Chapter 956: Laughs and Tears

Shanjigun County.

Quiet lights dotted the landscape. Kong Tingyun stood desolate on the mountain peak, her expression bewildered.

Her hands gripped the railing tightly, knuckles white. The mountains around still echoed with joyous congratulations.

“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Kong!”

Qi Lanyan descended from the air and offered his congratulations, then added with a hint of regret:“It’s just a pity that this demonic cultivator was somewhat prepared. Although the grand formation couldn’t be moved quickly, he dismantled the Purple Mansion spiritual treasures within, leaving behind an empty shell. I even brought a formation-breaking blade, which turned out to be overkill.”

Kong Tingyun forced a smile, her eyes still filled with lingering fear and horror. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

Qi Lanyan, however, smiled brightly and said:“After all, I was right. The Sun Daoist Sect not only wanted your sect’s mountain gate but also intended to cross the river to take your life. If I hadn’t detected it in time, who knows how many more massacres Jiangbei would have endured by now.”

Kong Tingyun’s heart was filled with complex emotions, the helpless and desperate eyes of the purple-clad woman still appearing in her mind. She replied:“Thank you so much, honored sir! Without your presence, the Sun Daoist Sect would have just dismissed me with a few words and a minor compensation.”

Qi Lanyan merely smiled and remained silent.

After a long while, he finally sighed leisurely and said:“What a pity! Ling Mei was too bold…”“Once this matter is over, Tinglan won't dare to show herself for at least thirty years, and Purple Mist Blessed Land will remain secluded. As for Hou Fu… that person is cunning enough to have broken through a divine ability, but unfortunately, it’s of little use. He lost his physical body, and although he managed to escape with a sliver of rising yang through some means, it's enough; he’s as good as dead! Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery’s lock-down formation is inevitable, and you no longer have any restraints on your side!”“As for the Sword Gate… they cling to outdated ways. The Cheng family is selfish and self-serving. Thanks to Beihuan’s warning, they severed ties early under the guise of seclusion. And you hold the moral high ground. This time, Ling Mei’s intervention was already the limit; there's nothing more to be said, so don't worry too much.”

Kong Tingyun felt only dread upon hearing this, but she managed a smiling facade and quietly said:“The Sword Gate, after all, lent us Listening Wind White Stone Mountain, so they are benevolent towards a junior like me…”

“Indeed…”Qi Lanyan leaned casually against the railing, propping himself up with his elbows, and chuckled:“Also, as for the mountains Ye Hui took from this place earlier, we have already arranged for people to move them back and manage the handover of the earth veins. That will still require people from your sect to do it. Oh…”He casually pointed to the sky, shaking his head with a smile:“Just in time, your people can also return to the mountain.”

Kong Tingyun raised her eyebrows and looked towards the sky. The night was deep, and a golden carriage was speeding across the heavens, shining like a brilliant star, illuminating everything around it.

She said, a little wearily:“Thank you, honored sir.”

Across the vast night sky, the golden curtains swayed. Inside the carriage, an old man sat motionless like a statue, his back ramrod straight, his legs stiffly extended.

All noise was muffled by the curtains. The carriage, gifted by Master Chengyunmen, was indeed crafted from celestial star red gold, and Kong Guxi felt his entire body burning.

His consciousness was somewhat blurry, his mind blank. He had expected a long journey, time to gather his thoughts, but before he could fully appreciate the nobility of the Master’s carriage, there was a slight jolt underfoot, and someone called out:“Welcome, Sect Leader, back to the mountain!”

Kong Guxi then opened the curtains.

The sky was dark, and a faint white light, like a thin veil, enveloped the mountains, illuminating them with bright colors. Five golden swords hung in the sky, dropping five long golden blades that stood like five enormous pillars amidst the mountains.‘These are Lord Qi’s formation-breaking blades.’

The golden glow of these treasures softly pierced through the treetops. The mountainside was densely packed with people kneeling, bowing along the main road. Countless heads, all clad in Xuanyue attire, filled the space.

Someone then came to help him, and Kong Guxi, raising his brows, saw it was Kong Xiaxiang.

In a single day, his demeanor had completely transformed. His eyes brimmed with the satisfaction of vengeance achieved, his formerly stooped back had straightened, and his frame seemed to have grown by a third, making him appear tall.

“Lord!”Kong Guxi nodded as he stepped onto the ground. The air was filled with the deafening sound of gongs and drums, and faint, intense firecracker blasts echoed from the foot of the mountain. The brilliant golden light suspended in the sky illuminated every corner of the mountain, leaving no darkness. Every person’s face was clearly visible, overflowing with fawning and flattery.

In front was an ornate golden sedan chair, to which layers of chains were attached. These chains led to a group of disheveled and disgraced men and women, securely bound by shackles. They all knelt on the road, none daring to look up.

Kong Xiaxiang’s lips trembled violently, his mouth twisting open to reveal chattering teeth. A sinister laugh escaped his throat.

