Chapter 568: Departure

Of Ink and Literature: The Profound Mirror Immortal Clan!

At Yanshan Pass.

Li Qinghong had only been cultivating at the pass for a few months when Qingchi's order arrived immediately. It was delivered to Zhao Tinggui at Moon Lake Peak within the pass. The man arrived at the pass, riding the wind, with a group of people behind him.

Li Qinghong emerged from her cave dwelling to greet him. Zhao Tinggui waved his hand, signaling his people to stop in front of the hall, and entered the hall alone. His expression was relatively calm, and he wore white robes. Li Qinghong guessed his mood was low at the moment and said softly, "Fellow Daoist Tinggui."

"I wouldn't dare... You're too kind, Senior."

Zhao Tinggui's Foundation Establishment cultivators at Yanshan Pass had all been mobilized. He didn't know how many would be lost on this journey to Chengshui Tomb, which put him under immense pressure. Moreover, he had to explain this completely senseless situation to the families and factions of these cultivators. How would he account for the losses once the personnel were depleted? And then he would have to recruit new Foundation Establishment cultivators, again offending people. If they didn't dare to resent Qingchi, wouldn't they resent him, Zhao Tinggui?

He was naturally a person who avoided offending anyone, so being forced to do this made him extremely agitated. Yet, he still spoke politely, "I received the sect's order to deploy you all. I saw that the order was very urgent, so I rushed over immediately."

Li Qinghong acknowledged with a nod. Zhao Tinggui sighed, "The sect's orders cannot be refused. Please take care, Senior. After all... we share a common fate now. My junior martial brother just died in battle; I truly don't want anything else to happen."

Li Qinghong nodded and only replied, "On this journey north, I'd trouble fellow Daoist to look after Yuexiang."

She didn't know who would lead them north or how dangerous it would be. She was already prepared to die there. Concerned about Li Yuexiang, she asked another question and saw Zhao Tinggui straighten his face and say, "Senior, rest assured. Tinggui has always treated her as one of his own from the peak..."

Seeing lingering worry in Li Qinghong's brows, Zhao Tinggui paused, then said in a deep voice, "My parents passed away early. Although I don't claim to be a good person, I treat all my martial brothers on the peak as my own siblings. Since I've made a promise to your esteemed clan, I will certainly fulfill it."

Li Qinghong could only let him speak. The information in the order was urgent, and there was no time to delay. She left her cave dwelling, summoned Li Wushao and Kong Heng, and immediately flew towards Bian Yanshan, breaking through the air.

Kong Heng had become increasingly silent in recent years, maintaining his quiet cultivation. Li Wushao, as usual, had a solemn expression. Only now did Li Qinghong have the chance to speak with him in detail, saying softly as she rode the wind, "Regarding the matter with Bai Sheguer... Linggu Lanying felt much regret. After all, it requires mutual affection..."

"My Lady." Li Wushao paused slightly, then understood, and said in a hoarse voice, "My snake kind is different from humans. We don't care about mutual affection or not. If a scent doesn't arouse desire, then it simply doesn't. Even with the deepest love, if the body doesn't respond, it's just empty talk. There's no concept of mutual affection for us. My Lady, you worry too much."

This statement surprised Li Qinghong, making her pause for a breath. Li Wushao said calmly, "When I was in the East Sea, this was common. The high-ranking Lushui White Snakes had difficulty procreating, yet had over a hundred wives and concubines. The lower-ranking Pinshui Gray Snakes and Fushui Black Snakes served the White Snakes like dogs and horses, producing offspring as abundant as sand."

"It's fine if one's cultivation is high... but when cultivation is low, even if two snakes are mutually affectionate, a mere summons from a White Snake would instantly make them lose their minds and flee to become its wife or concubine." Li Wushao's expression was somewhat complex; it seemed many words were bottled up in his chest. He said in a muffled voice, "Even after reaching Foundation Establishment, the view of bloodline remains... My father once said... it would be better for my kind, the Hooked Snakes, to remain ignorant. But to possess human-like intelligence yet be unable to resist the body is our greatest sorrow."

