Chapter 979: Qi Xi

Xiangchun the Daoist nun, after all, had ties to the Dragon Clan. Although there was no known connection between the Dragon Clan and the Douxuan lineage, the Dragon Clan was one of the largest powers under heaven, backed by Dragon Lords, and certainly possessed their own means. Despite potential conflicts of interest, and the possibility of the Dragon Clan turning against Li Zhouwei in the future, their current methods were unclear. However, the White Dragon Heir had, for the most part, only offered advantages so far; during Li Zhouwei's breakthrough, the Dragon Clan even sent a spiritual treasure. So, he nodded to the nun and replied, "Since it's a timely encounter, let's go together." After all, the surrounding areas had already been thoroughly searched, and there was nowhere else to go. Her guidance would conveniently save him a lot of trouble.

Hearing this, Xiangchun's expression brightened. Yu Ming, standing nearby, shook his sleeves and said quite grandly, "I only came in here to try my luck. Now that I've had some good gains, I'm satisfied. I won't venture deeper. I'll just look around here, pick up some small items, and find a weak point in the array to get back!" This was undoubtedly a wise choice. Although True Master Yu Ming had little lifespan left and came with the intention of risking his life to accumulate resources, it only counted if he could take them out. If he truly lost his life here, he would undoubtedly return empty-handed, and even lose a great deal.

Seeing him fly off with the wind, Xiangchun nodded in acknowledgment, then flew up with Li Zhouwei, whispering, "Jiangbei is unstable. Xiuyue has remained secluded, and the Shen family has lost a lot of territory. However, the elders were shrewd; they took the opportunity to relocate their people overseas, settling them in the outer seas. It's estimated that… in a practical sense, they are becoming an overseas aristocratic family."

Li Zhouwei nodded discreetly. With the Zhengtian Mansion outside, his own conditions were excellent, and he was confident he could have retreated far away. If he weren't such a crucial chess piece, he would have left long ago. He simply replied, "After all, they lack successors… and Jiangbei is dangerous."

Xiangchun, however, shook her head softly, "That might not be the case… though the danger is real." The Dragon Clan controlled the East Sea, so if the Shen family were making any arrangements, they would almost certainly not escape the Dragon Clan's notice. Li Zhouwei secretly took note of this, but then Xiangchun, while travelling, quietly asked, "Has Fellow Daoist not often left the lake in recent years?"

Li Zhouwei nodded gently. Given the major political currents in the north and south, and his concern for his clan, he had little room to travel. He replied, "After all, Moon-Gazing Lake is by the river, and its stability is hard to guarantee."

Xiangchun's eyes shifted as she whispered, "That's not necessarily true… Currently, several factions are indeed still plotting against Fellow Daoist, and they will likely come to test you. If Fellow Daoist genuinely wishes to protect the lineage on the lake, it's naturally ill-advised to move lightly. But if you advance further, gaining three divine abilities, or even achieving Grand True Master status with perfected divine abilities, then it won't matter anymore…"

"Because by then, those in the world who can claim to surpass Fellow Daoist will be few and far between. Petty individuals might still try to test you, but they would no longer be able to bear the cost of such a test." Her expression gradually grew more serious, gaining a touch of composure: "At that point, you can certainly visit the East Sea more often. The Dragon Prince is very protective of you in front of the other heirs. If Fellow Daoist is willing to visit the Dragon Palace a few times later on and meet him, it will give him more confidence."

Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment, understanding that the Dragon Prince she spoke of was Dingjiao. This White Dragon Heir Prince possessed considerable bearing. Both he and his father, the Beihai Dragon King, belonged to the faction that advocated for indulging and fostering strong ties with this white kirin. He had sought to befriend Li Zhouwei early on, even specially taking him to see the late Crown Prince of Wei… 'Looking at it now, the truth remains unknown,' Li Zhouwei mused internally. 'At least no other dragon has been willing to approach me besides them. The White Dragon lineage must also be under considerable pressure…' Li Zhouwei was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist."

