After saying this, Yuan Su rose from the jade throne on his own, stepped down, paused briefly beside Li Xuanfeng and gently brushed the jade belt at his waist. Immediately, a surge of white clouds billowed out.
The cloud vapor flowed beneath their feet, gently lifting them with a soft force, quickly carrying them out of Yuan Su’s cave dwelling. Instead of flying north, he headed straight east.
Vast blue waters surged below, with scattered islands dotting the sea. The two flew northward from the south, boldly sweeping past several immortal sect mountain gates and soon entered the Eastern Sea.
Ning Tiaoxiao stood with his hands behind his back and suddenly asked, “Is your spiritual orifice located in your palm?”
Li Xuanfeng was observing the terrain when he heard this and his heart trembled slightly. His spiritual orifice was indeed in his palm. It was a secret second only to his family’s Talisman Seed Qi.
The spiritual orifice is originally a gateway for absorbing the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth during the Embryonic Breathing Realm. It was capable of locking in absorbed qi to prevent leakage. But once reaching the Qi Cultivation Realm, breathing alone suffices for absorption, making the orifice harder to notice.
After arriving at Azure Pond, Li Xuanfeng had carefully researched this but found no records, and could only keep his doubts buried deep. Faced with the question now, he could only answer, “Daoist Master, it is indeed in the center of my palm. I have been puzzled by it for many years…”
Yuan Su gave a soft chuckle and replied, “It’s nothing serious, just rather rare. The Chi Family has a set of techniques specifically for this kind of physique, used in the Diverse Mansion Unified Furnace art. That’s why there are no such records in Azure Pond…
“Luckily, you are not a disciple of Azure Pond. Had you entered the sect at age seven, you would likely have been given a special technique and cultivated your entire strength only to serve someone else.”
Li Xuanfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded in response. Yuan Su then spoke softly, “This kind of physique is extremely rare, but offers little real advantage in cultivation. At most, it enhances certain unique arts. It can be considered a gifted trait, but it’s nowhere near the level of an innate Dao Body or a True Monarch bloodline.”
Yuan Su paused slightly, then suddenly asked, “How is Moongaze Lake?”
Li Xuanfeng hadn’t expected the sudden question and cupped his hands to reply, “Thanks to your protection, the Li Family has already taken over nearly half of Moongaze Lake. We’re just waiting for the jurisdiction of the immortal peak to be reassigned.”
Yuan Su nodded solemnly and said quietly, “If I die, the Ning Family will surely submit to the Chi Family. They’ll be suppressed and divided, and will never again stand independently in the southern border like today. Heyuan is still relatively obedient for now, you can discuss matters with him as needed.”
Before Li Xuanfeng could respond, Yuan Su continued, “Hejing may be that boy’s trusted aide, but Heyuan also has close ties with Chi Zhiyun and his brother. The two will surely seek a balance, and at least until news of Wan’er surfaces, no one will dare make a move.
“Once news of Wan’er emerges, whether her breakthrough succeeds or fails, the outcome won’t be too disastrous either way…”
He suddenly looked at Li Xuanfeng and said in a low voice, “I know your heart is tied to your family, but if you are to serve Chi Zhiyun, Yuanqin must be carefully placed. You and your wife are both sharp, surely you understand how to navigate this.”
Li Xuanfeng listened in silence. To this day, he still couldn’t tell whether Yuan Su’s words were truly sincere. Regardless of the old man’s intent, he had helped the Li Family. Whether directly or indirectly, he helped in many ways.
Li Xuanfeng paused for a moment and instead of offering polite blessings, replied softly, “Rest assured, Daoist Master. I will certainly support Heyuan and protect the family.”
Yuan Su’s lips moved slightly, his emotions unclear and he gave a soft sigh before speaking gently, “Golden Tang Gate possesses a manual called the Heavenly Lustrous Gold Sutra. If you intend to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm, you’ll likely end up relying on it. The Situ Family also has a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. If you intend to scheme, don’t act too rashly.”
