Chapter 506: Northward Advance

The sky over Beishanyue was misty. Li Xijun, adorned in a halo of snowy light, a sword at his waist, his eyes glowing with white light, looked down at the Di Li family's troops entering the city below him. The Pine Snow technique made a cloud of snow appear under his feet, allowing him to float, detached from the mundane.

"Minghuang is clever; he has already adopted a Shanyue name. Let's first test the Lord of Beishanyue."

Li Xijun, of course, had similar arrangements in mind but had remained silent, wanting to test the boy first. Seeing Minghuang's thoughtful planning now, he nodded, feeling much relieved.

Li Ximing watched, entranced, a mix of envy and the fulfillment of a long-held wish on his bewildered face. Hearing Li Xijun speak, he took out a jade vial from his embrace and said, "He has also reached the fifth level of Embryonic Breathing. Taking that pill will elevate him to the sixth level. I have a Clarity Divine Powder here; give it to him too. Qi cultivation is within reach."

Li Xijun nodded, placing the vial into his robes. He raised his eyebrows, watching two contingents of troops leave the city under the cover of night. He smiled and said, "I hear the Lord of Beishanyue is no ordinary ruler. Let him serve as a whetstone for Minghuang."

Li Ximing nodded, then suddenly spoke up, "Xijun, have you carefully read the 'Bright Splendor Primal Scripture'?"

Li Xijun shook his head. "I don't cultivate this path; I've only studied a few parts for reference. What is it?"

Li Ximing was silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts, then softly said, "I've looked at the nine secret methods for breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm. They are all very difficult. Mastering three methods gives only a 15% chance of success, and even mastering all nine doesn't guarantee a 50% chance, and this doesn't even account for one's own environment."

The Li family, naturally, did not possess an ideal environment for breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm. Li Xijun calculated in his mind, then whispered, "If one could truly master all nine methods, then the chance of success would indeed be quite high."

"It's not that simple!" Li Ximing smiled bitterly and replied, "Each secret method is extremely difficult; it takes at least a decade or more to master!"

"That difficult!" Li Xijun's expression changed, and he suddenly understood, thinking, *No wonder Ning Wan and the others have been stuck in the late Foundation Establishment stage for so long... she might not even have nine methods to practice!*

Li Ximing paused, then continued, "However, the scroll also records several spiritual treasures that can aid in breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm... Such as Brightlight Celestial Stone, Qilin-Crow Spirit Molt, and White Duh Blood."

Li Ximing listed some names of spiritual treasures, all of which sounded like rare and precious items. He then explained, "They are all Purple Mansion-level..."

Li Xijun nodded gently and replied, "Give me the list. I'll have Zhige'er investigate and inquire about them in various places. It would be best if we could find any leads."

Changguan Pass.

"Two passes and six towns."

Li Zhouwei took out a map and examined it carefully. Behind Changguan Pass lay a vast plain dotted with numerous stockades and a large town. Beyond this plain was Moonlight Valley, another strategically important pass, and behind it were the remaining five towns and the royal court.

In the past, their ancestor Li Xiangping could move freely here, partly because of the sparse population and good concealment, and partly because of the severe drought at the time, which left the Shanyue territories in chaos after being ravaged by Gani Xi.

Now, with their several thousand troops and control over Changguan Pass, which had once trapped Lord Xiangping in the north, a different strategy was naturally required. Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment, thinking, *Let's do it in one go.*

Li Zhouwei dismounted from the pass, immediately got back on his horse without delay, and instructed the Shanyue general Du Dou to gather the troops and slaves. Standing on the platform, holding a halberd, his armor gleamed coldly.

Among the Shanyue, some wore armor, while others, being slaves, were simply bare-chested. It was evident that Du Dou had trained the army regularly, as they didn't stand in a chaotic huddle, but their overall discipline was still lacking.

Each Shanyue warrior looked around blankly, as if changing generals made no difference to them. Only a few gazed greedily at the weapons piled on the platform.

Li Zhouwei's gaze swept over the disheveled and dirty faces of the Shanyue. A strange red light slowly emerged on his halberd, seemingly captivating, causing all the Shanyue to look up.

The Shanyue relegated to guarding the pass were naturally not of noble birth; most were slaves. They weakly lifted their heads, watching batches of grain and supplies being carried onto the platform, and began to whisper among themselves.

"Listen, everyone." Li Zhouwei's voice, deep and low, echoed through the pass, yet it filled the air, carrying a mesmerizing quality: "I am Shanghe Mingfang, commanded by Heaven to conquer Beiting. In any town taken by our army, the nobles will be slaughtered first, and their wealth and land distributed. Once Beiting is captured, all lowly slaves shall be freed from their servitude."

"Distribute wealth and land?"

"Freed from servitude? Can this general be trusted...?"

