Li Chenghui had just left Mount Wu when a cultivator in black armor arrived, a sword at his waist. He had ashen eyes, gaunt cheeks, a gloomy expression, clenched teeth, and a heavy gaze.
"Family brother!" The cultivator called out, and Li Chenghui nodded.
He asked, "Chen Yang, what has happened?"
Gray qi swirled around Chen Yang. He was now at the late stage of the Qi Cultivation Realm. He cultivated the Li Family’s Pit Water technique, which had been obtained years ago and was known as the Stone Pestle Sea Expansion Technique. Its grade was unknown, but it surpassed the River One Qi Technique by far.
The black-armored cultivator spoke quietly, "A group has arrived at the river. They’re cultivators from Floating Cloud Cave of the Mifan three sects of Mount Xiaoshi. They claim to have come to offer congratulations."
"Congratulations?" Li Chenghui laughed coldly as he replied, "Those three sects of Mount Xiaoshi eye the riverbanks every day, shifting a foot today and an inch tomorrow. They even collude with devil cultivators along the northern shore... congratulations? They’ve come with ill intent!"
The gloom on Chen Yang’s face clearly stemmed from this. His exchange with the emissaries of the Mifan three sects had obviously not been pleasant. The young man lowered his voice and said, "My lord, the visitors were rather arrogant, but were only led by a guest cultivator at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Their purpose is merely to provoke us and test our strength."
Chen Yang was deep-minded and not easily dealt with. He immediately saw through the other party’s scheme and cupped his hands. "The group did not enter the island but hovered menacingly above the lakeside. The elder has already gone to meet them halfway. I ask you, my lord, to hurry there at once."
Li Chenghui’s expression finally changed when he heard that Li Xuanxuan had been intercepted by these interlopers. His ancient pupil technique stirred, as his black eyes started to gleam with purple light. He spoke in a low voice, "Let's go!"
Thunder rumbled beneath his feet, and his figure transformed into a streak of purple light that shot straight toward the island.
From afar came a sharp and piercing voice that was amplified with mana, "Old man, how many years have you lived?! Still busying yourself at home?!"
Li Chenghui immediately looked up and saw An Siwei in white robes, a long spear in hand, locked in a standoff with a young Daoist before him.
Li Xuanxuan stood behind An Siwei, his brows furrowed, unease showing on his aged face.
Rage welled up in Li Chenghui’s heart. He streaked forth like lightning, landing amidst the noisy crowd of cultivators. The six tokens whirled around him, forcing several people back a step, while his spear struck with a thunderous boom.
"You..." The young man’s expression shifted. He waved his hand to dissolve the oppressive force, displeasure flickering across his face as he said in a low voice, "Oh... so it’s Daoist Friend Chenghui!"
Though the man looked young and spoke with strength, his aura carried the withered scent of twilight years. Li Chenghui only needed a glance to recognize a façade. In truth, he was an old wretch, a hundred years past, who had only managed to break through by clinging to the shifting spiritual energy of Xu State.
Li Chenghui’s voice turned cold as he replied, "Well met, Daoist Friend."
Inwardly, he mused, Floating Cloud Cave certainly has powerful cultivators. This fellow is nothing more than a pawn sent to probe.
The Mifan three sects of Mount Xiaoshi had risen later in Jiangbei, and were situated just across the river. All three traced their lineage back to Mount Xiaoshi and were bound together by common roots, with the Golden Tang Gate backing them. Their strength was not inconsiderable.
They were a typical northern sect, lacking a fixed Dao lineage and bound by none of the immortal laws of the Three Sects and Seven Gates. Their ranks contained a chaotic mix, with some cultivating immortality, others demonic arts, and still others Buddhist methods. They had clashed often with his own family for the past ten years.
He did not recognize this man, though the man recognized him. Years ago, Li Chenghui had been stationed on the northern bank, wielding his thunder arts and the Sixfold Profound Thunder Punishment Tokens. He had battered several demonic cultivators so thoroughly that they nearly lost their heads. The three sects were shaken, and were forced to send Buddhist cultivators against him instead.
"Daoist Friend Chenghui... your cultivation has advanced once again! I am Zai Xingzi, at your service." Perhaps knowing he could not win against Li Chenghui, and mindful he was on foreign ground, Zai Xingzi kept his tone cordial, smiling without mirth as he greeted him. He said, "I merely saw the elder here and asked a question in passing. There's no other intent."
How could Li Chenghui not hear the sarcasm hidden in his earlier words? His reply was cold, "What business brings you here, Daoist Friend?"
Zai Xingzi said with a laugh, "Our sect master saw auspicious clouds rising over Moongaze Lake, with the midnight hour bright as day. Surely it was Senior Ximing breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm. We came to offer our congratulations! Might I ask where the elder is now?"
Li Chenghui fixed him with a deep stare, his voice like ice as he replied, "What business of the three sects is my elder’s breakthrough? Go back to where you came from!"
Zai Xingzi frowned and said, "Daoist Friend, how discourteous. I came to offer congratulations... yet I cannot even see him once... nor any of the other esteemed families present..."
He gave a muffled laugh, answering his own words, "It seems the breakthrough failed... yet still caused quite a phenomenon... could it be that your family’s elder..."
The Mifan three sects of Mount Xiaoshi were ultimately at odds with the Li Family. Zai Xingzi did not step into the grand formation but stood outside, his voice strong and bolstered by mana, forcing it to echo across the lake.
Li Chenghui slowly furrowed his brows. The entire Li Family knew of the phenomenon. All the prominent families had guessed it was Li Ximing, though none knew the exact details. With the family keeping matters secret, speculation about the phenomenon had run rampant.
Now that Zai Xingzi had voiced it aloud, the gathered families were no fools. Many of them began piecing together the truth. An Siwei and the others faltered slightly, while Zai Xingzi sneered, "Barely a few decades, and your family’s elder has already failed his breakthrough. Truly too hasty! Daoist Friend Chenghui, you yourself know... advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm is not a matter of a mere handful of years!"
Li Chenghui held his command tokens steady, unmoving. His family had only just suffered a mishap, and yet Zai Xingzi dared to rush forward brazenly. Comprehension struck Li Chenghui at once, and his face sank.
Floating Cloud Cave’s foundation is shallow; they could never discern the source of such a phenomenon, much less be so certain as to question it. Their ties to Golden Tang Gate run deep. No doubt... this reeks of Situ Mo’s hand, thought Li Chenghui.
His reasoning was flawless; the Mifan three sects of Mount Xiaoshi could never have figured this out on their own. Situ Mo must have whispered in their ears. The Li Family had already suffered from his schemes many times in the past. Li Chenghui knew his insidious nature full well and could only exhale silently.
Li Chenghui cut him off, "The purple flames of my family’s Mount Wu have yet to subside. Our elder has not emerged from seclusion. Daoist Friend Zai Xingzi, if you continue to stir up trouble here, do not blame me if my thunder arts show no mercy!"
He refused to give Zai Xingzi time to spew more nonsense. Purple light already flickered on the command token in his hand. Zai Xingzi merely chuckled and thought, I already knew Li Zhouwei went out to subdue demonic creatures! What is there to pretend about? Where aside from the Eastern Sea would he dare wander now? Without that White Qilin, how would your Li Family dare take the initiative to stir up trouble?
After chuckling, Zai Xingzi quickly donned a look of feigned alarm and said in a low tone, "Daoist Friend, do not be angry! I was only concerned. So your family’s elder has already broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm and is now recuperating in seclusion... our sect master has long prepared gifts for me to deliver. Surely your esteemed family will not drive me away!"