Chapter 1117: West

"This is an urgent matter."

Li Zhouwei nodded slightly and said, "Over the years, more young disciples have gathered by the lake. With Qingdu's guidance, things won't go too awry. My only concern is that they might not feel close to us. As long as the Elder is here, the four lineages will always find a harmonious and tolerant path..."

Hearing this, Li Ximing felt a deep sense of melancholy. Standing in the pavilion, he lowered his gaze and said, "Although I have achieved the Zi Mansion realm, my descendants are not numerous. Those by the lake fear me far more than they feel close to me. Anything my great-grandfather can clarify or persuade them on, they accept, but nothing ever reaches my ears directly. If something were to truly happen to the Elder..."

This was an unbridgeable gap between spiritual powers and mortal life. For a Zi Mansion cultivator, even a revered Foundation Establishment realm practitioner was merely an ant that could be extinguished with a single breath. No matter how concerned Li Ximing was for his clan, it was difficult for him to truly care about the countless younger generations. Even if someone reached Qi Cultivation or Foundation Establishment and was brought before him, he would only offer a casual word of praise.

Even his own grandson, Li Zhouming, who had also reached the Foundation Establishment realm, had very few opportunities to meet him. However, Li Xuanxuan genuinely cared for and doted on everyone; whenever someone achieved a breakthrough, he would summon them, observe them, and offer heartfelt personal advice. Li Ximing, on the other hand, was simply incapable of doing so.

The True Lord stood with his hands behind his back for a moment, then spoke sincerely: "The Li clan stands strong today thanks to the Elder's immense contributions, which no one can replicate! My thought is... if things come to that point, I would spare no cost to use this 'Female Pill' in my hand to save Great-Grandfather for three to five years!"

The pill he referred to was the Heavenly Purity Essence Pill, entrusted to him by Tinglan years ago. It was exceptionally precious, formed from Heavenly Pure Prime Essence, possessing miraculous effects like reviving the dead and mending broken bones, and could also extend lifespan.

Logically, even Zi Mansion cultivators would covet such a pill; a few years of lifespan for a Zi Mansion cultivator could alter many situations and certainly wouldn't be spent on a Qi Cultivation practitioner. However, Li Zhouwei was not surprised and said, "Healing injuries isn't its most remarkable feature. The true value of the Heavenly Purity Essence Pill lies in elevating immortal foundations. Our clan has complete cultivation methods and precious legacies, with no divergent or flawed techniques, so this is its only suitable use. It's fortunate we have it."

Li Ximing understood he was being comforted. He simply nodded silently and replied, "First, we'll try the usual longevity formulas. I'll seek out the venerable True Lord Shanbai of Jiao Mu to invite him to the lake and have him draft a recuperation plan."

Li Zhouwei nodded in agreement, saying, "Since Taoist Aunt Xiangchun finds it inconvenient to come inland, it would be better to arrange this matter at Zhen Tao Manor. Please, Uncle-Grandfather, find an excuse to invite the Elder to travel to the East Sea, bring the pill there, and ask both of them to oversee the process and jointly formulate the elixir recipe."

This lineup could indeed be called luxurious. Li Ximing finally felt relieved and said, "That's easy to arrange. The Elder hasn't been to Zhen Tao Manor before. Although he doesn't say it, he still cares somewhat about Li Wen and An Siwei being there. We can just say we're taking him for a visit."

As they finalized the plan, a sense of melancholy settled over them. Li Xuanxuan's cultivation was too low; many remedies had no foundation to be effective on him, and even lifespan extension wouldn't last long. A Qi Cultivation practitioner couldn't even utilize the methods of True Lord Xuanyi's artifact spirit... and even if they could, they would need to consider the talisman seeds on the Elder's person.

The two fell silent for a moment, then Li Ximing quickly changed the topic, recounting his trip to Qu Yi: "While you were in seclusion, a major event occurred. Western Shu suffered a defeat on the Great West Plain. Even Qing Jifang and others sustained injuries... and a True Lord perished. It's like pouring rain on a leaky roof... and Qize has also become unstable."

"Oh?" Li Zhouwei asked with interest, listening as Li Ximing said with a hint of schadenfreude: "In Qize, there's a Tomb-Raiding Sword Immortal... do you remember him?"

Seeing the golden-eyed youth nod, Li Ximing smiled: "This Sword Immortal, a mid-stage Zi Mansion cultivator, has been stuck at the Zi Mansion Integration realm for a long time. It seems he has made progress. Once he breaks through, he will be a figure capable of influencing the world's tides... The Qing clan has always avoided conflict with him..."

"However, for some unknown reason, many disturbances arose in the Shu Kingdom. In a place called Xunyang Pond, a Zi Mansion cultivator appeared, claiming to be named Xu, imbued with sword intent, and seeking revenge. Golden energy roiled in the sky, and he beheaded the local prefect... openly challenging the Qing clan's authority. The Shangguan family's Zi Mansion cultivators rushed to the scene and fought for several hours before suddenly dispersing. Only later was it discovered that a cultivator behind the Zi Mansion cultivator named Xu had intervened..."

