Chapter 919: Chess Piece

Xifeng Island.

Li Xijun arrived on a flurry of snow. He flicked his sleeve lightly, and a golden shimmer flew out. The Profound Screen released several pale golden hues of illusion, enveloping a radius of three meters around him.

Wang Fu belonged to the Lesser Yang lineage and was not part of the Jiangnan Dao lineage. The Chongming Profound Insight Screen could hardly play a decisive role against him, and the siege on Wang Fu was already a sure thing. The Li Family had no intention of displaying this dharma artifact publicly, so Li Qinghong had handed it over to Li Xijun for safekeeping.

As Li Xijun flew past a small island next to Xifeng Island, he took out the dharma artifact and shrouded himself with it to avoid being spied upon. He calmed his breath and prayed in his heart,

I, Li Xijun of the Li Family, humbly invoke the mirror of law—survey the hidden, explore the subtle, perceive the profound, illuminate all directions, capture ghosts and seek the divine...

Illusions immediately appeared before his eyes, and his field of vision grew. His spiritual sense expanded seemingly without limit, allowing overwhelming scenes to flood in. Li Xijun immersed himself in it and looked toward the island.

Always cautious, he had timed it precisely so that he could pass by the island without stopping his flight. His spirit wandered freely, clearly observing everything on the island.

The Artifact-Concealing Spirit-Suppressing Grand Formation of Xifeng Island was like air to him as his spiritual intent drifted in unhindered. His gaze pierced the main hall’s rooftop and settled within the vast interior.

The main pedestal at the front was empty. The spot where the pitch-black box had originally been was now bare. Li Xijun let out a breath of relief and searched around the island twice. Sure enough, there was no trace of the box.

I really was overthinking it.

Just as he exited the formation and was about to withdraw from the spirit-projection state, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he suddenly froze.

Two cultivators, a man and a woman, were ascending from the island on flames. The dignified-looking man seemed quite strong, dressed in Crimson Reef Island attire. Meanwhile, the woman was a charming female cultivator, holding a slender command token in her hand.

Li Xijun silently watched, seeing her ornate sleeve emit a flash of radiant light under the mirror’s insight.

A pitch-black jade box lay nestled within it.

The Radiant Sky Stone!

He shifted his gaze to the female cultivator’s face. It was a face so familiar it made his skin crawl. He had seen this woman back when he was still in Qi Cultivation Realm.

Guo Hongyao! She’s from Crimson Reef Island!

A sudden realization struck Li Xijun, and a chill ran through his heart. He finally understood where his vague unease earlier had come from.

People from Crimson Reef Island appearing on Xifeng Island isn’t some secret collusion... it was Wang Fu who made private contact. He secretly sold the Radiant Sky Stone to Crimson Reef Island!

That item truly isn’t on the island anymore, but it’s not with Wang Fu either. It was taken by Guo Hongyao, exchanged by Crimson Reef Island!

He opened his eyes and silently rode the wind forward within the Chongming Profound Insight Screen. His expression was calm, and one hand had already reached for Han Lin, which radiated an icy gleam.

Guo Hongyao... Guo Hongyao... to just happen to switch out the Radiant Sky Stone at this moment. What a coincidence... what a calculation...

They just want to make all our efforts go to waste! Very well... Crimson Reef Island! Such plotting... they must have rushed over upon sensing our forces had moved out, timing it perfectly to retrieve the item.

Ximing never steps outside the family, and Crimson Reef Island shouldn’t even know our family has a cultivation method, yet they’ve still schemed against us to this extent!

His eyes shone like cold stars, exhaling white mist like frost.

A Purple Mansion Realm cultivator’s spiritual sense couldn’t penetrate formations, nor surpass dharma artifacts of this kind. Only by traversing the great void could they perceive anything. In theory, when paired with talisman seeds, the Chongming Profound Insight Screen would prevent any eavesdropping from Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Yet even while hiding within the artifact, he dared not show the slightest emotion.

The chill in his heart slowly faded as he pondered,

No... it’s not Ximing... No matter how scheming Crimson Reef Island may be, they wouldn’t target Ximing. There’s no need to go to such lengths over him...

Li Xijun closed his eyes, afraid the cold light in his pupils might be seen. Then, realization dawned upon him,

It’s the heir.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Crimson Reef Island has always favored recruiting those with fatal destinies. They must have numerous detection methods and surely noticed something unique about Zhouwei... and grew greedy.

Crimson Reef Island has likely been observing our family for years. They must believe we’ve been preparing for Zhouwei all this time! That explains everything! These repeated obstructions... they’ll likely target Zhouwei next!

Images of those two from Crimson Reef Island surfaced in his mind. Li Xijun let out a quiet breath, calmly stood up, formed a hand seal, and stowed the projection screen into his sleeve before riding the wind forward.

Li Xijun wandered eastward and westward, flying aimlessly, but his thoughts grew ever clearer.

The image of Bi Yuzhuang’s face appeared before him again, her cheerful voice echoing once more in his ears, “Things went too smoothly, so we don’t actually need Ximing or Xijun... Your esteemed family member can just watch and return to oversee the family.

“I hadn’t expected Fellow Daoist Chen to be traveling here and to act so boldly... I just happened to bump into him, it was a delightful surprise...”

Her words now made Li Xijun all the more certain, there had definitely been Purple Mansion Realm cultivators' interference in this whole endeavor!

Then why did Chen Xuanyu suddenly appear?

If the Yuyang Prefecture's Chen Family was truly opposed to Changxiao Gate, then Chen Xuanyu and Bi Yuzhuang alone could have slain Wang Fu. Why didn’t they act earlier? Why wait specifically for Li Qinghong? Wouldn’t three of them be overkill?

Bi Yuzhuang had deliberately sent him back. Even if he hadn’t used the Immortal Mirror to detect anything, if he had flown at a normal pace, might he have run directly into Guo Hongyao and her companion?

Chen Xuanyu was sent later, not to ensure the killing of Wang Fu, but merely to allow Bi Yuzhuang to say that one sentence, 'Your esteemed family can just watch and return to oversee the family.’

Li Xijun’s eyes grew terrifyingly clear as his understanding deepened.

Chang Xiaozi’s stance is unclear; perhaps he can’t act easily. But it’s already evident that Profound Peak Gate’s Changxi is leveraging our family in his gambit. This is, at its core, a struggle between Purple Mansion Realm cultivators!

Crimson Reef Island’s reaction, or their countermove, must have been sudden, prompting them to retrieve the item at this precise moment. So Chen Xuanyu’s arrival is likewise the Chen Family's Purple Mansion Realm cultivator or perhaps Hengxing’s countermeasure.

With talisman seeds protecting him, he did not fear Purple Mansion Realm cultivators prying into his thoughts. He flew forward with ease, his expression composed,

And I, Li Xijun... am the piece that’s been swapped out. Behind me are Hengxing and the Chen Family’s Purple Mansion Realm cultivator... Daoist Master Yushui!

Guo Hongyao was once gravely injured by Tu Longjian. Who knows what her current strength is? As for the other one, I’ve never seen him, and I don’t know his strength... maybe they can’t defeat me. But Guo Hongyao hates me. It won’t take much to provoke her. That fool will definitely attack when she sees me!

The seawater below reflected frost and snow. In his heart, he thought,

Whether this guess is right or not... we’ll find out soon enough!

Li Xijun rode the snow forward. After fifteen minutes, a faint itch stirred in his chest, and without realizing it, he had changed direction. A cold burst of energy surged from his qi sea, jolting him to awareness. His direction remained unchanged beneath his feet, and a cold smile rose in his heart.

Just as expected!