Chapter 1167: Three Realms Beyond

Li Zhouwei's words sufficed. After he explained the whole story and mentioned the Jianmen incident, the Real Person beside him changed expression several times, then deeply sighed and said, "So that's how it is... I had long thought there was no one reliable in the North or South, but I was still waiting for some kind of stance from them. Now that I see it, it is indeed so."

Li Zhouwei rubbed his temples to ease the pain and said, "There's also a Dragon Clan member whose two faces hide untold thoughts. But for now, there's no need to pay attention to them. Focus on healing your injuries quickly... The sooner it's done, the sooner we can have peace of mind."

He set that matter aside, changed the subject, and said, "There are two things, though... The Sun-Governing Star Tray from Great Xiukui Temple and the Spiritual Treasure Huaijiang Map from the Sima family are still with me. One can amplify Yang Qi, and the other can stabilize life force. These two are indispensable for suppressing injuries. Borrowing them won't be a matter of just a year or two, and Uncle must negotiate for their continued use."

"Alright!"The other parties wouldn't bring up these items, but his family would certainly have to arrange for them. Li Ximing nodded repeatedly. Li Zhouwei paused, and reminded him, "During this major battle, Sima Yuanli also took a Secondary Manifestation Broad Yang Treasure Pill. Although he is not strong-willed and has many ulterior motives, his gesture of flattery can be considered a significant sacrifice. It's not good to owe him..."After all, that Secondary Manifestation Broad Yang Treasure Pill was still radiating bright light in his Qi Sea, like a blazing sun, continuously supplying him with spiritual power. After giving this reminder, he brought the conversation back, with a slight smile: "As for Great Xiukui Temple, once my injuries heal, I will personally pay them a visit. In this major battle, the artifact that surprised me the most was this Sun-Governing Star Tray!"

Li Zhouwei's words were no exaggeration. Although the Sun-Governing Star Tray wasn't a decisive factor in this major battle, its performance throughout the entire fight was truly top-tier: "If you need to escape, there's the chaos of shifting stars. If you need to attack, there are powerful celestial bodies to inflict damage. Without needing incantations or spellcasting, it provided four opportunities for instant use. Even after using them all, it merely required the same time as a regular spiritual artifact to form a hand seal and chant.""Moreover... it also has the miraculous effect of assisting Yang Qi!"

Even if Li Ximing had not witnessed the full power of this treasure tray, he showed considerable approval at this moment. He had borrowed this spiritual artifact years ago and was deeply impressed. When he obtained the Huayang Royal Axe, he had secretly compared them and felt a sense of regret. He then said, "I suggested exchanging for it back then, but Senior Kui Qi declined, citing its registration as a sect-guarding treasure. Now that Great Xiukui Temple is in decline, it might be possible to exchange for it. We just need to make sure they don't suffer a loss.""If it cannot be exchanged, then so be it; the kindness shown takes precedence. Xiukui is a righteous path, and we shouldn't make things difficult for the Lin clan."

The decline of the Solar Daoist Lineage has caused turmoil in all directions. The Li clan has benefited greatly from this, especially from Great Xiukui Temple. Furthermore, the deaths of several Xiukui Dao Real Persons shook Jiangnan. From the cultivators of the Song Kingdom to the Yang clan, and even the lofty Song Emperor, all became more polite towards Lin Chensheng because of this. Li Zhouwei was no exception.

Li Ximing nodded gravely and said, "Besides that Black Tiger, there is still a Compassionate creature within this Heavenly Nurturing Urn. It cannot be left unsupervised. I will take it out."Without further ado, he collected the three spiritual artifacts and hastily withdrew, leaving Li Zhouwei standing in the hall. After a slight hesitation, he finally formed a hand seal.

That light, cloud-floating sense of weightlessness rose again. His vision first darkened, then immediately burst into light! A white jade pavilion, cold and clear as the moon, emerged into view. The scene of the sun and moon shining together hung within the window lattices. The familiar aura of balanced Yin and Yang enveloped him.

