Chapter 1415: Northward Advance (II)

Jiangbei.

Li Ximing came from the riverbank and headed northward. After passing White Ye Stream, he saw the region around White River Stream orderly and clearly divided into four territories. Li Jiangxia appeared riding heavenly light and came forward to greet him.

At his side was Guan Gongxiao in Daoist robes, staying half a step behind him in polite deference. On the other side, Ding Weizeng held a weapon. He clearly did not fit well with Capital Immortal Dao and his expression was somewhat stiff, only changing when he saw Li Ximing.

"Daoist Master, the three regions of Mifan have been cleared. The cultivators were dispersed and several families have already submitted. Only the Wang Family remains gathered north of Brahma Cloud, relying on Chengyun Gate. No one has been sent there yet."

"

Mm.

"

With the Li Family's current strength, it would be a real problem if Li Jiangxia could not swiftly pacify the White River Stream region. Judging by the situation before him, the Capital Immortal Dao had likely not dared occupy even a single piece of land and had yielded everything.

Li Ximing descended along the slope while listening to Li Jiangxia. "The Daoist Masters and the Buddhist cultivators took action and carried off quite a few people. Several local forces are extremely alarmed. As for the remnants of Locust Soul Hall, they are almost nowhere to be seen. Only a few still survive under Xiao Yuan, and they have all gathered in the mountains.

"This junior feared that some among them might be close friends of Xiao Yuan, so we have not acted too harshly. We only sent a few people to communicate and question them. We should have everything clarified within two or three days."

Li Ximing listened casually and asked, "How is Wang Quwan?"

Li Jiangxia lowered his gaze and hurriedly replied, "He and Wang Xiaoxiao were taken to Chengyun Gate and have not yet returned, which is why they did not come. Wang Quyu sent a letter. He is clearly in a difficult position, though the contents are still polite."

He presented the letter with both hands. Li Ximing glanced at it but did not take it to read. Since that person had already entered another sect, he had no intention of stirring the matter further.

He only replied, "Send him a reply. There is no need to write again in the future."

Li Jiangxia immediately put the letter away. "Yes."

Meanwhile Guan Gongxiao, standing to the side, said respectfully, "Daoist Master, the cultivators of the Capital Immortal Dao are all present and await your command."

Guan Gongxiao's emotions were clearly complicated. He was even somewhat at a loss, but Li Ximing paid no mind and said calmly, "We have already pacified Mount Tangdao. The Buddhist cultivators will not let this pass easily. We will need to hold the line for some time.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"If this mountain falls, we will retreat to the riverbank. The various families have Purple Mansion Realm protection, so their final outcome is uncertain. But if your Daoist Master is absent, the Capital Immortal Dao will certainly collapse."

Guan Gongxiao broke into a sweat and bowed, "The Capital Immortal Dao will devote itself completely, even unto death."

Li Ximing waved his hand for him to withdraw. The gate master of the Capital Immortal Dao rode the wind away, and only then did Li Jiangxia speak in a lower voice, "Daoist Master, we also found two or three dharma artifacts within the territory, though they have already fallen into the hands of rogue cultivators and family cultivators. These people have not left and are all still in the mountains. Once our people arrived, they immediately came to pay respects. There are also still quite a few cultivation methods. Most are still being traced to determine their origins, though we currently have only one technique worth examining."

Li Ximing acknowledged, "That is fairly wise."

Li Jiangxia then added, "My thought was that we should not pursue the matter of these one or two dharma artifacts, so as to demonstrate the fairness of our family."

It was unclear whether this had already been reported to Li Jianglong on the same island. Judging from Li Jiangxia's character, he likely wanted Li Ximing to make the decision before giving a reply. Li Ximing signaled for him to handle it himself and asked, "Where are Li Quantao's people? And the cultivators of that Mifan Dao lineage who were released into Jiangbei?"

Li Jiangxia replied respectfully, "Li Quantao and his son were urgently recalled to the Azure Pond Sect... There has been no news since. Fei Tonglu and Fei Tongcai have disappeared, perhaps taken away by someone along the way. As for the few who returned to Jiangbei and walked into the trap, most were killed by local family cultivators. We have located two of them and have already brought them here."

His expression turned somewhat strange as he added, "It is said that those two... are no longer as they once were."

