The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1515: Profound Light Lineage Background (II)

Great Zhao, the capital.

The brilliant morning sun rose at the horizon, piercing through the clouds and casting streams of golden light that passed through countless immortal terraces and pavilions, flickering in the distance.

The shadowed steps reflected a bronze sheen under the growing light. Eighteen hundred long stairways stretched across drifting clouds, exuding a solemn and cold sense of authority.

The sunlight climbed up onto the platform inch by inch, illuminating the vast immortal terrace with gates standing in all directions, and finally lighting up the plaque above the grand hall, revealing four stark white words.

[Pavilion of Profound Order].

The grand hall was vast. At its center stood a bright silver cauldron filled with clear water as still as a mirror, emitting a faint, radiant glow that reflected the calm eyes of the long-haired man seated at the high seat above.

He wore a feather-like silver robe, each layer resembling plumes. His eyes were long and narrow, carrying a certain androgynous softness. A silver incense burner sat before him on the table, and a hairpin he had removed rested to the side.

This was none other than the current National Preceptor of Great Zhao, the leading figure of the Pavilion Viewing faction, Wei Xuanyin.

He sat quietly at the desk. His demeanor was quite different from when he had been in Lower Luo. There was more composure to him now. Upon closer inspection, his features seemed more masculine, lacking the earlier softness he had shown when suppressing the Supreme Yang Dao lineage.

A pale silver table was placed about ten steps away from the main seat. In the vast hall, that distance already felt quite close. There were no spirit items or fine wine upon it, only a simple bronze plate filled with several kinds of sand powders that emitted a faint glow.

Seated by the table was a woman in a pale yellow Dharma robe. Her features were delicate and her bearing refined. The aura of Stable Earth divine ability around her was fluctuating, as if she had just broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm. Unfortunately, her willow-like brows were slightly furrowed, revealing a trace of confusion and unease. Since the host had not spoken, she could only wait patiently.

“Martial uncle!”

A bright laugh sounded from outside the hall. A young man in a Daoist robe patterned with dark clouds, trimmed in gold against a white base, and bound with a purple sash at the waist stepped in.

Wei Xuanyin raised his brows and said gently, “My martial nephew has returned.”

Ch’i Lanyan entered with a smile, then shifted slightly to reveal the people behind him. It turned out to be two junior cultivators in black crowns, carrying a jade tray. On it lay several thick volumes of golden texts.

Ch’i Lanyan said seriously, “I asked my junior sister and brought the [Zhaoyao Mountain Secret Immortal Genealogy]. It required incense rites and purification, which delayed things somewhat. Please do not take offense!”

The woman in yellow quickly responded, “I would not dare!”

Wei Xuanyin glanced at her with a faint smile, showing no arrogance, and simply said, “Please.”

The woman said respectfully, “The founding ancestor of the [Profound Light Peak Moving Great Dao] was named Luo Yuan. He was a disciple of Grand Daoist Master Lü Bai of [Tongxuan Palace]. He came from the land of Shu and later spread the Dao in Lower Luo.

“Zhou Zhaozi inherited it and passed it to Li Bi. Three generations after Li Bi, the lineage entered the Ning era, where it was passed to Zhao Yan. Zhao Yan then passed it to Kong Xia, transforming the sect into a clan over ten generations. Among their ancestors, Daoist Master Changxi, Kong Yanxi[1], achieved divine ability.”

This woman was none other than Kong Tingyun, who had disappeared after the northern phenomenon!

Ch’i Lanyan picked up the genealogy scroll, glanced through it, and said, “Grand Daoist Master Lü Bai fell while attempting to reach the Surplus Position. He did have a disciple named Luo Yuan. Though not of the orthodox Pavilion Viewing lineage, he indeed has proper roots.”

Kong Tingyun lowered her gaze and remained silent. After she emerged from her breakthrough, this Daoist Master Ch’i had appeared within the earth veins, claiming to share the same Tongxuan Dao lineage, and demanded that she return north with him to acknowledge her ancestry first.

