The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1499: Senior Brother (II)

The Azure Pond Sect was indeed in troubled times and in urgent need of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Having a Grand Daoist Master backing them should have been a good thing. But Suiguan was no ordinary figure! Not only was he deeply tied to the Pristine Water True Monarch, he had remained ageless, and his divine abilities had reached perfection.

Forget Ning Wan as she was now… Even if Si Boxiu[1] returned from the dead, he would have no choice but to behave before this man. Yet Ning Wan had said nothing and given no instructions. The more one thought about the details, the more unsettling it became…

Seeing both men unable to speak, Si Xunhui said quietly, “By the Azure Pond Sect’s long-standing rules, every Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of the sect who has attained the Dao must enter [Pristine Cadence Heaven] once…”

He hesitated for a long while, then finally sighed. “And within [Pristine Cadence Heaven] hangs an object called the [Pristine Terrace Heart-Awakening Sword]. Any Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who enters the grotto heaven will have this sword rise toward their Shenyang and leave a sword mark within their Shenyang Mansion.

“The mysteries of this thing are unfathomable. Whether it is the great one’s divine ability or some kind of Dharma relic is still debated to this day…”

He continued, “However, my ancestors regarded it as a Dharma relic. In today’s terms, it would be a Golden Core Realm Dharma relic. But in ancient times it was called an [Order]. Since it came from the lineage of Pristine Water, it was known as the [Pristine Water Order].”

The Si Family had existed since ancient times, and he knew far more than the other two. His expression was grave now, and the other two listened, absorbed, as Si Xunhui said very seriously, “Others do not know the purpose of that mark. It is only said it can protect the soul and prevent others from searching it. Over these many years at the Azure Pond Sect, whether Chi Wei or the Three Yuans, all of them have entered…”

Quan Yuduan fell silent, then said quietly, “I had only heard of the Golden Bridge Lock. I never imagined there was a Heart-Awakening Sword.”

Si Xunhui sighed inwardly. After all this discussion, he felt like he had said too much and grew uneasy, quickly adding in agreement, “How could anyone have guessed? That heaven-gifted prodigy within Pristine Cadence Heaven is admired for good reason.”

He quickly stopped and turned to ask Quan Yuduan, “Shrinking the market towns and increasing tribute… what kind of arrangement is that?”

Quan Yuduan shook his head slightly and replied, “I only oversee the place. According to orders from above, for the next six months, the funds and manpower used to maintain the market towns, gather spirit items, and preserve stability in the prefecture will be cut in half. And they may yet be reduced further.

“The sect has suffered repeated blows these years, and our numbers were never abundant to begin with. From the looks of the arrangements, standards for recruiting disciples have risen again. Not only will the peaks remain understaffed, I would not be surprised if we end up with even fewer people!”

Si Xunhui silently took note. His gaze passed naturally beyond Quan Yuduan, seeing the pavilion doors left open, many jade talismans chiming in the wind. He lowered his head and sipped his tea.

————

Northern Shore.

Lingering snow drifted through the air, mingling with moonlight as it fell across the steps. The main hall high atop Glacial Cloud Peak was brightly lit, and a man clad in fine scaled armor sat in the seat of honor, slowly opening his eyes.

Li Zhouwei had cultivated at the northern shore for some time, focusing on the [Profound Vast Art]. Originally, this art was cultivated faster within the Realm of Sun and Moon Radiance, but the Grand Daoist Master of Mount Luoxia had only recently departed. Unlike others, he was not in a particularly safe position right now. Since the unrest in the north was continuing without pause, he decided not to save that little bit of time and simply cultivated here instead.

With the art completed, he parted his lips slightly, and a white breath poured from his nose and mouth. It shifted into various forms in midair, then quickly scattered under the assault of the cold, leaving not a trace behind.

Though the Profound Vast Art is difficult, it is not so difficult that no progress can be made. Now that I have cultivated this breath of white qi, I can be considered to have initiated its cultivation!

His spiritual sense stirred and rose into the great void. Closing his eyes to look inward, he saw streams of snow-white pure qi circling around his Shenyang Mansion, like stars surrounding the moon, supporting it in their midst.

This was the [Broad Vast Pure Qi] formed through the [Profound Vast Art], capable of healing the body. At present he had formed only one portion. With his current Dao attainment, he could gather at most three portions, and each portion took about a year.

The condition for gathering [Broad Vast Pure Qi] was an unblemished body, meaning no injuries. It did not require his constant attention as cultivation did. Once the art was cultivated, it would rise on its own. The speed of that rise depended on Dao attainment, with [Pure Essence] naturally ranked first, followed by the Twelve Essences.

