Chapter 1083: Invitation Letter

Jinghai.

On the main road, dust billowed as continuous streams of soldiers and horses stretched out, head to tail, winding like a long river. The man leading them idly swung his whip, clearly preoccupied.

"Ordering me to the Southern Frontier, what kind of procedure is this anyway...?"

Li Jiangxia's gaze drifted, sweeping over the distant mountain scenery. He no longer possessed the open-mindedness he had shown in the palace, appearing deeply troubled.

"The Southern Frontier..."

It wasn't that Li Jiangxia was reluctant to go to this distant land, nor was Li Ximing a harsh person—he might even have words of praise for him. But Li Jiangxia's mind was elsewhere.

"Since I have already attained the Profound stage, there's no need for me to command many troops. It would be best to find a peaceful place to properly temper my immortal foundation and cultivate my divine abilities..."

Jiangbei seemed to be plagued by constant warfare, but the great war between North and South had just ceased, so no major conflicts would arise in the short term. Moreover, Baijiang, nestled between Tangdao Mountain and Wangyue Lake, was one of the rare places where one could cultivate in peace.

The Southern Frontier, though seemingly safe, could have disturbances every few days. How could one find any spare time for cultivation there?

Therefore, his mood had not been good throughout the journey. He rode silently on his fine steed, his eyes slightly narrowed:

"I wonder how many secret techniques Li Jiangqian has mastered. The family's Blazing Fire cultivation method is powerful; he must have mastered at least two or three. The first to break through to divine abilities should definitely be him!"

Li Jiangxia, for his part, actually looked forward to Li Jiangqian's breakthrough, a smile filling his heart:

"My elder brother is most resourceful and decisive; the path he finds will surely be extraordinary. As his younger brother, I should observe his methods and abilities to use as a reference."

As he was deep in thought, he suddenly looked up thoughtfully. He saw lightning flash and thunder roll amidst the distant mountains, and white snow billowed. Divine abilities clashed, and the Grand Void trembled. His heart grew still:

"They've already started fighting!"

His expression immediately turned serious. His spiritual consciousness sank into his Qi Sea, connecting upward to the Ascendant Yang.

The dense clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, and the Martial Cultivation Star brightened intensely, its white light illuminating everything. A surge of water and fire erupted from his dantian, transforming into wondrous True Qi!

He rose, stepping on the water and fire, and found the distant mountains and fields trembling. A colossal, mountain-sized black-backed demon was sprawled among the mountains, wielding a dark jade light. It had four limbs and a tail, its body slender like a dog's, with a round, flat head resembling a human face, covered in thin white fur. Its eyes were jet black, and it had sharp fangs.

The demon's face was ferocious, its hands raised, firmly supporting a colossal Heavenly Gate suspended in mid-air. A man in white and gold Daoist robes stood atop the Heavenly Gate, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression cold.

It was Li Ximing!

Li Jiangxia simply directed the water and fire, and laughed loudly:

"Old Ancestor! I've come to help you!"

The True Person suddenly raised an eyebrow, looking at him with some surprise. He saw the young man's hands clasped before his chest, two fingers joined, raised to his brow, as he spoke the Daoist chant:

"Cultivate the Vast Peace and Tranquil Radiance!"

Instantly, the stars in the sky shone brightly. Water and fire intertwined, suddenly descending, transforming into a gentle, widespread rain of fire that covered a hundred miles. A light emerged from within, landing precisely on the demon's body.

The demon instantly let out an earth-shattering roar. Li Ximing pondered for a moment, then mused to himself:

"What splendid Profound Light!"

From Li Ximing's current perspective, this light, though far from comparable to the Great Li White Radiance, was already no less inferior to his own Supreme Luminary Subduing Light!

What was even more remarkable was the natural way it manipulated water and fire and controlled True Qi within this radiance—it was completely beyond what a Bright Yang cultivator should possess. This made him lower his head and sigh inwardly:

"It really is different. Judging by how easily he cast spells, it's probably much higher than the so-called Mercy limit. No wonder Situ Huo was so eagerly approaching him!"

So he smiled slightly, invited him onto the Heavenly Gate, and replied:

"Jiangxia, you're here! Are you...?"