Li Zhouwei slowly opened his eyes. The colorful light in his eyes flickered, the colors deep and somber. The fractured lines on his face also brightened one by one, causing Li Zhouwei to slightly stiffen.

'This calamity...'The Clear Ya Wutu Calamity, which had always lingered in his body, flickered for a moment. It seemed to have lost its target, becoming disoriented, gradually dimming, and its continuously escalating power significantly slowed down!

'Hmm?'This caused Li Zhouwei's tightly furrowed brows to relax. A hint of joy appeared on his face. He quickly closed his eyes, sensing carefully: 'Is it being resolved? ...No...'

From beginning to end, the abnormalities in Li Zhouwei's body were actually twofold. One part consisted of the injuries sustained during the great battle when he was directly hit. The other part was the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity, which caused increasingly dense Wutu light to continuously emerge within his body, making it impossible for him to spare energy to heal his injuries. In fact, his injuries were gradually worsening!

The moment he entered this place, the calamity showed a clear hesitation. If previously it was like the sun directly overhead, shining down without obstruction, now it was as if it had sought refuge under an eave, avoiding a third of its intensity. Not only that, in his perception, the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity was not gradually strengthening; the surging Wutu light was actively weakening at a continuously accumulating rate!

This filled Li Zhouwei with both surprise and joy. His heart stirred rapidly: "What is the principle behind the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity? How does it take effect...? And how potent is the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven?"All sorts of conjectures flashed through his mind. The next moment, Li Zhouwei had already formed another hand seal. Everything around him faded like an illusion, and he found himself back in the main hall of Tingzhou!

As expected, merely by leaving the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven, a radiant dark color emerged, and the stinging sensation of the calamity responded. The continuously weakening Clear Ya Wutu Calamity made a comeback, its power rapidly increasing.

'Clear Ya Wutu Calamity... calamity...'Understanding dawned in his eyes. He reappeared in the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven, watched the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity slowly weaken within his body, exhaled gently, rose, and began to pace: 'It must be some kind of response. When struck by the Clear Ya Flowery Branch, it's like being marked by something, or, in common terms, a lesion. That's why this continuous stream of Wutu light is emitted. It originates from a spiritual treasure... or more than that... is it a special status or a magical artifact?'"No... it should be neither."

The colorful light in his eyes dimmed little by little: "There's the Azure Aspiration Yuan Heart Instrument on the lake! Neither a special status nor a magical artifact can reach this place. It must be... the miraculous sensing towards the Wutu fruition!""The Azure Aspiration Yuan Heart Instrument cannot sever a fruition that serves as the foundation of heaven and earth... Otherwise, neither the clear Qi in the Kan Water River nor the pure Qi from the Lushui Cave Spring could be harvested on Wangyue Lake...""And what severs the Wutu fruition is not just because the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven is a Grotto-heaven!"

The Clear Ya Flowery Branch has been famous since ancient times. From ancient times to the present, many high-level cultivators have been afflicted by the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity. In ancient times, there were also many Great Void Grotto-heavens. Could it be that even a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator couldn't enter a Grotto-heaven to heal?

"It's because the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven is a level higher than the Azure Aspiration Yuan Heart Instrument. It inherently transcends the three categories of realms – reality, the Great Void, and Grotto-heavens – whether they are real or illusory. It is not within the Five Virtues! Conservatively speaking, it is at least outside of Wutu!""If an ancient cultivator were to practice here, they would probably be able to avoid the three calamities and nine tribulations, unrestricted by celestial thunder, worldly calamities, or the netherworld register, and enjoy the path of carefree living alone.""If I were to..."

He quietly exhaled, quickly suppressing the impulse in his heart: "No... that's not right... Since it's not within the fruition, not only can one not seek 'gold' here, but even the rising Yang during a breakthrough of divine ability cannot connect to the Great Void. Ultimately, one must re-enter the mundane world and be exposed to the gaze of all the True Monarchs. And to wander carefree beyond the world is also not the Way of Bright Yang..."

