Chapter 991: Father and Brother's Concern (1+1/2)

The biting cold wind piled up white snow, leaving the forest desolate.

The middle-aged man, his face pale, clutched his robe, his gaze fixed. He stood silently in the snow, allowing the heavy flakes to cover his clothes as the blizzard from the sky continued to fall relentlessly.

Before long, a young man with a cold gaze approached and knelt beside him, bowing.

"Patriarch... that Black Ape is here again... demanding this year's blood sacrifice."

A sickly flush rose on the middle-aged man's face. He coughed twice, then slowly closed his eyes and replied, "If he wants it, give it to him..."

"Yes..."

The young man slowly gritted his teeth, agreed without hesitation, and rose again. But just as he took a few steps, the middle-aged man called out to him.

"Suining..."

Li Suining turned around to see the man open his eyes and speak quietly.

"I'm afraid my time is running out..."

A pang of sadness struck Li Suining's heart. He stepped forward and whispered, "Fifth Uncle, please rest and recover. If the Immortal Master were still here... he surely wouldn't want to see you neglect your own body..."

"The Immortal Master..."

The middle-aged man coughed several times, deep hatred surfacing in his eyes, accompanied by a hint of pain between his brows.

"I am ashamed to be his descendant. I possess neither the divine powers of Prince Wei nor the ability to refine elixirs. What a pity... what a pity..."

He paused, then spoke forlornly. "Suining."

Li Suining raised an eyebrow, listening as he spoke. "Go, save yourself."

Li Suining fell silent, looking desolately at the heavy snow on the horizon. The middle-aged man murmured, "You are the last remaining junior in our family with decent cultivation... you are the most promising... Although Li Xixuan made some mistakes, he wasn't foolish; you are even smarter than him... You know, staying here means certain death..."

"Now even Immortal Master Ning has fallen. If even a Purple Mansion realm cultivator meets such a fate, what hope do we have? Staying here, we will die sooner or later. It's better to go out and try our luck; perhaps there's a slim chance of survival."

The young man remained silent, listening as he continued.

"We are all going to die... It became clear when that imperial decree came down years ago, we are all doomed... The Mingyang bloodline must be severed, or they will never have peace... I, Li Zhouming... I, Li Zhouming, am a decoy..."

"Grandfather, Prince Wei... they are the true reasons... they are whom they despise..."

Li Zhouming's face was ashen. He seemed weary, yet his expression held a bewildered quality as his lips parted. "Father... Brother... hah..."

Li Suining remained silent, but sweat drenched his body. He watched the pale middle-aged man in front of him, seeing him close his eyes as if from exhaustion. A sudden shock jolted him, and he abruptly knelt down, saying urgently, "Fifth Uncle! Fifth Uncle!"

Blood flowed profusely from the man's nose as he slowly leaned forward, resting against Li Suining's chest. Li Suining's pupils dilated to their maximum. This young man, always calm and strong, who had walked through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, finally burst into loud sobs, weeping, "Wanling... Wanling flowers... gone... Uncle!"

He saw the person in his arms grow weaker, mumbling fragmented words. "Old... times... where has the scenery gone..."

"Fifth Uncle!"

The chill of early spring was biting.

The lamps in the room had long been extinguished. The cupboard doors on both sides stood wide open, revealing stacks of Daoist texts inside, their writing faintly visible in the dim light.

A profound stillness filled the dark room. Faintly, one could hear the soft snores of the person on the bed, footsteps outside, and a faint, creaking melody from a more distant place.

"Truly... loved... by immortals..."

Suddenly, footsteps stopped abruptly, and a child's clear voice rang out.

"Brother Ning!"

The indistinct voices from outside called out several times. The half-grown boy on the bed finally stirred, but his eyes wouldn't open, as if trapped in a nightmare, struggling in vain.

"Creak!"

The door was abruptly pushed open with a grating screech. The child who stepped in looked to be only five or six years old, his face beaming with joy as he called out, "Brother Ning!"

As the child stepped inside, the wet nurse, drenched in sweat, rushed in behind him, her face changing dramatically as she whispered, "Don't disturb your brother!"

This voice, like a thunderclap, finally broke the nightmare. The boy groggily opened his eyes, watching as all the snowy scenery vanished from his sight, and Li Zhouming's figure disappeared. He felt a sense of bewilderment.

'This was a dream... I'm not dead yet... I actually dreamed of Uncle Zhouming...'

He wasn't surprised; Li Zhouming's death had impacted him greatly, so dreaming of him was to be expected. But amidst his daze, a sudden doubt surged from his heart.

'Sanlufu... wasn't the Lush Sea supposed to descend... How could I be alive...'

'No... How long has it been since I've dreamed, ever since I started cultivating!'

In just a flash, the boy on the bed immediately sat up. His eyes snapped open, bright as cold stars, filled with killing intent, sharp and icy. "Who's there?!"

That gaze sent a chill through the wet nurse, making her hair stand on end. She grew suspicious.

"What's wrong with Young Master... Could it be that he resents the Master..."

Yet, she bowed and smiled. "Young Master... I'm sorry for disturbing your peaceful sleep..."

But as she bowed, Li Suining became disoriented, his gaze fixed on the child before him, his pupils rapidly dilating.

"You... Kuan'er..."

He raised his eyes, incredulously surveying the room's furnishings, examining everything meticulously from top to bottom. A rush of hot blood surged to his nose, and his expression suddenly became serious.

'This is... this is... the Eastern Estate...'

He closed his eyes, appearing weary, yet he was rapidly observing everything around him and the ridiculously meager spiritual energy within his body—things he could never forget!

'It's... Wangyue Lake in Tingzhou...'

No matter how much torment and turmoil he suffered later, or how many sleepless nights he faced the wind and rain outside his window, he would always remember his time by the lake. When he fell in the Lush Sea, this scenery also appeared before his eyes, but it was far from as real as it was today.

"It seems... it's real..."

He didn't ask the year, nor did he show any excessive surprise. In a moment of daze, he forced himself to calm down and, still disbelieving, replied, "My brother came to find me... Is there something wrong at home?"

The wet nurse's heart skipped a beat, knowing she couldn't hide it. Indeed, she saw Li Suikuan say with a smile, "I came to find you, Big Brother! I just heard that Great-Aunt from the lake is coming to the shore! I came right away to tell you!"

'Great-Aunt... right... at this time, she's still alive... and a high-level cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage...'

He stood up somewhat dazed, silent, and walked a few stumbling steps. He stepped out the door, slowly raising his head, breathing in the lakeside breeze that made his heart tremble, and looked up at the sky.

In the sky, there was only a bright, shining sun.

The Martial Cultivation Star, which shone day and night and illuminated the earth, had not appeared.

His heart rate instantly soared to its peak, as if it would leap from his throat. Hot blood surged through his cheeks and pupils.

'The Great Song Dynasty has not yet been established, and the Shu regime has not formed... I am fifteen years old... There are still five full years until the first year of Sīwǔ, when the Yang clan takes power...'

'This year, the Great Immortal Master has not yet been enfeoffed as Prince Wei, compassion has not yet arrived, and the Changhe Rebellion has not yet occurred... Guest Elder Ding should still be on the lake, and the one surnamed Wang hasn't reached the Purple Mansion realm yet...'

'Our family hasn't even reached its peak yet; there are no scenes of flourishing prosperity, no blazing fires of wealth, no extraordinary sight of four Purple Mansion realm cultivators in one clan—and certainly no decline from the peak... no future of gradual ruin and clan annihilation in the Southern Frontier...'

'There's still time... Immortal Master Zhaojing will appear on the lake and hasn't set off for the West Sea yet. Everything is still in time...'

Countless thoughts raged in his mind, but he forcibly suppressed them. His years of enduring hardship and concealing his thoughts suddenly served an unexpected purpose, calming him in an instant.

'I must not reveal anything... Even if Prince Wei said... that the various peaks benefited from Mount Dali, protected by Qing Yiyuan Xinyi, and that powerful figures couldn't spy on them... I absolutely cannot underestimate them...'

Li Suining's thoughts lasted only a moment. He turned back and smiled. "This is wonderful news!"

Li Suikuan pouted, and Li Suining's gaze softened for a moment.

His own father died young. His great-uncle, Li Chengzai, was utterly useless, and most of the Yuanyuan lineage were mediocre. However, extremes lead to reversals; Li Suikuan and Li Suining, the two brothers of the Suiyu generation who could cultivate, were exceptionally talented... Li Chengzai couldn't stand his success, but Li Suikuan was very clever and always favored him... After the Battle of Weidu, when the Second Manifestation appeared in the world, he managed to escape, but this younger brother died early in battle, forever remaining beneath that mountain.

'The clansmen often criticized him because of their ancestors' affairs, so he dared not return to the lake, never retreating a single step beneath the mountain...'

