The wind was biting, the snow piled up, and the forest was bleak.
A middle-aged man, his face pale, his robes tucked up, his gaze fixed as he stood silently in the snow, letting the heavy snowflakes blanket his clothes. The blizzard from the sky continued to fall, layer upon layer.
Soon, a young man with a cold gaze approached the path, knelt beside him, and bowed:
"Master... that black cat has come again... asking for this year's blood meal."
A sickly flush crept across 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 gritted his teeth, agreed, and stood up again. But after taking a few steps, he was stopped by the middle-aged man again.
"Suining..."
Li Suining turned around and saw the man open his eyes. He said quietly,
"I'm afraid I don't have much time left..."
Li Suining felt a pang of grief in his heart. He stepped forward and whispered,
"Please rest assured, Fifth Uncle, and recover from your injuries. If the Master were still alive... he would certainly not want to see you commit suicide..."
"Master..."
The middle-aged man coughed a few times, a deep hatred in his eyes, and a hint of pain between his brows.
"I'm ashamed to be his descendant. I don't have the magical powers of the King of Wei, nor the ability to refine elixirs. What a pity... what a pity..."
He paused, then said sadly. Youdi said:
"Suining."
Li Suining raised an eyebrow as he spoke:
"Run for your lives."
Li Suining fell silent, gazing bleakly at the snowy horizon. The middle-aged man murmured:
"You are the only remaining junior in my family with decent cultivation... You are the most promising... Although Li Xixuan has made some mistakes, he is not stupid. You are even smarter than him... You know that staying here will lead to death..."
"Now that Master Ning has fallen, and even the Purple Mansion is in such a state, what about us? If we stay here, we will die sooner or later. It is better to go out and try our luck. Maybe there will be a glimmer of hope."
The young man remained silent as he listened to him speak:
"All of them will die... The decree that year made it clear that all of them must die... The Mingyang bloodline must be extinguished, otherwise they will be unable to sleep or eat... I, Li Zhouming... I, Li Zhouming, am a decoy..."
"Grandfather, the King of Wei... are the reason... They are what they hate..."
Li Zhouming's face was pale, and he seemed sleepy. His expression was dazed, and he moved his lips:
"Father... Brother... Heh..."
Li Suining remained silent, but his body was covered in cold sweat. He looked at the pale middle-aged man in front of him, seeing his sleepiness... He seemed to close his eyes, startled, and suddenly knelt down, calling out anxiously:
"Fifth Uncle! Fifth Uncle!"
Blood streamed from the tip of the man's nose. He slowly leaned forward, resting on his chest, causing Li Suining's pupils to dilate to the utmost. This usually calm and strong young man, a man who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, finally burst into tears, sobbing:
"Wanling... Wanling flowers... are gone... Uncle!"
But the man in his arms was breathing weaker and weaker, mumbling incoherently:
"Old... times... where have they gone..."
"Fifth Uncle!"
...
The spring air was chilly.
The lights in the room had gone out early, and the cabinets on either side were wide open, revealing stacks of Taoist books. The words were faintly visible in the dim light.
The pitch-black room was completely silent. Faintly, one could hear the soft snoring of the person on the couch, footsteps outside, and the faint humming of music from further away.
"Cheng... love... immortal..."
The footsteps hurriedly stopped, and a child's clear voice reached him:
"Ning'er!"
The voice outside was muffled, and after several calls, the young man in the bed finally turned over, but he couldn't open his eyes, as if trapped in a nightmare, struggling.
"Creaky!"
The door suddenly swung open with a sharp scraping sound. A child, no more than five or six years old, stepped in, his face brimming with joy. He called out,
"Ning'er!"
As the child entered, the nanny, who had been chasing after him, rushed over, sweating profusely. Her expression paled, and she whispered, "Don't bother your brother!"
The sound, like thunder, finally broke the nightmare. The boy dazedly opened his eyes and watched the snowy scene vanish. Li Zhouming's figure vanished, and he wondered, "I'm dreaming... I'm not dead yet... I actually dreamed of my great-uncle Zhouming..."
He wasn't surprised. Li Zhouming's death had deeply impacted him, and dreams were only natural. But in his trance, a wave of doubt suddenly surged within him.
