#1102 - All ready

Nurturing nature and cultivating truth, enduring the sun and moon.

Light surged within the pavilion. Li Ximing rubbed his brow, stood up, and exhaled deeply. He felt a faint dizziness and closed his eyes for a breath or two before feeling relieved and much more comfortable.

On a futon nearby sat a man who looked exactly like Li Ximing. The clothes on his body fluttered slightly in the spiritual energy. His features were even more refined and handsome, and he appeared more sacred due to the lack of superfluous expressions.

It was the [Divine Mind Doppelganger].

Now, this object was no longer as rigid as it had been in the past. Its skin looked warm and supple, and the only difference between its face and Li Ximing's was that the doppelganger's complexion was slightly rosier, so subtle that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

There was also a slight difference in attire. A jade pendant hung from his waist, inscribed with three characters:

'Li Gu Feng.'

Li Ximing had planned this arrangement long ago when he refined this object, setting up a mountain-guarding position on his Zhi Jing Mountain and adding the name [Li Gu Feng]. He even had the family's jade pendant custom-made for him and prepared his clothes.

One must know that the [Divine Mind Doppelganger] was meant to be an external avatar, meant to conceal the heavenly secrets and mislead them. Daoist techniques could already discern a person, and now, with these clothes draped over the [Divine Mind Doppelganger] and the identity plate hung on the doppelganger, Li Ximing activated the [Six Harmonies Light].

This was precisely the wonder of 'All Under Heaven.' 'Li Gu Feng' became his subordinate, naturally bathed in heavenly light and connected by divine powers, greatly reducing the time and difficulty of nurturing with lifebound power! The nurturing progressed at a rapid pace.

Even though he had taken a shortcut, the full power nurturing during this period had almost exhausted his mind. Seeing the doppelganger's eyes tightly closed, as if in meditative practice, Li Ximing even felt a little palpitation:

'This is too similar... It's definitely impossible to see through under divine power...'

At this moment, the [Divine Mind Doppelganger] was finally completed!

Li Ximing was in a hurry to become a Lower Scholar, and this object's most important wonder was refined for that purpose. As long as he cut off a section of his finger before the great battle and cast a spell to have 'Li Gu Feng' consume it, connecting it with lifebound power, there would be a life connection. This was called [Sealing Life].

After [Sealing Life], most of the injuries he sustained within a short period would be transferred, two to four percent, to the [Divine Mind Doppelganger]. And when facing curses, incantations, and evil arts that interfere with spiritual awareness, such as the Longxiao Treasure Vase method, up to sixty percent could be transferred!

'That is to say... if I suffered a fatal injury on the lake... it would only destroy this [Divine Mind Doppelganger], giving me a chance to escape...'

'If I can master the profound art of lifting clear Qi, perhaps I can even abandon my main body and use the [Divine Mind Doppelganger] to escape...'

He silently went to the cabinet and took out a portion of [Taiyin Moon Essence]!

The [Divine Mind Doppelganger] would eventually be exposed to others, so he was not very daring to refine it with [Taiyin Moon Essence]. However, using it for consumption was very suitable... He had everything but this at home!

He placed two fingers in front of his lips, drew out the pure white treasure from the bottle, condensed it into a pill the size of a finger, and then closed his eyes slightly. Li Gu Feng, who was quietly meditating on the futon, suddenly opened his eyes.

His eye sockets were empty, without anything inside, but it seemed as if something invisible was observing the surroundings, which was quite terrifying. He slowly opened his lips, revealing teeth as white as jade, and held the pill in his mouth. His eyelids immediately drooped, returning to the appearance of meditation.

Only then did Li Ximing open his eyes, quite satisfied:

"In this way, it can be taken at any time."

So, he slightly raised his hand, and the 'Li Gu Feng' in front of him gently leaped up, transformed into a palm-sized wood carving, and fluttered into his sleeve.

He shook his sleeve slightly and calculated with his fingers. Six months had passed, and the jade pendant representing Yang Ruiyi was dim and uncertain, indicating that a major event was approaching.

So, he transformed and descended to the mortal realm, appearing in the mountains. As expected, he heard that Sima Yuanli had been waiting in the continent for a long time, so he invited him in.

Unlike Li Ximing, who was confident, this man now looked a little anxious, worried and hurried to stop in front of the desk, and said quickly:

"Greetings, Zhao Jing!"

Li Ximing returned the salute slightly, and found that a graceful beauty was following him, dressed in plain white clothes, holding a box in her arms, with cold clouds floating around her and silver sparrows surrounding her. It was Fairy Ning Wan of Autumn Lake.

Yang Ruiyi did not let Ning Wan come to the continent to deploy defenses. Li Ximing was slightly stunned, greeted her, and Ning Wan smiled and nodded to him, put down the jade box in her arms, and said softly:

"Greetings, Zhao Jing... Congratulations on your divine power achievement. I'm here to bring you something."

