Chapter 792: Great Divine Power

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

Peacock Sea.

The waters of Peacock Sea were quite unique, a deep brown with a greenish glow. Many areas of the sea surface were interwoven with bronze and green-purple hues, creating a dazzling array of colors.

On this jewel-like, shimmering sea, a cultivator in a platinum-gold daoist robe emerged, having traveled through the Void.

Li Ximing, estimating he had reached Peacock Sea, began to walk across the water, a feeling of emotion rising in his heart:

“The Cape is truly far…”

Li Ximing had traveled through the Void. He had initially planned to fly from the mortal realm, riding the wind, to gather spiritual materials along the way. Yet, even with his Purple Mansion-level speed, he had flown for several days without even leaving the Cape. Beyond the sea region around Qingxu Temple, there were only boundless mundane seas where spiritual energy was completely severed.

These places had no connection to the Void, appearing as tiny, almost nonexistent points within it, and were thus easily bypassed. For ordinary cultivators, flying there would take months, even years, which explained why no one was willing to venture towards the Cape.

He simply found a place with barely enough spiritual energy, entered the Void, and quickly arrived at Peacock Sea this time. Looking back at the boundless ocean behind him, he couldn't help but sigh:

“What a desolate place. If a cultivator were to emerge from here one day, that would truly be an astonishing talent.”

He flew along Peacock Sea for a while, and the spiritual energy finally grew richer. Several deserted islands were as significant as Qingxu Temple. Flying and stopping, he indeed saw several large, colorful-winged peacocks flying overhead, bringing with them gusts of hot wind.

The largest of these peacocks were the size of courtyards, capable of carrying buildings on their backs, while even the smaller ones were imposing, larger than a bed frame. Their feathers were a mix of purple, red, green, and fiery hues, undulating like flames, presenting a truly magnificent sight.

Li Ximing glanced at them, noticing figures on the peacocks' backs. He dismissed the thought of immediately taking action, traveled through the Void, and quickly appeared on a large island below, where the ground was bustling and lively.

This place was unlike the Cape, so concealing his whereabouts was necessary. Li Ximing casually changed his appearance, retracted the divine light from his robe, and completely erased any traces of his Bright Yang divine ability.

He grasped something in his hand, and the jade-bead-like Mountain-Moving Sea-Rushing Tiger materialized. Holding it, and leveraging the spiritual artifact's rank, his aura transformed into that of a Gen Earth practitioner, and his cultivation was suppressed to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Stepping forward, he transformed into a middle-aged cultivator in a brown robe.

Li Ximing was utterly clueless when it came to transformation arts. His series of changes wouldn't even deceive a Purple Mansion cultivator, let alone a Foundation Establishment one skilled in such arts. However, the island was populated entirely by Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation practitioners, who all bowed down before him.

Leading them was the island master, who was still dirt poor but at least better off than Qingxu Temple. This person even had a Qi Cultivation-level magic sword on him. He kowtowed and said:

“We do not know where this Daoist has come from. This humble place is crude, and we fear it may soil your noble feet…”

Though the ancient customs here were not as strong as at the Cape, the term 'Daoist' was still used. Li Ximing asked:

“What place is this, and who governs the sea here?”

The island master bowed and replied:

“Reporting, Daoist, this place is Gaoxuan Island. Peacock Sea falls under the territory of the Great Dao of Taotao Nine Hills. About two thousand li to the east from here, there is a Nine Hills Immortal Mountain, where the Daoists reside.”

Ultimately, it was most convenient to inquire about things once he reached Peacock Sea. This information was far more useful than Xia Shouyu's vague tidbits. Li Ximing whispered:

“I've heard that there are mighty divine abilities in Peacock Sea. May I ask which True Person is cultivating here?”

The man quickly bowed and replied:

“Reporting, Daoist, there is a True Person Lingtong on Nine Hills Immortal Mountain. He is a great divine ability user, and Peacock Sea venerates him alone. He is benevolent and charitable; not only do people from nearby sea regions constantly come to seek knowledge, but even True Persons from the distant, almost invisible Jiangnan region come to visit…”

‘True Person Lingtong…’

Li Ximing had never heard that name before. He frowned and could only ask:

“Do you know what lineage the Great Dao of Taotao Nine Hills belongs to… And what is the surname of their direct descendants?”

