Chapter 1163: Surrounded by Mountains

Lights in the sky flickered several times, and the dense, dark mist finally enveloped the area. Various divine abilities gradually converged upon Xuanniao Temple. The young man in black stepped forward and, seeing a woman in purple amidst the clouds, asked anxiously:

"How is Wen Qing?"

Ting Lan's face was still somewhat pale. She simply replied:

"She was too severely injured. Her dharma body was mostly destroyed, and her divine abilities were also damaged... She has already been sent back to the blessed land to recuperate."

Lin Chensheng fell silent upon hearing this. Ting Lan quickly added:

"Fortunately, the Lord sent spiritual treasures, which were delivered to the blessed land at top speed. Her injuries are now stable, which is why I dared to come here."

On the surface, the Immortal Rites Bureau treated everyone equally, but all the families understood that the Yang clan's favoritism towards Ziyan Gate was very obvious. It even far surpassed their treatment of former official Sima Yuanli, not to mention others. For instance, when Lin Gu Lanying was injured, she was simply sent to Linhai, and her current condition remains unknown. Yet, for someone from Ziyan Gate, supplies were delivered promptly.

Seeing the dense black energy already rising from the north, Lin Chensheng lowered his voice:

"Were there any other casualties?"

"Many were injured... There was someone named Sima Xunhui, critically wounded and near death... He was saved by Lin Gu Lanying. Sima Yuanli should thank him properly."

Ting Lan responded briefly. The sky rapidly grew dark, and the bronze pavilion hung in the sky. From below, they heard the young man read:

"True Man Chang Yun, who rectified chaos, rendered meritorious service in pacifying Baihai, shall remain a Daoist sect in Zezhong, hold a position in the Immortal Rites Bureau, and guard his old territory. Imperial Immortal Daoist Bai Ziyu, in response to Mingyang, intercepted the Two Buddhist Sects, and is hereby enfeoffed in Baiye as the King of Duye, overseeing Xiuwu."

"Grand Protector Liu Bai, who perished for the nation, whose merits are great and loyalty deep, all reside within the Emperor's heart. Therefore, the most meritorious among Liu's descendants shall be chosen to enter the Hall of Mysticism, succeed the position of Grand Protector, and be enfeoffed as a Duke... True Man Xian Yao, who defended his land unto death, is bestowed with a spiritual artifact and enfeoffed as the Governor of Baihai, with his name from Guoling Peak recorded in the Immortal Rites Bureau."

"Qingchi and Ziyan have rendered meritorious service in defending the nation and hold titles as True Men of the Immortal Rites. Both shall be advanced one rank and bestowed with spiritual artifacts. Xiukui Dao achieved a great victory at Linhai and rendered meritorious service at Xianhu; his disciples shall be promoted to the Purple Gold Palace. As for the princes and marquises within the realm, they shall all return to the Imperial Capital to report their achievements..."

Li Jiangliang, holding a golden scroll, began to briefly elaborate on the subsequent rewards bestowed upon individuals and Daoist sects. The divine abilities in the sky interacted. When he finished reading, everyone thanked him in unison. Then, Ye Hui stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said:

"The merit belongs to King Wei. I, a humble and guilty subject, am overwhelmed by this divine grace, weeping tears of gratitude... I dare not assume the royal title... I only wish to join the Immortal Rites Bureau myself, and for my descendants to enter the court to serve the True One, thereby repaying the vast grace of True Qi!"

At these words, Li Jiangliang paused slightly, raised his eyebrows to look at the dark, mist-shrouded carriage, and with a twitch of his ear, finally accepted the imperial decree and replied:

"The True Man's intentions will certainly be conveyed to the palace; please await the sacred judgment!"

Ye Hui nodded courteously, showing no hint of awkwardness. However, the bronze carriage above remained silent. The assembled divine abilities waited for a moment before a man stepped out.

This man wore a feathered robe with angular patterns. He was at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion, with profound divine abilities. His eyes held a smile as he bowed deeply before speaking:

"I, your humble servant, have presumed to accept this heavenly grace, and I have an item to present, in celebration of Great Song."

