Li Zhouwei released his grip, only to see Li Ximing present a jade talisman, revealing the intricate shamanic markings carved upon it. Fine motes of light glistened across its surface, flowing with the soaring white light of the Duwei Dao.
"This object is the Mountain-Overseeing Spirit-Enlivening Talisman, a spiritual instrument of the ancient lineage, the Shuxuan Dao. It can manifest brilliant radiance, but its chief function is the Enliven Spirit ability, used to command mountain ghosts and river spirits. In ancient times, when the various positions were fully established, these mountain ghosts and river spirits could even trade blows with beings of the Lianmin rank..."
"Now... it is only useful for running errands, fit for protecting the younger generation."
Li Ximing raised his hand, holding up the Mountain-Overseeing Spirit-Enlivening Talisman. He flashed its light toward Mount Zhijing beneath their feet, tossed it to the ground, and stamped his foot:
"Tiered guardian spirits of the earth, summon forth the garrison court!"
With that, white smoke billowed up. Where the Mountain-Overseeing Spirit-Enlivening Talisman struck the ground, it transformed into a man clad in black robes and armor, gripping a spear. Imposingly tall, he was bathed in golden-white light, with the scent of incense curling around him, lending him an aura of majesty. He bowed before them like a golden mountain toppling or a jade pillar collapsing, saying respectfully:
"This lowly deity greets the Master..."
Having answered in a ringing, forceful voice, he turned his head slightly, lowered his eyes, bowed once more to Li Zhouwei, and said respectfully:
"This lowly deity pays respects to Your Highness."
Li Zhouwei raised his brows, sizing him up with considerable interest, while Li Ximing chuckled:
"The Mountain-Overseeing Spirit-Enlivening Talisman is rather intriguing, and it possesses another benefit: the mountain ghosts and river spirits summoned by Enliven Spirit are intimately tied to the local territory. This minor deity, enlivened here at Lake Wangyue, is reasonably formidable..."
Li Zhouwei examined him closely and asked, "Does he possess memories? Does he possess a true spirit?"
Li Ximing shook his head with slight regret and answered, "It cannot compare to Xuanyi's Pure Corner Merit Vase. While the minor deity commanded by the Mountain-Overseeing Spirit-Enlivening Talisman is formidable, maintaining it requires divine ability. Once the sun and moon turn, the deity disperses; when summoned anew, its mind is once again completely blank."
Li Zhouwei nodded. "And its strength sits in an awkward place. Just as Great-Uncle said, it is only good for putting on a show and running errands."
Li Ximing then said, "Aside from Enliven Spirit, there is also Oversee Light. Its power must also be determined by whether one has communicated beforehand with nearby lakes and mountains, the master's lineage cultivation, and how many complementary jade talismans are used... At least here on the lake, the might of Oversee Light is passable."
As he spoke, he pushed the spiritual treasure, the Chonghuo Liangming Instrument, back toward Li Zhouwei. Li Zhouwei, however, shook his head and said, "The Chonghuo Liangming Instrument... Great-Uncle should keep it and use it."
"Hm?" Li Ximing frowned and replied, "What need do I have for a spiritual treasure..."
Li Zhouwei smiled. "The Chonghuo Liangming Instrument requires Lihuo. Could Great-Uncle fetch me a portion of Lihuo? It is not a question of whether you need it. Great-Uncle's strength is already far from weak; endowed with three spiritual fires, you are powerful enough to run rampant in the early Violet Palace realm. Wielding the Chonghuo Liangming Instrument, which complements you so naturally, even cultivators of the ancient Sun lineage would likely pale in comparison. Whether facing a Mohe or a three-ability cultivator, anyone meeting Great-Uncle would have to weigh their chances carefully..."
"That carries an entirely different significance... In these times fraught with hidden perils, only by having strength comparable to the mid Violet Palace realm can one cope with the vast majority of crises."
