The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1535: Azure Pond (II)

Li Zhouda’s eyes suddenly snapped open. White bone and flesh rapidly grew beneath his neck once more, while the scattered organs and mangled upper body lying in the mud leaped up as though they had grown legs of their own, reattaching themselves beneath his head. Even his original armor and clothing were reconstructed perfectly by Bright Yang heavenly light. The man abruptly sat upright, turned away, and violently spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Meanwhile, lower limbs regenerated out of thin air beneath Qu Buzhi, whom Li Zhouming had been carrying the entire time. Standing steadily upon the clouds once more, the old man bowed with tears streaming down his face.

“Many thanks, Daoist Master!”

Li Quewan rose to her feet with visible relief, though the anxiety on her face only lessened slightly as she hurriedly said, “Uncle… there are probably still others scattered across the region…”

Li Zhouwei nodded toward her. Only then did the two of them notice another person following behind him, clearly someone he had just rescued as well. Though his face was deathly pale, it could not conceal the remarkable heroic aura about him. It was Li Jiangxia.

Divine abilities stirred across the battlefield as troops clad in golden armor and robes rode streams of light in every direction. They moved swiftly across the riverbank, searching everywhere. In an instant, countless conspicuous lights appeared throughout the darkness like flames burning within a nighttime forest, illuminating the land with brilliant radiance.

But there were only white bones to be seen everywhere Li Zhouwei’s gaze fell. Emotions churned heavily within his chest.

As long as I took part and the Li Family sent even more cultivators… Suiguan wouldn’t have cared in the slightest about distinguishing friend from foe. It wasn’t only the monks and commoners on the northern shore who suffered slaughter. Even the Li Family and Azure Pond Sect cultivators who crossed over from the southern shore were injured and killed all the same…

“Elder brother!”

Li Zhouming nearly burst into tears. He no longer addressed Li Zhouwei formally as ‘my lord’ as he usually did, but simply called him elder brother instead. Li Zhouwei helped Li Zhouda to his feet before turning toward Li Quewan with praise in his eyes.

“You’ve worked hard.”

After coughing out the black blood, Li Zhouda’s complexion looked noticeably better. He was a straightforward man by nature, and there was little joy on his face at having survived death. Instead, it overflowed with deep hatred and fury. After giving his thanks, he moved to kneel once more.

Li Zhouwei stopped him, his brows tightly furrowed as he said softly, “Fortunately, you acted wisely, and most of your qihai was preserved. I’ll seal it for now to prevent your cultivation from dispersing further… Once we return home, we can use proper methods to treat it.”

He lifted the three of them and traversed through the air. In the blink of an eye, they had already arrived at the small pavilion atop the mountain peak.

Li Jiangqian had already entered seclusion several days ago, leaving the pavilion completely empty. Li Zhouwei left Li Jiangxia to tally the survivors and said quietly, “Count the casualties… Do not act recklessly. Just hold the southern side for now.”

Li Jiangxia bowed in acknowledgment. Only then did Li Zhouwei bring Li Quewan across the island and into the inner formation before finally asking, “How are your injuries?”

Li Quewan bowed respectfully and replied, “I merely expended some blood qi to rush here. This place was indeed extremely difficult to calculate. I only managed to locate them after reaching the site of the battle and secretly using the immortal artifact to probe their positions… Fortunately, I did not lose too much lifespan.”

Her eyes reddened slightly as she said softly, “I simply never imagined that Pristine Water wonders could be this terrifying… this ruthless!”

Li Zhouwei had long since anticipated as much. He nodded silently and replied in a quiet voice, “It was Suiguan… and this matter does not concern Azure Pond Sect alone. During all these years that Jiangbei was occupied by Buddhist cultivators… the millions relocated there were prepared from the very beginning for this very day. All for [Wanlin Heaven]!”

Suiguan had revealed traces of [Wanlin Heaven], and the phenomenon within the great void had persisted for a long time before only now beginning to fade. Judging from Suiguan’s intentions, the descent of Wanlin Heaven was merely a matter of time!

Anhuai Heaven and Wanlin Heaven… Both are renowned grotto heavens of Jiangbei. Back then, the Metallic Essence of Anhuai Heaven shocked all sides and drew Purple Mansion cultivators into the open. Wanlin Heaven is even more ancient and exalted. The turmoil it will bring is bound to be even more violent!

Seeing him lost in thought, Li Quewan spoke with lingering shock, “So it was Daoist Master Suiguan… Yet the cultivators below only know it as a Pristine Water divine ability of the Azure Pond Sect. They all believe Daoist Master Ning used some extraordinary treasure…

“Along the way here, all I saw were fearful cultivators everywhere. Even in the conflicts between north and south, Jiangbei’s methods have never been this brutal in hundreds of years!

