Chapter 715: Entering the Cloud Realm

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.

“Oh, senior, it’s nothing.” Li Ximing responded, not pursuing the conversation. He peered through the void and observed that Li Zhouwei and his group had briefly exchanged blows with the direct line of Duxian Dao disciples, both sides sustaining injuries. As soon as Ye Gui departed, the Duxian Dao ceased fighting and withdrew to garrison the few remaining mountains in the Miyun Cave territory.

“Securing about seventy percent of the territory is quite a substantial gain.” After entrusting the matters of Miyun Cave to Li Zhouwei and his group, he departed using his divine abilities. He remained silent throughout the journey, subtly revealing his displeasure, which Chang Xi naturally perceived, sighing quietly. When the two landed on Zhijing Mountain, the old True Person spoke in a hoarse voice:

“Ye Gui is a cultivator from the East Sea. Though he has received opportunities from a Dao lineage and cultivated to his current level, his words are utterly untrustworthy. Zhaojing, do not take them to heart.”

Li Ximing also had a knot of thoughts in his mind. Ye Gui’s provocative words naturally held no credibility. If this Dowei Purple Mansion cultivator truly harbored intentions of carving up Xuanyue, wouldn't it have been more reasonable for him to send people earlier with congratulations and goodwill gestures, making his intentions clearer?

Yet, upon reflection, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

‘Then why not?’

It should be known that even if Chang Xi were to die, it would be absolutely impossible for the entire Xuanyue territory to fall into Ye Gui’s hands. His own sect was right beside them; if anything happened to Xuanyue, his sect would provide aid, whereas the Duxian Dao would seek to conquer. The speed at which they would seize territory would be as different as heaven and earth.

In Li Ximing's view, if Ye Gui wanted to occupy more Xuanyue territory, he shouldn't have driven Xuanyue towards their own side. Even if he harbored no goodwill towards Li Ximing's sect, he should have temporarily shown amiability, indicating no interest in Xuanyue. It would then be much easier to turn hostile and launch a surprise attack later.

“Now, given this situation, if Chang Xi hasn't died, my sect will send people to assist in the defense. He will then face a border jointly defended by the combined efforts of Xuanyue and Wangyue. The difficulty, compared to before, is a world apart!”

“Either he has other assurances... or he isn't coveting Xuanyue's territory at all...”

To this day, Li Ximing still didn't know what True Person Ye Gui desired. This uncertainty was the most disadvantageous aspect. No matter how arrogant the True Person's words were, Li Ximing regarded them as attempts to mislead him.

As he was deep in thought, Chang Xi continued to speak. The old man said:

“Zhaojing, although Ye Gui retreated, it's merely because he doesn't wish to engage in conflict with us at this moment...”

Li Ximing frowned and asked:

“Is Ye Gui truly unafraid of your retaliation, senior, despite his arrogance? If you have any insights, please explain them clearly to me, no matter what. Concealing information might lead to serious problems.”

Previously, Chang Xi had concealed the fact that Kong Haiying had a wife-killing feud with Ye Gui. This was no small matter. In the future, Ye Gui's designs would not only be on Xuanyue's territory and Dao lineage, but also on the very lives of Kong Haiying's lineage! The enmity had escalated to another level.

Chang Xi had little lifespan remaining, and Ye Gui was already an enemy. Li Ximing found it difficult to press for answers regarding Kong Haiying's matter. Yet, now that the discussion was so frank, Chang Xi merely nodded, sighing.

At this point, he no longer had any qualms, and simply said:

“Zhaojing, what you don't know is that he possesses two Dao-spell divine abilities and one body-art divine ability. My Foolish Mountain-Moving ability can neither suppress nor entangle him. While risking my life could at least injure him, that's not how this situation should be assessed.”

“In the past, True Person Chonghe of Wuzhu Gate, a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator, pursued Yan Que of Hengzhu. He was dragged through the Wu-Yue Grand Void for six years by Yan Que's body-art divine ability, yet still failed to capture him. How much more difficult is it now, with such a vast disparity between us?”

“I am not Ning Tiaoxiao, who possesses an ancient spiritual artifact to subdue enemies. If I were to truly fight him, even at the cost of my life, he would definitely refuse to engage with me, unless... he sets up an ambush in the Grand Void.”

