Of course, Li Yuanjiao learned that Han Shizhen had been conducting business honestly over the years. The two greeted each other warmly. Han Shizhen glanced at Li Qinghong, who stood nearby, and nodded to her with a smile.
"This must be your younger sister?" he asked.
After complimenting Li Qinghong a few times as a courtesy, he got straight to the point.
"Did you hear about the Green Pine Grotto Heaven, fellow Daoist?" he asked.
"Of course," Li Yuanjiao replied.
Han Shizhen's smile instantly grew wider as he continued in a low voice, "I've united several families on Dongliu Island. We plan to meet about ten li away from Green Pine Island to gather spiritual qi. We'll join forces to fend off any enemies and share the collected spiritual qi at the end… I'm wondering if your esteemed clan would be interested in joining us?"
Regarding the matter outside of Green Pine Temple, Li Yuanjiao had already decided to leave it to Li Qinghong. He hoped they could secure a few treasures, but if not, it wasn't a problem.
Initially, he had considered teaming up with the Xiao Family. However, they had not sent anyone, perhaps because they were reluctant to get involved in anything that might stir trouble.
Li Yuanjiao immediately discussed the plan with Han Shizhen. Since Li Qinghong's strength had grown significantly, teaming up with the Han Family was a wonderful arrangement.
After setting the date, Han Shizhen bid them farewell. Li Yuanjiao then whispered to his younger sister, "Don't cause a scene out there. Leave after you get one or two spirit items. We don't know what will happen there, so it'll be safer for you to return to the clan first to avoid any trouble."
Li Qinghong nodded silently. Li Yuanjiao didn't say much more, then called upon the wind once again to find Li Xuanfeng. Since it was about time for them to leave, the two began their journey to Green Pine Island.
————
Green Pine Island was situated near Crimson Reef Island. Thankfully, the Everflowing Jade Cloudliner was still in Li Xuanfeng's possession. He threw it into the air, and it immediately grew in size, giving off a turquoise light as it transformed into a large ship over ten zhang long.
Zhong Qian, Li Xuanfeng, and Li Yuanjiao boarded the cloudliner. Before long, they arrived at Green Pine Island. Since this island was close to Crimson Reef Island, Zhong Qian's two friends waited for him there.
The first was a beautiful woman in a purple robe, at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. A purple mist surrounded her, and she carried a purple jade long sword on her back. She smiled at Zhong Qian and then cupped her fist to Li Xuanfeng.
"Kan Ziyu from Purple Smoke Gate. Greetings, fellow Daoist," she said.
The second person was a man dressed in a black robe, with many jades and animal bones as accessories. His eyebrows were short and light, but his gaze was sharp and fierce. He was polite as he addressed Li Xuanfeng.
"Great Xiukui Temple, Lin Chensheng."
Zhong Qian chuckled and introduced them to each other. "I befriended these two seniors during my travels. This is Senior Li Xuanfeng, you two must have heard of him."
He's a Qi Cultivator yet he's already friends with three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from immortal gates... This is truly outrageous.
Li Xuanfeng proceeded to store the jade ship away, then greeted them.
Kan Ziyu smiled and said softly, "We can only activate the formation to enter when the grotto heaven is closest to the world. There are still ten days before that happens. I have already set up a cave dwelling on this island. Why don't we go there first so we can discuss the details?"
Li Xuanfeng nodded, then transmitted his voice to Li Yuanjiao.
"Go ahead and check out the situation first, you can come find me afterward."
It remained uncertain whether the immortal mirror could be brought inside the grotto heaven. If not, Li Xuanfeng would have to rely on his sword in there. ŕἈɴổ𝐁Ěṩ
Li Yuanjiao nodded silently and watched as the others departed.
Li Qinghong went off to find the Han Family, while Li Yuanjiao rode the wind alone toward the island.