Li Qinghong listened, her gaze lowered, unsure how to comfort him. Li Wushao said softly, "Even with mutual affection, when we transform into our true forms and smell each other's scent, it instantly turns our stomachs. An uncontrollable revulsion arises from within! This is how it is for us demons."

After he finished speaking, Kong Heng, who was beside them, finally opened his eyes and said somewhat grimly, "It's not just demon-kind; humans might not be entirely free from this either."

Kong Heng's words reminded Li Qinghong of her own heir. She pondered in silence, and Li Wushao also fell silent. This matter, a mere trifle in the world of Hooked Snakes, had led to Linggu Lanying's personal visit, which had somewhat embarrassed Li Wushao. Now that it was discussed openly, the old demon felt much relieved.

The group traveled by wind and soon landed in the mountains. Almost all the cultivators had arrived, and many familiar faces could be seen at a glance.

Li Qinghong looked up. At the very front stood a middle-aged man with black hair and golden robes. His brows were sharp, and his profile was fierce, as if he would transform into a tiger or leopard and pounce at any moment. Golden light flowed around his body. In his broad, powerful hand, he held an exaggerated golden bow. He stood silently alone on the stone platform, while the direct descendants of the Immortal Sect bowed their heads, and Foundation Establishment cultivators from various clans paid their respects.

"Uncle..." The image in her memory instantly transported Li Qinghong back decades. At that time, her father Li Xuanling was still alive, and Li Xuanfeng was still the most talented cultivator in the clan, having just emerged from seclusion, full of vigor and ambition. She had accompanied her eldest brother, Li Yuanxiu, up the mountain, and her second brother, Li Yuanjiao, had spoken with a smile about Li Xuanfeng's miraculous archery skills. Even before seeing him, Li Qinghong had felt a sense of longing. She lowered her eyes and pondered, "Uncle might have achieved another breakthrough."

Li Xuanfeng waited for a moment in the mountains. The cultivators quickly arrived as ordered. He took a brief look: Li Qinghong and her group were all present. The White Snake and the woman next to her must be Linggu Lanying. On the other side were several cultivators from the Ning family and two disciples from Moon Lake Peak. Qingchi had also recalled several guest elders from the East Sea and South Sea, along with three sent by the Golden Feather Sect. In total, there were sixteen Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for Qi Condensation and Embryonic Breath cultivators, they were naturally summoned from within the mountains. Their numbers were not large; partly because they wouldn't be of much use in a fight, and partly because Qingchi was unwilling to send out its direct disciples, and its territories had been continuously disrupted over the years, making it genuinely difficult to dispatch any significant number of Qi Condensation or Embryonic Breath cultivators.

"Midnight is approaching. Let us depart now, everyone." Li Xuanfeng softly gave the order. His own people naturally assented. Those sent by Qingchi and Golden Feather were all guest elders, seasoned figures from various regions, and they showed him great respect, approaching him deferentially. He took out a jade boat from the Ning family from his sleeve—Ning Wan's Ever-Green Flowing Cloud Boat. With a slight pause in the air, it transformed into a large vessel, and everyone promptly boarded it. Ning Heyuan, who was beside him, moved slightly a step after him. He flew up with Li Xuanfeng, riding the wind, and from his sleeve, he threw out a piece of gauze that enveloped everyone's figures. Then he smiled, "Please, everyone, speak freely."

Li Xuanfeng had observed for a while. The guest elders sent by Qingchi were all cultivators who had migrated from the East Sea. Their strength was ordinary, but East Sea cultivators at least had experience dealing with demonic cultivators and were skilled in self-preservation techniques. Although these individuals had little combat power, they could still tie down a few demonic cultivators.

Only the three sent by the Golden Feather Sect were somewhat interesting: one had a talisman sword on his back and introduced himself as Zhuang Cheng, a cultivator from Guyan Great Desert; another was an old man over two hundred years old, who also claimed to be from Guyan, named Lin Shouye. The last one was an old Daoist priest who looked like he was just there to make up the numbers. He seemed to have just broken through to Foundation Establishment, his aura unstable, and he introduced himself as Bai Yinzi from Guyan, his face full of bitterness.

Golden Feather differed somewhat from Qingchi. The Golden Feather Sect had looser control over cultivation techniques and pills like Suiyuan Pills. Their internal exploitation was also much less severe, and they had more restrictions on annexations. There were many large clans that had existed for hundreds of years, and their number of Qi Condensation cultivators significantly surpassed Qingchi's. Moreover, the clans under Qingchi had not yet recovered from the struggles and persecutions before Chi Wei's death. The previous generation of talents had been completely depleted, and subsequent talents were unwilling to be sent to Qingchi casually. With this ebb and flow, even the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators differed significantly.

"As for the rumor that most of the Yue Kingdom's orthodox lineages originated from the Six Sons of Chongming Hall, they are more excellent, and the competition is particularly fierce, so those who stand out often surpass those from the Wu Kingdom... I don't know if it's true or false, but looking at these two... their strength is quite decent." Li Xuanfeng pondered as Li Qinghong and the others introduced themselves. He then saw Bai Yinzi's eyes light up. He leaned closer to the person next to Li Qinghong and whispered, "Sirs, this humble cultivator is from that small temple in Guyan... Senior Donghe visited there back then! And was stationed there for a long time..."

Li Qinghong immediately realized it was where their clan collected the Jin Yanghuangyuan. However, she had never seen this person before, so she couldn't judge, and merely nodded as if to acknowledge it. Seeing her politeness, Bai Yinzi could only sit back down and listen to the conversation in the boat.

The Golden Feather cultivators were also very experienced, and Lin Shouye, being an old cultivator over two hundred years old, quickly struck up a conversation with several East Sea cultivators. Before long, they had gained some understanding of each other. Ning Heyuan waited for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone, this journey to Chengshui Tomb is to fight against the demonic cultivators of the Murong clan. These are not ordinary demonic cultivators, so please be careful."

Although the true direct descendants of the Murong clan would be handled by Li Xuanfeng, Tang Shedou, and others, the remaining demonic cultivators were also not ordinary. Ning Heyuan, fearing they might be careless, specifically cautioned them, adding, "As for Chengshui Tomb, do any of you know about it?"

The cultivators remained silent, only the old cultivator Lin Shouye raised his eyelids and said in a hoarse voice, "It is the tomb of the Ning Kingdom's royalty. It was originally fortified by ancient formations, but hundreds of years ago, Duke Xu, in alliance with various Xu Kingdom clans, broke the formations and plundered all its spiritual treasures..."

"Now, it should be just an empty shell... but the spiritual energy is dense, and the original sects that were there have fled overseas, making it suitable to house the demons." Ning Heyuan nodded and said, "That's excellent knowledge, Senior."

Lin Shouye chuckled softly and replied, "I even trained there in my early years. Rumor has it there's a Grotto-Heaven in the Ning Kingdom, and some people have entered it through Chengshui Tomb, though I don't know if it's true or false..." Lin Shouye's words genuinely startled Ning Heyuan. What was originally just praise now had a hint of genuine feeling, but he remained noncommittal, saying, "Indeed, there are such rumors..."

Lin Shouye stroked his beard and said nothing. Zhuang Cheng, who had the talisman sword on his back, spoke up, his voice low and powerful, "After all, Duke Xu died suddenly not long after breaking the formation. This Chengshui Tomb surely harbors many strange evils. I'm afraid that if the demonic cultivators utilize them, it would be minor if we just suffer a bit, but it would be unsightly if the situation were reversed."