She opened the jade box, and saw a red jade bead placed inside, looking crystal clear, with only a thin layer of crystal covering it. Inside, a small, exquisite, curled-up beast was trapped, filling the bead to the brim.

"This object is the [Longlong Bead], originally a special talisman for the self-defense of the Great Liang cultivators. Inside is a [Carefree Xuan Ox], which is very powerful."

Ning Wan resealed the box with divine power, showing a very solemn attitude, and said:

"It was sent by the old Daoist Di Yan of Qu Si Mountain... He listened to the younger generation's complaints and said that there will be a great battle on the lake, and King Wei has not yet left seclusion... so he specially asked me to send this thing, saying that it is to do his best."

The woman seemed a little hesitant, paused, and then opened her mouth:

"This thing is precious, it is the old Daoist's treasure, and it can save your life at a critical moment."

Li Ximing had heard his name for a long time, and also knew that Qu Si Mountain was interested in climbing up, but this concern was very real, to the point that he was a little afraid to accept it. He was slightly sentimental and asked:

"Thank you for me, old man... How can I bear such a good treasure..."

Ning Wan shook her head and replied:

"The old Daoist asked me to return a sentence to you... saying... Thank you, Zhao Jing, for maintaining Nan Wu between the enemies, and not letting the Guo family enter the game..."

Li Ximing was slightly stunned and frowned:

"The East Sea thing?"

Ning Wan seemed a little sensitive, and silently pressed down the conversation:

"I don't know about this, and I shouldn't know."

Li Ximing immediately closed his mouth and thought in his heart:

'I understand that this old Daoist is arranging his affairs, but he is unwilling to cause trouble, dragging on day by day. Now I really need this thing, and I will have to talk to him about it afterwards.'

Ning Wan didn't have any strange expression. First Sui Guan, then Emperor Song, this woman seemed to have become accustomed to surviving in the cracks between big forces. After performing a salute, she quickly withdrew, while Sima Yuanli was full of envy and sighed:

"Xi Ming is really lucky!"

Li Ximing remained noncommittal. After Sima Yuanli praised him, he said solemnly:

"I have received the order from the General, three days later, the cultivators will attack Zhao, and all the cultivators have orders. I also invited the real people of Guoling Peak to take action!"

“Guang Chan of the Great Muram Realm has always been eyeing the South. Once the war starts, he will definitely not rush to support Zhi Xuan. Instead, he will lead his men south. We will just sit tight and wait for him.”

Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully, but Sima Yuanli himself became worried:

‘Could this be more serious than I thought… Even Li Ximing has to seek external help like this, let alone me? I might even face death.’

So he solemnly put down his cup, looked at the other party's face, and said:

“Zhao Jing… Our fates are intertwined on the lake. Since you have such a talisman to protect you, why not hand over the 【Hundred-Eaved Obsidian Umbrella】 to me in advance… Once the fighting starts, I will definitely do my best to protect the lake!”

Since Sima Yuanli had said such definitive words, Li Ximing didn't have much room to maneuver. After thinking for a long time, he slowly nodded and sighed:

“I'm counting on you, Daoist friend!”

So he took out the spiritual artifact from his sleeve and transferred its ownership to Sima Yuanli under his hopeful gaze. The man in green nodded and studied the spiritual umbrella inside and out.

Li Ximing then silently got up, gazing at the north:

‘Yang Ruiyi gave me five years. How exactly is this five years calculated? This battle will probably be different from the past. Even if he is from the Yang family, he probably won't be able to bear the consequences of returning without any achievements.’

……

White River Creek.

In just a few years, this place has been filled with temples. The magnificent golden halls are filled with glistening light, and a group of monks are kneeling below. A monk sits on the main seat, with a fair face and a golden mark between his eyebrows, dignified as an image.

A young man was sitting on the roof beam, looking otherworldly between his brows, but his eyes were shining brightly, looking into the distance, with all kinds of scenes reflected in his eyes, complex and fleeting like flowing water.

After watching for an unknown amount of time, the monk sitting on the main seat finally spoke in a melodious voice:

“Jie Xing, how is it?”

The young man slightly lowered his eyes, retracted his supernatural power, jumped down and made a grand salute, saying:

“Brother, I didn’t see anyone coming in or out, only a 『Shaoyang』 cultivator passed through the void, he probably won’t participate in this major event.”

The monk above, whom he called brother, showed a wave of emotion:

“You are still the same as when you were a child. I have entered the Buddhist path, and now I am Guang Chan, not Li Jieyi. It is not appropriate to call me brother.”

Tao Jiexing blinked his bright eyes and quickly apologized:

“I have been cultivating in the mountains with my master and have not been to the mortal world many times. Please don't blame me, brother…”

Guang Chan was stunned, sighed, and ignored him, saying:

“You are indeed powerful. All your supernatural powers are in one eye. No wonder others call you the Eye of Supernatural Power. You have only cultivated it and already have such abilities. If Old Master Tao personally took action, I don't know how powerful it would be.”