The sky was filled with flying cultivators, some occasionally stopping to observe the situation. Obviously, news of the Green Pine Temple had spread, and more and more rogue cultivators and those from various clans had arrived to investigate.
Green Pine Immortal Island was moderate in size. Its mountains were not too high, and the island was peppered with pine trees. On its summit, figures were already rising and falling, some even competing for prime positions.
As Green Pine Grotto Heaven drew closer to the world, the spiritual energy on the island grew denser. Spirit plants bloomed and bore fruit inexplicably, ore veins rose from the ground, and fire veins surged powerfully.
Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes and extended his spiritual sense, carefully sweeping across the sky in front of him.
Before him, the wind and waves were calm. The sea was a deep dark green, and the sky was azure blue. An island loomed large in the middle of the ocean, covered with green pines. Everything seemed so peaceful and serene.
He paused among a group of cultivators, looking around twice for anything unusual, but found nothing. The island appeared ordinary.
His observations, both with the immortal mirror and the naked eye, revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
This caused Li Yuanjiao to frown in surprise.
It seems like the mirror doesn't work. This is a problem.
————
While Li Yuanjiao was surveying the island, Lu Jiangxian focused his divine sense, and remained motionless.
Lu Jiangxian's gaze shifted toward the island. What had been a calm scene now appeared completely transformed before his eyes.
The once-empty sky was now filled with a dense cluster of figures and swirling mana lights, splitting it into five distinct sections.
A towering figure sat cross-legged in each section, their forms massive enough to cover the sky. Behind them, a halo of colorful light radiated, and golden runes fell like raindrops from their bodies. A swarm of figures clung to them like ants, each wearing a unique expression.
Ten massive spheres, each the size of the sun, hung suspended in the sky. They were white on the outside with black centers, unmistakably the eyes—some with vertical pupils, others square or hexagram. All were fixed on the small island below, gazing directly at it.
Eyes...
The suns he had just seen were the eyes of these five figures, whose faces were obscured by endless clouds. Yet, those eyes seemed to burn into his heart. They were both distant in the sky and unsettlingly close at the same time.
These figures were so immense that their heads seemed to press against the highest shroud of the heavens. They had to lean forward, drawing their heads close together, as if they were children peering down at ants on the ground.
They sat on the ocean floor, their bodies hidden beneath the deep waters. Some appeared lost in thought, others clasped their hands together, or rested their faces on their palms, blocking the sky with their sheer presence.
The five figures sat around the Green Pine Temple, which stood at the center like a dice cup. Each of them seemed to hold their own silent guess, waiting patiently for the revelation.
Above the island, an arc began to form, accompanied by natural phenomena. Clearly, this must be the grotto heaven—a delectable dessert on display before the five True Monarchs.
Lu Jiangxian stared, frozen in place, too afraid to look away. Four giants loomed before him, with countless human figures perched on their shoulders, knees, and even fingertips, each holding dharma artifacts in various poses. They remained motionless, like statues, all staring at him.
The fifth giant sat behind Li Yuanjiao, one hand raised in front of his golden-white lips, while the other rested flat in front of his chest, palm open, like a great island.
Both of them had already fallen into his hand. His palm prints were like deep grooves, and his golden white skin shone as if it were some extraordinary treasure.
His clothes shimmered like a golden-white cloud. At the same time, they also seemed like a waterfall cascading upward into the endless clouds above. Lu Jiangxian stared, catching a vague glimpse of a face—its features not fully visible.
The True Monarch wore a jade crown resembling a mountain, and his silver-white oval pupils swirled with illusions—fire refining real gold, gold and metal striking each other, sand and stone rising into the air. Each vision appeared one after the other.
What nearly caused Lu Jiangxian to stop breathing was the True Monarch's cold, unblinking gaze, fixed squarely on Li Yuanjiao in his palm.
From the great void, an ice-cold voice emerged, crashing down into the world inside the mirror like a handful of gold, iron, and gravel.
"Senior Yingze... I've been waiting for you."