Chapter 921: All Matters Settled

Li Zhouwei spent some time in Dalei Mountain, gaining significant insights. He soon bid farewell to Qing Yudian, emerged from the mountains with the White Ape, and departed amidst the respectful farewells of the surrounding demons.

*Although the Dragon-Fox Pact exists, the fox clan's stance is clearly neutral. Even if pressured to ally with the Dragon Clan, they only wish to live in seclusion within Dalei Mountain and avoid interfering in worldly affairs as much as possible…*

*This isn't just a disparity in strength; it's also a geographical limitation. Even though the Dragon Clan is in decline, they still command an entire sea, while Dalei Mountain is by a lake. They dare not meddle much in Mingyang's matters…*

He turned his head slightly, looked at the White Ape, and asked in a low voice:

“Did you find out anything?”

The White Ape immediately bowed and said in a hoarse voice:

“The demons in the cave said... there's another great king in the mountain, even more powerful than Demon King Tingfu. He has snowy white fur and noble blood, but he hasn't appeared in recent years. As for anything more... it's hard to say if it's true or false.”

*Even more powerful...*

Li Zhouwei understood.

*Qing Yudian is already preparing to cross the Immortal Threshold, so this demon king must be at least a Fourfold Divine Ability cultivator, plus the fox clan's ancestor who might have been enlightened by an immortal... Their combined strength is quite formidable...*

*And Senior Bairong, who achieved Divine Ability cultivation within a hundred years of Foundation Establishment, is not remarkable for humans, but for demons, whose cultivation speed is slower, she is an extraordinary genius... It's likely she benefited greatly after the Dragon-Fox Pact.*

Although he didn't meet Bairong this time, the information he gathered was significant, allowing him to better understand the general situation. As he now traveled by light, he mused:

*After all, everyone has their own interests. One must listen to various parties to find an opening in the current situation...*

He now returned to the lake by light, still deep in thought. He continued to travel by light, stepping through the void to Qingdu Peak. The small courtyard was somewhat quiet, where he saw an old man setting up two wooden frames in front of the door, seemingly drying armor.

Li Zhouwei had actually met Li Xuanxuan once upon his return, but had no time for lengthy conversation as he was soon busy heading into the mountains. Now, bringing news of Bairong, he landed in the courtyard.

“True Lord has arrived.”

Li Xuanxuan seemed somewhat down, yet he still smiled upon seeing Li Zhouwei:

“Although everyone says you can achieve the Purple Mansion, your breakthrough ultimately caused me worry. Seeing you before me, my heart feels at ease.”

The wrinkles on his face were deeply etched. Despite various tonics, the old man's vitality hadn't surged in recent years. Coupled with his constant worrying, he appeared even more aged.

“It is due to the venerable elder's blessed protection.”

Li Zhouwei responded respectfully, glancing at the armor in the courtyard. He noticed it was common, ordinary human armor. Li Xuanxuan smiled:

“It's the armor from when I fought the Shan Yue tribes in my youth. I air it out when I'm free, even though the clan's officials maintain it with spiritual power. Though spotless, it always feels like something's missing.”

Li Zhouwei offered a compliment. Li Xuanxuan sighed as he sat down, shaking his head repeatedly, lamenting:

“It's a pity about Cheng. Zhoufang hasn't been able to leave the house these past few days, overwhelmed by grief. He has always been diligent; I've never seen him like this before.”

Li Zhouwei was speechless. Li Cheng was unpopular in the family, his cultivation wasn't high, and all his children had died. Among the family, only Li Zhoufang was still grieving inconsolably for him. Li Zhouwei could only reply:

“This vendetta will be avenged sooner or later. For now, we should arrange Jiangzong's affairs as soon as possible; it would be a form of comfort to Elder Brother.”

Li Xuanxuan remained silent, then said in a frail voice:

“You are now a True Lord. Your brothers and elders are all afraid of you, not only daring not to speak much to you but also privately saying that Zhoufang doesn't know what's good for him. Among them are many who were promoted by him or sought protection through him, acting as if his decades of effort were in vain. It's truly good that you have such consideration.”

