Li Ximing’s eyes narrowed. Sensing the tension, Li Xuanxuan hurried to interject wearily, “Are you familiar with our family’s Celestial Moon Sword, fellow Daoist?”
Miao Ye nodded. “I’ve heard of it, slightly.”
“Duruo was won in a wager by one of our elders in the Qi Cultivation Realm... As for the rest, our family dared not lay hands on them.”
Li Xuanxuan stroked his beard gravely. “If you do not believe me, I have no proof to offer... Duruo is currently in the hands of Qinghong. She is in the north, on assignment to exterminate demons... so naturally, we cannot hand it over to your esteemed family.”
Miao Ye fell silent for a moment before replying softly, “I understand. I cannot give my family a full answer for now. Let me investigate further. In time, I will surely return with worthy gifts to exchange for Duruo.”
The Li Family members all responded politely. Miao Ye’s expression was heavy as he backed away.
Then he suddenly asked, “This concerns a blood feud of a hundred years. My family has lived in doubt and suspicion for far too long. I ask sincerely, after leaving Moongaze Lake, should I cross Mount Xiping and head west, or descend through the Mushroom Forest and go south?”
Li Xuanxuan fell silent for a breath, then finally sighed. “The desert scenery to the west is quite beautiful.”
Miao Ye thanked them twice before riding the wind into the sky. Li Ximing, who had been sitting upright, leaned back slightly. The atmosphere among them grew heavy.
Li Xuanxuan said quietly, “If this matter isn’t handled well, we’ll have offended Thunder Island again... The grudge was already formed the moment we obtained Duruo.”
Li Chengliao was just about to speak, when he suddenly looked up, sensing something.
Li Ximing’s eyes lit up at once. “This!”
Outside the hall, a surge of blue-green light rippled and wove into several serpent- and flood-dragon-like strands in the sky. It intertwined with rising golden-green spiritual energy across the heavens in a brilliant display.
After a brief moment, everyone stepped out of the hall. Sparkling strands of clear energy began to descend from the sky, spinning as they fell. When they touched the lake’s surface, they bounced like spirits, each trailing a white flame as they leaped one and a half meter into the air, only to fall again. Clear light danced and shimmered all across the water’s surface.
“Someone has reached the Foundation Establishment Realm...” Li Ximing looked up in surprise at the celestial phenomenon. For a moment, he couldn’t tell what type of Immortal Foundation had formed. After a moment of scrutiny, he murmured thoughtfully, “Not one of the Five Virtues, not Yin-Yang, nor the Ancient Types. It must be one of the Twelve Essences.”
No sooner had he spoken than a beam of pure light rose from the lake, followed by a leaping ape.
The ape had white fur and gray eyes, and its gaze was ancient and sharp. Its muscular and agile body shimmered with flowing light. It was the size of a grand hall, and its fists as large as tables. Its back and belly were covered in dense white hair, and two white auras coiled around its wrists. The beast radiated an imposing presence.
As soon as it leapt from the water, it rapidly transformed, donning a white battle robe and taking the form of a three-meter-tall elderly man.
He landed before them. His voice was rough and deep, like stones grinding together, “This old ape greets the honored sirs.”
The White Ape!
Li Xuanxuan was stunned for two full breaths before he reacted. The elderly man before him had a simple, honest face, with eyes deep-set with age and tightly pressed lips. He was even taller than the towering Li Ximing.
He’s formed an Immortal Foundation! Li Xuanxuan truly hadn’t expected it. The White Ape was, after all, merely a spirit beast from a minor sect. Years ago, he had been wandering, wounded and scarred, before he had been rescued by Li Xuanxuan during the devil plague. Back then, his body had been riddled with fire poison, and not a single patch of fur had remained intact.
Back then, he didn’t look like he would even survive to the natural end of an ordinary demonic creature’s lifespan, let alone reach the Foundation Establishment Realm. When the White Ape entered closed-door cultivation a few years ago, his chances of success were even lower than those of Li Xicheng back in the day. Li Xuanxuan had truly been prepared for the worst.
Now, when he saw the old ape transformed into human form, silently standing before him, Li Xuanxuan felt a surge of emotion.
The elder simply took his hand and asked, “Old ape... it's enough that you’re still alive... Foundation Establishment Realm demonic creatures live even longer.”
The White Ape, as always, disliked speaking. He bowed deeply to the three of them and rasped, “This old servant, by bloodline inheritance, has cultivated the Immortal Foundation Stone Embrace Slumber, True Essence of the Twelve Essences.”
His voice was deep and hoarse, but it was steady and weighty. He fell silent again, but Li Ximing followed up with a question, “This is my first time encountering it. What are the effects of this Immortal Foundation?”
“Stone Embrace Slumber grants extended vitality, and restores flesh and bone to their truest form. The body merges with True Essence, pierces illusion, and gains insight into hearts. The longer one lives, the stronger the foundation becomes,” replied the White Ape.
Li Ximing grew intrigued and couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you now? And how many years of lifespan remain?”
“I spent two hundred and eleven years in the mortal stage, sixty-five years in the Embryonic Breathing Realm, and one hundred seventy-seven years in the Qi Cultivation Realm. I am now four hundred and fifty-three years old.” The old ape’s voice was like a stone dropping into an empty valley. “My species is naturally long-lived. Now that I’ve cultivated this Immortal Foundation, by rough estimate, I still have over four hundred years remaining.”
A look of envy crossed Li Ximing’s face. Glancing at the others beside him, he sighed, “That’s nearly three times the lifespan we have...”
But his expression quickly brightened. He took a jade token from his robes and handed it joyfully to the White Ape. “Now that you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, the task of patrolling the lake falls to you! If anything happens, crush the jade token immediately. I’ll come out of seclusion to help.”
Li Ximing looked as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Li Xuanxuan chuckled as he pulled the White Ape closer, studying him with satisfaction before laughing hoarsely, “Old friend... you’re truly blessed by fortune!”
Seeing the weight in his gaze, the White Ape nourished Li Xuanxuan’s aged body with his own clear qi and spoke gently, “This old servant pounded medicine for three hundred years, witnessed many calamities, and survived mostly through helpless luck. Now that I’ve finally achieved the Dao... it’s hard to say whether it’s a blessing or curse.”
————
Mount Bianyan.
In contrast to the brightness and joy within Mount Qingdu’s great hall, Mount Bianyan was shrouded in gloom. Heavy clouds drifted across the mountain, and cultivators crept through its shadowy ridges.
Silence reigned in the central-left great hall. Two lines of cultivators stood inside the vast ceremonial chamber, while the white tiles at the center lay empty. All present kept their heads down, not daring to speak.
The oppressive atmosphere stretched on. Beads of sweat dotted Ning Heyuan’s forehead. He glanced across the hall at his brother-in-law, Li Xuanfeng, who had just emerged from seclusion. The elder’s expression was calm, and there was no visible sign of injury. Yet he emanated an overwhelming pressure simply by standing there.
I don’t know if he’s aware yet... damn it... why did Tuoba Chongyuan come in person?! It’s clearly not time yet... What are the other Purple Mansion Realm cultivators thinking...Baixiang Valley...
At the head of the hall, Chi Zhiyan remained silent. At last, Ning Heyuan couldn’t endure the silence any longer and spoke, “Reporting, my lord... The second young master of the Tuoba Family, Tuoba Chongyuan... personally led an assault on Baixiang Valley...”
As soon as he finished speaking, the elder across the hall slowly raised his head. Though his face did not look fierce, his eyes were like two arrows of dark light, piercing through the hall and silencing everyone within.