With Prince Feiheng's disappearance, the Li family, after a decade of quiet, began to mobilize its vast power.
Members of the Hall of Heavenly Principle across the Azure Dynasty had learned of Feiheng's disappearance even before Prince Xingyu arrived at their gates. Traces of their movements could already be found everywhere.
The Three Thieves were the first to receive the clan's orders and head to Duskwild Prefecture.
Having spent years operating in the Wu Clan's territory, they understood how to conceal their movements far better than any ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
One might look at the great battle against Tian Xing in Eternal Sun Prefecture, with its many fiercely fighting Divinity Transformation cultivators, and think otherwise, but a Nascent Soul cultivator was already a rare master.
If those ancient Divinity Transformation experts were to truly roam the world freely, that would be when true chaos descended upon the land.
At this moment, within the Ancestor Space, Li Wei, having now reached the Divinity Transformation realm, was focusing his attention on the Three Thieves.
Watching Li Tianming's wild and crazed demeanor, a flicker of worry crossed Li Wei's face.
In truth, Yaowen had said long ago that Tianming's 'Bad Seed' nature was a fate that destined him for an early death.
One who, by nature, delights in slaughter will surely face heavenly retribution.
In the eyes of the Li family, he was their well-behaved child, but to outsiders, he was a fiend whom the world would have long since hunted down and killed with relish.
It was only because he had been born into the Li family that his clansmen were able to keep him in check.
Yaowen had once tried to alter his fate, but his 'Bad Seed' nature was innately rebellious; the more one tried to force him onto a better path, the crazier Tianming became.
It had been so when the Azure Cloud Pavilion imprisoned him, and it had been the same when Li Yaowen took him under her wing.
After the disastrous trip to the Tian Xing Cultivator Abode, things had only grown worse.
He could see Li Tianyi and Li Tianqi coaxing and humoring Li Tianming, just as one would a small child.
This put Li Wei's heart at ease somewhat. With his two brothers by his side, mad though Tianming might be, he could at least hold onto a final shred of reason.
[Special Event—Bad Seed]
[Your descendant, Li Yaowen, seeing that the clan's child, Li Tianming, was growing ever more crazed, employed her Fate Techniques to search for a cure. Through them, she perceived a fortuitous opportunity in Duskwild Prefecture.]
Their trip to Duskwild Prefecture, while officially to find Prince Feiheng, was in truth more about seeking this cure.
As for the investigation itself, how could they possibly be more professional than the agents of the Hall of Heavenly Principle?
"Whether you can be saved or not," Li Wei mused, "will all depend on your own fortune."
Li Wei smiled faintly; he wasn't worried about their safety.
[Your descendant, Li Tianyi, has absorbed the vital essence of the common people and inherited the spiritual techniques of Tian Xing. As a result, the many seniors whose remnant souls dwell within him have also been restored and empowered.
He has now obtained Tian Xing's most secretive avatar technique: "Soul Descent"—a method that allows the soul of the main body to descend and imprint itself upon others.
Through this technique, he can inscribe his main body's mark onto a soul. Once inscribed and merged with a physical body, that soul's spiritual power becomes his to command.]
This was the very technique that had once enabled Tian Xing to access and control all the powers of his avatars. It was a testament to the sheer dominance of this method.
Now, every senior soul residing within Li Tianyi bears the imprint of his main body's mark.
All of their spiritual techniques and cultivation manuals are now his to freely access and utilize.
So vast is this treasury of Daoist knowledge that even Li Tianyi himself cannot fully count or comprehend it.
And with such an immense reserve of techniques and insight at his disposal, he now possesses the means to face—and overcome—any challenge that may lie ahead.
[Your descendant Li Tianqi, having inherited Tian Xing's spiritual techniques, bloodline, and Qi Luck, has awakened the Trait: "Fate Refinement"—the very method by which Tian Xing's avatars defied mediocrity and carved their own destinies.
In times of life-or-death crisis, this trait allows him to defy the heavens and alter his fate. Each crisis he overcomes only deepens his destined blessings and strengthens his fortune.]
In fact, this trait bore a striking resemblance to that of 'Lai Teng'.
Li Tianqi had also inherited most of Lai Teng's spiritual techniques, cultivation manuals, and even his bloodline.
Lai Teng had once risen from being a low-born disciple of an unremarkable clan to a prominent name on the Nascent Divinity List, a testament to the power of refusing to accept one's fate.
Li Wei couldn't help but admit: the man's refusal to accept his fate had some justification. Had he been reincarnated just a little earlier, he might truly have become a rival to Lin Wudao, as the primary vessel.
[Your descendant, Li Tianming, has obtained Tian Xing's avatar's special physique: 'Treasured Body of Longevity'.
This physique makes fortuitous encounters abundant, grants the protection of the heavens, ensures a life of glory and wealth, and bestows longevity.]
As for this special physique, Li Wei truly had no idea from which of Tian Xing's avatars it had been acquired.
He certainly hadn't seen any 'abundant fortuitous encounters', and as for 'longevity'... well, aside from the main vessel, Lin Wudao, not a single one of Tian Xing's other avatars was still alive.