“The name of the Azure Pond Devil Sect… will likely become the foremost in all Jiangnan, impossible to erase ever again… As for Daoist Master Qiuhu… I do not know how she can possibly continue to stand among others after this!”

————

Boom!

Thunder rumbled through the sky, and for an instant the world flashed bright. Faint specks of gray-white could be seen scattered throughout the darkness, revealing the ghostly stillness of countless white bones.

The river along the shores of the Wilderness had already spread for several miles, flooding all the way to the foot of the mountains. Even at the highest points of the bank, the water still submerged one’s ankles. Scattered figures stood motionless within the water or hovered above its surface, silent as statues.

Ning Wan rode the wind and snow back, her expression calm once more. She descended upon a mountain peak in the Wilderness, where Lin Wuning stepped forward to receive her.

Ever since taking control of the sect’s highest position, this man had always carried himself with confidence and vigor. Yet now he appeared panicked and terrified.

Bowing before her, he trembled as he said, “M-Master…”

Ning Wan swept her gaze across the surroundings. Not a single Azure Pond Sect cultivator atop the mountain dared raise their head to look at her, every one of them wearing strange and uneasy expressions. Only Li Yuanqin remained calm, quietly waiting at the side.

After uttering that single sentence, ‘What does that have to do with me?’, Suiguan had vanished without a trace. Just like his arrival, his departure had been bizarre beyond comparison, as though he had never existed at all. Only she was left to return alone and face the terrified gazes along the riverbank.

As a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had mastered [Clear Hearing], Ning Wan never trusted in mere illusion. If she felt this way, then Suiguan had most likely already used some kind of method. Even she, a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, had been affected to this extent. As for the lower cultivators throughout Jiangnan, they would likely gradually forget Suiguan altogether.

What a method… truly an incredible method. It’s likely some art that diminishes karmic ties and evades retribution in order to nurture and preserve one’s life!

Ning Wan concealed her emotions and quietly looked at her disciple. “How is it…”

Lin Wuning grew even more fearful and lowered his voice as he replied, “The people from Purple Smoke Gate and Xiukui Dao Gate suddenly withdrew without saying a word… Something must have happened. They said… they said…”

Ning Wan’s expression darkened slightly as she said in a low voice, “There’s no need to say anything further to them.”

Lin Wuning did not know how to respond. He followed Ning Wan all the way into the brightly lit main hall and waited as the Daoist Master seated herself at the main seat. Just as he hesitated to speak, hurried footsteps sounded from outside. A disciple rushed into the hall and dropped to his knees.

“Daoist Master… Shanji Prefecture has already been surrounded by the Daoist Master of Profound Peak Gate! The Daoist Master of Grace Covenant Gate has disappeared without a trace… It is said… It is said the gate has already descended into complete chaos, and the direct lineage appears to have withdrawn long ago…”

Ning Wan seemed not to hear him at all as she said with a complicated expression, “Have there been any phenomena within the territory of Xuanmiao Temple?”

The disciple froze for a moment before shaking his head hesitantly. “I have heard of none…”

At last, the woman closed her eyes without another word, exhaustion evident upon her face. The divine ability [Clear Hearing], stimulated by too much malice and hatred, began operating on its own and climbed to its utmost limit, transmitting every stirring of human emotion across the mountain into her ears.

Lin Wuning kneeling below the hall, Si Tongyi standing silently somewhere within the mountains, Fei Qingyi and Qin Xian waiting in the side halls…

From the direct lineage of the Ning Family to the Azure Pond’s inner sect, from passing rogue cultivators to fleeing commoners… She heard sorrowful cries, helpless terror, cold mocking laughter, unwilling resentment, and hatred so deep they wished to flay flesh and devour meat.

The overwhelming Pristine Water Qi had devoured far more than the millions of northern commoners. It had also consumed the Azure Pond Sect disciples upon the battlefield, the direct descendants of various families, rogue cultivators, guest cultivators… and even the commoners of the Wilderness.

At that instant, her gaze seemed to pierce directly into the hearts of everyone present. Faintly, Ning Wan felt as though she had returned to Pristine Gui Pool, back into that invisible roaring gale, as that hoarse and unpleasant voice echoed once more.

“Once I’m dead and you sit alone upon this Pristine Gui Pool, you’ll finally understand how troublesome it truly is.”

Within the heavy gloom emerged that gaunt, ghost-like face. Those bulging eyes, seemingly ready to fall from their sockets, continued staring at her.

“You are the master of the Azure Pond Sect! Whether you wish it or not, you are no longer the Ning Family of Azure Pond Sect… You are the Azure Pond Sect of the Ning Family!”