Li Xizhi gave a slight nod. Just as he had suspected, this Dawn Rayfish’s breakthrough had stemmed from that heavenly downpour.
The youth continued, “After breaking through, we scattered across the four directions. I wandered in the Eastern Sea for two years, then heard that my eldest brother had become the spirit beast of the Sword Immortal Huifu. I yearned to reunite with him and set off for the Northern Sea.
“But I was spotted at the edge of the Northern Sea. Chased and pursued, I fled in all directions. I was hunted relentlessly by whoever saw me, until I fell into the hands of the Dragon Clan... and that led to today.”
Li Xizhi nodded slightly and asked, “The Northern Sea Sword Immortal?”
“Yes.” The Dawn Rayfish answered respectfully, “My lord has likely been in this place for a while. Over half a year ago, word came that Sword Immortal Huifu comprehended the Dao in the Plume-Shedding Grounds of Han Sea[1] and thus attained sword intent. The entire Northern Sea was shaken and his name was spread across the four seas!”
Li Xizhi sighed lightly, nodded, and asked in a soft voice, “Sword intent... No wonder. What level has this Sword Immortal reached?”
“I wouldn’t know about that...” The youth gently shook his head, the orange plume-feathers at his temples quivering slightly with the motion. He replied respectfully, “I doubt it’s too high. When that serpent dragon carried me to Lord Heyun, they said that most who comprehend sword intent nowadays do so before reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, before awakening their Life Divine Ability... I don’t know what the reasoning is behind that.”
Li Xizhi nodded slightly. His own ancestor had also comprehended sword intent during Foundation Establishment Realm, so he began to ponder silently, “Since the ascension of True Monarch Shangyuan, Jiangnan should still have three sword immortals, but none have shown themselves recently. Aside from the one from Wanyu Sword Gate, the others are in Wu State... There might not even be ten sword immortals in the world right now.”
He helped the youth to his feet, scrutinized him, and asked a few more questions. The Dawn Rayfish’s cultivation was only at the early-to-mid Foundation Establishment Realm, yet his speed was terrifying. At full speed, he might even catch up to a Heavenly Glow Dawn Cloudliner.
Li Xizhi said kindly, “Since you’re the seventh, and were sent here by the senior, let’s call you Li Qiyun[2]. From now on, you’re one of us. There's no need to stand on ceremony.”
“This subordinate obeys!” Li Qiyun responded with a bow, quickly took out a healing pill, and began to recover in silence. Li Xizhi sat cross-legged beside the pond in the cave, quietly staring into the water’s surface.
Li Wushao didn’t ask how this young man suddenly appeared. The old serpent simply shut his eyes and resumed healing.
Li Xizhi furrowed his brows slightly and thought, At least Dongfang Heyun didn’t expose me... The Purple Mansion Realm cultivators can’t decipher my talisman qi. Since he still has a use for me, he likely assumes it’s some other Purple Mansion Realm cultivator's technique...
After a while, Li Wushao asked, “Will you be going out again, young master?”
Li Xizhi smiled faintly. Though he wasn’t afraid of the light and qi outside, he still had to maintain the lie he had just spun. He said, “I’m a bit worn out... I’ll first dispel the light and qi inside me and rest for a while before deciding.”
The cave dwelling fell silent. All three settled into quiet cultivation, though the light and qi threading through the earth veins outside grew increasingly dense. The intense light and qi coursed through the earth veins in flickers of brightness.
A refined young man sat quietly atop a crimson boulder, his pale hand tapping lightly at its edge. Had Li Xizhi been present, he would have immediately recognized this man as Dongfang Heyun. The latter hadn’t left at all, he was still lingering nearby.
“This fluctuation... likely means Xiyan[3] clashed with someone.”
Dongfang Heyun’s gaze now lacked its usual amused veil. It was deeper and more conflicted as he seemed truly torn.
No one noticed the Dawn Rayfish... Handing it to Li Xizhi is just right. It spares that pawn in the Azure Pond Sect from suffering a loss, making it seem less like I’m just using him. But he still hides many secrets... Can Universal Dawn Mist truly neutralize the light and qi? pondered Dongfang Henyun.
