Chapter 1299: Beginning Of Chaos (II)

Li Zhouwei glanced at her and knew that although she was intelligent, her nature was gentle and easily read by others, lacking any lofty bearing. He replied, "Do not think that those senior brothers and sisters will remember your kindness by giving some spirit items. Do not think they are anyone special either. They might be acting shamelessly, or they might have ambitions. So what? What does that have to do with you? Why should you lend your spirit items to support them?"

He took a brocade pouch from his sleeve, exchanged the resources taken from Situ Mo, selected a batch suitable for her level of cultivation, and tossed them into her hands as he said softly, "Although I spoke up for you today, it was because our two families have ties. Purple Smoke Gate was responsible for guiding you and should not have watched you fall into difficulty. But once you leave this blessed land and depart from Moongaze Lake, no one will follow you at all times. If you are harmed somewhere, those by the lake will only be able to seek revenge afterward. These resources will be enough for you. Cultivate well. Your cultivation is what truly matters."

Li Queyi nodded in acknowledgment and said respectfully, "I will keep your teachings firmly in mind."

This was all Li Zhouwei could say. By Li Queyi's generation, most of the Li Family had been born into privilege and had grown up without harsh struggles, making such temperaments inevitable.

It is not that it is bad, only that it is ill suited to the times,

thought Li Zhouwei.

He packed away the spirit items, having exchanged nearly everything he had seized. Wun Wu came again with others to invite him. Li Zhouwei dismissed the junior and suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Wun, you mentioned earlier that Purple Gale Peak was once glorious as well. How did it decline to this state?"

Wun Wu's expression immediately turned awkward, as if the matter was hard to voice. Yet after the earlier unpleasantness, this was precisely the time to mend relations. Hiding it would only seem insincere, so he explained softly, "Fellow Daoist Li, Purple Gale Peak once had a peak master who committed some dishonorable acts and later died. After that, the Dao lineage declined even further. Senior Lingyanzi himself knows the reasons and has never complained about the gate's partiality. Quite a few cultivators within the gate are aware of this."

Li Zhouwei nodded thoughtfully, clearly intending to hear more. Wun Wu shook his head with difficulty, dismissed the people around them, and continued even more quietly, "This individual, whose Dao title was Tingqian, once stirred up internal turmoil, was later suppressed by a spirit tome, and perished. This matter was confined to within the blessed land. The various families do not actually know much about it, only that such a period of upheaval occurred. Purple Gale Peak is his lineage, and Senior Lingyanzi is not only his disciple of a later generation, but also his great grandson."

Li Zhouwei frowned, sighed inwardly, and replied, "Senior Lingyanzi has no descendants, and almost all those under him are rogue cultivators. No matter how much resentment this turmoil leaves behind, it should end here."

Wun Wu nodded repeatedly and hinted, "That is also why the gate arranged for Queyi to join. His other disciples were all raised from childhood and lack sufficient innate ability, making them unsuitable as successors. Queyi can take over the position, and the peak can even be renamed. Then the past will be considered settled."

Li Zhouwei nodded slightly in his heart and thought to himself,

This Purple Gale Peak is rather interesting...

When Wun Wu refused to say more, Li Zhouwei exchanged a few perfunctory words, rose into the air from the market on a beam of light, and headed to the gate spring to enter seclusion and cultivate secret techniques.

His Imperial Edict had reached completion. Great Fissure had also been refined to sixty percent, along with thirty percent of Hundred Arms Arsenal. He estimated that he could complete these two within the next two or three years.

As for the remaining secret techniques, their progress would not match those two. Yang Origin would likely not take long, yet by Li Zhouwei's own estimation, refining four secret techniques would still require three or four years.

"Four secret techniques only increases the probability by twenty percent. Time is rather tight," muttered Li Zhouwei.

On one side, time was unfavorable. Li Zhouwei also lacked the Radiant Sky Stone to use. Although he was regarded as a Purple Mansion Realm seed, cultivation was his own affair. If he could cultivate one more secret technique, it was naturally better to do so.

I fear the family may not be able to support this much longer. I must also consider breaking through earlier.

————

Southern Sea, Northern Dan.

After Daoist Master Yuanxiu, Si Boxiu, failed his breakthrough there, the skies over Stone Pond turned overcast for three days. The winds grew unpredictable, blowing north at times and south at others. Gales varied wildly across regions, rising and falling intermittently. At times, even lower level cultivators could not withstand the wind, let alone fishermen at sea.

Gloomy thunder also rumbled from time to time within the clouds, yet it was completely different from the Falling Water Rising Storm of the Eastern Sea years ago. Not a single drop of rain fell. The entire sea region was hot and humid, making people hesitate to approach. Timber Ginseng Trees no longer sprouted on each island. Their leaves fell bare across the ground, exposing hard bark as droplets of water condensed and slid downward.

A point of rainbow light hung in the air amid the raging winds in the clouds, gazing distantly at the water vapor that was almost condensing. He sighed deeply, yet stopped before the formation, unable to leave it.

In recent days, cultivators had gained abundant spiritual resources, yet the lives of the common people below had become increasingly difficult. Damp heat invaded their bodies, causing countless deaths and injuries.

Li Xizhi had been busy with this matter for a long time. He had dispatched all the cultivators under his command, yet they all had eyes for newly emerging spirit items and were distracted. With Yuanxiu dead, Li Xizhi no longer had protection and had to remain vigilant at all times. Although the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of Thunder Island still feared Li Ximing and might not personally act against him, caution was still necessary.

The Azure Pond Sect finally had Ning Wan, who had achieved the Purple Mansion Realm, yet she was tied down by matters in Jiangbei. Naturally, she could not remain in the Southern Sea. She only sent a letter telling him not to leave the island.

Li Xizhi could only sigh while gazing out to sea. He understood that his many years of efforts to save Stone Pond had all come to nothing with the death of Daoist Master Yuanxiu.

Tantai Jin also came to Northern Dan, likely to witness Yuanxiu's breakthrough. He was deeply grieved, yet soon returned to Mount Azure Pond. Judging from the messages he sent me these past days, he intends to transfer me back...

The Azure Pond Sect had suffered repeated heavy blows, and Li Xizhi was now one of the few figures the sect could still put forward. He was not surprised by the transfer. He could have remained indifferent to everything outside the island, yet he still wished to save whatever he could before leaving and had exhausted himself over this matter.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Grandfather."

Li Xizhi was deep in thought when he saw a black clad youth approach and bow respectfully. Just as the youth was about to speak, Li Wushao hurried over. Quan Yuduan's face was filled with alarm. Before he could speak, Li Xizhi immediately raised his head, his expression grave.

Layers of golden light emerged from within the clouds overhead. One bare armed Master Monk after another stood upon the air with palms pressed together and solemn expressions. They stood in formation around a golden body as massive as a mountain.

"The Merciful One?!"

The entirety of Northern Dan was already surrounded by Buddhist cultivators. At least dozens of Master Monks stood faintly within the clouds. Countless monks whose numbers could not be estimated, supported by unknown dharma artifacts and arrayed across the waters, stood in the sea below. The surroundings were utterly tranquil and solemn.

Quan Yuduan gritted his teeth, staring at the golden expanse above, and growled, "Master. The Buddhists of the Great Konghai Temple from Songzhou in the south have entered the sea."