His eyes curved with a hint of a smile as he said softly, "This is the same for you. If you cultivate [Radiance Under Heaven], it will also come naturally. But you differ from them in certain ways.
"To speak of this, we must mention transformation. In the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao, once Body Divine Ability is achieved, over eighty percent of cultivators gain the ability to transform. Their Shenyang Mansion is not harmed whether they turn into birds or fish. Each Dao lineage has its own symbols. Unless one cultivates a specific transformation art, changing forms is merely changing appearance. None are as useful as the human form attained through the Dao... After all, we demonic creatures must also take human shape.
"But Li Qianyuan has already ascended to Fruition Attainment. Can he still be called human? Calling him Shuyang would not be excessive. As his descendant, once you gain the favor of Fruition Attainment, and since Bright Yang Fruition Attainment places great importance on the bond between father and son, it will regard you as the offspring of Shuyang. That is no longer transformation. You simply are."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, answering his own thought, "As for why it is a Qilin and not a cicada, the reason is equally clear. You are the first to draw the attention of Bright Yang Fruition Attainment. Naturally, you are the eldest son, the White Qilin. Once your five divine abilities reach completion, becoming the White Qilin is all but certain.
"If I am not mistaken, both the Dragon Clan and Luoxia have already calculated this. Luoxia has even been personally watching Bright Yang Fruition Attainment. The moment you achieved divine ability, they would have known that the White Qilin has come into the world."
Clarity slowly dawned in Li Zhouwei's heart. Qingyu Qian finished, "If one more comes in the future, it will likely be the cicada."
Li Zhouwei nodded silently, then raised a brow and said, "But... the father-son connection... is Luoxia truly not afraid that the Wei Emperor has left something behind? Could it not be something he deliberately released?"
"Hahaha!" The fox demon before him laughed a few times. Then his tone suddenly shifted as he said quietly, "Of course not. Bright Yang is not only the position of sovereign and father, it is also the seat where a son slays the father, a father kills the son, the father seizes the son's love, and the son takes the father's authority! Only when all five converge does one attain the true Bright Yang!
"Bright Yang despises inversion. When the son is strong and the father is weak, how could he not seize the position?"
Li Zhouwei lowered his gaze, a deep chill rising within him. The mist over the pool churned rapidly. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Your knowledge is vast and your cultivation profound, far beyond ordinary people. I am deeply impressed and grateful..."
Qingyu Qian quickly adjusted his mood, smiling as he shook his head, "It is mainly because our Dao lineage is complete. When it comes to cultivation, I have always been inferior to that one from Purple Smoke Gate. He is the true master of the Orthodox Dao, a scholar whose understanding reaches the heavens..."
Li Zhouwei immediately understood he was referring to Daoist Master Zimu, the missing peak Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage, and said with a sigh, "It is just that no one knows where he has gone..."
Qingyu Qian did not elaborate further. He restrained his words and only smiled as he said, "His cultivation speed was terrifying. Back then, his talent in the Dao was said to be the best in the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. He could have cultivated the ancient Immortal Dao with ease!"
He quickly changed the subject and said, "I remain seated in the mountains, and my divine ability is somewhat unusual. I can hear the words spoken below. For nearly a hundred years, I have mostly been in seclusion, so I do not know much about your family. Much of what I know comes from my juniors."
The Li Family had long known that this demon king could hear all things. But whether their Embryonic Breathing, Qi Cultivation, or even words spoken when they were still mortals had reached his ears was impossible to tell. It was an extremely sensitive matter and one that invited suspicion.
Now that the other party spoke of it so openly, he was clearly trying to lay the matter bare. Li Zhouwei, unsure how to respond, could only say, "Your divine ability is remarkable... could it be [Morning Listening]?"
The Demon King Tingfu smiled and said, "The Wei and Li Families do have deep foundations. Your guess is correct. This Dao of mine is unknown to most. Even at its peak, only two or three Dao lineages in the world cultivated it."
Li Zhouwei smiled and asked, "Is it the Ancient Merging method?"
It was not a difficult guess. The practitioners of Mount Wu cultivated something that resonated with shamanic spell arts, yet it was not the tangible elements of earth, water, wind, fire, or lightning qi. It was most likely the Ancient Merging Dao.
Qingyu Qian poured him wine and smiled without speaking. After a moment, he said softly, "With this divine ability, it is usually inconvenient to visit others. Even words spoken far below may carry taboos or secrets. Thus, for many years, aside from visiting old acquaintances after they broke through to Purple Mansion Realm or when cultivators sought to confirm Golden Core Realm, I have rarely gone out.
"Now I am attempting to cross the immortal threshold. The opportunity has arrived, and my breakthrough draws near, so I move even less. If I am fortunate enough to become a great demonic beast one day, going out would only offend others even more!
"However, Mount Dali carries a complete Dao lineage and I have some insight. If Minghuang has anything he wishes to understand, he may come and ask."
Li Zhouwei naturally agreed, while thinking to himself, Compared to Chunyi Dao, Mount Dali may be even more reliable. Once my cave dwelling is established and I have a proper reason, I can find a chance to ask.