Chapter 750: Up and Down the Mortal World

When he took the letter and saw the handwriting, it was indeed his elder brother's. Li Xizhi's tone was, as always, polite and measured. This was the same polite tone his brother used in letters home when he first became the Pavilion Master of Jiutian Pavilion, which then seemed humble. Now that Li Ximing had achieved the status of a True Immortal, his continued use of the same tone didn't appear obsequious.

After reading, Li Ximing mused to himself:

"Sijunhui, Kongyingsan."

Kongyingsan was one of the three traditions of Xiaoshishan. The direct lineage of the Sijia family was going to cultivate this path, and they had specifically announced their intention to join his sect. Their attitude was quite clear:

"After all, his primordial cultivation meant he didn't have much lifespan left. If the Xiaoshishan tradition cultivated its own direct descendants, they might gain some opportunities. True Immortal Yuanxiu wants to get involved."

"And this move, on one hand, allows them to enter Xiaoshishan through our family, and on the other, it's a gesture of goodwill towards our family. Becoming a disciple under my elder brother is also to find support for the Sijia family in the future..."

Siboxiu's gesture of goodwill was not a bad thing for Li Ximing. Qingchi was the heartland of his family, and it was undoubtedly better for it to be as stable as possible. He calculated:

"Sijunhui has just begun qi refinement, while Wang Quwan is already preparing for Foundation Establishment. The two will likely not encounter each other. However, the whereabouts of the two remaining traditions of Xiaoshishan are unknown, so there might still be opportunities."

He took out paper and pen, wrote a reply, and had Li Jiangqian deliver it back. He then asked:

"From your expression, do you have some good news?"

Li Jiangqian smiled and said:

"True Immortal's wisdom is indeed sharp. The Guanshe Terrace has been completed and stands at the Chengqing Gate, and the Jade Court has also been built, situated at the foot of Jade Court Mountain. Palaces stretch continuously, and all the court guards have moved in. We have one Foundation Establishment cultivator, nineteen Qi Attainment cultivators, eighty-nine Fetal Breath cultivators, and over twenty thousand elite mortal soldiers. It is truly worthy of its name, with over ninety-six thousand people living at the foot of the mountain, all far exceeding the conditions for qi absorption."

"A few days ago, Protector Li Wen entered to absorb qi, and indeed, there were signs of 'Court Red Dust'! Our family's 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture' can finally be cultivated!"

"Excellent!"

The Guanshe Terrace was a crucial place for his family to refine spiritual embryos, and Li Ximing had always paid attention to it. He hadn't rushed its completion because he hadn't acquired the suitable magical artifacts yet, so he was surprised it was finished so early.

As for the acquisition of 'Court Red Dust' and the addition of a Zifu tradition to his family, Li Ximing was naturally overjoyed. Moreover, the 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture' was originally an ancient cultivation method practiced by the direct lineage of the Jiang family, a remnant of an immortal mansion. With the current prosperity of jade, its power might truly not be inferior at all!

Li Jiangqian bowed respectfully with a smile and replied:

"I have come to request the True Immortal's divine decree. How should this cultivation method be arranged?"

Li Ximing tapped the jade table and said:

"The court guards in our family practice the quick-completion 'Court Guarding Art'. While this cultivation method isn't outstanding, it excels in the extremely rapid process from Fetal Breath to Qi Refinement, often used by cultivators with lower talents from humble families. If these individuals encounter cultivators practicing the 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture', their tradition will be suppressed, making it difficult to contend. Therefore, the cultivation of the 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture' must be firmly controlled by our family."

The reasons why the Li family chose the 'Court Guarding Art' went far beyond that. In fact, there was a more crucial point: this method only required 'Jade Well Cold Armor' for qi absorption. One could absorb qi simply by digging a well, making the cost astonishingly low, requiring almost no spirit stones.

He asked:

"The Jiang family was destroyed, and this cultivation method spread. The remnants of the Jiang family should all have records. Fortunately, they were annihilated one after another, leaving only the An family lineage. I remember my father severed their access to the cultivation method long ago. Has this matter been thoroughly investigated and confirmed?"

Li Jiangqian respectfully replied:

"Reporting to True Immortal, I have investigated. In Nanzhang, there are a few families who are outsiders to the Yu family. However, during the rebellion, they couldn't break into the Yu family's treasure vault and thus didn't obtain the 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture'. While reading the Yu family's history, I discovered a small family named Pu, a remnant of the Jiang family, located north of the East Shore. I specifically sent Uncle Chenghuai there, and he confirmed they had a copy of the 'White Hair Knocking on the Court Scripture'."

Li Ximing gestured for him to continue, and Li Jiangqian replied:

"I invited the direct lineage of the Pu family and had the father and son make a spiritual vow to sever the cultivation method's inheritance. As compensation, a hereditary position was established in the Jade Court, providing protection for their descendants. This branch will cultivate in the Jade Court from now on. Later, a newborn descendant will be left to inherit the Pu family's position. After two generations, this cultivation method will be considered severed."

"Good. Although this qi is controlled by our family and others having the cultivation method would be useless, it's wise to take precautions and prevent others from prying into the secrets of our tradition."