Li Zhouwei paused, then repeated his words, his voice becoming even more ethereal, as if imbued with a mesmerizing power. The suspicion and doubt in the eyes of the Shanyue gradually vanished, replaced by surging, fervent greed.

Red light slowly ignited in their eyes. They exchanged glances, then one by one, stepped forward to pick up the weapons piled before them, silent as a pack of hungry wolves.

Chen Yang, standing nearby, stared blankly. The voice penetrated every crevice, entering his ears, and even he, a fourth-level Embryonic Breathing cultivator, felt a momentary surge of emotion.

Chen Yang, with his firm resolve, quickly regained his composure and looked up, only to swiftly lower his head upon seeing the faintly glowing eyes of Li Zhouwei. He felt a tremor in his heart, thinking, *Even Gani Xi back then... was nothing more than this!*

Di Li Youjie had already divided his troops and deployed his men. He stepped forward to report. Li Zhouwei's spirit horse quickly sprang into action, and the troops behind him, like an orderly tide, moved towards the towns shrouded in night.

The large town had few defenders. Before they could even react, several arrows soared through the air, felling the guards. A few shamans swiftly scaled the city walls, and the main gate burst open.

Li Zhouwei rode on horseback, golden light flickering in his eyes. He felt the mesmerized troops following him, as if primal instincts buried deep within their bodies were constantly surfacing.

He quickly reined in his horse and looked towards the stone tower at the village entrance. His troops were silently surging into the town, like a tide parting around reefs, silently and frantically engulfing the stockade.

A cacophony of voices rose around Li Zhouwei. Looking at the stone tower, he suddenly had an odd thought: *I should be seated in a temple, upon an altar...*

He stood quietly, a chorus of voices, like sacred chants, spread among the Shanyue, murmuring lowly, chanting rhythmically: "In any town taken, first slaughter the nobles, then distribute their wealth and land."

"And upon conquering Beiting, all lowly slaves shall be freed from their servitude."

The running Shanyue murmured the words. In the towns shrouded in night, small fires ignited, and the cries of battle grew louder, slowly coalescing into a single chant: "Dahe Mingfang!"

This chant made the Shanyue flush with excitement. Behind Li Zhouwei, Kongheng was already rattling the simple wooden beads in his hand, yet he still couldn't hide the shock on his face, muttering, "His widespread renown is evident... Dahe Mingfang..."

Gray smoke gathered and stopped beside Kongheng, from which Li Wushao's faint voice emerged: "Master... what are you thinking?"

Kongheng only shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "Wushao, you are being too cautious..."

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators conversed silently. Li Zhouwei had already ridden forward, quickly surpassing everyone. After settling his men in the town, he galloped towards the surrounding stockades. His retinue grew by two or three hundred people, who quickly exited the stockades, leaving a trail of blood.

He dispatched Chen Yang and Di Li Youjie, who were beside him, to lead their respective troops and gather more forces. He himself rode forward without pause, no longer lingering in these stockades, rapidly heading towards the next pass.

Before Li Zhouwei arrived, a gust of grey wind swept past, leaving two exquisite jade vials, one green and one white, in his hand.

Li Zhouwei examined them with his divine sense and quickly put them away. The valley before him was narrow, with troops stationed on both mountainsides. The pass itself appeared somewhat dilapidated, nestled between the two valleys.

After pausing at the valley's entrance for a while and lining up his troops, Li Zhouwei lowered his head and asked a Shanyue soldier beside him, "Is this Moonlight Valley?"

The Shanyue nodded, bowed, and respectfully replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this place was once the territory of the Moonlight tribe, named after the rumored Priestess Yuezhu. During the great drought, she was killed by the Easterners, yet it is still called Moonlight Valley."

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking, *So this is the place where my ancestor struck.*

He planted his halberd upright, looking at the narrow valley before him, and murmured, "Capture this pass, then seek an opportunity for a breakthrough."

The Royal Court of Beishanyue.

Flames burned quietly in a stone basin within the royal court. On the throne of Beishanyue sat a thin man, with disheveled hair, holding a stone slab in his hand and gently tracing the characters inscribed upon it.

Xian Du, the King of Beishanyue, did not appear particularly imposing, and his name was just a common Shanyue name. Yet, his ability to firmly hold the throne in Beishanyue, a land teeming with nobles, undoubtedly spoke of his extraordinary methods. He simply gazed quietly at the stone slab in his hand.

The stone slab depicted a grand scene: a figure adorned entirely in feathers and beast bones stood upon an altar, while the sky churned with shifting winds and clouds, and a demon stood suspended in the air.

Beside him, the High Priest, also adorned in beast bones and feathers, knelt on the ground. Xian Du stared blankly for a long time, then asked, "Has Wushan not responded yet?!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, we have tried for the eighth time, but we cannot establish contact. There has been no feedback whatsoever."

