Daoist Master Zipei asked a question and then paused slightly. The purple mist within the cave dwelling paused along with her words, and Li Xuanfeng could only reply, "I was originally a cultivator of the Li Family from Moongaze Lake. Thanks to your guidance, I was stationed at the southern border. Now, I serve under the Ning Family."
"Li of Moongaze?" muttered Zipei.
Daoist Master Zipei didn’t seem to care much, only listening as Daoist Master Pu Yu spoke softly, "Senior, I heard they're a branch of the Wei’s Li lineage under Azure Pond Sect's jurisdiction."
"So it's the Wei’s Li branch," said Zipei.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Master Zipei immediately lost interest, as if she didn’t think much of Wei's Li. But since Li Xuanfeng had ties to Yuan Su, she pondered for a moment and said, "Wei’s Li, there’ll be room for movement later. Find a place to rest on the peak for now. When the time comes, return with Si Boxiu."
Li Xuanfeng cupped his hands and took his leave, descending into the mountain as purple mist drifted through the celestial landscape. Daoist Master Pu Yu watched him go and said seriously, "Senior Yuan Su truly went to great lengths to protect his junior, leaving the bargaining chip with the Ning Family was quite the calculated move..."
"Mm." Daoist Master Zipei responded softly, clearly seeing through the arrangement as well, "If he had passed away within the sect, this Xinyou Lucid Marsh Seal would likely have ended up in the hands of the Chi Family or Si Boxiu. Even if passed to his descendants, it wouldn’t escape the sect's hidden manipulations.
"By passing away in public view, he actually secured the Xinyou Lucid Marsh Seal. With the Golden Feather Sect, you, and I as guarantors, and Si Boxiu needing to save face, it can be safeguarded for at least a few decades."
Daoist Master Pu Yu shook his head and said, "It won’t last forever. Once Si Boxiu waits too long and grows impatient, he’ll find ways, through pressure or otherwise, to make him hand it over willingly."
Daoist Master Zipei sat down amidst the swirling purple mist within her cave and said with a nod, "Isn't there a Ning Wan? A few decades should be more than enough. If she succeeds in her breakthrough, she’ll rightfully keep the spirit artifact. If she fails, it's a danger in her hands anyway, handing it over wouldn’t be a loss."
Both Daoist Masters had clearly seen through Yuan Su’s arrangement. Even Si Boxiu understood it, but each chose to go along with the flow.
Daoist Master Pu Yu paused, seemingly deep in thought, and after a long while spoke softly, "The True Monarchs’ battle won’t resolve quickly, but the heavens over the Northern Sea still need mending. All the sects must act together, we must invite another True Monarch.
"If we let the seawater continue to pour down like this, by the time the True Monarchs return, the Northern Sea will have flooded the wilderness, linked up with the Eastern and Western Seas, and submerged countless sects and territories."
Daoist Master Zipei nodded, clearly taking the matter seriously, and said softly, "Empress Beiyao has manifested often in recent years and is the easiest to negotiate with. Let’s seek her out.
"As for who should lead... naturally, it should be the Yue Cultivating Sect. All who acted such as the Azure Pond Sect, Golden Feather Sect, and the Dragon Clan should contribute. We just wait for Yue Cultivating Sect to make a move."
Daoist Master Pu Yu nodded gently, glanced eastward, and smiled, "All the True Monarchs have gone off to battle in the Outer Heavens, looks like the Dragon Clan is going to seize the thunder."
Eastern Sea.
Waves surged endlessly and the waters gleamed crystal-clear. All kinds of demonic creatures often rose with the wind and rode the waves. Islands were scattered irregularly across the sea like stars in the sky, with demonic creatures and beasts weaving in and out between them.
On a normal day, many cultivators would be seen flying across the sea, but now a sense of panic filled the air. Streaks of escape light flashed across the sky, trailing colorful glows behind them.
The islands across the sea gradually revealed a more ominous presence. The larger islands such as Splitreed Island, Chunyi Island, and Crimson Reef Island had expanded by thirty to forty percent, stretching out for thousands of meters. Marketplaces originally built on the seabed now emerged into view and formation arrays shimmered in the air with radiant light.
Even the mid-sized islands, like Qingsong and Dongliu, had greatly expanded. Cultivators looked out at the sea, their expressions a mix of concern and joy.
Demon dens slowly emerged on the exposed seafloor. Small demonic creatures held tridents in their hands, blankly watching the seawater recede inch by inch. Thunder roared across the heavens and earth, yet not a single drop of rain fell.
Li Qinghong led a group of cultivators from Zongquan Island to survey the area. The island had expanded nearly fifty kilometers and was still continuing to stretch outward, revealing various corals, fish, and shrimp.
There were now over thirty thousand people on Zongquan Island. Children and adults alike stood nervously along the former shoreline, staring blankly in fear. Some bolder ones had already rolled up their pant legs and stepped into the sea, tossing fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs into jars.
Li Qinghong hovered in the air with her spear in hand. Thunder surged beneath her feet and violet light flowed around her but she could not hide the worry in her expression.
She could vaguely see colorful lights rising in the north. But where Li Xizhi was, the Xia Mountain lay north of the Converging Sea and bordered the Northern Sea. From where she stood, in the Scarlet Pristine Sea nearly down to the Southern Sea, she could barely make out anything beyond a few faintly rising flashes of color.
All she could do was have Zong Yan arrange the people and, after waiting quietly for a while, decide to summon Huiyao to inquire further.
As the scouts were dispatched into the sea, Li Qinghong checked the time, quietly concealed her presence and waited in midair.
Sure enough, after waiting patiently for only a short while, a green fish with scaled wings under its ribs burst out from the water. It transformed into a half-human, half-fish form, holding a sea trident.
He finally withdrew his demonic wind, steadied himself, and respectfully said, "Ah! Greetings, Fairy."
Back when they fought the cloud octopus together, he had been terribly frightened by Li Qinghong’s thunder. Thunder was, after all, the righteous path for slaying demonic creatures, and he had submitted wholeheartedly ever since.
Now, seeing that Li Qinghong had already reached the late Foundation Establishment Realm and wore at her waist a small bottle with purple lightning-shaped patterns which radiated a deep and obscure thunderous power. He felt a chill of fear rise again in his heart, After all these years, this female cultivator of purple lightning has grown even stronger. Who knows what level she’s reached now... That’s right, Falling Water and Rising Storm in the Eastern Sea, this is the perfect time for a lightning cultivator.
He kept his head low and eyes down. Being a demonic creature of the Dragon Palace, he knew his place. Li Qinghong did not act arrogantly and asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you know the reason behind the receding seawater?"
Huiyao immediately understood and shook his head repeatedly, answering in a low voice, "Replying to the Fairy... Dingyuan the Dragon Son left some days ago. Now the many local demonic creatures are running about like headless flies. I inquired around several nearby waters, but all I heard were some vague and unreliable rumors."
Li Qinghong nodded, signaling him to continue. Huiyao said, "The word from several Water Mansions is that Dragon Monarch Beijia and Dragon Monarch Xiyang... dragged down a grotto heaven in Qunyi. As soon as the grotto heaven's entrance opened, the seawater began pouring into it, this is how things ended up like this!"
Li Qinghong had dealt with many demonic creatures over the years, but this was the first time she had heard the name Dragon Monarch Beijia. She asked, "Who’s Dragon Monarch Beijia?"
Huiyao paused for a moment, then suddenly understood and replied, "People like you, who are at the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Realm refer to him as the Dragon King of the Converging Waters."
So it was the leader of the Dragon Clan, the Dragon Monarch of Converging Waters, thought Li Qinghong.