She smiled slightly, then changed the subject, finally asking, "I've heard that… Wuguang Luoxia left no directives for the various orthodoxies, seemingly oblivious to your existence… This is quite interesting. I wonder where True Master Xue went after heading south." Her gaze was sharp, fixed directly on Li Zhouwei, yet she seemed to be asking and answering herself. "True Master Xue has perfected divine abilities, mastered the five laws, and his remaining position is within sight. In ancient times, he would have been a palace master or acting representative of an immortal mansion. Even in the vast Wanlingtian, if he were born there, he would sit beside the highest-ranked individual."

'True Master Xue?!' The image of that person from back then surfaced in Li Zhouwei's mind. He seemed to ask casually, "True Master Xue? I don't know his esteemed name…" Daoist Nun Xiangchun turned her head, her eyes holding an inscrutable meaning, and replied, "His surname is Xue, given name Yan (殃). He is a Profound Orthodox Practitioner of the Wuguang Profound Lineage."

"Profound Orthodox Practitioner…" Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, deliberately asking, "Is he a figure of the same caliber as True Master Donghua?"

Daoist Nun Xiangchun hadn't expected him to bring up Li Jiangqun. She mused, "It's difficult to compare them that way. Luoxia dared to call itself the Wuguang Profound Lineage, propagating the teachings and serving as the Profound Master of the world. Although Yuanfu didn't make such a public statement back then, daring to call itself Yuanfu also showed the demeanor of a Profound Master. In this regard, they were somewhat similar. However… while True Master Donghua's talent far surpassed his, the lineage was in decline at that time… when he died young, his cultivation wasn't as profound as Xue Yan's is now. So, perhaps they can't be truly compared…"

"Yuanfu…" Li Zhouwei listened to her words and only then realized. He had heard of many immortal mansions over the years, but when high cultivators mentioned 'Yuanfu,' it invariably referred to the Yuehua Immortal Mansion on Moon-Gazing Lake, sometimes even directly called 'Yuehua Yuanfu.' He presumed there was a reason. "So that's the explanation… It seems True Master Donghua was indeed a successor of the Yuehua Profound Lineage within the orthodoxies."

"Precisely," she said softly. "A Qingxuan Orthodox Practitioner, one of the Three Profound Ones." This woman, being close to the Dragon Clan, possessed considerable knowledge. She looked up, a hint of coolness in her eyes: "In primeval times, many held the Jin rank, and their titles were well-defined. Golden Core cultivators had many appellations, divided by authority and lineage into Divine Monarch, Prefectural Lord, True Monarch, and Emperor Monarch… Now, with the loss of order, all are simply called True Monarchs, though only a few truly embody the unconstrained bearing of a True Monarch… it's hard to say."

Her words abruptly ceased as she raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "Isn't your Wei Emperor known as Minghua Huangyuan Yushi Emperor Monarch? Tuobaxuantan should also be an Emperor Monarch. Most of the others don't live up to their titles and are ashamed to claim them. The Qi Emperor… even less so!" A smile then touched her words: "Shi Chang had a guilty conscience! Even if circumstances created him as a hero, he was an incompetent one…"

"Pushed to the forefront by events, he hastily sought to seize the Jin rank for himself through his reforms, knowing he was sitting on a volcano. But he trusted the wrong people, leading to his death, the fall of his kingdom, and the slaughter of his entire lineage. He was utterly manipulated by the elders of the Jin Yi orthodoxy… The fact that Xiqi can still bear two intercalary positions to this day is a result of his earlier efforts!"

Li Zhouwei listened quietly. Now that his cultivation was advancing, he naturally understood clearly, his mind working like lightning. 'Shaoyang has three divisions: Beiyao and Xiyan both have directional names, representing North Shaoyang and West Shaoyang in Daoist magic. Yet, I've never heard of Xiyang Dragon Lord being East Shaoyang—but his name contains "Xi"! And Shaoyang gives rise to Xi, so it's highly probable that this venerable figure was assigned to the Xiqi position!' He then realized that the Xiqi position, despite being without a master, still commanded respect to this day for a reason. After all, Xiyang Dragon Lord, who possessed one of the Shaoyang Demon Lord's bones, walked among the living, and according to Xiangchun, there had even been an intercalary position back then… 'No wonder, even if the karmic position has no owner… it's practically no different from a manifest position.' His thoughts stirred slightly, but Xiangchun didn't pay them much mind, saying faintly, "There's also True Martial Qi… That venerable figure has the reputation of an Emperor Monarch; he just refuses to acknowledge it himself."

