The Zhaoguang Xuanzi Spirit Array shone across the firmament, its purple light gathering in dense clusters. Clad in platinum Daoist robes, the Real Person sat atop the Heavenly Gate, lost in thought.
Si Yuanli pressed the scroll in his hands against the gate without a word. Streams of golden light poured like flowing water from the seams of the scroll, washing over the Heavenly Gate and making it shine ever more brilliantly.
*To think the Huaijiang Map possessed such wonders.*
These Lianmin had always been cautious. Even with the situation degraded to this point, trapped beneath Audience at the Heavenly Gate and unable to escape, Nüxiao had neither taken her own life nor begged for mercy. This was naturally due to the miraculous workings of the Huaijiang Map.
The flowing golden power complemented Audience at the Heavenly Gate, sealing off the Great Void and locking the entire structure into a profound stillness, completely isolated from the outside world. It left the wretched wretch pinned beneath the Heavenly Gate—unable to rise, unable to die...
*It is, after all, a treasure inscribed by a True Monarch. Even though that venerable figure fell long ago, its power remains unfathomable...*
Li Ximing looked up slightly and saw heavenly light sweeping in from the horizon, bearing several dozen scattered people. In one swift motion, they were hurled safely into the array. Only then did the light coalesce into form—it was Li Zhouwei.
At the sight of those golden eyes, Si Yuanli felt a searing sting in his own gaze. Lowering his eyes, he said, "Greetings... Fellow Daoist!"
Grey flames still flared and danced across the golden-eyed youth's body, giving off wisps of pale white smoke. Li Ximing took one look, snapped his head up, and exclaimed in shock, "Lesser Peacock Karma?!"
This karmic fire burning on Li Zhouwei was unmistakably the Lesser Peacock Karma they had encountered years ago in the Jiuqiu lineage at the Peacock Sea!
Those words caused Si Yuanli to waver, and he murmured doubtfully, "The Peacocks have come as well..."
This was no time for prolonged chatter. Li Ximing reached into his sleeve, but Si Yuanli moved first, plucking a gourd from the Great Void. Pale gray pin-water flowed out and pooled in his palm. Stroking his beard, the middle-aged man said, "Qingye Chunyuan... perfectly suited for fire wounds!"
Li Zhouwei's clash to the east had not been fierce, and his injuries were light, requiring at most a month or two of recuperation. Still, since Si Yuanli had offered the spiritual water, he did not refuse. Using the Qingye Chunyuan to cleanse the burns, he nodded. "My thanks, Senior."
"Think nothing of it... It is I who should thank you..."
Though his gains in the grotto-heaven had been swept clean by that man surnamed Chi, Li Zhouwei had aided him, so Si Yuanli owed him gratitude. Yet the timing was poor, and after mentioning it in passing, he heard Li Zhouwei remark thoughtfully, "Blue-purple plumage, red pupils, golden beak—it was indeed a Peacock."
The Peacock clan was hardly unfamiliar to Li Ximing. Frowning, he said, "Let us set that aside for now. There is still a beast trapped beneath my divine ability that must be dealt with first."
Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow in surprise, a spark of delight flashing across his brow. "You managed to capture a Lianmin?"
"Thanks to Fellow Daoist Si," Li Ximing said with a cold smile. Asking Si Yuanli to keep watch over the divine ability above, Li Ximing and Li Zhouwei turned into streaks of light and descended, manifesting beneath Audience at the Heavenly Gate.
The space below blazed with brilliant light and sweltering heat. Raging purple flames leapt and danced, emanating a crushing, grinding force that coiled around the central radiance, generating a harsh, grating screech.
Standing at the very center was an old Buddhist nun. Her glaze-like face was covered in fractures from violent resistance, and her arms bore marks of being crushed into powder, making for a gruesome sight. She had clearly struggled for a long time, but with Li Ximing and the Huaijiang Map suppressing her together, how could she ever push it off?
Now, seeing two Real Persons appear and realizing that no one in the north would come to her aid, she bent her body low, tears and snot streaming down her face as she bowed. "Greetings, Lords... This humble cultivator..."