The Nether Carriage vibrated, and Yang Ruiyi's calm voice came forth:

"True Man, please proceed."

True Man Chang Yun glanced around and said:

"Jianghuai has been pacified, and Baijiang was stolen. However, the great battle has just ceased, and divine abilities are weary; it is not advisable to engage in conflict with Shu. Your servant hails from the East Sea, and Jin Yi is an old friend of mine. I am willing to go to Shu personally and persuade the Jin Yu tribes. I will certainly convince them to return Baijiang, thus gaining this land without shedding a single drop of blood!"

A profound silence fell upon these words.

Several of the divine abilities present were unaware of Zhang Yun's identity and now showed thoughtful expressions. Even those from the Solar Dao tradition, though they might have anticipated this, now frowned deeply.

Ting Lan and Lin Chensheng exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes:

'Baijiang is the last strategic point in Jianghuai. Since it fell into the hands of Western Shu, they will not let go without extracting every last ounce of benefit. How could they easily return it?'

This caused silence among the divine abilities. However, the person in the bronze hall was not surprised and spoke with a hint of uncertain joy:

"Thank you, True Man. If this can be achieved, it will be recorded as a great merit, and you shall enter the Hall of Mysticism."

True Man Chang Yun's expression remained unchanged. He nodded with a smile and stepped into the Great Void. Yang Ruiyi, changing the subject, began to outline future plans:

"Ye Hui, Jing Jue, and Qiuhu shall guard Changhe Mountain, north of Baihai, establishing it as the border between Shu and Zhao, and overseeing Cheng Yun. Situ Huo, Zhong Gong, and Jiu Wen shall defend Tangdao Mountain. Sima Yuanli, Ting Lan..."

He paused briefly, then said quietly:

"You two shall lead the Xuan Cultivators and accompany King Wei and me to breach Mount Ji."

The True Men accepted their orders, and the divine abilities in the sky dispersed. The Heavenly Gate in the sea began to move slowly. Finally, King Wei was seen descending from the great hall. Yang Ruiyi also boarded his Nether Carriage, drew aside the curtain, and politely said:

"Please!"

The Heavenly Gate drew in paths of divine power. Li Ximing sighed and, along with Li Jiangqian, escorted their King Wei to the south. The other three sons, however, followed the Nether Carriage, listening as Yang Ruiyi spoke:

"Jianglong, how are your injuries? Come up and speak."

Clearly, Yang Ruiyi still favored Li Jianglong, whom he had personally promoted, allowing him to travel alone with him. The young man immediately bowed and entered the Nether Carriage, finally meeting the Grand General.

Yang Ruiyi's demeanor was grave, with little joy in his expression. He glanced at Li Jianglong and frowned, saying:

"Why are you so distracted...? How are your father's injuries?"

"They are not serious at present."

Li Jianglong replied, bowing in return.

To be precise, since leaving that great hall, Li Jianglong's heart had not been at peace. He harbored a trace of doubt, and his thoughts were heavy, so much so that Yang Ruiyi noticed. However, this matter was not to be spoken of outside, so he could only shake his head in silence.

Yang Ruiyi did not press further. He gave him a deep look and then suddenly said:

"With Jianghuai pacified, I should retire from military service."

Although the words were plain, they caused the young man to suddenly look up. His heart trembled, and he replied with lowered brows:

"Grand General, you have just achieved unparalleled merit and are at the peak of your power. Northern Zhao remains resentful, and Western Shu watches covetously... you are still needed to oversee the overall situation!"

Yang Ruiyi smiled. He sat on one side of the Nether Carriage, drew aside the curtain, and looked out at the thick, almost solidified exiled Qi. The fatigue in his brows deepened as he softly said:

"I entered the court as a general, a Grand General for the Conquest of Huai. Now... Jianghuai is pacified, Jianmen has submitted, and two cultivators have joined the court. My forces are greatly bolstered, and holding Jianghuai poses no significant problem... It is precisely the right time to withdraw."

