.”
Having stayed beside the Dragon clan, this woman knew a great deal. She looked up, her expression turning rather cold:
“In primordial antiquity, when the Metal seats had many masters, these titles held great significance. There were many titles for the Golden Core, divided according to authority and orthodox lineage into Divine Lord, Mansion Lord, True Lord, and Imperial Lord... Now that the order has collapsed, everyone is called a True Lord, though how many truly embody the carefree demeanor of a True Lord... is hard to say.”
She broke off abruptly and raised her eyes to look at him:
“Is not your Wei Emperor titled the ‘Minghua Huangyuan Yushi Imperial Lord’? Tuoba Xuantan should also be called an Imperial Lord. Most of the rest fall short of the title and would feel ashamed to use it themselves. The Emperor of Qi... dared even less!”
Her tone took on a mocking amusement:
“Shi Chang had a guilty conscience! Even if times make heroes, he was hardly fit to be one...
“Pushed to the crest of the waves by the tide of the era, he seized a Metal seat for himself. Knowing he sat atop a volcano, he sought to rely on his merit of revolutionary change to urgently obtain Metal Virtue, yet placed his trust in the wrong people. In the end, he lost his life, his nation perished, and his entire clan line was slaughtered to the last, thoroughly schemed against by the eminent lords of the Metal lineages... The fact that ‘Xi Qi’ can still sustain two intercalary seats to this day is thanks to his groundwork back then!”
Li Zhouwei listened in silence. As his cultivation advanced, he naturally understood these matters clearly, and his thoughts raced like lightning:
‘Shaoyang was divided into three. Both Beiyao and Xi Yan have cardinal directions in their names, corresponding to the North Shaoyang and West Shaoyang of Daoist law. Yet I have never heard Dragon Lord Xiyang referred to as East Shaoyang—nevertheless, his name bears the character Xi! And Shaoyang engenders Xi, so it is highly probable this venerable lord was allocated to the seat of Xi Qi!’
Thus he understood why the seat of ‘Xi Qi’ had no true master yet retained its majestic prestige to this day: Dragon Lord Xiyang, who had obtained one of the remnants of the Shaoyang Demon Lord, walked the mortal realm. And from Xiangchun’s implication, there had even been an intercalary seat established back then...
‘No wonder. Even if the attainment seat has no master... it is functionally no different from an active seat.’
His thoughts stirred, but Xiangchun paid them no heed, remarking indifferently:
“Then there is Tianwu True Qi... The venerable lord possesses the prestige of an Imperial Lord; he simply refuses to claim the title.”
True Lord Tianwu was universally revered, and Xiangchun was no exception. While she spoke rather discourteously of those deceased True Lords, she respectfully addressed True Lord Tianwu as “venerable lord.” Li Zhouwei quietly pondered the details in her words, but suddenly sensing something, he looked up at the exact moment Xiangchun broke off:
Far in the distance, a hazy white light flowed. A white formation stretching across heaven and earth vaguely filled their field of view. Intense hues of divine abilities were slowly diffusing, with thunder and true fire surfacing one after another across the barrier.
They were still an immense distance away, yet with his sharp golden eyes, Li Zhouwei could spot streaks of flowing light scattered near and far across the sky.
‘There truly are quite a few figures here.’
The two did not rush forward. Xiangchun pinched her fingers slightly, seemingly performing some calculation, while Li Zhouwei surveyed their surroundings. Casting a glance, he caught sight of a patch of golden light that made him furrow his brows:
“Hmm?”
Narrowing his eyes, he could discern cultivators clashing amidst overlapping, shimmering hues. As his ability to inspect the obscure operated secretly, Xiangchun lowered her hand and turned her gaze toward the disturbance as well, saying softly:
“It is still early. Why don’t you and I go take a share?”
Li Zhouwei had seen everything clearly through his inspection of the obscure and had already intended to speak. Now, stepping forward upon light, he watched the golden glow expand rapidly before his eyes, manifesting myriad radiant beams—Buddhist cultivators forming an array, their brilliance boundlessly magnificent!
Having drawn near, Xiangchun saw clearly as well. Greeted by the sight of the middle-aged man encircled by radiant light, she asked softly:
“Does Minghuang recognize him?”
Strictly speaking, Li Zhouwei had never met him. Yet the golden clouds drifting across the sky, supporting endless, wondrous mountain passes, had long been recorded in his family’s archives, and he recognized it at once—it was none other than the Mingyang spirit treasure, the Huaijiang Map!
Sheltered beneath this spirit treasure, azure light hard as metal intertwined and transformed, holding aloft an embarrassed, middle-aged man with an unsightly complexion—it was Si Yuanli.
Shrouded in radiant light, massive golden bodies stood suspended in the air. One had a long face, black eyes, and a pair of horse ears, looking exceedingly ghoulish, yet thoroughly familiar—it was undeniably his old enemy, Daixi.
The other golden body was even larger, pure white throughout, with layered feathers draping down its back. Its Buddhist head bore three faces: the two sides respectively wept and laughed, while the front face was exceptionally majestic, glaring with furious eyes.
Standing far off, Li Zhouwei and Xiangchun remained unnoticed by Si Yuanli, who was struggling bitterly under the siege of the two Mohe. Protected by his spirit treasure, he casually grabbed several talismans from his storage bag and held them in hand, maintaining a semblance of composure.
“He has some friendship with my family,” Li Zhouwei answered.
Real Person Xiangchun remarked:
“A third-generation Daixi and a fourth-generation Yanbai—both possess decent strength. He has held out rather well, showing no sign of compromise. He is a greedy one, too.”
