Chapter 990: Cultivation Matters

Li Ximing was aware of the matter concerning Heng Zhu, which Ye Gui had also mentioned back then. After a moment of silence, Xiao Chuting said gently, "Sometimes, even if something seems achievable, it won't work out if the timing or the identity isn't right. Do you remember Duanmu Kui?"

Li Ximing nodded silently, observing Xiao Chuting's enigmatic expression. "It cannot be achieved... The shamanic ritual cannot be achieved... If the master leaves the grand hall to attend to matters outside, occasionally returning to check, how could anyone else possibly seize it? The position ultimately belongs to its rightful owner. On the other hand, other positions that various families consider shaking up... those are worth fighting for."

Li Ximing's heart tightened. He couldn't quite grasp Xiao Chuting's meaning, and a momentary chill ran through him as he listened to the man before him. "Whether it's Zi Qi of Ziyan, or Quan Dan of Jinyu, or even Tantai from overseas, Huang Yu from Beihai, Heng Li of Heng Zhu, or Yuan Shang and his disciples from Donghai – all are waiting for the day of True Qi, waiting for its outcome." His pupils widened slightly, and he spoke in an almost inaudible voice, "Of course... that also includes Chi Buzi."

"Chi Buzi..." Li Ximing had not thought of that name for many years, and even now, its mere appearance in his mind sent shivers down his spine. His thoughts slowly faded, and he raised his eyebrows, murmuring, "Perhaps... you too, Senior?" Xiao Chuting chuckled, but did not answer him.

Li Ximing asked a few more questions, then soon indicated his intention to leave. Xiao Chuting looked at him for a long time before finally saying, "Be cautious with your friendships and your protection."

Li Ximing quickly agreed and ascended, riding a beam of light. As soon as he left Mount Bi'er, he prepared to vanish into the aether to return, but in the distance, he spotted a flash of green on a distant ice peak. This splash of green seemed to possess some magical power, instantly drawing his attention. Li Ximing glanced at it with mild curiosity, only to see the green shape leap, falling like a meteor, followed by a sickening thud of flesh colliding.

He found it strange, so he stepped into the air to investigate. Only then did he discover a green-furred monkey that had fallen from the ice mountain, its skin ripped open, blood splattered everywhere, bones visible amidst the flesh. It had died instantly. The monkey appeared to have cultivated to a considerable level. Even in death, it still clutched a vibrant green herb tightly in its mouth. It must have been gathering herbs, only to accidentally slip from a great height and fall to its pulverizing death.

Li Ximing took a careful look, his heart seizing with dread, then quickly turned his head, lowered his gaze, and, ignoring the corpse on the ground, vanished into the aether.

***

Wanling Heaven.

The heavens and earth were dim, the land fragmented. Pale storms swept across the realm. Whether it was the magnificent palaces or the fluttering feather ornaments, all had lost their color, leaving only a monochrome pallor.

"Wanling Heaven... has already connected with the Netherworld..."

This entire realm was slowly fragmenting. Huge chunks of land crumbled, scattering with surrounding shattered mountains, detaching from this plane, emerging from the grayish-white void, and then plummeting to the ground, becoming a new ruin on Mount Zhuosha. On the pallid earth, a man in white could still be seen, moving through the mountains as tiny as an ant, occasionally stopping to survey his surroundings.

"With the Xuan Tao shattered, unless the original master of Wanling Heaven is resurrected, no one can save it!"

Lu Jiangxian stepped over piles of bones. His divine sense swept through, immediately recording crystal-clear jade slips buried deep within the ruins. However, he had no mind to read the cultivation techniques or methods within them. He stepped forward, gazing at the grayish-white Banishing Wind, and sighed inwardly: "A Grotto-heaven, in its prime, is nourished by clear qi; upon its demise, it is subjugated by banishing qi. It is a beginning and an end."

A Grotto-heaven without a master, with its karma position not manifest, can still hide beyond the aether, undetectable by True Monarchs. This is partly due to its connection with the karma position's status and partly because it aligns with the 'banishing qi' symbol of the Lord of Deep Darkness, making it even more clandestine. However, when a Grotto-heaven eventually falls, without the blessing of the karma position, the banishing qi will reveal its fangs, resonating with it and dragging the Grotto-heaven down, all the way into the Netherworld. Once this process begins, grayish-white directional banishing winds emerge, causing all things to lose their color. Even Purple Mansions cultivators cannot withstand it and are forced to leave. When they try to return, they can no longer find the origin point, nor see the ruins of the Grotto-heaven connected to the banishing qi. They can only see shattered mountain peaks in the aether, falling from the directional banishing winds. Unsupported, these peaks would immediately plummet into the mortal realm.

