Chapter 959: Changes

His gaze had just swept over the endless slaughter beneath his feet when a violent commotion suddenly erupted in the Great Void. Swaths of soft white light flickered, pouring down like a surging river.

Li Ximing observed silently, assessing in his mind:

"That's from Changhuai Mountain."

Unfortunately, the white light only flickered for a moment. As if drawn by some invisible force, it quickly converged back towards the center, vanishing like a fleeting bloom.

Li Ximing glanced around; nothing seemed amiss, yet a drumbeat of unease echoed in his heart. The surroundings were silent and dark, with not a single Purple Mansion cultivator appearing. "Where have all the cultivators of Wu State gone?" he wondered.

He had no choice but to return to the material world. Riding the wind, he scanned the area, similarly finding no cultivators dressed in Changhuai Mountain attire. He continued his search, shaking his head inwardly.

The grand formation beneath his feet flickered on and off, appearing extremely weak amidst the firelight. A group of cultivators were raising their magical artifacts and smashing them onto the formation, creating series of violent impacts.

After all, he was a Purple Mansion cultivator. Although unfamiliar with Wu State, he could infer from the surging demonic energy and the fluctuations of spiritual energy that something significant was happening. "Due to the earth veins... it seems to be a very strong earth vein upheaval, causing malevolent energy to surge. That's why the formation is reacting this way. If it were an ordinary formation, it would have already shattered by now."

He clearly saw a crowd of Qi Refining cultivators and embryonic breathing practitioners scrambling, yet a young man in the late Foundation Establishment stage was subtly concealed in the air, seemingly observing something closely.

Li Ximing gently beckoned, and silken threads of celestial light poured down. The young man, disoriented, lost his bearings and was guided by the light to stand before him.

Upon seeing the divine light, the young man immediately knew he had been brought by a True Person's divine ability. His body trembled, and he bowed respectfully, "This junior greets the True Person!"

Li Ximing observed that the young man showed little fear, but rather apprehension and caution. His reaction was swift, clearly not his first encounter with divine abilities. Li Ximing understood then, "He also has a background."

So he said indifferently, "Which family do you belong to?"

The young man bowed politely, "This junior is Li Nitan, from the Li Clan of Tanshan in Wu State. I was assigned by my clan to observe the situation in Shu. I never expected to encounter a True Person and failed to properly greet you. Please forgive my offense."

"So it's the Li Clan of Tanshan!"

Wu State differed from Yue State. When the Sun Dao Lineage divided Yue State years ago, they left few territories, controlling various regions through their influence, with many rules still inherited from the original Yuan Mansion. Most of Wu State, however, was under the might of Changhuai Mountain. Besides the four earliest subjugated sects, those who rose later almost invariably had an inseparable connection with Changhuai, or even originated from it. In total, there had been nine Purple Mansions, commonly known as the Nine Clans of Wu. The Li Clan of Tanshan was one of them!

Li Ximing now understood.

Changhuai Mountain, calling itself the Changhuai Dao Lineage, exercised strict control. Its subordinate Purple Mansions typically gathered together and rarely communicated with the outside world. Correspondingly, Changhuai Mountain provided strong protection for these de facto subordinate Purple Mansions. With this layer of protection, and with a Purple Mansion cultivator of the Tanshan Li Clan still alive, vigorous, and with successors, they truly had no fear of any True Person causing trouble.

Despite their power, the Tanshan Li Clan had always referred to themselves as the local Li surname for many years, naturally never daring to infringe upon the Mingyang Wei-Li. Li Ximing chuckled casually and replied, "We are indeed from the same family."

Li Nitan was no ordinary person. Seeing Li Ximing's Mingyang divine abilities and hearing his words, he broke into a cold sweat. He respectfully said, "So it is the immortal presence of True Person Zhaojing! Indeed, we are from the same family. When we heard of your enlightenment back then, our family was quite pleased... unfortunately, Changhuai's decree prohibits casual association with outside clans..."

"Enough!" Li Ximing was not in the mood to listen to his rambling. He had simply grabbed someone at random to ask a question; he didn't care about Tanshan's attitude. He just said, "I'm passing through this place. Do you know what happened?"

Li Nitan quickly replied, "Reporting to the True Person, this junior was also just startled from my cave abode and doesn't know the full reason... but observing the fighting in the prefecture, it's due to changes in the earth veins and spiritual energy. Many families, markets, and even some alchemy pavilions and cave dwellings have had their formations fail simultaneously. How could ordinary people resist such temptation? They could only resort to smashing, looting, and fighting. And amidst all this chaos, several of the prefecture's clans are entangled with each other; it seems to be a series of mergers and acquisitions!"

This was precisely what puzzled Li Ximing. Logically, suppressing local powerful families and prohibiting mergers was something most sects would do. So he asked, "Where is Changhuai's prohibition?"

Li Nitan gave a bitter smile. "Reporting to the True Person, ever since Grand True Person Pingwen passed away, the mountain has hoped for more Purple Mansions to emerge, so they lifted the prohibitions. Many prohibitions only bound the Nine Clans. Now with all this chaos, there's naturally unrest everywhere, giving rise to new developments."

"Hoping for more Purple Mansions?" Li Ximing mulled over the words, feeling that something was amiss. However, he knew that even if Li Nitan knew the true reason for these changes, he likely wouldn't elaborate. Li Ximing simply let him go, and he disappeared into the Great Void.

Although Li Nitan had appeared composed before him, he was still facing a Purple Mansion cultivator, and his heart was filled with unease. He now silently rode the wind downwards, and the cold sweat finally stopped. "To think I'd run into the Wangyue Li Clan here!"

His Tanshan Li Clan had humble origins. Their patriarch, True Person Tanfu, was originally a Changhuai cultivator who achieved enlightenment through the guidance of True Person Pingwen. Later, when he emerged from the mountain, his greatest fear was becoming entangled with the Wei-Li Clan! Wu State indeed had nine Purple Mansion clans established over time, but even now, with some Purple Mansions having fallen, there were still those whose names didn't match their actual strength! Their own patriarch had been in secluded cultivation for many years, never leaving his abode, and was among the relatively higher-cultivated of the Nine Clans, already advanced in age. With his grandfather, Li Muyan, also achieving enlightenment, they had even reached the second position. It was a time of flourishing for them; how could they causelessly invite such trouble?

"Could it really be such a coincidence... perhaps some family intends to harm others!" He hastily returned to his cave abode, striking down the restless demonic cultivators waiting by the mountain with a few palms. He then immediately rode the wind, rushing to report back to his family.

Baiyang Mountain.

Li Ximing descended on a ray of light, finding the area relatively peaceful. Dingyangzi's disciples already recognized him and came forward one by one to pay their respects.

Upon reaching Qize, the chaos in Wu State subsided somewhat. After all, unlike densely populated prefectural cities, this area consisted mostly of mountains, wilderness, and large marshes. With several rogue Purple Mansion cultivators residing there, it was naturally difficult for conflicts to escalate.

Although Dingyangzi was sitting by the furnace fire, chanting spells and forming hand seals to control the spiritual flames, Li Ximing could see from his expression that he was in a far from good mood; in fact, his countenance was quite grim.

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"

Li Ximing saluted. His mind was still clouded with doubt, and he didn't even ask about the spiritual resources. Instead, he brought up the matter of Wu State first: "I saw a vast expanse of white light in the Great Void from Changhuai Mountain, specifically coming from Wu State. All the regions there are already in chaos, but I don't know why."

Hearing him mention it, Dingyangzi sighed deeply, turned away from the fire, and invited him to sit down in the pavilion again. Pouring tea, he shook his head and said, "The Wenwu Pingqing Zhi has shattered."

Seeing Li Ximing's questioning gaze, Dingyangzi softly asked, "Does Fellow Daoist know True Person Pingwen? Or rather... does Fellow Daoist know Qingtangyin?"

Only then did Li Ximing stroke his beard and reply, "Qingtangyin... is a Grand True Person of Changhuai Mountain."

Li Ximing had naturally heard that name. Years ago, when he had just broken through and visited Yuan Xiu at Qingchi Sect, it was precisely when this Grand True Person had fallen, causing a shift in the spiritual aura.

Dingyangzi nodded, his expression complex. "Pingwen was his Daoist name. He was born in Jizhong, and in his early years, he roamed that area. His reputation wasn't particularly prominent in Jiangnan. The Wenwu Pingqing Zhi was his treasure."

"Oh?"

"The Wenwu Pingqing Zhi is a spiritual artifact, but it's no ordinary one. It's cultivated through a specific Daoist lineage, and it's even rumored to be connected to True Monarch Tianwu. It's extremely powerful, and he was renowned for it back then..."

As Dingyangzi spoke, his expression grew somewhat peculiar. "He was good in every aspect, except for his stingy nature, which was well-known among the Purple Mansions."

He shook his head. "Let me just give you an example... He had a descendant named Qing Jifang, who was also a scoundrel... Before he achieved the Purple Mansion stage, he would often cause trouble with Tuoba Lan, competing for superiority. When Tuoba Lan visited their Dao lineage, Qing Jifang took out this item and said he wanted to show it to Tuoba Lan... At that time... several True Persons, including myself, were present, advising True Person Pingwen on a spiritual embryo, when this young master came to ask..."

Li Ximing sensed something amiss as Dingyangzi slowly continued, "True Person Pingwen merely said: 'This is a True Martial artifact, which I obtained through my own fortune. What concern is it of yours? What is there to see?'"

The old man displayed a sarcastic smile and replied, "Qing Jifang was displeased and even dared to privately say, 'I will have my day to examine it closely!'"

"Oh!" This was a remarkable statement. Li Ximing was taken aback, secretly clicking his tongue, unsure how to respond. He just shook his head and chuckled inwardly, "After all, it was Senior Pingwen's late-in-life child, obtained with the help of precious Bright Square Profound Essence. It's normal for him to be doted upon..."

This secret was something Li Ximing had learned from the Cui family while inquiring about the Bright Square Profound Essence. Dingyangzi seemed surprised that he knew such a thing, paused slightly, then continued, "True Person Pingwen was not a forgiving person. He summoned Qing Jifang and immediately replied, 'Just watch.'"

"The True Person immediately retrieved the Wenwu Pingqing Zhi and, using extremely powerful divine abilities, locked it within the Great Void, combining it with the grand formation to transform it into a highly unique spiritual artifact that could never again be taken out."

Li Ximing chuckled inwardly, but Dingyangzi added, "But I already told you, this person isn't one to suffer losses!"

"Initially, everyone just watched for amusement. But as time passed, Changhuai cultivators continuously worked and inscribed it. This artifact mysteriously spread through the Great Void, connecting with Changhuai Mountain's grand formation, and then extended downwards, flowing along the earth veins, regulating the spiritual energy and ley lines in various regions, secretly unifying them." "This artifact also became a treasure that validated his personal cultivation. Not only did he control the flow of spiritual energy and earth vein changes across all regions, but he could influence five or six parts out of ten, placing a greater shackles on the various powers under his rule..."

Li Ximing nodded silently, then saw Dingyangzi laugh unreservedly. "The True Persons of Qize often joke that cultivating in Wu State not only requires paying tribute, but even if you absorb too much spiritual energy... you still have to pay an extra spirit stone to True Person Pingwen!"

Li Ximing sighed inwardly, "These father and son... are quite interesting!"

Dingyangzi stopped smiling, his expression gradually calming as he returned to the main topic. He replied, "The current situation is because the Wenwu Pingqing Zhi has shattered! For years, Changhuai Mountain has regulated the spiritual veins and set up formation points, finally creating this supreme marvelous method to control all of Wu State. With the shattering of the Wenwu Pingqing Zhi, it has all turned into a wisp of true qi smoke!"

Li Ximing frowned, an answer forming in his mind. "No wonder the spiritual energy fluctuated and the earth's malevolent energy erupted..." So he said, "That should be quite a headache for Changhuai Mountain..."

"Haha!" Dingyangzi shook his head, a different expression appearing on his aged face. He chuckled, "It's the Nine Clans who are getting the headache! After Changhuai lifted the prohibitions, the number of mergers and acquisitions in various places was extremely small, which tells you that the regions had already been divided by the deeply entrenched and cooperative Nine Clans. Now with this turn of events, who knows who will be pleased!"

Li Ximing still felt something was off. He nodded outwardly, but his mind continued to ponder: "What kind of Dao lineage is Changhuai Mountain? A Dao lineage where a True Monarch manifested! If they didn't want the regions to fall into the hands of powerful clans, why did they divide them among the Nine Clans for centuries? For Changhuai Mountain, assigning the local prefectural cities to the Nine Clans might have been a pre-arranged plan. Now that changes are emerging, there must be a deeper scheme... In this current era... not a single family is not stirring restlessly!"

He dropped the topic and asked, "Fellow Daoist, you invited me here this time for..."

Dingyangzi subtly shifted his gaze, took two jade boxes from his sleeve, and gently placed them on the table. He said softly, "Fellow Daoist, please take a look."

Li Ximing opened them with his divine ability. In the first box lay a fingernail-sized piece of crimson-red metallic ore, its edges glinting with bright white light. A strong surge of Li Fire energy wafted towards him, forming various birds around the jade box. It was Celestial Star Red Gold.

Dingyangzi slowly said, "This is half a portion of Celestial Star Red Gold, brought by True Person Luo."

He then put down that jade box and opened the one on the other side.

A ray of light burst forth. Inside the box was a pool of liquid resembling a white ocean, subtly reflecting various colorful lights. However, as soon as it was exposed, it quickly retracted. "This is Xaojin, Huakan Gold Essence."

"Xaojin? That's rare in Jiangnan." Li Ximing praised it. Dingyangzi pressed down on the jade box with his hand and said earnestly, "But I have a responsibility to clearly explain this item, as I was entrusted with it."

"Although Celestial Star Red Gold is a spiritual resource, Li Fire is always in high demand. This item is not inferior among Li Fire resources and has a wide range of uses. Your marvelous Wisdom Hair, though rare, only exchanged for this half portion—and he only had half a portion himself."

Li Ximing naturally understood that while "rare" could be vague, spiritual resources derived from spiritual objects like his hair could certainly not compare to the other party's Red Gold. In terms of Daoist principles, among the Five Virtues, Wood Virtue was the weakest, and spiritual fruits or hairs were generally inferior to the flourishing Li Fire. Therefore, he shook his head and replied, "To be able to exchange for half a portion is already excellent."

"Good!" Dingyangzi praised, then smiled. "As for Huakan Gold Essence, it can cleanse anomalous light, conceal one's tracks, and sever karma. It's also a rare and excellent item, said to be different from Geng-Dui, while Xaojin is balanced. It forms after six hundred years of reclusion, buried deep within the earth, and its quantity in the world is not large. Most importantly, Xaojin is not only harmless to Mingyang, but it's also commonly known as the 'Freewheeling Hidden Nourishment Gold' and 'Cause-and-Effect Free Gold'. Most spiritual artifacts won't conflict with its use."

Li Ximing nodded repeatedly as he listened. His family had encountered the descendant of True Monarch Xaojin, the young King Sword Immortal, so he naturally had a deep understanding of this "freewheeling hidden nourishment." He smiled and asked, "I wonder if it's..."

Dingyangzi smiled and said, "True Person Junjian visited my small mountain a few months ago, wishing to exchange for an item from me. Hearing your news, he was very pleased and specifically left this item, instructing me to give it to you in exchange."

"What?!" This was the first time Li Ximing had heard the name Tulong Jian in many years. This True Person had repeatedly claimed Li Yuanjiao was his benefactor, but in the end, he became a benefactor to the Li family himself. Excited, Li Ximing stood up and asked, "Has Senior Tulong returned to the sect?!"

Dingyangzi shook his head and replied, "He is currently seeking an item in the North Sea. He came here to find a cold qi spiritual resource, Cold Cloud Heart Iron, to forge a spiritual sword."

"Cold Cloud Heart Iron?" Li Ximing was slightly puzzled and asked, "I don't understand this. He wants to forge a cold qi spiritual sword? Firstly, Senior doesn't use a sword. Secondly... the Mother Fire is even one of the Dao lineages that counteracts cold qi..."

Dingyangzi smiled, shook his head, and sipped his tea. "You don't understand. The Tujun Sect cultivated cold malevolent energy back in the day. He naturally wants to revitalize his sect's Dao lineage. I heard he has a particularly valued junior who cultivates cold qi, and that junior entered secluded cultivation about ten years ago to break through to the Purple Mansion. True Person Tulong Jian is preparing for the future!"

"So that's it!" Li Ximing mused, "It must be Gao Xuanzi..."

Dingyangzi replied, "I don't know who it is... I just remember him smiling and saying something like... it's only right for you to go find it!"

"Naturally!" Li Ximing nodded, chuckling. "After all, Ning Wan cultivates cold qi and has many connections. And there's Tianwan in the East Sea. Senior doesn't want to get involved in disputes, and he's had an unpleasant incident with Tianwan before, so this matter should be entrusted to me. I'll find a few fellow Daoists to handle it."

"Good!" Dingyangzi agreed readily, clearly in a good mood. He raised a hand, took out a box, and chuckled, "As for this Cangzhou Hui Scale..."

"Just give it to me!" Li Ximing was eager for him to bring out more and agreed very cheerfully. He then remembered the Cangzhou Hui Scale he had secretly acquired, feeling a private moment of awkwardness. "This item is not easy to reveal. Otherwise, Kan Water would be useless, and giving it to him for spiritual resources would be good... for now, I'll keep it and exchange it for Cold Cloud Heart Iron."

After accepting the task, he had a thought and took out a glass vial from his sleeve. Inside, a hazy gray substance floated uncertainly.

This item was something Kong Guxi had brought to the Li clan during the demise of Xuanyue years ago. It was rumored to be the scale of a Purple Mansion demonic creature, but its identity remained unknown, only that it was a Kan Water item and seemed useless. Since he was coming to Baiyang Mountain this time and remembered that Dingyangzi consumed Kan Water elixirs, and Kan Water was relatively close to Shangwu, he specifically brought this item to show him.

Dingyangzi picked up the glass vial and examined it closely, showing a surprised expression. After pondering for a while, a burning light rose in his eyes, and he finally asked, "Where did Fellow Daoist obtain this?!"

Li Ximing had no idea where Changxi had gotten it from, so he simply gave an evasive excuse. Dingyangzi praised it, "This item is a Yuxin Scale. It's indeed a scale, as fine as powder... but it's miraculously special and absolutely should not be used to forge spiritual artifacts."

"Oh?" Li Ximing was secretly puzzled, seeing him praise it further. "This item is not abundant, but its quality and origin are extremely high, likely rare in the current world. I hear it's meant for consumption. It should be carefully preserved, for when such a spiritual item is needed, it will surely serve a great purpose."

Li Ximing had never held much hope for the items left by True Person Changxi. Hearing such high praise from Dingyangzi, he was secretly startled. "Is it really that good? No wonder Changxi never used it until his death... This old man was actually not simple at all... He accumulated quite a few good things over the years, not to mention that demonic embryo..." "As for this item, I can also ask Senior Chuting about it."

He thanked him. After these few incidents, his trust in Dingyangzi had grown considerably. He took out the Wujiu Spirit Wood that Chen had exchanged with him and placed it in Dingyangzi's hand, secretly calculating. He simply said, "Senior Chen exchanged this with me. I hear it's for making sword hilts, and I don't need it. I'll leave it here. If Senior Tulong finds it useful, he can take it. If not, please exchange it with someone else."

Tulong Jian had avoided meeting him several times, and Li Ximing secretly understood that the other party had some reservations, perhaps due to Li Zhouwei, or perhaps because there was some reason on his part that made a meeting inconvenient. However, judging by his attitude in providing spiritual resources, he was clearly still supportive of Li Ximing's family. Li Ximing decided not to trouble him directly, only asking Dingyangzi to inquire, which served two purposes at once.

Having settled matters with Dingyangzi, he ascended on a ray of light and headed straight for the East Sea.

Xuanyuan Monastery.

The ancient pavilion stood serenely amidst the mountains and forests, adorned with pale golden lantern light, appearing exceptionally elegant.

Over the years, the constant warfare north of the river had drastically altered the landscape. Not to mention pavilions, even much of the forests had vanished. Yet Xuanyuan Monastery had repeatedly survived, and the pavilion that Su Mian had personally built back then still stood today.

A young man, wearing a long white gauze crown and robes adorned with dark cloud patterns, sat on the steps. He held a few bone tiles in his hand, clinking them together to produce crisp sounds. The door behind him was tightly shut. He smiled, "Fellow Daoist Murong has arrived!"

Just then, a cavernous sound echoed from the Great Void, and a stout man emerged from it. His expression was rather displeased. With his hands clasped behind his back, he nodded and said, "Lord Qi certainly lives a life of leisure!"

Seeing Murong Yan safe and sound, a flicker of disappointment crossed Qi Lanyan's heart. He chuckled, "Naturally, I'm not as fortunate as Fellow Daoist Murong. When fighting north of the river, you have many cultivators protecting you, unlike me, standing lonely guard over Xuanyuan Monastery!"

Murong Yan heard his sarcasm, but instead of getting angry, he chuckled and replied, "I still have some injuries, otherwise I wouldn't have taken so long to come find Lord Qi."

Murong Yan understood in his heart that the fighting letterworm was the sacrifice this time, and he himself would not suffer any harm. What Qi Lanyan said about the many cultivators was not false, even if these cultivators were not there to protect Murong Yan.

Murong Yan naturally understood that many esteemed figures, for the sake of Wanling Heaven, even knew that a letterworm with a Floating Cloud Body would never come to a good end. But he had miscalculated one thing—this day arrived so quickly! Even though the incident hadn't harmed him, he still felt a deep sense of crisis. His complete ignorance of the letterworm matter was enough!

He retreated from the river and wrote several letters back to his clan. However, the several esteemed figures who had vehemently sworn to guarantee his safety upon his departure had all fallen silent, merely placating him by urging him to seize treasures from Wanling Heaven.

"Those scoundrels sitting high in the Release Earth... it's impossible that they didn't know about the letterworm matter... all of this must have been deliberate on their part... deliberately keeping me in the dark!" Murong Yan was almost certain that not long after he left Yan State, a drastic and silent change had occurred in Yan State's decision-making, a change that excluded him and might even lead to his demise.

A deep shadow flickered in his seemingly foolish eyes, and various suspicions settled in his heart. "It's like walking on thin ice..."