Chapter 1354: Zhaoguang Profound Purple (I)

Time intertwined over the lake as Li Ximing continued to refine his divine ability. When he opened his eyes, he found Li Jiangqian before him, who said respectfully, "Daoist Master, the various lords have arrived and are already on the island. They request only that you go over..."

Li Ximing immediately understood that Kuiqi and the others had returned. Beside him, Ning Wan also opened her eyes, her expression gentle, and said to Li Ximing, "Your esteemed family is well disciplined. The Orthodox Dao begins with the upright conduct of the body and extends to uprightness of the heart."

Only then did Li Ximing recall that Daoist Master Qiuhu cultivated the divine ability Clear Hearing, a Fate Divine Ability of Cold Essence. She had likely not heard the slightest trace of disrespect from Li Jiangqian.

He dared not mention whether talisman seeds had played a role and hurriedly said with a smile, "I am not worthy of such praise. Let us not keep the two seniors waiting..."

The two transformed into radiant cold light, and appeared within the grand hall on the island in the blink of an eye, where two figures now stood in the once empty space.

Ling Mei stood naturally in front, his hair and beard half white. He cradled a snow white spirit sword with great care. He had a smile on his face and a steady aura, his daoist robes fluttering as he spoke of something. Daoist Master Kuiqi stood behind him, dressed in black. He gave a slight nod, the black cord from earlier tied at his waist. If one had not seen this spirit artifact revealed, no one would have imagined it to be a priceless treasure.

When Li Ximing and Ning Wan descended onto the island, the small island at the heart of the lake temporarily hosted four Daoist Masters.

Upon seeing Li Ximing, Ling Mei smiled and softly said, "Zhaojing, it has been a long time!"

Li Ximing hastily performed a salute and spoke respectfully, "Greetings, senior. I returned in haste from the Eastern Sea and have not yet gone to the Sword Sect to give my thanks... My family's matter regarding Zhouwei was resolved thanks to your gate's intervention. I am deeply grateful. If there is anything you need in the future, or any pills you wish refined, please do not hesitate to instruct me..."

Ling Mei waved his hand indifferently. "You are too polite."

Li Ximing guided him to take a seat, while Kuiqi spoke with some regret, "It is a pity. Zhelu did gain benefits after all, and his divine abilities have grown more and more refined over the years. We failed to heavily injure him this time, and only damaged a few of his eyes."

Ling Mei stroked his beard and picked up the conversation. "Although I possess the Frosty Absolute Sword, it is truly a struggle to contend with him at the mid Purple Mansion Realm. If Senior Louxing were here, sword intent and the Frosty Absolute Sword would truly and severely wound that man."

The sword cultivator raised his brows and asked, "Qiuhu... how is Tinglan?"

Ning Wan briefly recounted the matter, keeping it concise. Only then did Ling Mei nod. Li Ximing, meanwhile, somewhat reluctantly pinched the Surging Yang Star Command Treasure Disk hidden in his sleeve. Such a precious item was naturally not something others would personally ask for, as that would look unseemly.

He held it out as he smiled and said, "Since the matter is settled, this spirit artifact should be returned to its rightful owner."

Kuiqi smiled and nodded when the golden disk was taken out, accepting it as he praised, "Zhaojing is truly formidable. No wonder you could leave Changxiao's grasp so calmly. Only now that I have seen Zhaojing's Bright Yang True Fire striking down that Merciful One with your palm do I understand just how impressive it is."

Li Ximing said modestly, "I merely took advantage of the Heaven-Venerating Gate suppressing the Merciful One. I cannot compare to the two seniors."

Kuiqi shook his head, clearly having reached his own judgment, and said in a deep voice, "Tinglan will be unable to act for some time, but matters in the north still need to be resolved. Since that is the case, let us all make a trip to my Xiukui Huyi Mountain and settle this matter first..."

He tilted his head slightly and said to Li Ximing, "And we can also hand over the pills from the treasury to you along the way."

