The Oath of Mount Xixiao

Li Zhouwei’s arrival riding bright light gave both men an immediate fright! ‘It is... the royal house of the old dynasty...’ The yellow-robed Real Person’s heart rose in complex turmoil. One look at those golden pupils and the shimmering golden markings on his neck left a bitter taste in his mouth, leaving him at a total loss as to how to respond! The gleaming spiritual tool in his hand dimmed slightly. He made no sound, nor any unnecessary movements, merely taking a step back. Just as those tangled emotions surged into his chest, an inexplicable pang of fear rose within him! ‘Mingyang is domineering and tyrannical. My forcing Cui Jueyin back to our province... already breached the Oath of Mount Xixiao! It also made him lose face, which must have been a great humiliation. It would have been better if we never met, but now that he has suddenly come face-to-face with me...’ Cui Yushan was born in the West Sea. His ancestors had migrated away from the East Sea when Li Xuan attempted to restore the dynasty. Whether it was spoken of as the Cui clan branching out and gradually drifting from the main line, unwilling to bear a hundred generations of karma, or as a stratagem by the Chongzhou Cui clan to preserve their bloodline... his branch of the West Sea Cui clan had all sought to sever past karma... and make a clear-cut break with the Li clan! In his own eyes, he had done nothing wrong. But in the eyes of imperial scions, how could there be such notions of right and wrong? His heart leaped into his throat. Heavenly light shimmered beneath his feet, and his divine ability shrank in stature before the person in front of him, giving him an overwhelming urge to bolt out the door! Yet the blue-robed Real Person before him furrowed his brows in suspicion, his heart similarly skipping a beat: ‘It’s Li Zhouwei!’ This Real Person hailed from Mount Qusi in the South Sea. Centuries ago, his sect and Real Person Xuanyi’s Mount Jingyi had been of the same lineage, making them fellow sect members. Even now they remained very close and visited each other often, so he truly knew of the Wangyue Li clan—Xuanyi had told him in person: ‘The Wei-Li... fighting with them is also inadvisable...’ He secretly sighed: ‘Although Xuanyi claimed to have close ties with some Real Person Zhaojing, without evidence, it is hard to explain. Everyone under heaven knows the bond between the Cui and Li clans; he will surely side with Yangya... Best avoid any misunderstandings!’ Thus, without offering a single word of explanation or wasting any time, he uttered nothing at all, mounted his light, and dispersed into billows of magical wind... This scene was rather ironic. Both Li Zhouwei and Yangya understood why the other had retreated so readily, which left Yangya so embarrassed that he did not know whether to advance or retreat. By rights and traditions, as a Violet Palace cultivator of the Cui clan who inherited the Daoist lineage of the State of Wei, upon seeing the White Qilin, he ought to drop to his knees in homage and address him as My Lord—or even calling him Your Highness or Sovereign would not be excessive! ‘Inside the grotto-heaven, all the exalted figures are watching. If I utter such words... it would be equivalent to forcing the West Sea Cui clan, or even Chongzhou, to take a stand!’ Yet if he did not say it, how could Yangya feel at ease? How had the Cui clan risen to prominence? Back then, they were merely a noble clan among the mountain ridges, no different from the Lin or Qi clans. It was only when Emperor Wei and the Cui ancestor, Cui Yan, aligned as sovereign and subject, swearing an oath atop Mount Xixiao to forge a grand enterprise together, that their subsequent glory was born! What Emperor Wei had pledged at the time was: “Throughout the dynasty of Wei, you shall be the Master of Shangyao.” To which Cui Yan had replied: “Having long received your grace and favor, your minister aids the heavenly branches. If any among my clan, kin, or descendants fail to exert themselves and dare oppress the common folk... let the light strike down their lives.” Later, one became Emperor Mingyang and the other True Monarch Shangyao, and the oath was fulfilled. Throughout the reign of Wei, the Cui clan enjoyed endless celestial glory and attained immortal nobility, even becoming the foremost clan—at the celestial dynasty's zenith, which was also the eve of its collapse, Cui Mu could even borrow the status of a True Monarch by virtue of the celestial dynasty's laws... What supreme honor was that? Whenever Cui descendants read that period of history, every one of them would be shaken beyond words. Even though the subsequent history was one of endless blood and tears, the Cui family had truly tasted genuine glory. When future generations asked of the past, they could answer without shame: “I am of the kin and lineage of a True Monarch.” The shared past with the Wei-Li was both the blood and tears of the Cui clan and its brightest, proudest chapter. Cui Yushan was no exception; he remembered it vividly. Even for someone like him, who was most adamant about severing ties with the Li clan, in his youth he had not been without midnight dreams of an Emperor descending into the world, when all under heaven once again had a sovereign and father. Yangya could even understand why his forebears had charged forward, wave upon wave, to restore the State of Wei: ‘Emperor Qi destroyed the dynasty and burned its books three times. Except for what my Chongzhou Cui clan preserved across the seas... almost everything else was ground to dust. Scarcely anyone remembers the Oath of Mount Xixiao nowadays... But...’ ‘Everyone under heaven may forget the oath sworn by those two exalted figures back then, but there is one thing that will surely remember it with utter clarity.’ ‘The Mingyang fruition seat!’ Just as Cui Yan had declared—“let the light strike down their lives.” This was a pact between an Emperor and a True Monarch. Without that brilliant light hanging high above their heads, no matter how upright the Cui family traditions were back then, they could never have remained respectful and virtuous for generations, each one willing to die for the common people! The Oath of Mount Xixiao no longer showed any binding power now, yet it had always been a glimmer of hope for the Cui family. Those cultivating other lineages might fare better, but Yangya cultivated Mingyang itself. Even if he could laughingly dismiss the oath as void on ordinary days, seeing the White Qilin in person now, he could not help but hesitate: ‘Who knows if the gaze of Mingyang is upon him? Who knows which part of Mingyang he represents?’ Caught in these compounding dilemmas, he could only stand stiffly to the side, not daring to leave nor daring to speak. Bowing slightly, he stood like a statue, silently waiting. Yet Li Zhouwei had no time to pay him any mind, acting entirely as though no one stood beside him. Unfastening the Huayang Royal Battleaxe from his waist, he addressed the formation. With the passage of time, the white light blanketing this place had grown noticeably thinner, decaying at an exaggerated pace; with merely one blow of the battleaxe, the white light shattered completely! He raised his sleeve and swept away everything on the platform like wind scattering remnants of clouds. Inspecting secretly, he realized the side hall on the other side had long since been picked clean. Glancing at Yangya, who stood bowed in attendance, he said not a word and departed upon the light. This action practically saved his life! Cold sweat broke across Yangya's body, followed by a sudden rush of relief. He hurriedly mounted the wind, the panic in his heart dispelling to leave only a hollow, lingering fear and conflicting emotions. Heading into the distance without looking back, he felt a sudden bewilderment: ‘Can my Cui clan truly escape it... Does all this still hold any meaning? If every time the Wei-Li appears, Cui family members must be buried alongside them, could today have been my turn?’ ‘If I stay out of it... does it mean... the sacrifices of our forebears were all for naught...’ Endless confusion filled his chest as he fled in disarray, shuttling through the empty world. A chill gripped his heart, and suspicion arose within him: “Is it a curse passed from generation to generation, or a temptation renewed time and again? Did my Cui ancestors disregard death for generations out of loyalty, or because each one wanted to be the protagonist of that Oath of Mount Xixiao?” …… "Clang!" Billowing storms of True Fire churned within the mountains, sweeping through the azure palaces. A cultivator in golden clothes stood quietly inside the hall. Lingering True Fire blew out from his sleeves, crashing resoundingly within the grand hall. The gold-clad man withdrew his sleeves. On the other side, a Real Person, scorched by the flames, took a slight step back with a sullen face. Stirring the water and fire of True Qi to block the True Fire, he lowered his brow and said: "Fellow Daoist Shilou is being far too discourteous!" Shilou Yingge's expression was cold and collected, his divine abilities showing not the slightest courtesy. They cast him in brilliance like a mysterious furnace of True Fire, radiant rays bursting forth and transforming into thousands of flowing beams that struck toward the man before him. At the same time, he remarked casually: "Real Person Lin must be joking. Is this a time for courtesy?" Even as he replied, his gaze quietly swept across the horizon. The multicolored light in the sky was growing increasingly sparse. The Violet Palace cultivators gathered here numbered the most in a hundred years, far exceeding Anhuai Heaven back then. No matter how vast this mountain range was, before the many Violet Palace masters it was child's play; in mere moments, it had been divided almost completely. Meanwhile, the battles among the Great Real Persons at the exact center grew ever more fierce. The entire sky thundered, and several Dao pagodas had already collapsed. Though the spirit treasures each