This man was only at the Qi Cultivation stage, so how could he know anything about lineages? Fearing he might displease Li Ximing, he was drenched in sweat, racking his brains:

“This humble one’s place is remote, so I don’t know anything about lineages or direct descendants… I haven’t had the chance to ask…”

As he was sweating profusely, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he replied:

“However… when this humble one was young, I once followed my father to a Peacock Sea market. The esteemed figure at that market came down from the mountain, and all the cultivators called him… Lord Tantai…”

‘Tantai?!’

Li Ximing suddenly realized, thinking to himself:

“A member of the Tantai family! Tantai Jin of the Green Pond Sect is from the Tantai family… This True Person Lingtong is a friend of Si Boxiu!”

“Well, well, so the Tantai family is in Peacock Sea… and they have such a great reputation! Yuan Xiu really found a good backer for the younger generation…”

He had his answer, and it was an unexpected pleasant surprise. He raised an eyebrow and asked:

“I understand now… Are these peacocks in the sea all from Nine Hills Immortal Mountain? And who governs the demon beasts on a daily basis?”

The man didn’t know why he had shifted to talking about demon beasts. He replied:

“Your Excellency, you may not know, but Nine Hills Immortal Mountain is located in the southwest of Peacock Sea, and large areas of islands and land are also there. The Peacock Lords are all in the northeast… extending continuously northward, there is a Great Bronze Temple of Auspicious Blessings. It is where the Peacock Lords cultivate; they all read scriptures and tap wooden fish. They have blessed lands within their bellies, sustaining many lives.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ximing immediately became interested and asked:

“Peacock Sea once had great demons, and now their descendants are actually studying Buddhist dharma. Since Nine Hills Immortal Mountain tolerates them, there must be someone powerful backing them.”

The man naturally didn’t know the details and could only reply:

“They are indeed the descendants of that person. I heard that these lords are resplendent with colors and have connections with many lineages within the sea, often sharing life and death with those great figures…”

Li Ximing then knew that the Merciful of the Sea often came here to seek mounts. He mused to himself:

“To capture a demon, it would naturally be most satisfying to capture these scripture-chanting peacocks. Unfortunately, I’m not in top form, and I don’t know their background, so it’s not wise to act. However, I can note down their location…”

“In the future, if there are any sacrifices or elixirs to refine, I can come here to these peacocks and take advantage. After all, demon beasts without background are hard to find, but the peacocks in the temple are both plump and plentiful.”

He then asked:

“Which area is more chaotic, where demon beasts run rampant?”

The man replied:

“To the south, there is Dong’e King Sea, where the Dragon clan has withdrawn and no longer governs, so it's currently in chaos… Everyone plans to make a fortune there.”

Li Ximing nodded, casually tossed two elixirs to him, and then vanished. Being close to the Cape, the Void was highly efficient here. He quickly arrived at Dong’e King Sea, observed it through the Void for a while, and then emerged based on the fluctuations of spiritual energy. Indeed, he found chaos everywhere, with skirmishes breaking out on all sides.

Not far away, a large black-feathered bird was flying, its eyes bloodshot and ablaze with fire. Two groups of people nearby scattered and fled. This fire-breathing bird, obscuring the sky and sun, scorched everything around it white, leisurely extending its neck to devour cultivators one by one, casually following behind them.

“Oh! Better late than never… or rather, perfectly timed.”

As the demon beast was unleashing its might, a cultivator in a platinum-gold robe materialized beside it. Reaching out, he effortlessly grabbed the formidable creature by the neck and lifted it. Instantly, all its flames dissipated completely. The bird was struck by a divine ability, reverting to its original form, the size of an ordinary goose, its legs stiffly extended, utterly unable to move.

The sea surface instantly fell silent, save for the heart-rending cries of the lesser demons below:

“Great Demon King Yuanli Pagoda Sky-Burner has been captured!”

Li Ximing frowned upon hearing this, growing suspicious. He held the fierce demon as one would a dead bird, grabbing its tail and holding it upside down. He then slapped its beak, forcing the 'dead bird' to open its mouth wide, and casually shook it twice, spilling all the contents from its belly.

