Chapter 654: For Future Planning

The Literary Immortal Clan of Profound Insight!

The heavy rain had just ceased over Salt Lake, leaving a clear and refreshing atmosphere. Li Qinghong stood on the lake, controlling lightning, in a deserted stretch of water. Li Xuanxuan and the white ape stood beside her.

Moon-gazing Lake was too crowded for them to engage in a full-scale battle. So, Li Qinghong and her companions found a secluded spot on Salt Lake. This area was the quietest in the vicinity, with only two lake monsters patrolling. Upon seeing the Foundation Establishment cultivators, the monsters wisely retreated, feigning ignorance as they rode the water away.

Two small boats, belonging to disciples of the Kong family, sailed past from a distance. They circled around, spotted Li Qinghong, recognized her, and, after bowing respectfully, continued on their journey.

Li Zhouwei raised his hand, palm facing upwards. Blazing bright light surged from it, transforming into two armored warriors by his side. Their armor gleamed with white scales, they wore silver boots, and their faces were featureless, a blank white expanse. Both warriors carried spears and had bows slung across their backs, presenting a formidable appearance. Li Zhouwei himself stood with a halberd held horizontally. Bright light gathered in the curved arc at its center, where two exceptionally sharp halberd blades were attached.

Kong Heng clasped his hands together before his chest, his narrow eyes squinted almost shut. He mumbled to himself as pale golden runes flew from between his red lips and white teeth, circling around him.

Li Zhouwei flipped his halberd upwards. The bright light at its center rippled, releasing invisible light that instantly enveloped a section of the lake, causing the water to steam with white vapor. Kong Heng, facing him, fared better. He only felt a dazzling light searing his face like fire, making it difficult to look. As a Buddhist cultivator, he was inherently unafraid of such things, so he remained largely unharmed. However, this intense heat distressed the lurking monsters. They felt sweat pouring down their bodies and their minds unsettled. After exchanging glances, most lost their desire to observe further and scattered in all directions.

"Grand Ascension!" Li Zhouwei did not stop there. With a powerful command, a stream of flame erupted from the arc, enveloping him. Bright light rippled on his armor, and flames swirled around his feet.

"Bang!" A sonic boom reverberated over the lake. In the next instant, the halberd was thrust before Kong Heng. The monk finally opened his eyes a sliver, abruptly separating his palms as a wave of golden runes burst forth. These golden runes transformed into chains in mid-air, clanging loudly as they coiled like snakes around "Grand Ascension." Li Zhouwei exerted force with his forearm, and the halberd vibrated violently, repelling most of the chains.

Simultaneously, Kong Heng changed his hand seals, and his eyes opened slightly. The golden light behind him coalesced into a large golden sphere. With a sudden thunderclap, a massive being unfolded from within, revealing its golden upper body and six arms that swept horizontally across the air. Its form was covered in dense golden incantations, and red light pulsed within its golden face, which bore two massive horizontal lines, exuding immense majesty. A colossal, six-armed Golden Armor Vajra straightened up from the golden light.

"Command!" The Vajra's eyes were wide. All six of its arms held the golden chains, and they exerted force in unison, emitting a heavy clanging. All the golden chains simultaneously tightened, bursting with golden light.

The Golden Armor Vajra was as massive as a palace, its eyes as large as windmills, casting a huge reflection on Salt Lake. Before it, Li Zhouwei looked like a small pony tied at a gate, his magical artifact instantly pulled taut. Kong Heng attacked with full power right from the start, even employing a secret Buddhist technique, which made Li Qinghong and the others nod in approval.

Li Xuanxuan stroked his beard, raising his white eyebrows in surprise. He turned his head and chuckled: "Monks cultivate their minds and disregard worldly affairs, yet he strikes with full power, holding nothing back."

Kong Heng was not one to joke around or hold back to flatter Li Zhouwei. This strike was powerful enough to disarm most Foundation Establishment cultivators. As the dense golden chains coiled around the Grand Ascension halberd, Li Zhouwei felt a sudden heaviness in his hand. Without a hint of hesitation, he opened his mouth and spat out a beam of white light. This white light soared upwards like a white rainbow piercing the sky. It didn't go towards Kong Heng but instead flew directly towards the face of the Golden Armor Vajra behind him.

A white pass, Huangyuan Pass, materialized in the air, instantly dispersing the golden light. Huangyuan Pass excelled at suppression, especially against incorporeal magical arts. In an instant, it pressed down, causing the Vajra to become blurred. Kong Heng watched him seize the opportunity to withdraw his magical artifact and nodded slightly.

Logically, in battle, using Huangyuan Pass to suppress the enemy's main body is the most correct approach. Just like Li Ximing, if one can suppress an opponent, it becomes very difficult for them to cast spells and incantations. This also depletes their magical power, weakening them while strengthening oneself, thereby continuously increasing one's chances of victory. However, using this immortal foundation to suppress the enemy's spells would be a superficial approach. The magical power consumption would be immense with each rise and fall of the pass, and the enemy could simply dispel their spell and cast it again.

