Chapter 966: Chapter 960: Year 805
[Your descendant has cultivated the True Buddha Sound of Ferrying, acquiring the Buddhist nature of Lotus Ferry Nunnery to flood the Buddha-Demon Disc with Buddhist power, forging her own body with the flesh and blood of living beings.]
[The Buddha-Demon Disc is assisting Li Kuanghua in using the rules of both the Buddhist and Demonic paths to pry into the space of Void Refinement, breaking through to the Void Refinement Realm with sheer force.]
[Glimpsed the rules “Asceticism” and “Demon Blood”. Acquired Trait: Buddha and Demon in a Single Thought]
Within the Ancestral Space.
Li Wei had been constantly acting as Li Kuanghua’s Dao Protector.
After all, when Li Kuanghua was captured and taken to a place like Lotus Ferry Nunnery, Li Wei had been gripped by a bout of nervousness. But Kuanghua had ceased to be reckless many years ago.
Seeing the appearance of this “Buddha and Demon in a Single Thought” trait, Li Wei’s expression turned downcast.
This was the trait of the family’s former Buddhist Disciples, Kuangshi and Kuangcai.
Li Kuanghua had inherited their Buddha-Demon Disc, and now, she had inherited their trait as well.
Perhaps, somewhere in the unseen world, those two children were still protecting their younger sister.
[Your descendant Li Kuanghua has decided to cultivate within Lotus Ferry Nunnery, obtaining the Buddhist nature of Lotus Ferry Nunnery and biding her time to uncover the nunnery’s true location, in order to seek justice for Li Tianyue. Acquired Trait: Demanding Justice]
Li Wei took a deep breath. On that day, he had given it his all.
He had intercepted the numerous Venerable Elders of the Wu Race along with the Nirvana Sage Elder, and had even slain that massive ancient tree.
Yet, he could not stop that endless army.
The great war between the two races had devolved into pure slaughter. Corpses littered the plains of Shadowfell Prefecture.
The Blood Army became the hardest bone for the Wu Race to chew, yet it was a bone they had no choice but to chew.
In a war between races, there was no mercy.
Once such a massive war erupted, let alone a Void Refinement expert, even the Nirvana Sage Elder could not stop the blood-crazed forces on both sides.
“Justice?”
Li Wei took a deep breath.
Just like the great war against the Wu Race in Azure Cloud Region back then, once the border was crossed, it became a fight to the death.
They simply had to be viewed as mortal enemies; this was an innate, inescapable hatred.
On that battlefield, Li Tianyue died after exhausting her Spiritual power and divine soul.
The scene of her floating in the air, gazing westward at the very end, constantly replayed in his mind.
For the past few days, Li Wei had been pondering in deep thought: where was justice?
And from whom could he demand it?
With Li Kuanghua cultivating before the Buddha, the moment the trait [Demanding Justice] appeared, Li Wei finally understood.
Demand it from this vast and boundless world!
Demand it from those who used the world as their bait!
“Min Tiange, Lotus Ferry Nunnery, Bi Shihu, Yun Manlou, the Nirvana Sage Elder…”
“You all had better live well.”
…
[Year 805]
[Special Event — The Wu Race Breaches the Border]
[With the Nirvana Sage Elder arriving in person, the border was instantly breached by the Wu Race’s great army.
Military morale soared within the Wu Race. The old monsters within the major totems saw the chaos arising in the world; mighty figures within the dynasty’s borders and the Wu Race’s Endless Forest vied for fortuitous encounters. Their hearts were already stirring, scheming for these opportunities.]
[Within the dynasty, the Crown Prince had gone missing, and the Wu Race had invaded Deston Prefecture.
The imperial court was now powerless to manage the world, recruiting cultivators everywhere to fight against the Wu Race. With no internal control, disaster and chaos are about to arise.]
Westfall Prefecture.
Spiritual boats could be seen approaching from all directions.
Jiang Tianjun of the Heavenly Monarch Dao Sanctuary, Zhangsun Buhuo of the Zhangsun Clan, and Li Changyao of Azure Cloud Prefecture all arrived simultaneously.
This separate division of the Immortal Suppression Department held an annual gathering, rotating the venue each time.
They had already bee a force within the dynasty that could not be underestimated.
Forging intricate alliances with one another, even if the world descended into further chaos, any cultivators who dared to covet their four families would have to think twice.