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes flickered slightly, and he respectfully said:

“This junior understands.”

He stepped forward, picked up the brush from the table, smoothed the paper with one hand, and with a light touch, the brush moved like a dragon, immediately writing a line vertically on the paper:

*Great desire leads to emptiness, vengeance will surely be repaid.*

As soon as he finished these eight characters, the paper instantly became soft and delicate like silk, gleaming snowy white and faintly radiating golden light. Li Zhouwei turned his head and said softly:

“The family has delayed giving orders, fearing that someone would be too generous with rewards, raising expectations too high and causing an uproar. But since the venerable elder has spoken, it's also not good to ignore it. Once I return to Zhijing Mountain, I will take this letter to my uncle's grave.”

Li Xuanxuan nodded and sighed. Li Zhouwei chatted for a bit, finished discussing Bairong's matters, and inquired about his health. He didn't emerge directly from the mountain but stepped into the void, reappearing on Zhijing Mountain.

Zhijing Mountain was now covered in gardenia blossoms. The usually empty jade tables were laden with various magical artifacts and cultivation techniques, stacked upon each other. Several large chests, holding an unknown quantity of precious medicines, were placed on either side.

The natural light on the mountain was already bright, but illuminated like this, it truly shimmered everywhere!

Li Zhouwei swept his gaze over them, knowing immediately that they were congratulatory gifts from various sects and cultivators. Anything displayed on Zhijing Mountain was no ordinary item; most were gifts and precious medicines from the Three Sects and Seven Gates, as well as rogue cultivators of the Purple Mansion realm. Lesser items were, of course, stored in the clan's treasury.

*What a lively scene! I wonder how many people forced me out of the lake back then, and how many only stopped when they saw me enter the sea!*

Although he didn't host a banquet and consistently declined all visitors, including Purple Mansion cultivators, by claiming to be in seclusion, it wasn't due to any Jiangnan customs. Instead, various families, both relevant and irrelevant, from Jiangnan and Jiangbei, came to offer congratulations. Looking at the sight before him, even if some less valuable items had been filtered out, it was evident that the congratulatory gifts were far more substantial than when Li Ximing attained the Dao.

Such is the fickle nature of the world; human relationships are as fragile as paper. When Li Ximing was at Foundation Establishment, he was obscure, so when he achieved the Purple Mansion, some still watched with cold indifference. Now, everyone shamelessly approached him with warm faces. Even some orthodox Sun Dao lineages, who considered themselves righteous, could not escape convention, and their gifts were heavier than before.

He reached out, picked up the compiled scroll of names, and read through it carefully.

*Across the entire Jiangbei region and Yue Kingdom, besides Changxiao Sect and the sealed Xueji Sect, everyone who should have come did, even the ravaged Muquan Sect sent representatives...*

*Beyond Yue Kingdom, there were Shahhuang, Tujun, Jingyi... even Dingyangzi from Qize sent congratulations, and there was even the unrelated Ni family from Wu Kingdom...*

Reading from top to bottom, from west to east, countless minor clans came to congratulate; from north to south, innumerable small sects offered well wishes. Just looking at these congratulatory lists, it seemed as if no one begrudged their good fortune.

*As for enemies, there's no need to mention them. Among the more benevolent ones, only Chunyi and Nanshun Luozhe showed no activity. In terms of gifts, only Tujun and the Xiao family, who are close, gave as usual, without making any special sacrifices...*

He casually lifted his sleeve and unceremoniously swept this "first pot of gold" into it. While these items might seem of little value to a Purple Mansion cultivator, they were more than sufficient for bestowing as rewards.

As for the several boxes of precious medicines, they were of little use to him, so he left them there for Li Ximing to use for alchemy.

He then placed the eight characters in a jade box, sent someone to deliver it, and inquired about Li Ximing, learning that he had already taken a pill and entered seclusion.