He chuckled through clenched teeth:“These are the beasts we caught… those who harmed my family, trampled on us, opportunistically shifted allegiances, and kicked us when we were down over the years… and those beasts who oppressed us in the Muquan Demonic Sect… Please, Sect Leader, take your seat, and let them carry you up!”“And this one leading the group…”Kong Xiaxiang gripped a chain and dragged a person out from the crowd like a dead dog, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. This person’s facial features had been mutilated, their cultivation crippled, and they lay groaning on the ground.

Kong Xiaxiang’s eyes were wide and round as he laughed:“This is our Guest Minister Wu… who joined the Demonic Sect and did so many ‘good deeds’!”

This Guest Minister Wu had been sycophantic even when he was with the Li family; things were still somewhat better then. However, when the Li family no longer wanted him, he immediately joined the Muquan Sect, swore allegiance, and then turned to persecute the Kong family. Now, only blood and tears streamed from his eyes, but his tongue had been cut out, leaving him only able to whimper.

Kong Guxi, expressionless, took out a golden box from his sleeve. He opened it and carefully unfolded its contents, revealing a Daoist robe.

The Daoist robe was ordinary, gently fluttering in the wind, just as it had decades ago when it hung from a treetop. Kong Guxi draped this garment over the golden sedan chair and stood beside it, performing a junior’s respectful bow.

At Kong Xiaxiang’s command, the people-beasts in front began to drag the sedan chair. These individuals had their cultivation crippled; those who loved to give cold stares had their eyes gouged out, and those who liked to put on airs had their prominent facial features mutilated. They bled profusely, leaving long trails of blood on the path.

“Crackle…”The mountain was utterly silent; no one dared to look up. The only sounds were the dull dragging, the painful whimpers, and the trickling of blood.

Kong Guxi walked alongside the sedan chair all the way to the mountain top. The soles of his shoes and the hems of his clothes were completely soaked with blood. The sky was as bright now as it had been dim and desolate when he cried his way down this mountain years ago. The brightness stung his eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

Yet, his expression grew increasingly calm. He turned his head and looked down upon the countless Shanjigun clansmen who had come to pay respects with trembling fear, the Muquan disciples in the mountains who had done nothing wrong and were allowed to surrender, and the terrified Xuanyuan Monastery disciples who dared not lift their heads.

His lips quivered slightly, and his voice was hoarse:“All of you, smile.”

In an instant, the mountain forest, quiet enough to hear a pin drop, erupted into sound. People smiled fearfully and awkwardly, their laughter sounding instead like hoarse caws of crows, echoing repeatedly through the woods. This caused the robe draped over the golden sedan chair to flutter up and then softly fall back into Kong Guxi’s hands.

This invisible omen seemed to bestow upon him a sacred mission. Kong Guxi felt himself grow taller, quietly holding the garment, solemn and dignified.

“Hahaha…”“Hahahaha!”Smiles filled the entire expanse. Kong Guxi’s head slowly turned, his gaze like a sharp blade, meticulously scanning each face until it reached an inconspicuous corner. His eyes seemed to have been scalded, and his pupils gradually dilated.

Among these hundreds of smiling faces, only one was sallow and calm, like withered, emaciated weeds, refusing to smile.

It was Kong Qiuyan.

She held the hand of a blindfolded child, seemingly trembling in place.

Amidst this myriad of earth-shattering laughter, Kong Guxi’s blade-like gaze shattered. The old man slowly lowered his head, his hand clutching the ancestral robe gradually tightening. First, he choked and sobbed, then quickly knelt in the pool of blood, beginning to wail.

Sun and moon shone together across the heavens.

Layers of golden light shimmered, a bright point hung in the air, and celestial light suffused the ancient, simply decorated pavilion. The middle-aged man in the Daoist robe slowly exhaled, filling the empty room with clear light.

Li Ximing opened his eyes. His spiritual perception swept forth, and within his sea of qi, light flickered. The Bright Yang energy swirled like a vortex, circling the luminous, spherical Immortal Foundation, which resembled a pill.The Immortal Foundation, "Enlightenment of All Under Heaven," was complete.

A tiny, shimmering white speck of light hung above the Immortal Foundation, interacting with spiritual energy and pouring down a mist-like white aura.

He calmed his mind and secretly pondered:‘If I let the talismanic qi nourish it naturally, the Immortal Foundation would be perfected in about six years… that’s not slow at all…’

Li Ximing’s cultivation speed was already considerable. The Valley Wind Fire technique also had qi-circulation effects, providing many benefits:‘If I were to consume elixirs and cultivate in seclusion, I could probably advance by another three to two years…’

Li Ximing calculated carefully. With the aid of spiritual elixirs, this nurturing process had taken over a year:‘The "Enlightenment of All Under Heaven" is not easy to condense. If I had used this to establish my foundation, it might have been troublesome, but for a Purple Mansion cultivator, it’s just an extra month or two. Everything went smoothly.’

With a thought, he appeared within the lightning-flashing pagoda and stepped out. The lights in the palace were dim. Li Ximing merely glanced around, and his heart suddenly stirred:“Oh?”

He stepped out into the air and appeared in the small courtyard of the inner formation. There, he saw a small stone tied beneath a beam. A boy in white stood in the courtyard, holding a wooden sword and striking the stone with it, producing dull thuds.