In his previous life, only Li Chengzai knew that Great-Aunt Li Minggong was coming and had instructed Li Suikuan to prepare carefully. But this younger brother secretly came to tell him. Li Suining immediately canceled his autumn hunt that day, thus getting to meet the elder, and the two brothers were able to enter the continent together. Otherwise, it would have been a few days later, and while he might still have seen his second uncle, Li Jianglong, he would most likely have missed the chance to meet Li Ximing.

It was also because of Li Suikuan that he later chose not to argue with that fool Li Chengzai, but that's a story for another time.

He merely smiled. "Thank you, little brother... I was just agreeing with a few fellows to go on an autumn hunt!"

The young man ignored the wet nurse beside him, hurried forward, took his brother's hand, and walked all the way out to the mansion diagonally opposite. Calculating the time, he smiled, "You go in first. It wouldn't be proper for me to go in empty-handed. I'll be there shortly."

Li Suikuan nodded in agreement, smiled, and pushed the door open to go inside. Li Suining walked around outside, casually picking up some fruits, then carefully watched the sky until the True Fire light arrived in an instant and landed in the courtyard. Only then did he step forward and knock on the door.

"Is the elder in the mansion? Suining has come to pay his respects!"

The door creaked open, and everyone inside knelt in unison. In the very center stood a woman in palace attire, beautiful and dignified, gentle and grand. Faint True Fire energy emanated from her body, and her eyes held a commanding presence, highly oppressive.

It was Li Minggong!

He feigned surprise, quickly bowed, and respectfully said, "Greetings, Great-Aunt!"

Li Minggong nodded at him, her gaze sweeping over the fruits in his hand, and replied, "So, it's Second Brother's descendant... Suining, isn't it?"

"Yes..."

Upon seeing her, Li Suining felt his eyes warm.

After the Great Song Dynasty was established, the Li clan had few peaceful days. Although the clan became increasingly renowned throughout the world during the long periods of conflict, with many holding important positions... eventually, several elders fell one after another.

The two nations of Shu and Song repeatedly contended for Guyan. Li Xinghan and Li Minggong successively perished, and the Zhuang clan was annihilated. Li Minggong was even besieged by five individuals; the vast red flames burned her into a solitary plume of True Fire smoke in the great desert, and the elder could no longer bear it, spitting blood and becoming bedridden, never to rise again.

Li Suining only glanced, then lowered his head somewhat excitedly, appearing relatively normal. Li Minggong, meanwhile, withdrew her gaze and said indifferently to Li Chengzai, "I'm taking the two children with me."

The middle-aged man's gaze beside him flickered over Li Suining for a moment, then quickly retracted. He seemed very excited and quickly said, "Yes... Thank you, Eldest Sister! Thank you, Eldest Sister..."

Li Minggong could never be truly stern with her own family members. Even though she was utterly disappointed in Li Chengzai, her tone was merely cold. She used True Fire to lift the two children and, glancing at him, said, "You're not young anymore... Don't think about causing trouble. Maintain some dignity for the sake of the younger generation."

She ascended on fire into the sky. Li Suikuan was both delighted and startled by his first flight. Li Suining, long accustomed to it, mused inwardly:

'In my previous life, I was naive and didn't notice, but hearing it now, Great-Aunt clearly knows quite a lot...'

Li Minggong didn't stop in just one place. She went to several other towns, ensuring that the main lineages could send people to the lake as normal, without any oppression or bias. Only then did she take a good number of children and head towards the lake.

Li Suining slightly lowered his brow, watching his many brothers and sisters from his previous life board the fire one by one. As he matched them, he realized that nearly half of the children would not even live to adulthood, dying much earlier. A pang of sorrow struck his heart.

He quietly held Li Suikuan's hand. Their family's Zhaoguang Xuanzi Grand Array had already appeared before his eyes. Looking at the purple-gold profound pillars shrouded in immortal mist, boundless hope rose in his heart.

'This life... will surely be different from the past...'

He began to ponder cautiously.

'My cultivation was too slow... My cultivation in the previous life was too slow. I must cultivate fast enough for my words to be taken seriously by the elders, to be useful at critical moments... and to... learn the truth behind everything...'

'Opportunity... opportunity... I'm afraid I can only go to the North Sea... But it's too far; I need to reach Foundation Establishment at least to ensure my safe return!'

