Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1318 My View and My Picture (Part 1)

The rain gradually stopped, and in the distance, dark clouds piled up. The divine light shone like thunder, illuminating the clouds with flickering light.

All the storms raged in the center of the cave, making this place seem peaceful. Only the waves on the water were furious, churning at the bottom of the cave, vaguely reflecting the figures of several people.

The vast ocean's atmosphere undulated on the horizon, causing the golden-robed young man to shake his head with a smile. He turned around with emotion and looked at the brother and sister standing on the water.

"King Wei is indeed more powerful! He lost!"

With a single, understated sentence, Su Yan's death was like a small, insignificant chip; once lost, it was lost, not worth mentioning. What he admired more was the unpredictability.

"King Wei obtains the purple ginseng so easily; even a reincarnated True Lord could not do it so easily!"

"Senior is so complimentary."

Li Quewan stood quietly, her mood becoming calmer, her gaze fixed on the horizon, listening to Tian Huo laugh:

"Not an exaggeration...not an exaggeration."

His smile held deep contemplation, but seeing the focused gaze of the man in crimson robes, he suddenly spoke:

"There is something I don't understand. I wonder if you could tell me, senior?"

Tian Huo's thoughts were interrupted, and he turned his gaze to him, saying:

"Master, please speak."

Li Jiangqian raised his head and said softly:
"It is often said that the virtue of metal resides in your noble path, and all things related to the virtue of metal are interconnected... but not to the virtue of water. Your noble path also emphasizes acting according to circumstances, and now, working with you scattered cultivators in this grotto-heaven is not in line with the way your noble path operates..."

"I don't understand... why does Kim Il-sung have to go through all this trouble?"

Tian Huo stared at him, seemingly trying to discern the purpose of his words, and quickly said:
“You see me, Jin Yi, interfering with Kan Shui, but that’s not the case. So-called interference with Kan Shui only counts as interference if Xiao Chuting has the potential to achieve enlightenment. But whether we intervene or not, he will fail, so that’s not interference.”

"This is to tell him to waste less [at Qianxi]."

His gaze was intense as he looked at the two of them:

“In this matter, I, Jin Yi, have never lied. From beginning to end, there has been no statement from Qinggetian. My father only revealed one thought in secret—it would be a waste to have such a good place as Dalingchuan.”

Li Jiangqian stared at him, her words flowing without the slightest hesitation, as if she had already prepared them in advance; her tone was crisp and decisive.
"It is said that... those belonging to the dragon family do not think so."

"They also have the intention of eliminating a Kan Shui Zhenjun. At least they need to succeed before they will have the opportunity to eliminate him."

"Boom!"

Thunder roared again in the distance, and a bright light filled the sky and earth for a moment, illuminating Tian Huo's face. His expression froze for a second, but quickly turned into a smile:
"Young Master..."

"If not for this, how could Xiao Chuting have risked his life and aspired to achieve enlightenment?"

"If we didn't say that, why would you and Wangyue Lake help him!"

As for why he couldn't succeed...

His golden robes shimmered in the light of heaven and earth. Tian Huo solemnly said:

“Young Master, I don’t know. I only know that this is ‘Kan Water’.”

"This is a provocation against the Earth element of the Life Palace. If... if there is even the slightest possibility... he will succeed."

The distant Kan River has gradually gained the upper hand, and the dark blue light is gathering, as if brewing an infinitely bright future. The cave is humming under the weight of the storm. Li Jiangqian silently stares at this direct descendant of Jin Yi.

"There is a magical artifact... I wonder if either of you knows about it?"

Tian Huo's voice grew even softer as he said:
"【Divine Thunder and Mystic Sound Drum】".

……

The Kan River surged to the sky.

Gray clouds spread between heaven and earth, and it seemed that a very low sound came from outside. In this endless Kan water, all the flames were extinguished at the same time, turning into a faint gray mist that sank to the ground.

An old man stands alone on the horizon.

Xiao Chuting's straw raincoat had been completely destroyed in the endless flames. Under the white robes, the wind revealed his hunched body. All the spiritual artifacts and talismans he had painstakingly refined over the years, and even the jade fishing rod he had been worshipping since he established his foundation, were all burned in the terrifying fire.

All that remained was that green bamboo hat.

He stood there empty-handed, and for a moment, he looked like an old knight-errant wandering the world. His aged gaze lingered on the tattered gray robe as he watched it float lightly into the water.

Qu Wo has fallen.

This ancient cultivator from Xiyang Temple is extremely skilled. If it weren't for being in the Dalingchuan area and having various blessings, Xiao Chuting would not be his match.

Such a person, however, left behind only a vast aura of misfortune floating on the water's surface, and thus perished in his hands.

Xiao Chuting knew what he was after.

'The ancient, profound Qi was originally a source of calamity, tribulation, and hardship; it was something attained but not fully deserved, something sought but never completed. Those who overcome this profound Qi possess the destiny bestowed by Heaven, cultivating Qi to ascend to the realm of pure immortals.'

Qu Wo is right. He's just trying it out. If he succeeds, it will be his own chance to achieve enlightenment; if he fails, it will be Xiao Chuting's path to enlightenment...

'Unfortunately, I don't cultivate the Twelve Qi, so I didn't benefit much, and his good intentions were wasted.'

A fleeting look of regret and emotion crossed Xiao Chuting's eyes. He gazed intently as the figure in gray sank into the water, and finally bowed deeply to the high-ranking monk from Xiyang Temple.

This gesture of courtesy caused the unfathomable aura of calamity to recede to both sides, revealing the undulating surface of the water. It was the result of his mastery of the profound Qi, and also seemed to be the blessing and expectation of that Daoist Qu.

Xiao Chuting raised his head and looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds in the sky are rapidly dissipating, revealing a serene, greyish-white sky behind them, with faint cracks emerging like streams meandering across the horizon.

His aged eyes stared intently at the horizon, as if he could see the endless scenery beyond the horizon, and he waited quietly until all the calamity on the ground sank into the water.

The old man took off his green-edged bamboo hat, held it in his hand, and hung it by his side.

This ordinary object, which had remained undamaged in the great battle, finally dissipated like smoke as he released it.

The color of the Kan River surged into the sky, driving away the clouds and mist. Divine powers stood on the side, their colorful light and spiritual energy intertwined. Some were as bright as the sun, others as deep as an abyss. Some were national heroes of all ages, others were mystical cultivators working together in harmony, all silent and still.

It has attracted worldwide attention.

As the last bit of pale blue light faded, Xiao Chuting sat cross-legged, his hands forming a hand seal in front of him. The divine light behind him expanded like rings of colorful halos.

In the bright light of the sky, beneath the towering and magnificent Heavenly Gate, the young man in black stood with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing at everything before him, but the scene before him did not bring him the slightest joy.

Only doubts remain.

The sounds of thunder and waves echoed through the heavens and earth; a whistling wind came from the east, carrying with it a light, laughing voice:
"King Wei!"

Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and saw a person standing abruptly in the wind and rain, stepping down to stand beside him in the Heavenly Gate.

This person was dressed neatly, with tidy hair and beard, and appeared very polite. His eyes looked very clear, but there was a vague illusion of vertical pupils like those of a snake or dragon.

Dongfang Heyun.

At this crucial moment, the Dragon Lord, who possessed the strongest power infiltrating this cave and was capable of deciding the course of the battle, should have been guarding the sky. However, he ignored the great battle in the distance and strolled leisurely to Li Zhouwei's side!

'It's this jinx.'

Faced with this unreasonable cultivator whose power was enough to suppress all cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm, even a Great True Person would have to be extremely cautious. Li Zhouwei, however, seemed quite familiar with him and said softly:

"Senior Dongfang."

But the spiritual cultivator waved his hand and laughed:

"I have met Your Highness—Qinghong was watching from over there and, unafraid of being harmed by those with ill intentions, made a special trip here!"

He didn't know who he was talking about. His rather terrifying eyes swept across the calm, still water, but he didn't make any move. However, his words fell into Li Zhouwei's ears, and the expression in his eyes changed subtly.

No one could know the strange feeling in his heart, but the divine light was growing stronger and stronger. Sensing the powerful aura rising in the distance, Dongfang Heyun whispered:
"He is about to attain enlightenment..."

The doubt in Li Zhouwei's eyes had disappeared. He turned his head and said softly:
"May we grant the Dragon Lord's wish?"

Dongfang Heyun paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Why does the King of Wei say this?"

Li Zhouwei said quietly:
"Once Master Xiao attains enlightenment, Xiu Yue will intervene and drive him to the outer heavens. The dragons, by simply adding fuel to the fire, can gain a share in the killing of the Lord of Kan Water..."

Dongfang Heyun raised his hand, his gaze towards him momentarily complicated, and said:

"I recall a saying; I wonder if the King of Wei has heard it before..."

His smile faded:
"Back then, when Lord Du attained enlightenment, he severed the path of the Green Water. There was a great immortal in the northern mountains. Just when he was about to be able to obtain gold, he encountered this calamity and had no choice but to ask someone to beg him. What a great honor! Even someone surnamed Xue came—saying that if they cooperated, they would achieve mutual benefit and he could advance further."

"After asking for a long time, I only received one sentence from Him."

Dongfang Heyun said:
"I inspect and oversee it as if I were wiping a sacred shrine clean; I depict piglets, but they are not merely mayflies in the painting."

