Chapter 528: Swallowing the Pearl

True Monarch Zipei asked her question, then paused briefly. The purple mist within the grotto-heaven instantly dispersed and solidified in response to her words. Li Xuanfeng could only reply:

“This humble cultivator is originally from the Li family of Wangyue Lake. Thanks to True Monarch’s patronage, I served in the Southern Wilds, and am now under the Ning family’s command.”

“Li of Wangyue?”

True Monarch Zipei didn't seem particularly interested, merely listening as True Monarch Puyu softly said:

“Senior, I heard they are the Wei Li clan, placed under the governance of Azure Pond.”

“Ah, so it’s the Wei Li.”

Upon hearing this, True Monarch Zipei immediately lost interest, seemingly having no fondness for the Wei Li. However, Li Xuanfeng was, after all, someone who had been close to Yuansu. After recalling for a moment, she asked:

“The Wei Li will face some trouble later. Find a place to rest on the peak yourself, and then return with Sibai Xiu when the time comes!”

Li Xuanfeng bowed and took his leave, descending into the mountain amidst the dispersing purple mist of the immortal realm. True Monarch Puyu watched him leave, then said seriously:

“Senior Yuansu truly went to great lengths to ensure his descendant’s safety by placing the chips in the Ning family’s hands…”

“Indeed.”

True Monarch Zipei responded, clearly understanding the situation. She quietly said:

“If he had ascended in the sect, the Xinyou Luzhe Seal would most likely have fallen into the hands of the Chi family or Sibai Xiu. Even if his own descendant had recognized it as their master, it still wouldn’t have withstood the sect’s covert machinations.”

“By ascending publicly, he actually managed to preserve the Xinyou Luzhe Seal. With the Golden Feather Sect, you, and me as guarantors, and Sibai Xiu needing to save face, it can be protected for at least several decades.”

True Monarch Puyu shook his head and said:

“Ultimately, it cannot be fully protected. Sibai Xiu will eventually grow impatient from waiting. With a bit of coercion, there are plenty of ways to make him willingly hand it over.”

True Monarch Zipei sat down in the grotto-heaven, which was filled with purple mist, and nodded:

“Isn’t there a Ning Wan? Several decades are more than enough time. If she succeeds in her breakthrough, she will naturally have the legitimate right to keep the spiritual artifact. If she fails, it would be a bane in her hands anyway, so handing it over would be fine.”

The two True Monarchs had clearly seen through Yuansu’s arrangements, and even Sibai Xiu understood them perfectly. They were simply acting in accordance with the circumstances.

True Monarch Puyu waited for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, he softly said:

“The True Monarchs fighting won’t decide a victor anytime soon, but the sky over the North Sea still needs to be mended. The various sects must act together to invite a True Monarch.”

“If the seawater continues to fall like this, I fear that by the time the True Monarchs return, the North Sea will overflow into the wilds, connecting with the East and West Seas, submerging countless sects and engulfing innumerable territories.”

True Monarch Zipei nodded, clearly taking this matter seriously. She softly said:

“Empress Beiyao has frequently appeared in recent years and is the easiest to talk to. We should go find her.”

“As for who will take the lead… naturally, it will be the Xiuyue Sect. Azure Pond, Golden Feather, and the Dragon Clan, who are involved… should all contribute their efforts. We just need to wait for Xiuyue’s move.”

True Monarch Puyu nodded gently, glanced eastward, and smiled:

“Since all the True Monarchs have gone to fight beyond the heavens, the Dragon Clan will seize the lightning.”

East Sea.

Waves surged, and the clear blue waters stretched out. Various demonic creatures often rose on the wind and rode the waves, traveling across the sea. Islands were scattered, like stars in the sky, teeming with a mix of demons and monsters moving to and fro.

Normally, many cultivators would fly back and forth, but now an atmosphere of panic prevailed. Streaks of escaping light flew across the sky, leaving trails of various colors.