Li Zhouwei quickly discarded distracting thoughts, settled his mind, and assessed the situation, feeling a great reduction in pressure: "With this advantage, at least within the Grotto-heaven, there's no need to constantly fight the calamity while healing. One only needs to wait for the calamity to recede, eradicate the previously accumulated Wutu light, and then can focus on healing... Even after the injuries are healed, cultivation won't be a problem!""And Uncle can slowly search for a method to eradicate the lesion from outside. Without such dense Wutu light interfering, eradication will be easier. Even if we consider the worst-case scenario, if this lesion cannot be eradicated, confronting it with full divine power is not on the same level as confronting it while dragging a diseased body!"

His mind was set. He immediately sat down cross-legged. Streams of divine power surged forth, dissolving the Wutu light and healing his injuries. Patches of celestial light gathered, illuminating his face brightly.

Li Ximing emerged, riding the wind. He casually crushed a jade talisman to summon Guo Nanchu, but found Tingzhou filled with joyous sounds. Decorations were everywhere, and the atmosphere was lively. He glanced around, realizing that all the various Daoist lineages of the Song Kingdom had come to offer congratulations!

Not only had smaller Daoist lineages from all directions sent representatives, but even the Sima family, Linggu family, Ziyan, and Cheng clan, who had just retreated from the great North-South War together, had people arriving. Most came under the pretense of celebrating True Person Changli's breakthrough to the Purple Mansion realm, but secretly, news was being circulated: 'The King of Wei slew Qi Lanyan, the direct descendant of Tongxuan who controlled Jianghuai!''A great victory! The noble family, with three Xuan cultivators, together pacified Jianghuai...'The news of Li Jiangqian, the eldest son of the King of Wei, breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm, had already spread far and wide. And the impact of slaying Qi Lanyan on the battlefield was truly immense. Even to the Li family members, it sounded somewhat incredible. Joy was piled upon joy. The entire island radiated a fervent atmosphere. The two guards stationed in front of the main hall bowed, and when they raised their heads, their faces also held smiles.

Seeing this scene, much of the pressure weighing on Li Ximing's heart dissipated. After a moment's thought, he saw Li Jiangzong enter, clad in red, his face beaming with joy. He then asked, "What are the losses?"

"Reporting, True Person, there was a great victory in the south. Casualties on the lake were very few. Capturing Xuanmiao only resulted in the loss of a few Qi Cultivators. The enemy prostrated themselves and surrendered. Uncle Zhou Da has already written back, seeking your guidance..."

This major battle was fought with true ferocity. The main casualties were among the Purple Mansion cultivators. Li Ximing was only concerned that some accident might befall his direct lineage. At this moment, he also smiled slightly, listening as Li Jiangzong bowed and said: "Uncle reported that several spiritual treasuries at Xuanmiao Temple have been secured by Gongsun Baifan, Daoist Miaoshui, and Protector Ding. They have all fallen into our hands. Now... should we wait for Great Song to send people for handover, or...?"He left the rest unsaid, but Li Ximing already understood. He nodded and said, "Take them back! Don't leave a single coin for them!"

The three spiritual artifacts of Helian Wuji falling into their hands had already revealed the Yang clan's attitude. Regarding Li Zhouwei's appearance at Jianmen and breaking the North-South tacit understanding, Yang Ruiyi felt apologetic. And with their own secret realm establishment imminent, they also needed a large amount of spiritual resources. Li Ximing was even less polite: 'This is just the beginning! The rewards from the Song imperial court will be the major haul!'

Li Jiangzong's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he nodded repeatedly. Only then did Li Ximing raise a hand and instruct: "It's good that Xuanmiao Temple is under our control. You can do as you please, but do not touch their Ancestral Grand Hall. Especially that painting; it's best not even to look at it."No matter what, Xuanmiao Temple was still associated with the name of Xuxiang. The Great Real Person of the Lingbao Daoist Lineage might or might not have left. If his own people truly committed any insulting acts and were struck dead by a single aura, Li Ximing could only silently swallow the bitter fruit.

