Lu Jiangxian had read the memories of several major Buddhist cultivators and possessed dozens of Buddhist cultivation techniques, but he had never practiced them himself. His own cultivation experience came from the Li Family members after their pill condensation and had nothing to do with the Buddhist Dao.
As a result, Lu Jiangxian's understanding of fate was limited to the Five-Eyed technique. His old shortcut of shaping humanoid figures out of mana for cultivation had no effect when it came to fate. Mana could circulate freely, but how could fate be anchored to a mere clump of energy?
Lu Jiangxian did not yet feed the strand of fate into the mirror. Instead, he summoned the soul of Dangjiang, who still appeared dazed and disoriented, having been sealed ever since being drawn out of Buzi’s body.
"When the time is right, this fellow can be put to use. For now, I’ll keep this fate strand in reserve."
He looked up as he suddenly sensed something. The Bright Radiant Yang Imperial Union Essence was emitting a faint glow. A scene of a sea island covered in palaces and pavilions, with cultivators moving to and fro, slowly unfolded.
A stone gate on the island slowly closed. Inside the cave dwelling, a youth sat cross-legged, his body radiating bright light that illuminated the chamber in clear brilliance.
"Li Zhouwei is in seclusion, breaking through to Foundation Establishment Realm."
In the great void, Lu Jiangxian had seen how the Tianwu True Essence and Divine Fiend could turn into monstrous evils. Even without mutation, ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivators struggled to suppress the Metallic Essence. But the Metallic Essence in Li Zhouwei's body had been personally bound by Lu Jiangxian using high-grade immortal arts, so it caused little disturbance.
But Lu Jiangxian had also seen Li Zhouwei’s eldest son, Li Jiang’ao. Li Jiang’ao’s current condition was already considered mild, but it was in large part due to his constant maintenance and suppression...
"The Bright Yang lineage often produces many sons. The eldest tends to be fierce, and the second cruel. The ones most affected are always the first and second sons. If my calculations are right, the court politics of the Wei's Li lineage will be quite bloody. The battle between the legitimate heir and the second son won’t be a simple one, especially since both are born with divine anomalies."
Li Zhouwei’s current inherent rank was far from ordinary. According to Lu Jiangxian’s calculations, Li Jiang’ao might even transform into some monstrous entity like the Red-Eyed White Cicada or the Gold-Eyed White Qilin. That was why Lu Jiangxian had kept a close watch on him since his birth.
"Fortunately... whether due to the decline of Wei's Li lineage, or because Li Zhouwei’s fate was personally crafted by me, Li Jiang’ao is merely inhuman, nothing worse."
Lu Jiangxian had kept an eye on them for several months before slowly shifting his attention, Once he has more sons, the trouble will lessen. It’s merely a matter of temperament being affected. His cultivation progress could accelerate by several degrees with more wives and children.
As for reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, Li Zhouwei has learned a secret art and should have over a seventy percent chance. If he can obtain a Bright Yang spirit item, his chances will be even higher.
As his perspective broadened, Lu Jiangxian no longer concerned himself much with the Seven Dharma Forms of the Buddhist cultivators or the various immortal sects of Wu and Yue. His only worries now were Mount Luoxia and the Underworld, both Dao Embryo level powers within the mainland. Each move of a piece took years of deliberation, and he dared not act rashly.
The fact that these two Immortal Mansion level forces had yet to reveal their whereabouts only made them more fearsome.
————
Moongaze Lake.
Li Qinghong stood upon lightning before the eyes of all, floating in the air while all members of the Fei Family kept their heads lowered. She descended lightly, her voice gentle yet loud enough to pierce the heavens.
“Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this? Please, rise quickly.”
Fei Tongyu naturally refused to rise, but violet lightning had already lifted him off the ground. Li Qinghong said softly, “My second uncle and your family’s forebears were close friends, while our families have been allies for generations. How did it come to this? Our elder perished guarding the riverbank, but gratitude is not meant to be repaid with the annexation of another’s family.”
She took a jade box from her storage pouch and handed it to Fei Tongyu, speaking gently, “This box contains Renewal Spirit Pills refined by Ximing. Please take good care of your health. Qingyi is still in seclusion in the Azure Pond Sect, preparing for her breakthrough. Her future holds great promise...”
The woman turned to the side and gave an order, “Xijun, have someone escort them back to the north shore.”
“Yes.” Li Xijun had already made preparations and helped Fei Tongyu descend. Only after Li Qinghong and Li Ximing landed on Mount Qingdu did the onlooking families finally avert their gaze and disperse.