He said coldly:

“We may not like Him, but what he said is true. We dragons belong to the realm of aura and the grand scheme of a true dragon. There is no reason to place our hopes on whether Xiao Chuting can achieve enlightenment in a short time. This applies to the underworld and to Luoxia.”

He gave Li Zhouwei a meaningful look and said:
"If he really has a chance of succeeding, and if he does succeed, why won't Xiu Yue make a move?"

There was a strange smile in his eyes and brows:
"These are all acts that overturn the orthodox traditions of the Xuan Shi. Is it possible that He wouldn't do such a thing?"

"If you True Lords remain silent, are you anxious on the mountain? For thousands of years, more than one family has wanted to see them make a move. This is such a good opportunity... it couldn't be better."

"Do you think the people on the mountain would be taken advantage of for nothing?"

"not to mention."

He said coldly:
"Your Highness should also know that the most anxious ones are us, the descendants of the Chi clan. The conflict between the mountain and the Kan River is a clash of ideologies, which can be temporarily compromised as a last resort. Our conflict with the Kan River is an irreconcilable struggle for enlightenment, a fight to the death. If... if Xiao Chuting succeeds, the mountain can temporarily ignore him for the sake of the greater good of Mingyang. But what about us, the descendants of the Chi clan? Are we to stand in the sea and wait to die? Or are we to fight our way into the sea?"

"We will not and cannot take the risk."

Dongfang Heyun's gaze suddenly turned cold and resolute. His voice was low and deep as he quietly said:

"He Yun has invited Dongtian this time, and there is only one sentence he can say."

"Xiao Chuting, you want to prove it, you want to destroy the only path in the world that leads to the orthodox Kanshui, but you will not actually succeed in proving it."

He looked up at the sky:
"So no one from the mountain came, only those from Xiyang Temple who were trying to fight to the death. They didn't come, but it was as if they had—so Qinghong and I were able to enter smoothly and prevent Xiao Chuting from being harmed by someone."

His words were natural, but his gaze inadvertently swept over Li Zhouwei, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes:
"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Tuoba Qiye escaped and only captured the small one."

Li Zhouwei showed little surprise. The moment he learned of Dongfang Heyun's appearance, he had a vague premonition. He raised his eyes and said softly:

"So Senior Dongfang... should have stopped me from killing Su Yan."

"That would be too discordant."

Dongfang Heyun smiled enigmatically, then suddenly turned his head and said:
"Young Master, in your opinion, where is the key to Master Xiao's breakthrough?"

He lowered his head and straightened his sleeves:
"Su Yan? In Qianxi? Or in Qu'an?"

The King of Wei beside him turned his head away and, without hesitation, said:

“The Vast Ocean”.

"Not bad!"

Dongfang Heyun never glanced at the old man sitting cross-legged in the sky, focusing entirely on conversing with the King of Wei before him. He nodded approvingly and said:
"Your Highness is indeed a peerless talent. As for the so-called borrowing of the vast sea, Xiao Chuting has been waiting all along, and so have you. It's still the same principle. In this game, we cannot place our hopes on a mayfly; that would be child's play."

He looked at the old man sitting in the heavens and earth. The water in the entire cave began to boil, and the five supernatural powers behind him seemed to be about to materialize. However, the gray sky remained as smooth as a mirror, without the slightest ripple.

The emotion in Li Zhouwei's eyes had changed. His golden eyes glanced at the neither-demon nor-human being beside him, his voice slightly hoarse:
"Was the 'Fushui' True Lord in Cangzhou stopped, or was there no borrowing at all—was He using this opportunity to find a way out?"

These words echoed in the narrow space of supernatural power, causing the polite man to abruptly stop adjusting his cuffs. His movements remained unchanged, but his face slowly turned, his voice carrying a peculiar smile.

"Your Highness."

"There is no True Lord of the Fu River in Cangzhou."

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes met his, and all his emotions froze in his pupils:

"Xuan Cang...does not exist?"

"Your Highness is mistaken."

Dongfang Heyun burst into laughter. Overwhelmed by emotion, the corners of his mouth stretched uncontrollably all the way to his ears, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
"Lord Xuancang is located in the Kan Water position."

"He is the intercalary position of Kanyi, and has the duty of the vast Fushui. What Xiao Chuting saw was naturally that wisp of his divine power. Whether it was the leak in the sky or the flood of the Kanshui in Cangzhou, it was not a means of slander, but the cause and effect of my Chi descendants awakening him."

He exhaled from his chest, raised his head, and smiled as he gazed at the sky. The pale, lifeless sky reflected in his eyes a vast, all-encompassing silhouette:
"That's right, King Wei guessed one thing correctly: there was no such thing as borrowing the 'Vast Ocean' at all."

"Because He is the very True Lord whom Xiao Chuting, after countless precautions, only deduced in Jiangnan—the one who helped Yi attain enlightenment at the end of the Liang Dynasty—from beginning to end."