Having achieved the Purple Mansion realm himself, Li Ximing naturally understood how difficult it was to kill a Purple Mansion cultivator when their divine abilities were not vastly different. However, his intention was not for Chang Xi to fight Ye Gui to the death. The Duxian Dao was still in Jiangbei; if the monk could flee, how could the temple escape?

Before he could even hint at it, Chang Xi continued:

“As for secretly harming his younger generations... I still have a Dao lineage existing, and I cannot commit an act that would bring eternal infamy. Even more, I cannot cause my descendants to die without burial grounds, or to bear ill repute...”

“As for attacking what he must protect, going to assault the mountain gate in Baiye... Zhaojing, just think: who nurtured the land of Jiangbei?”

Li Ximing understood and replied:

“The North-South conflict... is it perhaps about the meaning of higher spiritual attainment?”

“Precisely!”

Chang Xi, displaying a look of lament, replied:

“How many people did each sect contribute to the North-South conflict? That's how Jiangbei was nurtured into its current state... Although it was mainly by carving out Qingchi's resources and draining the blood of demonic and rogue cultivators, this place absolutely cannot be disturbed...”

“The moment I go to Baiye, Ye Gui will burst out laughing. He will certainly appear to meet me. If the two of us begin to fight, the spiritual energy in the Baiye region will inevitably suffer severe damage, which would be an extremely serious matter.”

“Before the two of us even begin to fight, various powerful families will certainly appear to mediate. Yuanxiu from the south, Qiushui from the west, Yuming and Shanbai from the north, Sumian from the east... even the various Buddhist sects will intervene to stop me.”

Chang Xi looked deeply at him and said in a hoarse voice:

“His sect is in Jiangbei, which is why he is so fearless!”

Only then did Li Ximing understand why Ye Gui held Chang Xi in such low regard. He was silent for a moment, having nothing more to say, before speaking:

“Senior, do you have a plan? If we are limited to our current methods, I fear it will be difficult to resist the enemy.”

After all, considering the current situation, unless the Duxian Dao crossed the river to attack, Chang Xi was truly powerless. Seeing Li Ximing's consternation, Chang Xi sipped his tea, his wrinkles deepening.

The old man finally spoke:

“Zhaojing, if after my death the situation becomes truly perilous and beyond remedy, you may cede Shanjun County to the Ziyan Gate in exchange for the immortal sect's protection... as long as the mountain gate remains intact.”

Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief and said earnestly:

“Good! With True Person's words, many matters will be easier to handle. I only hope True Person can leave a letter or a handwritten note as proof.”

It was well known that the Kong family of Shanjun County had cultivated the land for generations and did not adhere to the separation between immortals and mortals. Not only were there many Kong family descendants, but most people were also deeply intertwined with the cultivators within the mountain gate. Li Ximing certainly didn't want to be a benefactor who also bore infamy, so he explicitly asked Chang Xi to put it in writing.

Chang Xi craned his neck, nodded, and said:

“This matter should not be publicized; otherwise, my entire Xuanyue sect will lose the will to fight. I, your elder, actually wrote a will long ago, hidden beneath the main seat in Xiyue Hall on the main peak. Here, I will write another copy for Ximing, for verification.”

Li Ximing pulled out a piece of spiritual cloth for him. Chang Xi used his divine ability as a brush, wrote two lines of characters, and handed it to Li Ximing. The cloth was now as heavy as a boulder, weighing over a thousand jin.

The old man handed the item to him, his aged appearance becoming more pronounced, and said respectfully:

“Thank you, Zhaojing!”

After saying this, he exchanged no pleasantries. He clasped his hands in farewell, and using his divine ability, vanished into the Grand Void.

Li Ximing turned the cloth over to read it.

“Entrusting Daoist friend Zhaojing to look after Xuanyue on my behalf. Should the situation become unfavorable, you may well give Shanjun County to another family in exchange for aid.”

Although Chang Xi's divine abilities were not proficient in combat, their subtle wonders were by no means inferior. As he put brush to cloth, many unusual phenomena appeared. The characters were like stone carvings, seeming to fall out of the cloth, prompting Li Ximing to nod in approval.