"There will be no more great wars in these coming decades, which will give me time to pass this Purple Constellation barrier."

"Congratulations, General!"

Li Jianglong's face showed surprise. Yang Ruiyi waved his hand, his gaze deepening with meaning, and said:

"Whether I succeed or not, my duty from now on will be to guard against Western Shu. All of you will go to Huaijian, each under someone's command. You have been under my command for many years, always diligent and responsible, and you have endured some difficulties..."

Li Jianglong quickly shook his head, about to speak, but was interrupted by the Grand General. Yang Ruiyi looked at him with a somewhat complex expression:

"I am soft-hearted. Since you have been under my command for many years, it would be remiss of me not to give you a few words of advice before we part... Your destiny lies in the matter of Mingyang. If you cannot overcome this tribulation, you will surely die under the heavenly light. Only if you pass it will there be a turning point."

Li Jianglong raised his head, his golden pupils staring blankly at him. It seemed he had never expected this Grand General of the Yang clan to offer him any guidance. Yang Ruiyi, meanwhile, looked out, watching the waves of Xianhu gradually disappear:

"I have met your elder brother. He is also someone unwilling to remain subservient to others."

He slightly turned his face, his voice much softer:

"It is naturally best if your father is present. But if one day he is not, then you must find your own path. The matter of Mingyang is simply a matter concerning the ruler and the father. And as the saying goes, 'an elder brother is like a father'... You must weigh things carefully... Some events that could happen in the Wei court back then can now happen in the Wei royal court."

His words were strikingly clear, causing Li Jianglong to lower his brows. The scene within the great hall still vividly flickered before his eyes. The higher his father's cultivation, the closer he would be to Mingyang, and some scenes would spontaneously manifest as images, prompting Li Jianglong to silently ask himself:

'If, one day, Father were to perish in his pursuit of Mingyang, and Li Jiangqian were to climb to a higher position—for instance, by siding with the Buddhists, would he then kill his brothers to complete his destiny?'

The answer was clear. He lowered his head in affirmation. Yang Ruiyi, however, remained silent, gazing at the immortal peaks not far away. He exhaled deeply from his lips and said:

"Xuanyue Gate."

There was not much unusual emotion in his eyes. He watched as one divine ability after another emerged, and rolling purple qi along with dark green Righteous Wood light shone forth. The glorious Heavenly Gate officially descended at the foot of the mountain.

Yang Ruiyi then drew aside the curtain and stepped down. He gazed at the mystic mountain which, despite all his efforts for over a decade, he had never been able to breach. The treasured cauldron in his hand lightly tossed, and along with it, tens of millions of bolts of thunderous light fell. There was no attempt at surrender, no intimidation; only his cold voice echoed in the air:

"Attack the mountain."

The exiled Qi, thick as ink, slowly encroached from the north, obscuring the sun and moon in the sky, plunging everything into a pitch-black darkness where one could not see their own hand. One by one, the lights on the mountain began to glow, offering the last glimmer of light.

In front of the highest cave dwelling, there was utter silence. A middle-aged man knelt on the steps, and the scattered lamplight fell upon his face, making him feel disoriented.

Kong Xiaxiang remembered kneeling more than once. That time, too, it was a dim, incredibly quiet deep night. He had his teeth smashed by people from Muquan Gate, escaped under the cover of darkness, and also knelt in this very spot, trembling.

At that time, True Man Zhaojing happened to pass by. Kong Xiaxiang still remembered the True Man's words to this day:

"Then just kneel here. Once you endure it, you won't be afraid anymore."

'True Man Zhaojing.'

He raised his eyebrows and saw the True Man in a white-gold Daoist robe beneath the Heavenly Gate, which glowed with divine light amidst the dense black mist. This True Man looked exactly as he had back then—Kong Xiaxiang was very grateful to him, but the Kong family was no longer under the protection of Mingyang's divine abilities.

He pressed his forehead to the ground again, listening to the soft sounds from above.

