Chapter 741 528: Swallowing the Pearl

Zipei Perfected Person asked her question and paused. Instantly, the purple qi within the Cave Mansion billowed and then stilled with her words. Li Xuanfeng could only reply:

"This humble cultivator is originally from the Li Family at Wangyue Lake, received the guidance of Perfected Person, and guarded at the Southern Border. Now, I serve under the Ning Family."

"Li Family of Wangyue?"

Zipei Perfected Person did not seem to care much, only listened as Pu Yu Perfected Person softly said:

"Senior, I hear they are kin of the Weili, under the jurisdiction of Green Pond."

"So, it's the Weili."

After hearing this, Zipei Perfected Person instantly lost interest, apparently having little fondness for the Weili. Yet, since Li Xuanfeng was among Elemental's associates, she mulled it over and then asked:

"Weili, since you like stirring up trouble, find a place to rest on the peak. When the time comes, return with Sibo Xiu!"

Li Xuanfeng cupped his hands in farewell and descended into the mountains within the Immortal Realm, shrouded in drifting purple qi. Watching him leave, Pu Yu Perfected Person grew solemn and said:

"Senior Elemental has spared no effort, leaving his pawn with the Ning Family for the sake of his descendants' safety…"

"Mm."

Zipei Perfected Person responded lightly. She naturally saw through it all, and softly said:

"Had he died within the sect, this [Xinyou Zhu Lu Marsh Seal] would most likely end up in the hands of the Chi Family or Sibo Xiu. Even if his own lineage claimed it as master, they could not withstand the covert means within the sect."

"By dying watched by all, he managed to preserve the [Xinyou Zhu Lu Marsh Seal]. With Jin Yu Sect, you, and myself standing as guarantors, Sibo Xiu must also mind his reputation. At the very least, it can be kept for several decades."

Pu Yu Perfected Person shook her head and said:

"Ultimately, it cannot be kept forever. If Sibo Xiu waits too long, he'll grow anxious. With a little coercion, he can always find a way to make him hand it over willingly."

Within the misty purple qi of the Cave Mansion, Zipei Perfected Person sat down and nodded, saying:

"Is there not a Ning Wan? Several decades are ample. If the breakthrough succeeds, they will defensibly safeguard the spiritual artifact in name and reality. If the breakthrough fails, keeping it brings disaster, giving it up is for the best."

Both Perfected Persons had clearly seen through Elemental's designs—indeed, even Sibo Xiu knew, but each simply went along with the flow.

Pu Yu Perfected Person waited a while, seemingly lost in thought. After a long time, she softly spoke:

"A battle between several Perfected Lords is not something settled in a short time. But this sky over the Northern Sea must be repaired. All sects must join forces, and a Perfected Lord must be summoned."

"If the sea keeps dropping like this, by the time all the Perfected Lords return, the Northern Sea will flood the wilderness and connect to the East and West Seas, submerging untold sects and devouring who knows how many territories."

Zipei Perfected Person nodded, clearly considering this a grave concern as well, and softly replied:

"Lady Beiyao has frequently manifested these years, and is the most approachable. Let us go seek her."

"As for who should take the lead… naturally, the Xiuyue Sect. Green Pond, Jin Yu, Dragon Kind—those who act must contribute. Let us wait for Xiuyue to make their move."

Pu Yu Perfected Person nodded lightly, glanced eastward, and smiled, saying:

"All the Perfected Lords have gone beyond the heavens to do battle; the Dragon Kind are about to seize thunder."

...

East Sea.

The waves surged, the waters glittered azure and clear. All sorts of monsters frequently rode the wind above the sea, treading the waves, while scattered islands dotted the expanse, a star-studded array. Demons and fiends mingled, weaving across the ocean.

Usually, many cultivators would be flying about; now, the air was fraught with panic, as streaks of escaping light traversed the sky, trailing streams of brilliance of various hues.

The islands on the sea now revealed a more bestial visage; former large islands—such as Fenkui Island, Pure Unity Island, Red Reef Island—had each grown by thirty or forty percent, expanding a thousand miles. Marketplaces once established upon riverbeds now surfaced, with formations shining with brilliance overhead.

Even medium-sized islands, like Qingsong and Dongliu, had grown much larger. Cultivators watched the sea with a mix of worry and relief.

On the seafloor, demon caves gradually became exposed; little demons wielding tridents gazed blankly as the sea receded inch by inch. Thunder rumbled violently across heaven and earth, yet not a single drop of rain fell.

Li Qinghong led a group of Sect Spring Island cultivators for an inspection. The island had already expanded nearly a hundred miles, still continuing to stretch outward, revealing corals and myriad fish and shrimp.

Sect Spring Island now housed more than thirty thousand people, both children and adults standing in dread along the former shore, looking on in terror and daze. Some of the braver ones had already rolled up their trouser legs and waded into the sea, tossing the fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs from the strand into their baskets.

Li Qinghong hovered in midair, spear in hand, thunderbolt force surging beneath her feet, threads of purple light flowing, unable to mask the deep worry across her brow.

She could vaguely see colors rising to the north, but where Li Xizhi was—refining the mountain, north of Heshui Sea, adjacent to the Northern Sea—it was visible from there. But Li Qinghong, stationed here in Zhu Lu Sea—so far south it was near the South Sea—could only make out a few streaks of colored light, and nothing more.

She could only have Zong Yan settle the crowd, waited quietly for a while, then decided to seek out Hui Yao and inquire.

Once the scouts were sent into the sea, Li Qinghong watched the time, then quietly concealed her form, waiting in the sky.

Sure enough, after a short, patient wait, that green fish with scaled wings under his ribs burst swiftly from the water, transforming into a half-man, half-fish shape, wielding a sea trident in his hand.

Only then did he retract his demonic wind, settled into form, and bowed respectfully:

"Ah! I greet the fairy."

The year they slew the cloud kraken together, he was terribly frightened by Li Qinghong's thunderbolt—thunderbolt force being the way to exterminate demons and monsters, thus earning his wholehearted submission.

Now upon seeing Li Qinghong, already at late Foundation Establishment, and with a purple flask at her waist marked by crackling lightning patterns, concealing deep and unfathomable thunderbolt force, he was instantly cowed: