Chapter 1262: Thunder Pool (I)

Li Zhouwei shook his head as he listened and replied, "I have met your elder brother Gongsun Baifan. Though he comes from humble origins, his disposition is excellent. There are countless rogue cultivators in Jiangbei, yet he already stands at the very peak among them. Setting aside that ineffable destiny and fortune, he is not much inferior to Wang Quwan..."

He glanced at Zhou Baiyun and said, "Although he is formidable, you are situated here in the Eastern Sea, so you must be cautious. Do not misjudge his sincere goodwill."

The Li Family had been hostile toward the Capital Immortal Dao in the past few years, though matters had eased somewhat of late. Zhou Baiyun had spoken too plainly. Such words were hardly pleasant for the Capital Immortal Dao. If the relevant people heard them, talk of two birds not perching on the same branch would be tantamount to placing a blade at his elder brother's throat.

It was only because the person present was Li Zhouwei, who held a fair measure of appreciation for Gongsun Baifan, and because the conflicts between the two families had diminished. If it were another family, they would not hesitate to stir trouble between Gongsun Baifan and the Capital Immortal Dao by shouting a line or two during a confrontation. No matter how steady Gongsun Baifan was, it would likely be enough to drain the color from his face.

Zhou Baiyun did not know whether he had grasped the implication, but he nodded repeatedly and said respectfully, "It was because I saw how mighty you are, and feared that speaking too well of my brother's relationship with the Capital Immortal Dao might displease you. That is why I told the truth."

Li Zhouwei was not especially kindhearted. Having said as much, he let the matter rest, nodded slightly, and left the pavilion, sighing inwardly,

After generation after generation of rogue cultivators, producing a talent like Gongsun Baifan is already remarkable. How could there be another brother of the same caliber? How exceedingly rare is a family like Wang Quwan's family.

He had just exited the pavilion when Yuan Huo'e hurried after him and said with a smile, "My lord... I had just asked someone to appraise the dharma artifact. Why are you leaving so soon? We have not yet properly hosted you..."

Li Zhouwei understood that the man wished for him to depart as soon as possible. He did not say much and merely gestured. "Island master, there is no need to see me off."

He immediately transformed into a wisp of heavenly light and vanished into the distance. Only then did Yuan Huo'e straighten his bent back. He returned to the pavilion with a dark expression, with Zhou Baiyun following uneasily behind.

The old man shut the door tightly and said coldly, "Why did you not inform me immediately after encountering such a matter? You only sent someone to say there was a big deal. He even produced such a dharma artifact. How could he be an ordinary person? His background could not even be clarified. Now look at this mess."

Zhou Baiyun grew even more embarrassed and said nothing. Yuan Huo'e's expression was gloomy as he continued, "If not for your elder brother, how would you have this lucrative position today? You nearly got this old man killed. You need not continue with this work anymore."

Yuan Huo'e threw him a cold look and strode out. After leaving the pavilion and returning to his own cave dwelling, he felt little anger, instead pondering,

The Mushroom Forest Plain can no longer be saved. It is a place rife with disputes, and the ancestors passed down a deadly portion of inheritance that cultivated several generations of elders to their deaths. The children from one generation to the next have grown worse and worse. If this continues, what path remains for the Yuan Family?

Yuan Chengzhao is selfish and self serving. The Yuan Family is nowhere near as important to him as his own path. Even though matters has reached this point, he still does not dare to step out and say a single word. He cannot be relied upon. It is better to bring a few of the children out and rebuild a mountain in this area. We can escape that cursed place, rectify the family ethos, and ensure the lineage does not die out.

————

The radiance of Bright Yang appeared in the sky as the morning glow rose. Golden light shimmered across the sea, and floating ice of all sizes drifted upon the surface like countless shards of broken gold.

The Reef Sea Dragon King cultivated Cold Essence and was sealed in this place, so the Reef Sea was steeped in frigidity, with icebergs drifting everywhere. Li Zhouwei had read the jade slip obtained from Tai'e Island, which recorded that the Reef Sea had grown quite prosperous in recent years, with many spirit ore deposits emerging, which had increased the number of cultivators.

Halfway through his flight, he swept his gaze around. He saw no demonic creatures; instead, he spotted several streaks of gray red flames flashing and thunder exploding as two groups of cultivators fought fiercely atop an iceberg.

Li Zhouwei gave them a brief glance. On one side, fierce flames burned until the dharma artifacts hissed, while on the other, thunder roared and blasted the iceberg into fragments. A look at their attire was enough for him to recognize them at once.

One side is Crimson Reef Island; the other is Thunder Island. This is a fight between a foolish bird and a vicious dog. Each is worse than the other, and neither is any good.

The leader of Crimson Reef Island was a young woman dressed in blue, standing in stark contrast to the red clad figures around her. The leader of Thunder Island held two bronze bowls as thunder resounded. He was an old acquaintance named Miao Ye. This man was a direct descendant of the Miao Family and had once come to the lake to inquire about the Duruo Spear.

Looking again at the iceberg, Li Zhouwei could see a cluster of ice blue white flowers blooming at the summit. Each was about the size of a fist, with emerald green branches and roots growing within the ice. Beside them crouched a black turtle as tall as a person and as large as a table, shivering as it withdrew into its shell.

Li Zhouwei recognized it at once and understood,

So it is the Rabbit Jade Ice Flower... a rare treasured panacea said to bloom only beneath pines of cold snow. I did not expect it to exist here as well.

How strange... even if this flower did not grow beneath a pine, it should never grow upon an iceberg. It seems more like a response to someone breaking through with their divine ability. It must be the Reef Sea Dragon King...

Setting aside the strangeness of the spirit item, Miao Ye's status was not low. He would never cross tens of thousands of kilometers merely to fight over a Rabbit Jade Ice Flower. Clearly, the appearance of both groups in the Reef Sea had ulterior motives, and this treasured panacea was only an accidental prize.

The Li Family's enmity with Thunder Island was not as deep as with Crimson Reef Island, yet it was hardly any better. He glanced at the two groups locked in combat, silently marked the location, and used light transformation to detour around them, pondering to himself,

After going to the Lie Sea and returning, I should find a place to enter seclusion without leaving the Unison Sea. I can stop by the Reef Sea and see what these two factions are stirring up.

He had already flown most of the distance, and traveling by light-transformation was extremely fast, yet he suddenly found goose feather-like snow falling from the sky. It came swiftly and heavily, blanketing his view in a vast whiteness, while white and blue interwove beneath his feet.

The scent of pine rose sharply in his nose. Countless pine trees burst through stone on the rocky island below, rising vigorously amid the heavy snowfall, only to be quickly buried beneath layers of white snow.

He flew for fifty kilometers before the snowfall around him gradually lessened. When he reached the outer-sea, no snowflakes fell upon the surface anymore, and Li Zhouwei grew doubtful once again,

Even the attaining of a divine ability has never been said to produce such tremendous might, nor does it resemble the fall of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. It looks more like a demonic creature in the Reef Sea breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm... perhaps a subordinate of that Dragon King.

He cleared his mind and flew on for a time, following the map's guidance for half a day, until he gradually spotted a small stretch of pitch black reefs by the sea, with the silhouettes of islands appearing in orderly clusters in the distance.

Li Zhouwei landed upon the reefs and glanced around. The ground beneath his feet trembled slightly as a carriage shimmering with purple light surfaced from the sea, sending a surge of waves rolling in with flecks of purple lightning.

A female attendant in white emerged. She had delicate features and deep purple pupils. Holding the carriage, she spoke with courteous politeness, "My lady invites you. Please accompany me."

Li Zhouwei's perception technique flickered faintly as he sensed that she was a Purple Feather Sparrow. Realizing that the lord of the Lie Sea had sent for him, he nodded slightly and replied, "Thank you for the trouble."

"I would not dare."

The attendant led him onto the carriage with a hint of trepidation. The carriage was compact and refined, only of a size used by ordinary people, utterly unlike those of the Dragon Clan that were as large as houses or small mountains.