Li Zhouwei acted as though he had not heard a word. Stepping forward, he raised a hand and seized her throat like lightning, slamming his other fist into her face.
*Boom!*
The woman's voice cut off abruptly. With a brittle crunch of shattered glaze, fine powder showered down as her head caved in, smashed to pieces until only her opening and closing mouth remained. Multi-colored glaze gems tumbled down her body, incinerated instantly by the flames. Hoisting her up, Li Zhouwei asked casually, "Tell me: why has the Dayu Path pushed south?"
Her vision blackened from the blow, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs. Seeing stars, Nüxiao dared not show the slightest resentment and stammered tremulously, "Your Highness... Your Highness... This humble one holds a low station. I only know... we are... pushing all the way to Simin!"
"Oh?" Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes. "What forces are involved? How many stand behind them?"
Nüxiao did not dare piece her shattered face back together, merely flapping her lips and teeth into a fawning grin. "The Kongwu Path has always yielded and followed. What matters most is that my Dayu Path has entered the fray. This matter was decided back when Lord Sui Guan subdued demons to protect the Dao and swept Jiangbei clean..."
"Oh?" Li Zhouwei asked. "You mean the million souls of Jiangbei?"
"Your Lordship is wise!"
Li Ximing felt a chill in his heart as he watched the Lianmin flatter them servilely.
"My Lords... Though the higher-ups said nothing, those of us walking the heretical path can more or less see it... Those million souls of Jiangbei not only served to influence Wanling Heaven, but they were also a tremendous karmic cause. Whichever side offered up those million souls earned the right to ride the crest of the waves in the coming age... Such a massive opportunity... and most of those entangled in it will never escape!"
Li Zhouwei seemed to have several of his suspicions confirmed. Coldly fixing his gaze on her, he said faintly, "And there are a few primary instigators in terms of fate, isn't that right?"
Nüxiao nodded repeatedly and said coweringly, "Exactly... Whether Lord Si... or Your Highness, all have assumed great karma... as well as that Real Person Ning... and even those standing alongside, all are tainted to some extent."
Li Ximing shuddered inwardly. Li Zhouwei finally stood up straight, his tone icy.
"As expected!"
When Wanling Heaven descended, the Dayu Path had supplied the human lives, and the Zhao Palace had delivered divine abilities and the Star-Gazing Bronze Sparrow. Sui Guan could have struck directly back then, so why bother bringing out that painting?
Li Zhouwei had always assumed it was because Sui Guan could not cross the river at will and needed to use him as cover. But if North and South had reached a consensus, how could a mere rule against crossing the river have stopped him? Why deliberately obscure it? It was not merely that both sides needed an understanding to turn a blind eye—there was a far deeper purpose!
*He was one of the sources for drawing talismans. What was that painting? It was a talisman!*
*A talisman that unleashed Sui Guan's divine ability!*
The Dayu Path had tied karma with Qingchi. This talisman was drawn by Si Yuanli of Qingchi, unleashed by Li Zhouwei, and used as a trump card when Qingchi Sect Master Ning Wan ordered the offensive on the Wilderness... Using the pretext of a talisman, that Lord Lushui had deceived karma with a divine ability, concealing Sui Guan, while the karma was carved up among the others...
*Was it merely that Lord Lushui wished to avoid being tainted by karma? Far from it...*
Li Zhouwei looked up and said somberly, "Having incurred such monstrous karma, if these cultivators wish to survive the coming tides... their only choice is to defect to the Yang clan and stand against the north. This was a convenient way of selling off Qingchi and the State of Yue... selling them out to the Yangs!"
He, Li Zhouwei, had already been at irreconcilable odds with the north, so this was merely one more layer of karma closing off any retreat for his clan. But whether Ning Wan, Si Yuanli, or even the Yuyang Chen clan... once this had transpired, none of them had any way back!
Flee overseas? Bearing the karma of crossing the river, butchering the million souls of Dayu, and obstructing the grand momentum of North and South, these people were either early-stage Violet Palace cultivators or weighed down by clans and families. How could they escape the scrutiny of the Dayu Path and the venomous grasp of the Mohe? If they failed to stand with the Yang family, then from the Real Persons themselves down to their myriad descendants, they would be nothing more than delicacies in the eyes of their foes... They might survive for a time, but their lives would eventually be claimed!
