Chapter 1082: Crescent Moon

"That's natural!"

The old man in front of him echoed repeatedly. Hearing this, Li Suining's expression grew serious as he paced before his cave dwelling, deep in thought. 'Li Jieyi.'

Li Suining was not unfamiliar with Guang Chan; he even knew his secular name was Li Jieyi. Mentioning Li Jieyi inevitably brought up Shengming Jinming King. In those days, Shengming Jinming King was a prominent figure of the Great Liang Dynasty, occupying a small Buddhist land. Although this Buddhist King was often associated with the Great Mu School of Law, he was not actually one of the Seven Phases. He had a degree of affinity for ancient Buddhist cultivators and was also an important reliance for the Tuoba family. When the Tuoba family declared themselves emperors, he was the seventh Mahā, achieving his Dharma appearance at the end of the Liang Dynasty. Coupled with the legendary small Buddhist land, his power was terrifying. However, he also fell at the end of the Liang Dynasty.

"The last Liang Emperor died by falling into water, which was essentially the fall of Emperor Wu of Liang... Shengming Jinming King also fell with him... Could it be that he touched upon the Dao of Mingyang...?" Shengming Jinming King had five demonic sons, all monstrous devils, whom the Buddhist King successively slew and converted. Li Jieyi was a descendant of the fifth son, whose ancestors hid within a noble family during the fall of Liang, fortunately surviving. Li Suining knew this with such clarity because Li Jieyi's future reputation was indeed considerable!

'Logically, at this moment, he hadn't yet gone south. He was supposed to be King Wei's opponent during the northern expedition... until... the reincarnation of the Great Peacock Maitreya of the Great Desire Path!' Li Suining fell silent. Recalling it now, it was still somewhat inexpressible—the Great Desire Path, which had been embroiled in overt and covert struggles for a thousand years, experienced a terrifying internal rebellion. It caused the world to change color, astonishing everyone, even reaching a point of breaking all taboos with Dharma appearances manifesting! The Great Desire Path surged forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Path of Compassion, vying for the top position among the Seven Phases! Although this turmoil was unrelated to the Li clan, it changed the entire dynamic among the Seven Phases!

The Mahā Queruyu of the Great Desire Path successfully emerged from seclusion, bringing three Buddhist disciples born from the reincarnation of Maitreya south with him. This caused a sensation north of the Yangtze, even startling the Path of Compassion, which had originally been observing from the sidelines, compelling them to also head south. Only then did the great terror of the later Changhe Rebellion occur. And the one most relevant to the Li clan... was one of these three Great Desire Buddhist disciples—the Left Fearful Advisor, Antelope-hoof Mahā, whose secular name was Li Chengpan! When Queruyu brought Antelope-hoof south, they directly clashed with Li Jieyi, wanting to seize a small Buddhist land from him. This indirectly forced the Great Mu School of Law to fully support Li Jieyi, thus elevating Guang Chan Mahā.

"Now he... has gone south so early!" Li Suining mused, but overall, he wasn't overly panicked; he had a hidden guess: "The change isn't due to Guest Minister Ding, but rather True Person Zhaojing. He wasn't trapped in the West Sea but retreated completely. The guardianship of the lake shifted from King Wei to the True Person. Northern cultivators, wanting his life, wouldn't repeatedly probe and hold back as in the previous life, but would launch aggressive assaults! But with the Great Song protecting him, it wouldn't go too far after all. Not being trapped in the West Sea, the world's clarity is already established! It's early... a full ten years earlier..."

While escaping the West Sea certainly attracted more encirclements, as long as Li Ximing was safe, everything was worth it! He felt at peace simply hearing that Li Ximing had gone safely to the Southern Border. 'Overall, there haven't been major changes... This wave of changes isn't necessarily a bad thing!'

Just as he found some calm, doubts arose: "But this mountain sealing..." This was not good. In his previous life, Li Suining had experienced so much turmoil, but he had never heard of such a restrictive measure, like house arrest! 'Could it be... that in my previous life, it wasn't as conspicuous... so I didn't hear about it?'

He silently entered his cave dwelling and paced twice before a meditation cushion. 'In my previous life, Uncle Jiangchun indeed appeared rarely... I also went to see him, and he was visible... But now, it seems no one can see me...' Fear arose in Li Suining's heart. After a long moment, he finally raised his brows: "Could it be... something went wrong somewhere... and True Person suspects me?"

He then took out a piece of cloth from his sleeve, dipped it in ink, and after a brief thought, wrote a lengthy greeting. Li Suining mentioned his breakthrough and then inquired about the sealed mountain. This matter was not difficult for him. Although he appeared to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator who rarely left home, with his experience from his previous life and his understanding of the current situation, he could easily discern the truth behind any excuse offered. So he called the old man in and instructed: "Old Du, do you know where my junior uncle is?"

