Chapter 621: The Beginning of All Achievements

Li Xijun pondered this, taking note. Unfortunately, the jade box was empty, with no grooves or protruding fixtures, just a plain, empty jade box.

Before the two could discuss further, a bolt of lightning streaked forward, landing on the island. As the purple light dissipated, a female cultivator in a feathered robe appeared. Holding a spear, she spoke softly:"I've surveyed the island. With some cutting and patching, and including the surrounding islets and wetlands, it measures about a hundred li in circumference."

"That's not small at all."Although Moon-Gazing Lake was known as a vast, three-thousand-li lake and the largest in Yue, it was no longer comparable to its ancient size. Even including the narrow western extension beyond Xiping Mountain and the eastern tributaries reaching into the wilderness, the flat lake island was mostly reed beds. As the seasons changed, its flooded area was only about a thousand li across. This island in the lake was already quite large.

Li Qinghong descended with lightning. The thunder within this forbidden grand formation seemed to have no effect on her. It affectionately settled on her Du Ruo spear, purple arcs of electricity crackling. She asked:"This forbidden formation, have you found out anything about it?"

"Aunt."Although Li Ximing was primarily an alchemist, the Li family's heritage meant he had some knowledge of formations, alchemy, talismans, and artifacts. After a few days of study, he had some clues. He cupped his hands and said:"I've examined this grand formation. It doesn't seem to be a modern one; its patterns are ancient. The four pillars within the formation symbolize 'Union Fire,' 'Harmonious Water,' 'Male Fire,' and 'Female Water,' respectively. All four are still complete, which explains its power."

Li Xijun took over, speaking softly:"It looks like an ancient formation, not one set up by Chen Taoping. The Fei family's Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation on the lake is also ancient. Perhaps they originated from the same source. So, I dispatched someone to the Fei family to retrieve the formation eye's suppression artifact, while I personally returned home for this jade box."

Li Xijun explained the full story. Li Qinghong took the jade box and examined it carefully. The white jade box shimmered in her slender hands as purple lightning flashed. Before she could speak, a person and an ape descended from the sky.

"Greetings, sirs and madams!"This person and ape were, of course, Fei Tongyu and the White Ape. Given his strength, Fei Tongyu couldn't enter the formation alone; the White Ape had been waiting for him outside.

Fei Tongyu had taken medicine, and his complexion looked much better. Escorted by the White Ape, he entered the formation, immediately kneeling upon landing, holding a small flag up with both hands.

The small flag was dark yellow and black, with dark silver patterns embroidered along its edges, emanating wisps of dim, cloud-like energy. It was quite striking.

His two missing fingers were concealed behind the flag's surface as he respectfully announced:"Here is the Profound Dark Banner, the formation eye of the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation."

"Senior, you are too polite."Li Xijun's tone was very courteous. He stepped aside, immediately helping Fei Tongyu to his feet, his expression cordial. Li Qinghong, meanwhile, took the flag and replied gently:"Jun'er is right. Elder Brother Fei is one of us; there's no need for such formality."

Fei Tongyu simply stood respectfully with his head bowed. Li Xijun observed him closely, then understood and said:"So the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation is originally a grand formation related to 'Profound Qi.' That's quite rare in the south."

Speaking of Profound Qi, which manifests as dark yellow and black, Li Xizhi within the clan was the most knowledgeable among the Li family. He had exchanged blows with Tuoba Zhongyuan, who cultivated Profound Qi. Emperor Wu of Liang was the Heavenly Attained Profound Qi Supple Mysterious True Monarch, a True Monarch of the Profound Qi path.

Hearing this, Li Qinghong speculated:"If I'm not mistaken, the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation was also established during the Liang Dynasty, which explains its use of Profound Qi. At that time, this formation was quite formidable. Now that Liang has fallen, its power has likely diminished by more than sixty percent..."

Even though the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation was significantly weakened, it was still the foremost grand formation on the lake before the Li family's rise. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could not easily overcome it, and the Fei family had stood firm for generations thanks to this formation.

Indeed, Fei Tongyu nodded respectfully and replied:"To answer, noble sirs and madams, this formation was established by our ancestors. Its origins trace back to the Great Liang era. When cultivators from Great Ning attacked this area, it was set up by cultivators guarding the river for Ning. As for the reduction in power, historical records of our clan confirm it."

Fei Tongyu paused slightly, then lowered his head and said:"Although this grand formation is ancient, it has never had an incident over all these years. The only exception was when our ancestor was killed back then. That person passed through the formation as if it were nothing; neither the formation plate nor the formation flags responded, effectively seeing him off."

Li Qinghong tilted her head slightly, meeting Li Xijun's gaze. The young man was also thoughtful:'Cultivators guarding the river for Ning.'

Among Li Xuanfeng's relics, there was a letter found in the Great Ning Palace. It was from a cultivator in Ning to the Sima family, and it once mentioned:'Your esteemed family has long been stationed along the riverbanks...'

"Could this formation have once belonged to the Sima family?"

Li Xijun suppressed his doubts, took the formation flag, and compared it one by one with the patterns on the ground. After a moment, he said:"It seems to be the work of a single person."

