Li Encheng had been a key connection the Li Family built in the past, thought to be useful when the time came. But fate was unpredictable. By the time of his final meditation, no opportunity had ever arisen to make use of that bond.
Instead, the Li Family had poured quite a bit into him. When he made his final breakthrough attempt, they even sent him a batch of spirit items. Now with this news, all of that had gone to waste.
Li Xuanxuan, listening closely, said in a low voice, "It’s not a total loss... He did give me an Essence Gathering Pill, so at least he didn’t take our help for nothing."
Li Xizhi, occupied with preparing to return to the sect for inquiries, didn’t linger. He cupped his hands to the others and said softly, "Keep watch over the family for now and await my letter."
Li Qinghong rode thunder through the skies for a while, noticing that the seawater beneath her was receding at an extremely slow rate. It was so slow that, without close observation, one might not even realize the sea was slowly drawing back.
"It’s most likely the Dragon Clan making a move. According to the old agreements, everything beneath the sea belongs to them. With the sea receding like this, who knows how many treasures will be lost in just ten days or half a month," she muttered.
She then recalled the spiritual omen of the Eastern Sea, Falling Water, Rising Storm, and found it curious. She had thought it referred to heavy rainfall, but now the sea itself was truly falling, and thunder rumbled even more powerfully overhead.
Continuing to ride the thunder, the Qunyi Strait appeared before her. The once-scattered islets that could barely support a single person were now fully exposed due to the receding tide, revealing vast stretches of shoreline.
Flying another thousand miles eastward, the distant silhouette of Shiqi Island in the Qunyi Strait came into view, followed by the emergence of a large island ahead.
The island was shielded by a radiant golden-red formation, glowing with brilliance. On the newly exposed land from the receding sea, a group of fishermen moved about, dragging brown nets, their faint laughter carrying through the air.
But the laughter quickly vanished as her cultivator aura became visible. Those mortals fell to their knees in fear. Before Li Qinghong could speak, a streak of gold-white light shot toward her.
It was a young woman, about seventeen or eighteen, still youthful in appearance. She held a small golden ring and rode the wind toward Li Qinghong. Eyeing Li Qinghong warily, she asked, "Senior... are you here seeking someone, or...?"
Seeing how guarded the girl was, Li Qinghong responded softly, "I am Li Qinghong, a cultivator from the mainland. I’ve come this time... to inquire about some treasure-related news."
"A mainland cultivator..." These words caused the girl’s brows to relax slightly. She bowed respectfully and replied, "This junior, Cui Wanqing, greets Senior!"
Cui Wanqing paused, a trace of doubt in her eyes, and asked, "Senior... which Li Family do you belong to?"
Li Qinghong paused briefly before replying, "The Moongaze Li Family."
Cui Wanqing silently repeated the four words, guiding her toward the island as she muttered, "I’ve heard there's a great marsh in the mainland called Moongaze... could it be that one?"
Li Qinghong nodded and replied softly, "Correct. The marsh has dried up, leaving only a lake. My family cultivates beside it."
Cui Wanqing nodded thoughtfully and said quietly, "That makes sense. With no one holding the Water Mansion Fruition Attainment, it’s natural that the wetlands would wither."
From her words, it was clear she had inherited knowledge. Li Qinghong followed her down and took a seat in the courtyard while Cui Wanqing went to summon her elders.
This was, after all, the Eastern Sea, where everyone remained cautious of one another. Naturally, Li Qinghong wouldn’t recklessly step into someone else’s formation. The hall Cui Wanqing chose was specifically built on the island for receiving visitors, located safely outside the family’s protective array.
Soon after, an elder appeared at the edge of the courtyard. With solemn white whiskers and a stately posture, he wore a light blue robe. He was tall and spoke in a deep, composed voice, "I am Cui Changfu of Chongzhou Island. Greetings, Daoist friend."
The elder appeared to be of considerable age, with a cultivation at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. His aura was imposing, and as he appraised Li Qinghong, his gaze paused for a moment on the jade bottle at her waist.
Li Qinghong of Moongaze Lake.
Sensing that this elder might be difficult to deal with, Li Qinghong kept silent until the old man sighed and said, "Then Wei Lixun has arrived, has he?"
His tone was strange, and for a moment, Li Qinghong didn’t know how to respond. She simply shook her head lightly. The elder then said, "Please allow me to examine the dharma bottle."
Li Qinghong hesitated but removed it. Still, she grew tense as she worried that this elder, upon seeing the dharma artifact, might covet it and try to seize it from her. She said nothing, her silence heavy with caution.
Cui Changfu paused slightly, then seemed to understand and spoke gently, "The Cui Family of Chongzhou is currently under the protection of the Dragon Clan. We’re not too big, but not insignificant either. We still care about our reputation. I, Cui Changfu, am pretty well known in these waters... I wouldn’t act against someone over a mere Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact.
"Besides... judging by your bearing, I doubt your family is some powerless little force in the mainland."
Li Qinghong subtly assessed the terrain, gauging her distance from the formation. If the man before her were to suddenly attack, she might not win, but with her thunder-riding speed, she was confident she could at least escape. Only then did she relax slightly.
She nodded, offered a few polite remarks, and carefully handed over the dharma artifact. Cui Changfu took it, weighed it in his hand, and dimmed its glow before flipping it over.
The purple, vein-like patterns slowly dimmed, revealing several ancient seal-script characters, ‘Li Qianyuan of the Wei State Li Family.’ Cui Wanqing let out a soft gasp and exclaimed, "The Ancestor of Wei, Li Qianyuan!"
Both of their expressions turned complex, but in Li Qinghong’s ears, the name struck like thunder in a calm sky. She stood stunned for a full breath, "The Ancestor of Wei?"
Of course, Li Qinghong had always known her bottle wasn’t ordinary, that it had once belonged to a cultivator from the Wei State Li Family but she had never imagined it had such a prestigious origin.
Cui Changfu returned it and said in a calm voice, "But the Wei Emperor was no ordinary figure, he wouldn’t have used a mere Foundation Establishment Realm artifact. The authenticity of this item remains questionable.
"After all, I’ve never heard that the Wei Emperor had a dharma artifact shaped like a bottle. Either it was something he used early in life, or it’s a replica crafted by later generations."
At those words, Li Qinghong immediately felt relief, as though a great weight had lifted from her shoulders. She thought, Those True Monarchs... how many of them are simple? If something of his ended up in my hands, it must’ve been part of some grand plan. Even if this one has been dead for years... who can say what immortal arts a True Monarch left behind?
Oddly enough, the possibility that the artifact was a fake brought her comfort. She nodded slightly and tucked it back into her sleeve. Meanwhile, Cui Changfu was studying her closely, watching the subtle shifts in her expression.
Having survived in the Eastern Sea for so many years, Cui Changfu was no fool. His guard had been up from the start, and he thought to himself, Anyone with family history would know about the Cui Clan’s old ties with the Wei State Li Family. This woman’s artifact is far too conspicuous... I have to be cautious that she isn’t posing as a descendant of the Wei State Li Family to exploit us.
But seeing her subtle shifts in expression unfold naturally, he couldn’t quite make up his mind. In the end, he chose to wait and test further. He asked, "And what brings Daoist friend here, if I may ask?"
Li Qinghong nodded and answered directly, not bothering with further pleasantries, "I heard your lineage cultivates in Bright Yang across generations. My family lacks a Bright Yang treasure... so I’ve come here to inquire about it."