Northern Mount Yue.
The sky was shrouded in mist, but Li Xijun stood bathed in a snowy glow with his eyes shimmered with white light and a sword at his waist. He looked down to see the Dili family's troops enter the city below. A cloud of snow emerged beneath Li Xijun’s feet as he activated Snow On Pine , carrying him in an ethereal drift.
"Minghuang is intelligent. He has already taken on a Mount Yue title. Let’s test the ruler of Northern Mount Yue first."
Of course Li Xijun had made similar arrangements, but he chose to test the boy first. Now that he saw that everything had been properly arranged, he nodded and felt much more at ease.
Li Ximing watched in a trance. He had a mix of envy and satisfaction in his expression, his gaze lost in thought. He took out a jade bottle from his robe and said, "He has reached the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. If he takes this pill, he’ll reach the sixth... I also have Bright Spirit Powder for him. If he takes it with the pill, the Qi Cultivation Realm will be within his reach."
Li Xijun nodded, placing the items in his robe. As he looked up, he saw two forces leaving the city under the cover of night. "I’ve heard that the ruler of Northern Mount Yue is no mediocre leader. He’ll serve as Minghuang’s whetstone."
Li Ximing nodded, then suddenly asked, "Xijun, have you studied the Radiant Essence Scripture carefully?"
Li Xijun shook his head and replied, "I do not cultivate this Dao. I've only skimmed it for reference. Why do you ask?"
Li Ximing fell silent, gathering his words before speaking softly, "I have studied the nine secret techniques for breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm. They are all extremely difficult. Mastering three grants a fifteen percent success rate. Mastering all nine still offers less than a fifty percent chance, and that’s without factoring in one's personal conditions."
The Li Family naturally lacked an optimal environment for breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm. Li Xijun did some calculations in his head and murmured, "If one truly masters all nine secret techniques, then the chances of success would be quite high."
"It’s nowhere near that simple!" Li Ximing smiled wryly as he replied. "Each secret technique is extremely difficult. You’ll need decades to master even one!"
"It’s that hard?" replied Li Xijun. But then, his expression changed as though he understood something.
He thought to himself, No wonder Ning Wan and the others have been stuck in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm for so long... She may not even have all nine techniques to practice!
Li Ximing paused before saying, "However, the scripture also records several spirit items that can aid in breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm... Such as the Radiant Celestial Stone, Qilin Crow Spirit Husk, and White Blood Sap."
Li Ximing listed several spirit items, each a rare and precious treasure. He then continued saying, "All of the spirit items are at the Purple Mansion Realm..."
Li Xijun nodded slightly and replied, "Give me a list of the items. I’ll have Xizhi investigate and make inquiries in various places. Finding a lead would be ideal."
————
Meanwhile, in Chan Pass.
"Two passes and six towns." Li Zhouwei took out a map and examined it carefully. A vast plain dotted with numerous strongholds and a major town lay behind Chan Pass. Further beyond the plain was Moonlight Valley, another crucial pass which guarded the remaining five towns and the royal court.
In the past, their ancestor, Li Xiangping, had been able to move freely in this region. However, that was primarily because of two factors. First, he had a small and inconspicuous force. Secondly, a great drought had struck at the time and the lands of Mount Yue had just been ravaged by Jianixi. The region had been in complete ruin.
Now, with thousands of troops under Li Zhouwei’s command and with control over Chan Pass, where Xiangping had once been cornered in the north, their fate was bound to be different.
Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment and thought to himself, Better to press the attack in one swift strike.
Li Zhouwei descended from the pass and swiftly mounted his horse. He ordered the Mount Yue general, Du Dou, to gather the troops and slaves. Standing atop the platform, he held his halberd up as his armor gleamed with a cold light.
Some of the soldiers of the Mount Yue forces wore armor, while the slaves were mostly bare-chested. It was evident that Du Dou had at least somewhat trained them, preventing complete disorder; however, they were still far from disciplined.
The warriors of Mount Yue looked around in confusion, as if it made no difference to them who their commander was. Only the eyes of a few revealed greed as they stared at the weapons piled atop the platform.
Li Zhouwei’s gaze swept across the filthy and wretched faces of the Mount Yue soldiers. A strange red glow began to emanate from his halberd, as if it could captivate souls. The Mount Yue warriors instinctively raised their heads toward him.
Those stationed to guard the pass were not of noble birth; in fact, most were slaves. They lifted their heads weakly, watching batches of provisions being brought onto the platform as they whispered among themselves.