Duanmu Qi had also bee the Sect Master of his Eternal Immortal Sect, cutting an exceedingly high-spirited and vigorous figure.
As the four gathered, they discussed the changes that had occurred following the fall of the Western Border.
“Patriarch Zhangsun, is your clan faring well?” Jiang Tianjun inquired.
Five years ago, when the Wu Race charged into the Central Plains, the Zhangsun Clan had suffered an utterly unexpected and unprovoked disaster.
A trace of exhaustion lingered between the brows of Zhangsun Buhuo.
“My clan fled with our vassals. We finally managed to find a good place to settle, but then the Western Border was breached.
Being so close to Deston Prefecture, we are truly terrified and are just about to relocate again.
To tell you the truth, during that battle at the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass, the prodigy descendant of my clan, who was at the middle stage of the Divinity Transformation realm, couldn’t even manage to escape…”
Just as her words trailed off, Zhangsun Buhuo abruptly silenced herself.
Glancing over and seeing no unusual reaction from Li Changyao, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the battle at the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass, many suffered catastrophic losses. Yet, in the eyes of the people of the world, the true pity lay with the Li Clan.
The Blood General had such an illustrious and awe-inspiring reputation, yet she had perished in the border battle.
Li Tianyi, one of the Three Thieves, had been staying there for three years and still had not left.
That Li Kuanghua was also stunningly brilliant and talented, yet she had been missing without a trace ever since.
Three years had passed. The members of the Li Clan no longer mentioned the matter, yet everyone else always felt as if a raging wildfire was burning right behind the Li Clan’s backs.
“Ahem.”
Jiang Tianjun coughed lightly and said in a deep voice,
“The Zhangsun Clan might as well go to Redmere Prefecture.
It’s south borders Westfall Prefecture, and its east borders the location of my Heavenly Monarch Dao Sanctuary.
The three of us will form a strategic triangular stance. With the Li Clan situated in the extreme south, if any trouble arises, we can all assist one another.
As for the Xuanyuan Clan of the Redmere Prefecture, they have always cultivated the Heavenly Dao and possess broad minds; they should be willing to grant your Zhangsun Clan a place to stay.”
“This Sect Master has visited the Xuanyuan Clan before. Xuanyuan Lichuan can truly be called an exceptional figure, and this Sect Master can act as a mediator,” Duanmu Qi said with a smile.
“Furthermore, we do not covet their land or resources; we only seek peace. In today’s chaotic world, fortuitous encounters can be found everywhere.”
“That would be for the best.”
Zhangsun Buhuo pondered for a moment, then voiced her agreement.
“With the battle in Deston Prefecture and the conscription of cultivators, the world today is truly plagued by chaos on all sides. Every cultivator is fighting over fortuitous encounters.
The flesh and blood of living beings, souls, and Dharma Treasures—everything is treated as fish and meat on their chopping blocks.
In Sunreach Prefecture, my Zhangsun Clan discovered a major immortal clan currently forging Human Pills. Once we have scouted the situation thoroughly, we can act together.
I want fifty percent of the acquired Human Pills, and we will split the other fortuitous encounters equally. How does that sound?”
“That is feasible. There are Wu Race forces in the Central Plains. Once we take down that immortal clan, we can go seek out that Wu Soul Tribe.
However, since a Wu Race Sage Elder presides over that area, we will still need to return and consult our Dao Realm mighty figures to determine if it is a battle worth fighting.”
The group spoke one after another, already drafting multiple plans, yet they noticed Li Changyao remaining pletely silent.
Ever since the battle at Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, Zhangsun Buhuo no longer dared to underestimate the Azure Cloud Li Clan in the slightest.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Changyao, over these past three years, is your Li Clan not going to vie for such fortuitous encounters?”
During the meetings over the past few years, whenever personnel were dispatched, the Li Clan had always participated. Mostly, it was Zhuo Linlin and Grand Supreme Pu Ci who went.
Azure Cloud Prefecture had also gained a new Void Refinement expert: the Azure Cloud Li Clan’s Guest Elder, Dongfang Xuan, who used painting as her Dao.
Her Void Refinement Spiritual art, “Dragon-Awakening Stroke,” was highly mendable.
As for the Divinity Transformation realm, individuals from Azure Cloud Prefecture were dispatched.
Most of them were ambitious and driven figures: Tian Ye, Wu Yazi, Xuan Ji, Heavenly Master Jin Shou…
Although the Li Clan did not dispatch their own family members, no one dared to voice any plaints.