Kong Tingyun could tell at a glance that this Daoist Master possessed extremely high cultivation and formidable divine abilities. The joy of her breakthrough had been instantly doused like cold water. When she looked to her gate for support, she was firmly refused. Profound Peak Gate had already been carved up and divided!

This news nearly made her cough up blood, but the Daoist Master before her displayed undeniable divine abilities. Kong Tingyun had no chance to hesitate and was immediately half-escorted, half-forced into the Pavilion of Profound Order.

Then an even more terrifying Grand Daoist Master appeared!

Kong Tingyun was not without discernment. Leaving aside the peak divine abilities radiating from him, even the many spirit artifacts on the table were far beyond her reach. Her heart was filled with unease and doubt.

Her elder Changxi had spent half his life running about, asking everywhere, yet no faction had ever acknowledged that they truly came from the Tongxuan Dao lineage, nor had anyone admitted that the [Profound Light Peak Moving Great Dao] was an ancient Dao lineage. And now, the moment she broke through, people from the Pavilion of Profound Order had already come knocking!

They probably intend to use me!

For now, she could only stand silently to the side, saying nothing, listening as the Grand Daoist Master said casually, “Unfortunately, there are no portraits or genealogies, so everything remains uncertain… But in the end, they are from Xu State and achieved a Purple Mansion Realm breakthrough in Jiangbei. By rights, they should be recorded within the Pavilion of Profound Order, especially since they cultivate the Tongxuan Dao lineage.”

Wei Xuanyin was strictly keeping to the rules. Ch’i Lanyan nodded and replied respectfully, “From what I understand, Daoist Master Changxi was affected by the True Monarch’s northern campaign of that time. His entire family suffered a great calamity and declined, only to rise again through him.”

Wei Xuanyin showed some interest and nodded. “So he can be considered someone favored by fate. What was his cultivation? The [Stable Earth] lineage is tightly guarded. I suspect his level was not very high!”

Ch’i Lanyan quickly bowed and answered, “Martial Uncle’s guess is correct. He was in the early stage of the Purple Mansion Realm and cultivated the [Fool’s Mountain Chase]. However, in his eagerness to pursue the Dao, he used certain methods in his early years and ended up entangled with a Maha. This was discovered by the Nian Family.

“They reported it to that one, who was already displeased with his boasting and attempts to claim credit regarding the True Monarch. How could this be tolerated? Fortunately, that one did not appear personally and likely sent someone to issue a private warning. From then on, he became cautious and did not dare to act further.”

At those words, Wei Xuanyin raised his brows slightly, while Kong Tingyun felt as though her world collapsed, her mind slowly going blank, What? How is that possible?!

Kong Tingyun knew her ancestor was far from upright, having employed many underhanded methods, though none had ever succeeded. In the end, he had only gathered disciples, remaining at the early stage of the Purple Mansion Realm until death. Never had she imagined such a background behind it all.

Connected to the Nian Family, and referred to as ‘that one’ by these two. Who else could it be? She was clever enough to figure it out instantly, and a chill spread through her heart.

These two brought me here from afar. They would not fabricate such lies to deceive me. Many things from the past did have their doubts. Could it be that my ancestor had been waiting for that one to fail his breakthrough, cultivating successors one after another, only to waste his remaining years?

Wei Xuanyin seemed to sense something. He closed the book in his hand and said with interest, “What is it?”

Ch’i Lanyan was equally perceptive and replied with a smile, “It was my junior sister who noticed it. By all rights, that one is not an overbearing person, and Changxi was already old enough to deserve some respect. Yet when Changxi met him, he was so terrified he did not dare raise his head with excessive deference. We later investigated and found he had some connection to the Maha of the Great Desire Dao. That Maha was slain by that one and never dared head south again. Changxi must have received a warning message because of it.”

Kong Tingyun’s pupils widened slightly as she listened. Wei Xuanyin chuckled softly and shook his head before saying calmly, “Enough… Let us not dwell on the past. Take her down and explain the current situation. At the very least, step in and help her reclaim her family members.”

He smiled faintly, his androgynous gentleness bringing life to his entire face. “And afterward… the mountain gate should be reclaimed as well, should it not?”

1. The given name of Daoist Master Changxi. ☜