The Li clan's fall from an imperial clan to its current reduced state was already a precedent! Si Yuanli fancied that he would always hold a seat in the grand scheme, unaware that he had been thoroughly bound to the Yang family's war chariot!
Li Ximing looked sullen. Seeing their reactions, the Lianmin had long since grown petrified. Turning the subject, Li Zhouwei asked coldly, "Let me ask you: the Seven Paths have opposed my clan for years. Are there any among them who were converted, high-level cultivators carrying the bloodline of the former imperial clan, or figures bound to the Li clan by great karma?!"
Nüxiao froze. How could she not know? She was the very instigator! Dread gripped her heart, filling her with terror. She hesitated for only an instant, but billowing, bright flames had already plunged from above, descending onto her body.
*Sizzle!*
The agonizing torment of Tianwu Combined Fire surged through her mind. With the divine ability of her dharma body suppressed, the luminous fire spread swiftly across her frame. Fear pooled in Nüxiao's eyes as she shrieked in pain, "Lord... Lord... Countless souls among the Seven Aspects share great karma with the imperial clan! How could I name them all?! As for a high-level cultivator bearing imperial blood... there is one! There is one! Spare me your divine ability!"
Li Zhouwei let go, letting her collapse with a thud into the light. Feeling her dharma body crumbling piece by piece, Nüxiao threw caution to the winds and cried out, "There is one in the Damu Dharma Realm! His name is Li Jieyi, titled Guangchan... He is a prominent and formidable figure... As for converted ones, the one who was converted..."
Li Ximing's expression darkened slightly as he damped down the flames a touch. The golden-eyed youth stepped forward, planting his boot firmly on her throat, and said calmly, "Continue."
Knowing her death was at hand, the ones Nüxiao hated most were not the two before her, but Daixi, who had abandoned her here, and Lingci, who had usurped her place. Trembling with venomous spite, she spoke with sudden composure, weeping and laughing at once:
"There is one named Lingci... Following the heretical path's conquest of the Wilderness, he must have become a Lianmin by now. The great lords value him greatly. While others seek to slaughter the imperial clan, he came to convert them! Aside from Lord Que, he gained the most this time, and he will only reap more in the future!"
Li Ximing's pupils dilated as he stared in disbelief. Li Zhouwei lowered his head, his golden eyes gazing coldly down at her. Resting one hand on his knee, his foot pressed down even harder on her throat. "What was his secular name? Who converted him?"
At these words, Nüxiao knew she was doomed. Bone-deep hatred flared in her eyes, banishing her fear. A mocking sneer twisted her face, venom poisoning her thoughts:
*Giving me no way out... Fine... Fine...*
A smile actually touched her lips. "It was this auntie of yours! And what was his secular name? Listen well—it was Li Cheng! Before we even invoked our divine abilities, he threw himself into the Buddhist fold of his own accord! He devoured another named Li Chengpan and wielded his brother like a weapon!"
Saying this gave her a rush of vindictive pleasure:
*You imperial clan dogs are so arrogant! I want you to cherish the descendant of the one who surrendered to Buddhism while blaming the beast who died unyielding! When you face Lingci, I want you drowning in hopeless, irrevocable regret!*
Before that shrill, venomous laughter could burst from her throat, dark mystical markings and golden scales crept across the youth's face. The chill and fury in his eyes were like an abyss, surging like swords.
*Rumble!*
In a single instant, her entire upper body was pulverized by blazing radiance into scattered colored light. Brilliant flames surged, white light flashed, and glaze shattered to dust.
Beneath the suppression of Audience at the Heavenly Gate and the seal of the Huaijiang Map, Nüxiao was utterly eradicated in both body and soul, vanishing into nothingness. The roiling Tianwu Combined Fire consumed her form entirely, leaving behind not a speck of glaze nor a single petal.