Lin Shouye nodded in approval, praising, "Fellow Daoist Zhuang's thoughts are very insightful. The immortal path of the Xu Kingdom gradually declined from that point, worsening day by day. Even the once-flourishing Tangjin Gate slowly fell into decline, which led to the subsequent descent of Buddhist cultivators to the south... and the intervention of True Monarch Shangyuan..." At that time, Shangyuan was still a True Person, but he had now cultivated to become a True Monarch, a legendary existence in people's mouths. Naturally, he could only be referred to as True Monarch.

When Lin Shouye mentioned True Monarch Shangyuan, the faces of several people immediately became complex. Being from the Golden Feather Sect, he didn't feel it deeply, but many present had participated in directly resisting the Buddhist cultivators and had witnessed Shangyuan's intervention, feeling a great sense of emotion. Linggu Lanying listened for a while, then nodded gently, her emerald hairpin swaying behind her hair, and said softly, "The Murong clan's Human Head-in-Belly is well-known. Many of their spells specialize in fighting with fewer numbers against more, so everyone must be careful."

As the group conversed, Li Qinghong listened silently. Soon, she saw the clouds outside the boat gradually thicken, demonic energy swirling, and mountains undulating. The Thunder Pool in her Qi Sea pulsed incessantly, clearly agitated by the pervasive demonic energy. "Chengshui Tomb..."

Li Qinghong's ocular technique pierced through the mist, vaguely discerning the crumbling ruins below. Several streaks of demonic light floated up and down in the clouds, drifting back and forth, seemingly searching for something. She carefully observed the terrain and realized she seemed to have been to this place before. Years ago, when using the ritual altar to summon lightning, she had visited many potential locations in the Xu Kingdom to collect thunder, and this place seemed to be one of them. "In the ritual altar records, this place wasn't called Chengshui Tomb, but rather Anhuai Commandery of the Wei Kingdom... It seems the Ning Kingdom was established only after Wei's demise, and made this their royal tomb..."

Back then, there were several sects here, balancing each other out, and they were all polite to her, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. There should be several ley lines accessible here, containing many cave dwellings. "Currently, these demonic cultivators should be inside... This place is also very close to Tangdao Mountain of the Tangjin Gate..."

The group gradually fell silent. Li Xuanfeng, with his bow on his back, gazed intently, the light from the token in his hand flickering, seemingly guiding something. Soon, the token's glow reached its peak, revealing numerous runes. Li Xuanfeng read them carefully, calculated the distance, unslung the bow from his back, held it in his hand, and said in a deep voice, "Tang Shedou and the others have arrived. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

As expected, no sooner had he finished speaking than a white light rose from the mist in the distance. A gigantic white human head ascended into the sky, its two massive greenish-black eyes glaring, and two bloodshot red eyes staring directly outward, bloody and tear-streaked. Its sharp, bone-white fangs were neatly aligned and gleamed with a bright, milky white light.

"How dare you!" The head immediately opened its mouth, its neat teeth parting like massive doors, spewing forth a dense swarm of greenish-black light spots. These light spots rushed forward, transforming into snakes, insects, ants, and scorpions, falling like rain with a rustling sound, growing wings, and each seeking its own target.

Li Qinghong had seen Murong Xia, the reincarnation of Mahākāśyapa, back then. The human head from the belly that the monk released was not this large, and what it spewed were living human souls, capable of speaking, laughing, and even thanking Murong Xia... "Murong Xia was a Mahākāśyapa after all; his belly cultivation had reached the level of a blessed land. This direct descendant of the Murong clan is far inferior; one can tell at a glance it's some kind of demonic art..."

Li Qinghong's heart suddenly cleared. Li Xuanfeng, however, narrowed his eyes. In his middle-aged appearance, he looked quite fierce, and the expression he made by narrowing his eyes was terrifying, causing everyone to glance sideways at him. Then, the middle-aged man slowly raised his golden bow. A golden arrow leaped from his waist, settling onto the string. The gleaming string was drawn taut, and a piercing hum resonated in everyone's ears. "Huuuuuuum..."