Li Ximing let out a slight breath, adjusted his sleeves, and replied:"That makes things much easier! With a reference artifact for the formation eye and a formation master, a few Foundation Establishment cultivators working together can break this grand formation. No matter how strong it is, it's merely a forbidden formation now, so dismantling it won't be difficult."

The three stood up together. Li Xijun first looked at Fei Tongyu and said gently:"Senior, please return for now. I need to copy the patterns from this formation flag to break the array. I'll need to borrow this item for two or three days, and then I will return it."

Fei Tongyu bowed in acknowledgement and was escorted out by the White Ape. Once he had left, the three of them exited the formation together. Li Ximing was quite pleased:"It's hitting two birds with one stone. This way, we've also gained mastery over the secrets of the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Formation. Should anything happen, at least this grand formation won't be able to play a significant role."

Li Xijun nodded slightly. The formation patterns indeed appeared to be from a single hand, but whether they were or not, they certainly seemed so in front of Fei Tongyu. He said softly:"Internal submission requires the sacrifice of internal authority. Obtaining the formation flag this way is much gentler than other methods. At the very least, it won't harm the reputation of the rest of the Fei family, and Fei Tongyu will have an easier time caught in the middle."

"This is what you're good at, Eighth Brother!"Li Ximing shook his head in admiration. Li Qinghong was still examining the jade box in her hand. Li Xijun turned his head and replied:"Once these patterns are copied, send a set to Brother Zhi as well. Have him investigate within the clan for any connections. The Fei family's situation serves as a warning; these ancient formations and artifacts are indeed useful, but if we don't know who their original owners were, we might end up allowing others to freely enter and exit our own premises."

Speaking of ancient artifacts, Li Ximing's eyes lit up. He took an item from his sleeve, threw it into the air, and it instantly spun and grew, transforming into a person-height incense burner.

The incense burner was entirely cinnabar red. Its three legs were all engraved with beast faces. On its wall was depicted a three-eyed beast, neither wolf nor tiger, with all four feet stepping on misty clouds, depicted lifelike. It was the ancient and rather famous Three-Eyed Qiaoshan Beast.

Only the bottom of the burner bore the characters "Sima," gleaming faintly. Li Ximing had spent a long time finally refining this item and was quite satisfied:"This burner is named 'Cuoxiang' (Misplaced Fragrance). It's an ancient Foundation Establishment artifact, and unlike many current artifacts, it's not used for combat."

Seeing the two looking at him, Li Ximing introduced:"This burner excels at nurturing fire and burning smoke. Not only can it sustain various spiritual fires, but it can also suppress fire veins, transforming the malevolent energy erupting from them into spiritual smoke. Such an effect is truly unheard of."

He lightly formed a hand seal, and a flame immediately leaped up in the burner, transforming into the shape of a bird. Clearly, the Li family's only spiritual fire, the Ever-Flowing Primal Fire, was stored within it.

The Li family's Wutu Mountain had a fire vein with moderate energy, decent for alchemy but somewhat insufficient for artifact refining. Fortunately, the Yu family had deep reserves, with two ancient fire veins in dense forest mountains—one for alchemy and one for artifact refining. Thus, they would have no trouble using this artifact.

Li Ximing's Talisman Qi Valley Wind-Inciting Fire could inherently refine flames. After first demonstrating its fire-nurturing ability, he continued:"Even more wonderfully, this burner possesses the ability to nurture qi. It can store various types of spiritual qi without allowing them to interfere with each other, and most spiritual qi can be gently cultivated within it, preventing it from slowly dissipating over time."

This function was indeed excellent, making Li Xijun's eyes light up.

The Li family currently possessed dozens of Qi-gathering techniques, and the containment requirements for each type of spiritual qi differed. Moreover, each spiritual qi required a specialized jade bottle, which accumulated to a significant amount. These jade bottles had internal space, yet they could not be placed inside storage bags.

"Send it to Jade Court..."Li Xijun mumbled, then said softly:"No, on second thought, send it to the Dense Forest. We can subsequently establish a new division specifically for qi gathering."

As the Li family grew increasingly large, the Jade Court Guard's excessive centralization was not ideal. Specialized departments needed to be established for various functions. Li Xijun was now in the process of setting up new systems, preparing to implement reforms by leveraging the opportunity of moving to the lake island.

Li Qinghong also understood his thoughts. The woman secretly mused:"Cuoxiang is a clan treasure. This Painted Screen is probably no less valuable, but unfortunately, its refining difficulty is too great. The magic power invested in it so far has been like a stone sinking into the sea... I wonder when it can be fully refined."

Cuoxiang was in Li Ximing's hands, and the Painted Screen was, naturally, in Li Qinghong's. Neither had been fully refined yet. As for the golden talisman and mercury drops, the Li clan didn't understand them, but Sima Yuanli, who had accompanied them to the Great Ning Palace, most likely knew. Xizhi had already begun to inquire.

The three descended onto the peak, where Li Xuanxuan greeted them. The elder held a letter, his brow deeply furrowed. Li Xijun was the first to speak respectfully:"Elder, is this about..."