"This incident caused a huge uproar but eventually fizzled out. However, word spread everywhere that the one who intervened was the Tomb-Raiding Sword Immortal."

Li Zhouwei frowned, listening as Li Ximing sighed: "Shu land is home to many swordsmen, and Sword Immortals have always been the most numerous in all states. In recent years, only the Tomb-Raiding Sword Immortal remained, but now that another has appeared, it's not surprising."

Li Zhouwei suddenly recalled the Sword Immortal he had coincidentally glimpsed in the Grotto-Heaven, pondering: "He wore Shu attire and also possessed Metal affinity. It might indeed be him."

Li Ximing, however, seemed a bit hesitant, saying: "I paid close attention to this news, specifically these three words: Xunyang Pond..."

This made Li Zhouwei raise an eyebrow as Li Ximing continued: "I heard that True Lord Guanxue perished in Xunyang Pond, and True Lord Donghua's immortal sword also fell there back then. Now, with two Sword Immortals clashing in this very place, could it be related?"

Li Zhouwei immediately understood. True Lord Donghua, Li Jiangqun, was highly suspected of being a celestial figure, so naturally, Li Ximing gave extra thought to the information related to him. After some deliberation, he replied: "It's an excellent development that the Tomb-Raiding Sword Immortal cannot be used by the Qing clan; otherwise, the cost of attacking Shu in the future would increase manifold. As for Xunyang Pond... we will eventually attack Shu, and I will go there personally."

Li Ximing nodded subtly and said: "This is just a piece of news... during your seclusion, I haven't been idle. I've been gathering a lot of information under the guise of the Heavenly Nurturing Urn, searching for a sacrifice for the Green Talisman!"

"While the north-south situation is temporarily stable, let's arrange this matter first. I fear that continuous warfare later will cause endless delays."

This piqued Li Zhouwei's interest. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "It can't be easy to find, can it?"

Li Ximing shook his head helplessly and said: "My first thought was still Southern Jiang."

"The Lord of Bifu Mountain naturally holds a grudge against our family, making him an excellent target. He also has a nascent Zi Mansion realm demon king under him... The problem is that the Lord of Bifu Mountain never leaves Southern Jiang, and his demon king doesn't travel far either. Suppressing him directly in Southern Jiang would inevitably provoke Canlufu to intervene."

"If we were extremely lucky and one of them suddenly left Southern Jiang, allowing us to capture them in the East Sea, the Green Talisman would be fine. However, it would make the Lord of Bifu Mountain highly vigilant, making any future plans difficult."

He said sternly: "Relying on luck is never reliable. Perhaps we could lure him out, but I'll only consider the Bifu lineage as a last resort. It would be best if we could resolve this elsewhere."

"As for the Zi Mansion cultivators throughout the land, most are capable and well-connected. I inquired thoroughly and found it to be a thorny issue. Those under the dragon lineage are out of the question, and the North Sea ones don't even warrant consideration. The only regions we might be able to scheme against are Southern Jiang, Boroduo, and the West Sea."

A hint of melancholy appeared on the True Lord's face as he continued: "There's another problem: Zi Mansion cultivators are not minor figures. Even if they have no background or are not exceptionally powerful, they always have one or two friends, backing a certain force... They absolutely cannot be moved easily..."

Li Zhouwei frowned, listening as Li Ximing said: "For example... in the South Sea, there's a white elephant cultivating malevolent qi. Few people pay him much mind, but his ancestors had some connection with Buddhist cultivators. The Mahas of the South Sea all know him, and he himself has a few friends. If we were to travel all this way to kill him without reason, it would be unjustifiable, both emotionally and logically. Someone would surely intervene to stop us, and it might even ruin our reputation."

"The same applies to Boroduo."

"In other words, these Zi Mansion cultivators might lack obvious backing, but their connections and divine abilities *are* their background. Zi Mansion cultivators rely on their own formidable divine powers, making them extraordinary. Even Gold Core-level forces wouldn't arbitrarily kill them without a conflict of interest."

"Furthermore, if the target were to escape and has family or friends... it would create even more trouble."

His words made Li Zhouwei ponder. He replied, "What about a Compassionate One?"

Li Ximing immediately nodded, saying: "I had the same thought. Zi Mansion cultivators are hard to find, but Compassionate Ones are easier. The most familiar option is the Great Copper Rainbow Temple. We already have an enmity with them, and it would be reasonable to kill two peacocks there for our benefit."

But he gave a wry smile and said: "However, something unknown happened. In the past few years, the Great Copper Rainbow Temple lost two peacocks, both dying unnaturally, and the cause couldn't even be investigated. It almost left the temple master isolated and greatly displeased the Great Desire Dao. Capturing anything from the Great Copper Rainbow Temple is now very difficult."

Li Ximing whispered: "I asked Sima Yuanli, and after much thought, he said there's another demonic temple in the West Sea that could be attempted. However, it also comes with considerable trouble... it would offend people."

"I've made some preliminary inquiries. If we decide to go to the West Sea, Guo Nanu could be persuaded through personal favors. However, Sima Yuanli and others are unwilling to accompany us—they have no existing grievances and won't proactively offend these forces just because we need to refine a spiritual artifact... In fact, they might even think we're being overly ambitious and reckless, perhaps offering some cautionary advice."