The old man was weeping.

Since Xuanyue's restoration, Kong Guxi had ceased weeping. The old man said that the days of wandering had drained his blood, and his tears could not be contained even in a jar. Kong Xiaxiang had then patted his chest and vowed:

"From now on, I won't let the old ancestor cry again."

Now, the night was pitch black, and the old man began to weep again. These were not the tears of grief, shame, hatred, or remorse from fifty-four years ago, but an unconscious whimper. The old man still felt he had failed, failed the True Man who had given his all to preserve Xuanyue Gate, even leaving his remains at their home.

His cloudy eyes, brimming with tears, were cast down. Hot tears fell onto the golden casket in his hand, making it seem exceptionally cold. This was Chang Xi's ceremonial Daoist robe and hat, which should have been in the ancestral hall, but Kong Guxi had retrieved it overnight:

'The Yang clan hates me too much. If the Song soldiers enter the mountain, they will surely desecrate my ancestors' temple...'

He thought, tears streaming down his face:

"I would rather die wearing this robe than allow others to humiliate it!"

The divine powers outside were growing increasingly terrifying, like the end of the world, making the great formation creak and groan. Qi Lanyan's exquisite formation prolonged Xuanyue Gate's destruction, forcing everyone to endure in terror and despair.

"Boom!"

A bright bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating the woman's eyes. Kong Tingyun sat quietly in front of the cave dwelling, watching the apocalyptic scene above.

'Even Qi Lanyan has fallen.'

She scoffed, poured herself a full cup of wine, glanced at the softly weeping old man, then at the silent junior kneeling on the ground. She stood up, drained the cup in one gulp, and said:

"This day was bound to come."

Kong Tingyun's words were like a heavy hammer, completely snapping the taut strings of Kong Xiaxiang's heart. He had thought that after so many ups and downs, he could bravely face anything, but at this moment, tears fell as he said:

"This is not the True Man's fault!"

Kong Tingyun shook her head, tears also streaking her beautiful face:

"The Song court has hated me for years. Now that the mountain gate is breached, I surely cannot survive. I only hope the Grand General possesses the virtue of cherishing life and will only punish the principal offenders."

She took off the necklace from her neck and handed it to Kong Xiaxiang, weeping:

"This is a treasure given to me by True Man Zhi Xuanxie, a precious spiritual artifact. I remember the True Man's relic from years ago, the 'Mountain-Shifting Sea-Crossing Tiger,' is still with True Man Zhaojing. I tried to exchange for it several times, but due to the north-south division, I never even had a chance to meet him... I could not fulfill that wish."

"Years ago, I knew my life would not be long. I wanted to use this to gain favor and protect our descendants, but no one dared to accept it, no one dared to agree, so it has remained with me until today."

"True Man Zhaojing has an old connection with my Kong clan. He should be able to intercede and spare the lives of our Kong clan's descendants, allowing him to take them in... You are to take this item down, give it to a younger descendant, and if there is an opportunity, deliver it to True Man Zhaojing, hoping for his protection..."

Kong Xiaxiang was sobbing uncontrollably but did not answer her. In his heart, he knew how minuscule the possibility of preserving the Kong clan was. Yet, Kong Tingyun showed little weakness on her face, regretting:

"I only regret that the Great Dao of Profound Light and Mountain Shifting perished in my hands!"

"Boom!"

Terrifying lightning struck the formation, and the immense sound made the mountains and forests tremble incessantly. Silver-white light illuminated every corner. Kong Guxi's old face was ashen. He raised the golden casket in his hand and wept:

"True Man!"

Kong Tingyun, with tears in her eyes, gently glanced at him. She took the golden casket, then rose step by step on a brownish-yellow light, passing through layers of mist and the colorful great formation, to stand before the lightning.

Instantly, the lightning ceased, and the black mist halted. The world grew still, and gazes—cold, hateful, pitying, or sorrowful—were cast upon her face.

Kong Tingyun said calmly:

"I am here to die."