The islands in the sea were slowly revealing their true, formidable nature. Previously large islands—such as Fenkuai Island, Chunyuan Island, and Chijiao Island—had expanded by thirty to forty percent, stretching for a thousand li. Marketplaces originally built on riverbeds were now exposed, and their protective arrays shone with radiance in the air.

Medium-sized islands, such as Qingsong and Dongliu Islands, had also expanded significantly. The cultivators watched the sea with a mix of worry and joy.

Demonic caves were slowly exposed on the seabed. Small demons, holding tridents, stared blankly as the seawater receded inch by inch. Thunder roared across the heavens and earth, yet not a single drop of rain fell.

Li Qinghong led the cultivators of Zongquan Island on a tour. Zongquan Island had already expanded by nearly a hundred li and was still continuously stretching, revealing colorful corals, fish, and shrimp.

Zongquan Island now had over thirty thousand residents. Children and adults alike stood trembling on the original shoreline, gazing blankly in fear. Some bolder individuals had rolled up their pant legs and waded into the sea, tossing fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs from the beach into jars.

Li Qinghong hovered in the air, holding her spear. Thunder surged beneath her feet, purple light flowed, and an uncontrollable look of worry etched her face.

She could vaguely see colors rising in the north, but Li Xizhi’s location was Xuanshan, north of Heshui Sea, already bordering the North Sea, allowing for clear sight of this phenomenon. Li Qinghong’s location was Zhulu Sea, almost extending south to the South Sea, making it impossible to see anything clearly apart from a few rising colored lights.

She could only instruct Zong Yan to settle everyone, then secretly waited for a while, deciding to seek out Huyao to inquire about the matter.

Just as the people were sent into the sea, Li Qinghong noted the time, silently concealed her presence, and waited in the air.

Indeed, after she had patiently waited for a moment, the green fish with scaled wings on its ribs swiftly broke out of the water, transforming into a half-human, half-fish form, holding a sea trident.

He then reined in his demonic wind, stood still, and immediately said respectfully:

“Ah! Greetings, Immortal Lady.”

When they jointly exterminated the Cloud Octopus years ago, he had been greatly frightened by Li Qinghong’s lightning. As lightning was a dao for slaying demons and devils, it naturally made him submit completely.

Now, upon seeing her, Li Qinghong was already at the late-stage Foundation Establishment. A small bottle with purple lightning-like cracks, dimly emanating profound thunder power, hung from her waist, instantly striking fear into his heart:

“After many years, this female cultivator who practices purple lightning has advanced again. I wonder to what extent she has progressed. Ah, yes… in the East Sea, as the water level drops, lightning rises, making it an excellent time for lightning cultivators.”

He merely lowered his eyes and head. Since he was a demon from the Dragon Palace, Li Qinghong did not put on airs, but instead asked:

“Daoist friend, do you know about the falling sea level?”

Huyao immediately understood, shaking his head repeatedly, and whispered:

“To answer you, Immortal Lady… the Dragon Prince went out some time ago. Now, many of the demons in the local palace are crashing around like headless flies. I asked around in a few neighboring waters and only heard some dubious rumors.”

Li Qinghong nodded, signaling him to continue. Huyao said:

“The news from a few water palaces is that True Monarch Beijia and True Monarch Xiyang… captured a grotto-heaven in Qunyi… Once the grotto-heaven’s entrance opened, seawater began flowing into it, resulting in the current situation!”

Li Qinghong had dealt with these demonic creatures many times over the years, but this was the first time she had heard the name True Monarch Beijia. She simply asked:

“True Monarch Beijia?”

Huyao paused, then suddenly realized and said:

“That’s what Immortal Ladies like you, Purple Mansion Golden Core Daoists, call the Dragon King of Heshui.”

‘So that’s the Dragon Clan’s sovereign, the True Monarch of Heshui.’