Li Ximing raised his brows and saw the old Qu Buzhi escorting a man and a woman forward. Their attire did not resemble that of Jiangbei cultivators. The man glared with furious eyes while the woman's face was also full of indignation.

It is clear at a glance that they have been influenced by a True Monarch. They must have encountered the True Monarch long ago. No wonder no one dared deal with them.

After everything that had happened in the north, Li Ximing had gained considerable experience. True Monarchs were especially terrifying to those at the Embryonic Breathing Realm and the Qi Cultivation Realm because of their mysterious ability to influence the mind. However, once cultivators reached the Foundation Establishment Realm or the Purple Mansion Realm, it was still frightening, but at least they would not lose their minds for no reason.

The moment the sealing restriction on these two was removed, the man immediately burst into curses and shouted, "Lord Lin is the reincarnation of the True Monarch of Mifan Dao lineage. How dare you?! All the families in this territory are protected under that Dao lineage. Yet you dare cross the river and invade... Shameless. Completely shameless!"

No one present paid him any attention. Li Jiangxia presented a jade slip with both hands. Li Ximing swept it with his spiritual sense and saw five words written on it.

Song of the Feathered Guest.

This was precisely Song of the Feathered Guest from the Mifan Dao lineage. He had obtained only half of it back then from Wenhu. Now this version was complete from beginning to end without the slightest omission.

The lord truly left behind abundant legacies.

This defensive technique Song of the Feathered Guest was at least fifth grade and unquestionably a valuable gain. This was the benefit of occupying the territory. Some scattered items could not be taken away by others, though there was little more to be found.

The man continued shouting curses, looking utterly steadfast and unyielding. Li Ximing glanced briefly and saw that the man's innate ability was actually not bad. He was already at the ninth stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm, only a step away from Foundation Establishment Realm.

Before Li Ximing could react, the man shouted, "And you, Li Zhaojing, you disgrace the title of Daoist Master..."

He did not know Li Ximing's true name and continued shouting his Dao title. But the moment the words left his mouth, everyone nearby turned pale. Li Jiangxia was shocked and furious while Qu Buzhi nearly lost his soul. Before the man could finish the word 'honor,' his entire body turned bright white like a torn piece of cloth and exploded into a burst of heavenly light.

Boom!

The man was reduced to ashes on the spot. The woman's face turned pale green; but before she could even open her mouth, her body dissolved from head to toe into smoke. She followed the man in death like tragic lovers. Everyone present was terrified and knelt in apology.

Li Ximing did not care much as he put away Song of the Feathered Guest. The Daoist Masters had already swept through and taken anything of value. The fact that these two had remained until now showed how little worth they had. Their hatred for his family was intense and their fate had long been sealed. Dying by his hand was almost a mercy.

"Search carefully for the cultivation methods scattered in this territory. I will go north for a while."

He waved everyone away and stepped onto light, striding through the air until he reached Mount Tangdao.

The entire mountain was covered in heavy snow. Most of the ruined walls had already been pushed down, revealing bare slopes while cultivators moved about everywhere. As he looked around, there were not many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators in Azure Pond Sect robes. Most were the purple-robed members of Purple Smoke Gate, many of whom he had seen when visiting the sect years ago.

The Azure Pond Sect suffered heavy losses back then. Clearly it has not yet recovered.

He swept his gaze across the scene and showed slight surprise before descending through the air and appearing beside a woman in red.

"Minggong has come out of seclusion."

This woman was Li Minggong, who now possessed late Foundation Establishment cultivation. Wearing a red dress and stepping upon flames, she appeared to be regulating fire through a spell.

Upon seeing Li Ximing, she hurriedly bowed and said respectfully, "Greetings, Daoist Master!"

Li Ximing raised his brows. Seeing how solid her cultivation was and how naturally her aura manifested, it was clear she had gained considerable benefits. He said, "Good. That spirit pill was not wasted."

Li Minggong quickly bowed deeply and replied, "I had just come out of seclusion when I encountered two Daoist Masters passing over the lake. They instructed our Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators to bring people over, but the forces were still in Jiangbei. Since my cultivation is the highest, I rode fire ahead and brought several people first."