Who could fail to be moved by a spiritual treasure? Gazing at the round, Golden Core-like treasure, Li Ximing felt no small amount of excitement himself. After hesitating again and again, he finally tucked it fondly into his robes and answered, "What a waste this truly is. Once Jiangqian brings good news, this treasure will be placed into his hands!"
Li Zhouwei neither agreed nor disagreed. By the time Li Jiangqian broke through, Li Ximing would certainly have cultivated World Bright; with three Violet Palace spiritual fires upon him, boosted by Gu Wind Fire Summoning, it was truly hard to say who would be better suited for this spiritual treasure...
Li Ximing smiled and said, "Do you remember the letter sent to the East Sea years ago? Word has arrived concerning the Heshui spiritual item you requested. It is called Chenguang Suijin, an exceedingly rare Heshui spiritual item suitable for forging weapons... Sadly, our family has no use for it."
Li Zhouwei pondered and replied, "Keep it for me. Counting the days, Dingjiao should be reaching the Violet Palace realm within the next ten years. If this item has no crucial use, we can send it to congratulate him when the time comes; it will not disgrace him."
When Li Zhouwei attained the Violet Palace realm, Dingjiao had sent a Violet Palace spiritual treasure. In comparison, returning this gift was far too modest, yet their clan was not wealthy enough to offer a spiritual treasure as a congratulatory gift, so they could only make do with Chenguang Suijin...
Li Ximing only then recalled this matter and nodded silently. He then relayed the news about Dingyangzi blood-sacrificing the spiritual instrument, but Li Zhouwei frowned:
"It is not advisable to do that... At most, I could give a single drop to foster affinity with the spiritual instrument, just as Zhugong sought spiritual resources back then—there is absolutely no possibility of me spitting out a mouthful of blood essence! The higher my cultivation grows, the more precious this blood becomes. If I were truly forced to surrender a mouthful of blood essence without a spiritual item on par with Baidu Blood to replenish it, I fear it would delay my cultivation by decades!"
Dongfang Heyun had specifically warned him of this back then. Li Zhouwei's decisive refusal gave Li Ximing a jolt, and he sighed, "Fortunately, we have the Linwu Spirit Molt!"
This was wonderful news. Li Ximing immediately had someone summon Li Minggong, preparing to dispatch her to Qize. Only then did they begin discussing various affairs of recent years. He said seriously, "The children of the Sui generation have grown up as well, with three to five of them showing real promise... In my view, we must plan carefully for them!"
Li Zhouwei looked up with keen interest and watched the middle-aged man smile:
"One... is your direct grandson, named Suihuan. He is remarkably ambitious and possesses exceptional talent."
Li Ximing appeared entirely gratified, looking at him with a face full of smiles as he recounted the boy's words with no small amount of heroics in his tone. Li Zhouwei smiled as he listened and replied, "The child knows no better."
Li Ximing withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and replied, "Still, Suihuan has superb talent and deserves encouragement... The others are a step behind, yet can already be considered outstanding. Among them, one named Li Suining has an astonishingly high talent for arrays!"
Hearing Li Suihuan's name, Li Zhouwei looked slightly conflicted. Setting down his cup, he hesitated for a while, but ultimately chose not to speak of it or ask further, merely offering a smile. "Li Suining?"
"Indeed!" Li Ximing set down his cup and said seriously, "Since we have rarely been blessed with a genius in array arts, this matter should not be delayed. I originally intended to make a trip south, but now it seems I should first journey to the East Sea and consult Senior Changdie..."
He chuckled, "After all, having just given him a spiritual embryo, I ought to scour a bit of array inheritance from his hands in return!"
"As for the clan... the Shangyi technique Cuixin Xuanyuan Art has already produced qi, so it can be bestowed upon Li Suikuan. As for methods beneficial to array arts, I still need to inquire within the lineage and search through the pavilion to pick a batch of cultivation methods to pass down."
Pausing slightly, he lowered his voice, "There is no need to rush into exchanging for them! The pavilion already has quite a few Foundation Establishment methods on hand... We can retrieve them first and place them in the secret pavilion atop the great array. Whenever a junior demonstrates outstanding promise in the future, we can go and exchange for a Violet Palace lineage aligned with their qi!"