Li Jiangzong quickly agreed, his face full of anticipation, and said, "Elder Brother has ascended to the Purple Mansion realm and refined his divine abilities. He is the one who has truly embodied the Dao, a feat spanning three generations, establishing him as the head of the Great Song clan's Xuan Feast celebration. When should this be arranged...?"

Li Ximing knew at once that the elders had instructed him to say this. However, his mind had been taut these past few days. Hearing these words, he felt a momentary daze. He mused to himself: 'Indeed, achieving divine abilities across three generations, our family, starting from humble beginnings, has reached the pinnacle of Jiangnan's aristocratic clans. We should have burned incense, prayed for blessings, and offered sacrifices to our ancestors...''The higher one ascends, the clearer one sees the figures at the summit, and the more one feels insignificant.'

Yet, he wasn't worried. Instead, his expression softened slightly, and he chuckled: "Wait a bit longer; there's also Wan'er. It's not too late to celebrate together."Li Jiangzong immediately understood, and nodded with a face full of anticipation. Before he could say more, a streak of clear light arrived, stepping through the air, landing before the hall. A young man's deep and steady voice was heard: "Congratulations, Senior! Congratulations, King of Wei!"

Li Ximing smiled and nodded, glancing at the junior beside him. Li Jiangzong, understanding the cue, withdrew. Li Ximing's expression then changed, and he sighed: "The Clear Ya Wutu Calamity is the real trouble. Nanchu, could you inquire with Qu Si on my behalf?"Guo Nanchu nodded and solemnly said, "I came precisely for this!"

Li Ximing was immediately overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward, listening as Guo Nanchu solemnly said: "The Great Real Person has always been concerned with matters within the realm. He heard about the King of Wei's situation and learned of the Clear Ya Wutu Calamity. He secretly detests Qi Lanyan's maliciousness, and understands that this calamity cannot be delayed, as it becomes more terrifying the longer it drags on. Considering that some ill-intentioned individuals might wish for the King of Wei to be delayed, he specifically sent me here."

Li Ximing nodded repeatedly and said, "I deeply appreciate the Great Real Person's concern and care. This urgent assistance is like sweet dew on a parched day!"

Guo Nanchu said, "The Clear Ya Wutu Calamity is indeed a tribulation. Although my Great Real Person does not have a direct solution, he knows where the solution lies... The supreme miraculous methods and elixirs for avoiding disasters and escaping tribulations are all found before the Azure Stage. Even the esteemed Underworld is not even one in ten thousand as proficient in this art!"

Guo Nanchu spoke politely. Li Ximing currently had very low trust in the south. He didn't believe the Underworld couldn't resolve a Clear Ya Wutu Calamity; it was merely that they lacked the incentive to do so. He was too lazy to respond to him. But he hadn't expected that the Daoist lineage proficient in this art was not far off, but close at hand. Joy instantly welled up within him, and he said, "The Solar Daoist Lineage?! I'll go visit them right away!"

Hearing this, Guo Nanchu's face showed hesitation. He stopped him, saying, "The Solar Daoist Lineage is indeed a Cyan Profound Dharma Lineage. However, according to what my Qu Si knows, that Venerable of the Solar Daoist Lineage is not proficient in avoiding disasters and escaping tribulations within the Cyan Profound arts. Even if there are teachings, they are usually only passed down to those True Monarchs, not generally imparted to others...""According to the Great Real Person's intention, for distant Daoist lineages, Jiuqiu Tantai and the Changjun Han clan would be suitable. For those closer... you could either inquire with the Golden Daoist Lineage, or... follow the Lunar Daoist path and consult with Chunyi."

Li Ximing's face showed sudden enlightenment, but his heart grew strange. He muttered to himself: 'The Lunar Daoist path? Consult with Chunyi?'