*Clink...*
The lotus throne had reverted to its original form—a palm-sized pink object that fell upon the light, trembling faintly. Li Ximing swept his sleeve to put it away, grinding his teeth. "To think it was true... If you hadn't asked that extra question..."
The markings on Li Zhouwei's face slowly faded. Without a word, he flew out alongside his granduncle. Atop Audience at the Heavenly Gate, the middle-aged man wore an unsightly expression, harboring not the slightest desire to speak either; he merely cupped his hands to the two.
The Huaijiang Map blocked all sound and breath between inside and outside, but as the master of the spiritual treasure, Si Yuanli had heard every word clearly. Chilled with terror and resentment, his mood was even fouler than theirs:
*No wonder... I always felt that painting was suspicious... So this was why!*
*The Patriarch... The Patriarch told us to preserve ourselves within the realm... He must have foreseen this!*
The three exchanged glances. Li Ximing made a silent gesture of invitation, gesturing to move to the mountain to speak, but Si Yuanli forced a smile and waved it off, murmuring in a low voice, "She mentioned Lord Que. The one in the Wilderness is undoubtedly Queliyu—it is a Peacock."
Li Ximing, his mind heavy with worry, replied casually, "I have seen one or two of them before... none possessed such terrifying might... It is said that Peacocks are mounts of the World-Honored One. This one must be of high nobility. How strong is he?"
Li Zhouwei shook his head. "We did not truly come to blows, only trading a few exchanges of divine abilities while I rescued some people from the Lianmin... It is a pity for the clans of the Wilderness. When the karmic fire descended, countless people must have perished, and now who knows how they will be dealt with!"
On the surface, the Wilderness was unclaimed territory, but with the repeated declines of Muquan and the Kong clan, the disappearance of Duxian, and the departure of the Xiao family, it had long fallen under the control of Wangyue. Administered continuously by Milin, cultivation methods were distributed downward while the Wilderness steadily funneled spiritual resources and talent toward the lake.
The Li clan's influence had spread to the Wilderness early on. When Li Ximing attained the Violet Palace and conquered Funan, the Wilderness, together with Funan and Guyan, formed a buffer zone for the Li clan. Losing this final piece was not just a blow to their manpower and territory, but also constricted their room to maneuver.
Bad news arriving one after another left both men disheartened. Hesitating, Si Yuanli said, "More than just noble, Queliyu is the descendant of a Dharma Idol existence. I know of him as well. He initially cultivated Combined Fire; his method was peculiar, allowing him to convert to Buddhism once he attained the status of Great Real Person. Relying on bloodline karmic affinity, he became a Mohe on the spot, and his cultivation speed has been frightfully swift. He has reached his sixth lifetime now, and though he still falls short of his former might as a Great Real Person... he is still terrifying."
"This southward push is likely his attempt to leverage the overarching situation between North and South to overcome the hurdle of his seventh lifetime and reclaim his past power..."
Si Yuanli possessed connections in the north and was better informed. With so much information assembled, he began deducing, "The struggle between North and South rarely crosses the Wilderness to reach Quanwu, let alone pushing further south. In my view... his assault toward Simin must be a swift strike that cannot brook the slightest delay or error... which is why he avoided provoking your noble clan."
The Li clan had lost the Wilderness, but the enemy clearly did not wish to meddle in Great Sun matters and invite unforeseen variables. Yet Si Yuanli was in a dreadful plight! Now that he understood the karma tied to the Dayu Path, how could he not break out in cold sweat with the enemy about to march to his mountain gate?
"It is quite likely aimed at the Yang clan... but what if it isn't? That Lord Yang has been in secluded cultivation for many years, and who knows when he will emerge. The timing is convenient... but one must prepare for all outcomes. Who can say who is lying on the butcher's block?"
He hesitated repeatedly, a glimmer of hope rising in his mind:
*Jiuqiu... Yes... Jiuqiu... They have always been close with the Peacocks. Even if I cannot see the Great Real Person now... in a crisis like this, those seniors should at least give me some guidance...*
Unable to sit still any longer, he hurriedly bade the two farewell, caught the wind, and vanished into the distance.
Li Ximing watched him depart, and Li Zhouwei murmured, "It would be better for him to remain on the lake right now... but perhaps he has connections and trump cards of his own!"
