Chapter 435: The Appearance of Huangyuan Pass

Li Xijun rode the wind and landed in the Great Que Court. He slowly closed his eyes, connecting his spiritual consciousness to the Immortal Mirror. As he scanned, the entire Great Que Court clearly appeared before him.

He swept his gaze through the palace chambers but found nothing unusual. Below the throne in the Great Que Court was a secret passage, reinforced and concealed by an array. This passage was used by successive Shan Yue kings for escape, but it had long since been reported clean by the Shan Yue people when they welcomed the royal army, leaving nothing inside.

'I must have been overthinking it,' he mused.

Li Xijun scanned again and did find a few secret rooms belonging to Shan Yue cultivators. Several precious spiritual items were meticulously hidden, but given the Li family's current stature, they held no interest.

"Several elders visited this place with the mirror back then," he thought. "Even if there were treasures, they would have been discovered long ago. It's normal that there's nothing now."

Despite saying this, Li Xijun was thorough. He examined everything around him, including the northern foothills adjacent to the Great Que Court. He pondered:

"Since the Immortal Mirror has been invoked, I might as well check thoroughly. Even one or two spiritual waters or precious herbs would be excellent!"

The Li family had not previously explored this mountainous forest. It was sparsely populated, with many demonic beasts, making it highly probable that such spiritual items existed. Li Xijun patiently searched for most of the day and indeed found something unusual.

Within the dense forest, he used the Immortal Mirror to probe through layers of rock. Suddenly, he glimpsed a dark and gloomy place where stalactites hung, dripping with sparkling light. A turbulent, winding underground river flowed through it.

Beside this underground river, a massive boulder stood, emitting a deep crimson glow. Attached to its top was a palm-sized, golden, rhomboid stone radiating a hazy, colorful light.

"A treasure!"

Li Xijun had been searching painstakingly for a while, initially looking for precious herbs. Although he didn't recognize the item before him, that didn't stop him from understanding that its appearance certainly indicated a treasure.

He descended, not in a hurry, but instead seized the opportunity, while the Immortal Mirror was still active, to survey the entire lake vicinity.

The Yu family was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of drums, zithers, and flutes, celebrating another wedding. The family was now managed by the seventh young master, Yu Chengyi. Back then, Yu Su used a magical artifact to kill his five brothers, leaving Yu Chengyi to become the family head almost by accident.

This man disliked managing affairs, delegating all power to the various clan elders. He spent his days parading through the streets, taking concubines, and enjoying horse racing and dog fighting, quite pleased with himself. The elders, in turn, vied for power and constantly struggled amongst themselves, yet they tacitly supported him. Years passed in this manner.

Li Xijun's glance revealed that several Yu family elders at the peak of Qi Condensation had successively failed their breakthroughs and died. Several outsiders, however, had thrived and developed significantly, each supporting a faction in the intense power struggles, covertly and overtly. Among them, a guest elder named Lu held considerable power.

Li Xijun remembered this person; it was he who had instigated the Yu family elders to keep Yu Mugao outside the array back then. He specifically used his spiritual sense to search for a while but surprisingly found no trace of him.

Nevertheless, the Yu family had remained relatively stable for many years. Li Xijun repeatedly observed that there were indeed no new cultivators at the late Qi Condensation stage. The few who had reached it were all elderly men in their seventies or eighties, with virtually no hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

"That internal strife back then damaged their foundation and disrupted their system," he mused. "It's hard to say when they'll ever recover."

The Li family had many informants within the Yu family, but Li Xijun still preferred to see things for himself to be reassured. He then rode the wind across the shimmering lake to the vicinity of the Fei family's Hanyun Peak.

The Fei family, on the other hand, was more prosperous than in previous years. Although they used the entire clan's resources to support Fei Qingyi, which caused various expenditures to decline, having a backer within the sect clearly made their lives more comfortable. While they had no Foundation Establishment cultivators, visiting cultivators still showed them respect as an esteemed family.

Furthermore, in recent years, Fei Qingyi had befriended fellow disciples and masters, which reduced the Fei family's tributes, improving their livelihood once more. However, individuals began cultivating various different techniques, and very few still practiced the Jade True Dao lineage.

The Fei family had not sent anyone in years, and the two families had gradually drifted apart. Li Xijun, finding little of interest, turned and descended on the wind, seeking out Li Ximing.

Li Ximing was holding a spiritual fruit, studying the Tri-Completeness Boundary Breaking Pill that Li Xizhi had brought back. Although the pill's refining method was ancient and highly difficult, Li Ximing's talent in this field was immense, and he was gradually developing an understanding.

Just as he was getting excited, he grumbled upon hearing they had to go out, rising and putting down his work.

Li Xijun just smiled:

"You, you! Just come along, you won't regret it. You're the only one in the family without a Foundation Establishment magical artifact. If this item is good enough, you'll certainly benefit!"