"Shen Lu Fu... didn't it descend into the Lu Sea... I'm actually alive..."
"No... It's been so long since I've had a dream since I started practicing!"
In a split second, the young man on the couch suddenly flipped over, his eyes suddenly opening, gleaming like cold stars, filled with murderous intent, piercing her with a sharp, icy gaze:
"Who!"
This look sent a chill through the nanny's heart, her entire body trembling with fear. Suspicion welled up in her:
"Young Master... what's wrong with you... have you come to hate the Master..."
But she still bowed and smiled:
"Young Master... have disturbed your sleep..."
But even as she bowed, Li Suining lost himself in thought. His gaze lingered on the child before him, his pupils dilating rapidly.
"You... Kuan'er..."
He raised his gaze, scanning the furnishings in the room with disbelief, examining them carefully. A surge of blood rushed to his nose, and his expression suddenly faltered.
"This...this...Dong's Mansion..."
He closed his eyes, seemingly sleepy, but he was rapidly observing his surroundings and the ridiculously meager spiritual energy within him—everything he would never forget!
"This is...Tingzhou Wangyue Lake..."
No matter how much torture and turmoil he endured, or how many sleepless nights he spent facing the wind and rain outside, he would always recall his time on the lake. When he collapsed in the Luhai Sea, he still saw the same scene before his eyes, though it was far less real than today.
"It seems... true..."
He neither asked about the year nor expressed any excessive surprise. After a moment of daze, he forced himself to sit down and replied in disbelief:
"My brother came to see me... but something happened at home."
Mammy's heart skipped a beat, knowing she could no longer hide the truth. As expected, she saw Li Suikuan smiling and said, "I came to see my brother. I just heard that the great aunt on the lake was coming to the shore! I came to find my brother immediately!"
"Great aunt... yes... at this time, she is still alive... and a high-level cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage..."
He stood up, somewhat dazed, and said nothing. He stumbled a few steps, then stepped out. Slowly, he raised his head, breathed in the lake breeze that fluttered his heart, and looked up at the sky.
There was only one bright sun in the sky.
The Xiuwu Star, shining day and night, illuminating the earth, had not appeared.
His heartbeat instantly spiked to a breaking point, threatening to burst from his throat. Hot blood coursed through his cheeks and pupils.
"The Great Song Dynasty hadn't yet been established, and the Shu Dynasty hadn't yet taken root... I was fifteen... The first year of Siwu, when the Yang family ascended the throne, was still a full five years away..."
"That year, the Great Immortal hadn't yet been crowned King of Wei, the Mercy hadn't arrived, and the Chang He Rebellion hadn't yet occurred... Guest Ding should still be on the lake, and the Wangs hadn't yet achieved the Purple Mansion..."
"My family hadn't even reached the pinnacle. We didn't have the flourishing scene, the blazing fire, the wonder of four Purple Mansions in one family—let alone the fall from the summit... step by step towards ruin, a future of genocide in southern Xinjiang..."
"There's still time... Immortal Zhao Jing will appear on the lake, and he hasn't set out for the West Sea yet. Everything is still possible..."
Countless thoughts raged in his mind, but he forcibly suppressed them. His ability to conceal his thoughts, weathered by the wind and snow over the years, suddenly had an unexpected effect, calming him down for a moment.
"It must not be exposed... Even though the King of Wei said... that the peaks benefited from the influence of Dali Mountain and were protected by [Qing Yi Yuan Xin Yi], and that the powerful ones must not spy on them... yet you must not underestimate them..."
Li Suining pondered for a moment before turning around and smiling:
"This is a great thing!"
Li Suikuan pouted, causing Li Suining's gaze to soften for a moment.
His father had died young, his great-uncle Li Chengzai was a complete failure, and the entire Yuanwan lineage was mostly mediocre. However, as the saying goes, "Everything has its limits." The two brothers, Li Suikuan and Li Suining, who were able to cultivate in their generation, were both exceptional... Li Chengzai hated to see him flourish, but Li Suikuan was very clever and always favored him... After the Battle of Weidu, a second manifestation emerged. He escaped, but his younger brother died early in battle, forever trapped beneath that mountain.
"The clan members criticized him harshly for the affairs of their ancestors, and he dared not return to the lake. He never retreated a single step from the mountain..."
In his previous life, only Li Chengzai knew that his great-aunt Li Minggong was coming, and he had Li Suikuan carefully prepare for it. But his younger brother secretly came to tell him, and Li Suining immediately canceled the autumn hunt that day. This allowed him to meet the master, and the two brothers were able to enter the island together. Otherwise, they would have had to wait a few days, and perhaps still have seen his second uncle Li Jianglong, but they would most likely have missed the opportunity to meet Li Ximing.
It was only because of Li Suikuan that he was able to not argue with that fool Li Chengzai later, but that is a story for another time.
He simply smiled and said,
"Thank you, brother... I've just been preparing to go autumn hunting, as some of my brothers suggested!"
The young man ignored the nanny beside him and quickly stepped forward, taking his brother's hand. They walked out, reaching the mansion across the street. He calculated the time and said with a smile,
"You go in first. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to go in empty-handed. I'll be back later."
Li Suikuan nodded in agreement and, with a smile, pushed the door open. Li Suining walked around outside, casually picking up some fruits, then stared intently at the sky until the light of the True Fire suddenly arrived and landed in the courtyard. Only then did he step forward and knock on the door.
"My lord, are you in the mansion? Suining is here to visit!"
Then the door creaked open, and the people inside knelt in unison. In the center stood a woman in palace attire. She was beautiful, dignified, gentle, and graceful. A faint emanation of True Fire emanated from her, and her eyes held a commanding presence.
It was Li Minggong!
He feigned surprise, bowed quickly, and said respectfully,
"Greetings, great-aunt!"
Li Minggong nodded, her eyes glancing at the fruit in his hands. She replied,
"So you're my second brother's descendant... Is it Suining?"
"Yes..."
Li Suining's eyes warmed upon seeing her.
After the founding of the Song Dynasty, the Li family had few peaceful days. Although during the long years of war, the Li family grew increasingly famous, and many held important positions... in the end, several leaders fell one after another.
The Shu and Song dynasties fought three times over the Valley of Smoke. Li Xinghan and Li Minggong were killed, the Zhuang family was destroyed, and Li Minggong was surrounded by five men. The red flames spread, burning into a lone smoke of true fire in the desert. The old man could no longer bear the heat, vomiting blood and lying in bed, never to rise again.
Li Suining glanced at them briefly, then lowered her head in agitation, which was quite normal. Li Minggong averted her gaze and said calmly to Li Chengzai,
"I've taken the two children with me."
The middle-aged man beside her glanced at him briefly, then quickly returned his gaze. He looked very excited and said hurriedly,
"Yes... Thank you, elder sister! Thank you, elder sister..."
Li Minggong never showed any disdain towards her family. Even when she was deeply disappointed in Li Chengzai, her tone remained cold. She used her true fire to lift the two children over, glanced at him, and said,
"You're not young anymore... Don't try to mess around. Keep some dignity for the younger generation."
She rode the fire and rose up into the sky. Li Suikuan took to the air, his first flight, a mixture of joy and surprise. Li Suining, accustomed to it, pondered this thought:
"In my previous life, I was naive and oblivious, but now that I hear this, it's clear that my great-aunt knows quite a bit..."
Li Minggong didn't stay in just one place; he visited several towns, ensuring that the direct descendants of several families could send their children to the lake without oppression or favoritism. Only then did he lead the children all the way to the lake.
Li Suining lowered his brows slightly as he watched his many brothers and sisters from his previous life ascend to the flames. He compared them one by one and realized that nearly half of the children had lost sight of their future selves, and had died prematurely. A wave of grief welled up in his heart.
He quietly held Li Suikuan's hand. His own [Zhao Guang Xuan Zi Great Array] appeared before his eyes. Gazing at the purple-gold pillars shrouded in fairy mist, infinite hope rose in his heart.
"This life... will be different from the past..."
He pondered carefully:
"My cultivation is too slow... My cultivation in my previous life was too slow. I must cultivate at a sufficient speed so that my words will be taken seriously by the adults, so that they can have an impact at a critical moment... so that... I can... learn the truth behind everything..."
"Opportunity... opportunity... I'm afraid the only way is to go to the North Sea... But the distance is too great. I must at least establish my foundation to have a chance of escaping unscathed!"