Li Zhouwei then spent some days on the mountain reading "Bright Sky Waves" and "Ranked Mansion Celestial Sun Escape." As light and darkness alternated and time flowed, Chen Yang came to report, kneeling on the mountain steps.

Li Zhouwei and Li Ximing had no specific arrangements, but being in high positions with esteemed divine abilities, their subordinates dared not be anything but thorough. When Li Ximing was on the mountain, Ding Weizeng would report; now that Li Zhouwei was among the mountains, Chen Yang was the one to come.

The black-clothed man knelt, saying respectfully:

“Reporting to True Lord, people from the Purple Smoke Sect have returned to report; the magical artifact has been repaired.”

“Present it.”

Li Zhouwei put down the jade slip in his hand and gave the order. Two people then worked together to carry up the Great Ascent. Its arcs shimmered, bright and clear, instantly making the mountain gleam with radiant light.

The golden-eyed youth reached out, and the Great Ascent immediately flew up from its spot, obediently landing in his palm. The True Lord weighed it, and replied:

“Not bad.”

The damage to the Great Ascent was not severe to begin with; only its blade was slightly misaligned. After being nurtured by divine ability for a while, its repair didn't take much effort. But with his words, the artifact refiner could return and report, immediately bowing in gratitude.

Li Zhouwei casually asked:

“How is Guanche Platform? Have the people arrived?”

Chen Yang was very perceptive, knowing what he wanted to ask, and immediately replied:

“True Lord Qiuhu has already appeared on Qingchi Mountain. Having received your handwritten letter, Chu Minglian arrived at the lake last night and is awaiting orders.”

Li Zhouwei waved his hand, dismissing the Purple Smoke cultivator who dared not rise, and asked:

“How are True Lord Qiuhu's injuries?”

When this was mentioned, Chen Yang immediately bowed low and whispered:

“It is said there were no major anomalies... However... Qingchi Sect promoted Lin Wuning, a confidant of the Ning family, to become the Peak Lord of Yuanxing Peak. The former Peak Lord of Xieqi Peak was given to Lord Yuanqin, and all the personnel from the East Sea have returned... The previous Peak Lord of Yuanxing Peak was a junior from the Ning family who caused a mess, and he was dismissed.”

Li Zhouwei silently shook his head and said softly:

“The Si family is thinly populated, and Si Yuanli may not emerge from seclusion. Senior Qiuhu wants to cultivate some Ning family members, but Senior Yuansu has no descendants, and with He Jing and He Yuan dead, a group of people were purged, effectively breaking their backbone... If Zhao Tinggui had lived to this day, there might have been a different outcome, but now it's difficult to manage.”

However, the Ning family's affairs were not his concern. Ning Wan's lifespan was still long, and as long as her divine ability didn't perish, she had ample time for promotions. Hearing Ning Wan's good news, Li Zhouwei pondered, tapping his cup:

*This spiritual embryo... one isn't enough.*

The "Guanche Divine Ability Fire Refinement" technique was extremely useful, allowing Foundation Establishment cultivators to assist Purple Mansion cultivators in refining. With spiritual essences in hand, Li Zhouwei didn't need to expend much effort; by occasionally infusing it with divine ability, he could quickly refine a spiritual embryo belonging to his own divine ability.

However, first, spiritual essences were limited; once this batch was used up, refining again would require him to personally use his divine ability, taking over a decade, which would significantly delay his cultivation. Second, a spiritual embryo, unlike a spiritual artifact, required constant nurturing with divine ability. One was manageable, but more would also hinder his cultivation.

Li Zhouwei currently possessed two important treasures he brought from his Foundation Establishment stage: the Great Ascent and the Yuane. One was a weapon, the other an armor, both highly suitable for nurturing spiritual embryos.