Hearing this, Li Ximing's face immediately lit up with a smile. He quickly followed, excitedly saying:

"You know, ever since I broke through to Foundation Establishment, I've felt my cultivation progressing faster and faster. It's not like the books say, where progress slows due to talent limitations. I actually feel like cultivation is flowing naturally..."

He shook his Daoist robe and confidently stated:

"Ten years! If I cultivate with all my might, I'm confident I can reach the mid-stage in ten years. Even if I spend time refining pills, it won't take more than a dozen years..."

Li Xijun walked ahead of him with his hands clasped behind his back, softly saying:

"Alright... The family can only provide you with resources. Our family has no experience beyond the early Foundation Establishment stage, so you'll have to explore the path ahead on your own."

He then recounted his discoveries to Li Ximing. The young man simply nodded, and together they rode the wind to the Great Que Court, gliding through the forest and landing beside a small hill.

Li Xijun transmitted with his spiritual sense:

"The entrance to this stone cave is right within the mountain's belly, blocked by layers of rock. The ley lines here are shallow, spiritual energy isn't dense, and no one would think of cultivating a cave dwelling here, which is why it hasn't been discovered until now."

Seeing Li Xijun point out the location, strands of interwoven bright light silently appeared behind Li Ximing. With a flick of his sleeve, this light passed beneath his ribs and rapidly condensed before him.

In an instant, a bright, colorful brilliance emerged. White stone bricks materialized one after another, fitting tightly together, transforming into a colossal, radiant, crystalline, and awe-inspiring fortress gate.

The gate stood towering, its two white gateposts carved with numerous patterns. Mysterious sorcerous incantations adorned its eaves, which jutted out sharply. Within the gate, bright light shimmered, hazy and indistinct, as if facing a scorching sun.

Li Xijun fixed his gaze and saw that there were indeed characters between the two panels. The script was peculiar and blurry, like talismans, making them indecipherable.

Li Ximing led him to admire the majestic gate and said:

"The characters above... on the right panel, it reads 'Shining Brightly, Glorious,' and on the left, 'Clearly Manifesting Radiance.' I had this realization when I established my foundation; that's how I knew."

Li Xijun found it somewhat strange and frowned, saying:

"Characters on a Celestial Foundation? That's truly unheard of."

He stared for a moment, his eyes stinging, and had to look away. Li Ximing activated his Celestial Foundation, and this Radiant Primordial Pass descended from the sky, landing on the mountainside.

Within the gate, light rotated and flowed, descending in waves and turning the mountain's soil and rocks into swirling dust that streamed downwards. Li Ximing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, and Li Xijun praised from the side:

"That's incredibly powerful! It truly is a fourth-grade cultivation technique."

Li Ximing replied:

"It's hard to say... My Celestial Foundation follows the path of suppression and obliteration, whereas our family's Vast Sea technique belongs to the Kan water lineage, which doesn't inherently focus on aggressive, harmful methods. That's why the difference appears so great. If you compare it to Aunt's Profound Thunder Lake, the power would be similar."

Speaking of which, Li Xijun recalled something and whispered:

"Our informants overseas have inquired. There's a complementary cultivation path to the 'Bright Yang' nature called 'Shining Clear Heart,' found on an immortal island on Qunyi Island. We can note that down for now."

Li Ximing laughed, shaking his head:

"I've only just broken through to Foundation Establishment and don't even have a Violet Palace cultivation technique yet. Why are you already thinking about complementary paths?"

"Just gathering more clues."

Li Xijun paused, then quietly explained:

"After all, Violet Palace level cultivation techniques are virtually impossible to acquire. Even if one happens upon one, it's heavily encrypted... I've discussed this with Aunt... and this is what we've concluded."

"If our family truly commits to the Bright Yang path, then we must first gather many similar spells and cultivation techniques, pooling our knowledge..."

When he reached the crucial point, he switched to transmitting his voice with spiritual power:

"The family possesses a Violet Palace level cultivation technique, the 'White Head Knocking on the Court Scripture.' Furthermore, Xizhi is within the sect and can view Violet Palace content. Although he cannot transmit it directly, he can use it to write some content for the 'Golden Palace Radiant Primordial Art.' Then it will be up to you to refine it... and we should seek help from the Li Encheng and Yuan Xiao families."

"The cultivation techniques we compile ourselves will certainly have many flaws... We would have to learn from the Deng family, filling the gaps with lives, time and again... After our disciples attempt breakthroughs several times, they might finally try to reach the Violet Palace stage..."

Li Ximing remained silent. With a wave of his hand, the mountain pass transformed into numerous streams of light and returned behind him. He then spoke:

"The cave has now been revealed."

Li Xijun pursed his lips and followed him forward, moving past the previous topic. They entered the cave, where they immediately heard the trickling and tinkling sounds of water. Cold light flowed in his eyes, allowing him to clearly see everything inside the cave.

Inside the cave, alongside the underground river, jagged boulders were scattered. At the highest point stood a red stone, about the size of an ordinary table or stool, shining brilliantly. It was covered with intricate, pale white patterns, very beautiful to behold.