Those three—Zhuo Linlin, Grand Supreme Pu Ci, and Dongfang Xuan—were each more ruthless than the last in their methods, and all of them possessed exceedingly deep and shrewd minds.
Last year, when Su Chen of the Azure Cloud Li Clan went out, he charged into a sect entirely on his own.
Even though it was guarded by heavily layered array formations, he emerged alive, only leaving behind a single sentence:
“It was just a matter of convenience. Give me my share of the loot; I need to head home to see my elders.” With a display like that, who would dare to underestimate them?
“We naturally have our own important matters to handle.”
Li Changyao held the teacup in her hand, her expression and voice both pletely calm.
“The family is tracking down the locations of the Peerless Hall and Lotus Ferry Nunnery.
If any of you discover them, you will be heavily rewarded. As for the matters of this gathering, simply hand the results over to me.”
“What about the Sword Pavilion…” Jiang Tianjun inquired.
Now that the world had fallen into chaos, when they went out to handle affairs, wielding the authority of the Immortal Suppression Department, some factions refused to surrender without a fight and actually dared to resist.
It would be highly beneficial to have an additional source of assistance that shared their plight and understood the plexities of the imperial court.
They knew each other inside out and had faced life and death together; even if everyone had their own selfish motives, they were still far more reliable than outsiders.
“My family’s Old Ancestor is outside the Sword Pavilion. A senior within is breaking through to the Dao Realm.
Once the grand array opens, the Old Ancestor will naturally invite the Sword Pavilion to emerge from seclusion.”
Li Changyao stood up. She had e to understand proper etiquette and was no longer as willful as before.
She bowed to the group, “If there are no other major matters, I shall take my leave.”
The others did not stop her, watching as Li Changyao gradually departed.
Jiang Tianjun let out a bitter smile.
“The members of the Li Clan are cautious now.
After that battle at Shadowfell Prefecture, with Li Tianyue and Li Kuanghua meeting with disaster one after another, I fear it will be exceedingly difficult for them to ever trust outsiders again.”
Zhangsun Buhuo sighed and said,
“Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems was already a scheme devised by that bastard Wu Neng.
Now, with the Body Integration Realm mighty figures, the military, and the Prefecture Lord of Shadowfell Prefecture all having abandoned them, who can they possibly trust?
If the matter of the Wu Race’s invasion is not thoroughly investigated and those involved are not purged one by one, I am afraid they will never let this go.
If such a thing had happened to us, how would we react?”
“They have pushed them too far,” Duanmu Qi gritted his teeth.
His Eternal Immortal Sect had lost three Void Refinement experts at Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Over the past two years, the Li Clan had helped his Duanmu family enter the imperial court; the deception and mutual backstabbing involved in that process were difficult to describe in detail.
The group paid no more mind to Li Changyao’s departure.
Walking within the Eternal Immortal Sect, Li Changyao let out a long breath.
Those allies were indeed not wrong; they were truly terrified.
Li Changyao was currently the intermediary with these individuals, yet she had to hold something back in everything she did.
Given the overarching trend of the world, they could only trust themselves.
“I wonder how that child Jianning is faring with his cultivation here.”
As she murmured to herself, Li Changyao headed toward the Eternal Immortal Sect’s forbidden grounds.
Though termed ‘forbidden,’ the area was pletely unguarded.
Before long, she spotted an elegant, middle-aged man with mottled gray hair sitting cross-legged before a bronze statue. On the ground beneath him was an eight-symbol array.
The majestic spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth’s Five Elements poured into Li Jianning’s body.
Li Jianning’s twelve meridian acupoints could be seen acting like bottomless abysses, madly absorbing the ambient spiritual energy and forcefully charging toward a thirteenth meridian acupoint.
Li Jianning’s expression was twisted in agony, as if he were enduring the torture of death by a thousand cuts.
Li Changyao’s face darkened. “How could he actually believe the words of that old monster?”
It was a well-known fact within the family that Li Jianning was recklessly practicing chaotic cultivation methods.
Only the Old Ancestor doted on him to such an extent, using his immense Spiritual power to save Li Jianning three times when his life hung by a mere thread.
The Old Ancestor had simply said, “Since the child insists on persevering, then let him persevere.”
“Once Jianning attains his Dao Fruit, I’ll have him slay his master first!” Li Changyao took a deep breath.