*The Great Ascent must definitely be used first, but the Yuane, currently worn, is no longer of great use; it also needs refining. Spiritual embryos consume divine ability, so it's best to associate them with spiritual artifacts.*

As he dismissed Chen Yang, he stepped through the void to Guanche Platform. With a gentle toss, he placed the magical artifact onto the high platform, all the while pondering:

“Should I invite Hengzhu... or Jin Yu... and how could I afford their prices?”

Moments later, the burly old man in red had arrived on the platform. Facing Li Zhouwei, Chu Minglian was clearly less at ease than with Li Ximing, bowing timidly.

Li Zhouwei activated his divine ability, and the platform instantly shimmered with golden light, enveloping the artifact. He turned his head and glanced, noticing a young man beside Chu Minglian who seemed proper and somewhat agitated at the moment, bowing and saying:

“Greetings, True Lord!”

This young man was naturally Li Jiangzong. Li Jiangqian had long arranged for him to study with this artifact refining master, saving Li Zhouwei the trouble of further instructions. At this moment, he seemed somewhat ashamed as he bowed down and said:

“Your handwritten letter, True Lord, cured my father's heartache. This junior is eternally grateful!”

Li Jiangzong couldn't quite understand his father's obsession with his granduncle Li Cheng. As his cultivation grew, he gradually entered the center of power, rising steadily and gaining important responsibilities. Naturally, he remembered all the family's kindness. His father's current behavior caused him extreme headaches, like thorns in his back, yet there was nothing overtly wrong with it, so he could only let Li Zhoufang carry on.

Fortunately, when Li Zhouwei's eight characters were delivered to the grave, Li Zhoufang coughed up a mouthful of blood and finally seemed to regain his composure. Li Jiangzong, who had been frantic day after day, was also relieved, and his admiration for his uncle, the True Lord, deepened even further.

Li Zhouwei glanced at him, quite satisfied, and softly asked about his cultivation:

“Work diligently and achieve Foundation Establishment soon.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ding Weizeng whispered to him:

“Reporting to True Lord, a direct descendant from Daxiu Kui Temple has been waiting by the lake for a long time and insists on seeing a Purple Mansion cultivator from the lake before leaving.”

Li Zhouwei frowned slightly and asked:

“Must they see a True Lord?”

Ding Weizeng nodded, and Li Zhouwei had no choice but to say:

“Then let him come up.”

After all, Daxiu Kui Temple had just sacrificed a Purple Mansion cultivator, and Li Zhouwei still held admiration for them. The moment he agreed, a black-robed man, riding a grey wind, approached from afar, led by Qu Bushi, the lake patrol. He bowed before them and said respectfully:

“Greetings, True Lord Minghuang! This humble cultivator, Lin Ya from Daxiu Kui Temple, has come by your True Lord's command to pay respects and offer congratulations!”

Li Zhouwei had not hosted a banquet, but the items on the mountain had already been collected. He frowned and said:

“True Lord Zhaojing is healing his injuries, and I am in seclusion stabilizing my cultivation, so neither of us has been active on the lake. You have been kept waiting for too long!”

“Not at all!”

Lin Ya quickly declined, not daring to speak idly before him. He immediately pulled out a gleaming golden box from his sleeve and said softly:

“My True Lord heard that True Lord Zhaojing was injured and was deeply concerned, so he specifically ordered me to deliver two spiritual pills, as a token of friendly concern from both our families.”

He gently opened the lid with spiritual power, revealing two gleaming white pills with patterns inside—exactly the Qilin Light Illumination Pill!

The Qilin Light Illumination Pill was obtained from Donghuo. Its primary effects were to advance cultivation and repair the physical body. It was clearly a common pill used by Purple Mansion cultivators of the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven in the past, and the Sun Dao Lineage had the most of them. They had obtained three such pills back then; Li Ximing had taken the last one on his person, and they were now all used up.

And it was this very Qilin Light Illumination Pill that Li Zhouwei took when he broke through to the Purple Mansion, making him very familiar with it. The pill's ability to heal the physical body was highly coveted, especially since it inherently aligned with the Mingyang Dao.