Li Zhouwei found this quite reasonable and added, "In any case, Foundation Establishment methods are abundant inside. We can also include a batch aligned with the Violet Palace arts our family already possesses. For lower-grade ones like the Xuanguang Mountain-Driving Scripture, we can directly deposit their Foundation Establishment portions..."
Li Ximing assented, then shifted the conversation. "I only have one concern... Minggong... she is no longer young, and her cultivation is sufficient."
"The Old Master came to inquire once, also asking about divine abilities—with mixed joy and sorrow."
At this single remark, Li Zhouwei fell silent. Li Ximing subtly stirred his divine ability and said, "I made a special check in the pavilion. There is a fifth-grade scripture, the Tianque Bingguang Scripture, which has only a single secret technique and requires ninety-seven immortal merits... Back when we exchanged for Diqi Light, two hundred and ninety-eight remained... and after you emerged from the grotto-heaven, there were thirty-one more..."
Li Zhouwei pondered for a long time before replying, "Difficult... it is simply too difficult... The family lacks Zhenhuo Violet Palace spiritual items, and even if we had them... with only a single secret technique... wouldn't we be pushing Aunt into a fiery pit?"
The golden-eyed youth set down his tea and asked, "What does Aunt herself... say?"
Li Ximing sighed. "Actually... there is also Ding Weizeng... They are among the few in our family who have even a glimmer of hope... None of the others have any at all. Yet neither of them has ever brought it up..."
As they spoke, Li Minggong had already arrived on the mountain. She was no longer young, but having achieved Foundation Establishment early and suffered no severe injuries, she looked to be in her thirties. Her black hair was tied simply as she bowed to Li Ximing.
"Minggong, do you harbor any hope for a divine ability? I happen to have word of a Zhenhuo Violet Palace cultivation method... aligned with your immortal foundation."
Li Ximing mentioned it concisely, only for Li Minggong to freeze in surprise. Bowing in slight fluster, she replied, "Minggong harbors no ambition for the Violet Palace..."
Li Ximing nodded, watching as Li Minggong kept her head bowed and continued, "If the family has need, Minggong will certainly make an attempt... but the Master need not trouble his thoughts over my dao lineage."
"Among the children of Chengming in those years, Minggong was not exceptional... I only had a bit of luck to return alive from the north. Whether Brother Liao or my other brothers, they were all more talented, yet none ever thought of the Violet Palace, so how could a junior like me... I wish only to preserve my life and teach the juniors of my brothers, sheltering their descendants on their behalf..."
Li Ximing sighed inwardly. Passing over the subject, he instructed her to head for Qize. Gathering himself, he forced a smile and said to Li Zhouwei, "I will go take a look now... and have someone supply the cultivation methods to the island!"
He departed in a flash of light. Li Zhouwei, however, remained seated beside the table, lost in thought for a long while. Instead of hurrying to meet his eldest grandson, he suddenly commanded:
"Summon Jiangnian up to me."
The guards on the mountain went down immediately. Before long, a man clad in white ascended the mountain.
A sheen of colored radiance flowed over his face, making his facial features appear regular, yet his demeanor was timid and cowering. He bowed before Li Zhouwei and said respectfully, "Father..."
With a single glance, Li Zhouwei saw through the illusion on his face and caught sight of the ugliness beneath. The eyes were forced wide open by external power, and obvious signs of distortion marked both cheeks. Clearly, his face had been altered using Yuzhen techniques, but due to crude skill, it appeared twisted instead.
"You have achieved Foundation Establishment."
"Reporting to the Lord... it was merely by fortune."
Li Zhouwei gazed at him quietly. His eyes held no harshness, nor any disgust. Reaching out, he patted his shoulder and instructed, "Starting today, go to Qunyi."
Li Jiangnian rose to his feet. He did not utter a single question in protest, nodding like a submissive lamb. Li Zhouwei stood up, his voice softening considerably: "Cultivate more life-preserving spells, practice diligently, and stay far from the lake. There is no need to stand in the light of your brothers... That is also quite good."