Now standing atop the mountain, Li Ximing sighed and said, “Fei Qingyi hasn’t left seclusion for years... the Fei Family must truly be at the end of their rope.”
In recent years, the Li Family had grown ever more dominant, and the Fei Family’s tenuous hold on the northern shore had relied entirely on Fei Qingyi. But the woman had been in seclusion for years without a word. When Li Xuanfeng had slaughtered the Buddhist cultivators, the Fei Family could no longer hold on.
Li Qinghong replied, “Since he’s made such a public declaration, it won’t be long before he sends his direct descendants. Have Xijun begin making arrangements.”
Since the Azure Pond Sect was now in turmoil, it was indeed an opportune time to consolidate power over the lake. Fei Tongyu had clearly surrendered willingly, but the power gap between the Li Family and the Fei Family had grown enormous. The other esteemed families, especially the Si and Chi Families, would not see it the same way.
Such a grand and public display made the Li Family appear domineering and ambitious. Though Li Qinghong had formally refused Fei Tongyu’s submission, with the Li Family’s current strength and influence, whether or not the Fei Family became vassals was simply a matter of nodding their heads.
"Fei Qingyi is, after all, an uncertain variable."
Li Ximing stood with his arms crossed, tilting his head slightly as Li Xijun entered the hall. The younger man was striking in appearance, and his arrival through the drifting snow brought a sudden brightness to the great hall.
When he heard his elder brother’s words, Li Xijun casually remarked, "Fei Tongyu has improved quite a bit."
When Li Ximing looked over, the young man replied, "The unrest at Chengshui Tomb hasn’t been fully accounted for. Si Yuanli will surely settle accounts with the Tang Family to win popular support. Fei Qingyi is from Yuanwu Peak; whether she’s implicated or not is just a matter of a single word."
He had always seen clearly through political currents. Hugging his sword to his chest, he said softly, "He deliberately chose to make a move in full view of all, so everyone would see clearly—oh? The Fei Family now belongs to the Li Family! That precious daughter of theirs obviously has no ties to the Tang Family anymore."
Li Qinghong, knowing how calculative he always was, listened closely and nodded in agreement. "That was indeed a clever move. Even if I had refused, I would still have had to say a few polite words.
"Nothing comes without a price. The northern shore now belongs to us. The southern shore has spirit items, the east has spirit fields, and the north is rich in spirit ores. With this piece in place, our shortage of dharma artifacts can finally be resolved."
Li Xijun lifted his head, a trace of nostalgia in his expression, and replied, "Years ago, Uncle Ping asked me about our family. I answered, the Li family on the lake, with offices around the peaks. Now, forty years have passed, and the great lake has finally come into our hands."
Li Ximing lowered his brows slightly at these words, and Li Qinghong immediately added in a quiet voice, "Now only Daoist He on the western shore remains."
It was rather interesting, as Daoist He, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, was rumored to have ties within Azure Pond Sect. He had never needed to pay tribute to the Azure Pond Sect. In the Li Family's hundred years along the lakeside, the man had never shown himself even once.
Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators lived no more than three hundred years, and he had been gone for over a hundred. Though long renowned, his lifespan was clearly running short.
After some thought, Li Qinghong replied, "I heard he was a close friend of someone within the sect back then, which is why no one on the lake dared provoke him. He’s always been preoccupied with his own affairs...”
Li Ximing replied, "Nowadays, aside from Daoist Master Yuan Xiu, who else counts as well-connected? If his old friend was among those Foundation Establishment Realm elders who once broke through to the Purple Mansion Realm, they’ve likely passed away by now!"
Li Xijun nodded slightly, saying softly, "Why don’t we wait a few months, settle things at home, and then Aunt and I can pay him a visit together. In the meantime, I’ll write a letter and ask our elder brother about it."
"Mm." Li Qinghong responded softly, and Li Xijun took the opportunity to add quietly, "Speaking of this matter, the sect is complicated, and our elder brother doesn’t have anyone truly loyal at his side. I was thinking of sending Senior Wushao to assist him..."
Li Xijun always spoke with polish and logical clarity. Since Li Wushao had once pledged loyalty to Li Yuanjiao, and with Li Yuexiang now deceased, it was indeed proper for him to follow Li Xizhi.
Li Qinghong nodded and said, "His foundation is already solid. We can reward him with a treasured panacea for his recent contribution. Let him head to the Azure Pond Sect and use the opportunity to break through to the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm."