Chapter 1028: Black and White Indistinguishable

“Oh…” Li Zhouwei’s single sentence caught him off guard, leaving him speechless for a long moment. He awkwardly bowed, cupping his hands, and said, “My apologies!”

He raised an eyebrow, still feeling he hadn’t been greedy enough. With a sheepish grin, he added, “And... and also, Daoist Zhaojing once promised me the Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood. So, you should grant me...”

It was then that Li Zhouwei noticed the monk-like appearance. He thought to himself, “Oh right... about True Immortal Yan in the East Sea. If Uncle Master achieves ‘World Enlightenment,’ the Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood will be retrieved anyway... it’s only a matter of time.”

However, seeing how wealthy the monk was, he had a change of heart.

“The North has been occupied by Buddhist cultivators for many years, and a large number of immortal artifacts have fallen into their hands. Most of them are unusable... just as treasure artifacts have no value in the South. Exchanging spiritual items from the North would be a good approach.”

“Lotus Temple plays both sides, and they are dissatisfied with Dayang Mountain and Guanxie. Whether their dissatisfaction is superficial or genuine, their words cannot be easily trusted. However, the path of absorbing Buddhist artifacts must not be cut off.”

Although he didn't trust Lotus Temple, he knew there would be no shortage of Buddhist cultivation items in the future. So, he became a bit more accommodating, took the treasure from the monk's hand, and replied, "Uncle Master has received the message; he won't make you wait long. I'll pass on your words... but."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "I wonder how many spiritual resources and items Mahā, or rather, Lotus Temple still possesses that could be offered for selection?"

Minghui paused slightly, then quickly nodded and replied, "My master enjoys collecting items of the immortal path, so there are... quite a few."

Li Zhouwei pondered and said, "They must be helpful for breaking through divine abilities."

Minghui thought hard, fumbled for a while, and then pulled out a box from his sleeve. He hesitated and asked, "Sir, have you heard of... the Profound Secret of Vuyuan?"

Li Zhouwei nodded, then said suspiciously, "You have quite the capability!"

Minghui repeatedly shook his head, clasped his hands together, and replied, "Legend has it that the Profound Secret of Vuyuan exists on Dayang Mountain. This item interacts with the Primal Qi of Immortality and, under the catalysis of a Grotto-Heaven, produces a spiritual qi called 'Violet Intent Qi'."

"This item is beneficial to the immortal path. Although it doesn't increase cultivation levels much and is difficult to refine into elixirs, it has some auxiliary effects for divine abilities... My master left a good amount of it back then. When I achieved Mahā, he also gave me a portion for my cultivation, instructing me to contemplate it often, especially the North-South origin, as it would surely bring benefits..."

A pained expression flickered across his face. He opened the jade box and said, "Please take a look, sir!"

As Li Zhouwei opened the jade box, he indeed saw layers of violet intent sealed within by magical power. His spiritual sense swept over it, and he felt his divine abilities stirring. His golden eyes gleamed as he asked, "This is... Violet Qi?"

Minghui smiled, "Precisely! Violet Qi is the essence of Heavenly Cultivation's Violet Qi Immortal Prime, intrinsically linked with the immortal path, and it perfectly matches your requirement, Daoist friend!"

Li Zhouwei observed it for a while, then nodded and said, "Not bad."

Minghui smiled and nodded, "I don't have my master's talent, so studying this always feels like a wasted effort. It would be better to exchange it with you, Daoist friend, for some useful spiritual resources. I can melt them down with these gold artifacts and refine a good treasure. Many of your marvelous abilities are useless to me; it would be best to have something more direct... something indestructible, or capable of traversing the Void. Those would certainly be useful!"

Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment and asked, "Crane Embracing Stone... Daoist friend, do you need this item? It can adorn magical artifacts, grants the ability to traverse, and is a confluence of True Qi and other paths."