Bright Yang was not considered fast, but it was sufficient. Li Zhouwei estimated silently that while three portions would be useful to ordinary cultivators, for him it was little more than a minor aid, enough only for small wounds.

In any case, I do not need to raise it myself. Once cultivated, I can simply let it be. The sooner it is completed, the sooner it has more time to rise. The deeper this method advances, the greater its effect.

He stepped out of the hall and saw a sturdy white-haired old man approach him. The man bowed and said in a rough voice, “I have returned from the northern foothills and received a reply. Several masters of Mount Dali have already entered seclusion. Though I met a few demon generals, the date of their emergence is still unknown. According to Fellow Daoist Lu[2], it likely will not be a matter of a day or two.”

The last time the Grand Daoist Master of Mount Luoxia appeared at Lijing Town, a white-robed man with four ears had appeared. Li Zhouwei had then inferred that he must be that fox tribe figure from Mount Dali whose divine abilities were even greater.

Though the northern foothills had always been fox tribe territory, and it was only natural they would come take a look when the Grand Daoist Master of Mount Luoxia appeared there, combined with the earlier words of Demon King Qingyu Qian, part of it had clearly been for his sake. Li Zhouwei naturally intended to go offer thanks.

But friendship is one thing. The fox tribe will absolutely not let this matter touch them. If I go pay a visit the moment the Grand Daoist Master of Mount Luoxia leaves, it will inevitably look too sensitive.

So he had sent the white ape to make the trip, using a visit between friends as a way to test the waters. Sure enough, the other party had entered seclusion early and refused to meet. He understood the implication clearly.

“I understand…”

Li Zhouwei was not surprised. He dismissed the white ape, stepped into the great void, and began thinking in silence as he took out the jade slip from his sleeve.

The [River Mountain Sutra]!

A Purple Mansion Realm technique of [Boundless Ocean] Dao, ranked fully at fifth-grade, had now been unsealed. It was surely the hidden inheritance the Chen Family of Ning State kept in reserve. It also came with all manner of movement arts and spell arts, all quite marvelous, though sadly their affinities did not match.

It is well known Daoist Master Xiao cultivates [Pit Water]. My family has old ties with the Xiao Family. A portion of this should be given to him. It is not convenient for me to go personally, but grand-uncle has dealt with him several times. Better strike while the iron is hot and have grand-uncle make the trip. It would be better delivered by him.

But he had only just stepped into the great void when his expression suddenly changed. The manifested world was already shaking violently, forcing him to step back onto the lake, his golden pupils snapping toward the southeast.

There he saw waves of qi rolling across the southeastern sky, thunder rumbling, ghostly wails rising, purple rain falling from heaven, and spiritual qi surging forth, throwing the nearby spiritual energies into constant turmoil.

Someone failed in breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm!

With a single glance, Li Zhouwei knew this person’s accumulation had been extremely deep. They had likely reached the very final step, only to fail unexpectedly at that last barrier and ultimately perish.

Amid the falling rain, a mountain-like phenomenon of white surging qi was rising into the sky, visible from afar. It shattered the heavy rain clouds one by one and stood towering above the clouds. Dawn was rising, draping itself over that mountain in the clouds and casting it in a sheet of gold.

What a vast expanse of purple rain and white peaks. Half of Yue State can likely see this!

But before he could marvel further, he saw a pitch-black colossal mass suddenly emerge within the hazy purple rain, steadily rising upward bit by bit. Upon that colossal mass stood pavilions and towers in full, pines and cypresses upright and still covered in snow, winding paths threading through them, and cultivators in feathered robes circling about. It looked astonishingly lively.

From the distance, voices cried out, “A mountain?! Such a massive mountain!”

A towering mountain had actually seized the moment to rise into the air.

Boom!

Only then did Li Zhouwei understand where the earlier earthshaking upheaval had come from.

Someone is taking advantage of this to move a mountain!

Looking into the distance, countless cultivators rose from the ground like ants, craning their heads upward and staring dumbfounded at the unprecedented gigantic mountain in the sky.

Meanwhile, the white qi in the clouds seemed to have seen something irresistibly alluring. It descended from the sky in streams, clinging one by one to the mountain and supporting the entire peak.

The wind and rain had ceased, though faint specks of soil could still be seen falling from afar. The mountain paused in the air for a brief instant, then under the lifting support of white qi, drifted away, sailing into layer upon layer of cloud and mist until it vanished from sight.

Li Zhouwei stared at the mountain ascending into the heavens, his pupils widening slightly as a name slowly surfaced in his mind, [Xianyou Peak]!

1. Also known as Daoist Master Yuanxiu. ☜

2. Referring to Luken the deer demon. ☜