He was originally the most outstanding junior of the Suiyu generation, skilled in combat and powerful. In his previous life, he had walked through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, achieving another level of calmness and ruthlessness, which allowed him to painfully witness the decline and destruction of the entire Li clan and eventually be entrusted with important tasks by Li Zhouming.

'So, before reaching Foundation Establishment... I can only rely on the family. I absolutely cannot be as humble and confused as I was in my childhood in my previous life. I must strive... I must make the elders change their opinion of the Yuanyuan lineage sooner...'

'I must find a way... to save Ding Weizeng first. With this great general, it will be of immense benefit to the future situation!'

His gaze was deep, but he could not perceive the interwoven streaks of shimmering colors in the Grand Void. These colors reflected like water, highlighting patch after patch of silver light.

Once outside the South Shore, with no protective formations, the naturally inquisitive divine presence quickly lingered behind him, sweeping into his mind without hindrance, reading all his memories one by one!

Only after he had fully entered the Zhaoguang Xuanzi Grand Array, showing no discernible peculiarities, did this divine presence quietly recede, and the many transformations in the Grand Void gradually returned to normal, disappearing from sight.

Zhijing Mountain.

The sky was bright, and white flowers drifted down.

Two Immortal Masters sat facing each other. One, dressed in white and gold, sipped his tea silently. The other, clad in green robes with a sword hanging, looked quite uninhibited.

"Simin Commandery has fallen too?"

Si Yuanli appeared composed now. Hearing the question, he nodded silently and replied, "It was your family's Jiangliang who stayed behind. Chen Wenyao headed east all the way; he should be going to Linhai Commandery."

"Linhai Commandery..." Li Ximing pondered.

"The Great Xiukui Temple has been in seclusion for many years. Linhai Commandery is still governed by various clans. Although there have been many mergers, creating a few influential families, they are not enough to stop the current Chen Wenyao... It will soon be reclaimed by the elders."

"Indeed." Si Yuanli nodded. "If this place is reclaimed, the Purple Mist will not be far off. The general framework of the Yue Kingdom has emerged. Heng Zhu has hidden in a blessed land, and some Guest Elders from the Bi family and a few individuals with thin bloodlines are governing outside. It will be settled in a mere snap of the fingers."

"But if the Purple Mist is reclaimed, it might extend into the wilderness."

Seeing his worried expression, Li Ximing shook his head and replied, "No matter..."

Si Yuanli secretly nodded and smiled. "The matter you asked me to inquire about... After all these years of effort, there's finally news!"

"Oh?" Li Ximing's heart rejoiced. He asked, "Is it Immortal Master Zhusheng?"

"Precisely!" Si Yuanli smiled, a hint of pride in his tone, and replied, "I could never find him in Shahun. After searching for a long time, I finally located him at a friend's place in the North Sea. He was originally helping his friend refine talismans... Hearing what I said, he was quite pleased..."

"He also asked me to inquire with Zhaojing... about that piece of Courtly Red Dust..."

Courtly Red Dust was difficult to collect. A piece was given to the Purple Mist Sect back then, and now he had two pieces in hand, which was certainly enough for Zhusheng. Li Ximing nodded and asked, "Does the Immortal Master have anything good?"

Si Yuanli hastily said, "He has a lead on a Qilin Crow Spirit Transformation and a Mingyang Purple Mansion Spiritual Resource, a secondary manifestation of Platinum!"

"What?!" This instantly stunned Li Ximing. The Mingyang spiritual item, Qilin Crow Spirit Transformation, was well-known and widely circulated, and it was one of the earliest Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual items Li Ximing and others had learned about!

Si Yuanli expected his surprise and simply said, "This was obtained by an Immortal Master from Lady Beiyao's lineage in a Gouxuan lineage grotto-heaven. In this era, Qilin Crow Spirit Transformation is a 'use one, lose one' item, even more precious than the Bright Square Celestial Stone from back then!"

Li Ximing already knew about Qilin Crow Spirit Transformation; it was more precious than any Lihuo spiritual item! It definitely ranked among the top three materials suitable for refining Mingyang spirit armor, not to mention the Mingyang Purple Mansion Spiritual Resource, secondary manifestation of Platinum!

While lamenting its late arrival, he also said joyfully, "Did Fellow Daoist Liu say when we can get our hands on it?"

Si Yuanli pondered, then whispered, "At least ten days to half a month. He still needs to gather the spiritual resources for the exchange... He will personally come to find you then, Fellow Daoist!"

"No worries, no worries!"