Although Li Jiangchun was an unparalleled genius, he acted with extreme discretion and caution. Du Dou only said: "I only heard he's in the inner array, but I don't know where within it." Li Suining instructed: "Just take my letter, put it in a storage bag without taking it out, and deliver it all the way to the inner array. Have someone give it to him to read." Du Dou nodded quickly and hurried out, leaving Li Suining to pace a few steps with considerable unease, sighing inwardly: 'I hope I'm just overthinking this!'

Du Dou took the letter and hurried down the mountain, crossed the lake, and reached the islet. He stopped a good distance from the inner array and bowed, saying: "Please, Sir Chen, deliver a letter for my master." The cultivator guarding the inner array had a solemn expression, with a head full of white hair. He sat cross-legged before the array, hands clasped in a mudra, like an old monk in deep meditation. He appeared extremely ancient, yet his back remained perfectly straight, and a long sword was strapped to his back. This was the elder Chen Donghe.

Chen Donghe was an elder spanning several generations, the son-in-law of the collateral branch, and his seniority was terrifyingly high. He should have been enjoying his twilight years at home, but ever since Li Qiuyang passed away, the old man couldn't sit still and insisted on working. Li Jiangzong dared not neglect him and, after much thought, arranged for him to guard the entrance to this inner array. His voice was deep: "Is this Li Suining's person?"

"Indeed!" Chen Donghe took the letter from his hand, meticulously checked it up and down, then used the power of the array to examine it. He turned to look at Du Dou, saw his plain attire, and asked: "The news of Jiman's passing... it's already reached you!" Du Dou, hearing this unexpected remark, responded cautiously: "Reporting to Elder, the Lord has ascended to heaven!"

The "Lord" he spoke of was Li Jiman, whose cultivation wasn't high, yet he was the Lord of Dongshan Yue. He was one of Xuanxuan's grandsons and was once used to stabilize the Shanyue. He had half of the Li family's blood, enjoyed all the worldly splendors and riches, and sat on the throne for nearly a century until his sons and grandsons wanted to rebel against him. Only then did he safely retire to cultivate. Now, after failing to break through to Foundation Establishment, he had finally fallen. As he was from the paternal branch, Li Jiangzong arranged a high-standard funeral. The Dili family from Beishanyue also wore white mourning clothes, showing their distant respect.

Chen Donghe stroked his white beard, his old face trembled slightly, and he said in a hoarse voice: "He should have tried earlier; now it's too late." He then tucked the letter into his sleeve, hesitated for a moment, then entered the grand array. Chen Donghe had been there for a considerable time, but he had rarely entered the grand array. After all, cultivators qualified to enter the inner array came and went as they pleased, without needing him. They would simply greet him, and he would memorize their faces, thinking to himself: 'All are the prodigies of our family.'

Now, stepping into the array, his eyes were immediately met by the purple-tinged, misty canopy and the glittering golden array patterns on the floor, intimidating him somewhat. He walked through dark golden pavilions for a long time, passing three more arrays, before finally seeing a pool. This pool was about nine zhang long, its water clear and serene, appearing no deeper than his knees. Nine bright lamps stood along its edge, emitting a pale white light that seemed especially distant and awe-inspiring in the surrounding darkness. He looked up and saw a mighty, pale-purple, mist-like waterfall cascading from the ceiling. Yet, when it reached the bottom, it became like layers of cotton wool, piling up on the pool's surface. The circular jade platform in the very center was empty, with no one in sight.

What shone was a flash of sword light. This light flickered and wavered before his eyes, at times full like a bright moon, at times curved like a broken bowstring, sometimes like dark clouds obscuring the moon, and sometimes entirely bright. Under the cold moonlight, three streams of light merged together like fish swimming in water, appearing and disappearing, then suddenly becoming one! "Clang!" The purple mist waterfall was abruptly cut off. Although it still flowed above and below, the middle section suddenly vanished, leaving only a crisp sword hum that almost made the old man dizzy: "What is this!"

Chen Donghe looked for a moment, realizing that the rise of the Li clan was too fast, so fast that he could no longer comprehend it. Then, he heard a soft call by his ear: "Elder Chen!" Chen Donghe quickly turned around. Behind him stood a young man, smiling, wearing a white feather robe, green boots, and a green-bladed sword on his back, leaving him momentarily dumbfounded. Chen Donghe was startled, a shiver of cold penetrating his bones. He felt as if he had suddenly fallen into a raging river, or was squatting by dark mud, holding a rough arrowhead, surrounded by the cold winds of early spring. The sword immortal's brief glance made him lose himself.

