Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1353 Further Planning
"Cough cough... cough cough..."

The cave was quiet and secluded, but suddenly a coughing sound rang out. On the jade bed above, the young man leaned to the side, his hand supporting him on the bed, facing the ground, coughing violently.

"Wow……"

After a long while, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the stone surface and eroded it, creating holes of all sizes. The silver light flowed like water ripples, as if reflecting clusters of dancing flames.

A raging fire burned in his heart, and the golden eye seemed to still be staring at him from the dark hall, overflowing with hatred:
"You're still lying to me!"

Only when the thunderous sound faded into the distance did Li Suining come to his senses. A layer of cold sweat broke out all over his body, as if his body had detached from his clothes. He suddenly looked thinner and exuded a deep chill.

Yet he felt as if he were still engulfed in flames, the pungent smell and the burning sensation still pulsating within his consciousness, causing him unbearable pain and making him gasp for breath.

'The "Southern Ming Heart Fire" back then... was truly terrifying...'

The young man sat on the couch for a long, long time before he caught his breath. He moved to the foot of the jade bed, leaning against the edge. Looking around, he felt a sense of relief, as if he had escaped a calamity, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
'In this life... I've let him down.'

Tian Su's regression came without warning. Li Suining couldn't be sure if what he was experiencing was Tian Su's final life or his last. He could only treat each one as if it were the last, giving it his all, whether it was preparing for the future or pleading with Mingyang. At the same time, he also treated each one as a regression of Tian Su, trying to dig out as much information as possible at the last moment...

Therefore, he would never allow this Changli Zhenren to be released!
Li Suining couldn't gamble on whether this Changli Zhenren would retain his original heart after being released—if it was Changli Zhenren who returned, only Li Suining would die, but what if it was Changli Maha who returned?

He coughed twice more. His body, which should have been full of energy from a long period of quiet cultivation, was still exhausted. It was as if he had not been in seclusion for the past year, but had been teetering on the brink of life and death, constantly fighting and vying for power.

But Li Suining was not distracted at all. He regained some strength and stood up with great interest. He walked to the table, picked up the bamboo pen, looked at the map spread on the table, but hesitated to put pen to paper.

Li Suining's fingers clenched tighter and tighter, until the bamboo pen snapped open with a crack, but he seemed oblivious, gritting his teeth:

“Master Liang Ju… Qiu Wanyi… and those stinking monks…”

But all those thoughts suddenly interrupted his mind, turning into a state of clarity:
"At this time...King Wei was at...the passes of Yun and Pu..."

He knew what was going to happen next.

With the two passes breached, Long Kangyao of Raoshan in the south also retreated, the last gateway was lost, and Chuncheng was wide open... However, this Great Master of the Long Kang clan can be said to be extremely stubborn. He still gathered people and launched a major campaign, reportedly using the connections within the cave heaven.

But Li Jiangqian once mentioned that it might not necessarily be connections within some hidden world:
'After this incident, the so-called Dongmu will inevitably be involved!'

Regardless of who it was, one person went out of the cave. His surname was Fu and his given name was Tan Jian. This person had great supernatural powers and his spiritual treasures were extremely powerful. He joined forces with Long Kangyao and held firm to stay out!
Li Zhouwei and Li Jiangqian naturally couldn't give up. They pretended to retreat and devised a plan to lure Fu Tanjian. Just when they had finally managed to trap him, Lei Toushou from Dayang Mountain intervened and ruined their efforts.

Within days, a sudden change occurred in Shu. The Shu emperor secretly sent an edict out of the palace, and the various immortals led by the Qiu family attacked the desert. The Sun family invaded Yuyang, and the western front of the Song Dynasty was in dire need of help. Yang Ruiyi and even Li Ximing had no choice but to return to the front.

'If there was still a possibility of turning things around, the involvement of Western Shu was like a hammer blow, completely thwarting the plans in the north.'

The situation then took a sharp turn for the worse. The Great Mu Dharma Realm finally finished dealing with Da Lingchuan. As soon as Yang Ruiyi left, they intervened from the rear. Fu Tanjian also took the opportunity to invade. Fortunately, Li Zhouwei skillfully deployed his troops and held out for several months. He also created an excellent opportunity by fighting against multiple opponents at the two passes and defeated both sides.

The King of Wei finally stormed into Chuncheng, and almost on the same day, the celestial phenomena in the east changed dramatically, and yet another person stepped forward—a cultivator from Gu County who had been forgotten by everyone for many years.

Jiang Yan!

He actually achieved the Great True Person realm at this moment, came to help, stabilized the defeated cultivators, and secretly withdrew. Li Zhouwei, fighting against many, was already seriously injured. At this moment, even if he was extremely unwilling, he could only sigh that the time was not on his side and quickly withdrew from Chuncheng.

'There must be something fishy about this!'

Based on the circumstances back then, Jiang Yan went into seclusion to break through during the Battle of Luoxia... Once he failed, his immortal foundation was completely destroyed, and it would take at least five years to complete the cultivation!

'The timing is definitely wrong… Jiang Shi already had plans in place. If I calculate it this way, she should have bestowed a treasure upon him, allowing him to pass the 'Gan Zi' level and go out to defend against the King of Wei in Dalingchuan. However, the Earth element was difficult to cultivate, so he secluded himself for a longer period, thus delaying the process. Only when Chuncheng was in turmoil did he have no choice but to go out.'

At this moment, Jiang Yan was about to advance his troops, but Fu Tanjian had already been terrified and ultimately watched the King of Wei leave. After the cultivators withdrew to Luoyang, another piece of bad news came.

The smoke of the valley has been destroyed!

Looking back now, King Wei shouldn't have attacked Chuncheng... He only raided it once before having to retreat, and the cost of that raid was incredibly high...

Qingji Fang went into seclusion to cultivate, and the morale of the Western Shu was greatly boosted after he was gone. Several great masters intervened one after another, and with the help of Tian Suzi, the great master Sun came north ahead of schedule. Most of the troops were in the north, and Yang Ruiyi was unable to save them in time, which led to Lin Chengsheng's death on the spot!
Li Suining's mood sank.

After Guyan fell, the border between Shu and Song was redrawn... Fortunately, the King of Wei returned in time to relieve the siege...

But with Li Zhouwei gone, the situation in the north, which had finally become clearer, naturally fell into chaos. And just at this moment, the Peacock of the Great Desire Path emerged from the pass—[Yayoi Reborn]!
Although the Compassionate Path was no longer involved, the impact was no less than that of the [Changhe Rebellion] in the previous life. This Peacock's ever-expanding territory of the Great Desire Path was rightfully encroaching on the conquered Zhao lands. How could Yu Xixin and others be a match for them? They suffered repeated defeats, leaving only the Yun and Pu passes, while all other places were surrendered and turned to nothing in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, Jiang Yan and his group employed an unexpected tactic, with the assistance of Long Kangyao. However, during the recapture of lost territory, they clashed with the Great Desire Path, tearing off their mask and engaging in a fierce battle. This gave the cultivators a chance to catch their breath, allowing them to retreat to the Second Pass for a time…

"This great battle...the casualties were unprecedentedly horrific..."

By the time Li Zhouwei recovered from his injuries and returned to the north, the situation in the north had stabilized. The land was ravaged by the repeated battles between Da Yang Mountain and Jiang Yan, and Wei Wang's troops were all wounded. This time, the difficulty was different from before. Although Li Zhouwei used his own abilities to reorganize the Eastern cultivators and suppress the Buddhist cultivators, the result had completely changed.

'Wu Miao and Qiao Wenliu have both perished. Not only those with less powerful backgrounds, but also Jiang Fuwang, Bian Fan, Gu You, Tang Jiyu, Qi Lanjing… and even Jiang Yan at the very end, all of these people died one after another in this war where Buddhist and Taoist priests were lurking in the shadows, sweeping across all directions, leaving behind a devastated landscape…'

That's why Li Suining didn't even mention their names before he died in his previous life. The only one who could guard the desert for the lake was Yu Xixin. Now, these blood-stained names appeared before his eyes, clearing his mind:
'The three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Dragon have been divided, treating this land as a chessboard for the Bright Sun to roam. However, this isn't without powerful figures intervening; there are also Dharma Images! And Buddhist cultivators!'

'Since they only cared that King Wei could ultimately attain enlightenment, Shi Xiu would inevitably stop at nothing to prevent him, which led to the "Changhe Rebellion" and the "Reincarnation of Yayoi" in the previous life. Even without the former, the latter would have occurred; they are fundamentally the same thing!'

'These Dharma images...within the bounds of manipulation, harbor the deepest malice and greatest disgust towards the King of Wei! They are a covert revenge for past events!'

'Only by stepping outside the game can one see this. These aristocratic families of Chuncheng thought they could profit from both sides, not wanting to offend us or anyone else, but they never imagined that with the cooperation of the three forces, they had long been regarded by Shi Xiu as the future foundation of Mingyang. They didn't even submit to the Prince of Wei, and in the end, besides a pool of blood, they will leave nothing behind!'

Looking back now, Li Suining is filled with emotion.

Why did the Yan state manage to hold out even after reaching Shenfu, thanks to the united efforts of its ruler and ministers? Besides the unexpected Dongling Incident, the most important reason was that Li Zhouwei no longer had any capable men under his command!