Li Ximing nodded and offered a brief word of praise before departing in a flash of light. He then saw Tinglan riding a Purple Jade Spirit Pavilion suspended in the air. It was unclear whether that figure was her true body, but she stepped upon purple qi while the Upper-Minister Vessel hung at her waist, appearing plain and unadorned.

Li Ximing had not come to see her without reason. The pressure from the northern Buddhist cultivators was growing heavier, and he was secretly tense. His thoughts had already turned toward the technique Radiance Under Heaven in her possession.

Whether he could cross the Purple Mansion Threshold was still uncertain, but the remaining two divine abilities he needed would certainly be a Body Divine Ability and a Fate Divine Ability. The only question was which to cultivate first.

If Jiangbei can no longer be held one day and the Buddhist cultivators march south, survival will become the only priority. If I cannot even guarantee my own life, how could I possibly guarantee the lives of the children at home?

After all, his close combat ability was already quite formidable. Once he possessed a Fate Divine Ability, both his own ability to survive and the chances of his family's younger generation would improve dramatically. With the northern Buddhist cultivators watching like tigers eyeing prey, Li Ximing had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

As for Tinglan's suggestion that he cultivate a second divine ability before the Fate Divine Ability, Li Ximing's earlier probing made him suspect it was related to matters of mental influence. However, he already had a layer of protection with a talisman seed in his body.

When she saw Li Ximing, Tinglan smiled and said, "Zhaojing's cultivation... has advanced greatly."

Li Ximing smiled modestly and asked, "It has been a long time since we last met, Fellow Daoist. How are your injuries?"

"It will still take some days to recover." Tinglan looked somewhat dispirited as she said softly, "I had originally cultivated an Immortal Foundation within my qihai. After what happened, I must refine it again. That is not the main problem. The dharma body of my Purple Essence Dao is difficult to nurture, and losing it damages one's vital qi severely."

"If you require any pills, feel free to ask me."

Li Ximing offered a few words of comfort and spoke politely, though he appeared somewhat troubled. Tinglan noticed and asked, "What is the matter?"

He replied with concern, "I had originally planned to cultivate another divine ability, but I’ve grown worried after hearing your words. The Buddhist cultivators in the north will eventually fight a major battle. My Body Divine Ability now has only a single strand of qi remaining. If I am injured and must start cultivating that divine ability again from the beginning, it will be troublesome."

Li Ximing's concern was reasonable, and Tinglan nodded. He continued, "It reminded me of your gate's Radiance Under Heaven. How does it gather qi? If it is more convenient than my current method, that would be ideal."

Tinglan's expression turned somewhat complicated as she answered softly, "It is indeed much more convenient. Our Purple Smoke Gate still preserves the Bright-Clarity Vital Qi required for this Dao, and it is not difficult to collect. Few people in the sect cultivate it. I could... pass it to you."

Li Ximing quickly waved his hand and replied, "I cannot accept such a gift without merit. Since it is a Purple Mansion Realm technique, it cannot be obtained for nothing, especially a Fate Divine Ability that continues a Dao lineage."

Seeing her hesitation, Li Ximing said gently, "I have only one doubt. Earlier you advised me to first cultivate the Body Divine Ability before practicing this. What was the reason?"

Tinglan replied, "It is not an absolute restriction. This Fate Divine Ability is somewhat strange. I hoped you would cultivate more divine abilities first and grow older. When you can handle these mysteries more easily, cultivating it will be better.

"Secondly, when I met the Grand Daoist Master years ago, I asked him about this matter. His cultivation is extremely profound, and he explained that Radiance Under Heaven should come at the end of the Bright Yang methods. It stands at the peak of the Bright Yang Dao and serves as the final divine ability for seeking Fruition Attainment. No matter which other stage it is cultivated in, it does not benefit the Golden Core Realm as much as completing Radiance Under Heaven."

Li Ximing immediately felt delighted. He had no such lofty ambitions. As long as it did not obstruct his cultivation or affect his next divine ability, he had nothing to fear.

No matter what, Radiance Under Heaven will never be the last divine ability I cultivate. The three abilities I need are already fixed. This is only meant to remind Zhouwei. Whether he attempts the breakthrough and how the matter of the Wei's Emperor is handled will depend entirely on him...

He laughed and shook his head. "I do not possess such lofty ambitions. In all of Jiangnan, very few even aim for the Golden Core Realm. I only wish to preserve my life and protect my family!"