Li Xizhi was suddenly moved. He opened his mouth slightly, then simply pulled her into his arms and spoke gently, "Xiao'er, if it weren't for you, I would have perished in that sea long ago..."
His gentle words made Yang Xiao'er smile sweetly. She wrapped her slender hands around his neck, nestled into his embrace and whispered softly, "Don’t say that... please don’t blame us for not sending word to warn you... After all, those at the Purple Mansion Realm had just suffered a loss, and several brothers were reassigned..."
Li Xizhi shook his head and hurriedly instructed, "This matter is most likely the doing of the Chi Family. It must not be revealed. Act as if it never happened, I only used an excuse to come to this Xia Mountain..."
He explained the events in detail, leaving out what was in his qihai. Yang Xiao'er, clever as she was, understood and said with a nod, "Alright, I understand."
As the two spoke in detail for a while, they suddenly felt the mountains beneath their feet begin to tremble. White mist rose into the sky, blanketing the clouds and transforming into various illusions.
White petals, trailing smoke, drifted down, making the sound of jade pearls colliding. A cold and calm voice echoed, as if emerging from the void. It was neither loud nor soft, just perfectly clear beside the ear.
"I am Shangyuan. Today in the Northern Sea, I have attained the Dao and achieved the Jade True Unified Void Essence, ascending to the rank of True Monarch..."
Though the voice was not forceful, it made both of them rise with shock on their faces. The couple exchanged glances and quickly bowed, "Congratulations to True Monarch Shangyuan, the Jade True Unified Void Essence True Monarch..."
As the two offered congratulations from afar, a scene of bowed figures offering blessings spread across heaven and earth. Not only were all manner of people and demonic creatures on Xia Mountain solemnly saluting, but cultivators across the mainland and the four seas also looked up, respectfully sending their congratulations.
He has truly become a True Monarch... Li Xizhi sighed lightly, filled with emotion. The Heavenly Glow in his hand rose, still carrying disbelief. When he looked back at Yang Xiao'er, she too wore a shocked expression.
Over the years, many true cultivators had attempted to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Chi Wei and Duanmu Kui of Yue State were prime examples. Even in Wu State and the outer seas, both humans and demonic creatures had tried, but none had succeeded.
Even Dongfang You, a descendant of the Dragon Monarch, with terrifyingly deep reserves, failed in his breakthrough and burst into black clouds.
Though Shangyuan had long been regarded as the foremost of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators and drew the most spectators to his ceremonies in recent years. So many before him had held that same title, yet he alone truly broke through in the end, which was still astonishing.
Li Xizhi, a disciple of Azure Pond Sect’s Immortal Peak, now on the verge of becoming its peak master, had some understanding of the Purple Mansion Realm and the Golden Core Realm.
The Golden Core Dao refined the Metallic Essence, and those who gained Fruition Attainment were remarkable beings. Writing carelessly about them could have offended a True Monarch, so there were no detailed records within the sect. Most knowledge was hearsay.
Once one achieved the Golden Core Realm, the Metallic Essence would remain in the world and the physical body would last a thousand years. The spirit would persist through reincarnation and be nearly indestructible. Each Golden Core corresponded to a Fruition Attainment of heaven and earth, and occupying that position granted powers akin to immortals.
In his heart, he thought silently, I've heard that the Jade True Fruition Attainment has long been vacant. Doesn't this mean that True Monarch Shangyuan, having broken through, can now ascend to that position and become the Master of Jade True...
Daoist Master Shangyuan has always hated evil with a burning passion. How could the northern Buddhist cultivators tolerate him... Of the Seven Daos, Wrath has already fallen, and at least three of the remaining six daos harbor deep hatred for him...
Li Xizhi looked northward and saw a bright, dazzling comet falling from the sky. It streaked along the heavens toward the north and plunged into the Northern Sea.
As soon as the comet fell, the Taibai Star began to flicker. It looked like an eye that was blinking rapidly. Emerald light streamed across the sky, it was intense and turbulent.
Li Xizhi's eyes grew blurry, as if he were in a half-dream, unable to tell what exactly he was seeing. Until the talisman seed in his qihai flickered, sending a wave of clarity into his mind. Only then did he gradually come back to his senses.
A Golden Core battle spell!
With the aid of this clarity, he could faintly make out the distant scene. After a few breaths, the stars in the sky reversed their motion, and another star lit up blindingly, blooming with red-tinged white light.
Li Xizhi studied it closely as he had never seen this star before. Looking at its sector of the sky, he saw three subsidiary stars trailing behind it, though only one was lit.
One of the three...
Thanks to the talisman seed within him, he was not overwhelmed by the distant might. He quickly took mental notes and saw a massive figure flicker into view in the distance. It appeared to have six arms and was holding a lotus-shaped dharma artifact.
Could it be a Buddhist cultivator...
But the figure only flashed for an instant, then emerald light flared, the comet fell and the red-white star blazed. The brown light streamed, the six-armed figure instantly deflated and exploded into a sky full of golden essence.
The comet's light was extremely intense, as if in a furious rage, it even wiped clean all the scattered golden essence in the sky. Lights twisted and tangled, shaking the very mountain beneath their feet.
Seeing this, even with the clarity preserving his awareness, Li Xizhi's eyes stung with tears. He feared that looking any further would damage his perception technique and he had to lower his gaze.
He wiped his tears and took a brief rest, but the sky dimmed. In the north, a pitch-black hue appeared, and meteors streaked across the heavens, trailing flames as they shot southward.
Beside him, Yang Xiao'er tugged at him with some concern. Suddenly, they heard the sea roar. The waves parted sharply and from within rose a massive creature, a white-gray scaled beast.
The beast had four strong limbs, each stepping on a cloud. Its waist and belly were long, and its tail was covered in densely packed scales the size of tabletops. It sped through the mist, letting out a long, echoing howl.
Li Xizhi quickly bowed his head and said quietly, "Greetings, great demonic beast..."
The scaled beast circled in the air, gazed carefully toward the north, then rode the clouds swiftly in that direction.
Li Xizhi looked north with concern. Beside him, Yang Xiao'er watched the great demonic beast of the Purple Mansion Realm depart and said softly, "Husband, something major is happening... I fear the True Monarch Shangyuan has started fighting the Buddhist sects."
Li Xizhi had already expected this after what he saw, but could not explain much to his wife. He merely shook his head in silence and watched as the meteors rained down, falling across the mainland and the four seas.
He stepped forward hesitantly. The couple rode the wind down from Xia Mountain, approaching the water's surface which reflected countless rays of Heavenly Glow. Li Xizhi wore a solemn expression, while Yang Xiao'er looked startled, "Huh?"