had masters now, the combatants still refused to halt, fighting with hearty abandon as if determined to determine who was superior! Even more critically, as the Dharma treasure was slowly hoisted aloft and its wonders were stimulated, the sealing and gathering power of this place grew increasingly dense. Thus, those who obtained treasures fled in haste, while those who obtained none grew uneasy; preferring to give chase, they would never linger in such a perilous place. Around this mountain range lay endless skeletons containing plenty of good things... and even remnants of lineages that could naturally not be passed up! Still more Violet Palace cultivators had reaped enough, promptly curbing their greed and scattering in all directions, preparing to depart the grotto-heaven. ‘Those still lingering here to battle right now... are mostly mid-stage Violet Palace cultivators...’ He withdrew his gaze and swept his eyes over the central jade platform, frowning secretly. The True Fire around him surged ever more fiercely. Then, his brow suddenly raised as gold-and-red light danced in his hand, and he sneered: "Fellow Daoist has waited long!" Sure enough, clouds churned, and a beam of dark light dropped from the sky. Just as it was about to land on the jade platform, it was obstructed by the gold-and-red light, stirring up patches of somber clouds and flickering black light. Only then did Shilou Yingge’s expression shift slightly: "Wulu Dao?" The billows of black qi dispersed, revealing a person out of nothingness: tall and thin, with a sallow complexion, clad in black robes and black boots, a crimson dot between his brows, holding a jade tablet in hand. Real Person Lin blinked, smiling half in mockery and half in inquiry: "What manner of fellow dares block the path of our northern noble houses and princes?" The man did not speak, yet with a faint smile, a voice resonated in everyone's ears: "Nanshun Raja, Jiao Zhongzi!" "Audacious!" Shilou Yingge had naturally heard the name of the Nanshun Raja. The Sanglin of Dilu Heaven was quite renowned, considered a rare stalwart of the Wulu Dao after Duanmu Kui. Yet formidable though the Sanglin of Dilu Heaven might be, with a single glance Shilou Yingge could tell that this person's divine ability was not particularly high, and he sneered. Yet Jiao Zhongzi’s eyes merely brightened. Layer upon layer of brownish-red flames erupted from between his brows, cascading down! Shaoshang Xianghuo! Real Person Lin did not let this brief delay slip by. Seemingly motionless, his divine ability had already leapt forward in radiant light. Yet a dark, heavy light showered down, arresting his divine ability, and a short, plump man materialized—none other than Murong Yan. "Fellow Daoist Lin! Long time no see!" Murong Yan remained that same short, stout figure, as if the hardships of recent times had left no trace upon him. Laughing boisterously, he enveloped the space with his Pinshui divine ability, pinning his opponent down hard! "Colluding in villainy!" Real Person Lin snorted coldly, showing no real surprise. Though Murong Yan had appeared in the nick of time, Shilou Yingge showed not the slightest delight. Instead, he erupted into flames, for multicolored clouds were already rippling across the sky, heavenly light manifested, and a heavenly gate dropped precipitously! Audience at the Heavenly Gate! This heavenly gate was truly a signature art, allowing everyone to recognize it instantly! ‘Li Zhouwei!’ Everyone froze in unison. Shilou Yingge’s face remained calm, yet his gaze instantly turned sharp and resolute! ‘He came after all!’ Real Person Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression the calmest among them; clearly knowing the grievances between them, he adopted an attitude of enjoying a good show. Jiao Zhongzi rode the black qi with an inscrutable look, though an expectant glint flickered in his eyes. Only the short, stout Murong Yan wore an expression completely different from before. Gone was any eager anticipation or amused interest, replaced in an instant by deep gloom, his eyes brimmed with suspicion as he stared darkly at the sky. ‘Li Zhouwei... Li Zhouwei!’ Murong Yan was no fool, and within the Murong family he possessed his own backing. The crisis on the riverbank last time had jolted him awake, and through numerous negotiations, he had gradually come to understand his own predicament! Now seeing Li Zhouwei, who knew how many suspicions gnawed at his heart! Yet regardless of what thoughts passed through their minds, Jiao Zhongzi deliberately held back Shilou Yingge, and Murong Yan wanted nothing to do with Li Zhouwei. Their mutual constraints allowed the Audience at the Heavenly Gate to crash down unobstructed! Rumble! Divine abilities clashed in an instant, churning up a terrifying storm of spiritual energy. The arcane mechanisms of the grotto-heaven had long failed, and the formation weakened by the minute. The jade platform, teetering in the storm, finally could endure no longer and burst apart! This was precisely Li