But Li Zhouwei was facing Kong Heng. "Kong Heng's cultivation excels at defense, and his cultivation is so much higher than mine," Li Zhouwei thought. "If I use this immortal foundation to suppress him, it would be a clash of strengths and weaknesses. Even if I save myself this time, next time I will definitely be entangled by the golden chains."

He immediately grasped the opponent's weakness in offense. He used his immortal foundation to wear down the opponent's spells, rendering them ineffective, thus prioritizing his own safety. As for magical power consumption... "If I can turn the fight into a contest of magical power," he reasoned, "that's a good thing!"

Huangyuan Pass flickered for a moment, shattering the aerial phantom into a golden light. Kong Heng flicked his sleeve, effortlessly shattering the charging armored soldiers, and calmly said: "Come."

A bronze staff appeared in Kong Heng's hand. With a lift and a point, it exuded formidable power, then slammed down with a resounding thud. Li Zhouwei, facing him, raised an eyebrow, and his halberd met it in kind.

"Clang!" Li Zhouwei's halberd was an ancient magical artifact from a grotto-heaven. The weapon in Kong Heng's hand was a protective dharma treasure he had cultivated since he was a mortal. Although it had been refined over many years and was extremely sturdy, it simply couldn't compare to such a precious artifact.

The small branch on the halberd's arc gleamed sharply. With a clang, it hooked into the curved bell of Kong Heng's staff. Li Zhouwei, having anticipated his strike, twisted the halberd, unleashing a burst of bright flames. Hooked by the halberd, the staff could not immediately break free. It took the full force of the bright flames, creaking and groaning, still caught on the halberd. Kong Heng's face was engulfed by the flames, forcing him to temporarily retreat. He laughed: "Good!"

His bronze staff suddenly twisted and writhed like a snake, slipping off the halberd's hook. Li Zhouwei knew this move wouldn't defeat him, so he continued to thrust forward. Kong Heng suddenly dropped his magical artifact, clapped his palms together in front of his chest, and with a low roar, forcibly halted the halberd.

"Blocking a Foundation Establishment artifact with his bare body?" A trace of surprise flashed in Li Zhouwei's eyes. He knew the monk's Dharma Body was formidable, but he hadn't expected it to be this powerful. With a thought, a burst of bright light erupted from Grand Ascension.

"Cough cough!" Kong Heng barely took the hit. The heat between his palms was scorching, and the pain intense. As soon as he recovered, he immediately dropped the artifact, allowing the blazing bright light to strike his body, then scrambled away, looking a bit disheveled. He bent low, lowering his eyebrows, and casually flicked his sleeve, sending out golden runes.

Before these runes could fully form in the air, Huangyuan Pass, which had been lurking menacingly, crashed down from the sky. But Kong Heng paid it no mind. "The Young Lord has just broken through," Kong Heng thought, "so his use of the immortal foundation must be unpracticed. Huangyuan Pass is not like other things; it's an external manifestation of the immortal foundation. With each rise and fall, his internal magical power will certainly fluctuate greatly!"

Just as Li Zhouwei activated his immortal foundation, Kong Heng's eyes suddenly glowed with golden light. He clasped his palms together and uttered a powerful Buddhist incantation: "Halt!" This sound, like splitting bamboo or tearing silk, sent ripples across the lake. Kong Heng, having been a Master for many years, had timed this cry to perfection, precisely targeting the critical moment of Li Zhouwei's magical power's operation. Not only did the immortal foundation in the sky tremble, but Li Zhouwei's face also flushed, and he nearly vomited blood. Kong Heng, however, moved. The instant Huangyuan Pass swayed, a wave of golden runes burst forth from it. Simultaneously, the golden figure, which had been almost completely suppressed and dissipated, straightened up once more, its six arms sweeping across the sky as it released countless golden chains.

Li Zhouwei instantly calmed the disturbance, but his opponent had completely broken free from his rhythm. Golden light flickered in Li Zhouwei's eyes, while Kong Heng's expression remained resolute and unmoving. It must be said that Kong Heng had almost no weaknesses apart from his offensive limitations. Li Zhouwei's pupil technique, enhanced by his Great Ruin Golden Eyes, was terrifying but had no effect on him. Furthermore, the bright light's properties of dispelling evil, breaking calamities, and suppressing were also of little use against Buddhist light.

"My 'Supreme Sun Subduing Light' hasn't been mastered yet," Li Zhouwei mused, "...otherwise, I wouldn't be so helpless." He took a deep breath and had no choice but to retreat.

However, his strength was inherently far inferior to Kong Heng's, and this retreat immediately put him under his opponent's control. Kong Heng's golden chains swayed in the air, and his golden incantations transformed into a small golden wooden fish to resist Huangyuan Pass. Huangyuan Pass was not something that could be handled with just one spell. While the Li family was familiar with Kong Heng, his understanding of the Li family was certainly no less profound. Even if Li Zhouwei managed to disperse the wooden fish, Kong Heng would immediately counter with a Buddhist incantation and menacing golden chains every time Huangyuan Pass moved, trapping him.

Kong Heng was extremely serious in his actions; even when completely dominant, he showed no leniency. He cautiously and gradually closed the golden chains. After nearly a hundred exchanges, Kong Heng finally stopped his incantations, and Li Zhouwei halted his halberd, ceasing the fight. There was no further reason to fight. If they continued, it would become a life-and-death struggle. While the golden chains couldn't trap Li Zhouwei to death, escaping from them would still exhaust his vital energy. As they were merely sparring, there was no need for serious injury.

Li Zhouwei handed his halberd to the armored soldier. After long contemplation, he nodded and said: "I, your junior, have learned a great deal."

Kong Heng shook his head with a bitter smile, only then realizing he had been somewhat merciless. He murmured: "A monk bullying his junior... that's truly unreasonable."

"Ah." Little did they know, Li Xuanxuan was greatly pleased. Li Zhouwei had even managed to penetrate to Kong Heng's side at one point. Any other Foundation Establishment cultivator would have found that a severe headache; it was only because he was fighting Kong Heng. The elder chuckled: "Good... good!"

Li Qinghong had worn a slight smile throughout, saying little. The group rode the wind back to the continent, and only then did Li Qinghong gently say: "Zhouwei, although your cultivation is still shallow, your strength has already begun to show its formidable edge. I'll feel more at ease entrusting the lake to you from now on."

Li Zhouwei seemed to understand, nodding heavily. He then waved his hand, dismissing Kong Heng and the white ape. Li Qinghong patted him and chuckled: "Don't forget that the Yuan'e Armor hasn't been fully refined yet; you're just wearing it," she reminded him. "Once you've refined this armor, your strength will advance further."

Li Zhouwei naturally nodded. Li Qinghong then spoke softly: "What our family can provide you—armor, halberd, cultivation techniques, spells, spiritual elixirs... We have already done our best," she said softly. "It's just that, born into our family, we can't give you anything better than what you already possess..."

Li Zhouwei, astute, detected a subtle difference in her tone and said solemnly: "My lady, rest assured. I only feel I have too much, never too little. The ancestral vows of our family and its many restrictions—Minghuang keeps them firmly in mind and dares not violate them!"

Hearing his words, Li Qinghong sighed softly, a sound that seemed both a sigh of relief and a lament. She murmured: "I know... but there's something I need to tell you." She paused, then gently said: "Our family's minor branches and those of other surnames, as long as their talent is sufficient, have always been nurtured with spiritual resources. Chen Yang, who has the highest talent, even received Qingdu treatment. I once discussed with my brother that as long as there are those capable of reaching Foundation Establishment, our family would provide them with ample cultivation techniques."

"However, the several Lijing families who initially followed us, though now prominent households, were originally farmers," she continued. "Ultimately, they find it difficult to accumulate the resources for Foundation Establishment, so these cultivation techniques have been set aside, unused." She looked towards the lake shore and spoke softly: "Now that the lake shore is unified and all the families have come under our wing, An Siwei, Chen Yang, and others all have hopes of reaching Foundation Establishment. These individuals must be given opportunities; they absolutely cannot be underestimated due to sectarian bias."

"If these individuals achieve Foundation Establishment and are willing to take up a position in our family, they can stay. If they prefer not to stay on the lake and wish to seek higher prospects elsewhere, we will preserve our good relations and allow them to depart with their clan."

Li Zhouwei listened to Li Qinghong's words in silence. Their own family couldn't compare to the Green Pond Sect and offered little attraction to Foundation Establishment cultivators. If it weren't for genuine affection, wouldn't it be much more enjoyable for them to choose a secluded place and establish themselves as family heads rather than being dependent on others?

Only the elder by her side, hearing this, gently furrowed his brow and murmured: "Qinghong, this is..."

Li Qinghong said softly: "Our family currently has no need for additional personnel. It's best to advise cultivators who achieve Foundation Establishment to seek their freedom. If they remain on the lake, I fear they might fall prey to Purple Mansion schemes."

"Our family has not wronged them in any way. Regarding cultivation techniques, as long as their talent is sufficient and spiritual energy is available, everything except our family's secret arts is open for their reference. Spiritual resources and items are distributed annually to all manor houses and peaks, and those with good talent receive additional resources, even having the chance to cultivate on the continent. When there's danger, our own family members are the first to step forward. All the families also respect us; this is a bond of affection."

"But these are things we can afford to give. Once they reach Foundation Establishment, some things are inherited from our ancestors at the cost of their lives, or things I've risked my life for. These can only be given to our own kin. We cannot afford to give them to outsiders, and if they don't receive them, resentment might arise, which would destroy our good relations."

The woman continued softly: "My meaning is... our family prioritizes the Purple Mansion above all else, and we must absolutely avoid creating complications. A single provocation from a Purple Mansion expert could stir up countless troubles. It's best to first persuade them all to leave, preserving our good relations. Why covet those one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Li Zhouwei finally nodded and said softly: "I understand. As long as our family has no Purple Mansion cultivator, if any outsider or member of a minor branch achieves Foundation Establishment, we should first persuade them to take their clan and depart for elsewhere."

Li Qinghong smiled at him, then turned to gaze at the lake scenery. Li Xuanxuan, beside her, said little. After a long silence, she turned her face and said: "Uncle, please take care of your health."