The High Priest silently shook his head, showing little panic, and even a hint of relief, as he replied, "Your Majesty, this might be for the best... Our children won't have to ascend the mountain after breaking through to Human Shaman. Of all those who ascend the mountain each year, not a single one has ever returned... I fear they have all been refined by the Great Ones."

"Since Wushan has not responded now, perhaps it's because Lords Jiaozhong Zi and Mumi Li are away in the East Sea. Wouldn't that make things much easier for us?"

Xian Du's gaunt face was filled with unease. He shook his head emphatically, gently put down the stone slab in his hand, and said in a low voice, "What are you thinking? If something has happened to Lord Jiaozhong Zi, that Li family dog, Li Jiman of Dongshanyue, will be eyeing us greedily. From Dajue Court to Changguan Pass is only a hundred li, and two passes and six cities are nothing but a snap of the fingers for a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

The High Priest meekly assented, muttering to himself, *If something happened to Wushan... how many could possibly escape...? It would be better to surrender to Li Jiman; then we could at least save our lives...*

As Xian Du was contemplating, a Shanyue man came forward from below and exclaimed, "Your Majesty! Something has happened at Changguan Pass!"

*Jiaozhong Zi has indeed run into trouble!*

Xian Du leaped from his seat as if struck by lightning, gritting his teeth, he said, "Is it Li Jiman? Or some other contingent of the Li family army?"

The big man paused, then replied, "Your Majesty! The Li family has entered Dajue Court, leaving the surrounding tribes no way out. So they tricked their way into Changguan Pass... Commander Du Dou was captured and defected to their side. Now they have already marched north and broken into the pass!"

"So it's a rebellion!" Xian Du immediately breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Which tribe is leading it? Who is their leader? How many troops and cultivators do they have?!"

The big Shanyue man bowed and said, "The rebel king calls himself 'Dahe Mingfang'... perhaps he is from the Dahe tribe. The number of troops is unknown, but we hear that the Di Li tribe from outside the pass is secretly supporting them."

"The Dahe tribe? Never heard of them! What is that?!" As the Lord of Beishanyue, Xian Du kept track of which tribes were numerous and powerful, and which had noble bloodlines and strong forces. Even most small and medium-sized tribes had names. He quickly searched his memory but found no mention of this tribe.

Xian Du immediately frowned. He wasn't afraid of a few thousand people; he was only concerned that the Di Li tribe was likely under the Li family's rule and might have received a hint from Li Jiman.

*This wretch causes me trouble every single day!*

Neither Xian Du nor Li Jiman were ordinary rulers. Beishanyue and Dongshanyue had subtly contended with each other, but both were vassals and dared not initiate hostilities without orders.

Xian Du immediately realized it was merely a rebellion, and a great deal of pressure lifted from his mind. At least it meant Wushan had not yet encountered any problems; otherwise, it would be the Li family attacking. He simply said, "Why panic? At most, he has only three or four thousand troops and a few shamans. What significant harm can they do?!"

However, the big Shanyue man was dripping with sweat and whispered, "That Dahe Mingfang... claims to have received instructions from Wushan... and falsely asserts that Your Majesty has lost contact with Wushan... I beg Your Majesty... I beg Your Majesty..."

Xian Du was startled. It was true that Wushan had not sent anyone down for a long time. Seeing the man's hesitant manner, Xian Du naturally understood his implication but remained silent.

*Wushan hasn't sent anyone down for too long, and the nobles in the kingdom are already growing restless... This man is trying to use his mouth to inquire about Wushan's situation!*

Xian Du quickly realized this was a hint from the nobility, but he still forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "It's merely a small disturbance. Why should we bother Wushan? If we incur their displeasure, it's not something you or I can bear! I will quell this rebellion myself!"

"Your servant misspoke!" The Shanyue, having been reprimanded, was drenched in sweat and repeatedly kowtowed, replying, "It's just that this person is said to be like Gani Xi. Your Majesty should still be careful!"

"I know that already!" Having heard that the opponent easily tricked his way into Changguan Pass, Xian Du already knew he was no simple figure. He turned to look at the map, silently abandoning the towns behind the pass, and his gaze lingered on Moonlight Valley on the map. He whispered, "Immediately dispatch troops. I will personally lead the campaign to Moonlight Valley and block him outside our heartland first."

He quickly descended, kicking the big man. The Shanyue general scrambled to his feet. Xian Du, a cultivator at the peak of Embryonic Breathing who had suppressed his breakthrough for a long time, was quite powerful within that realm. The kick left the general breathless and terrified.

Xian Du donned his armor and took up his spear, swiftly descending from the royal court. His mind raced with thoughts as he said in a deep voice, "Order Xian Zhunfu to lead five thousand tribesmen down the eastern path along the lake, and probe for entry into the pass from the valley's edge. I will lead my main force of seven thousand tribesmen to reinforce Moonlight Valley first. If we hold this place, there will be no great harm!"