"Elder Chen?" Li Jiangchun quickly supported him and asked again, immediately pulling Chen Donghe out of his daze. Sweat poured from him, and he said blankly: "This junior has come to deliver a letter." Li Jiangchun paused in surprise, then raised his hand and gently brushed the old man's face. This moment was like a spring breeze turning into rain, wiping away all his palpitations. He said warmly: "Senior, you should take some qi-regulating medicine..." Chen Donghe nodded in confusion, while Li Jiangchun comforted him: "It's a common ailment for elders... don't worry too much." The elder then stood firm, bowed deeply to him, handed over the item, and retreated somewhat flustered, taking several steps back, then turning to glance once more, his heart aching: "No wonder Xuanxuan liked him!"

Li Jiangchun, somewhat puzzled, held the jade box in his hand, stepped forward, and stood steadily amidst the swirling purple mist, exhaling deeply. Only after he exhaled did the roaring purple mist waterfall begin to flow again, crashing down and transforming into dense, unresolvable purple clouds that floated, making his feather robe rustle. Within it, three ethereal streams of moonlight drifted out, circling around his clothes. These three moonlights were thin in front and round at the back, resembling peacock feathers, rippling with bluish-white light. They turned over together, transforming into three agile birds, landing on his shoulders. These were his sword essences—Waxing Moon.

Regarding the inheritance of swordsmanship and spiritual power, Li Jiangchun should be the most similar to Yueque among all the Li family descendants. However, his spiritual power was ultimately different; it was Lesser Yin, not Greater Yin, thus possessing a more restrained and less complete quality, hence named Waxing Moon. Li Jiangchun had cultivated his sword essences for a considerable time. For several years, he had not only continuously refined his sword essences and learned Autumn Moon Symphony, but most importantly, he had pushed the foundation he had specially laid before Foundation Establishment, the Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record, to a level where he could cast spells!

Simply being able to use the Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record was by no means easy. Such noble and profound cultivation methods were typically only begun by those at the Purple Mansion realm! Once the Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record was cultivated, the Weak Water and Ever-Flowing Primal Fire contained within it would operate autonomously, complementing each other and adding profound wonders, leading to spontaneous cultivation, not to mention numerous miraculous effects during combat!

Thus, he had a reason for cultivating this path early—firstly, his original cultivation method was an ancient one, which put him at a significant disadvantage in terms of secret arts, so he had to rely on the Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record to compensate for his cultivation. Secondly... he was aiming to cultivate sword intent, and he expected to stay in the Foundation Establishment realm for a considerable time. The earlier he perfected this technique, the more time he would save! Even more terrifying was the pool of water beneath his feet! This substance was refined from Fangxi Marvelous Dew, further mixed with Greater Yin Moonlight—meaning his Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record was constantly benefiting from a pool of spiritual resources equivalent to a Lesser Yin Purple Mansion level!

Even though Li Jiangchun himself was quite knowledgeable, he couldn't help but marvel while immersed in it: "Golden Core powers are probably no more than this... Even Qiu Shui and Qing Ji Fang might only receive this kind of treatment! Being here, it's like cultivating diligently in a secret realm at every moment. These past years, I've focused on spells, not cultivating for a moment, yet I've already reached mid-Foundation Establishment." If he wished, he could take a Talisman Pill now and immediately reach late-Foundation Establishment! Even knowing that all this was largely due to immortal artifacts and the Nine Hills Dao Lineage, which itself was close to Golden Core powers, making it utterly extravagant, Li Jiangchun still felt a degree of apprehension: "I only fear I'll fail to live up to the family's expectations!"

He silently lifted his sleeve, opened the jade box, and upon reading its contents, immediately felt joy: "Good news... he's actually broken through to Foundation Establishment, what fast cultivation speed..." But as he read further, his expression suddenly became a bit strange. The matter concerning Li Suining was ordered by the True Person. At the time, when something happened on the island, Li Ximing left in a hurry. But later, the old master Li Xuanxuan also nervously came to find him once—Li Jiangchun actually trusted Li Suining quite a bit.

Trust was one thing, but he still took out a brush, pondered for a moment, smiled, and began to write. His letter was also full of doubts, stating that he too was confined within the inner array and could not leave, suffering immensely, with not even a single attendant by his side. At the end, he subtly asked: "Suining still has people he can use, please inquire about the news and inform me!" He put down his brush, and instantly, a sword-sparrow on his shoulder hopped up, took the letter, and quickly flew out to deliver it. Li Jiangchun then picked up his sword again and danced for a while, as if touched by something, standing motionless, realizing: 'That's right... I've been cooped up, no wonder my sword essences are progressing slowly! In their day, seniors either slew high cultivators, pacified the South Sea, or killed countless demons. I'm just cultivating behind closed doors; it's already a great blessing to have made any progress!' He instantly put away his sword, casually placing it amidst the dense purple mist, and simply took out the Lesser Yin Dark Monarch Water-Fire Record to cultivate first: 'For swordsmanship, one still needs to see some blood!'