"I've been ordered to guard the Southern Frontier for the True Person!"

Although Li Jiangxia had anticipated this, seeing Li Ximing's genuinely good attitude towards him, the young man secretly breathed a sigh of relief and felt a touch more warmth. As he continued to perform hand seals and cast spells, he asked:

"Which demon king is this?"

"It's the Black-backed Great King, subordinate to Mountain Lord Bifu."

Li Ximing casually replied, maintaining his spell to suppress the demon without urgency.

"He cultivated the Wood Gathering path and became a demon king by exploiting the martyrdom of a Yuan Cultivator. He's a black-backed demon dog with a hint of noble blood. It took me a stick of incense to suppress him before he revealed his true form."

Truth be told, Li Ximing's combat prowess was truly formidable. With spiritual fire enhancement, he might even be able to fight effortlessly, but combined with the terrifying Heavenly Crow Blazing Fire, it was enough to make people gasp. And this demon happened to cultivate the Wood Gathering path!

Blazing Fire burning gathered wood was like a forest meeting a raging fire—it wouldn't stop until everything was burned to ashes!

"If I were to really get serious, with the Heavenly Crow Blazing Fire descending instantly, he would most likely be burned so badly he'd be crying for his parents!"

But there was no need to dwell on it. At this moment, Canlu Fu must be observing from the Grand Void. Li Ximing knew that recognizing his advantages was already a gain, so he naturally wouldn't alarm the enemy. He simply treated it as Emperor Song's task, dragging it out like a bureaucratic chore.

He then turned his head and smiled:

"He and I are just dragging our feet here, being lazy and perfunctory. Now that you've arrived, that old snake will be scared into pulling his people back!"

Li Jiangxia raised an eyebrow and smiled. Sure enough, he saw thunder rolling and dark clouds sweeping from the south, as a demon king rushed to provide aid. Li Ximing then withdrew his divine ability, letting the dog demon go.

This demon, accustomed to dominating the Southern Frontier, was already feeling wronged and stifled by being suppressed by Li Ximing's divine ability. Seeing the two men treat him as nothing, he had already laughed out of sheer anger. Without reservation, he sneered:

"You've cultivated a dead-end ancestral path and dare to boss around Lord Bifu! What kind of thing are you?!"

Hearing this, Li Ximing, who was preparing to finish up, paused slightly and gave the demon a strange look. Li Jiangxia, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow and sneered:

"What a loyal Wood Gathering dog, to dare bark at the Bright Yang Blazing Fire gate! Just wait until King Wei's divine ability is complete, and he comes to Mount Canlu Fu to capture you. Then we'll see if Canlu Fu is worthy of your loyalty and stands up for you!"

This statement immediately silenced the Black-backed Great King. How could he not know Canlu Fu's way of doing things?

This mountain lord had escaped from the Dragon Faction's grasp and was still shrouded in centuries of shadow. He was extremely careful and cautious in everything, seeing everything as if the Dragon Faction wanted him dead. If Li Zhouwei one day truly perfected his divine abilities and arrived in the Southern Frontier, how would Canlu Fu dare to show his face?

He hastily retreated, but Li Ximing frowned.

Among the amiable demon kings under Canlu Fu, only this recently breakthrough Black-backed Great King was the easiest to eliminate. He just hoped he hadn't scared him off.

So he withdrew his hand, only taking Li Jiangxia back with him. More thoughts arose in his mind as he smiled:

"Today, your True Qi divine ability flowed so naturally!"

Li Jiangxia understood what he wanted to ask. He bowed slightly and replied:

"With the blessing of Heavenly Martial, my cultivation of True Qi techniques is like that of a True Cultivator. Under the bestowed Qi, I naturally gain various spells, which are related to my temperament and Daoist cultivation, not merely my own ability as a junior!"

Li Jiangxia held nothing back, recounting all the wondrous aspects. Li Ximing finally asked the most crucial question, with doubt in his voice:

"Buddhist cultivators receive the light of the Pure Land. If the Grand Void is cut off, it's like water without a source, greatly diminished. Does Heavenly Martial True Qi... have similar drawbacks?"