This was the first time Lu Jiangxian had witnessed such a tragic fall of a Grotto-heaven. Back then, when Anhuai Heaven fell, no True Monarch intervened, so its Xuan Tao remained intact, and it quietly descended into the Netherworld, leaving behind few ruins. Wanling Heaven, however, was similar to the former Donghuo Heaven but far more catastrophic – the True Monarchs unleashed their magical artifacts without mercy, shattering the entire Xuan Tao. It was unknown how many more peaks this would add to Mount Zhuosha.

His gaze was complex. He looked up, and amidst the swirling banishing winds, he saw an object. Although it was enveloped by layers upon layers of divine abilities, it was still faintly moving.

"The Great Evolution Heaven's Book..."

All the True Monarchs were jointly casting spells, seizing the moment Wanling Heaven connected with the banishing qi. They were willing to abandon the Lingyang Unchanging Palace if it meant sending the Great Evolution Heaven's Book together into the Netherworld, into the unfathomable banishing qi!

*The Lord of Heavenly Administration is a figure who stirs up trouble, and the Great Evolution Heaven's Book is a powerful tool for manipulating the world. They absolutely cannot allow this object to return to its karma position. Once a karma position has an owner, it could disrupt all current plans! The only option is to suppress this object—even if the Lord of Heavenly Administration returns to their position, there will still be ample time for restraint! But these True Monarchs knew well that the Great Evolution Heaven's Book could not be fully suppressed. Even with Wanling Heaven outside and Lingyang Unchanging Palace inside before, Liu Changdie still emerged...*

Lu Jiangxian's expression was cold, and his mind was perfectly clear: "Actually, it's not just Liu Changdie. There are others like him. The trump card of Wanling Heaven's master was the Great Evolution Heaven's Book. Apart from my influence, there should have been other contingencies. Just the collapse of Wanling Heaven caused Lin Hengjiang to be summoned by the Great Evolution Heaven's Book and the Heavenly Administration karma position, giving rise to Shengyang out of nowhere... And several silver lights emerged from various places, descending upon the world. Although that Lin Hengjiang is no longer his original self, and even though he is only a Purple Mansion cultivator, and even though these things cannot stir up major waves, they are still variables. And the Great Evolution Heaven's Book will ultimately prevail over the Lingyang Unchanging Palace. If they rely solely on this object for suppression, the Great Evolution Heaven's Book, which will gradually calculate its weaknesses, will eventually suppress them in return. These variables will only grow more numerous and powerful, ultimately giving birth to the Lord of Heavenly Administration! Neither Luoxia, nor the Dragon Clan, nor the Underworld likes variables, let alone the various True Monarchs, big and small, who conspired against Wanling Heaven... The current minor variables are tolerable, and they can even use them to unearth more of Douxuan's legacy—which is why they tolerated Lin Hengjiang and allowed so many Purple Mansion cultivators to enter. But no matter what, they cannot let things run their course unchecked!"

Lu Jiangxian stood there the whole time, naturally seeing everything most clearly, his gaze cold: "No True Monarch is willing to sacrifice their future or stake their position solely to suppress this object. That's why it must be sent into the Netherworld. Only the karma position of Banishing Qi can completely suppress the Great Evolution Heaven's Book, which belongs to the Heavenly Administration position, without any external help and without allowing it to escape! The Underworld, residing within the Banishing Qi, must know about and support such an action."

During the days Li Zhouwei and others were fighting in the Grotto-heaven, Lu Jiangxian had already used the Great Evolution Heaven's Book to deduce the future one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one times! One of his purposes for standing there was also to use these final moments to continue his deductions! Among these one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures, Lu Jiangxian silently pushed forward, trying again and again, but met with silence time after time. Even when the artifact was finally lifted by the True Monarchs, all that remained for him was silence.

One thousand eight hundred and eighty-four of these futures were a sea of blood—the complete annihilation of the Li clan. Roughly three paths existed.

