He paused, and then smiled. “I’m fortunate indeed to have migrated inland and been given the chance to witness such a grand occasion... Missing Shangyuan’s ascension to True Monarch was truly the greatest regret of my life!”
Daoist Master Qiushui’s voice remained as gentle and graceful as ever as he said, “When the True Monarch attained the Dao, the snowy peaks of the Northern Sea stretched for a thousand kilometers and were mostly transformed into the Green Jade Heavenly Mountains. His disciple, Nian Yi, has already established a sect there called the True Unity Dao, with its mountain gate named Green Jade Cliff. If you’re interested, you should go take a look.”
Perhaps because their sects shared similar stances, Daoist Master Qiushui’s tone was much gentler compared to Yuan Xiu’s, prompting Chang Yun to nod slightly. The Daoist gathered his sleeves and reminded the others. “While Pristine Water can be transformed into Converging Water, it can also be reversed. We must guard against saboteurs. The great void must be tightly defended; if this Converging Water disperses and we fail to catch the Great Ning Palace, then all of this will have been for nothing!”
“Of course.” Yuan Xiu replied stiffly, “There are too many eyes watching within the great void. Who would dare commit such a grave offense and risk the wrath of both northern and southern Dao lineages? Not even the great Wang or Xie Families could bear that burden, let alone our sects.”
Li Xuanfeng stood silently to the side, matched by Lingu Rao on the opposite side. They were like two statues, yet neither missed a single word spoken by the Daoist masters. Li Xuanfeng suddenly realized, It seems neither Ning Heyuan joining my expedition nor the immense impact of the Xinyou Pristine Marsh Seal was a coincidence. It had all been arranged long ago. Daoist Master Zipei, the most powerful in the south, personally acted to turn Chengshui Tomb into a marsh, then the north stepped in to convert it into Converging Water. Every step was deliberate...
Though the north and south are at odds, their coordination is flawless. They contend in the small and cooperate in the great. The world is like a bird caught in a cage. Much like a fish in a net, there is not a sliver of a chance of escape.
His gaze fell, yet he heard Daoist Master Chang Yun’s voice again, “Since the Great Ning Palace has descended, let us each send our envoys...”
Behind him, Zhong Qian slightly raised his brows, gripping his long spear tightly as he gazed toward the distant crystalline glow.
***
.bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} Li Qinghong descended from the sky on lightning. Mount Qingdu was already packed with people. Li Ximing led a welcoming party, visibly moved as he cupped his hands and said with a smile, “With Aunt and Elder Brother safely returned, my heart is finally at ease!”
“Your cultivation has improved again,” replied Li Qinghong, smiling at him. Although only Xicheng among the Xiyue generation had been raised personally by her, she was still easier to approach than most, and Ximing and the others were all quite familiar with her.
Li Ximing stepped aside, and Li Xuanxuan, standing behind him with a smile, said, “I knew all along that those devil cultivators wouldn’t stand a chance with Qinghong commanding thunder and lightning.”
The entire Li Family was overjoyed by the two’s safe return, and the heavy atmosphere atop the mountain was instantly swept away. Li Xizhi looked around and asked, “But where is our Minghuang?”
"This..." Li Xuanxuan paused and let out a deep sigh before answering, “It’s truly unfortunate, he entered seclusion just a few days ago to break through. But there’s a difficult matter involved... it’s a long story, and we’ll need to ask Xizhi about it.”
Li Xizhi understood that there was something inconvenient to say, but he didn’t want to neglect Li Quantao. He turned slightly and said gently, “Quantao is seriously injured. Let him recuperate on my mountain for now. There are many family matters to attend to, I must go inspect them first.”
Li Quantao had been absorbed in examining the great formation on the mountain. But when he heard Li Xizhi, the soreness and exhaustion rushed in all at once. He nodded and replied, “I know a bit about formations. This mountain’s setup is quite clever. Go ahead, Brother Xizhi, I’ll take this chance to heal.”
An Siwei escorted him down, and the others rode the wind upward. Li Qinghong relayed all that had happened and shared the good news from Cheng Gao that Li Xuanfeng was unharmed, putting everyone at ease.
Li Ximing led the group onto Lijing Mountain. He activated the formation, circled around to the rear mountain, and unsealed several layers of wards, revealing a residence made of green stone. The residence had two wings to the left and right, with a circular white-stone pond in the center.
Li Qinghong let out a soft sigh and said, “It’s been many years since I last returned to this old house.”
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