With the abilities those three now possessed, even if they encountered an ordinary Divinity Transformation expert, they could still escape with the help of those old seniors, as long as they weren't foolish enough to get trapped within the opponent's Domain.
And if all else failed, a single plea to the Ancestor's tablet, and their divine Old Ancestor would surely come to their aid.
...
The environment of Duskwild Prefecture, in many ways, resembled that of a Wu Clan tribe.
The cultivators here were adept at worshipping deities.
Techniques such as Gu-Rising and deity summoning, while uncommon in the rest of the Imperial Dynasty, were frequently seen here.
At this moment, in Li Wei's eyes, Li Tianyi and his brothers had entered the city closest to where Feiheng had disappeared.
The people here served a particular deity, and it was currently the time for a sacrificial rite.
A crowd of people, though dressed identically to the citizens of the Azure Dynasty, were kneeling and bowing before a statue of a reclining, winged tiger, its posture one of languid ease.
The three of them had only just appeared, but before they even had a chance to ask any questions, they were met with pair after pair of bloodshot eyes.
[Your descendants, Li Tianyi, Li Tianming, and Li Tianqi, have been branded as heretics by the followers of the Tiger God.
Seeing that they could get no answers through questioning, your descendant Li Tianyi has decided to feign capture.
He will then attempt to probe for information about Feiheng while also investigating what manner of fiend or monster this Tiger God truly is.]
Li Tianyi was being carried towards a sacrificial altar by a group of the Tiger God's followers, bound tightly like a slaughtered pig. From the look of things, it seemed they were getting ready to roast him alive.
"How amusing! Truly amusing!"
Under Li Tianqi's disapproving glare, Li Tianming clapped and cheered from high above the clouds.
Just as he was watching over these three 'children', another message arrived.
[Your descendant, Li Dalong, has once again set foot in the Imperial Capital and has been warmly received by Imperial Preceptor Min Youguo.]
If Li Tianming were to see this resplendent Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, he would likely be tempted to blow it up with another 'dark weapon'.
At that moment, Li Dalong was already inside the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion.
Li Yaotie of the Heavenly Light Sect was by his father's side; with the Heavenly Light Sect as his backer, there was nowhere within the Imperial Capital that Li Yaotie could not go.
Over the past ten years, Min Youguo and Li Dalong had crossed paths many times. Although they appeared to be allies on the surface, their hearts were far from united. Still, there was no denying that Li Dalong had risen to become a powerful noble.
Of the two princes Min Youguo had supported, one had died shortly after Feiheng was captured.
The imperial bloodline had suffered loss after loss over the years, yet Min Youguo had been completely unable to uncover even a single clue behind these events.
And yet, despite everything, the Imperial Preceptor's expression remained calm and unreadable, showing not the slightest hint of concern.
"My Emberwing Guard," Min Youguo began after a brief discussion, his brow tightly furrowed. "Has Prefecture Lord Li perhaps heard of them?"
"I know a little," Li Dalong replied calmly.
His composure deepened. He gently blew on the steam curling from his teacup, then took a slow sip.
"The Lord Imperial Preceptor's Emberwing Guard," he said, "is the most formidable secret force in the entire Imperial Capital. From high-ranking Prefecture Lords to the smallest town masters, all officials are under their surveillance. They also serve as protectors of key figures within the Imperial Dynasty."
"I've heard that many rare cultivators serve among their ranks. They are said to be nearly omnipotent. When sent on a mission, especially to kill, nothing survives in their path. That's why they're called the 'Vermilion Birds'—because they leave only ash in their wake."
No sooner had Li Dalong finished speaking than tension filled the hall.
Li Yaotie, with his blunt and fiery temper, lacked all of his father's tact. He glared furiously at the Imperial Preceptor on the central seat and at the slender, golden-masked figure standing silently beside him: a member of the Emberwing Guard, ever present in service to the Preceptor.
Li Yaotie let out a harsh scoff. "Lord Imperial Preceptor, you'd better rein in your Emberwing Guard. If they insist on calling themselves 'Vermilion Birds,' maybe they should take a long, hard look at themselves. 'Dirt chickens' would be more accurate."
His voice rose, raw with anger.
"Protecting the Twelfth Prince? Is that what they were doing? Looked more like they were sitting around doing nothing while he disappeared under their noses. So tell me—where is the Twelfth Prince now?! Answer me!"
"You—!"
The slender Emberwing Guard beside the Preceptor trembled with fury, barely able to contain it.
This Li Yaotie, with his status as a direct disciple of the Heavenly Light Sect, was truly acting like a tyrant here in the Imperial Capital.
A flicker of killing intent flashed in their eyes, yet before the Imperial Preceptor, they dared not make a sound.
Yet it was precisely because of Li Yaotie's furious tirade that the suspicion in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes faded somewhat.
He would never trust the Li family, not from any angle. But Li Yaotie's rage could not be feigned; Feiheng was the Li family's greatest backer, so it was only natural for them to be frantic.
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