Minghui genuinely didn't recognize what a Crane Embracing Stone was, but upon hearing it had the ability to traverse, he was secretly relieved that the exchange wouldn't be in vain. On the surface, however, he feigned sudden realization and smiled, "I need precisely this item!"

Li Zhouwei then nodded.

Unfortunately, the Crane Embracing Stone was still with Li Ximing and couldn't be retrieved immediately, so they agreed to have someone deliver it later. Li Zhouwei touched his sleeve and sighed inwardly, "Apart from the Lihuo spiritual resources, almost everything obtained in the Grotto-Heaven has been squandered. Even of what I got from Changxiao Mountain, only the Strategizing Heart Ice is worth mentioning... Ultimately, it's just not enough!"

The lantern in Minghui's hand was acquired from the North and then refined by Buddhist cultivators before reaching Minghui. It then immediately ended up in Li Ximing's possession, which was clearly not very cautious. Furthermore, the lantern was not something his family needed. Fortunately, they possessed the Leap-Year Sun Art, and although it rarely involved lanterns, they could try it out. At the very least, they had to erase any traces of Buddhist cultivation.

“This matter... would be child's play for Uncle Master.”

Minghui was, after all, a Northern Buddhist, so Li Zhouwei didn't say much more to him. He rose on the wind and departed, heading west.

Minghui retracted his hands. Despite having presented a treasure, he showed little sign of regret. He rubbed his hands twice on his cassock, gathered the pile of gold artifacts into his sleeve, and mused, "It's only enough for three-tenths of that spiritual flame. And I don't know how many portions of the Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood there are."

His master's soul had encountered problems, breaking his Dao cultivation at one point. He had to rebuild in the years that followed, switching to other paths. He had made rapid progress in magic arts and achieved success in both immortal and Buddhist cultivation, so matters concerning the soul were no longer urgent.

Minghui secretly grew anxious: "None of the matters this person gets involved in are easy to handle... even standing by, one has to worry about one's life. And now he's fighting with a Dragon Prince again. What more trouble can I get into?"

“Oh well, oh well... I'll go back and just repeat what those two said to my master, let him listen. Perhaps he'll gain something... This White Qilin is already a bit suspicious; next time, I can't be so generous... I need to be a bit more greedy...”

He put away his auspicious cloud, pushed off from the ground, and instantly transformed into a shimmering golden light, penetrating the Void and disappearing from sight.

After an unknown period, the sea mist grew dense, and thunder constantly rumbled in the sky. Heavy layers of dark clouds piled up, as if some colossal creature was swimming through the air.

Within the thick mist, demonic clouds surged. The man in black still stood at the horizon, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes swirling with layers of purplish-black qi. His expression was complex:

“King of the Prepared Sea Dragon... Dongfang You fell many years ago... The White Dragon Branch is now under his command.”

Despite having just fought a major battle with Li Zhouwei and then being hastily driven away by Dongfang Lieyun, Guangfou's gaze showed no fluctuation. He stared silently towards the west until a faint voice spoke beside him:

“Well?”

There was no longer cold killing intent in the demon dragon's eyes, but clear suspicion: “They made a solid guess, but I don't believe Luoxia would do such a thing.”

“Oh?” The voice beside him carried a hint of emotion: “You think they can't do it?”

Guangfou shook his head: “They could do it, but they wouldn't do it right under the nose of the Underworld. It would be meaningless and go against Luoxia's way of doing things. Or rather, Luoxia disdains to act in such a manner.”

The voice beside him paused, then asked, “Even if... it means Mingyang ascending as the new master?”

Billowing demonic energy emanated from the demon dragon's sleeves. He raised an eyebrow and looked towards the horizon, gazing at the distant sun sinking into the sea of clouds. He said faintly, "Whether he can ascend is hard to say, but they won't be afraid. Did you ever see the heavens fear when True Immortal Yu ascended? On the contrary, they celebrated for heaven and earth, for the radiance, celebrating that True Immortal Yu will never return."

“From then on, there was an added measure of peace.”