He was the most outstanding junior of Sui Yu's generation, possessing formidable fighting skills and strength. In his previous life, he had traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and his composure and ruthlessness had reached another level. This was how he could painfully witness the decline and destruction of the entire Li family, and ultimately be valued by Li Zhouming.
"Before establishing my foundation... I can only rely on my family. I must not be as humble and confused as I was as a child in my previous life. I must strive... I must convince the adults to change their minds about the Yuan Wan lineage sooner rather than later..."
"We must find a way... to rescue Ding Weiqi first. Having such a great general will be of great benefit to the future!" '
His gaze was heavy, yet he could not perceive the interweaving shimmers of color within the vast void. These colors reflected like water, casting patches of silver light.
Leaving the south bank, without any protective formations, the already navigating mystical power swiftly lingered behind him, unimpededly engulfing his mind and reading his memories one by one!
Until he was completely immersed in the [Zhao Guang Xuan Zi Great Formation], no longer conspicuous, the mystical power quietly faded, and the myriad changes within the vast void gradually returned to normal, vanishing.
Zhi Jing Mountain.
The sky was bright, and white flowers were scattered.
Two immortals sat opposite each other. One, clad in platinum, sipped his tea silently, while the other, in azure, wielded a sword, looking quite elegant.
"Has Simin County also fallen?"
Si Yuanli, now seemingly composed, nodded silently at the question, and replied:
"It's your clan's Jiangliang who's left behind. Chen Wenyao is heading east, probably to Linhai County."
"Linhai County..."
Li Ximing pondered:
"The Great Owl Kui Monastery has been in seclusion for many years, and Linhai County is still governed by various families. Although there have been many mergers and acquisitions, and several aristocratic families have emerged, they are not enough to stop Chen Wenyao now... It will soon be recaptured by Your Excellency."
"Indeed." Si Yuanli nodded.
"If this place is recaptured, Ziyan will not be far behind. The general framework of the Yue Kingdom has already been established. Heng Zhu has taken refuge in the blessed land. With some guest officials of the Bi family and a few people with lesser bloodlines governing from outside, it will be over in a snap."
"But if Ziyan is recaptured, I'm afraid it will encroach on the wilderness."
Li Ximing saw his worried look and shook his head. He replied:
"No problem..."
Si Yuanli nodded secretly and smiled.
"The question you asked me to ask... has been bothering me for several years. Finally, there's news!"
"Oh?"
Li Ximing, delighted, asked, "Is it Master Zhusheng?"
"Yes!"
Si Yuanli smiled with a hint of pride, and replied, "I couldn't find him in Shahuang. After searching for a long time, I finally found him at a friend's place in Beihai. He was helping a friend refine a talisman... He was so delighted to hear what I said..."
"He also asked me to ask Zhao Jing... about the Red Dust in the Courtyard..."
[Red Dust in the Courtyard] was difficult to collect. Back then, Having given one to the Ziyan Sect, Li Ximing now had two, more than enough to deal with Zhu Sheng. He nodded and asked, "Does the Immortal have anything valuable?"
Si Yuanli hurriedly replied, "He has a clue to a [Linwu Spiritual Shedding] and a Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual resource, [Second-level Platinum]!"
"What!"
This stunned Li Ximing for a moment. This Mingyang spiritual item, the [Linwu Spiritual Shedding], was known for its secrets and was widely circulated. It was also one of the first Mingyang Purple Mansion spiritual items that Li Ximing and the others had learned about!
Si Yuanli anticipated his surprise and said, "This was obtained by a Immortal from the Beiyao Goddess's sect in the Douxuan sect's cave heaven. In today's world, [Linwu Spiritual Shedding] is becoming increasingly scarce, even more precious than the [Mingfangtian Stone] of the past!"
Li Ximing had long known about the [Linwu Spiritual Shedding]. It was far more precious than any other Lihuo spiritual item! This is definitely one of the top three materials suitable for refining the Mingyang Spirit Armor, not to mention the Mingyang Purple Mansion Spiritual Resource [Sub-Platinum]!
While lamenting the late arrival, he happily exclaimed,
"Did Fellow Daoist Liu say when we can expect it?"
Si Yuanli pondered for a moment, then whispered,
"It'll take at least ten days, half a month. He still needs to collect the spiritual resources he'll need in exchange... I'll come to you in person when the time comes!"
"No problem, no problem!"
After all, it's Mingyang's stuff. Li Ximing could just ask Qi Ze first, and at most pay Ding Yangzi a bit more. Even if he can't make it in time, there are plenty of places it could be used for—Li Zhouwei still needs spiritual weapons!
For a moment, Si Yuanli felt incredibly good, feeling he'd earned a favor. Both sides were satisfied. Seeing Li Ximing pull a jade box from his sleeve and place it before him, he casually said, "[Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder], six pills."
Si Yuanli was overjoyed and quickly opened the jade box. Inside, neatly arranged, were six pills, emitting a brilliant azure light. They were none other than [Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder]!
"Fellow Daoist, your alchemy skills are truly remarkable!"
Of course, he knew Li Ximing had some of the [Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder] himself. After all, that was the current rule. It was doubtful if he could even refine three pills himself... let alone six now? These alchemists often took from others, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Li Ximing, however, was hopeful and asked, "This is the second [Hollow Mysterious Mulberry] you've given me? It seems you still have some?"
Si Yuanli had inherited the Sima family's wealth; he was incredibly wealthy! This was the second time he'd asked him to refine [Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder]—after all, the raw materials for this elixir are spiritual objects!
"This time, we're really out of it!"
Si Yuanli gave a half-hearted smile. Li Ximing, figuring there might be more business to come, felt satisfied as the immortal quickly took his leave and sailed away.
Li Ximing shook his sleeves and pulled out a small jade bottle. Inside was none other than [Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder]!
He could refine a full eight of these elixirs at once. Excluding the six he gave Si Yuanli, he had four saved from two attempts. He had taken one himself a while ago, leaving him with three to use.
However, as he watched the immortal foundation solidifying in his Qi Sea, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
"'Bright Under Heaven'... isn't easy after all."
After five years of retreat to recuperate, Li Ximing's immortal foundation for "Bright Under Heaven" had been perfected and entered Shengyang. But despite his overwhelming expectations, he predictably failed.
Li Ximing wasn't too disheartened by his dashed hopes. Instead, a question that had been nagging him was answered:
"Even if the raising of the Immortal Foundation fails, the Mystical Bottle within the Sun and Moon will still release talismanic energy to bless the Immortal Foundation!"
Although he had anticipated this, the sight of that talismanic energy landing on the Immortal Foundation still brought him peace of mind and overwhelming joy.
"From now on, I won't have to be constrained!"
It's a pity that only one [Zhaoche Yuanqi] was available. Fortunately, [Tingshang Hongchen] was precious back then, and Tinglan had three [Zhaoche Yuanqi], which was enough for the time being.
"The Purple Smoke Sect is sealed off, and we're doomed to fail... Zhou Wei succeeded in one try, so I shouldn't have to fail three times... This is only my second magical power. If I failed three times, it would take thirty to fifty years for any other Purple Mansion..."
He felt a little uneasy, but ultimately offered some comfort:
"Plus, with the aid of the [Empty Sleeve Mysterious Dao Powder], the time it takes to condense the Immortal Foundation is extremely short... If all else fails, I can replace the 'Zaoche Changqing Sutra' in the Sun and Moon Together Shining World."
Regardless, the matter of the spiritual armor couldn't be delayed, so he immediately called out:
"Is Minggong still on the lake?"
An immediate response came from below, with someone respectfully saying:
"Reporting to the Immortal... Lord Minggong has gone to the lake..."
Li Ximing raised an eyebrow.
The servants on the mountain were all clever, and their status and bloodlines were certainly not low. This man quickly and respectfully said, "Teacher, in a few days, new recruits will be arriving to practice cultivation on the island. Your Excellency should have gone to the lake to pick them up!"
"Oh?"
Li Ximing asked with a hint of emotion, "Is it the Sui Yu generation? Minggong has always been dedicated and dedicated..."
Li Minggong had been in charge of liaison with Baiyang Mountain. Firstly, due to his high status, and secondly, due to their familiarity, Li Ximing didn't bother to change personnel. So, smiling, he stood up, placed the jade slip in his hand on the table, and said with interest, "It's a coincidence. Let's go take a look."