Li Jiangnian could only nod repeatedly. When Li Zhouwei finally waved his hand, he called out, "Thank you, Father," and departed with hurried steps.
Li Zhouwei watched his departing back, slowly lowering his head, his gaze calm:
'Back then, I only wished for an unpredictable change, hoping to grasp a sliver of a turning point. Yet Great-Uncle could not bear it after all and bestowed the name "Huan". Now the child has grown up... there is nothing left to change...'
'More than two generations of divine abilities... More than two generations of Mingyang... How could that ever be allowed!'
...
On a platform of black jade, purple qi drifted.
A circular porcelain plate sat quietly before the terrace, golden sand flowing across it like water. A tiny Daoist monastery rested atop it. An easygoing, untamed man reclined beside the porcelain plate, casually examining it:
"Martial Uncle—how many divination slips hit the mark?"
Real Person Tianque came inside from outside the cave in high spirits. Stopping amidst the purple smoke, he replied, "Good fortune! We obtained two!"
"Oh?"
Real Person Tianhuo rose with some surprise, raising his eyebrows as he asked, "I only heard of one place. Where did another come from?"
Real Person Tianque appeared to be in an excellent mood and answered, "One was a figure in our own territory, while the other was at the Ni clan. Having received word in advance, I brought it back to the mountain... It was actually a treasure that leaped out under resonance. Fortunately, I arrived in the nick of time, and the Ni family dared not offend us, so I managed to secure it!"
"Congratulations, Martial Uncle!"
Tianhuo replied with congratulations, then saw Tianque pull back his smile and say solemnly, "How fares that lord?"
Tianhuo's expression turned solemn at once as he answered, "He dispatched subordinates to Linhai Commandery, and he himself has not shown his face for quite some time. I deduce he is already charging toward the Violet Palace!"
Hearing this, the other True Person sighed repeatedly and sat down beside him. "He truly gives not a moment's breathing room... Only a few years have passed since Wanling Tian closed, and most families are still digesting their gains and healing their wounds, yet he is already preparing to unfurl the grand momentum..."
"In all things, swiftness is best," Tianhuo answered, his expression cryptic and deep. He asked, "How did Mount Changhuai respond?"
Tianque still harbored a trace of cold resentment, though it was not fierce. He said offhandedly, "How else could they respond? Naturally, they are fussing over the affair with Qing Tangyin—back then they stirred up such an uproar over it, having the Wenwu Pingqing Goblet merge into the great array spanning the entire State of Wu... secretly scheming... and idly watching the Nine Surnames and various clans swell in power, was it not all for today?"
"Once the Wenwu Pingqing Goblet shattered, it stirred up grand turmoil across the State of Wu. He came by reincarnation, aspiring to imperial enterprise. Having been isolated from the outside world for so long, the Nine Surnames remain in the dark to this day. In the end, a great many will perish; the slaughter he accomplishes will likely be far more abundant than Yang Zhuo's."
Tianhuo chuckled helplessly and shook his head, replying, "Staggering things between each other counts as an unspoken mutual understanding."
Tianque sighed and nodded, continuing, "Ask as I might, they refused to say more than a few words in the end, merely promising several seats—could they refuse? Unless the two sects want to go to war, without my Jinyu's approval, how could he ever restore the old territory of the State of Wu..."
Suddenly shifting the subject, he asked, "Yun'er... how many divine abilities does he have now?"
Tianhuo said casually, "Three divine abilities! Had he not been plotted against by those wretched scoundrels in the north, he would have succeeded even earlier! Counting the days now, time is even tighter... There is no need to pin our hopes on him; it still mostly depends on Father."
"There is one more thing... I must ask one more question—has the dynastic title been chosen?"
"Naturally... that was decided by them long ago."
Tianque raised his brows slightly, a touch of solemnity entering his gaze as he answered:
"Shu."
Chapter 988