Sun and moon shone together, illuminating heaven and earth.

Wisps of clouds curled, and dazzling colors intertwined. Li Ximing slowly awoke from his meditation, and the light within the pavilion diminished.

He then rose and lifted his hand. A few specks of golden light emerged from his fingertips, swirling once around his wrist before returning to his fingers. The True Immortal in white and gold robes looked up slightly: “World Enlightenment is complete!”

The cultivation of this World Enlightenment Immortal Foundation not only consumed more than one of his Purple Mansion spiritual elixirs, but also a Qilin Light Illumination Elixir from the Mingyang path. Not to mention the time and effort spent!

“No wonder they want to seize others' immortal foundations... This cultivation session, besides requiring Purple Mansion spiritual elixirs and Grotto-Heaven Blessed Lands of the Golden Core level, also had the blessing of Talismanic Qi! Without this boost, the speed would be three or four times slower; when would I ever finish cultivating?”

He sighed inwardly: “Even if I had succeeded, the possibility of failure was still significant... If I had no cultivation method, or was stuck at the immortal threshold, that would be one thing. I could go out and lay schemes, still somewhat relaxed. But for divine abilities to be within reach and yet unattainable, it truly tempers the mind...”

Li Ximing took a step forward, exited the Grotto-Heaven, appeared from within the inner formation, and with another step, was already in the mountains of Zhijing.

The mountain was aglow with shimmering light. The young man stood beneath a gardenia tree, lost in thought. Upon seeing Li Ximing appear, Li Zhouwei turned and cupped his hands: “Uncle Master!”

Li Ximing smiled, “You returned so quickly!”

“It's already been half a year.” Li Zhouwei's expression was slightly gloomy. He shook his head and said, "I fought a Dragon Prince in Yinzhou, and my whereabouts have been exposed. There wasn't enough time to go to the South Sea, so I had to rush back... I'm just glad the matter with Minghui was resolved; it wasn't a wasted trip."

“What?!” Li Ximing was startled deep down. He asked, "How could Dragon Prince Dingjiao have gone to such lengths?!"

Li Zhouwei paced, recounted the events in Yinzhou one by one, then said solemnly, "I had long suspected that Guangfou couldn't kill me, but the moment Dongfang Lieyun appeared, I finally felt reassured. As of today, both the Underworld and Luoxia have met, especially since the Yang clan granted me the title of King. Now, I, Li Zhouwei, am a visible piece on the chessboard; the Dragon Clan cannot rashly remove me."

"Perhaps if I had refused the Yang clan's kingship that day, there might have been a slim chance of me dying in Yinzhou today... If anyone were to act, it would likely be the White Dragon trying to kill me."

Li Ximing was momentarily stunned, then asked suspiciously, "White Dragon Dingjiao... isn't he friendly with you?"

Li Zhouwei quietly shook his head and replied, "Not him, but Beihai... Dingjiao was merely acting on orders. Back then, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage; his perspective was entirely different."

In truth, Li Zhouwei never truly believed there was any real conflict among the various Dragon Branches. They might have different stances, but their ultimate goals were the same.

“Uncle Master, the different attitudes of the various branches towards me merely represent several considerations on the Dragon Clan's part...”

Li Zhouwei lowered his voice slightly and replied, "Towards me, Li Zhouwei, the Dragon Clan has conflicts, both emotionally and strategically. Of course, the Dragon Clan doesn't wish for me to hasten Mingyang's demise... But this doesn't mean they are particularly close to Li Qianyuan. Just as I said during the fight, if the Dragon Clan truly had the ability and desire to save Mingyang, then why would there be me, Li Zhouwei, today?"

"Since there is Li Zhouwei and White Qilin entering and exiting the Dragon Palace, at its root, the Dragon Clan must have elements that wish Li Qianyuan dead!"

He said, word by word, "As long as the position has a master, anyone can sit upon it."

Li Ximing met his gaze and understood.

The Dragon Clan's contradictory stance actually pointed to another possibility: the Dragon Clan also hoped he would seek to prove Mingyang, but the result of proving the Fruit of Dao would inevitably be ascending as Mingyang! As a True Monarch friendly to the Dragon Clan, he would add a boost to the Dragon Clan's path of truth-seeking!

“You, Li Zhouwei, either don't seek proof, or if you do, you must succeed!”

Li Ximing hesitated, then saw Li Zhouwei smile sarcastically: "As for the reincarnation of the Golden Nature, I don't know if Uncle Master believes it, but I certainly don't."

How could he, Li Zhouwei, have such influence? Why would the Dragon Clan help him? Because he is Mingyang? If he reincarnated to cultivate another path, why would they still help him, Li Zhouwei? Since he brings no benefit to the Dragon Clan, why would they show such mercy and expend a portion of their Golden Nature to allow him to reincarnate? Are they truly lacking a Purple Mansion cultivator? *“By gathering one's nature, one can become a golden rainbow. If there's a path to immortality, how could you attain it!”*

As a method of Luoxia's immortals, the satire from the demonic spirits in the play, directed at the mountain, was not just Luoxia's guess at the Dragon Clan's tone, but a direct counter-satire of the Dragon Clan's tactics!

From beginning to end, the "reincarnation of the Golden Nature" was likely just a perfunctory means to make him seek his own death!

“It is precisely for this reason that the Dragon Clan seems hesitant. It's not some old sentiment from Wei-Li that made them hold back against me. What a joke! How could the mighty Dragon Clan remember the friendship of a Wei-Li descendant?”

In other words, the so-called reincarnation proposed by the White Dragon Branch, led by Dongfang Lieyun, was meaningless. The Dragon Clan couldn't do it, or even didn't want to! They merely sought stability, didn't believe he could succeed, and simply wanted him not to challenge the Fruit of Dao, but to die peacefully!

This is why Guangfou would sneer during the battle, uttering words like "Who despises Wei-Li Mingyang? Is it Dingjiao or me, Li Zhouwei?... You should think clearly about such things!"

So, was Guangfou truly as friendly to Wei as he claimed? No! What he was friendly to was... Wei-Li Mingyang, not Li Qianyuan. He would support whoever could sit in that position. Essentially, the Dragon Clan hoped to gain the support of a new True Monarch Mingyang, rather than a half-dead Li Qianyuan! It was this will that prompted Guangfou to act!

Moreover, the radical Black Dragon Branch did not entirely trust him either. Guangfou was merely testing him, deliberately provoking him to see if he possessed the rebellious heart and ability to prove his position!

In fact, in this conversation, that rebellious heart was even more important than ability.

However, the White Dragon Branch watched covetously from the side. Li Zhouwei was ninety percent certain that the King of the Prepared Sea Dragon primarily sought stability and desperately hoped that Li Zhouwei would draw the attention of the entire North into a worldly journey, ultimately to perish peacefully and quietly!

It was precisely for this reason that Dongfang Lieyun specifically highlighted the symbolic meaning of the Qunyang Bracelet!

Li Ximing gazed into his golden eyes and, after a long silence, said, "They are... putting you in the middle, without any clear stance..."

Li Zhouwei slowly closed his eyes: "A clear stance... whether to kill me or fully support me, it comes with a price, and it invites countermeasures from the other two factions... They aren't unable to pay the price; they are waiting."

"If I truly prove to be incapable, then they will scheme to kill me. If I truly am someone who defies Mingyang and ascends to a monarch's position, I might not be as tyrannical and fierce as the Righteous Position of Shangyao, governing ministers with righteousness, but I would certainly be like the Perverted Position of Yangji—falsely loyal and feigning sincerity, governing the monarch with peculiarity and rebellion... Would I then fear the tug-of-war between two branches?"

Li Ximing watched him silently, observing the junior reveal a chilling smile: "They... are worried that I'm not evil enough!"