Chapter 868: Meeting

Zongquan Island.

The waters of Zhulu Sea, a mix of blue and red, were exceptionally beautiful under the azure sky. Two fishing boats drifted quietly on the sea, their pale yellow sails unfurled, heading towards the area where gulls soared.

Light gathered at the zenith, and a man in a white-gold Daoist robe descended with it, appearing before the grand formation. The island's inhabitants looked up, watching with curiosity.

Zongquan Island had been peaceful for so many years, its inhabitants living in contentment. Thanks to the connection with Huijiao medicine, fishermen even dared to sail and fish freely in the surrounding waters, and thus did not greatly fear cultivators. Li Ximing glanced around and then teleported into the main hall.

An old man in white robes, his face full of wrinkles and his hair sparse, was slumped over a desk, his head bowed, seemingly utterly exhausted. Not until heavenly light appeared before the hall did the old man, as if roused from a dream, jump up, prostrate himself on the ground, trembling like chaff, and pay homage.

"Greetings, Great Power! Greetings, True Lord!"

This was Zong Yan, the local administrator, a Qi Refining earth-born child, now very old. He had grown up on Zongquan Island, experienced life without protection, and held great reverence for high-level cultivators, let alone a True Lord. He immediately knelt firmly on the ground.

Li Ximing simply took out a token of the main family from his sleeve, tossed it into Zong Yan's hand, and instructed:

"Go invite the Heir."

Zong Yan quickly turned, picked up the jade talisman from the desk, crushed it, and then knelt on the ground again. Li Ximing asked:

"How is Zongquan doing these days?"

Zong Yan quickly replied:

"Thanks to the main family's blessings, two talented individuals for cultivation have emerged. They've been sent to the lake for further study. We'll just have to see... if any of them are willing to return in a couple of years."

Although Zongquan Island was much better than before, compared to Wangyue Lake, it was still a desolate place. Unless a direct descendant of the Lake faction came to guard it, no cultivator would be willing to come here. In recent years, a few highly talented individuals had finally emerged and were sent to the Jade Court at the lake, but none had mentioned returning.

These few were ashamed to mention Zongquan, and the Li family had not publicly acknowledged Zongquan Island, with them cultivating at the lake all this time. Li Ximing listened, shook his head, and replied:

"Don't worry, they will all return."

In fact, for Li Zhouwei, Zongquan Island was actually safer than Wangyue Lake. If he were to achieve a breakthrough here, Zongquan Island would surely undergo earth-shattering changes, and its spirit veins would undoubtedly become incomparable to what they were before. Only then did Li Ximing say this. However, Zong Yan misunderstood, quickly kowtowing in alarm:

"Those words... those words are not meant as a reproach... The children... they are all very good to the family..."

Li Ximing was momentarily stunned, then shook his head with a smile. He did not mention Li Zhouwei's matter, but chatted casually with Zong Yan for a while, listening to him ramble about how Li Yuanjiao had saved Zongquan years ago. Finally, he saw a bright light descend from the sky and land before the hall.

The bright light dissipated, revealing a golden-eyed young man in gold and white scale armor, with a black-patterned jade flask at his waist. Upon reaching the front of the hall, his eyes lit up, and he saluted, saying:

"Ming Huang greets True Lord! Congratulations on your advanced divine abilities..."

Seeing him, Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly walked up to him, shook his head, and smiled:

"Look at you... why be so formal... come, come, come..."

Zong Yan wisely closed the door and left, the formation isolating them. Li Ximing knew that Li Zhouwei must have scanned Zongquan with a spirit mirror before approaching, so he spoke boldly, sighing:

"Don't talk about 'True Lord, True Lord' to me. You broke out from the lake and even killed Situ Mo, eliminating that great menace. Whereas I was in a sorry state the whole way... If Changxiao hadn't been intercepted halfway, I would have already become a dispersed heavenly light in the outer seas."

"It's also a blessing in disguise; I went through a whole ordeal outside, healed my injuries, didn't fall too far behind in cultivation, and even gained a True Purple Palace Fire, and forged a connection with Jiuqiu..."

Li Zhouwei repeatedly said he wouldn't dare. Even he, seeing Li Ximing safe and sound and even appearing to have gained many benefits, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He offered a jade box with both hands and replied:

"It is True Lord who preserved our clan. This junior merely escaped by fortunate protection. However, without conducting rituals or offerings, I presumptuously used the clan's sacred treasure, the Spirit Sword. This junior begs for forgiveness..."

Li Ximing knew it contained the Green Ruler, gently took it, and replied:

"Nonsense!"

Li Zhouwei, however, had not finished speaking. Waiting for Li Ximing to accept the Green Ruler, he then said:

"As for Changxiao being intercepted halfway, it was Lord Qinghong who made the move..."

Li Ximing had never expected to hear Li Qinghong's name. His heart skipped a beat, filled with both surprise and joy, and he replied:

"Aunt? Aunt Qinghong has become a Purple Palace cultivator?! No wonder there was continuous heavy rain and ceaseless thunder that day. Changxiao was so viciously powerful, yet she could retreat unharmed... Is she a Dragon Kin?"

