Chapter 730: First Encounter

Kong Guxi's words made several members of the Kong family lower their heads. Kong Qiuyan responded with a "yes," shaking her head with a look of regret, and said, "My uncle's mistake was unintentional; please forgive him, Sect Master... If it weren't for several uncles being harmed by the Changxiao Sect at sea, we wouldn't be in such a predicament now... We have troubled you, Sect Master."

Before Kong Guxi could respond, he saw a streak of purple lightning approaching rapidly, transforming into a silver-armored man right before him. Kong Guxi quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and respectfully said, "Brother Cheng... I sustained some injuries... and was busy organizing the disciples, so I didn't have time to come pay my respects..."

"Sect Master Kong, there's no need for that." Li Cheng quickly helped him up. Kong Guxi's seniority was actually on par with Li Ximing's generation, much older than Li Cheng, so he couldn't let Kong Guxi truly bow. He immediately said seriously, "Our family head requests an audience!"

Kong Guxi indeed stopped bowing, quickly rose, and hurried after him. Li Cheng, understanding that Xuanyue had suffered significant injuries, comforted him, saying, "I heard that several guest elders were injured, mostly while covering our cultivators. I, your junior, thank them here."

"Oh, it was what we should do." Kong Guxi's legs trembled with pain, but he suppressed it with his spiritual power. He responded with full courtesy on his face, and respectfully said, "Without Wangyue, the Xuanyue lineage would not exist. Brother Cheng is too kind. Although Guest Elder Bai of Dongquansheng has fallen, there is still Sun Bo, who is more skilled in healing. Our injuries are nothing."

When the two arrived in the hall, Li Zhouwei was at the main seat, meticulously inquiring about the cultivators' injuries with Sun Bo. Upon seeing Kong Guxi approach, Sun Bo immediately stepped aside. The elder was discerning and respectfully withdrew.

Sun Bo was a guest elder of the Xuanyue Sect. Strictly speaking, it was inappropriate for him to directly approach Li Zhouwei, bypassing Kong Guxi. But people follow influence; now, only Fuyuezi refrained from aligning himself with the Li family. Kong Guxi didn't bother to dwell on it.

In his youth, Kong Guxi had also been arrogant, having once been a prodigal son, he understood well what fueled such pride—now, without a Purple Mansion realm backer, he was merely a dog scavenging bones under the table. Even he respectfully stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Family Head!"

"Elder, you shouldn't." Li Zhouwei was slightly polite, and people on both sides immediately helped him up. Kong Guxi stubbornly bowed, respectfully saying, "The Family Head turned the tide and saved our Xuanyue lineage. You deserve this bow!"

He bowed and thanked, performing a full customary courtesy. Li Zhouwei patiently waited for him to finish, offered a few polite dismissals, and without further delay, immediately turned to the main topic, asking, "Elder, how will your many people and forces be arranged now?"

When Li Zhouwei asked this, Kong Guxi naturally couldn't reply with something like returning to the Xuanyue Sect mountain gate. He also knew that many areas in Shanji Commandery had been lost. If he and his group returned to the Xuanyue Sect, the Purple Mansion grand array would be very safe, but what about the wilderness? Would the Li family defend it alone?

The Xuanyue Sect Master immediately knelt, showing a timid and fearful expression: "Reporting to the Family Head, the checkpoints in Shanji Commandery have fallen, and all four borders are fraught with danger. We fear our movements will be intercepted by Guan Gongxiao... This old man requests a place from the Family Head, allowing us to first settle in the wilderness. Once the situation calms down a bit, we will return to Xuanyue..."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Sun Bo, waiting outside the door, couldn't help but turn his head, feeling a pang of guilt. Even Li Zhouwei gave him an extra glance.

Regardless of whether Shanji Commandery could be defended, in Li Zhouwei's arrangements, the Xuanyue Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators and disciples were indeed to be stationed in the wilderness. After all, each member of the Li family had their own duties, and their own forces were barely sufficient. It was naturally impossible to let Kong Guxi and his group go to the mountain gate for cultivation and healing. Who would then guard the wilderness?