Dongfang Heyun was quite aged, though his demonic spirit nature let him retain the demeanor of a youth. He had seen more than enough and read enough cultivation techniques to rival an entire sect’s Dao Collection.
The Universal Dawn Mist of the Azure Pond Sect was once cultivated by Lingu Xia yet it had no purifying effect... But Li Xizhi’s ancestor was of the Wei's Li lineage, skilled in capturing light and binding flame... dispelling this light and qi may not be too far-fetched after all... thought Dongfang Heyun.
He hesitated for a while, but indeed saw no signs of Li Xizhi using any spirit herbs or spell arts. He was just quietly sitting cross-legged. The doubt in his heart slowly faded.
After waiting a while longer without seeing Li Xizhi emerge, he finally rose and headed deeper into the earth veins, thinking to himself, Y ingze split Kuai Li without killing him... The Lesser Yang is difficult to judge in terms of right or wrong, but Yingze is no fool. He must have other calculations in mind.
Dongfang Heyun’s figure slowly faded into the depths. The thunder over the sea roared louder still.
————
Pingya Island.
Li Zhouwei stepped into the main hall as Chen Yang led in two women and a man from a side chamber. The woman in front was dressed in white, her expression serene and her bearing graceful. She was clearly from a distinguished background.
She spoke softly, “Shen Yanqing of the Shen Family in Jiangbei greets the family head.”
Shen Yanqing was both the disciple of Daoist Master Zipei and the direct daughter of the Shen Family. Her noble status went without saying. Her every movement was measured and proper as she offered Li Zhouwei a graceful nod.
The second woman, dressed in a yellow feathered robe, was more petite and curiously glanced about before smiling and saying, “Wei Danying of the Purple Smoke Gate greets the family head.”
The last was a man who bowed silently. He appeared to be a guard or escort, and said nothing as he lowered his head.
Li Zhouwei remained courteous and spoke gently, “Honored guests have arrived, and yet I failed to greet you from afar, such discourtesy is ours.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Yanqing took a seat, praised him politely, and asked softly, “May I ask where Senior Qinghong might be?”
Shen Yanqing had mentioned her intention to visit the Li Family long ago, but the clashes between North and South had made travel along the river treacherous. The matter had been delayed until now.
Li Zhouwei, knowing she had come to see Li Qinghong, replied, “I’ve already sent someone to summon her. If my great aunt hasn’t entered a full seclusion, she should be here shortly.”
Shen Yanqing nodded slightly and began to chat casually, not worried that her visit would end in vain. She thought, With the Eastern Sea affair approaching, the senior likely wouldn’t have gone into closed-door seclusion.
So she lightly steered the conversation, “I had originally intended to visit your esteemed family with my father, but he recently entered seclusion to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm and couldn’t make the trip.”
After a few more words, Shen Yanqing noticed that Wei Danying of the Purple Smoke Gate hadn’t said a word. Turning toward her, she saw the girl staring intently upward, her expression somewhat dazed.
This is...
She discreetly nudged the girl. Only then did Wei Danying snap out of her daze, lowering her eyes to the tea on the table.
Wei Danying tugged at her sleeves, as if waking from a dream. She finally looked away from the young man seated above, and only then did a delayed sense of fear stir in her chest, Ordinary men must try so hard to be appealing... yet he needs no effort at all. Just a glance and women are drawn to him. He’s so young; where did he learn this intoxicating demeanor?
She steadied herself and looked again, but that aura had vanished. She exhaled quietly in relief and sipped her tea. Yet a flash of something wicked and aggressively seductive had surfaced amid the haze. A cold sweat broke across her back as fear bloomed in her heart, How terrifying... that such a man actually exists in this world!
1. The word (翰) 'Han' can mean writing brush, writing, etc. ☜
2. The name (七云) 'Qiyun' means Seven Cloud/Seventh Cloud, where (七) 'qi' means seven and (云) 'yun' means cloud. ☜
3. It's the Devil Lord Xiyan that appeared in Chapter 525: Mutuo(I). ☜