Over the years, her investigations had also led her to Ancestor Lan.
This old monster was no benevolent figure; every so often, he would refine his disciples to death.
In truth, he had been silently observing the strange and erratic cultivation methods his disciples practiced, using them as test subjects to uncover the correct path of cultivation so he could safely practice it himself.
The disciples of the Eternal Immortal Sect suffered greatly from this, their grievances unspeakable.
However, this old monster wasn’t entirely malicious. At the very least, he did not force anyone, showing that he still possessed a sliver of humanity.
Seeing that Jianning’s cultivation was at the critical juncture of breaking through his meridian acupoint, Li Changyao found it inappropriate to disturb him.
Just as she was about to leave, a voice rang out from behind her.
“Good, what a fine seedling! An Ice Phoenix Physique! Eh? You are also of the Li Clan bloodline?
I have a cultivation method that can aid your cultivation, allowing you to transform into a Nine Heavens Ice Phoenix. I wonder if you would be willing…”
Hearing the remarkably kind and benevolent voice behind her, Li Changyao flew away without the slightest hesitation.
This left only Ancestor Lan behind, who stroked his beard and let out a long sigh.
“This little girl is too short-sighted. Just look at Jianning cultivating here with me; it can be said his future is boundless, and his path of the Dao is pletely unobstructed.”
As his voice faded, Ancestor Lan raised his head to observe the Heavenly Destiny.
Pinching his fingers in divination, twenty-four stone steles materialized within the cloudy void.
Names were carved upon each of these steles, causing him to stroke his beard and smile faintly.
“Soon, very soon. You have all sat high up there for far too long; it is about time to drag you down from your imperial thrones.”
In the distance, Li Changyao had already returned to the clan grounds.
In the cloudy sky above Merit City, she saw that the two Old Ancestors, who had originally gone out to bring Great-Aunt home, had already returned and were still refining the “Void-Soul Exchanging Dao Technique.”
She had originally intended to seek out her father, but heard that her father, Kuangren, along with Senior Bai Gen, had already taken the Three Corpses to Duskwild Prefecture to ask Fourth Prince about the fortuitous encounter for the Body Integration Dao Realm.
Meanwhile, Xinnian was personally leading the clan’s descendants to deal with the surrounding Wu Race members.
Li Changyao silently made her way to the administrative office of the Heavenly Principle Hall, where a jade slip had long been spread open.
[Found the traces of the deserters: Marshal Bi Shihu and Prefecture Lord Yun Manlou.]
Within the family’s Hidden Nest, a Dark Crow landed in Li Changyao’s hand.
Heading toward the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
The Dark Crow landed in Huan Gui’s hand. Beside her, a pale-faced young man covered in runes could be seen waking up.
“Sis, what is this?” Taotie asked weakly.
He had awakened a year ago, only to find himself already in the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
Upon hearing the news of Ling Xu’s death, he wanted nothing more than to tear that bastard Zhen Wu to pieces.
Unfortunately, he was now severely injured and forced to hide within this Merit Grotto-Heaven, firmly under the thumb of the Azure Cloud Li Clan.
“A letter from the Li Clan.”
Huan Gui frowned deeply. Over her past few years in the Thunder Fire Demon Lair, her anger toward Li Tianyi had subsided.
Three years ago, Li Tianyi had also stopped pestering her for forgiveness, simply because his disciple’s younger sister had perished in Shadowfell Prefecture.
“A letter from the Azure Cloud Li Clan? Don’t tell me they still expect us to serve them?” Taotie gritted his teeth.
The Azure Cloud Li Clan had played a direct hand in the annihilation of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
“Yes, Li Changyao of the Li Clan wants me to kill on their behalf.”
Glancing at Taotie’s injuries, Huan Gui smiled.
“We owe the Li Clan our lives. You just focus on recuperating. They are merely a few pests. Once this matter is concluded, you and I will have our freedom.”
She then informed the Yidian Holy Monk and headed out of the Thunder Fire Demon Lair.
The Yidian Holy Monk narrowed his eyes slightly, calculating the Heavenly Destiny.
Sensing a thread of qi tracking his whereabouts, the old monk let out a cold snort.
“Min Tiange, you treated me like captive livestock. Now that the Dao Seed is no longer upon me, do you still wish to establish a fortuitous encounter in the Western Border and break through to the Mahayana Realm?”
“Keep dreaming!”
—
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