Ostensibly, two True Monarchs of the Dragon Clan were most renowned: first, the Lord of Heshui, known to common folk and minor cultivators as the North Sea Dragon King, who had a long lifespan and was originally called True Monarch Beijia by the Dragon Clan.

The other was True Monarch Xiyang, who had manifested as three from the immortal Fenkuai. Among Golden Core cultivators, he was considered a junior, but his frequent appearances made him well-known.

Seeing her expression, Huyao immediately added:

“Back then, the Dragon King was enfeoffed in the North Sea and was bestowed the character ‘Jia’ by an immortal.”

Li Qinghong listened and nodded, finding it a bit strange. She merely asked:

“A grotto-heaven? How is that possible… With the strength of two True Monarchs, would they allow seawater to leak into Thundercloud Temple?”

As the human and the demon conversed, thunder suddenly roared across the heavens and earth, making the seawater howl and black clouds roll. Streaks of purple light appeared in the eastern sky.

Continuous thunderclouds then emerged, and a translucent, pale golden circular outline hovered in the air. Within it, pavilions and towers appeared one by one, scattered amidst the purple thunderclouds.

“A grotto-heaven!”

Countless lightning bolts emerged from the east. Li Qinghong felt her immortal foundation surging within her, her lightning pool fusing into one. A strong sense of trepidation welled up in her heart, and the body of her Duoruo spear flowed with shifting colors, highly agitated.

“Thundercloud Temple, the Dao of Thunder-Summoning and Cloud-Anchoring.”

Li Qinghong understood that her opportunity lay here, but at present, she could only watch. She rode the lightning amidst the black wind, disappearing into the dark, heavy thunderclouds.

Extremely dense lightning had already spread here. Huyao followed behind, trembling with fear. Many cultivators could be seen in the surrounding black clouds, all staring blankly upwards.

She gazed from afar at the distant east, watching silently, traversing through bursts of thunder, feeling a pang of regret.

“It’s a pity I couldn’t even touch this thing before it fell into the True Monarch’s hands.”

The Thundercloud Temple grotto-heaven before her was hidden behind rolling winds and thunder. Beyond the pale golden barrier lay a suspended palace of lightning.

Meanwhile, countless black clouds gathered, shrouding the entire East Sea. Occasionally, scales as large as small mountains emerged from the black clouds, reflecting a purplish-indigo lightning glow that made Li Qinghong’s face turn pale, nearly causing her to fall from the cloud.

She retreated for a moment and realized that the black clouds above the entire Qunyi Sea resembled a massive dragon head, slowly swallowing the purple orb.

It was now the moment when the grotto-heaven converged with the real world, allowing the scenery within to be seen with the naked eye. Li Qinghong, who also cultivated ocular techniques, looked closely and could even see numerous ancient texts inside the grotto-heaven fluttering in the fierce wind, falling onto the palace like rain.

She looked upwards, one by one. The main body of the grotto-heaven comprised five thunder altars. At the highest point was a grand hall with exquisitely carved eaves, roofed with gilded bronze tiles, and floored with purple jade. A figure in azure stood on the ridge of the grand hall.

“Yuan Tuan…”

Li Qinghong could only vaguely see her robes fluttering in the wind. She stood silently like a stone statue atop the grand hall, facing the dragon head whose teeth were as vast as mountains, all alone.

“Rumble!”

Thunder roared loudly. The woman, along with the purple grotto-heaven, sank into the clouds, disappearing as if swallowed whole like a shelled egg. The True Monarch seemed to close its mouth without even chewing, and the brilliant purplish-gold light vanished between its teeth.

In the final instant, Li Qinghong seemed to notice that the azure robes turned red, vanishing into the grotto-heaven like a wisp of flying sand.

The black clouds in the sky vanished instantly, retreating to the horizon as if fleeing, disappearing as if they had never existed. Li Qinghong, feeling a sense of loss, descended with her lightning, and Huyao, who had followed her, asked blankly:

“Immortal Lady, why did it suddenly thunder…?”