The old man finally shed his usual cold tone and said, “Your cultivation talent is quite good. Coming out from the wilderness, you’ve made full use of what you have. But compared to the direct descendants of the great sects, you’re still a bit behind. The Purple Mansion Realm cultivator is arduous, think carefully before you act.
“I, Ning Tiaoxiao, after all these years of cultivation, was ultimately harmed by my own obsessions. You must take it as a warning.”
Li Xuanfeng responded to each point. Yuan Su said no more, merely forming a hand seal as he guided the cloud ever faster through the sky, as if waiting for something.
Yuan Su adjusted their direction slightly and flew a while longer over the sea. Standing on the summoned cloud, Li Xuanfeng quietly observed. The waters beneath their feet soon turned a deep blue. He knew they had reached the Converging Sea, the home of the Dragon Clan.
This was the Dragon Clan’s stronghold, swarming with powerful demonic creatures. Most had high cultivation and formidable strength. Compared to the bustling Qunyi Strait, this area was sparsely populated. Li Xuanfeng had only been here a few times and the reason was always to eliminate demonic creatures.
Yuan Su said nothing and sped forward on the cloud. Soon, a wisp of Pure Qi appeared ahead, turning from illusion to substance. It was a Purple Mansion Daoist Master, manifesting as a young man in a blue and white robe. With a handsome face, he greeted them in a warm voice, “Greetings, Senior Yuan Su.”
Li Xuanfeng recognized this Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Years ago, this man had visited Yuan Su and revealed the impending fall of Yuanwu. Waiting for Yuan Su to nod first, he then spoke respectfully, “Junior pays respects to Daoist Master Pu Yu!”
This was none other than Daoist Master Pu Yu, sect master of Quhai Sect, famed for manipulating yin and yang and understanding life and death. With a beauty that leaned slightly feminine, he smiled with crescent eyes and said, “No need for formality, Xuanfeng.”
Though he spoke gently, Li Xuanfeng dared not let down his guard. Daoist Master Pu Yu was a cultivator from the Eastern Sea and during their previous encounter, he had even asked Yuan Su whether he wanted to reside within his body. He was clearly someone with strange inclinations. Li Xuanfeng simply cupped his hands in greeting.
Daoist Master Pu Yu didn’t say much to him and quickly turned to Yuan Su with a smile, saying, “Senior! My estimate wasn’t off by much, I only missed it by a month. Tang Yuanwu has indeed fallen… I saw golden rain falling over Yue State and I knew then it was his death. He had quite the accumulated power… caused quite a stir.”
He spoke light-heartedly, not fearing Yuan Su’s anger over such a sensitive topic. Yuan Su showed no change in expression and instead asked, “Since that’s the case, why don’t you take a look at me. How much time do I have left?”
Yuan Su had not concealed his face on this visit and stood openly. Daoist Master Pu Yu glanced at him briefly, showing a hint of confusion, and said softly, “Strangely enough, I find your aura vague, as if there's been a great fluctuation. I can’t see it clearly for now, but with some effort, I could calculate a rough estimate…”
Yuan Su immediately lost interest and waved it off. Meanwhile, Li Xuanfeng noticed the world before him dimming. Colors vanished into complete blackness, leaving only the two Daoist Masters ahead, standing on clouds, still vivid in hue.
Seeing only pitch blackness in all directions, with no light, no sun, moon, or stars, Li Xuanfeng realized that they had unknowingly entered the great void. Only the cloud beneath his feet shielded him as they sped through it.
Taking the opportunity, Li Xuanfeng observed. The darkness varied, sometimes it was dense and sometimes faint. His cultivated perception technique was of little use here. Everything beyond the cloud was hazy and indistinct. Beneath him, the blackness was so deep it felt as if it could suck away his spiritual sense.
Above were scattered white specks, some large and some small, but none clearly visible. Knowing Yuan Su’s temperament and seeing the two Daoist Masters in conversation, Li Xuanfeng refrained from speaking and simply experienced it silently.