After all, it was a Mingyang item. Li Ximing could first consult Qize and at most pay some extra wages to Dingyangzi. Even if time was tight, there were many other uses for it—Li Zhouwei still needed a spirit weapon!

His mood brightened instantly. Si Yuanli also felt he had gained a favor. Both were satisfied. He watched Li Ximing take out a jade box from his sleeve, place it before him, and casually say, "Six Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills."

Si Yuanli was overjoyed. He quickly opened the jade box, and inside were six neatly arranged pills, emitting a clear blue light—exactly the Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills!

"Fellow Daoist's alchemy truly is formidable!"

Of course, he knew Li Ximing kept Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills for himself. After all, that was the current rule. It was hard to say if he could even refine three himself... let alone get six now? These alchemists often take payment, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Li Ximing, however, became hopeful and asked, "Is this the second batch of Hollow Profound Mulberry you've provided, Fellow Daoist? It seems you still have some?"

Si Yuanli had inherited the Sima family's wealth and could be described as incredibly rich! This was already the second time he had sought Li Ximing to refine Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills—and one must remember that the raw materials for this elixir were spiritual items!

"This time, I truly have none left!"

Si Yuanli smiled, half-truthfully. Li Ximing estimated there would still be business to be done in the future, and feeling satisfied, he watched as the Immortal Master quickly bid farewell and departed on the wind.

Li Ximing, meanwhile, shook his sleeve and took out a small jade bottle, which contained Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills!

He could refine a full eight of these pills at once. After giving six to Si Yuanli, he had accumulated four over two batches. He had taken one himself a while ago, leaving three available.

However, as he looked at the Immortal Foundation coalescing in his Qi Sea, he couldn't help but feel some regret.

'Tianxia Ming... it's not easy after all.'

Li Zhouwei had been in seclusion healing for five years. Li Ximing's Tianxia Ming Immortal Foundation had already reached perfection, pushing towards Ascension, but despite all his expectations, it failed as anticipated.

Although his hopes were dashed, Li Ximing wasn't overly disheartened. Instead, a nagging doubt that had always unsettled him was answered:

'Even if the attempt to elevate the Immortal Foundation fails, the Profound Vial within the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven and Earth still emits talismanic energy, blessing the Immortal Foundation!'

Although he had anticipated it, the moment that talismanic energy fell onto his Immortal Foundation, it brought peace to his heart and filled him with immense joy.

'From now on, I won't have to hold back!'

It was a pity for one portion of Zhaoche Yuanqi. Fortunately, the Courtly Red Dust from back then was precious, and there were three portions of Tinglan's Zhaoche Yuanqi, enough for now.

'The Purple Mist Sect is sealed off, cutting off energy flow in the future... Zhouwei succeeded on his first try. I shouldn't fail all three attempts, right... This is only the second divine ability. Three failures for other Purple Mansion cultivators would mean thirty to fifty years passing in the blink of an eye...'

A slight unease lingered in his heart, but he eventually comforted himself:

'With the Empty-Sleeve Profound Dao Pills assisting, the time for condensing the Immortal Foundation is extremely short... At worst, I can switch out the "Zaozhe Changqing Sutra" from the Sun-Moon Brilliance Heaven and Earth.'

In any case, the matter of the spirit armor could not be delayed. He immediately called out, "Is Minggong still on the lake?"

A reply came immediately from below. A person respectfully said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master... Elder Minggong has gone to the lakeside..."

Li Ximing raised an eyebrow.

Those serving on the mountain were all clever, and their status and bloodline were not low. The person quickly and respectfully said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, in a few days it's the day for new disciples to enter the continent for cultivation. The Elder must have gone to the lakeside in advance to pick them up!"

"Oh?" Li Ximing felt a slight sentimentality and asked, "It's the Suiyu generation, isn't it? Minggong has always been dedicated..."

Li Minggong had always been in charge of communication with Baiyang Mountain. Firstly, her status was significant, and secondly, she was familiar with the other party. Li Ximing was too lazy to replace her, so he rose with a smile, placed the jade slip in his hand on the table, and said with amusement, "Coincidentally, I'll go take a look."

**Characters Appearing in This Chapter:**

* **Li Ximing:** Early Purple Mansion Realm, Purple Mansion Alchemist* **Si Yuanli:** Early Purple Mansion Realm, Sima Clan* **Li Minggong:** Zhili Lineage, Late Foundation Establishment Stage, Direct Descendant of the Eldest Branch* **Li Suining:** Direct Descendant of the Eldest Branch, Blessed by Tiansu (Pseudo)