Just as Li Zhouwei was about to speak, Li Ximing continued: "There's also another method: relying on the North-South conflict. However, there aren't many Buddhist cultivators who have mounts and are willing to bring them south. I sent Guo Nanu to Yinzhou to inquire with the True Lords there. It seems the Great Desire Dao has a newly promoted Maha named Bashan, and due to his promotion, his mount has also become a Compassionate One that we could potentially use."

This made Li Zhouwei's eyes light up. He silently weighed the pros and cons for a long time before saying: "In terms of convenience, leveraging the North-South conflict is certainly both logical and reasonable. However, it would require a significant wait, and there's no guarantee that we could capture that Compassionate One..."

"Since Jiangqian and Que Wan's seclusion times are similar, let's take these next few years to deal with the demon in the West Sea first and prepare one. Then, when the North and South clash, we can try our best to capture the other one as well; it will surely be useful eventually."

"If these two matters are handled properly, our family won't need Zi Mansion-level demonic creatures for a while, except for Jiangchun... his techniques are difficult, and his secret methods are still uncertain, so we can put that on hold for a bit."

The two exchanged glances, and Li Ximing understood Li Zhouwei's implication: 'Our family has talisman seeds to aid in breaking through ignorance, so there's no need to wait for those years. This means the children's breakthrough times are linked to their cultivation level and the difficulty of their techniques. Que Wan's technique is much harder, but given her cultivation level, it won't be too slow... We truly need to consider both simultaneously.'

Li Ximing nodded, and Li Zhouwei mused: "Let's handle this as discreetly as possible, avoiding alerting anyone. Conveniently, there's the matter of the Sunken Wall Water. Uncle-Grandfather, I'll trouble you to make a trip to the West Sea to deal with it and, while you're there, inquire about the local situation. It would be killing two birds with one stone!"

"This junior remembers that the Auxiliary Court Green Verdant Mystic Cauldron has the ability to create new things, but it has never been put to use. As 'Mansion Water' is in the west and 'Kan Water' is in the north, Uncle-Grandfather can go under this pretext. He could also gain some goodwill locally by claiming to be refining spiritual water... If successful, that would be another good thing."

After Li Zhouwei finalized the arrangements, he pondered: "As for Sima Yuanli... whether he takes action or not is irrelevant, as long as he's willing to lend that spiritual treasure."

Li Ximing chuckled: "He treasures it greatly! He doesn't even dare to display it in front of me!"

Hearing the jest, a slight smile appeared in the golden eyes. The King of Wei said: "No matter. I will ask him personally."

The rain and snow had somewhat cleared.

Inside the immortal cave, the green lamp flickered. Scrolls of varying sizes were piled on the stone platform and the ground. A white-robed youth stood amidst them, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

'If only I had known... I could have memorized a few more magical techniques...'

Compared to his first life, Li Suining's second life had not lasted long, and events had unfolded very abruptly, unlike the wandering existence that had led him to Southern Jiang in his first life... However, this did not mean that Moon-Gazing Lake was peaceful.

'The Grand Void Construction consumes enormous financial resources...'

In his previous life, Li Zhouwei had entrusted him with the Divine Scroll of Heavenly Division Array Arrangement and the Grand Void Construction method. Li Suining had been greatly shocked upon reading it, deeming it a precious treasure for bringing about change. However, the spiritual materials required for the Grand Void Profound Strategy Construction were truly colossal.

'This Grotto-Heaven method nearly exhausted the efforts and resources of three generations. The various ratios and losses meant that even the remaining gains from the Changxiao Sect were far from enough... And to make matters worse, Cheng Yun was a descending figure, so he couldn't be plundered...'

What he needed to do was write down the experiences he had gained in his previous life regarding the construction of secret realms, to prepare for future needs!

'The formation structures and spiritual material ratios within the Profound Strategy are exceedingly complex, with thousands of interdependent components. Fortunately, Foundation Establishment cultivators can recall them one by one and deduce them based on the appearance of the spiritual materials; that's secondary. What's more crucial are the various Grand Void landing points that Aunt Que Wan spent two years calculating!'

He was writing silently when he heard a knock at the door of the immortal cave: "Knock, knock."

Li Suining frowned, looked up, and saw the black-robed youth slowly entering. Startled, Li Suining quickly rose and bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Truth be told, seeing the King of Wei at this moment filled Li Suining with bitterness and shame for having betrayed his trust. He closed his eyes tightly, his voice slightly choked.

Li Zhouwei simply sat down at a nearby desk, glanced at the scrolls piled around, and without asking any questions, simply chuckled: "You've been in seclusion for quite some time; the Elder has mentioned you several times."

Li Suining felt a touch of guilt and quickly bowed: "I lost track of time for a moment, but thankfully... my gains are considerable!"

The King of Wei smiled, not questioning him further. He stood with his hands behind his back in the immortal cave, raised an eyebrow, and said: "This King and True Lord Zhaojing have a plan in the West Sea... but I'm somewhat hesitant, fearing a possible ambush. Therefore, I specifically came to consult you."