Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1351 Bad News

Congratulations, Father!

The mountains beneath their feet undulated, and the distant black mist still vied with the flames for supremacy. Yet, the fiery aura had already drifted in, manifesting before the King of Wei. The young man in crimson robes said:

"Father is truly awe-inspiring!"

Li Jiangqian was guarding the pass. These days, all the supernatural beings had been suffering under the pressure of this Great Master Heshui. They dared not show themselves, and they were bound to feel resentful. Now, they were able to vent their anger and their faces were full of smiles.

"Cough cough...you...you've gotten into trouble again."

Li Jiangqian nodded guiltily. Li Zhouwei looked at Yang Ruizhao, who was following closely behind, both surprised and amazed. He shook his head helplessly, spat out a mouthful of golden blood mixed with a dark blue liquid, wiped it away casually, and said:

"What a troublesome Marquis of Ping An!"

"Sigh..."

Yang Ruizhao, however, was a shrewd man. No matter how dissatisfied he had been initially, now that the die was cast, he still wore a smile and said:

"This is nothing... It was His Highness's unexpected tactic. Since we were instructed to defend this city alongside His Highness, we naturally did our best... It's all our duty, no need to say more!"

The Yang family's attitude changed faster than flipping through a book, but Li Zhouwei knew he wasn't in charge, so he said:

"The General is still in the south protecting me from Long Kangyao, and I am naturally grateful for his help."

Although Li Jiangqian's move to drag the Yang family into this mess was less than honorable, it undeniably crippled the already weakened families of Gu County. Li Zhouwei was determined to obtain that fragment, and aside from the earlier complaints made to the Yang family, he turned away and instructed:
"With so many people around, let's go downstairs and tidy up first..."

Li Jiangqian understood his meaning and hurriedly led the cultivators to their respective passes, leaving only a few people in the air. Yu Xixin was quite moved and bowed his head to offer his congratulations, his gaze still fixed on the shimmering light of the He Shui beneath the Heavenly Gate.

Li Zhouwei took the pill from Li Ximing and swallowed it, temporarily concealing his injuries with his supernatural powers. His appearance returned to normal. Feeling the rapidly surging magical power, he looked at Yu Xixin and smiled:

"Rest assured, Master Yu, I will not harm him at his core!"

Even though Gu Youxian's words were harsh, he was still a figure from the grotto-heaven, unlike Qiao Wenliu, and could be considered one of their own. Yu Xixin had to plead for him, so she quickly cupped her hands and said:
"I thank King Wei on his behalf!"

Li Ximing, while not witnessing the entire event, understood about 80-90% of it. Looking at the scene, he sighed and said:
"This Master Gu... is actually so arrogant!"

Yu Xixin was the most moved, and after hearing these words, she finally sighed:
“Fellow Daoist Zhaojing, you may not know this, but this person was born in [Buzao Heaven] and grew up in a grotto-heaven. I have never asked about his ancestors, but they are probably related to the Longkang clan. He was determined to be the best in the world. After the water was combined, he became even more arrogant and competitive in everything.”

Li Ximing frowned, but then heard Yu Xixin sigh:

"After all, it's 'He Shui,' a path cut off. Without arrogance and pride, nothing can be accomplished..."

Li Zhouwei seemed to be deep in thought, and Li Ximing asked:
"What kind of argument is this?!"

Yu Xixin had thoroughly studied the Taoist scriptures and understood them clearly, and simply said:
"The convergence of water and the dragon's aura cannot be changed even after millions of years. It should not be sought after, but the legend of the true dragon's descent has been circulating in the grotto for hundreds of years. Back then, that old master instructed Master Gu to cultivate the convergence of water, saying that the only path was to wait for the true dragon's event and seize the opportunity to take power. Success meant success, failure meant death..."

"He then harbored the ambition to compete with the strengths of various schools and unite the Dao of one. Within the grotto-heaven, he visited various peaks, engaging in magical duels and debating scriptures without rest, like a plague god. The cultivators did not like him much... When he went out, he fought against the Prince of Dai, the Prince of Chen, Wei Xuanyin, Murong Weidian, and even those great Mahakas, all of whom fought against him... Several times he was injured... and almost died on the spot!"

"Although I am not familiar with him, Fellow Daoist Shangguan and he seem to have a mutual respect, and he once mentioned it to me..."

He said quietly:
"Gu You claimed that he was not afraid of death—as long as he had a moment of weakness, he would surely die if he fought for the position of He Shui. Since he was going to die anyway, he could fight his way out and have a chance to achieve enlightenment one day. If he lost his spirit in front of someone, he would die an ordinary death."

“We who have left the cave all have our own needs, and he… probably has most of his mind on coming here to find the King of Wei!”

Li Ximing was speechless for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"That's true. To covet the Dragon's Merge Water is utterly arrogant..."

Li Zhouwei nodded, seemingly having already guessed, and praised:

"This man is truly capable! The power of 'The Prophecy Is Here' is no less than that of 'The Crimson Arrow'!"

He was thoughtful.

Only he himself knew how passive the situation was when "Chen Zai Zi" transformed into Lu Shui from the He Shui Divine Power. It seemed that he had won in one fell swoop, but the key to this battle was not "Di Guan Yuan", but "Nan Di Xuan" suppressing the transformation of "Chen Zai Zi" into Lu Shui!

This method proved surprisingly effective in restraining the Water Convergence Divine Power, causing Master Gu to pause for several breaths. Li Zhouwei, with his strong ability to seize opportunities, was willing to exchange injuries for injuries, striking with the 'Crimson Arrowhead' and then using the 'Emperor's View of Origin' to absorb it. Even so, Master Gu almost broke through!

'It seems that [Southern Emperor Xuan] will be very useful in dealing with certain complex changes in the future…'

Putting aside Master Gu, Yu Xixin's words were also quite profound.

What does it mean to say, "We who have left this grotto-heaven each have our own needs"? If his stance wasn't clear before, his intentions are now crystal clear.

Yu Xixin is a Great True Man of Purple Qi!

The True Purple lineage originated from the Dao Zhen Mountain. Now, who holds the true Qi of the world? And why does the Martial Arts Star in the sky shine so brightly? He was referring to Gu You, but his words were already subtly pointing to the Song Emperor in the south!
Li Zhouwei glanced at him.

'He probably no longer desires the Purple Qi. What does this mean... that he seeks enlightenment through profound understanding, waiting for Emperor Song to attain enlightenment and grant him an afterlife?'

Regardless, Yu Xixin, as the only Grand Master currently under his command, clearly holds a different stance from the other cultivators of Chuncheng, which caused Li Zhouwei to frown secretly.

'Long Kangyao... not returning south, could it be partly to fulfill his wish...'

He ignored the man's question, glanced at the magnificent Heavenly Gate, touched his sleeve, and took out the Heavenly Nurturing Urn.

This magical treasure was currently shining brightly, its entire surface shimmering with radiant patterns, causing Yu Xixin's eyelids to twitch. Li Zhouwei said:

"Wen Dao Ping—Does Master Yu recognize him?"

Yu Xixin certainly knew of this Elder Wen, but knowing that the old fellow had put on airs in front of Li Zhouwei, she couldn't help but feel a little bitter when she brought it up. She said:

"Recognize..."

Li Zhouwei sneered:

“He’s perfectly comfortable in my magic treasure, and I even think he’s taking up too much space!”

The words had barely left his mouth when the magical treasure began to spin rapidly, spewing forth a surging, boiling azure light. As this light gathered in front of him, it instantly took on a human form, its aged voice coughing incessantly, its teeth clenched:
"plum……"

But the sound only lasted a moment before the golden scroll slammed down, causing him to cough up blood and fall silent instantly. Without hesitation, Yu Xixin suppressed him beneath the magical treasure, used her supernatural powers to retrieve the item, and whispered:
"Wen Dao is arrogant and conceited...please..."

Li Zhouwei didn't care about the old master. He waved his hand, solemnly raised his hand, placed the spiritual treasure against the confluence of water, and inscribed it with divine power, causing his supernatural abilities and magic to surge!
【Accumulate!】
Countless rays of light surged forth, and the combined light beneath the heavenly gate, like a precious pearl weighing a thousand pounds, slowly moved and gradually fell towards the mouth of the urn.

Gu You was already a Great True Man, possessing the power of four supernatural abilities. Even Li Zhouwei's "Emperor's View of the Origin" could not imprison him for long, let alone this spiritual treasure. However, the "Accumulation" of the "Heavenly Nourishing Urn" was the most effective in controlling water virtue, and this Great True Man was already seriously injured. With the balance of power shifting, this bit of water light slowly fell and was gradually absorbed into the urn.

Even so, the urn shook violently for a moment. Inside, there were no longer distinct grains of rice, but a pool of boiling, turbulent water that kept surging out, trying to break free. Li Zhouwei threw the [Huaijiang Map] into it and used his supernatural powers to suppress it, which slowly stabilized the urn.

Aside from the golden shuttle he had taken, only that small black flag remained. When Li Zhouwei summoned it for a look, it turned out to be a valuable treasure as well. It should have caused considerable trouble, but it was suppressed by the [Huaijiang Map].

"This [Huaijiang Map], though seemingly wondrous but not particularly remarkable, is valuable because of the True Lord's calligraphy. Once unleashed, it can always suppress other opponents' spiritual treasures, crippling them—truly, it grows stronger when facing stronger adversaries."

Li Zhouwei temporarily suppressed and put it away, but he was not careless. His spiritual sense remained on the spiritual treasure in his hand. After a slight calculation, he shook his head inwardly:
"This person's 'Returning Stream' is formidable; as time goes on, it continuously amplifies his supernatural powers. Although it's currently contained, within three days, with the converging waters gradually nourishing it, it will surely break free from this urn!"

Three days wasn't enough time, and Li Zhouwei felt a little regretful:
'He's a Grandmaster, after all... It would be too difficult and a waste to kill him. Even if we can't subdue him, gaining benefits in return is still worthwhile... We should only resort to violence as a last resort... Right now, I have a good assistant.'

