"Descendants." Daoist Master Tianwan muttered the word with a trace of mockery and said quietly, "So what if they are? What are descendants? Are they descendants because I watched them grow up and thus feel affection? Or because they revere me? None of that. I emerged from seclusion after breaking through, only to be greeted by a group of old men calling me ancestor... What does that have to do with me?"
Tanyun let out a sigh. He still held some lingering bond of master and servant in his heart, and tried to persuade her, "But blood ties can never truly be erased. Even if you feel no affection for them, they are at least closer than strangers..."
"Closer?" Daoist Master Tianwan spoke through gritted teeth, her voice full of fury and icy disdain, "I possess divine abilities! I can see directly into human hearts. I see their every thought with crystal clarity, Tanyun! The women think only of hating and envying me... What closeness is there to speak of! As for Guo Hong'er... and Guo Hongjian..."
Her expression grew even colder as a trace of cruelty rose. She spoke softly, "Fine... at least they weren't as stupid as Guo Hongyao. They knew I could read hearts, so they dared not think such things when facing me. But once I entered seclusion, they secretly indulged in lustful thoughts, fantasies of domination, and sordid repayment... What closeness could there possibly be!"
Tanyun was left speechless. He murmured, "This... this... But still!"
Daoist Master Tanyun truly didn’t know how to defend them anymore. Even Guo Shentong would have to bow his head in shame if he were here. He could only mutter, "After all, several hundred years have passed. It’s hard to expect any real familial bond... You are pure and untarnished, a stunning beauty among mortals cultivating a Dao of untouchable frost and snow... so they harbored filthy thoughts..."
His voice grew quieter as he spoke, and inwardly he wished he could drag those Guo bastards out and kill them all. Yet he still tried to reason with her, "My lady... the ancients once said, 'To glimpse a man's heart is to witness his demons.' Back then, cultivators who attained divine abilities feared visiting the mortal world, for a single glance with their divine ability would fill them with despair and rage... One's inner thoughts are the hardest to condemn... Who doesn’t harbor desires of lust and greed deep within?"
Daoist Master Tianwan merely gazed at him in silence. Her entire being exuded an aura of frost and snow, with only a faint trace of her elegant eyes visible. She spoke softly, "The old texts say that once the Life Divine Ability is mastered, one sees evil in all the world. That is why those of the Purple Mansion Realm are without emotion and slay without hesitation. It's because they see sin in every soul. I understand now."
————
Zongquan Island.
Li Qinghong and Kong Tingyun arrived at Zongquan Island by spirit boat. Li Zhouwei approached them aboard the Radiant Light and cupped his hands in greeting, "Greetings, ancestor!"
Seeing him brought a rare smile to Li Qinghong’s face as a gentle warmth bloomed in her expression. Li Zhouwei then turned to Kong Tingyun and offered her a cupped-hands salute, "Greetings, Senior!"
Kong Tingyun smiled and nodded, her round eyes examining him briefly before giving a slight nod of approval, thinking, Not bad...
Li Qinghong had never allowed Li Zhouwei to kneel in her own household, and had previously kept him from meeting outsiders for a reason. If he had failed to reach Foundation Establishment Realm, encountering Kong Tingyun, the Sect Master of Profound Peak, would not have warranted a simple salute. According to cultivation etiquette, he would have had to kneel.
Kong Tingyun was also sharp. Had he not bowed, she might have grown suspicious. But now that he had advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm, both were cultivators of equal realm, so bowing was no longer required, thus avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Li Qinghong stepped aside with a smile and said, "Kong Tingyun, Sect Master of Profound Peak Gate, this is my family’s heir."
"I’ve long heard of your name!" Kong Tingyun looked at him for a moment before slowly averting her gaze. Though Li Zhouwei’s looks were merely above average, he possessed a charm that made it hard to look away. She chuckled inwardly, I’ve heard that the Wei's Li lineage is known for its beauty. No wonder, seeing Qinghong and Xijun is proof enough...
But Li Qinghong was wary of lingering too long, fearing unexpected mishaps, and thus said, "Let’s board the boat first."
The two women boarded back on the boat. With Kong Tingyun present, Li Zhouwei decided not to bring up the matter of Dingjiao. Once inside, Li Qinghong, visibly worried, asked, "How is Cheng’e doing?"
"He’s still in seclusion, no news so far..." Kongheng, standing nearby, answered in his stead.
After some small talk, Li Zhouwei got a better sense of Kong Tingyun’s temperament and finally asked, "Senior Kong... I’ve always had a question. Items like the Six Ding Merging Fire Token or the Six Xin Unified Metal Token seem to be part of a set. Where exactly did they come from?"
Kong Tingyun hesitated for a moment before replying, "These spirit artifacts are fairly well known. They’re likely connected to some Immortal Mansion, but I don’t know much beyond that..."
Her answer was vague, and was clearly lacking certainty. Sea winds howled outside the boat as the group continued heading north. After several days, they arrived at Yuezhou Island, home of the Profound Peak Gate.
This was the Kong Family’s ancestral stronghold. Kong Tingyun smiled and pointed north, saying, "I forgot to inform your family that the Golden Tang Gate has sealed its mountain and lost Golden Sack Island. It now belongs to our family."
"Congratulations!" Li Qinghong offered her congratulations. A disciple from the Profound Peak Gate came up with a message, which Kong Tingyun read carefully before speaking softly, "Daoist Master Zipei has truly fallen!"
Li Qinghong wasn’t well acquainted with the Daoist Master, but the deceased had a respectable reputation, so she sighed in response.
But Kong Tingyun chuckled, "She might not actually be dead."
Li Zhouwei raised his eyebrows and asked doubtfully, "Reincarnated?"
"Exactly." Kong Tingyun said in a low voice, "Do you all remember how the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators vanished for a time during the North-South conflict? It was because signs of Anhuai Heaven appeared within the great void, and among them were fragments of the Tianwu True Qi Divine Fiend Essence!"
Li Zhouwei’s heart trembled as something struck him like lightning, True Essence! The old ape also possessed True Essence... and his breakthrough happened around that same time!
The white ape’s breakthrough was one of the most unexpected events for the Li Family. His body was riddled with old injuries, many of which had damaged his foundation. Both Li Xicheng and Xiao Guiluan had far better chances of success, yet he alone had succeeded.
Thinking back now... it was truly a stroke of fortune! At that very time, the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were fighting within the great void, and the appearance of the Tianwu True Qi Divine Fiend Essence allowed him to seize that celestial opportunity.
Li Zhouwei had long harbored doubts about the matter. Though he trusted the white ape, he had always suspected someone might have tampered with him in the past. Now, he felt much more at ease.
Across from him, Kong Tingyun continued, "The Metallic Essence was taken by Daoist Master Zipei. According to our family’s Daoist Master, possessing Metallic Essence allows one to reincarnate freely. She’s likely already slipped away."