#1098 - Heavy Mountain Evil Worship

The island's gentle breeze stirred, the sunlight intensely harsh, bleaching the reefs white. The white-clad man stood amidst the seaside clouds for a while, silent and still, appearing very calm.

An Siwei was old. After his father, An Zheyan, died, he was the most senior elder in the An family. The Great Desire Path's southward advance, An Xuanxin, along with many direct descendants and supporters of the An family, were utterly defeated. To the Li family, it wasn't a crippling blow, but to An Siwei, it was a bolt from the blue!

This time, the blow was extremely heavy for him. An Xuantong's letter from the lake was a long scroll. An Siwei read it with tears streaming down his face, lamenting and sighing as he finished reading it three times, not knowing how to reply.

'To actually suffer such a misfortune!'

His heart was filled with endless fear. He clearly understood that although the An family's position seemed stable, An Xuantong had no children. In the next century, the An family would inevitably have no one capable. The north-south conflict was becoming increasingly fierce. If luck wasn't on their side, and An Xuantong perished, the An family would be the next Tian family!

A cultivator's appearance is related to their lifespan, and even more so to their spirit. Once the spirit is exhausted, this loyal An retainer aged several decades in an instant, looking like an old man. He stood blankly by the sea, actually hoping:

'Although I am old and useless, I do not begrudge my life. Could I beg the Old Master to send me to the riverbank... to somehow preserve Xuantong's life...'

He had discussed this idea privately with his children, but An Xuantong strongly opposed it, vowing to avenge his brother's blood feud, just like he had done in his youth. However, An Siwei, having been through it all, understood in his heart that this revenge could not be taken, not in a hundred or a thousand lifetimes.

This made him feel a sense of bewilderment, and he actually thought of his father:

'When my younger brother died, did Father have such intentions as I do now—probably not. He only had one son in his heart, only one Jingming, just as he called out before his death. We were merely those children he had to produce according to the will.'

The various affairs of the clan and family weighed heavily on his heart, causing him to stand there blankly, at a loss.

He waited by the sea for a while, and suddenly saw the waves churning, as if some dark object was floating in the sea. He immediately dismissed his thoughts and became alert, holding a talisman in his hand.

'Which demon from where... dares to come to my Lulai Island.'

Lulai Island was guarded by a Violet Palace cultivator, so there was no need to worry about any attacks. The Li family also had close relations with the Dragon race. An Siwei only suspected that some demon had recklessly arrived, but then he saw ripples in the water, and a white figure jumped out from within.

It was a man dressed in a cyan silk short jacket, with a brocade cloak draped over his shoulders. Faint, dense, emerald scales could be seen on his neck. His cultivation was extremely profound, exuding a suffocating pressure.

Behind him, the water shimmered, and a green palanquin emerged from the seabed, adorned with gold and jade, with a seven-story pavilion and six large halls, decorated with pearl and jade tassels. It was like a high platform floating up. An Siwei was shocked, and immediately knelt on the ground.

Who else could possess such power in the sea... besides the Dragon race! He had been in the East Sea for many years, so he naturally knew how domineering the Dragon race was!

However, the expression on the man's face was very polite. He took a step forward and bowed respectfully across the formation, saying:

"Are you a member of the Li family? Please inform your master that Xushui Demon King has come to visit."

An Siwei was horrified and quickly sent someone up to carefully instruct them before entering the formation to report to Liu Changdie. He himself waited respectfully on the side, trembling with fear, and glanced cautiously before saying:

"Could it be... could it be Lord Ying himself?"

The brocade-clad youth lowered his eyebrows, revealing a hint of gratitude, and nodded, saying:

"This humble demon is... an old friend from the Great River."

An Siwei felt a little more at ease and quickly said:

"Does Your Excellency remember Floating Cloud Cave? When King Wei conquered the north, I was under his command..."

'He's already King Wei...'

The words "King Wei" didn't need An Siwei to explain. As long as it was related to Wei, Ying Hebai immediately understood everything and felt a surge of heat in his heart, not knowing what to do:

'How can I repay the kindness of saving my clan!'

Back then, the situation within the sea had changed drastically, and Ying Hebai didn't dare to stay, hastily retreating. Although he had saved his life, he had left his post without permission before news from the sea arrived, which was ultimately a dereliction of duty, angering his superior, and things had never been easy.

'This King Wei's influence is probably respected even by the Bei Sea Dragon King, let alone the Xushui Demon King. Today, he has promoted me to this position, to be the vanguard for the king, which is both to show to the Li family... and for the Xushui Demon King to show his loyalty to Bei Hai...'

He lowered his eyebrows and composed himself, waiting quietly. In just a few breaths, a man stepped out of the air, his silver divine power shining brightly. He bent over and saluted, hurriedly saying:

"Outsider Yuanbian greets the Great King!"

Liu Changdie had only heard that a member of the Dragon race was coming, and he actually understood very well in his heart. Li Ximing was pressed for time and didn't even have time to meet him, hastily taking Li Quewan away, presumably anxious to establish relations with the Dragon race in order to return to the sea in time... which made him feel slightly emotional:

'After all, the position of Wei and Li is difficult, and he doesn't dare to stay in any one place for too long...'

Then he saw a man in ink-black armor descending from the pavilion, wearing a helmet on his face, making it impossible to see his face. Behind him, he carried a long bow, and he stepped inside, his voice heavy and powerful:

"I am Lu Xu, ordered to come to the island. I apologize for the disturbance."

"You are too kind..."

Liu Changdie only led him inside. The two did not enter the cave, but sat in the courtyard on the island. The Demon King's expression was calm, and he said lightly:

"I have long heard of your great name."

These four words fell into Liu Changdie's ears, and he realized that the other party was not just here for the sake of his meritorious service, and he became vigilant in his heart, while saying:

"I never expected that my insignificant reputation would actually reach your ears!"

The Xushui Demon King directly raised his teacup and replied:

"I am a vulgar person and not accustomed to your human customs. I will not waste time with you. I will talk about as much as I have. There is a Great True Person named Changxiao who wanted to kill you, but my Xuanchi Thunder Maiden saved you—if not for that, you would have lost your life long ago."

The doubts in Liu Changdie's heart were suddenly confirmed, and he quickly left his seat and bowed in thanks, pretending to be extremely grateful, saying:

"Yuanbian had a premonition... I am truly grateful to this Lord..."

Lu Xu didn't give him much of a good look, his expression flat, and continued:

"Although it is the cycle of fate, the [Mystic Maiden] Lord does not want to see you, a favorite of the Department of Celestial Observation, perish. But it is also because this Xuanchi Thunder Maiden has some affinity with you..."

Liu Changdie was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully:

"This Mystic Maiden..."

Lu Xu seemed to have been bitten by his words, and his originally calm expression changed greatly, reminding him in a low voice:

"How can you address [Mystic Maiden] like that... There is only that [Mystic Female of the Dark Womb] in the world, what you cultivators call [Mysterious Dao Transformation True Lord], [Nine Heavens Mystic Female Goddess]..."

Only then did Liu Changdie realize that the Xuan Nu mentioned by the other party was the Maiden of Yin Water. Indeed, cultivators addressed her as Niangniang more often. He was momentarily shocked into a cold sweat and further thrown into disarray by the other party's revelation that he was 'Favored by the Scribe of Heaven,' exposing the deepest secret in his heart. He hastily slapped himself a few times, repeatedly apologizing, using questions to mask his confusion:

“I don’t know… this Thunder Maiden…”

‘Favored by the Scribe of Heaven… Maiden of Yin Water… Could it be that the Scribe of Heaven had some connection with this Maiden of Yin Water? But hasn't this Maiden long ceased to appear in the world…?’

His thoughts raced, and he repeatedly apologized. Only then did the face of the Water Demon King of Xu ease up slightly, and he continued:

“When His Excellency was in human form, his given name was Li Qinghong.”

Liu Changdie finally understood. The various doubts he once had seemed to be answered. A wave of sorrow washed over his heart, and he didn't know how to respond. Lu Xu quietly watched him:

“You should stay here and not run around. If one day you run to the Inner Sea or the various seas, and someone takes your life, we won't be able to help you…”

His expression was somber, as if trying to discern whether the other party was persuaded by his words. Liu Changdie repeatedly sighed, almost on the verge of tears:

‘It turns out it's Li's favor… Since that's the case, my staying here is essentially becoming a guest elder of the Li family again… The karmic connections of the world are truly wondrous!’

The Water Demon King of Xu then instructed:

“Bring that demon here!”

Liu Changdie hurriedly excused himself. After waiting for a while, he saw a young man in white with red pupils rushing into the hall, bowing his head in worship, and hastily saying:

“Greetings, Your Excellency!”

As he bowed, a pale yellow aura flowed beyond the three's field of vision. The several eyes on Fu Xun's head reopened, his pale pupils staring blankly at the sky.

The Water Demon King of Xu, however, was completely unaware, looking at him with some curiosity and secretly praising:

‘It's actually an auspicious beast, so rare! Once the matter of Mingyang is over, the Dragon King might be able to use him…’

‘But for now, I should hide him well… Lest the various kings see him, otherwise, the fighting over him might ruin the important matter.’

So, he adopted a posture and asked:

“Since it's Wei King's request, naturally you can be put to good use. I wonder where you wish to be stationed?”

The pair of eyes on the back of Fu Xun's head turned, his lips buzzing, as if discussing with each other, and he whispered:

‘Dongfang Weixi… and Zhongli Bailu… can't see us…’

‘Qunyi is good… the Navel of the World is also good… Staying here… to gather the posture of Yin, they don't like to see.’

Fu Xun was already weeping, answering:

“I am alone and without support, only this one brother. I hope to be closer to the Far Transformation True Man…”

Lu Xu had anticipated his thoughts, but he was only afraid that his wandering around would attract the attention of other Dragon Kings, so he smiled and said:

“Between the Qun Jiao and the Navel of the World, there is a Danping Reef. It's acceptable for you to guard it, but you cannot leave your post without reason. If you delay His Excellency's affairs, you will not be spared!”