Li Qinghong quietly glanced at him, a confused expression on her face, and shook her head:

“The clouds were too dense, and the thunder roared continuously. I couldn’t see very clearly.”

The human and the demon descended on the wind. Huyao babbled about this and that, while Li Qinghong tried to compose herself.

“Seeing such a surge of lightning, perhaps the True Monarch was dragging the grotto-heaven as it passed by.”

Huyao muttered wistfully:

“It seems what was said in the neighboring waters doesn’t count for much. Also, a grotto-heaven should be in the mountains, not in the sea. There must be another reason.”

Li Qinghong no longer expected to get any more news from him. She politely asked him to leave, then quietly returned to her grotto-heaven and sat silently on the main seat.

She sat for a while, the image of the True Monarch swallowing the orb still replaying in her mind. Li Qinghong understood that Yuan Tuan most likely would not survive.

“Trapped in the grotto-heaven for over ten years, watching her rescuers fall, and then slowly waiting to be swallowed by the True Monarch… Senior Yuan.”

Li Qinghong had met Yuan Tuan. When Yuan Tuan came to the Li family years ago to bring Li Xizhi back to the sect, Li Qinghong had a brief encounter with her and found her gentle and generous. Later, learning that Yuan Tuan had secretly intervened to protect Li Xuanxuan during the demonic catastrophe, she felt even more grateful.

“Qingxuanyue could pray for others, but not for her own good fortune… She still had to fall into the tiger’s maw in vain.”

“It’s uncertain if Yuan Tuan’s jade tablet in the Yuan family is still effective, but Azure Pond’s soul lamp must have extinguished. There’s no need for me to inform Xizhi… after all, it’s something unseen, and might only cause further complications.”

Li Qinghong composed herself for a moment, then suddenly heard a crisp knocking sound at the door.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

In an instant, Li Qinghong’s heart felt like shattered ice, filling her chest with both coldness and shock. All thoughts were cast from her mind, leaving only terror.

“Knock, knock, knock…”

The sound echoed in the grotto-heaven, appearing cold and clear. Li Qinghong’s expression flickered, and she quickly gripped the long spear in her hand:

‘Who is it!’

She knew that Zongquan Island was currently managed by Li Cheng, with Zong Yan assisting. If either of them needed to find her, they would either activate a formation to summon her or send a spiritual message to alert her.

In any case, they wouldn’t resort to knocking on the door…

“Creak…”

She hadn’t even replied, merely picking up her spear, when the grotto-heaven’s protective formation seemed to be just for show. The stone door at the entrance slowly creaked open, and a pair of cloth shoes stepped in, very steadily.

The person first stepped in with one foot, then pushed the door open, moving forward simultaneously. As the stone door opened, a smiling face with eight white teeth was revealed.

The newcomer wore azure robes, had a youthful face, and flowing hair. His sleeves billowed gently. He slowly retracted his smile, narrowed his eyes, and stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly very curious.

His pupils were pale green. Merely standing there, he exuded a weighty aura. Numerous shimmering green shadows floated and interwove around him, giving off a very cold impression.

His clothes featured wide sleeves and a flowing skirt. Though entirely azure, a golden tassel was affixed to his waist. Li Qinghong recognized the attire; it was a standard uniform of the Azure Pond Sect.

Although the clothing for Azure Pond Sect disciples, guest cultivators, Daoists, peak masters, sect masters, and Purple Mansion cultivators were generally similar, the details varied. Thanks to Li Xizhi and Yuan Tuan, Li Qinghong had always been able to distinguish a peak master’s attire, but the robes before her were even more magnificent.

Her thoughts lingered on the clothing for only a brief moment before she was immediately drawn to the person’s face.

Li Qinghong stared blankly at him. She actually recognized the face before her—not just recognized it, but it was arguably the face she least wanted to see, filling her with a mixture of shock and terror.

“Chi Buzi!”