He secretly plotted to suppress this Great Master, but Li Ximing and Yu Xixin got along quite well. He had more contact with Tinglan, who was a different kind of Purple Qi from this Great Master. They even started talking about the changes of Purple Qi.

Seeing Li Zhouwei looking over, Yu Xixin quickly turned around. The King of Wei had already brought over the urn and said:
"Master Yu is proficient in magic and deeply understands the affairs of immortality. The task of suppressing the He Shui is entrusted to you, Master."

Yu Xi knew he was offending someone, but there was no turning back now. He gently took the jar, used his supernatural power, the "Lie Zi Pian," and tapped it lightly a few times. Receiving a response, he quickly deciphered the secret through his cultivation, saying:
“That’s easy to handle. Although Master Gu is a master of water, his supernatural powers are not yet fully developed. He lacks the ‘Guangzhun Sheng’ (a type of divine essence). This ‘Zhun’ (a type of divine essence) refers to the leveling of water. Nothing in the world is more level than water. Without the ‘Guangzhun Sheng’, he cannot level all waters. We only need to let female water enter him. The ‘Gui Liu Dian’ (a place where water flows back to its source) will be inclusive and inclusive. It will definitely be mixed with female essence. Then we can draw out his supernatural powers and combine them with the meaning of receiving and storing. We should keep him from coming out for more than ten days.”

This cultivator of purple qi should have been sitting behind the scenes, resolving doubts and elucidating the mysteries. In just a few words, his skillful combination of supernatural powers and Daoist cultivation was evident. So, he withdrew his supernatural power, causing the Heavenly Nurturing Jar to open a small opening and draw out the combined water. He then took out a spiritual artifact, preparing to replenish the female water, and reminded the cultivator:
"But... since there is female fluid inside, it will probably help Master Gu's injuries heal faster."

"It doesn't matter!"

Li Zhouwei didn't care. If he could eventually capture Chuncheng and suppress this man by taking advantage of the compromise of Gu County, it would be a good thing if his injuries healed faster.

After waiting a short while, a man emerged from the south, dressed in a dark purple official robe, with piercing golden eyes and an extremely refined appearance. His face was filled with anxiety. Upon seeing the group from afar, he quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"Father!"

This person is none other than Li Jiangliang!
This golden-eyed man had achieved the Purple Mansion realm through the power of the Xuan, and was riding high on his success. He was also away fighting, and his demeanor was quite different. Li Ximing hurriedly greeted him and took his hand.

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"congratulations!"

“I dare not…”

Upon hearing these three words, Li Jiangliang's anxious expression eased slightly. He quickly returned the greeting respectfully, glanced at Yu Xixin beside him, hesitated, then turned to Li Ximing and said:

"The two passes have been breached, and the area before Chuncheng is now completely flat... Has the lord made any moves?"

Li Ximing was taken aback and said:
"What are you..."

Li Jiangliang lowered his voice, suppressing his supernatural powers, and said:
"Just now... I met Master Jia, who came from the south. He set off a few days ago, but was intercepted by my elder sister when he passed by the lake..."

"Que Wan?! On the lake?"

Li Ximing suddenly felt suspicious—Li Quewan had his own way of communicating with them. If anything happened on the lake, he could simply crush the jade talisman to warn them. Why would he need to send a message through an outsider like Jia Zan?

Li Jiangliang's eyes reddened instantly, and he nodded heavily, saying:

'His elder sister asked him to deliver a message to their two elders, inquiring about the situation in the north. She asked if, since the Prince of Wei has no chance to return home, they might consider going back themselves…'

'My lord...it's really bad.'

Li Ximing froze in mid-air for a moment, his eyes fixed on the junior before him, his heart pounding with shock:

'Is this really bad?'

'Yes…'

Li Xuanxuan!
When Li Ximing set off from the lake, he had already seen Li Xuanxuan's body. In this respect, he was far inferior to Li Quewan. The woman had already said that he probably wouldn't survive the year...

But I didn't expect it to come so quickly!
The fragments appeared in the world, and all the talisman seeds were able to sense them. Whether it was Li Xuanxuan or Li Quewan, even if they were far away on the lake, they would definitely sense it. The old man would never delay this matter. Even if Li Quewan could see that the old man was not in good health, he would not dare to carelessly manipulate the jade talisman and cause the matter in the north to be completely ruined!

'That's how they found out Jia Zan was the one relaying the message...'

Li Ximing stood there dumbfounded, saying incredulously:

"When did this happen? How much longer? Didn't they say there were still quite a few days left?!"

Li Jiangliang said sadly:

“It has been some time now, probably less than ten days. My elder sister said… her life was already hanging by a thread, and she was kneeling and unable to get up, her emotions were fluctuating, sometimes sad and sometimes happy, so naturally she couldn’t last long.”

Li Zhouwei understood perfectly. Without the slightest hesitation, he considered for a moment and said:

"In that case, Uncle, please go back as soon as possible!"