Chapter 732 523: Northern Sea (Part 2)

"Senior! My estimation was not off—off by just a month, and indeed, Tang Yuanwu has fallen... I witnessed the golden rain descend upon Yue Country, and at once I knew it was his demise. His accumulation was substantial... making quite a tumultuous scene."

He spoke with a laugh, unafraid that Yuan Su would take offense at this sensitive topic. Yuan Su's expression did not change, and instead he asked:

"If that is so, why don't you take a look at me—how much time do I have left?"

This time, Yuan Su had not concealed his face, deliberately revealing it in full. Pu Yu Perfected Person glanced at him for a moment, revealing slight confusion, and softly said:

"For some reason, I feel that Senior's aura is vague, as though there is great turbulence; for the moment, I cannot see it clearly. But perhaps I could make a careful calculation..."

Yuan Su immediately lost interest, waved his hand to dismiss the matter. On this side, Li Xuanfeng found everything before his eyes growing dim, all color fading away into utter darkness, leaving only the two Perfected Persons before him, their hands clasped behind their backs, standing cloudborne, still retaining their color.

Li Xuanfeng beheld darkness in every direction—no light, no sun, moon, nor stars—and understood that, unwittingly, he had already entered the Great Void. Only the cloud beneath his feet shielded him as it surged rapidly onward.

Li Xuanfeng took the opportunity to observe. The darkness varied, now thick, now faint. The pupil technique he cultivated proved of no use here; all beyond the cloud was hazy and indistinct, impossible to discern. Underfoot, the blackness was astonishing, as if it could suck one's Spiritual Sense dry.

And overhead, scattered flecks of white, some large, some small, hard to make out. Li Xuanfeng understood Yuan Su's temperament, and besides, the two Perfected Persons were deep in conversation; he could not well interrupt and so merely contemplated in silence.

This was his first time traversing the Great Void, and it was not as smooth as he had imagined. There were ripples and currents beneath his feet—sometimes swift, sometimes gentle. In places where the terrain rose high, he found himself needing to climb.

Standing in this realm, with neither heaven above nor earth below, Li Xuanfeng secretly pondered:

"It is said the Great Void is intimately linked with the Spirit Mechanism—perhaps, since its neighbors vary from place to place, traveling the Great Void presents different experiences each time..."

Though deep in thought, he did not miss a word of the two Perfected Persons' conversation. Yuan Su was sparse with words—he harbored no intention to break through, observing more for the spectacle.

Pu Yu Perfected Person was of a wholly different mind, seemingly in good spirits. He smiled and said:

"Senior Yuan Su, I have a matter to ask you."

Yuan Su turned his gaze upon him, thus signaling for him to speak. Pu Yu Perfected Person furrowed his brow and softly asked:

"Within the seas, the Three Sects and Seven Doors of Yue Country... most are of the Qing Song Temple's Toaist Lineage, are they not?"

Yuan Su nodded and replied in a low voice:

"Indeed. Most originate from the six sons of Qing Song Temple's Chongming Hall; the various Toaist Lineages are interconnected, and relations are fairly harmonious."

Obviously already aware of this, Pu Yu Perfected Person nodded and said:

"All these years cultivating to Zifu, I have often traveled across the Four Seas, and yet, by a twist of fate, have never once met Shangyuan Perfected Person. I have only heard that he never reveals his true face, making it difficult to glean any news of him."

He paused, then softly asked:

"In my view, there are no true grudges between the Golden Cores of the seas—indeed, they could even be considered amicable. If Shangyuan breaks through, then so be it... He's not necessarily of one mind with Taiyue Perfected Lord; why must there be such obstruction between them?"

"The Immortal Path has been withering by the day; if another Golden Core were to arise, it would surely inspire the world—revitalize the Toaist Lineages! With two Perfected Lords watching over the north, would that not be a fine thing? Why must things be this way... letting the Dragon Kind and Buddhist Practitioners profit instead..."

Pu Yu Perfected Person fell silent for a moment, seemingly wary, then drew from his sleeve a Treasure Bead—exquisitely small, lying quietly in his palm, emanating a misty purple glow that enveloped all three of them. At last, he spoke out:

"For the sake of a junior's breakthrough, will the two Golden Cores truly come to blows?"

Yuan Su paused briefly, for in these seas, none dared utter such words. He merely replied:

"It may not be just two."

Pu Yu Perfected Person was puzzled; Yuan Su gave a faint sigh and finally answered:

"Shangyuan Perfected Person acts with utmost righteousness, and his cultivation stems from the Jade True Toaist Lineage. That lineage once belonged to the Moonlight Origin Mansion... The seat of power once occupied by a denizen of the Immortal Mansion."