He declined, but the direct descendant from Daxiu Kui Temple immediately put on a distressed expression, expressing the temple's sincere friendship. Only then did Qu Bushi step forward and present the pills.

After presenting the pills, Lin Ya secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully:

“My True Lord asked me to inform the lake that True Lord Gao from the Gao family has already emerged from Chenyun Marsh. The Chenyun Sect now belongs to the Huaijiang Dao and has sent its name to Zhixuan Xie, acknowledging itself as a sect of the Zhao Kingdom.”

“Oh?”

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow. After a moment's thought, he wasn't surprised. Lin Ya continued:

“I heard that King Bolie is now on his way to Duxian Dao to meet True Lord Yehui within their mountain gate.”

There was no need to elaborate on what followed; with the Chenyun Sect's precedent, they were likely discussing the issue of affiliation. Li Zhouwei nodded and replied:

“I already know. Thank you for the reminder.”

Watching Lin Ya depart on the wind, Li Zhouwei tucked the box into his sleeve, pondering to himself:

*Yehui's judgment wasn't wrong; in fact, it was extremely accurate. The Gao family's cooperation with the southward Buddhist cultivators is a classic good cop, bad cop routine...*

*As for the Qilin Light Illumination Pill, Daxiu Kui Temple explicitly stated that the pill formula is in the hands of the Golden Feather Sect. Their own sect still uses the Profound Certainty Heart Elixir, which, while convenient and inexpensive, pales in comparison when it comes to healing the physical body... It would be best to exchange for it from Golden Feather Sect.*

After some thought, he glanced at Qu Bushi and said softly:

“Any movement on the north shore?”

Qu Bushi hurriedly replied:

“Reporting to True Lord, there's no movement in the north. However, every now and then, several mages come south to harass, attempting to bypass the lake for reconnaissance. They've clashed with the cultivators stationed on the north shore several times, but without major casualties.”

Li Zhouwei was not in a hurry to cultivate at the moment; his main focus was perfecting the few spells he had. Therefore, he had no particular requirements for a cultivation spot and nodded, saying:

“I will go to guard the north shore.”

*If Mount Luoxia wishes to see me, it would naturally be best if they didn't enter our great formation, or even approach the central lake island or the south shore... that would save some trouble.*

The Sun and Moon Shine Together Heavens.

The light in the pavilion was bright, and the stone lamps cast circles of cool radiance. Li Ximing sat within, slowly opening his eyes and gently exhaling a puff of white air.

The Qilin Light Illumination Pill was a spiritual elixir for healing the physical body, and his damaged body, retrieved thanks to Yehui's favor, was a hundred times easier to repair.

Furthermore, with the spiritual energy of "The Sun and Moon Shine Together Heavens," within just half a year, his physical body was largely healed. He now stood up, feeling completely refreshed, the original awkwardness finally gone.

With a shift in his thoughts, he detached himself from the spot and emerged within the lightning-flashing Xiaoyuan Glazed Pagoda, only to find a woman in a red dress sitting cross-legged outside the main hall, cultivating while quietly waiting.

It was Li Minggong, who had returned from Qize.

Hearing the movement, the woman immediately opened her eyes and respectfully said:

“This junior has returned from Qize and has important matters to report!”

Li Ximing, having healed his physical body, was in high spirits. He nodded with a smile, lifted his hand, and a bright light gently raised the woman. With one step, he was on the mountain.

Zhijing Mountain still presented its scene of white flowers and jade tables. A glance revealed a brilliant light on Guanche Platform in the distance, shining intensely, clearly indicating that the spiritual embryo forging had begun. Li Ximing arrived at leisure, only to find several boxes of precious medicines beside his feet.

“These are...”

Li Minggong hurriedly said:

“They are spiritual treasures from various cultivators congratulating True Lord Minghuang! True Lord instructed them to be given to you, Master, for alchemy.”