Li Zhouwei nodded and said softly:

"Exactly. In that Thunder Dao Grotto-heaven, during the duels, Lord Qinghong slew all her peers skilled in thunder arts, reaching the pinnacle. She transformed into a Thunder Body after the Dragon Kin's Thunder Devouring, becoming a Purple Palace Spirit Cultivator alongside Dongfang Heyun."

"Unfortunately, she cannot act lightly. She has now claimed a sea for herself beyond Jiaohai, named Liehai, where she guards the Thunder Pool. When True Lord fought Changxiao all the way through the outer seas, she extended her aid!"

Li Ximing was at a loss for words. He simply closed his eyes, choked up slightly, and whispered:

"I can finally explain it to the Elder Master!"

The news of Li Qinghong was undoubtedly the greatest good news since the Purple Palace realm. Li Zhouwei also smiled, allowing Li Ximing some time to process it, before whispering:

"Now that I think about it, Dongfang Heyun forged a connection with our family early on. It's hard to say if he knew something like this would happen in the future... maintaining good relations with colleagues... After all, this person shares the longevity of a Dragon Lord. Don't let it seem like most Dragon Kin can order him around; he has many secrets."

Hearing this, Li Ximing was startled and asked:

"If that's the case, then the Dragon Kin's involvement in the Thunder Devouring, and the many arrangements it points to behind the scenes, mean Auntie is already deeply involved and cannot remain uninvolved... No wonder she couldn't contact the family. If our family gets entangled in this... that could lead to the extermination of our clan."

Li Zhouwei's voice gradually lowered, and he continued:

"As for that Lord in Jiangbei... he is the Founding Emperor."

"The Founding Emperor?!"

"Li Qianyuan!"

Li Zhouwei's expression was grim as he recounted everything Dongfang Lieyun had said. Li Ximing listened, utterly shocked, and was stunned for a long time before finally realizing, looking sideways:

"No wonder... no wonder even with all the troubles in Jiangnan, Tinglan told me not to return... No wonder the Great Owl Sunflower Pavilion told me not to interfere! It's not about the Sun's dominance at all; it's simply a problem with my family's identity!"

One matter after another surfaced in his mind, and he said with a solemn expression:

"Does the Founding Emperor truly lack consciousness? But the Bright Yang path values hierarchy and high bloodlines. Even if he were unconscious, how could a dignified Golden Core cultivator be completely unaware of his own blood descendants?"

"Chen Yang... Chen Yang also has Li family blood... His lineage is even very close. When he went to the riverside, True Monarch immediately saw him as a good prospect. Could this also be due to this connection? A natural affinity was thus formed..."

After listening to him, Li Zhouwei frowned and replied:

"In that case... all the families will have noticed it. It might become corroborating evidence for those with ulterior motives to make their inferences."

Li Ximing's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic and complex, and he whispered:

"Our family needs to avoid suspicion. No wonder everyone I met warned me not to touch it... Our family now... I'm afraid many True Lords, and even True Monarchs, are paying close attention."

Li Zhouwei nodded helplessly. Li Ximing's thoughts, however, became increasingly clear, and he whispered:

"The karma between Buddhist cultivators and our family has reached such an extent that even the fundamental methods of the Buddhist Pure Land were obtained from the Wei Li family. How could they not wish to eliminate us quickly? From Duke Tongya to Lord Xuanling, and then to Lord Xuanfeng... Perhaps even more, they hope to convert our family into the Buddhist Pure Land, like the illustrious Victorious King of Brightness!"

The image of him appearing frantic was still vivid in the minds of those sympathetic onlookers. If not for Ling Mei holding the line, Li Ximing would likely have been injured again. After finishing recounting the previous events, his expression grew colder, and he replied:

"The Northern Buddhists are the primary enemy. Due to the laws of karma, even I am in great danger!"

Li Zhouwei responded with worry:

"Exactly. I feel I cannot wait another day. Especially after hearing about the Mahās... Achieving the Purple Palace realm one day sooner might give us more room to maneuver."

Li Ximing took his words to heart, becoming even more apprehensive, but gradually calmed his emotions. He had not said much yet, but what he most wanted to know was Li Zhouwei's progress with the secret arts. With some anticipation, he asked:

"The 'Bright Radiance Primordial Scripture' is in your mind. Although the secret arts are difficult, they shouldn't be much of a challenge for you. Calculating the time, you've only been out of the lake and cultivating steadily for just over three years. How many have you refined?"

Seeing him bring up the matter, Li Zhouwei's face showed a bright smile as he replied:

"Reporting to True Lord, my cultivation is sufficient. I first tried all nine secret arts one by one. Among them, the Imperial Decree has been cultivated, and both the Hundred Arms Mansion and Great Flaw possess cultivation..."

'Already possess cultivation? Refined without needing to cultivate?'

Li Ximing listened, wanting to speak but holding back, his expression complex. He saw Li Zhouwei continue:

"As I came all the way from Hetian Sea, I cultivated both the Hundred Arms Mansion and Great Flaw along the way, and both have achieved success..."

"Huh?"