"Gentlemen." Li Zhouwei’s voice echoed within the pass. It was deep and low as it hung in the air. It carried an almost bewitching quality. "I am the Grand Concord of Radiance, commanded by the Mandate of Heaven to conquer the Northern Court. It is my intention to first slaughter the esteemed families and distribute the farmland in towns taken by our forces. When we conquer the Northern Court, all slaves shall be freed from their servitude."
"Distribute farmland?"
"Freedom from slavery? Does this general truly mean it...?"
Li Zhouwei paused, then repeated himself. His voice became more ethereal and carried a mesmerizing force. The doubt and suspicion in the Mount Yue warriors’ eyes gradually faded away and was replaced by a surging, fervent greed.
A touch of red began to glimmer deep in their eyes. They exchanged glances and stepped forward one by one to pick up the weapons before them. They were as fervent as a pack of starving wolves.
Chen Yang stood to the side and stared blankly. The voice had sunk into his brain without resistance. Even as a cultivator at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, he felt a momentary surge of excitement.
However, Chen Yang had a resolute mind. He quickly regained his senses and looked up at Li Zhouwei’s glowing, ghostly eyes before hastily lowering his head.
His heart quivered as he thought, So this is what Jianixi was like back then!
Dili Youjie stepped forward to report; he had already organized the troops and assigned personnel. Li Zhouwei’s spirit horse moved swiftly, leading the orderly tide of soldiers as they surged toward the towns hidden in the night.
The large town only had few guards to begin with. Before they could even react, several arrows shot through the air, felling them instantly. A few shamans swiftly scaled the walls and the gates swung open with a thunderous crash.
Li Zhouwei rode into the town atop his horse, the golden glow in his eyes flickering faintly. He could feel the soldiers following him in a trance-like state, as if a deep-seated instinct was gradually awakening within them.
He quickly reined in his horse and looked toward the stone tower at the village entrance. His silent yet frenzied troops poured into the town like waves splitting against rocks. They swept through the settlement in eerie silence.
A cacophony of voices rose around Li Zhouwei as he stared at the stone tower, a strange thought suddenly surfacing in his mind, I should be seated in a temple, presiding over an ancestral shrine...
He stood still as whispers spread like a Buddhist chant among the Mount Yue warriors. They all murmured. "In conquered towns, slaughter the esteemed families first, then distribute the farmland. When the Northern Court is conquered, all slaves shall be freed."
The Mount Yue warriors repeated the chant under their breath as they ran through the town. Small fires ignited across the settlements as they fought in the darkness. The cries of battle grew louder and louder, until they merged into a singular voice. "Grand Concord of Radiance!"
The chant made the Mount Yue warriors flush with battle fervor. Behind Li Zhouwei, Kongheng clutched a string of plain wooden prayer beads. He twisted them so tightly that they creaked. He was unable to conceal the shock on his face as he murmured, "A name destined for victory... Grand Concord of Radiance..."
A wisp of gray smoke gathered beside Kongheng, and the haunting voice of Li Wushao rang out. "Master Monk... what are you thinking?"
Kongheng merely shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, "Wushao, you are overly cautious..."
As the two Foundation Establishment cultivators conversed in hushed tones, Li Zhouwei spurred his horse forward and swiftly passed through the crowd. After securing control of the town, he rode toward the surrounding villages, bolstering his forces by another two or three hundred men. They marched quickly, leaving only a trail of blood behind them.
Li Zhouwei sent Chen Yang and Dili Youjie to lead separate units to conscript more troops while he galloped forward without hesitation. He no longer lingered in these villages and swiftly advanced toward the next pass.
But before Li Zhouwei arrived, a gust of gray wind swept past and deposited two jade bottles in his hands. One was green and the other white, but both bottles were exquisitely crafted.
Li Zhouwei inspected the contents using his divine sense before swiftly stowing them away. The valley before him was narrow, with troops stationed on both mountains. The pass was wedged between two gorges and appeared somewhat dilapidated.
His troops were lined up neatly as they paused for a brief moment at the valley’s entrance. Li Zhouwei looked to the side and addressed a Mount Yue soldier beside him, "Is this Moonlight Valley?"
The soldier nodded, bowed, and respectfully replied, "My lord, this place once belonged to the Moonlight Family, named after the rumored priest Yue Zhu[1]. During the great drought, the priest was slaughtered by the Easterners, yet it remains known as Moonlight Valley."
Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself, So, it was here, slaughtered by my ancestor.
Raising his halberd, he gazed at the narrow valley ahead and murmured, "Take this pass, then I’ll find an opportunity to break through."
1. Yue Zhu (月珠) means Moon Pearl in Chinese ☜