He glanced at the spilled items, finding nothing noteworthy, and immediately knew the demon beast was insignificant. He frowned and said:

“What backwater demon beast is this, so utterly ignorant? With such shallow cultivation, it dares to claim such a grand title. An uninformed person might think a Demon Lord was here…”

He unfastened his belt, tied a knot around the bird's neck, and fastened it to his robe, looking like a Daoist descending the mountain who had just bought a chicken from a farmer. He then turned and left.

He left behind a multitude of cultivators and lesser demons standing dumbfounded, looking at each other. Faintly, they heard shouts of 'Great Demon King Yuanli Pagoda Sky-Burner has fallen!' One cultivator raised his eyebrows, his face filled with unconcealed shock and the relief of having escaped disaster. He murmured:

“A great divine ability user… there can be no greater!”

A nearby cultivator, similarly dressed, exhaled heavily and replied:

“Let’s go… Brother Li. This place is not safe. Elder Shihai has already arrived; we should quickly regroup.”

Moon-Gazing Lake.

The season of abundant rain had passed. Qingdu Mountain was no longer troubled by rainfall, and its stone steps appeared even neater. Moonlight swept through the courtyard year after year, yet nothing seemed different.

The small courtyard was very quiet. The old man was pacing with his hands behind his back, while Li Shuya, dressed in brown, stood by, holding a jade tray. As the midnight bell chimed, Li Shuya stepped forward and whispered:

“Esteemed Elder… it’s midnight.”

A cup of clear, bright tea had already been poured into the jade cup on the tray. This tea was brewed from the treasured medicine Qingyun Fuye, personally ordered by Li Ximing years ago for Li Xuanxuan's recuperation, to be consumed with elixirs.

Li Xuanxuan understood this was Li Shuya’s duty and did not make things difficult for him. He quickly drank the tea, then finally couldn’t help but ask:

“Xixuan has been confined to the ancestral hall. How… is he doing now?”

Li Xixuan had been confined to Qingdu since his last dispute with Li Xuanxuan and had not yet emerged. Li Shuya, however, misunderstood and respectfully said:

“Both the central island and the shore have taken heed, and progress on the west bank is also very swift…”

Li Xuanxuan was silent for a moment, then asked:

“Ming Palace is in seclusion… and Xixuan is confined to the courtyard by me. The Yuanwan lineage must be deeply shaken. No one has come to plead for him recently, so have there been any other actions?”

Li Shuya shook his head, hesitating:

“This junior does not know… The Yuanwan lineage has never truly separated; only a few spiritual aperture lineages branched off. Later, it was Lord Ming Palace who gained a spiritual aperture, which allowed Lord Xixuan’s branch to split off. Currently, five or six courtyards are very anxious, and some have come to persuade this humble one, hoping that the Esteemed Elder will calm his anger…”

Li Xuanxuan asked again:

“What is being said about this on the central island?”

Li Shuya hesitated for a moment, then faltered:

“All the clan members are very emotional…”

“Emotional?”

Li Xuanxuan knew exactly what their sentiment was. He sighed, his voice hoarse:

“Let them lament one by one… Xixuan acted righteously, even daring to contradict me to help them secure patronage… How could I, as their grand-uncle, not see through the intentions of these children? Let him be confined for now, and we’ll see how many people jump out later.”

He paced another circuit in the courtyard, then raised an eyebrow and said:

“It’s late; you should rest. I’m going to see the Family Head.”

Li Shuya was, after all, a mortal. Keeping company with Li Xuanxuan, who worried day and night during this period, was truly taxing. The old man dismissed him to rest, then ascended into the wind alone, quickly landing on the central island.

He saw bright lights and music everywhere. Several brightly lit red pleasure boats, burning candles, cruised leisurely across the lake. Waves of fragrant breeze, accompanied by singing, wafted from the boats and drifted over the water.

These were naturally not transport vessels, but new forms of entertainment involving song and dance. Originally, this practice was from Lijing Prefecture, confined only to rivers. Later, as the number of cultivators in the Li family grew, restrictions on luxury and entertainment were relaxed, allowing these boats to operate on the lake, making it even livelier.