Li Ximing did not intentionally conceal himself. As soon as he appeared, the boy immediately raised his eyebrows, skillfully and cleanly sheathed his sword, and exclaimed with surprise and joy:“Greetings, Master!”

Li Ximing looked him up and down, finding the boy's eyes familiar. He chuckled:“Jiang Chun?”“It is I, your junior!”

Li Ximing helped the child up, fully understanding the implication, and said joyfully:“You truly look like your great-grandfather! How old are you now… and what cultivation method are you practicing?”

Li Jiangchun quickly ushered him into the courtyard, his eyes bright. He offered tea and respectfully said:“This junior’s spiritual aperture opened late. I am now eight years old, and after May, I will be nine. I practice the Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll, and I have just broken through to the third layer of Fetal Breath!”

“The Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll!”Li Ximing’s heart immediately became clear. He laughed heartily, gestured for the boy to sit down, and said with great delight:“Good! Good… I have also read the Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll. Although it is an ancient method without a specific rank, its author recorded it with great detail, and their Daoist attainment was astonishing. It’s not inferior even when compared to your elder brother’s Heavenly Departure and Sun Decline Sutra. You must not let it down.”“Furthermore, the Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll is incredibly detailed. It explains various cultivation techniques and spells from low to high levels, along with the crucial points of each stage of practice. It truly feels like it was personally annotated by a Purple Mansion cultivator to be considered a ‘Scroll’; it’s no ordinary item!”

Li Jiangchun nodded with a smile. Li Ximing counted on his fingers, a hint of surprise in his expression, and nodded:“Opened late… so you were seven. In just over a year… to have such cultivation speed… truly remarkable!”

“He had a bit of a trick.”Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Li Zhouwei walked in leisurely, approaching with a smile. He communicated via spiritual sense:‘I personally studied the Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll and also had elders examine it for comparison. All Yin karmic positions originate from the Grand Yin, and Lesser Yin cultivation methods should be trained under the Grand Yin Breathing and Nurturing Wheel Sutra. They are extremely compatible, and Jiang Chun cultivates the Grand Yin Breathing and Nurturing Wheel Sutra.’

“Oh?”Li Ximing nodded secretly and replied:“With the assistance of the Grand Yin Moon Essence, it’s no wonder his cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds…”

“Uncle Grand-Master is absolutely right.”Li Zhouwei smiled and then said seriously:“Precisely for this reason, I’ve kept him within the inner formation, only allowing him to go out once he begins Qi Cultivation… Although he possesses a talisman seed and isn’t afraid of scrutiny, our family is currently in the spotlight, and cultivating too quickly always attracts unwanted attention.”

Li Ximing laughed heartily, then silently pulled the child closer. Noticing the calluses on his palm, he knew the boy worked diligently every day. He smiled without speaking, satisfaction evident on his face, only saying:“I once acquired a mysterious lake’s One Qi Cave Core, which is said to greatly benefit Lesser Yin. I’ve prepared it for you!”

Li Zhouwei chuckled. Li Ximing eagerly turned his head and whispered:“The Wu-Gui Yin-Seeking Divine Scroll requires Lesser Void Yin Qi. How are the preparations for that, Ming Huang?”

Li Zhouwei nodded:“It was prepared long ago. This qi needs to be collected during the New Moon night, when turbid qi sinks. We gather spiritual artifacts of the Mansion Water and Grand Yin lineages, place them in jade vessels, leave them in the Great Void overnight, and then collect them.”“With a Purple Mansion cultivator in the family, this qi is much simpler to acquire. We just spend one day each month cultivating in the Great Void and bring the materials back for them to gather the qi… By my estimation, it can be collected within one to two years.”

Li Jiangchun listened silently, then bowed repeatedly in thanks. Li Ximing chuckled:“Practicing swordsmanship is good… I was clumsy from a young age. When I was your age, I couldn’t sheathe my sword so deftly. It shows how diligent you are.”

Li Ximing could tell there were significant changes in the outside world and that Li Zhouwei seemed preoccupied. Concluding with a compliment, he walked out with Li Zhouwei, pacing within the inner formation, which shimmered with purple light, and quietly asked:“What has happened?”

“Sui Guan made a move… it was an earth-shattering event, with millions of corpses strewn across the fields, bones piled high. Uncle Grand-Master had been in secluded cultivation to condense his Immortal Foundation, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Li Zhouwei then solemnly recounted the events in Jiangbei, causing Li Ximing to fall silent.

“Jiangnan today has not yet recovered from that great catastrophe. Although it appears the same on the surface, beneath it, undercurrents are surging; it’s completely different!”

“Since the conclusion of the Jiangbei incident, Purple Mist Blessed Land and Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery have simultaneously sealed themselves off, declaring seclusion. Our family sent people there, but no one could be met… Although neither side has released news about their True Masters, judging by the current situation… the True Masters’ prospects are certainly not optimistic, and their fates remain unknown!”

Li Ximing was inwardly shaken. Although he had already felt a good deal of unease after hearing about Sui Guan earlier, this news still shocked him:“It’s reached such a critical point!”