First, aligning with Luoxia, which accounted for eight hundred and seven variations. Although there were differences, the main outcome remained largely unchanged. Li Zhouwei, besieged in Weidu Commandery in Zhao, was forced to assault his karma position amidst myriad armies. The Second Manifestation immediately appeared, and he fell three days later, with light and rain filling the sky, the celestial light in disarray, and the sun bright but without warmth... The Bright Yang wavered, and the world underwent a great change. In the same year, Shu forces captured Wangyue. An immortal decree arrived, and three lineages were executed. The number of surviving, breathing members of the Li clan was even fewer than before Li Mutian joined the army. In five hundred and nineteen of these instances, a considerable number of Li family members survived. The turning point wasn't Li Zhouwei or Li Ximing, but someone Lu Jiangxian hadn't expected—Li Xizhi. In these five hundred and nineteen cases, the Li clan eventually compromised with Luoxia. Chaos erupted in the north, and Li Xizhi entered Mount Luoxia for cultivation, his cultivation being exploited by a True Monarch. When Li Zhouwei died attempting to assault his karma position, it wasn't Shu soldiers who arrived, but people from the north, who issued an immortal decree, leaving a few survivors at Wangyue Lake and sending Li Zhouming and his people to the Southern Reaches. Li Xizhi, after many years of cultivation, suddenly perished. Li Zhouming died of illness thirteen years later. Xia Shouyu governed the clan for seventy-nine years, until Liu Changdie and Fu Xun were killed by the Shengbo Palace, leading to the complete annihilation of the clan!

In another five hundred and sixty-one variations, the Li clan chose the Dragon Clan. Although the Li family was besieged at Wangyue Lake, facing difficulties everywhere, appearing docile and allowing themselves to be manipulated by the North and South without resistance, they secretly colluded with the Dragon Clan, constructing a grand tomb in the depths of Zhulu Sea for reincarnation purposes. When Li Zhouwei, besieged in Weidu Commandery, exhausted himself in battle, his True Spirit escaped, attempting to join the Dragon Clan and reincarnate. However, he was struck by the Divine Thunder Profound Sound Drum, his True Spirit shattered. Wangyue Lake turned into a sea of blood, leaving only remnants overseas who occupied the Yi tribes and barely survived under Dragon Clan rule. Yet, within a mere ten years, the main lineage weakened, the clan became extinct, and its assets were divided among various families, much like the story of the Jiang family.

In the final five hundred and twenty-three variations, the Li clan grew close to the Great Song Dynasty established by Yang Zhuo. They broke through and fell at Zhijing Mountain. Wangyue Lake enjoyed twelve years of peace. When Song and Zhao contended for supremacy, Wangyue Lake was breached by General Wang Quwan of Zhao. The entire clan was slaughtered, and Li Jiangliang, who held a position in the imperial court, committed suicide... They too could not escape disaster. In seventy-six of these cases, things were slightly better, with only Li Ximing surviving and obtaining a not-insignificant position in the Underworld. However, if he intervened secretly, he would be executed within a few years for disturbing the mortal realm.

Without exception, all these outcomes ended in blood and tears.

Of course, besides these one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four instances, there were seven more! Lu Jiangxian's expression was somber. In these seven instances—Li Xizhi also joined Luoxia, but one careless moment led to his true form being discovered. Great wars erupted in the aether and beyond the heavens, shattering the continent into seven islands. The Li clan, along with those associated with them, friends, and marital relatives—the Si family, the Xiao family, and the future Yuyang Chen family... all were annihilated, with none spared.

*The futures predicted by the Great Evolution Heaven's Book... whether good or bad, whether glorious for a time or a lifetime of grievance, none offer a path to survival!*

He stood quietly amidst the banishing winds, his eyes continuously reflecting the Great Evolution Heaven's Book suppressed above, his expression unfathomable. The Great Evolution Heaven's Book was unlike the mere calculating power Liu Changdie possessed. Although bound by magical artifacts, it still held the noble status and divine mystery of its position—perhaps it couldn't predict the future actions of True Monarchs, but eighty to ninety percent of the various great powers' past and present plans were within its calculations!

*This means that the one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures generated based on my assumptions are very close to reality... As long as the Dao Embryo doesn't intervene, and I don't interfere too much, it's almost a certainty!*

He remained silent for a long time: *The Great Evolution Heaven's Book can calculate everything... but it cannot calculate two things. One, the decisions of the Luoxia and Underworld Dao Embryo Immortals. The second—is me!*

In those seven instances, his true form was discovered, shaking the world. Immortals and True Monarchs emerged together, and the scene immediately dissolved into chaos, leaving nothing but a shattered continent!

*If I let the situation develop, I will surely waste these hundred years. Wasting a hundred years is secondary; missing this century of turbulent change means that even if there are future opportunities, I will never be able to turn things around!* He had once thought that at worst, he would be confined for five hundred years, but now it seemed that five hundred years wouldn't solve anything. Moreover... after more than a century of coexistence... he couldn't stand by and watch the Li clan be massacred...

*Mingyang and Li Zhouwei... the chaos of the world vying for True Qi is the Li family's only chance, and in truth, my only chance too... The Great Evolution Heaven's Book can calculate these one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures. But how could the Lord of Yuan Mansion, that Lu Jiangxian of Qing Song Abbey, have calculated *only* these one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures? What could he not calculate! He made all sorts of arrangements, even willing to erase his own memories to become who I am today; there must be a reason... If the Li family were to be annihilated while I remained unharmed, why would he have orchestrated Liu Changdie, or shown me these one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures!*

Lu Jiangxian stood silently amidst the banishing winds, slowly turning his head. All his thoughts gradually converged into a single idea: "I need variables... they don't want variables, but I must have them. One Chi Buzi is far from enough; I need more variables! Even if they can't completely disrupt their grand scheme, I can still seek a sliver of hope for survival!"

His eyes turned silvery-white. His divine sense continued to connect, silently making calculations. His face was calm, and in his hand, from nothing, a greenish-white treasure sword slowly materialized.

*Li Jiangchun...*

Li Jiangchun was granted the Talisman Seed precisely because his talent in the Sword Dao was unparalleled in a century, comparable to Li Chijing! Granting him Li Chijing's lifelong Sword Dao experience was not a waste. However, this object was not something ordinary people could receive or be recognized by. Unless one's talent surpassed Li Chijing's, one would need to at least reach Sword Essence, a step away from Sword Intent, to potentially gain its recognition! Lu Jiangxian had originally planned to wait until Li Jiangchun's Sword Dao reached a certain level before subduing this object, but now he could no longer wait!

*Recognized or not, it must recognize!*

Just like Li Xijun borrowing the sword back then, this sword-thought was forcefully subdued by him, and with a flick of his finger, it flew into Li Jiangchun's Talisman Seed. Lu Jiangxian would constantly divert a portion of his divine sense to suppress this object, allowing Li Jiangchun to resonate with it and rapidly elevate his Sword Dao cultivation until he could gain its recognition!

*The variables left by the Great Evolution Heaven's Book are few, but they can be calculated thoroughly...*

Infinite silvery-white whirlpools appeared in his eyes, as he raced against time, inputting countless variables into them at an astonishing speed. In these endless illusions, Li Ximing and Li Zhouwei changed again and again, or perhaps it was Li Jiangqian or Li Quewan, who one day suddenly awoke with one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one futures now existing in their minds, drenched in cold sweat, attempting to save themselves, only to inadvertently invite calamity on a certain day...

"To use variables as variables themselves..."

At this instant, all sorts of illusions grew at a terrifying speed, repeating again and again, replaying over and over! The infinite banishing winds were converging to a single point, plunging into the bottomless depths of the Netherworld. If Lu Jiangxian were to remain there, he could ride this grayish-white directional banishing wind and fly into the boundless Netherworld.

*That place is the Underworld, the very root of Banishing Qi.*

He faced the swirling banishing winds. The faint connection he had with the Great Evolution Heaven's Book finally severed, and his form abruptly vanished from the spot, a faint gloom surfacing in his expression: *If all plans prove ineffective, it would be better to play openly with the Great Evolution Heaven's Book... to play the 'open card' that they deem insignificant... From beginning to end, the Li family only ever had the right to play openly. I cannot intervene in every matter, but the Li clan needs a Liu Changdie... It needs a Li family member who believes they understand the future's trajectory, a person who is clear about everything at the heart of the grand trend... to make moves, piece by piece, on my behalf...*

A vast amount of memories converged, and a golden light ascended, descending along the secret passage of the 'Sun and Moon Shining Together' Heaven, vanishing into an imperceptible part of the aether.

***

*Taking a day off tomorrow to organize the outline.*