His own divine ability was also a Dao-spell divine ability, but it touched upon the realm of a Dharma Body. With fire blazing in his heart, the bright sun within and without, Purple Bright Sun Fire in his Jueque courtyard, and celestial light emanating from his brow, his other ability was "Worshipping the Heavenly Gate." His combat ability was not weak, but there weren't many subtle wonders or variations available to him.

“Once this matter is concluded, I can make a trip to the Cui family in the East Sea... There should be fellow cultivators to study with, and I can also inquire about Purple Mansion formations along the way... at least enough to encompass Zhijing Mountain.”

“As for Ye Gui... I don't know what that fellow is after... True Person Chuting might not even be in Xianyou, and since we're not related, I can't keep troubling him repeatedly... Alas... if my brother Jun were here, it would be so much better!”

He collected his thoughts and mused inwardly:

“On the way, I'll go press Chang Xi again and see if I can get the incantation for the spiritual artifact embryo!”

The Baijiang Stream Territory.

The shimmering light on Hongfu Mountain fluttered, forming an arc-shaped halo that floated over the mountain. Soft, cloud-like wisps of light threaded through it. From a distance, it didn't resemble an immortal sect, but rather an immortal family's manor.

Li Zhouwei and others arrived, riding beams of light. Miaoshui hurriedly emerged from within the formation to greet them. Just moments before, when the cultivators from Baiye Duxian Dao arrived, she had been so terrified that she hid within the formation, clutching the formation plate in fright, feigning ignorance. Fortunately, no one paid her any attention.

Now that Li Zhouwei had flown closer, Miaoshui, with both hands, held up the colorful formation plate and said respectfully:

“Greetings, Patriarch. This is the formation plate for the Mianyun Qixiao Grand Formation of Hongfu Peak, a low-grade Foundation Establishment artifact.”

“It can prevent early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from doing anything; that's good.”

Li Zhouwei accepted it with considerable delight. The Li family had just attained immortal clan status, and their Foundation Establishment formations were limited to Hanyun Peak and Qingdu Mountain. Although the Mianyun Qixiao Grand Formation was not as potent as Yunlong Tiannan or Wushui Yuqian, it was still the most valuable item on the entire mountain. If not for the Duxian Dao, Wenhu would not have had the capability to deploy it.

He took a closer look, and Li Cheng, standing beside him, stepped forward to take it, saying:

“It's an auspicious qi formation. This array might offer some assistance in the success of alchemy and artifact refining.”

“Excellent!”

The Li family members and the Duxian Dao members fought for less than a hundred exchanges. With a numerical advantage, none of the Li family sustained serious injuries. Only Qu Bushi injured his hand, and An Siwei took a palm strike, which would require a few months of recovery.

He immediately sent the two to the mountain to choose a cave dwelling for recovery. He then stepped into the main hall, turned to Li Cheng and the others, and asked:

“You two elders have been fighting your way here; how is the Miyun territory? Are the local influential clans cooperative?”

Li Minggong replied:

“We have taken over the various peaks; all Foundation Establishment cultivators from Miyun Cave have retreated, and quite a few Qi Condensation cultivators were captured. In the Baijiang Stream territory, immortals and mortals live together, and the locals probably don't have much goodwill towards us. As for the influential clans, we need to ask Weizheng.”

Ding Weizheng, being called upon, immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed:

“Reporting to Patriarch, the Baijiang Stream territory has four prominent families: Wang, Zhou, Huang, and Ding. Hundreds of years ago, they were all noble families of the Xu Kingdom, experiencing cycles of rise and fall. Now, only the Wang and Ding families have Foundation Establishment cultivators... Weizheng has already entered the peak, and the Huang family is located in the Fanyun Cave territory.”

“Oh?”

Li Zhouwei reacted quickly, countering with a question:

“A Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wang clan... is that Wang He, Wenhu's subordinate?”

“Precisely!”

Ding Weizheng answered, and Li Zhouwei then understood why Wang He was able to become the second-in-command of Miyun. It was likely that Wenhu also sought to gain the support of the local influential clans.

“Now that Wang He has defected to the Duxian Dao and left, has the Baijiang Wang clan taken any action?”

Li Zhouwei asked, and Li Cheng replied:

“The common folk haven't changed, but most of the direct lineage have likely relocated to Baiye.”

This matter didn't require any evidence; it was an inevitable outcome. Li Zhouwei flipped through the submitted roster and found that quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators had indeed emerged from this place. Although most of them were demonic cultivators, it clearly showed the area's potential.

The Miyun territory was unlike other places. It was home to millions of mortals, and there had never been any rule separating immortals and mortals. The bloodlines of the influential clans were deeply intertwined; any one of them would be a local magnate with a population in the tens of thousands.

These people were involved in many unsavory activities, and with their extensive connections, they could also link up with several factions. After all, Jiangbei now boasted extremely strong spiritual energy. While Floating Cloud was somewhat better off at its periphery, Miyun genuinely produced abundant spiritual resources, relying on these local magnates for their export.

Therefore, even the Miyun Cave sect, which had no qualms about killing, found it troublesome to take over this place, let alone the Li family, with their many rules. Li Zhouwei merely looked it over once and said in a deep voice:

“It's not suitable to establish a Prefectural Peak in the Baijiang territory... This place lacks the necessary conditions; if we hastily arrange it, it will be restless for at least a century. The income wouldn't even cover salaries, and it would stir up widespread public resentment. We must prioritize local autonomy.”

Li Cheng strongly agreed and reminded:

“It's just that the Ding family are cultivators from the Floating Cloud territory. Now, nine out of ten households in the Floating Cloud territory are empty, so we still need to arrange for Weizheng's family to be settled.”

The Ding family was also an influential clan. No matter how much Li Zhouwei favored Ding Weizheng, he wouldn't reinstate this local magnate to his old position. Since the Floating Cloud territory was now empty, it was certainly better to leave it that way. Li Zhouwei smiled:

“Weizheng, you've worked hard on this journey. However, with changing times, the Floating Cloud territory might not be secured. The Ding clan's common folk should still be settled at the Prefectural Peak on the East Bank. As for Weizheng's direct kin, they will be safest on our family's island.”

This was a move to relocate the Ding family to the lakeside. Ding Weizheng's own life had been saved by the Li family, and his entire clan had been released from Hongfu Peak. How could he say anything more? He merely thanked them respectfully.

Li Zhouwei, valuing him after all, and considering his feelings, did not settle the Ding family in batches at the Prefectural Peak. Otherwise, the Ding family would truly be dismantled, leaving only Ding Weizheng's immediate family.

After Ding Weizheng finished bowing in thanks, Li Zhouwei picked up a brush and said:

“Although we won't establish a Prefectural Peak or appoint transient officials, that doesn't mean we'll let them run wild. First, we'll use the peaks as boundaries, station the Yuting Guard there, and let them stew for a few days. Then, we'll release a few quotas and invite their direct descendants to cultivate in the dense forest.”

Li Cheng affirmed, and Li Zhouwei casually added:

“First, we'll take in a few direct descendants of these local magnates and nurture them. Even if the situation changes in three to five years, and my family withdraws from this place, as long as these few direct descendants become accomplished, if we re-enter Jiangbei in the future, integrating this place will be but a thought.”

After he finished speaking, both nodded.

“Perhaps they won't send their true direct descendants, but rather some illegitimate or minor branches. On Wangyue Lake... these are all tricks that various families are tired of playing.”

Li Minggong asked, and Li Zhouwei smiled:

“No harm done; my family is inviting their genuine direct descendants. We'll parade them through the streets and alleys, with gongs and drums, giving them three rounds of congratulations. Then we'll spread rumors of their bloodline's secret history, which everyone loves to hear. They wouldn't dare deny it, and couldn't possibly deny it.”

“If my family says they are direct descendants, then they are direct descendants.”

He said this without avoiding Ding Weizheng, causing the man to break out in a cold sweat. Ding Weizheng quickly excused himself and waited outside the hall. While the details were being discussed inside, an inexpressible thought formed in the man's heart:

“Originally, demonic cultivators were unrestrained, but orthodox sects are full of schemes.”

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new one.