"Each Perfected Lord is ever-cautious, for fear that throne conceals some hidden stratagems. Any ordinary person would fear taking that seat, let alone one as principled as Shangyuan."

Pu Yu Perfected Person fell quiet; Yuan Su spoke in a low voice:

"The elders have gone abroad, and the unruly children conspire together to overturn the house, leaving only the eldest son, beaten into submission, forever well-behaved and never daring to act."

"But as time passes, and the eldest son's cultivation nears a bottleneck, he recalls the good of his elders, yearning to call them home. After all, he's worn the mask of obedience for so many years, longing for some reward. If the elders perish outside, would he not become a laughingstock?"

Pu Yu Perfected Person listened in silence for a full ten cycles before speaking again, eyes cast down. At last, he softly declared:

"A Perfected Lord attains immortality, and upon that very seat may yet withstand a hundred turns of reincarnation. To say that the Immortals would thusly perish—vanish without a trace—I cannot believe it."

"Who could believe it?"

A faint, cold smile tugged at Yuan Su's lips. He replied:

"These past centuries—the first to believe were the first to rise. The six sons of Chongming Hall were peerlessly illustrious, but even among those who did not believe, some still perished. As for those like myself, who refuse belief even now, we can only slowly wither away."

Pu Yu Perfected Person remained silent; time in the Great Void flowed swiftly past. Who could say how long had passed, before Pu Yu Perfected Person at last spoke in a gentle voice:

"We have arrived at the Northern Sea."

Gradually, the surrounding darkness receded, revealing patterns of ash and white; colors reemerged, and a biting cold wind rushed toward them, laden with myriad snowflakes.

Li Xuanfeng raised his gaze and saw the world awash in white. In the distance, endless snowy mountains and icy peaks stretched on; clouds and snow billowed, a few white eagles circling overhead, snowflakes drifting softly down.

"This is the Northern Sea..."

The icy wind and snow struck his armor with a crystalline clang. He casually warded it off with mana, hearing as he did so the laughter of Pu Yu Perfected Person:

"It seems everyone has arrived!"

Li Xuanfeng raised his eyes, and in the midair all manner of radiant lights marked the presence of these Zifu cultivators. He slowly lowered his gaze; Yuan Su at his side remained placid, turning to speak softly:

"These Perfected Persons have affairs of import to discuss within the Great Void; it is inconvenient for you to accompany them. Alight now from the clouds below—local sects will be here to receive you. In three days, I shall return."

Li Xuanfeng nodded in assent, descending from the Cloud Peak atop the golden wind. True to form, a cultivator robed in plain white awaited him, showing due respect and civility:

"I am a disciple of Beihuan Sect of the Northern Sea. I invite the Senior to accompany me."

Li Xuanfeng nodded and followed. The man observed Li Xuanfeng's weathered golden armor and the astonishing longbow on his back—those hawk-like eyes frightening even in a casual glance—grew yet more guarded in his heart:

"Most likely a cultivator stuck at Foundation Establishment for many years; he radiates pure qi, not like a Devil Cultivator... But with such a killing aura, he is not one to be trifled with."

Regaining his composure, the man immediately inquired:

"May I ask, Senior, from which country and sect do you hail? Under whose Zifu do you come? Might I have your name?"

His manner was respectful. Li Xuanfeng, uncertain of what rank this Immortal Sect stood at, quietly replied:

"Green Pond Sect, Li Xuanfeng; I accompany Yuan Su Perfected Person."

'No wonder! Yuan Su is from Qing Chi Demon Sect.'

The man thought to himself, leading the way into the icy mountains. There, many figures already sat cross-legged atop the peaks; standing before them was a white-robed cultivator with a mild expression, who bowed with folded hands:

"Xie Zhanchang of Beihuan, greetings, Taoist Fellow."

This was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, a long spear on his back, and seemed to possess considerable strength. Li Xuanfeng spoke briefly with him to clarify his identity, but did not linger in conversation, instead finding a place to sit quietly by himself.

He had scarcely seated himself when, quite unexpectedly, someone approached at a measured pace. Li Xuanfeng frowned, glancing over to see a man with fine brows and large eyes, elegant and composed. The man paused in front of him, adjusted his sleeves, and spoke warmly:

"Greetings, Taoist Xuanfeng."

"And you are...?"

Li Xuanfeng raised his brows slightly. The youth acted with proper decorum, exceedingly courteous, and with a gentle smile, politely responded:

"I am... Dongfang Heyun."