Li Jiangxia shook his head slightly and replied:

"The light of Heavenly Martial is bestowed by the Martial Cultivation Star and is unrelated to the Grand Void. Unless one trespasses into the territory of several True Monarchs or reaches a place where Martial Cultivation light does not shine, it will not be diminished..."

Li Ximing paced a step and praised:

"Impressive..."

A person who has attained the Profound stage, with their Ascendant Yang raised, possesses divine power but lacks specific divine wonders. The other abilities of the Grand Void's water and fire are indispensable. Li Jiangliang had once compared it to Mercy (Lianmin), similar in power but quite different in essence.

Mercy cultivation means establishing one's position in the Pure Land, a non-retrograde stage—in immortal cultivation terms, it means the Ascendant Yang is in the Pure Land. Therefore, no matter how one perishes, unless the Grand Void is completely severed, there is ultimately a path of retreat. However, for those who have attained the Profound stage, their Ascendant Yang residence has not left their physical body. Instead, it is sensed by the Martial Cultivation Star, and divine wonders descend from the heavens, surging within the Ascendant Yang.

If Mercy cultivators are like tenant farmers of the Pure Land, then those who have attained the Profound stage are, in a nicer sense, favored retainers, or, less kindly, personal troops. They are not merely someone else's ordinary private property. While they have more freedom, their demise is truly final: their divine wonders are immediately reclaimed by the celestial stars and then bestowed upon the next person with Emperor Song's enfeoffment, incurring almost no loss.

Everything has its good and bad points, and it was precisely for this reason that Li Jiangxia could even return the Profound Light and continue cultivating his own divine abilities!

Though he praised it verbally, his heart remained noncommittal. He sighed inwardly and pondered:

"What True Person Di Yan mentioned about 'multiholding other Xuans' must be this path. It offers no hope of attaining the Dao."

The two had just conversed for a while when a white-robed cultivator descended, fluttering from the mountains. His eyes shone brightly with spiritual light, full of vitality. It was Chengqian!

But True Person Chengqian was not alone. Beside him, another True Person appeared, riding a cloud. He was dressed in a robe with wave and crescent moon patterns and a light silver silk jade belt around his waist. His appearance was remarkably outstanding. He bowed slightly and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing... I've long heard of your esteemed name!"

Li Ximing's spiritual consciousness swept over, detecting a surge of Lunar Yin Qi from the other person. His heart stirred:

"A Purple Mansion cultivator of the Lunar Yin path!"

This was his first encounter with a Purple Mansion cultivator of the Lunar Yin path!

His family had risen from obscurity, relying on the immortal artifact that continuously gushed Lunar Yin Essence day and night. This artifact was very likely the supreme magic treasure of the Lunar Yin Dao. He naturally felt a sense of kinship with this lineage, and the person before him also seemed more agreeable. He hesitated slightly, then returned the bow courteously:

"And this True Person is...?"

The young man raised a hand, a very cordial smile appearing on his face, and said:

"I am Chehong of the Pure One Dao Sect!"

The several conjectures in Li Ximing's mind were suddenly confirmed. He returned the bow and said:

"You are indeed a fellow Daoist from the Pure One Dao Sect!"

Although it was their first meeting, the atmosphere was very harmonious. Li Jiangxia was very discerning; he quickly bowed and said:

"True Persons, please discuss your important matters. This junior has been ordered to guard the State of Wu, and the main army is still on its way, so I won't delay you further."

He then withdrew from the group of three. Chengqian, however, had a strange expression and asked:

"Is that someone from your family who has attained the Profound stage? Prince Wei, I presume... He has golden eyes."

This remark made Chehong turn his head in surprise. Li Ximing did not wish to elaborate and deflected it with a few words. Chehong caught on after hearing a couple of sentences and smiled:

"Your esteemed family and I also have a connection! Back then, Qi Qiuxin and I were guarding the Purple-Gold Demonic Cultivator by the sea. Unexpectedly, we met someone from your esteemed family—one who... commanded thunder..."

Li Ximing had heard Qi Qiuxin mention it once; he instantly understood and smiled:

"That would be my aunt, of the Qing generation, whose personal name is Hong! She is now enshrined in the Thunder Pond!"