The pleasure boats were filled with high officials and nobles. The direct descendants of the Li family naturally did not frequent them. Instead, they were more often places of enjoyment for those from other surnames and minor sects. Thus, Li Xuanxuan did not find it extravagant; rather, he saw a kind of relaxing prosperity.

‘Firstly, it diverts the idle thoughts of these cultivators, and secondly, it prevents the lake from appearing lifeless… More overt song and dance means less hidden indulgence…’

After Li Ximing reached the Purple Mansion stage, interactions between the central island and the shore became closer. Many things seemed to have gradually emerged from the rules, but in reality, they were permitted by Li Zhouwei and Li Jiangqian in succession. The old man observed, shaking his head and muttering to himself:

‘It is indeed prosperous… no wonder the islanders envy it.’

Just as the old man shifted his gaze to the central island, he spotted a youth in red robes secretly descending from above, seemingly having just returned from outside the island. He grunted, then rode the wind to catch up, calling out:

“Li Zhouming!”

Li Zhouming shuddered in fright. Upon seeing him, his first instinct was to run. He took one step back, then realized it was too late to flee, and offered an ingratiating smile:

“Oh, it’s the Esteemed Elder… I haven’t had a chance to visit you these past few days…”

Li Xuanxuan scrutinized the youth and asked:

“Where have you been?”

Li Zhouming gave an awkward smile and replied:

“I met a lovely girl by the shore. She’s only at the second stage of Embryonic Breathing, and I saw her family was struggling and couldn’t afford any magic artifacts, so I forged a hairpin… Here… I just delivered it tonight.”

Although Li Zhouming was a dissolute character, he never lied to Li Xuanxuan, otherwise the old man wouldn't have understood his wanton ways so thoroughly. Li Xuanxuan merely frowned and said:

“Which family’s girl is it this time… You like one every three days and change every six months. Just don’t do anything disgraceful!”

Li Zhouming cupped his hands and chuckled:

“Ancestor… this junior merely appreciates them from afar; I haven't resorted to any lowly tricks… After all, the family is so strict. If I were to harbor such thoughts, she would certainly be forced upon me, and then there would be no more beauties to admire in the future…”

Li Xuanxuan was often helpless when dealing with him, shaking his head and sighing:

“If you continue like this… her reputation will suffer… It’s better to avoid such entanglements…”

Li Zhouming hastily said:

“Don’t worry, I have my ways of handling Qingdu… I would absolutely not do that, or how else would I have gotten by until today? This is my only hobby. If you cut off this path, you’ll be the death of me…”

“Scram! Scram! Scram!”

Li Xuanxuan could only let him go and quickly headed towards the hall. Only after the old man had left did Li Zhouming straighten up. His two attendants looked at him, and the young rake muttered:

“Those few families are crying like they’re at a funeral every single day, as if a simple confinement is the end of the world! One has to go farm, another has to pole a boat, as Sister Xinghan told me long ago! Secretly, they don’t know how much wealth and status they’ve gotten from Aunt Ming Palace… I think they have money stashed away that’s hard to spend…”

“Aunt is kind-hearted and feared they’d be punished, so she kept quiet. Now they’ve even agitated the Esteemed Elder into coming down! Let’s go, let’s go…”

The two couldn't help but look up and ask:

“Your Highness…”

Li Zhouming’s face stiffened. He flung his sleeve, snapping open his fan, and replied:

“Weren’t those families always reporting me to Qingdu in the past? Damn them, they can’t even secretly enjoy themselves without getting caught, and they’re just jealous of me. Let’s go to their courtyard today, pick out some lazy lout wailing, or some stinking birds squawking, or some whining dogs looking for fun… Curse them a bit, then leave…”

“At least we’ll let off some steam and annoy them a bit. Let’s see how genuinely they can still cry!”

He was full of enthusiasm, lifting his feet to leave. This distressed his two attendants, who, drenched in sweat and utterly terrified, scrambled to follow him, unable to dissuade him. They could only lament:

“Young Master! You really shouldn’t curse… Everyone on the island is watching… Oh dear…”

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