Zhouwei's design! Their divine abilities interlocked, and none among them were weak; Murong Yan and Shilou Yingge were in league, making it difficult to seize the prize cleanly. It was far better to take advantage of their mutual deadlock to release the items within and snatch them amidst the chaos! Sure enough, the white light shattered in an instant, and six golden streaks of light shot out! "What a pity..." A surge of regret rose in Shilou Yingge's heart, but the divine abilities in his hands did not slow in the least. His golden robe fluttered as gold-and-red True Fire erupted around his body: "Pheasant Separation Motion!" The roiling shamanic light dispersed as True Fire bound the golden radiance and drew it into his palm. Shilou Yingge narrowed his eyes; in his palm was indeed a jade slip patterned with golden veins, radiating a faint luminescence. ‘Only one-sixth gained...’ Shilou Yingge felt little joy, knowing it was impossible to seize anything else. Turning around, he fixed his gaze on the golden-eyed young man not far away, who also held a golden streak of light in hand. Their gazes collided in silence across the air. Two streaks of light—one gold, one red—leapt into the air, tearing across the sky of the grotto-heaven at a terrifying speed. Piercing sonic booms rang out as they chased across an untold distance in mere moments. Myriad landscapes shifted past in a blur until, at last, both came to a halt simultaneously! Rumble! In an instant, intense gold-and-red True Fire wheeled across the sky, incinerating it into a sea of flames! Golden-red True Fire gushed forth, filling the field of vision in an instant. A jade-white hand thrust through the flames; within its palm, four scarlet, mysteriously inscribed miniature swords hovered and whirled, mirrored in Li Zhouwei’s golden pupils. Yet rising to meet it was the shining white edge of a halberd! "Clang, clang, clang..." Dasheng danced, its shining golden substance and the illusory, pure gold wonders of Subservient Attachment flashing in concert. In a flash, it collided a hundred times with the four scarlet inscribed swords. Intense heavenly light and True Fire detonated together as the four scarlet inscribed swords sprang back into Shilou Yingge’s cuffs. The man’s figure turned illusory, his eyes frigid: Pheasant Separation Motion! The divine ability operated at full force, and over a hundred phantasms of True Fire pheasants emerged from him, transforming within the rolling sea of flames into over a hundred Shilou Yingges. The eyes of these mysterious pheasant silhouettes lit up in unison as their hands formed seals before their chests: "Shuxuan Qingping Light!" The transition between divine ability and spell did not pause for even a breath; from this single move alone, one could see Shilou Yingge’s profound mastery over True Fire! These hundred beams of True Fire light burst forth, and beneath their brilliance Lihuo even emerged, sweeping across the firmament. Yet Li Zhouwei lightly cast forth a streak of azure light. The azure light expanded in midair, turning into an azure square cauldron whose black bird patterns flared to life! Releasing billows of suction, it pulled in the True Fire light directed toward him, locking it down tight! Biting Qingyuan Mysterious Cauldron! Suspended in the air, Li Zhouwei shone brilliantly with heavenly light, completely unscathed amidst the billowing Lihuo. The Shangyao Subduing Light at the center of his forehead shot forth like a golden blade spanning the sky, sweeping across to annihilate all the phantasms! "Clang!" Yet amid the surging Lihuo, four scarlet inscribed miniature swords suddenly materialized beside him—Shilou Yingge had manifested directly out of the Lihuo! Yet those golden eyes showed not the least surprise. Li Zhouwei had already raised his hand, grasping into the fire as though having calculated it precisely, clamping onto Shilou Yingge’s striking hand. His fingers clenched with sudden force, producing a grinding crunch. Darkness arose within the brightness between his brows, filling the entire circle as the omen of a solar eclipse manifested! Yet Shilou Yingge’s gaze was razor-sharp, staring straight back at him. His True Fire had already transformed into Lihuo early on, and the red in his pupils expanded dramatically, revealing a scene of a mysterious pillar snapping in two. Rumble! In the next instant, dense, interwoven black-and-gold Diqi Light erupted forth, engulfing the gold-clad man in front of him, piercing through his chest and shins, detonating bursts of Lihuo brilliance! Li Zhouwei’s gaze shifted slightly, suspicion rising in his heart: ‘Something is wrong...’ He leapt abruptly as multicolored light bloomed across the sky and heavenly light shone downward, condensing into layers of heavenly gates crashing down! Bang! The Shilou Yingge before him detonated violently, pure True Fire qi sweeping outward and forcing Audience at the Heavenly Gate back several zhang. Amid the surging shockwaves, the four scarlet inscribed swords darted forth, and Shilou Yingge materialized atop the heavenly gates! The man’s golden garments had now shifted into gold-and-red Daoist robes, his eyes burned bright red, and behind his head hovered a crimson circular halo. Boundless True Fire enveloped him, etching warped runes in the air like a deity of True Fire! Standing amid radiating heavenly light, Li Zhouwei blocked all the True Fire one by one with Audience at the Heavenly Gate. The Biting Qingyuan Mysterious Cauldron in the sky, brimming with magical light, transformed it into white qi that poured down to drape over him, while his halberd parried the scarlet inscribed swords. Wonder flashed in his pupils: ‘Still the Pheasant Separation Motion... What a formidable divine ability!’ Admiration aside, he keenly caught his opponent’s hesitation. Formidable as the art was, escaping from the Diqi Light had looked imposing, yet for the moment he had still not caught his breath! Thus, the golden light between his brows grew increasingly radiant. Mysterious scale-like patterns crept across his face, covering Li Zhouwei’s features as Jun Daowei operated at its utmost limit. "Clang!" The halberd abruptly shattered the blockade, scattering the four scarlet inscribed swords and thrusting straight toward Shilou Yingge’s chest against the True Fire! ‘What an unyielding divine ability!’ Shilou Yingge drove Pheasant Separation Motion to its fullest, paired with other enhancements; its power was by no means trivial! Ordinary cultivators would grimace in agony if their bodies touched it, and even those who cultivated corporeal divine abilities could not disregard it so easily! Seeing Li Zhouwei see through his weakness and charge in, he brought two fingers together and thrust forward, instantly showering down blazing rays of True Fire! Shilou Yingge possessed deep Dao attainment and superior spiritual tools. Over the years, he had only needed to cultivate in peace, without running about like Helian Wujiang to maneuver on behalf of his clan, making his baseline strength a cut above... More importantly, his understanding of Mingyang far surpassed Helian Wujiang’s! Helian Wujiang’s golden light was a pure art of bewilderment and immobilization, devoid of extraneous might, and being demonic baleful qi, it was countered at every turn and failed to produce the slightest effect. Yet Shilou Yingge’s blazing rays of True Fire, while possessing bewitching power, were composed mostly of tangible light and baleful energy intertwined, descending squarely upon him. The radiance of Jun Daowei rose as expected, sweeping away the bewildering divine ability, but the billows of light and baleful energy followed immediately, fluttering down upon him and checking his charging momentum. Li Zhouwei had already gained insight into the wonders of Jun Daowei during the earlier struggle for the Lihuo spirit treasure, so at this moment he was unsurprised. Thrusting the halberd forward, he struck with haste. His speed still gave Shilou Yingge a slight jolt. Urgently recalling the scarlet inscribed swords, Shilou Yingge sighed internally: ‘I can hold back no longer!’ Opening his mouth slightly, brightness shone within his throat. The magical light nurtured in his Juque for nearly a century burst forth with a boom, flickering rapidly in the air. Intense Taiyang brilliance rapidly washed across heaven and earth, eclipsing both True Fire and heavenly light: Taiyang Pingyi Mysterious Light! "Hum..." Dazzling Taiyang colors instantly engulfed heaven and earth, fully laying bare the terrifying might of the foremost manifestation under the sun. Scintillating light crashed down resoundingly upon Li Zhouwei, sending him plummeting into the clouds like a falling meteor! Boom! A colossal burst of Taiyang light surged from the ground, whipping up a luminous white storm. The multicolored clouds and firmament scattered together, and the cloud bank drew back to form a massive empty ring. Shilou Yingge’s face turned pale. Taking two deep breaths, he finally recovered from the acute drain of magical power, his somber gaze casting down toward the storm beneath the clouds. ‘There is no Mingyang coloring... Jun Daowei is unyielding; this blow will not heavily injure him and must be repeated once or twice more.’ Yet just as Shilou Yingge’s thoughts settled, in that very instant, his vision suddenly blurred. It felt as though a spiritual sword had pierced into his mind, stirring violently back and forth. Severe pain poured into his spiritual sense. He tried to force his eyes open, but all manner of vicious golden light burrowed toward his pupils, nearly making him cry out in agony: "Not good!" Shilou Yingge panicked. Forcing his eyes wide open and channeling his divine ability, he finally discerned something amidst the chaotic tangle of golden light. It was a pair of golden mysterious rings. The mysterious rings were merely as thick as a finger, seemingly unremarkable, yet they faintly radiated platinum light, trembling constantly as they sped forward and enlarged rapidly before his eyes. ‘A spirit treasure!’