Ning Wan seized the opportunity and said, "Speaking of this, Sister Tinglan had originally agreed to help the Li Family construct the Purple Mansion Realm grand formation. The formation foundation was just completed when she was delayed by this matter. But she entrusted it to me before returning to the sect. Moongaze Lake is close to Jiangbei, and this is also an important matter. My strength alone is insufficient... I still need to ask senior to take a look..."

"Oh?" Kuiqi laughed softly and shook his head as he said, "That is only natural. Having just made a trip through the north and then returned to the lake, it is only right to lend a hand."

Normally, asking Kuiqi to take action would never come cheaply. But the Supreme Yang Dao lineage was noble, and Xiukui Dao proud. Having just been assisted in battle, he naturally would not speak of any fees.

Ning Wan simply took out a jade slip and traced the terrain in midair. "Zhaojing, wait a moment as I'll have a chat with the senior first."

Both had high attainments in formations. One possessed a deep Dao lineage foundation, while the other was endowed with extraordinary innate ability. As their discussion grew animated, both gained insights and were no longer satisfied with merely gesturing over diagrams. They nodded to Li Ximing and then rode the wind out to conduct a survey, as if Li Ximing's presence no longer mattered at all.

This left him both flattered and caught between laughter and tears. Ling Mei took it all in and sighed with a smile, "Kuiqi regards you as one of his own. The Supreme Yang Dao lineage was originally very warm toward its own people. If not for the various sects before and after failing to walk the Orthodox Dao and hurting the hearts of Xiukui and Hengzhu, things would not have grown so distant as they are today."

Li Ximing nodded inwardly. He had seen Kuiqi's attitude before. He had not shown a good face even once to Daoist Master Luo who refined people, let alone the Azure Pond Sect of those years... It was no wonder that people's hearts had scattered to this extent.

At this point, Li Ximing already had some guesses and asked quietly, "Hengzhu... was it because of Murong Xia's southward advance back then? But how did it escalate to such a state..."

Ling Mei's expression turned complicated as he shook his head and said, "Zhaojing has already reached his current height, so there is no harm in me speaking plainly. When it comes to Murong Xia's matter, although Luoxia did not issue a direct decree, the Golden Feather Sect and the Azure Pond Sect agreed to it, and the division of Jiangbei was settled as well. There was no reason to go back on it. Hengzhu...

alas...

"

This matter clearly unsettled Ling Mei, and even caused him some pain. He stroked his beard, unwilling to continue on the topic, and instead sighed, "Right now, everyone in the north is guessing at Louxing's whereabouts, and turmoil is inevitable. Although this attempt did not succeed, it nearly revealed the full extent of the strength the Supreme Yang side can muster in one go, while their losses only amounted to a few Merciful Ones. Such incidents will not be rare. Your family's foundation is inferior to theirs. Leave yourself a margin in all matters, so you can preserve your own when the time comes."

As a cultivator of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage, Ling Mei was already showing clear favoritism with these words. Li Ximing nodded in thanks and said with a sigh, "Senior's good intentions are deeply appreciated. This junior will remember them. I wonder whether any disciples from my family might have the opportunity to enter the mountain to cultivate..."

The sword cultivator stroked his beard and said softly, "Our Sword Sect ultimately cannot change its long held habits. Minor adjustments are possible, but nothing that touches the fundamentals. If your esteemed family sends disciples to learn the sword, our Sword Sect would be most welcoming. However, likewise, the child must be sent at the age of six and must sever all mortal ties, taking the observance of moral conduct as the foremost duty."

This would likely mean sending one's own disciples away forever. They might even be unable to receive better resources due to various customs, and even sending spirit items from the family to the sect could invite gossip. Li Ximing was naturally unwilling. He paused slightly, smiled, and nodded, only to see Ning Wan descending swiftly.

Ning Wan first paid her respects to Ling Mei, then smiled and said, "Zhaojing, these thirty two Purple Stable Valley Penetrating Mountain Profound Pins have already been finalized. Come and take a look first."

Li Ximing was overjoyed and immediately rose on a streak of light. Lifting his head to look around, he saw many purplish gold pillars erected across the island at the heart of the lake. Each was as thick as a house and extended straight toward the sky, radiating intertwined hues of purple and yellow.