The two stood in the Great Void for a while. To the east, the gray fire continued to spread. Li Ximing sighed inwardly, aching with hatred and pain:
*Why had it been Li Cheng?!*
Though Li Cheng had been rigid, he was outspoken, decisive, and fiercely loyal. In the past, he had dared to clash with Li Zhouluo to protect Li Chengpan, yet when Li Zhouming had need of him, he could set aside personal biases and lower his head. His entire branch had died loyal for the clan! He was renowned across several generations for his stubborn integrity; he had nurtured many younger members, and was the uncle of Li Zhouyang and Li Zhoufang.
When he fell in the north, Li Zhouwei had even penned the vow *Dayu and Kongwu are blood debts that must be avenged* for Li Zhouyang. If news of his conversion to Buddhism leaked, it would bring shame upon more than half of the Li clan...
The only thing Li Ximing was grateful for was that Li Zhouwei had been prudent—making a promise of vengeance rather than a posthumous bestowal. Testing the waters, he said, "Fortunately, you were cautious..."
Li Zhouwei shook his head, his gaze icy. "This matter must never reach the ears of the clan!"
Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, speaking bitterly, "Li Cheng's entire household died for clan affairs, leaving no posterity... He did adopt a boy, but he seems unremarkable. Could we truly punish the boy over this? We can only take things one step at a time."
"As for Chengpan's descendants... should we watch over them more closely..."
Hearing this, Li Zhouwei seemed somewhat doubtful. After a moment's thought, he said, "No hurry. What matters more is keeping an eye on them. The north may well have some machinations woven into fate."
Having reached an accord, the two descended in silence.
The cultivators on Lake Wangyue cowered within the array, at a loss. In the main hall, a gathering of Foundation Establishment cultivators stood whispering among themselves in hushed voices. When the two beams of heavenly light emerged, the tense, somber atmosphere instantly relaxed, and both rows dropped to their knees in unison.
Li Ximing swept his gaze over them, silently taking count. He realized the family had rarely been gathered so completely. With great chaos looming, it felt like an overture just beginning, a fated curtain about to rise on a grand opera.
The people on the left and right were divided into the elder and cadet branches. Li Zhouming and Li Minggong stood beside the old elder, while opposite them were Li Zhouda and Li Zhouluo. Slightly lower down, Li Jianglong and Li Jiangxia stood across from Li Jiangzong, taking their seats according to seniority.
Some appeared roguish and uninhibited, others dignified and graceful, some fierce-browed and stern, others impassioned and spirited. Each possessed striking looks and distinct bearings, virtually none of them ordinary. Li Ximing's worries had not yet passed, and for a moment he felt a wave of nostalgic trance:
*In the past, under such circumstances, Granduncle Xuanfeng would have been seated above while I listened to orders at his side. The Lord Patriarch granted three golden ingots to the clan in preparation for emergencies, while Zhouwei was still in swaddling clothes. Yet today, it is the two of us who take charge.*
He remained silent for a moment. Below, no one dared utter a word, until a man in crimson armor arrived from outside the hall, dropping to his knees before the steps and speaking with deep reverence, "Greetings to the two Real Persons."
Instantly, voices shook the hall as dandy playboys and court guards alike bowed respectfully. Beside them, the elders also stood up, turning toward him with expressions of attentive deference.
Li Ximing glanced at Li Zhouwei beside him, only to find that this junior had already stepped down a stair. Turning around, Li Zhouwei stood facing the master seat that looked south from the north behind Li Ximing, those fierce golden eyes now calm as still water, gazing quietly at him.
...
In the Islet.
While the great hall on high was filled with solemn reverence, the pavilion amid the black pillars was noisy and clamorous. Men and women whispered back and forth in anxious unease. A middle-aged man stood in the pavilion, fretful and tense, "The Eastern Residence... has Suikuan of the Eastern Residence arrived?"
At these words, Li Suikuan answered from the side. Li Zhoufang looked at him closely, committing his features to memory, before immediately turning to ask about the other children.