“You should have seen Guo Nanwu, he should have left too… What else did you see besides that?”

Tao Jiexing said bluntly:

“It seems like something is blocking the distance, I can't see clearly, but the people on the riverbank are living really well, much more comfortable than the people in the north. My master said 【A righteous teacher is justified in punishing the guilty and comforting the people】, this war should not be fought.”

This young man seemed to be really cultivating in the mountains. He spoke very bluntly and looked serious. Guang Chan's expression condensed and he whispered:

“Whether to fight or not is not up to us to decide, you just follow me.”

Tao Jiexing had no choice but to say:

“Yes!”

The monk then began to think on the main seat. The opposite bank was clearly the Li family, but there was not much joy on his face, but a deep and heavy look as he looked at Tao Jiexing:

“Jie Xing… Do you think… are there really people in the world who know the future and can calculate the mysteries of heaven?”

Tao Jiexing was stunned and replied:

“What's so difficult about that? I also know a little about calculation, it wouldn't hurt to calculate.”

Guang Chan glanced at him lightly and said:

“Calculate this river, calculate this north-south war.”

“Absolutely impossible!”

Tao Jiexing waved his sleeves, without any room for tact, and said decisively:

“Brother is now practicing Buddhism and not practicing calculation, but improving his skills in craftsmanship, so he doesn’t understand this path. But this is completely unnecessary to consider. There are many Zifu and Maha gathered here. Not to mention calculation, even the Qi is constantly fluctuating, not to mention that there are not a few Zifu who have achieved the Fate Supernatural Power. These people are empty in calculation… To calculate the changes here is simply like asking an illiterate child to read the Daoist scriptures. You can't believe what you calculate.”

The more Guang Chan listened, the tighter his brows furrowed, and he asked:

“Really? Even if Duanmu Kui comes, he can't calculate it?”

Tao Jiexing did not hesitate at all and replied:

“Brother is overthinking it. This has nothing to do with Taoism. A clever woman cannot cook without rice. Even if Master Xue comes, he can't calculate it! Not to mention that the Martial Star is above, and many positions are shifting and intertwined. To put it disrespectfully, it is not easy for the adults to handle!”

Guang Chan immediately said nothing more, and lowered his eyebrows deeply:

‘Strange… I see Qi Lanyan’s thoughts, he clearly knows that there will be a great war, otherwise he wouldn’t mobilize so frequently, and he wouldn’t let Tao Jiexing come down… How did he know such detailed timing when he promised the old man to borrow him for two months?’

Yang Ruiyi has been to the river for more than a day or two, even for more than a year. This time is undoubtedly difficult to grasp. Guang Chan remained silent for a long time and began to suspect:

‘Is Zhi Xuan Xie too strong now… The adults are preoccupied with the affairs of Mingyang, but have they ever thought that Zhi Xuan's power is now ten times stronger than it was back then, and it is clearly the hub of the Great Zhao. The mortal world promised to us, is it still ours?’

But in a daze, a pity had already broken through the void, descended and knelt down in front of him, eagerly saying:

“Reporting to Maha, Yang Ruiyi has crossed the river! Liu Bai is the general, and the two Mingyang sons are also following… The troops Ning Wan, Wen Qing and others have already surrounded Shan Ji. Zhi Xuan Xie's order… is for the adults to go straight to the southeast to block Yang Ruiyi!”

‘As expected!’

Guang Chan stood up, his eyes lit up, and he didn't care about Zhi Xuan or not. Rolling purple fire immediately burned around him. The man conjured a long spear out of thin air and said coldly:

“Go!”

In an instant, the void echoed, and a huge golden body emerged. Tao Jiexing quickly stepped forward, looking at his brother who had become a monk stepping into the void, and suddenly froze:

“Brother, where are you going……”

Guang Chan's eyes were gloomy with a hint of eagerness:

“Go south to attack Wei!”

The young man didn't know why, but the pity on the side looked uneasy and whispered:

“Adult… I'm afraid Zhi Xuan will blame you…”

“Blame me?”

Guang Chan squeezed out a cold laugh from his throat, turned his head and gritted his teeth and said:

“Do you think he, Qi Lanyan, doesn't know that I will go south? Do you think he doesn't want me to go south? This bitch transferred my subordinates out early and arranged me in this one-shore boundary, he's using me as a scapegoat!”

“Anyway, whether he gives the order or not, I will go south for him. It's better to give me an order to block Yang Ruiyi. If something goes wrong at that time, what means Yang Ruiyi used… and causes big trouble, he will all throw it on my head!”

Main characters in this chapter

——

Li Ximing 【Early Stage of Zifu】

Sima Yuanli 【Early Stage of Zifu】

Ning ○ Wan 【Early Stage of Zifu】