Growing on this red stone was a palm-sized, finger-thick golden stone flake. It didn't appear particularly extraordinary, quietly emitting a golden-white light.

Li Xijun looked at it for a moment, gleaning no information. He then turned to Li Ximing, who also appeared bewildered. Li Ximing said helplessly:

"Our family rose too quickly, in just over a century. Although we now have a few Foundation Establishment cultivators for show, we still lack information about such items..."

"No matter," Li Xijun said. "As long as it's in our hands, we can just ask someone trustworthy about it."

Li Xijun was quite straightforward. The Cold Granary at his waist emerged, but he paused, not moving to cut the item. Instead, he stopped Li Ximing and gently said:

"We don't know the origin of this item, nor how to preserve or store it without causing damage. Hasty cutting might ruin this treasure. It's better to leave it in this cave and seal it with a magical array."

Li Ximing immediately agreed. The two sealed the cave, set up an array for concealment, and returned together. Li Xijun said:

"I'll have my brother send a team to guard this location."

Just as they prepared to settle down, they saw a middle-aged man waiting outside. He had an arrogant expression, was at the peak of Qi Condensation, and wore the yellow and white Daoist robe of the Xuanyue Sect. Li Ximing recognized him and smiled:

"Ah, Daoist Gujun! What brings you to my Moon-Gazing Lake?"

This man was indeed Kong Gujun, a cultivator from Xuanyue Sect. Years ago, he had accompanied Kong Tingyun to Wutu Peak to open a fire vein and was well-acquainted with Li Ximing. Although his expression seemed arrogant, it was merely his natural countenance; in reality, he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He now revealed a smile and said hoarsely:

"Daoist Ximing! I've come with good news!"

"Oh? What news?"

Li Ximing stepped forward with interest. Kong Gujun politely cupped his hands in greeting:

"My uncle was on duty within the sect yesterday and encountered a group from the Azure Pond Sect entering the sea from Xian Lake. It was then he realized that Senior Li Xuanfeng from your esteemed clan was leading them, finally out of the Southern Border!"

"My uncle met Senior Li and said he possessed the bearing of a celestial being. His cultivation had reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and he radiated sharp brilliance, wearing black armor and wielding a golden bow, like a god descended to the mortal realm."

Both men were stunned, exchanging glances:

"Second Granduncle is out of the Southern Border!"

Clan cultivators who went to the Southern Border usually met only one fate: battling demonic beasts and dying in the south. In earlier years, the Li family held no hope whatsoever that Li Xuanfeng would return home.

Later, when Li Xuanfeng broke through to Foundation Establishment and gained the trust of True Person Yuansu, everyone was both surprised and delighted. Seeing the many items he brought back, they thought there was still hope of meeting him and eagerly anticipated it.

However, True Person Yuansu still didn't relent, and Li Xuanfeng remained in that cursed Southern Border for over ten more years. Their hope slowly dwindled. Now, hearing this sudden news, the joy in their hearts was indescribable.

Kong Gujun watched the expressions on their faces, knowing his uncle had made the right gesture. He swept his spiritual sense over them, then gasped in astonishment, crying out:

"Ximing! You've established your foundation!"

Li Ximing's face showed considerable joy as he waved his hand, saying:

"A fortunate breakthrough, nothing worth mentioning."

Li Xijun, paying little mind to formalities, asked Li Ximing to lead Kong Gujun to sit down. He himself quickly rode the wind and headed towards the town to find Li Xuanxuan, thinking:

'If the elder hears this news, he'll be overjoyed!'

As he thought this, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. He remembered accompanying Li Xuanxuan to Hengzhu, recalling the elder's kind face and heartfelt affection. Now, he hastily pulled Li Xuanxuan, who was engrossed in drawing talismans at his desk, and delivered the news.

"What!"

Li Xuanxuan's face flushed. He immediately took to the wind with his juniors and hurried to Qingdu, where he questioned Kong Gujun in detail.

Kong Gujun was startled by such a grand display. He poured out a basketful of praise from Kong Yu regarding Li Xuanfeng, which made Li Xuanxuan burst into laughter. He then said to the two younger generations beside him:

"I knew it! My brother was extraordinary from childhood! When our second uncle was alive, he always called Xuanfeng the most talented and gifted among the Xuan generation whenever he spoke of him. Now, it truly has come true!"

The elder hadn't been this happy in a long time. He pulled Kong Gujun closer and asked:

"Where in the East Sea is my brother?"

"He should be in the Fenkui Island market."

Kong Gujun acknowledged, finished delivering the news, cupped his hands in farewell, and departed. The others saw him off. Li Xuanxuan was eager, and looking at Li Xijun's expression, he tentatively asked:

"Perhaps... I should go to the East Sea..."

Li Xijun looked at the elder's cautious demeanor and said with a slight smile:

"Great-uncle... The East Sea is fraught with danger. It would be too perilous for you to go alone. Please, let's not..."