After all, opportunities abounded in the grotto-heaven, and none wished to waste time. To reach such a stalemate, Si Yuanli most likely refused to surrender a single item. Li Zhouwei was just fretting over having nowhere to use the empowerment of Mingzhang Riyue! Raising his halberd, he replied:
“When it comes to Buddhist cultivators, I insist on meddling.”
Real Person Xiangchun smiled:
“Go ahead, Fellow Daoist. I shall watch your back. But I will only give you a warning when the grand array is about to break; if you cannot return in time, I will not wait long.”
“Naturally.”
Li Zhouwei’s golden eyes stirred; his inspection of the obscure had already caught numerous clues. Rising upon light, he sped forward. Audience at the Heavenly Gate manifested from the heavens, descending with a thunderous roar amidst an overwhelming aura of radiant splendor.
Rumble!
Iridescent light and raging flames surged continuously. Seeing that Si Yuanli below was incapable of breaking through and had even begun to hesitate, Daixi, who was fueling the radiant light of suppression, grew smug. Mohe had always relished provoking others’ tempers, especially high-level Violet Palace cultivators. He sneered with mockery:
“Fellow Daoist had better bring out some treasures properly! Who else could save you? Chi Buzi?! Haha!”
Just as his mocking words fell, a chill suddenly ran down Daixi’s spine. Raising his head in surprise, he saw golden light sweeping in and a heavenly gate descending, causing his heart to leap in horror:
‘Audience at the Heavenly Gate?!’
‘It’s Li Zhouwei!’
Alarmed and infuriated, he instantly mobilized his magical power. Golden light surged across his body, and a purplish-black spiritual alms bowl leapt from his chest, vaulting upward to draw in the rolling celestial radiance. Yet, coveting his treasure, he dared not truly block Audience at the Heavenly Gate with the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl, merely spitting out golden light:
“Hah!”
Suppressed by the pair, Si Yuanli had long been cornered into an embarrassing predicament. Pale-faced, he had wavered over parting with spiritual items, fearing their combined strength surpassed his by so much that he could never escape without severe loss. With suffocating frustration burning in his chest, seeing this turn of events filled him with immense delight!
“Fellow Daoist Minghuang! Thank you for the assistance! I shall reward you handsomely!”
Back then, he had addressed Li Xuanfeng as a peer, yet now he addressed Li Zhouwei with warm familiarity. Looking at the iridescent Mingyang glow falling from the heavens, he found the colors exceptionally delightful, marveling inwardly:
‘Going to Lake Wangyue was truly the right choice! That marriage alliance was calculated perfectly! It actually brought Li Zhouwei to my aid!’
The brilliant colors in the sky abruptly exploded. Shangyao Subduing Light struck the golden qi spewed from Daixi’s mouth ahead of time, blasting it to pieces. Yet a streak of white qi sped forward, manifesting beneath Audience at the Heavenly Gate!
It was the snow-white golden-bodied Mohe with one head and three faces. Cries and laughter rang out simultaneously as he hoisted a bronze seal in his hand. Driving his divine ability, he boomed like thunder right in Li Zhouwei’s face:
“Mi!”
Li Zhouwei activated the physical divine ability of Jun Daowei and charged forward with his halberd. As qilin scales surfaced, the Buddhist incantation that should have bored into his mind lost all effect, leaving only substantial waves of magical power rushing in. Before his weapon, they split into halves, turning into golden light that swirled reluctantly around him.
Yet the Mohe was completely unafraid. He had specifically brought out an ordinary bronze seal to briefly hold off the descending heavenly gate, while all three faces showed fury at once! Accustomed to throwing his weight around in the north, he bellowed:
“Insolent demon!”
Hearing this familiar phrase ring in his ears, Li Zhouwei’s smile turned to wrath. His eyes grew increasingly luminous, and the omen of a solar eclipse surfaced between his brows. With Jun Daowei, he had already charged right before the Mohe:
“What piece of trash do you think you are!”
Streams of golden-black light surged forth in a frantic scramble, wrapping onto Yanbai’s body amidst the radiance, causing his expression to change abruptly.
Rumble!
The Mohe’s exceptionally sturdy dharma body seized up in an instant as collision marks surfaced across his frame. The golden-black light tapped against his flesh and crept rapidly up his limbs, producing piercing, creaking groans.
“How daring, demon!”
Nearby, Daixi’s expression shifted slightly. Stepping into the air, he secretly regretted:
‘These monks of the Damu Dharma Realm are stubborn to a fault... Why go out of your way to provoke him! What grudge do you even have against him... If you provoke him to the point where he refuses to back down, it’s not like the White Qilin has a good temper!’
Knowing he could not delay, Daixi immediately drove the Kongxi Demon-Subduing Bowl, doing his utmost to suppress Si Yuanli below, whose divine abilities had waned somewhat. A sinister look crossed Daixi’s face:
“If Fellow Daoist still refuses to yield, do not blame us for offending you too harshly!”
Yet he noticed Si Yuanli had already released his hand seals, standing still with a bizarre expression.
“Hmm?”
Only belatedly did Daixi shift his gaze, realizing that at some point, a green-robed man had silently and imperceptibly appeared beside him. Smiling, the man looked at him, idly toying with a small Lushui cauldron. Heavy ink-colored beads hung at his waist, their golden tassels fluttering in the wind.
As Daixi looked over, numerous shimmering reflections of Lushui surfaced all around, and suffocating divine abilities surged continuously, locking onto Daixi completely and leaving him unable to move an inch. The man even chuckled, revealing neat, white teeth:
“Fellow Daoist recognizes me, doesn’t he? Hmm?”
Characters Appearing in This Chapter
——
Li Zhouwei [Early Violet Palace]
Yu Ming [Early Violet Palace]
Si Yuanli [Early Violet Palace]
Xiangchun [Mid Violet Palace]
Daixi [Kongwu Path] [Third-Generation]
Chapter 973