Fu Xun was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly. The Water Demon King of Xu then brought him up and turned to look at Ying Hebai, instructing:

“From now on, I will assign you to patrol the sea here. Bring all your clansmen over. If there are any requests from Wei King, go directly to Jiaohai Dragon King in the palace!”

His territory was not here. He was now handing him over to Jiaohai Dragon King Dongfang Dingjiao, who was close to Wei King. The Water Demon King of Xu was not someone easy to serve. Ying Hebai nodded and thanked him repeatedly, his heart filled with joy, almost shedding tears. He escorted the huge palanquin out all the way, then rode the wind back, specifically to find An Siwei.

The scales on the demon's neck opened and closed, his face full of crystal-like tears, clanging as they hit his armor. He bowed on the empty beach, weeping:

“Please inform Wei King that his great kindness is difficult to repay. Even if one day he wants to eat my heart and lungs, and use my life, Hebai will readily agree!”

… …

Southern Border.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the cyan-purple banner fluttered in the air. The chaotic wind rolled, and one could vaguely see batches of barbarians like ants at the foot of the mountain, led by strings of ropes, like cattle and sheep.

The golden-eyed man on the top of the mountain stood with his hands behind his back, his cloak billowing, the purple纹 between his eyebrows slightly bright, as if breathing. His golden eyes were full of thoughts.

‘This is divine power.’

He raised his hand, and a piece of cyan-green flame suddenly lit up at his fingertip, disturbing the void and constantly undulating. Between the subtle changes of the True Qi fire, there was actually a bit of the flavor of the Immeasurable Water and Fire.

This flame ran from top to bottom, all the way through his Qi Sea, exploring everything in his Qi Sea clearly. Like a handful of sweet dew, it fell on the Immortal Foundation, constantly nourishing the 'Gate of the Audience with Heaven', making it vaguely communicate with the void, preparing for the future Purple Mansion.

Li Jiangxia pondered faintly in his heart:

‘Jiang Liang said that on the Golden Lotus Seat, I don't think it's as good as… At best, it's just a Sattva. This Profound Power is related to power and position. It seems that it's either the blessing of the founding title given to him, or the increase from being the head of all officials… It's a bit higher than me.’

However, these were not important. What Li Jiangxia really valued was the improvement of his own divine power. The change of power and position was up to others, how could it compare to the freedom of his own divine power:

‘I cultivate Mingyang, which is much smoother than his cultivation of Li Fire. With this Profound Power blessing, I think… I can ask about divine power in ten years…’

As he was thinking, An Xuantong hurriedly came up from the mountain. He was now also in military uniform, majestic and awe-inspiring. The shadow of his brother's death had not yet dissipated from between his brows, but he seemed to see the hope of revenge from Li Jiangxia's sudden rise in divine power, appearing ambitious, and bowed:

“All the cultivators of the Fang Kingdom have been tied up, and their men and horses have all been gathered by us… May I ask, Your Excellency… how to deal with them…”

Li Jiangxia showed a bit of contemplation.

After this place is pacified, it will definitely be used as a fief for cultivators in the future. Before leaving, Li Jiangliang talked about it. According to Yang Zhuo's habits, this place will most likely be his fief. Li Jiangxia narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something:

‘Evil sacrifices of Chongshan, bound to Wei.’

He took a step and murmured:

“This is the seventh kingdom. There are not many cultivators in the country now. Tie all these witches to the capital and let the monarch deal with them… As for the men and horses…”

The golden-eyed youth's expression became somber, and he replied:

“When I came… the monarch had an order, the light of Tianwu does not shine on the Yi people. Those Baekje, Jiaozhi, and Pyu people are lowly of the slave race, they like strife and forget kindness, their clans should be exterminated and replaced by the Huaxia.”

Yang Zhuo had never killed before and after becoming emperor, and had always treated the people kindly, but his people obviously had boundaries. These words revealed a deep chill. Li Jiangxia lowered his eyebrows and looked at the men and horses like ants at the foot of the mountain:

“The true decree is in front, and cannot be changed. Pass on my order, all barbarians shall have their faces tattooed, driven as slaves, to build a giant palace for the emperor, and the women shall be taken back to the country as maids.”

The Li family had always loved the people and treated the Shan Yue under their rule leniently. An Xuantong was obviously a little uncomfortable with such an order, but with the Immortal Decree in front, he could only go down uneasily. Li Jiangxia seemed to have no influence, standing quietly for a while, before hearing hurried footsteps. A person came from the mountain, bowed to the ground, and said urgently:

“Urgent report, General… the Great General has arrived in the wilderness and will attack Sanjiang!”

Main characters in this chapter

— —

Liu Changdie [Early Purple Mansion]

Li Jiangxia 'Gate of Audience with Heaven' [Peak Foundation Establishment] [Tianwu Holding Profound v1]

Lu Xu [Mid Purple Mansion]

Fu Xun [Mid Purple Mansion]