Chehong was clearly stunned. He froze for several breaths before finally exclaiming in alarm:

"It's... it's the Thunder Maiden of the Profound Pond... To think there's such a connection! I am Xi Chang... The Thunder Maiden should remember me..."

Li Ximing smiled. Chehong, however, appeared quite vexed and sighed deeply for a long time:

"I've offended you!"

Li Ximing shook his head, not taking the bait, and merely said:

"True Person, you're here this time to...?"

Chehong then realized, rose from his seat, and took out a white scroll with laurel patterns from his sleeve. He held it in both hands, his expression solemn:

"Revering the primal manifestation, cultivating the Pure One Dao. As our descendants, we dare not be unwary. Our sect's Grand True Person, of the Yuan sequence, named Yuanshang, now seeks perfection and respectfully invites fellow Daoists from the Yuan Mansion to observe the Profound, as a legacy for future generations..."

The two in the mountains simultaneously held their breath. Chengqian immediately stepped back, avoiding direct confrontation, and said with a shocked expression:

"The Grand True Person is seeking the Dao!"

"Yuan... Shang?"

Although Li Ximing had never heard this person's name, just by hearing his Daoist title, he understood it was an elder True Person. He almost instantly stood up from his seat, exclaiming in alarm:

"This..."

Chehong said solemnly:

"Please attend!"

Li Ximing composed his shocked expression and solemnly bowed as he took the white scroll with laurel patterns from Chehong's hands. Loosening its ties, he saw hundreds of words written expansively within. The final invitation was for True Person Zhaojing and True Person Minghuang of the Wangyue Ze (Moon-gazing Marsh) aristocratic family in Jingzhou.

According to the rules of Yuan Mansion, his family could indeed be considered an aristocratic family under the Yuan Mansion. However, this matter was now considered improper, and no one had mentioned it for many years. This filled him with myriad emotions as he put away the scroll and asked:

"The Grand True Person cultivates the..."

"Lunar Yin!"

It wasn't that Li Ximing hadn't heard of the rules of the Solar Daoist Lineage in Jiangnan; whenever a Grand True Person sought golden attainment, numerous cultivators would gather. But after his own breakthrough, the Solar Daoist Lineage had begun to decline. For so many years, only one Yuan Cultivator had properly sought golden attainment.

However, True Person Yuanxiu had used a peculiar secret technique, and by the time he neared breakthrough, he could no longer suppress his Dharma body. His breakthrough was extremely sudden, and he hadn't sent out invitations—now Yuanshang was the first!

Hope welled in his heart, even a hint of anticipation, as he said with great sincerity:

"I wish the elder success in attaining golden status and becoming an Immortal of Heaven and Earth!"

Chehong pursed his lips, nodded, and said:

"According to the old rules, fellow Daoist can bring one or two juniors to observe the ceremony. Originally... it was also to foster some connections among the younger generation..."

Li Ximing's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and instantly, he had candidates in mind:

"For the Lunar Yin path, Jiangchun is most suitable! Plus Que Wan, who is about to go into seclusion... it would greatly benefit both of them! It's just a pity about Zhou Wei... he needs it the most..."

He nodded repeatedly, glancing at Chengqian, and noticed that this True Person's face was full of envy. But as an overseas cultivator, Chengqian naturally had no right to attend the ceremony.

Li Ximing then expressed his concern:

"It's just... I'm ordered to guard the mountain, so it's not good to leave my post without permission..."

Chehong smiled slightly and replied:

"The Yang clan is aware of this—they should have already dispatched cultivators to guard the mountain on your behalf."

Li Ximing suddenly understood:

"No wonder," he thought. "Two True Persons were already more than enough, so why add Li Jiangxia!"

He was immediately delighted and replied:

"I will fetch the juniors and immediately proceed to Pure One!"

Chehong smiled:

"Please, fellow Daoist, go and return quickly... True Person Chen has already arrived at Pure One and has asked three times in a hurry, urging me to invite you over!"

Li Ximing quickly agreed, but his heart was bright:

"My Lunar Yin Great Pill has been in the clan for so many years; it's the perfect time to take it there. Perhaps I can sell it for a good price to the Pure One Dao Sect—the timing is just right!"