Li Qinghong and Lingyanzi discussed recent events. Lingyanzi, unassuming and without any airs, stroked his white beard and chuckled, "I must ask… does your clan perhaps have any younger disciples of appropriate age and talent who might come to my peak for cultivation? I am bound to the sect and cannot leave, and disciples on my peak have always been few… the lineage is at risk of being lost."
Qinghong nodded, "I will remember your offer… Once I return to the clan, I will see if there is anyone suitable," she said with a nod. Not wanting to linger any longer, she bid farewell to Lingyanzi and rose into the air, only to find Shen Yanqing waiting in the clouds outside.
Shen Yanqing smiled brightly and said softly, "I will escort you out."
Stepping onto her purple-blue flying shuttle, she added, "My Shen Family has long admired your clan's reputation. If there is ever an opportunity, my father and I would be honored to visit."
"That would be wonderful!" Li Qinghong replied with a warm smile.
They chatted lightly as Shen Yanqing accompanied her to the boundary of the Purple Smoke Gate, gesturing ahead.
"To the east is Crimson Reef Island's territory, and to the north lies Snow Ji Gate…"
They had reached the Eastern Sea. Although Crimson Reef Island was an Eastern Sea sect, it also occupied several coastal ports in Yue State. Li Qinghong bade her farewell and flew northward.
After seeing Li Qinghong off, Shen Yanqing herself flew back into the Purple Smoke Blessed Land. Traveling inward, she soon reached the central peak, Purple Qi Mountain, and landed on a purple jade platform guarded by two elderly men on either side.
Upon seeing Shen Yanqing, both men cupped their fists and greeted her, smiling, "Young Mistress!"
Though Shen Yanqing was young, as a disciple of Daoist Master Zipei, her standing in the Purple Smoke Blessed Land was significant. She returned their greetings before stepping inside.
Thick purple smoke filled the cave dwelling, tinged with streaks of golden light that cast everything in shades of purple and gold. Shen Yanqing looked up and saw her master, a woman in a purple-gold robe who appeared to be around twenty years old. Her brow was adorned with a shining mark of purple light.
"Master!" Shen Yanqing greeted, bowing deeply.
This woman was indeed Daoist Master Zipei, who gave a slight nod in acknowledgement. "As expected, it is Celestial Thunder… and they have taken in no blood qi," she commented, her voice cool.
Shen Yanqing answered respectfully, "That is correct, Master."
Daoist Master Zipei gave a gentle nod, saying, "I recently visited the Eastern Sea. Dongfang You failed to break through to Golden Core Realm and perished, his years of accumulated power dissipated. In the end, he was only a single step away, yet nine portions of Converging Water Essence were drawn down, of which six were claimed by the dragon kin."
Daoist Master Zepei continued, "With Converging Water gone awry, the Eastern Sea is now experiencing a celestial phenomenon known as Falling Water Rising Storm , making it a prime time for cultivating thunder techniques. The Jiangnan region, with its Profound Balance Atmosphere , is not ideal for you. After your breakthrough, you should head to the Eastern Sea to cultivate and expand your experience."
Shen Yanqing hesitated briefly, then asked, "But… if he was only one step away, would these signs not be comparable to those left by Daoist Master Donghua in ancient times? Would Profound Balance Atmosphere in Jiangnan not be disrupted by the Eastern Sea's influence?"
Daoist Master Zipei gently shook her head and spoke in a warm tone, "The Yue Cultivating Sect used the events of Daoist Master Chi Wei's death and the Eastern Fire's descent to adjust the spiritual energies in Jiangnan to align with the Profound Balance Atmosphere so that cultivation of Golden Core Realm techniques like Jade True would be more feasible. They will not stand by idly and let the spiritual energies here shift again."
She changed the topic, drawing a bright purple crystalline stone from her sleeve which sparkled with streaks of violet and white lightning. In a soft voice, she said, "We found two Profound Thunderstones while journeying through Qunyi. Crimson Reef Island took one, and I kept this one. Keep it close; it will greatly aid your progress toward the Purple Mansion Realm."
Shen Yanqing bowed in thanks, and Daoist Master Zipei chuckled softly, dismissing the young woman. Standing alone in a haze of purple gold mist, her brow-mark glowed softly with purple light.
The purple qi before her flowed swiftly, converging into a river that clashed and whirled. She murmured to herself, "With the Profound Balance Atmosphere , the Yue Cultivating Sect will have to act... It will be interesting to see how far that True Monarch has come. In those days, he leveraged the shifting tides of Liang's fall and Zhao's rise to ascend to Fruition Attainment; he must be formidable indeed."
————
As Li Qinghong passed by Snow Ji Gate, she saw that the mountain was sealed off, declining visitors. Flying directly over it would be disrespectful, so she circled around it. "Snow Ji Gate has been in seclusion for eighty out of the last hundred years, rarely revealing any disciples… It is strange. Rumor has it their line nearly broke a few centuries ago, but surely that would not justify this level of isolation…"
She followed the river all the way to the Eastern Sea, where the sky ahead loomed dark and turbulent and was filled with countless storms and lightning, drifting like drops of ink spreading in water.
"This Eastern Sea phenomenon… the scale of it is overwhelming!" Li Qinghong reflected slowly, "When Duanmu Kui died, there were no major signs… even when Chi Wei failed his breakthrough, it did not stir much. Could it be due to interference from the underworld? Or just a difference in power?"
As she contemplated these thoughts, speeding across the sea's surface, the world around her plunged into darkness. The sea stretched out endlessly, black as ink, with storms churning above her. Endless, shadowed waters mirrored the ominous clouds, casting her into a vast, boundless night.
Descending from the inlet, she was accompanied by a few Qi Cultivators who kept a respectful distance from her. Li Qinghong observed the ominous scenery when the cultivators suddenly cried out, "Look… look up!"
Li Qinghong raised her gaze. Her perception techniques had not yet developed, so she could only make out a faint glimmer amidst the darkness, hovering over the coast of Jiangnan to the west. Within that distant glow, she could vaguely discern a humanoid silhouette, though nothing distinct.
"This… at the very least, is a Daoist Master…"
She paused, immediately sensing that a powerful cultivator was present. She dared not look too long, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, bringing a rush of visions from far away, spanning a thousand li.
She saw families rising to prominence amid festive music, dynasties falling, battles raging, then a man in armor donning a golden robe, citizens displaced in the turmoil, the sun collapsing, stars fading. A cliff face struck by waves eroded into countless caves, with icy seawater trickling steadily down until the scene jarred her awake.
That figure seemed to hold a sword, standing calmly before the advancing black clouds of the Eastern Sea. As the dark storm loomed closer, the figure finally raised his immortal sword.
Clang…
A bright white light shot up from the sword, a brilliant beam piercing through the darkness. The sky briefly plunged into blackness, then lit up with streaks of blue and white.
"Comet stars…"
Countless comet-like streaks, tails blazing, shot across the darkened sky. The heavens first dimmed to their limit before exploding in starlight, as if countless glaring eyes had opened in the sky.
Boom!
The thick black clouds split abruptly, scattering to either side. The sea roared, slowly receding as the force of the sword's path drove the waters apart, revealing jagged mountain ridges below and numerous unconscious monsters.
The impact shook the cultivators, leaving them swaying and delirious while crying out with closed eyes, tears streaming as they moaned in awe. A few, their cultivation level unstable, dropped like birds with broken wings.
Even Li Qinghong had to steady herself, touching down on the water. She watched as the dark clouds along the coast were swept away as if by a fierce wind, clearing completely. The distant storms and black clouds came to a halt, hesitating hundreds of li from the coast, no longer advancing.