Li Ximing sipped his tea, assenting verbally, but harboring other thoughts in his mind.

He had long known that Li Zhouwei's children were not close to each other. Over a hundred years had passed since the family's establishment, and while the remaining three main branches of the family still had some kinship, their numbers were truly small.

Now, more and more cultivators within the continent were coming from fragmented side branches of the main lineage, producing geniuses through sheer numbers and then returning to the main lineage. These side branches, having wandered outside the continent before returning, were even less close. Currently, Li Jiangqian primarily governed the middle and upper echelons of the continent, gradually favoring those of other surnames and the returning main branches.

"The influence of a virtuous person lasts only five generations. The Ji branch, thanks to my elder brother, managed to bring forth Chenghuai and Zhouluo. But the Bo branch, with its vast number of mortals, has sunk into Huzhou; despite having many cultivators, it lacks geniuses..."

Li Jiangqian handled the matter well, and Li Ximing nodded without saying much. However, he also understood that the An clan held significant influence in the Jade Court, and Li Wen was an isolated minister. The Pu family branch residing in the Jade Court would undoubtedly be Li Jiangqian's people.

One could not view every cultivator in the family from a purely individual perspective. Li Jiangqian was more than just Li Jiangqian; he was also from the Zhong branch, and his maternal clan was the An clan. Whether it was Li Jianglong or Li Jiangxia, their innate desire for power was one aspect, but the power they gained was not solely for themselves; it also served the factions behind them.

Behind Li Jiangqian was a group of supporters: the An clan, the Zhong branch, and even a large number of cultivators who championed the patriarchal system. From another perspective, this change was also a self-saving measure by the An clan, facing a shift in power after losing An Siwei.

This was not wrong, and Li Ximing said nothing more, only stating:

"This cultivation method is not weak. Someone from the direct lineage needs to practice it. I recall Jiangliang is currently only at Fetal Breath. By the time he achieves progress, the qi will be readily available. Let him cultivate it."

"This junior obeys."

Li Jiangqian replied:

"It's just that Jiangliang and Xuanyue were engaged some years ago."

"They wouldn't dare bring it up."

Li Ximing casually responded, but hesitated for a moment. If Xuanyue truly achieved a Zifu breakthrough in the next few years, this matter might indeed become a reality. So he said:

"Then let Jiangnian cultivate it... As for Jiangliang... let your father make the arrangements!"

Li Jiangqian acknowledged and withdrew. Li Ximing waited a moment, then disappeared into the Void.

East Sea.

Black reefs stood tall, and waves surged, yet there was no white, only an ink-like blackness. There was no reflection on the sea surface. Reaching the far east of the East Sea, spiritual energy gradually thinned, and the Void became calmer.

Beneath the surface, the sea was pitch black. Occasionally, a few spiritual fish swam by, but nothing else was visible. Traversing the deep seascape, a young man in a green robe with a golden tassel at his waist sat quietly cross-legged in the depths of the sea, his eyes closed.

Before him was a massive formation, interwoven with jade-green patterns, like a giant agate dome, suppressing something deep within the seabed. Below it, reefs that had accumulated over millions of years, so hard that even Foundation Establishment cultivators struggled to move them, were cleanly cut as if they were tofu, scattering haphazardly into the sea.

After an unknown period, the young man slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were light green. Turbulent lu water rolled around him, distinct from the surrounding deep-sea water, converging into a light jade-green halo.

"Fellow Daoist! How is my formation?"

The young man's joyous question resonated through the seawater, completely unaffected by the deep-sea pressure. He flew into the formation. Just one breath later, the seawater around the entire formation suddenly boiled, and a thunderous shriek echoed:

"Chibuzi! Are you mad?! When have I ever offended you?!"

Chibuzi stood up from the rock reef, stepped down into the water, and chuckled:

"Precisely because you haven't offended me, I can trap you here, isn't that right? It's only been two years of refinement, and I haven't even acted yet... Why are you in such a hurry, Fellow Daoist?"

"Furthermore, this place is the 'World's Navel', the domain of True Monarch Miaodao Huasheng. This humble Daoist holds her in the highest respect and admiration, so I naturally wouldn't take your life here. Rest assured!"

As Chibuzi's words fell, the demon in the formation was so enraged that it paused for three full breaths.

Chibuzi naturally knew how frustrated the demon was. He had personally laid out the trap bit by bit, using four late-stage Zifu divine abilities to bully a lesser opponent, revealing so-called traces of ruins, feigning seclusion nearby, and then waiting for the other party to approach him.

After all, it was a Zifu cultivator's seclusion place. Although the demon saw the formation in the Void, it paid no mind. Only when it approached this place was it deceived by Chibuzi's Ugly Gui Hidden technique, failing to notice that the formation was a full circle larger than its spiritual sense had perceived.

Even so, when the demon inquired from afar across the water, it was still beyond the formation's reach. Chibuzi patiently dealt with it for nearly two years before the other party accidentally stepped in front of the formation and was deceived by the divine ability.

Once the demon entered the formation, Chibuzi suppressed it with a spiritual artifact and daily applied magical enhancements to strengthen the formation's divine abilities. He waited quietly for two years, and the demon almost believed there was something wrong with the formation, even thinking Chibuzi himself had been deceived.

Now that the truth was revealed, the other party was so furious it seemed about to spit blood. Its voice, surprisingly, was a charming female one, and it cursed:

"Chibuzi! Even beasts like me know our parents, but you, a person without sect or clan, merely watched Qingchi change hands! You truly are an unreliable wretch! Not a word you say can be trusted. I only regret believing you, for I didn't know you were an unprovoked madman!"

Chibuzi, however, laughed:

"Beasts like you simply don't understand. Sects use oral traditions and private teachings, coercing and deceiving with internal and external laws. Clans use blood ties and kinship, acting dictatorially and arbitrarily based on surnames. Both are intertwined, a muddy stream. How can I, with my divine body, stoop to the vulgarities of the mortal world? Only you, a mere beast, remember only parents and use that as an argument."

Although this demon was also a Zifu cultivator, how could it argue with Chibuzi, who had studied scriptures since childhood? Its mouth was stopped with a single sentence, and it retorted:

"Though I am a beast, you are a demon! How can I not speak of it!"

Chibuzi no longer responded to her. He stepped into the formation, one step at a time, and the seawater around him turned from black to green, transforming from turbid to clear from bottom to top, rising all the way to the surface of the sea. In the sky, rain began to pour down.

Chibuzi had already stepped into the formation, treading on the lu water. The Zifu demon was alarmed. It had only recently broken through to Zifu, and once the Void was sealed, it was no match for Chibuzi. So it said:

"Chibuzi, I have at least bowed under the Tongxin Li. The Phoenix clan also knows my name. You should consider this carefully."

Chibuzi responded with a smile, simply replying:

"I specifically chose you! What difference does it make if they know? You only bowed once. Now, in this situation, who would care about you?"

Instantly, violent commotions erupted within the grand formation. The divine ability of lu water rippled, and intense Shaoyin radiance spread throughout the formation, transforming into numerous snow-like floating ice shards. A gloomy current emerged but was firmly suppressed beneath the lu water.

The demon, however, appeared as a beautiful young girl, draped in translucent blue gauze with nothing else on. Unfortunately, after being struck by the lu water, it finally couldn't help but reveal its true form: a spiritual sparrow with blue and white feathers.

Chibuzi hadn't even glanced at its previous maiden form, as if fearing it would soil his eyes. Now that it had transformed into its original shape, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but examine it from head to toe, exclaiming:

"Excellent, excellent! As expected, another feathered beast. Ancient texts say... Shaoyin transforms into feathers, while Mingyang transforms into shells. The latter is often considered a mistake, but the former is almost certainly true!"

The spiritual sparrow couldn't understand why this person, out of nowhere, wanted to harm it. Seeing him prattle on about ancient texts, it gritted its teeth in anger and cursed:

"Idiot..."

The two fought fiercely, causing the seawater around the formation to surge. Light and darkness intertwined on the sea surface, and the rain never stopped, continuing for more than half a month. Several cultivators even passed by and paused on the surface to observe.

"The lu water doesn't cease; could there be a treasure here?"

These cultivators' abilities were insufficient to reach the seabed, so they naturally found nothing. Meanwhile, the Zifu demon at the seabed, after fighting a round, felt overwhelmed. Most of its feathers had been sheared off, so it had no choice but to forcefully endure the lu water and charge towards the edge of the grand formation.

The demon, in a daze, slammed its head directly into the grand formation. This collision used all its might, and with a thunderous boom, the demon's entire head exploded into a dense, blood-like, chilling white mist, which erupted and splattered onto the formation.

As the divine ability suddenly manifested, the grand formation, which had been under attack for more than half a month and was now violently struck, finally began to waver. In that brief moment of instability, a trace of the Void was revealed, and the demon vanished into thin air.

Chibuzi, however, remained unhurried. He gently waved his hand, and the grand formation rapidly shrank and flew back into his sleeve. With his divine abilities and spiritual artifacts, the demon couldn't have escaped him even at its peak, let alone now, having suffered significant injuries.

He merely murmured:

"Such an obedient demon. I said she couldn't die at the World's Navel, and she really went somewhere else!"

Chibuzi broke through the Void and sped away, but the Void was empty, seemingly devoid of any trace. Without a glance, he stretched out a hand, hooked his little finger, touched his thumb to his index finger, and chanted:

"'Whence come purity and turbidity? Jade Pool sees ice, great warmth, and cold, these are traces of Shaoyin.'"

His eyes lit up, and he stepped through the Void. Mid-air, he spotted the spiritual sparrow. The demon's speed in traversing the Void was already quite fast, but still inferior to his. After flying halfway, it had no choice but to exit the Void and enter the material world.

As soon as the spiritual sparrow emerged from the Void, it appeared on the sea surface where a scattered group of over ten cultivators were still gathered, all believing a treasure had appeared and confronting each other. The Zifu demon, conveniently injured, devoured them all in one gulp—it was unknown how many ancestors or temple masters it consumed—then flew off in a daze.