Li Ximing heard only that one sentence and felt as if struck by lightning. He revealed an incredulous expression and asked, bewildered:

"Cultivating Hundred Arms Mansion and Great Flaw? Can two paths be cultivated simultaneously?"

One must know that Li Ximing was young and vigorous back then, and before cultivating Yangyuan, he had roughly perceived the difficulty. He even estimated that he could complete all nine arts within a hundred years... But after several years of cultivating Yangyuan, he discovered that the secret arts were mutually exclusive, and subsequent cultivation became increasingly difficult. From then on, he gave up the idea of finishing within a hundred years; not only was it impossible to complete them, but he couldn't even make any progress on the later ones.

But if they could be cultivated simultaneously, why would Li Ximing have gone to so much trouble back then? Wouldn't cultivating them one by one only delay each other? Cultivating them together, and waiting for all nine to be completed simultaneously, wouldn't that be twice the result with half the effort! Now he just eagerly asked:

"Since you can cultivate them simultaneously, then don't cultivate them one by one. The various secret arts are mutually exclusive, and cultivation will inevitably become slower and slower. Even if you have extraordinary talent, by the sixth or seventh art... you'll probably spend years and years... Cultivating eight or seven arts simultaneously, and achieving success together, will definitely take much less time!"

Li Zhouwei nodded, listening, and replied:

"True Lord's thoughts are very astute... This junior was also worried earlier that since the Imperial Decree was completed, it would greatly increase the difficulty of subsequent methods, and my estimates were very conservative. But following Lord's description, I first cultivated the Sky Lantern to increase the speed of cultivating other secret arts... And I discovered... there is no mutual exclusivity between the secret arts; in fact, they complement each other, and cultivation becomes faster and faster..."

Li Ximing paused, speechless. Only then did it dawn on him:

"No wonder you can cultivate them simultaneously."

Li Zhouwei let him compose himself, then continued:

"This junior cultivated the Imperial Decree and Hundred Arms Mansion one by one, and noticed a difference. Among the remaining six arts, the Imperial Decree commands the Great Flaw Yangyuan, and the Hundred Arms Mansion connects with the Heavenly Lantern's winding treasure steps, providing even greater beneficial effects..."

"Thus, cultivation became even more rapid. Now that both systems have been completed, I have already mastered seven secret arts. Only the Golden Scale and Red Cicada arts remain untouched."

"Seven?!"

"Indeed."

Li Zhouwei said seriously:

"The Imperial Decree has immense utility. This junior estimates... if the Imperial Decree arts were not inherently present, they would be much more difficult. Calculating the time, to start cultivating from scratch, it would take about ten years to reach this progress."

And Li Ximing's talent in Bright Yang was not considered bad among Purple Palace cultivators; he had spent over ten years on just three arts...

Li Ximing's expression was complex. Li Zhouwei was born with three secret arts, and even if these three were considered innate and he cultivated them on the Hetian Sea road, he still completed four more in these three or four years... He sighed deeply and replied:

"A destiny nurtured by heaven and earth!"

"Then the other two arts..."

As soon as Li Ximing asked, Li Zhouwei replied thoughtfully:

"This is also why I came to find True Lord... The remaining two arts are completely different; not only are they extremely difficult to inscribe on the immortal foundation, but they also encounter significant resistance. Although I estimate they could also be cultivated in a few years, the delay would be too long... So I sought out True Lord, to break through to the Purple Palace realm right here without cultivating the remaining two arts!"

Li Ximing stroked his beard in thought, quickly recovering from his shock. He nodded slightly and whispered:

"It's just... there are no Bright Yang Purple Palace spirit items available right now. Fortunately, I have a few Great Bright Yang Purple Palace Pills that aid cultivation; they are relatively mild and can assist you in pushing your immortal foundation into Ascension Yang."

With that, he took out a small box from his storage pouch. He placed it in his palm, gently opened it, revealing three pristine white pills, appearing as if covered in scales—the Scale Radiance Illumination Pill.

"I used one pill made from two Bright Yang spirit herbs back then," he explained. "By the time I reached Juque, I had to rely on myself. One of these pills should be enough, but I'll leave two for you, just in case."

These were Purple Palace spirit pills, infinitely better than the one Li Ximing had used back then. Using even one might waste a significant amount of its medicinal power. Li Zhouwei frowned and tried to decline, but Purple Palace matters could not be neglected in the slightest. Li Ximing firmly pressed them upon him, so Li Zhouwei reluctantly accepted one, indicating it was enough, and then said seriously:

"I will give Lord a stone talisman. If I succeed in breaking through, I will immediately crush it to signal, and then you can come to the lake..."

He took the stone talisman, and then took a jade slip from his sleeve, handing it back to Li Ximing. Before he could speak, Li Ximing saw the jade slip and immediately looked awkward, replying:

"Oh... this, this, this... this thing..."

This was precisely the detailed account of Yangyuan that Li Ximing had expansively written back then, over a hundred thousand characters long. Now, it seemed like nothing but verbose nonsense. Yet Li Zhouwei said seriously:

"My insights from cultivation here have already been written and recorded at the end, compiled into a single piece. Please keep it safe, True Lord, as part of our clan's foundation."