As for letting Kong Guxi and others enter the main continent, Li Zhouwei hadn't even considered it. The Li family had no intention of annexing Xuanyue; they still wanted to preserve its name. They hadn't even considered recruiting several of Xuanyue's guest elders.

'Only this Sun Bo is somewhat useful... After all, he cultivates the 'Xiao Zhonglin' path, and most of his mystical abilities are in healing. Previously, we wanted to find Dongquansheng, but this Wood Virtue Dao Foundation is far more potent than the half-baked Dongquansheng.' Li Zhouwei mused inwardly, then nodded slightly and said aloud, "Sect Master, you're being too formal. The wilderness is inherently your esteemed sect's territory, so what 'vacating a spot' are you talking about? I also worry that the Xuanyue mountain gate is far away, by Xian Lake, making travel inconvenient and support difficult."

"Since the Sect Master and I are thinking alike, please find an excellent mountain range in this wilderness to establish your foothold!" Kong Guxi quickly nodded. He also needed to move some of the sect's treasures out, in case the situation truly became irreversible and the mountain gate was lost, so that Xuanyue would still have some hope.

He waited for a moment, trembling with apprehension, until he finally heard Li Zhouwei ask, "Sect Master, do you have any news regarding Jingyi Mountain?"

Kong Guxi immediately knelt on the ground with a thud and recounted the matter with his head bowed. Li Zhouwei listened with a furrowed brow. He waited until Kong Guxi finished speaking, then relaxed his brow and shook his head, saying, "Sect Master, are you saying this kinsman of yours... truly refuses to see you?"

He stared intently into Kong Guxi's eyes, watching Kong Guxi nod with a mix of desolation and fear, which didn't seem to be feigned. The Sect Master then handed over a letter written by his own brother. Li Zhouwei read it, and then advised, "Overseas sects are inherently untrustworthy. Having left the sect since childhood, it would be difficult for him to side with the Kong family anyway. Let it go!"

While dismissing Kong Guxi, he subtly reminded him, "However, what you told me doesn't count for this matter. You still need to go and find the True Person. Once the True Person returns, I will naturally send someone over."

Upon hearing this, Kong Guxi's heart, which had partially settled, tightened again. He sighed and withdrew to find Sun Bo for healing. Li Cheng saw him out, then approached thoughtfully, sighing, "True Person Changxi chose well. Although Kong Guxi doesn't display schemes or strategies, his valuable qualities lie in his open-mindedness, quick adaptability, and willingness to humble himself. These few traits alone... were enough to save Xuanyue!"

Li Zhouwei nodded in agreement, saying, "Though he lacks strategy and is an average talent in ordinary times, he proves to be a pillar in times of crisis, a good steed when things are falling apart, able to see clearly and swallow his pride. You say it's just these two traits, but how many can truly achieve them? When there truly comes a day of collapse, life and death are but a few choices away; how many can measure up to him?”

Li Cheng praised, then worriedly said, "It's just that the True Person hasn't returned yet, and Jingyi Mountain is being fickle. The path ahead will be even more difficult."

Li Zhouwei remained noncommittal, simply saying, "At worst, we'll give up Shanji Commandery and the Xuanyue mountain gate. We won't gain nothing from it. It's also the Xuanyue cultivators who are at the forefront. Leaving aside the Duxian Dao, whom we've already offended, as long as our family is careful, this matter is definitely a profitable venture.”

"However, Shanji and the Xuanyue mountain gate cannot be abandoned right away. After all, our family hasn't even entered them yet... To abandon them immediately would also harm our reputation. It's better to defend a bit and then retreat, than to never have held them at all.”

In fact, after this great battle, apart from An Siwei, the Li family suffered almost no substantial losses. It was merely some minor territorial gains and injuries. With their own Purple Mansion realm cultivator, as long as people were still alive, none of it was a major issue. He paused briefly, worrying about An Siwei for a moment. Finally, he looked at the letter from Jingyi Mountain, pondered for a moment, and replied, "You say Jingyi Mountain is being fickle, but I think not necessarily.”

Li Cheng looked up, and Li Zhouwei said, "It's hard to say if True Person Xuanyi is truly being held back by Chunyi Dao, but Kong Gumo of Jingyi Mountain... he might not be disregarding the Kong family."

"If I were Changxi, I would certainly leave some bloodlines for myself. Kong Gumo might be Changxi's final arrangement—if my Li clan were to go back on our word and not protect his Kong family, taking their resources and sharing them with the Duxian Dao... or even worse, to curry favor with Ye Hui, a mid-Purple Mansion realm cultivator, and drive all his Kong family members away...”

"Then the Kong clan within the seas would surely be annihilated, leaving no direct descendants. Kong Gumo, this child who severed ties, is the Kong family's true last spark. As a disciple of a True Person of the Purple Mansion realm, his Foundation Establishment is guaranteed... And by refusing to rescue his family, he clearly appears to be an ungrateful wretch. Thus, the other True Persons of the Purple Mansion realm wouldn't press True Person Xuanyi to kill him face-to-face.”

Li Zhouwei spoke while flipping through a book. Li Cheng immediately understood, and said, "Family Head, do you mean... True Person Xuanyi received a benefit from Changxi, and the condition might not be to save the Xuanyue Sect, but rather to stay out of it and protect Kong Gumo?”

"Not necessarily." Li Zhouwei picked up his brush and said, "Changxi is a smart person; smart people don't intentionally invite trouble. Since he told my family that Jingyi Mountain would be an aid, the conditions might also include helping Xuanyue. It's just a matter of degree—whether it's light or heavy, mandatory or best effort, or acting on discretion, barely making the cut, it all counts. This way, when our True Person visits, there will be an explanation.”

"This matter isn't entirely settled yet, and don't place too much importance on Jingyi Mountain. Most affairs within the seas can only be handled by oneself.”

Li Zhouwei paused writing slightly, finally showing a worried expression, and said, "These are minor details. The only thing that truly worries me is that the True Person has not yet returned.”

No matter how difficult Xuanyue's situation became, it was still just Xuanyue. His own family could withdraw, and whatever changes occurred, Li Zhouwei was confident he could handle them. However, Li Ximing absolutely could not be in trouble... If anything happened to him, not only would both the Wangyue and Xuanyue families instantly collapse, but Li Zhouwei himself would have to flee overseas!

The Great Void.

In a vast, empty darkness, Li Ximing sat silently on a white step, bathed in heavenly light.

Above him, a Heavenly Gate towered into the darkness. Dragon banners and phoenix carriages moved through it, drifting silently. Figures in golden armor and golden robes stood in various poses atop the Heavenly Gate, still as statues.

Only the platinum-colored banners gently fluttered, casting down streaks of heavenly light, like countless golden threads, softly scattering.

Below the Heavenly Gate were three white steps, each over ten feet long. Li Ximing sat cross-legged on the highest step. Surging purple flames flowed around his body. He remained silent, his hands forming a seal.

Outside this Heavenly Gate, a dense, dark purple radiance permeated and encroached like mist. It ebbed and flowed, almost merging with the blackness of the Great Void. Occasionally, it would be dispersed by the heavenly light, revealing even denser divine power and magic, which held the entire Heavenly Gate captive.

Ye Hui said nothing more, merely exerting his divine power within the Great Void, forcing Li Ximing to sit and respond. A suffocating silence pervaded the space between them.

Li Ximing could even sense that the other party did not wish to engage in a full-scale battle with him. They merely intended to confine him to this location.

Although he held the Xuanyue Sect's valuable treasure, the Mountain-Shifting Sea-Crossing Tiger, which could allow him to escape and provide aid if Li Zhouwei faced any crisis, Ye Hui also had his own methods. Li Ximing didn't want to genuinely fight Ye Hui, so he sat quietly. It was simply that the feeling of being constrained was unpleasant.

Ye Hui's strength was undoubtedly superior to his own. Li Ximing could feel that the opponent's divine power and magic were pressing down perfectly, obscuring the Great Void. With his divine ability blocking his vision like this, Li Ximing couldn't even discern the distance within the Great Void; he could only see the small plot of land beneath his feet, directly facing the wilderness.

Seeing Guan Gongxiao and the others forced back, Li Ximing felt a slight sense of relief and comfort, calculating: "Those who died were Xuanyue cultivators, so it's as if no one from our side died. As for Shanji Commandery, which was saved... our family won't guard it. I wonder if the Ziyan Sect would be willing to take it...”

Although the Li family had repelled the Duxian Dao in this great battle, Li Ximing also understood that the remaining territories couldn't simply be held. The bordering frontier was simply too long, and the longer it was held, the more unstable it would become. After such a battle, both sides had retreated to rest, which merely meant the Li family could dispose of the remaining Shanji Commandery territories.

"If not, I'll ask Su Mian of the Xuanniao Temple and Ling Mei of the Sword Sect again. Both sects are bordering... It's better for them to benefit than for the Duxian Dao to!”

These were matters for later, after returning. Li Ximing immediately stopped his thoughts. The purple light before him showed no sign of weakening. Li Ximing held the golden-veined profound pearl in one hand, ready to flee.

But he had a change of thought: "The Mountain-Shifting Sea-Crossing Tiger is a rare and excellent spiritual artifact. Although it belongs to True Person Changxi and has appeared before, Ye Hui only arrived in Jiangnan more than ten years ago, so he is very likely unfamiliar with it. If I use it to escape now, he would unnecessarily recognize this spiritual artifact, and once he remembers it, it reduces the variables for any future situations.”

Operating on the principle of conserving his means when possible, Li Ximing didn't move. After a quarter of an hour, Ye Hui still hadn't spoken. He sighed lightly and said aloud, "Daoist friend, do you have any instructions?”

He waited for a few breaths before True Person Ye Hui's figure finally stepped out from within the Great Void. He raised his head, his eyes beneath his brows gazing at Li Ximing profoundly, and said, "Daoist friend Zhaojing, are you willing to discuss the matters of Xuanyue?”

‘To hell with your Xuanyue, what evil ideas are you cooking up now? Hurry up and dispel your wretched divine ability...’ Li Ximing paused slightly, then said, "Senior Changxi entrusted Xuanyue to me and True Person Su Mian. Naturally, we must ensure the stability of this immortal sect. Since Daoist friend Ye Hui is willing to talk, we can discuss it.”

Ye Hui held the ceremonial-looking magic sword in his arms, his expression composed, and suddenly said, "I heard that the Mingyang path is not skilled in evasion techniques. If I were to discuss the Dao with you and detain you here for three or five years, it would probably be quite uncomfortable, wouldn't it?”

Li Ximing frowned. He was indeed not skilled in evasion techniques. The Yateng Gate also had no mystical abilities related to evasion, and Ye Hui possessed a divine ability that was more than enough to suppress him... However, he had the Mountain-Shifting Sea-Crossing Tiger to compensate for this weakness, so it was hard to say whether he could escape or not.

But he didn't know what methods Ye Hui possessed, nor had he ever truly fought a Purple Mansion realm cultivator before. Moreover, this was a mid-Purple Mansion realm cultivator right from the start. After a brief consideration, he decided to listen to his "nonsense" and asked, "Daoist friend, what do you mean...?”

Ye Hui's tone suddenly softened. He said quietly, "There is a cultivator in the Xuanyue mountain gate named Kong Haiying. If you can deal with him, then our two families can sit down and discuss how to divide Xuanyue...”

The man raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I know your esteemed clan values reputation. On the surface, I can also engage in some fighting. Once we reach the line we've agreed upon, our two families can stop. The Xuanyue cultivators will naturally be grateful and serve you loyally, and I will have eliminated a major concern. Isn't that a win-win situation?”