Li Xuanxuan simply handed over the letter. Li Xijun took it and read:"Ning Hejing, Chi Fupo, and others, acting on the sect master's posthumous immortal decree, appointed Chi Xuxiao, son of Chi Zhiyan, as sect master overnight... promoting Chi Zhihu, Xia Yun, Ning Hede, and others to positions in the Hall of General Affairs, Qi-Gathering Peak, Immortal Tribute Department, and Cloud Boat Department...""At midnight, Sima Yuanli returned to Qingchi, stating that he had arrived too late to assist. Chi Xuxiao did not hold him to blame and bestowed generous rewards..."

Li Xijun read it in silence. Li Ximing, however, took the letter and frowned:"How did they end up with a Qi Condensation sect master?"

The letter mentioned that Chi Xuxiao was only twelve years old and at the second level of Qi Condensation. The Qingchi Sect hadn't had a Qi Condensation level sect master in over three hundred years. Li Xuanxuan merely shook his head and said:"I only see that Sima Yuanli is having a hard time; everyone seems to bear him ill will."

Everyone settled into their seats in the hall. The letter circulated among them before returning to Li Xijun's hands. After reading it twice, he said in a low voice:"The Qingchi Sect's reaction is surprisingly swift... but this resolution is quite unexpected..."

The young man in white, gripping his sword hilt, spoke in a slightly lower, gentle tone:"To appoint another sect master... what were Ning Hejing and the Chi clan thinking?"

Most of the names in the letter were unfamiliar to them, except for a few recognizable ones and Chi Zhihu from the Chi family's collateral branch. The rest were likely either remaining Chi family loyalists or members of the Ning family. Li Xijun said:"Actually, with Chi Zhiyun still in seclusion, there was no need for such haste. They only needed to promote Chi family members and their own people to control a few key positions, win over the various aristocratic families, and then quietly observe the situation..."

"Although the aristocratic families were dissatisfied with the Chi family, Chi Zhiyun was skilled at winning people over, and cultivators of all ranks within the sect still recognized the Chi family. Acting this way now, however, makes them appear weak."

Of course, the actions of the Chi family and the attitudes of the various aristocratic families and cultivators were all premised on True Monarch Yuanxiu, Sima Boxiu, being missing or not interfering. If Sima Boxiu were to act, changing the Qingchi Sect from Chi to Sima would be a mere word.

Li Qinghong nodded, saying softly:"But looking at Sima Yuanli's actions, at least True Monarch Yuanxiu seems to have no other intentions... Otherwise, why would he enter the hall to admit guilt?"

Li Xijun assented, mentally organizing his thoughts, then stated decisively:"Chi Zhiyun absolutely could not have left any posthumous decree. If he had foreseen this day, the order wouldn't have been to appoint a child... This document must be a forgery."

"I'll venture a guess: perhaps there's some compromise between Ning Hejing and the Chi family... Perhaps the Chi family doesn't trust Ning Hejing, and Ning Hejing fears being discarded after serving his purpose... The possibilities are numerous. In any case, this list, or Chi Xuxiao himself, is the result of that compromise..."

Everyone fell into contemplation. Li Xuanxuan silently took heed of the situation, pondering the systems among the various branches, while speaking:"In any family, such a devastating defeat, with the main lineage crippled, would cause decades of pain, let alone the disappearance of the Chi family's Purple Mansion..."

At the mention of the Chi family's Purple Mansion disappearance, Li Qinghong raised her teacup and took a sip, lowering her brows to conceal her expression. Li Xijun subtly raised an eyebrow and continued:"That's true. A sect master has been appointed, and there are benefits to having one. In any case, it's better than doing nothing. Now it's Sima Yuanli's turn to worry about breaking this stalemate."

"Regardless, the unrest in the Qingchi Sect has begun. The Yuanxiu faction is deeply rooted and ambitious, while the Chi-Ning faction, though it has legitimacy, is a mixed bag..."

Although the Li family had long confirmed that unrest would arise in Qingchi, sometimes things don't develop as imagined. Who knew if Sima Boxiu would personally intervene? Who knew if Ning Hejing and others would passively await their doom?

If the Sima family were to sweep through, occupying the Qingchi leadership position under the guidance of a Purple Mansion True Monarch, then how much better would these deeply entrenched aristocratic families fare in the Sima family's eyes?

Once in that position, whether bearing the Sima or Chi surname, their stance would be the same. The only difference would be that the Sima family might have a milder attitude due to the Li family's past contributions. But could they simply watch as the entire lake region fell into the Li family's hands?

This situation seemed normal in everyone's eyes, but Li Xijun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His brow visibly relaxed, and his eyes brightened as he shifted the topic:"As for our Li family..."

The young man in white exhaled, his tone much more relaxed. He spoke in a low voice:"We should seize this opportunity—the unrest in the main sect, the conflicts between various factions, the neglected offerings, and the unsupervised aristocratic families—to fulfill our family's century-old ambition!"

"To swallow the great lake, enter the central island, become the head of a prefecture, seize spiritual artifacts, and seek the Purple Mansion..."

He paused, his white robes like snow, his tone cold and sharp, each word ringing clear:"To complete the work of six generations!"