Chapter 969: South Village

Since Li Zhouwei became publicly known, the Golden Feather Sect's attitude improved significantly. True Immortal Tianhuo had visited the Li clan several times, always remaining polite and showing an intent to build connections. The Spirit-Glow Radiant Sun Divine Scroll, from which the Li clan benefited greatly, was sent by the Golden Feather Sect. The Li clan only needed to send feathers from their necks, and the Golden Feather Sect would exchange them for Mysterious Shell Flower Leaves, regardless of whether they needed the feathers or not, clearly indicating their intention to assist. Now, True Immortal Tianhuo's direct inquiry made their intentions even clearer.

Li Ximing looked at the young man’s smiling face and began to ponder: ‘This isn’t bad… After all, there are too many orthodoxies in the north; who knows how many might target our clan… not to mention the inevitable presence of Buddhist cultivators. If the Golden Feather Sect could lend some assistance, it would certainly be a good thing…’

He then smiled and said, “I fear we might burden the Immortal Sect!”

“Ah…” Tianhuo’s eyes showed a hint of a smile, which made him appear even more dashing. He replied, “That’s not right… Your clan possesses abundant talent; how could you speak of burdening us? Our two clans have been old acquaintances for six generations and have maintained good relations for a hundred years. Even since the time of Senior Tongya, our Golden Feather Sect’s Dao Child had deep friendships with your clan. Now, it is time for the younger generation to interact more.”

He brought up the old ties with Zhang Yun, causing Li Ximing to nod with a smile. At the Purple Mansion level, both clans were well aware that their relationship was merely a result of past calculations. The so-called friendship between the two clans was merely to deceive those ignorant of the world. Li Ximing secretly mused: ‘When they needed us, we were ‘old acquaintances for six generations, good friends for a hundred years’; when they didn’t, we were ‘a small clan on the lake, commanded to obey’… The Golden Feather Sect is named Zhang, but few Zhangs truly have good intentions towards my Li clan…’

However, venturing into a secret realm wasn’t a matter of core interest, involving only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators. The Golden Feather Sect wouldn't resort to tricks on such a matter. So, he smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist speaks truly!”

He reached into his sleeve and took out a round pearl etched with spiritual tiger patterns. It subtly transformed, instantly turning into a palm-sized spirit tiger. Li Ximing’s thoughts stirred, and he named a few individuals: “Li Jiangxia, Ding Weizeng, Li Jianglong, Li Wushao, Chen Yang…”

These individuals either had high cultivation or possessed powerful techniques and mystical abilities. He didn't include more, but he hesitated when it came to the crucial Li Jiangqian and Li Quewan. Li Quewan had gone to the Eastern Sea more than half a year ago and was already in the late Foundation Establishment stage; calculating the time, he wondered if she had emerged from seclusion. Although Li Jiangqian was on the lake, he had been in seclusion for a long time, having consumed pills to perfect his cultivation.

Li Ximing had no intention of disturbing them to emerge from seclusion and enter the secret realm. Unlike Li Zhouwei, who was publicly known, Li Jiangqian and Li Quewan were the clan’s Purple Mansion seeds, and he had kept them low-key for years. The outside world at most knew that their cultivation methods were excellent, and even Li Quewan was not widely known. If they were to shine brightly in the secret realm, while satisfying, it would inevitably draw everyone’s attention and be secretly noted. Once Li Ximing was restrained, it would be hard to guarantee that some enemies wouldn’t secretly strike. The few he sent in had low cultivation levels, and the only one with higher cultivation, Ding Weizeng, didn't bear the Li surname, which was also a form of subtle protection.

‘It’s just for some Foundation Establishment-level things… without risking the Purple Mansion seeds. The most suitable people for this are guest elders like Ding Weizeng, who are not of the main clan!’

This place was extremely close to the lake, so he only let the Mountain-Chasing Sea-Fleeing Tiger transform into a mystical Gen-Tiger, carrying the message.

His gaze swept around the Void, taking the opportunity to recognize everyone. Aside from a few Purple Mansion cultivators already waiting on the shore, the other major forces had all arrived, along with some unfamiliar individuals who were likely aristocratic families from the north. However, the newly ascended Si Yuanli was absent, and it was unclear where he had gone or if he had not yet arrived.

In the cloud mist to the west stood Qi Lanyan, and slightly ahead of her was True Immortal Ye Hui, still riding his crow, which he knew not if it was a spiritual artifact or a nascent spirit. Seeing Li Ximing look his way, he nodded with a smile. Ye Hui was very cunning. When he decided to wade into these troubled waters and seek refuge in the North, he had visited the Li clan beforehand. At the time, Li Ximing hadn't fully understood, but now, upon reflection, it was likely that he had used that conversation to clarify his lack of hostility and sought to resolve past grievances, thereby trying to avoid becoming a casualty of the North-South conflict due to old animosities.

Further away, a woman in Xiangxi robes stood silently, not saying a word. Her eyes, filled with complexity, gazed from afar. Meeting Li Ximing’s gaze, she merely parted her lips, her expression solemn, and sighed.

“Fellow Daoist Zhaojing…” Li Ximing’s thoughts were interrupted by Tianhuo’s words beside him. The young man, looking quite mysterious, whispered, “Look to the north.”

Li Ximing followed his gaze and saw two divine abilities floating in the North, manifesting brilliant light—one a pure white, the other hazy and mist-like. Just looking at them made him feel a sense of discomfort.

Tianhuo whispered, “Those are Gongsun Bei, who cultivates Dawn Qi, and Zong Chang of the Great Zhao Imperial Court, who cultivates Jueyin. Your clan must be wary of these two.”

Li Ximing felt a chill. Indeed, he saw them appear. Gongsun Bei was tall, clad in armor, and wielding a crimson axe. His gaze was like a sword, and a scar marked his face, making him look like someone not to be trifled with.

“Dawn Qi…” Since he began cultivating, Li Ximing had heard that his orthodoxy feared Dawn Qi and had always been cautious. He had only heard that the Golden Feather Sect had powerful Dawn Qi orthodoxies; now, finally seeing a Dawn Qi Purple Mansion cultivator, he secretly frowned.

Zong Chang, on the other hand, was short in stature and clad in python robes. Her face was feminine and dignified, yet her demeanor held a cunning and treacherous aura that transformed her entire appearance. She stared at him with an eerie gaze. Also cultivating Jueyin, this woman lacked Wei Xuanyin's ethereal aura, instead radiating a dense, unsettling malevolent energy. Her long, male-style robe reached her feet, and pale skin showed beneath the fabric. Several dark, gleaming venomous bees flapped their wings, flying and crawling in the shadows of her clothes.

Tianhuo frowned and murmured, “Jueyin cultivators live in groups, enjoy promiscuity, and delight in reproduction, resembling shrews. Their higher cultivation resides within their bodies, akin to bees and ants, while their lower cultivation transforms into a hundred evils… She has cultivated to the point where few in the Zhao Imperial Palace are normal.” He whispered, “Does Fellow Daoist know about Daiximohe? He also cultivated Jueyin before converting to Buddhism; if one were to trace their lineage, she is this person’s martial aunt.”

Li Ximing nodded secretly. Tianhuo shook his head and said, “Her cultivation method is special; she will also convert to Buddhism in the future, as is the tradition for generations. They make the best use of things, consuming the fortune of their fathers and relatives to transform into Buddhist cultivators. Because of this, even though she cultivates immortals now, she is essentially a Buddhist cultivator.”

“As for Gongsun Bei… he’s a dog raised by an aristocratic family.”

Li Ximing finally understood. He replied, “The North is indeed chaotic.”

“Isn’t it?” Tianhuo shook his head slightly and responded, “Although Great Zhao is just a framework, it is a very useful one. Many forces are mixed within this empty framework, intertwined with each other, unlike the South.” He said meaningfully, “However, the Yue Kingdom is not a mere facade.”

As he spoke, the Void intensely convulsed. Dazzling colors descended from the sky, appearing as brilliant white and purple, reflecting each other. A continuous stretch of Daoist temples gradually appeared in the Void, moving from distant to near. This expanse of temples had a circular boundary, rapidly rubbing against everything in the Void, erupting in brilliant golden sparks. Immediately expelled by the Void, these sparks fell like rain into the Murky Slaughter Mausoleum in the current world. The hills covered with white bones were suddenly showered with golden rain, fluttering down, exceptionally beautiful. Li Ximing casually glanced at it; it was Spirit Mausoleum Gold of the Wandering Gold path, at the Qi Cultivation level, extremely precious to rogue cultivators. Below, there was immediately a scramble.

While observing, several streaks of escape light approached rapidly. Li Ximing glanced, and under the heavenly light, he gave a few instructions. Tianhuo simultaneously nodded with a smile, and indeed, several cultivators from the Golden Feather Sect came to greet them against the wind. Li Ximing specifically looked and indeed saw Su Yan. Although this matter was merely a game played by a few Purple Mansion cultivators, Li Ximing remained cautious. He lightly touched his waist, unfastening the green and yellow Shikuan, and gave a few instructions. The artifact immediately escaped from the Void.

“Weizeng, if you encounter difficulties within the secret realm, please bring out the spiritual embryo to suppress them.”

Ding Weizeng was standing amidst swirling white smoke, communicating seriously with the Golden Feather Sect cultivator before him. Suddenly hearing this, he quickly bowed towards the sky: “I receive the True Immortal’s divine decree!”

At these words, all the direct disciples from both the Li clan and the Golden Feather Sect lowered their brows and bowed in respect. Tianhuo observed this and smiled, “Zhaojing truly dotes on his juniors.”

Li Ximing turned his head and quietly said, “For a hundred years, our clan has only been able to observe the trump cards of other clans and be wary of their reliance; now it’s different. Achieving divine ability was for this very day—our descendants also have trump cards, also have reliance. They can stand proudly alongside other immortal descendants, no longer needing to survive by fierce competition.”

Tianhuo’s smile faded; he seemed to recall something, a complex expression appearing on his face. He said softly, “At this level, the opportunity to survive through fierce competition… is also hard to come by again.”

Li Ximing fell silent. Both of them tacitly skipped over this topic and focused their gaze on the secret realm before them. Li Ximing activated his divine ability, enhancing the heavenly light on his glabella. Taking advantage of the secret realm’s instability to briefly communicate with the outside, he immediately looked, and saw the hazy colors recede. The dense immortal pavilions of the immortal platform were extremely elegant, and at the highest point was a grand purple hall, with golden characters inscribed: “Southern Hamlet Hall.”

Although it was only a glimpse of the scenery, all the divine ability cultivators saw it clearly and began to whisper. Tianhuo softly said, “Indeed, it is one of the Southern Hamlet orthodoxies.”

Li Ximing looked at him. Tianhuo replied, “The Three Profundities are all similar; their direct lineages are limited. Dou Xuan is now in decline and not prominent. There were many famous ones in ancient times, and among those still renowned today… if ranked by order, there are Northern Palace Divine Thunder, Transverse Weir Sand Guardian, Southern Hamlet Four Secrets…”

“There’s no need to mention Thunder Palace; it’s the pinnacle of Dou Xuan, known throughout the world, but not seen now. Transverse Weir Sand Guardian cultivates Azure Proclamation; the Woolshed Temple Palace belongs to their family. The remaining Four Secret orthodoxies that we often mention are these Southern Hamlet Four Secrets.”

With this explanation, Li Ximing connected the dots. He had just heard about the Hongxue orthodoxy and counted on his fingers: “Mi Pan, Mi Fan, Mi Yan… one is still missing.”

When he said this, Tianhuo first nodded secretly, seemingly not expecting him to know about Mi Yan. But when he heard the end, he couldn't help but burst into laughter and replied, “Fellow Daoist, you’ve been looking through a single leaf, obscuring the whole forest…”

Li Ximing became interested. Tianhuo, while scanning the secret realm with his divine ability, leisurely said, “That last one, one branch of it was active along the riverbanks for a long time, and even resided in Moon-Gazing Marsh in ancient times! Although the orthodoxy moved long ago, some names and place names still remain… right on Fellow Daoist’s territory!”

Li Ximing was stunned for a moment, recalling the names on the lake, and said incredulously, “Dense Forest Commandery… Dense Forest?!”

Tianhuo smiled and said, “Precisely!”

Tianhuo was famously playful and enjoyed seeing Li Ximing's suddenly enlightened expression. With his playful mood satisfied, he himself felt better and chuckled, “Fellow Daoist still has the empty shell of the Six Xin Harmonious Gold Token, right!”

This sentence perfectly showed the Golden Feather Sect’s posture of controlling all directions, sending a silent chill through Li Ximing’s heart. He said in surprise, “Precisely!”

The most essential part of the Six Xin Harmonious Gold Token in the Li clan's possession had been removed, leaving only an empty shell covered in patterns. Although its material might still have some unique properties, it no longer held any mystical power. Li Zhouwei had mentioned this to him years ago: the greatest value of the empty shell of the Six Xin Harmonious Gold Token was not the one or two points of spiritual materials left behind, but rather the etched patterns that once manifested its mystical power. It had been kept hidden within the clan for this reason—in the future, if a promising junior emerged from the clan, or if Jiang Zong’s artifact refining skills reached a certain height, this empty shell could be taken out for study and research, to craft imitations similar to the Six Thunders Profound Punishment Token.

Tianhuo mentioned this, then chuckled, “The Twelve Profound Tokens belong to Dou Xuan. The Jiang family ancestors were from Ning Kingdom and had received the Dense Forest orthodoxy. The Six Xin Harmonious Gold Token circulated around and fell into the hands of the Dense Forest Jiang family for this reason! Now, does Fellow Daoist understand?”

His revelation about the Twelve Profound Tokens was like a sudden enlightenment. Li Ximing's mind instantly cleared: ‘Exactly! No wonder… no wonder. There were clues earlier: our clan’s Six Thunders Profound Punishment Token imitates the Six Quakes Profound Thunder Token of the Thunder-Summoning Cloud-Dwelling Dao. That orthodoxy originated from Woolshed Temple Palace, which is also Dou Xuan!’

‘It's also for this reason that the famously renowned Six Ding Converging Fire Token of Crimson Reef Island, later obtained by Senior Dragon Slayer, was given by a dragon kin to Divine Ability Guo, who emerged from a Dou Xuan grotto-heaven—it was an item being returned to its orthodoxy…’

Li Ximing had racked his brains and never thought it would connect to his own clan. He was stunned for several breaths, but as he thought it over, it slowly all came together in his mind: ‘The Grand Clarity Profound Grotto Screen obtained from the Great Ning Palace, inscribed with 'Jiang Bing' and 'Chen Xuanli', is also proof that the Jiang clan originated from Jiangbei. When Ning Kingdom was destroyed, the Jiang, Chen, Li, and even the Si family of Green Pond were all displaced downwards… and had strong ties to Dou Xuan.’

“Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist!” Li Ximing sincerely thanked him. Then, within the Murky Slaughter Mausoleum, purple mist permeated, golden clouds emerged, the secret realm descended, and boundless spiritual energy surged.

“The secret realm has stabilized!”

Just then, True Immortal Tianjue, who had been silent, quietly looked up. His magical mirror reflected, and a faint purple light subtly appeared, illuminating the Void, causing Tianhuo to smile faintly. He then announced, “Fellow Daoists! There is a treasure within this Southern Hamlet Hall… consider it a prize, and let’s see who it falls to!”

The various divine ability cultivators either sneered or nodded, one after another sending their juniors into it. Tianhuo also raised his hand, looked at Li Ximing, and smiled, “While mutual assistance comes first, there’s no need to put them all in the same place, lest you lessen your gains.”

Li Ximing naturally understood these words. Although the two clans would help each other, they still needed to separate once inside to maximize their gains. He softly assented and watched Tianhuo gently send several juniors into the realm.

Li Ximing, however, secretly chuckled. On the surface, he pretended to close his eyes in concentration and casually part the Void, as if completely unconcerned about the contents. But secretly, he quietly focused his mind beforehand: ‘Disciple Ximing of the Li clan respectfully requests the Dharma Mirror, to survey the hidden and subtle, perceive the profound mysteries, illuminate all directions, apprehend spirits and examine gods…’