*Winds and clouds pure and bright...*
Li Suining stood by the window, peering carefully at the scenery outside. Seeing the heavenly light shining brilliantly without any major disturbance, his expression remained calm, yet doubt stirred in his heart:
*In my past life, there should have been two rains of glaze flowers covering nearly the entire lake—two Lianmin suppressed by the King of Wei's divine ability and executed beneath axe and halberd...*
Yet the situation now was completely different. No matter how he looked, aside from the dazzling light and flecks of glaze that had blossomed earlier, there was no sign of that magnificent scene from his past life.
*No rain of glaze flowers... Perhaps the Buddhist cultivators did not suffer as heavy a loss as in my previous life.*
As he was pondering, feeling that this boded ill, a man hurried down from the sky with a joyful expression. Kneeling before the steps, he reported to Li Zhoufang, "Lord... Lord... the two Real Persons have appeared in the hall!"
This announcement brought silence to the pavilion. From Li Zhoufang, who oversaw the affairs here, down to the white-armored guards outside, all let out a collective breath of relief. The oppressive atmosphere dissipated in an instant. Li Suining felt a tremor in his heart:
*So this time, it was Real Person Zhaojing who defended the lake!*
Exhaling a breath, a smile appeared on Li Zhoufang's face, though he still asked solemnly with raised brows, "What of our casualties?"
The man bowed, his tone tinged with dejection as he said respectfully, "Reporting to Your Lordship, the lords stationed on the shore and those patrolling and apprehending demonic cultivators were burned to death by karmic fire... Stationed there were seven Qi Refinement and twenty-one Embryonic Breathing cultivators, while the patrol had six Qi Refinement cultivators... Though Protector An Xuanxin did not lead the patrol out, the karmic fire landed squarely on the garrison... he too has fallen..."
Li Zhoufang sighed heavily and gestured for him to withdraw, falling into silence. Li Suining turned his head, his expression conflicted.
Evidently, even though Ding Weizeng's departure had kept An Xuanxin from going out, the karmic fire descending from the north was targeted; even staying on the peaks along the shore could not have saved his life.
*Luring away Guest Elder Ding was already the extent of my power. If both had avoided calamity because of me, it would surely have aroused suspicion. My own death would matter little, but with the Real Persons and the King of Wei exposed beneath the eyes of great powers, there could not be the slightest aberration...*
Having lived through the devastation of his past life, Li Suining understood deeply just how petty those lofty figures were. They were willing to extinguish the Great Sun bloodline entirely, let alone an anomaly like him! The moment he was exposed, death was certain.
*The King of Wei once said that the ones truly eager to contend for the Great Sun fruit status were not Mount Luoxia... but my Li clan... A change in the Great Sun fruit status is only a matter of time for Mount Luoxia, but for our clan, it is our sole opportunity—whether relying on it to seek refuge with either faction or achieving Great Sun ourselves, this is the only leverage our clan possesses.*
*With the situation currently murky, who knows what reaction changing all this might provoke? If I keep silent before the two Real Persons, then at worst, only I will die when things come to light. But if two Real Persons capable of shaking the board are made aware... whether they believe it or not... it would become irreversible. The resulting chain reaction could very well alert those great figures, prompting them to strangle the variable in the cradle and destroy Lake Wangyue ahead of time! If that happens, the King of Wei might not even get the chance to strive for Great Sun!*
Li Suining was naturally desperate to change things, and he was not particularly selfish. Yet he lacked the power to sway the Violet Palace. Before his clan secured a solid backing, Li Suining could never let the two Violet Palace figures put themselves in jeopardy. He remained deeply vigilant:
*The ones who can truly overturn the board and secure a chance of survival for my family are fundamentally not me... but the Real Persons! Without those three face cards and the paired trump cards of the King of Wei and Great Sun, even if I perform miracles and save whoever I can... it will all be useless!*
Thus, between Ding Weizeng and An Xuanxin, Li Suining had resolutely chosen the former. Even though he had made similar choices several times in his past life, his mind remained chillingly rational:
*No one owes anyone anything. I act only for a sliver of survival. Anyone can be the price—even myself.*
Chapter 993