Li Ximing put his hands behind his back, took a careful look, immediately noticed something amiss, and cursed:

“A bunch of snobs! What? Now they know how to send gifts?”

Li Minggong was inherently intelligent and naturally understood his words. Moreover, she had handled the congratulatory affairs when Li Ximing achieved divine ability; though also packed in boxes, those precious medicines were far inferior to what was before them now. She immediately lowered her gaze and remained silent.

Fortunately, Li Ximing stopped after his humorous scolding. He had her sit down and asked:

“How did it go?”

Li Minggong hurriedly replied:

“True Lord was immensely surprised and praised profusely, directly calling your alchemy skills miraculous... He immediately had the items taken and personally wrote a letter of thanks, asking this junior to bring it back to you, Master.”

“Oh?”

Li Ximing wasn't surprised. He saw her take out two jade boxes and a letter. With a flick of his finger, he pulled the letter into his hand and began to read it carefully:

“...Your fellow Daoist's alchemy... is truly rare in a lifetime... a peerless talent... The quality of these pills is unprecedented! Refining Kan Water pills with Mingyang fire... only a grandmaster could achieve this...”

The entire letter was filled with lavish praise, making him feel increasingly strange as he read it. He couldn't help but laugh aloud and teased the red-dressed woman beside him:

“How dull! It must be ghostwritten! How could Dingyangzi, being so rigid and serious, say such things!”

“He must have instructed a resourceful disciple to write it!”

How could Li Minggong dare to laugh at True Lords' jesting? She could only shrink to the side like a quail, keeping her eyes downcast, silently begging for mercy. But as Li Ximing continued to tease, he glanced over and suddenly froze.

It turned out that at the end of the letter, this fellow actually made another request, pledging solemnly that there would be a return, and enclosed spiritual resources with the letter, seeking precious pills...

*So, he tasted the sweetness and now has this idea!*

He lightly flicked his finger, and the jade box beside him immediately opened. One box contained auxiliary ingredients, but the other revealed shimmering black scales—Cangzhou Serpent Scales! There were three full Cangzhou Serpent Scales!

*This Dingyangzi! Who knows what connections he has in Cangzhou!*

Li Ximing was startled, then burst into laughter. Last time, he had helped refine spiritual embryos; this time, he could openly demand compensation. He immediately pulled out paper and brush, and as he wrote, he replied:

“Go tell Dingyangzi that Mingyang and Kan Water clash. The last batch I sent was out of generosity, to repay his favor for refining the spiritual embryo for me. I felt I couldn't let his request down, so I used a unique secret method and personally supplied many Kan Water spiritual items to refine six pills! How can I do this every time? If he wants six pills again, there won't be any!”

Li Minggong nodded repeatedly, understanding that he was bargaining. Li Ximing shook his head and continued:

“Just go and reply to him: with these three Cangzhou Serpent Scales, I can give him at least twelve pills. If I have to dip into my own resources, I can give him a maximum of fifteen. Let him consider how to repay me.”

“Yes!”

Li Minggong respectfully acknowledged, took the written letter, and immediately flew out on true fire. Li Ximing, his mood improving, called Ding Weizeng up and asked:

“Where is Minghuang?”

Ding Weizeng hurriedly bowed and said:

“Reporting to True Lord, he is currently guarding the north shore.”

Li Ximing nodded, ascended on light, and closed his eyes. The scene from within the Grotto-Heaven reappeared before him: a vast expanse of sea and sky, continuous reefs, and a boundless azure.

*Qunyi Strait!*

**Characters appearing in this chapter:**Li Ximing: Early Purple Mansion stage, Purple Mansion AlchemistLi Zhouwei: Early Purple Mansion stageLi Xuanxuan: Qi Condensation Stage, Level NineLi Jiangzong: Qi Condensation Stage, Level FiveLi Minggong: Pheasant Separation Path, Late Foundation Establishment stageDing Weizeng: Hall Sun Tiger, Late Foundation Establishment stage