'After the Western Shu's sneak attack, the entire plan was disrupted, and almost all of these great masters perished... Even Long Kangyao was heartbroken to the point of vomiting blood, returning to his grotto to seek the Dao and pass away peacefully. Those who remained by the King of Wei's side... were almost entirely his retainers and Gao Fu, who arrived later!'

Do you regret it?
According to Li Suining, this Grand Master Longkang ultimately regretted his actions. He had met with the Prince of Wei in Chuncheng. Li Suining had heard Li Ximing recount the story: the Grand Master regretted his actions, yet remained resolute, leaving behind only this one sentence:

'Long Kangyao's only wish is to protect the city and defend the dynasty!'

In the eyes of this great master, he was always guarding his homeland and legal system. Whether it was Mingyang or the various Buddhist sects, they were all descendants of the True Lord. Some were willing to bow their heads, while others were not.

But these words dissipated like the wind. Later, although Li Zhouwei was indeed incredibly powerful and could fight against many opponents, without the help of these people, defending the entire Eastern Land was like patching up a dilapidated house with drafts coming from all sides. Every time he almost conquered this first pass in the world, chaos would inevitably break out from all sides.

In its previous life, the Western Shu Kingdom, after the Wu Chuan Incident, became like a runaway horse, repeatedly invading the borders.
'Only the King of Wei could hold out, and even decisively defeat, the Yan Kingdom. Any other Grand Master in that position would have long since collapsed, coughing up blood, and given up!'

That's why Li Suining was filled with regret at the last moment, even feeling that through his intervention, Li Zhouwei's ambitions in this life were no greater than before, and in fact, even inferior to Li Zhouwei's self-planned ambitions in many aspects...

Although there was the variable of [Dalingchuan] that affected everything, Li Suining's own powerlessness to influence it in the later stages was also a fact.

Now reborn, staring at this map densely covered with county names, how could he not grit his teeth, hesitate to pick up his pen, and unknowingly crush the bamboo pen in his hand!
He stared intently at the map before him, as if everything from the past had transformed into bloodshed and carnage, constantly moving across the ancient map, all settling on the thick ink of Chuncheng.

'But how can I contact the King of Wei now…'

Although the King of Wei had left behind talismans, the situation in the north was far more complex than a warning talisman could resolve. The matter involved was far too complicated. The warning that forced Li Zhouwei to hastily withdraw had a negative impact no less than leaving it unattended!

'I'm afraid we should first find… Master Su Yun… I don't know if she's emerged from seclusion, and I need to gain her trust… But if we let her deliver the message, without her guarding the lake, we might not even withstand the first wave of attack from Western Shu!'

"Dong dong!"

But a crisp knocking sound rang out at that moment, and Li Suining was as if he had been startled awake from a dream. His thoughts were interrupted, and he hurriedly went forward. He saw a person standing in front of the door. The person had a dignified appearance and a calm expression. His clothes were neat and clean, but his face was extremely ugly. His face was pale and bloodless, and he had a deep and unyielding sorrow.

Li Suining was speechless:
"elder brother!"

Li Suikuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, his expression changing drastically:

"The way you look..."

Li Suining's heart was filled with complex emotions. In his previous life, Li Suikuan had perished too early, disappearing into the vast desert when the diversion of the granary was discovered. Therefore, when Li Suining saw him, it felt as if a century had passed in a daze. At this moment, he could only remain silent and say:

"I used some minor spells, there's no need to worry."

Li Suikuan could only lower his head and weep:

"The old master's day is approaching. Master Zhaojing has returned from the north and I heard he will arrive at the mountain soon. The old master asked me to come and summon you... so we can go and pay our respects together!"

'correct! ’

The news of Li Xuanxuan seemed to come from the weight of history books, jolting him awake. Recalling the last moments of this kind elder, he couldn't help but shed tears.

But this news was like a spark, igniting all his thoughts.

"Master Zhaojing has returned!"

He felt both joy and anxiety, and a surge of heat rushed to the top of his head:
'Yes...yes...after handling the old man's funeral, it would be perfect for him to rush back to the north immediately...'

Inexplicably, it was the old man's death that made the final contribution to the Li family. For some reason, Li Suining was moved to tears and stared blankly at his younger brother.

Hearing such news, grief was naturally inevitable. Li Suikuan gazed at him, wiping away tears, but his elder brother pressed his shoulder and murmured:

"You go first...you go first...I'll be back shortly..."

"My deepest condolences, brother..."

Li Suikuan wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, seemingly having other people to inform, and hurriedly left. The silver-robed youth turned around, looking lost and dejected, and hurriedly stepped to the table, spread out the bamboo slips, picked up the ink brush, his heart pounding like thunder.

"We can't afford to delay... Gu Yan can't be lost, and Chun City can't be let go lightly. We must remind King Wei that the upcoming events will unfold swiftly and unexpectedly; every moment of delay will bring trouble!"