True Monarch Tianwu had always been respected, and Xiangchun was no exception. While she was less polite when mentioning other deceased True Monarchs, she always referred to True Monarch Tianwu as 'the venerable figure.' Li Zhouwei was silently pondering the details of her words when both he and Xiangchun, who had abruptly stopped speaking, looked up simultaneously. In the distance, a hazy white light flowed, and they could vaguely discern a vast white array, stretching across the sky, filling their vision. Intense divine energy slowly diffused from it, with thunder and true fire appearing one after another on its barrier. Though still a great distance away, Li Zhouwei's potent golden eyes could nonetheless see streaks of light scattered far and wide across the sky. 'Truly, there are many important figures here,' he thought.

The two did not rush forward. Xiangchun lightly pinched her fingers, seemingly calculating something, while Li Zhouwei scanned his surroundings. A quick glance, however, revealed a patch of gold, making him frown. "Hmm?" His eyes narrowed. He could discern cultivators fighting within the overlapping shimmering light, and his ability to see through illusions quietly activated. Xiangchun, beside him, withdrew her hand, also noticing, and quietly said, "It's still early. Why don't we go and get a share?"

Li Zhouwei, who had already seen clearly with his illusion-piercing ability and was about to speak, immediately stepped forward on a beam of light. The golden light rapidly expanded before his eyes, transforming into various splendors—it was a Buddhist formation, radiating boundless brilliance! Now close by, Xiangchun also understood, watching the middle-aged man enveloped in the splendid light. She whispered, "Minghuang, do you recognize him?" To be precise, Li Zhouwei had never truly met him, but he recognized the golden clouds supporting the endless, intricate passes in the sky, long recorded in his family's archives—it was precisely the spiritual treasure, the Mingyang Lingbao Huaijiang Map! Beneath the protection of this spiritual treasure, the verdant light, hard as gold, intertwined and transformed, supporting a middle-aged man with a distressed expression—it was Siyuanli.

The splendid light enveloped the area. Two massive golden bodies stood in the air. One golden body had a long face, black eyes, and a pair of horse ears. It looked terrifying, yet was quite familiar—it was undoubtedly his old adversary, Taixi. The other golden body was even larger, entirely white, with layers of feathers draped behind it. The Buddhist head had three faces, with one side depicting sorrow, the other laughter, and the front face extremely majestic, with glaring eyes. The two kept their distance, and Siyuanli could not detect them. He was struggling under the assault of the two Mahas, protected by his spiritual treasure. He also casually pulled several talismans from his storage bag, holding them, and remained relatively calm.

"We have some familial ties," Li Zhouwei responded. True Master Xiangchun then said, "One is Taixi of the Third Generation, the other is Yanbai of the Fourth Generation. Both are quite strong. He's managing to hold on without any intention of compromising; he's also a greedy one." After all, there were many opportunities within the grotto-heaven, and no one wanted to waste time. The fact that they were at a stalemate likely meant Siyuanli refused to hand over anything. Li Zhouwei, however, was already eager to use his 'Manifesting Sun and Moon' blessing! He gripped his halberd and replied, "I intend to involve myself in this matter of the Buddhist cultivators."

True Master Xiangchun smiled, "Go ahead, Fellow Daoist. I'll provide backup for you. I'll just give you a warning when the grand array is about to break. If you can't return in time, I won't be able to wait longer."

"Naturally," Li Zhouwei replied.

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes flickered, as his illusion-piercing ability revealed several crucial clues. He immediately took flight, rushing forward, and the Gate to Heaven's Court (Yetianmen) instantly manifested in the sky, descending with a thunderous roar, bringing with it a vast aura of light.

"Boom!"

As the colorful lights and auroras continuously surged, Taixi, who was actively suppressing Siyuanli with splendid light, saw Siyuanli falter, unable to break out. He grew momentarily complacent and mocked, as Mahas always loved to provoke others, especially high-ranking Purple Mansion cultivators. He scoffed derisively, "Fellow Daoist, you'd better take out some good things! Who else can save you? Chibuzi?! Haha!"

No sooner had his sarcastic laughter faded than Taixi felt a sudden chill down his spine. He looked up, and to his astonishment, saw golden light approaching rapidly and the Gate to Heaven's Court descending, instantly horrifying him: 'The Gate to Heaven's Court?' 'It's Li Zhouwei!' Astonished and enraged, he immediately channeled his magical power. A golden light surged around him, and a purple-black spiritual bowl leaped out from his chest. It soared upwards, absorbing the surging heavenly light, yet, covetous of the treasure, he dared not truly use the Kongxi Demonic Suppression Bowl to block the Gate to Heaven's Court directly. He merely spat out a stream of golden light, shouting, "Hmph!"

Siyuanli, having been pressured by the two, was already feeling awkward and embarrassed, his face pale. He had hesitated to share his spiritual treasures, fearing that their strength would overwhelm him too much, and he wouldn't escape without a major loss. A surge of indignation had been festering in his heart. Upon seeing this sight, his heart was filled with great joy! "Fellow Daoist Minghuang! Thank you for your assistance! I will surely repay you handsomely!" He had once addressed Li Xuanfeng as an equal, but now he spoke with warmth, watching the Mingyang shimmering light descend from the sky. He found the colors particularly pleasing and sighed inwardly, 'It seems I was right to go to Moon-Gazing Lake! This marriage alliance was indeed well-calculated! To think it could make Li Zhouwei intervene!'

The bright colors in the sky burst forth spectacularly. 'Above-Sunken Hidden Light' (Shangyao Fuguang) preemptively struck the golden energy spat out by Taixi, shattering it. However, a stream of white energy rapidly approached, manifesting beneath the Gate to Heaven's Court! It was the Maha with the snow-white golden body and one head with three faces. Sounds of crying and laughter simultaneously emanated from him. He prominently raised a copper seal in his hand, and his divine ability, like thunder, surged towards Li Zhouwei's face: "Chaa!"

Li Zhouwei activated his 'Monarch's Step Amidst Peril' (Jundao Weishen) divine ability and charged with his halberd. Kirin patterns appeared on him. The Buddhist sounds, which should have penetrated his mind, all became ineffective, leaving only substantial magical power surging forth, which was split in two before his weapon, transforming into golden light that circled him reluctantly. This Maha, however, was utterly fearless. He deliberately took out a rather conventional copper seal to briefly block the descending Gate to Heaven's Court, and all three expressions on his faces simultaneously turned to anger! Accustomed to domineering in the North, he immediately roared, "Bold fiend!"

This familiar phrase echoed in Li Zhouwei's ears. He smiled with anger, his eyes gradually brightening, and the omen of a solar eclipse appeared between his brows. 'Monarch's Step Amidst Peril' had already charged to this Maha's front: "What kind of trash are you!" Gold and black streams of light erupted, vying with each other to wrap around Yanbai's body, causing his expression to change instantly.

"Boom!" The incredibly sturdy Maha Dharma body froze instantly. Marks of impact appeared across his form as the gold and black streams of light lightly touched his body, swiftly climbing his limbs, emitting a grating, screeching sound. "How dare this fiend!"

Taixi, standing by, his expression slightly changed. He sprang into the air, secretly regretting, 'These cultivators from the Great Mu Buddhist Realm are more stubborn than the last… Why provoke him? What grudge do you have with him? If you make him refuse to back down, what kind of temperament does the White Kirin have!' He knew he couldn't delay. He immediately activated the Kongxi Demonic Suppression Bowl, fully suppressing Siyuanli below, whose divine abilities had somewhat weakened. A vicious look appeared on Taixi's face: "If Fellow Daoist doesn't back down, don't blame us for being too harsh!"

But then he noticed Siyuanli had already ceased his incantations, standing still with a strange expression. "Hmm?" He belatedly shifted his gaze, only then realizing that a man in green robes had appeared beside him, unnoticed. The man was smiling, playing with a small verdant water cauldron in his hand, dark beads hung heavily at his waist, and golden tassels swayed in the wind. When Taixi looked his way, numerous verdant water projections simultaneously emerged around them. Suffocating divine abilities continuously surged, all locking onto Taixi, making him unable to move a single inch. The man even smiled, revealing neat, white teeth: "Fellow Daoist, you recognize me, don't you? Hmm?"

Characters appearing in this chapter:Li Zhouwei: Early Purple MansionYu Ming: Early Purple MansionSiyuanli: Early Purple MansionXiangchun: Mid Purple Mansion