Purple-gold light glimmered as clouds and mist billowed. A gentle breeze stirred within the pavilion. A man clad in a golden-flame robe stood before the railings, hands resting upon them, his splendid garments fluttering softly in the wind. His expression was calm and composed as he gazed at the purple-gold pillar veiled within the drifting clouds.

The scenery on this island is quite fine... but the formation is mediocre. It was set up following the path of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. Though there are a few novel touches, overall it is still far too rigid...

The Daoist Master’s gaze drifted across the island, and a hint of curiosity gradually appeared in his eyes, Yet this small Moongaze Lake actually has so many low-level cultivators... truly rich in resources. Instead of sending Wei’s Li immortal officials among the common folk, they have been distributed among the various immortal mountains. Though these low-level cultivators can produce some output, it does not require heavy investment... but what is the use of keeping them?

Even if Buddhist cultivators head south and need lives to fill the gap, only Foundation Establishment Realm lives would count. Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realms... they would be futile.

The Daoist Master continued to wait while the man behind him remained silent with his head lowered. When someone manifested in the pavilion, he turned with a smile, only to find it was Li Zhouwei. A trace of disappointment flickered in his heart. Without a word, the Daoist Master bowed and said, “Fellow Daoist Minghuang, I have long heard of your great name!”

“Greetings, Senior Tianhuo.”

Li Zhouwei responded as he examined this Daoist Master of the Golden Feather Sect. He saw that the man was quite handsome and carried himself with elegance, yet his manner was casual, with a somewhat irreverent air. It matched the rumors well.

I heard that Daoist Master Tianhuo is the late-born son of a great figure in the Golden Feather Sect, thus he was exceedingly doted upon. He has a playful nature and carries little regard for status... In his early years, he even had a reputation as a wastrel.

The young man following him was the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator known as the [Jing Dragon King]. He appeared extremely well-behaved and was likely Su Yan. It was said in the Capital Immortal Dao that his devil technique was astonishing, and that he was unruly and defiant. Yet there was not a trace of that arrogance, and he looked like a steady junior.

Tianhuo had reached the Purple Mansion Realm, so those rumors had naturally faded. Yet his temperament still matched the tales; it seemed he was still fond of stirring things up. As he walked forward, he smiled and said, “When I last came, I met Chen Taoping[1] in the market. He only sought a portion of a technique for a breakthrough and even asked whether Golden Feather wanted Moongaze Lake. In his hands, this island was in poor condition, so I refused. I did not expect that now, upon seeing it again, the island would be shrouded in purple-gold, with coiling clouds and auspicious signs. It is truly a heaven-gifted treasured land, enough to show the depth of your esteemed family.”

Li Zhouwei replied casually, “It is nothing remarkable, far inferior to the Golden Feather Sect!”

He invited Tianhuo to sit. The latter entered with a smile, his gaze subtly sweeping past the spirit artifact at Li Zhouwei’s waist. Upon seeing the [Brilliant Yang King’s Axe], his eyes shifted slightly, yet his smile did not fade.

As tea was poured, Tianhuo said with a smile, “I have just come from the sect. This time, I originally came to seek the Daoist Master. After all, Zhaojing once had certain arrangements with me... However, on the way here, I heard some news.”

Li Zhouwei responded, “I would like to hear the details.”

Tianhuo said, “I heard that a new Huai River Circuit has been established in the north. The Pavilion of Profound Order has been tasked with promoting Dao lineages, and as the Orthodox Dao of the Huai River Circuit, Fellow Daoist Yehui has the highest cultivation, so he rushed to the capital overnight... Yet there is still no news of him!”

Tianhuo’s smile revealed neither joy nor anger. “His [Capital Guard] Dao does not get along with the Buddhist cultivators, and now that he stands in this position, it is only natural he would hurry to meet Wei Xuanyin. Wei Xuanyin also needs manpower from Jiangbei, so it is only natural that they would reach an agreement quickly.”

Yehui had come to speak earlier. Standing in the center of the storm, that man sought the Dao itself and held no real stance. Li Zhouwei was not surprised and only asked, “Senior, since you have received news from the north, do you know how the Bolie King fares?”

Daoist Master Tianhuo lowered his head and took a sip of tea before replying, “There is no news. I have only heard of arrangements in the capital. It seems they intend to invite him back. As for whether they will still send members of the Gao Family down, that is hard to say.”

At the current time, there were two figures in charge along the northern riverbank. One was Fachang, a Buddhist cultivator of the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm, and the other was the Bolie King. One did not get along with the Emptiness Dao, while the other had no interest in stirring trouble. Naturally, both sides remained quiet and orderly. In truth, this was also a reflection of the northern higher-ups’ reluctance to cross the river.

But if the Bolie King were to leave, the riverbank might no longer know peace.

Tianhuo then smiled and said, “However, I do have some good news to share with you.”

He took a jade box from his sleeve and set it on the table, his expression turning serious as he said, “The [River Mountain Sutra] has been unlocked. I came this time precisely to give your esteemed family an answer!”

Back then, when Tianhuo had taken Su Yan back to the sect and borrowed this item, it was precisely to use him to unlock the Dao lineage. Now that it had finally succeeded, Tianhuo gently picked up the jade box, opened its lid, and took out a pure white jade slip from within, smiling as he said, “Please!”

“As expected of the descendants of a Golden Feather True Monarch. Your immortal Dao inheritance is truly profound, to have opened this... my family must offer thanks to you, Daoist Master!”

Though Li Zhouwei spoke politely, he did not immediately accept it. Instead, he examined it carefully before smiling and saying, “Back then, the Daoist Master[2] said you would borrow the jade slip and return it once it was opened. Yet what I see today... seems to be a copied duplicate. May I ask what became of the [River Mountain Sutra]?”

The reason the [River Mountain Sutra] had come into the hands of the Li Family in the first place was because the Golden Feather Sect had once used their ancestor Li Tongya in place of Su Yan. They had even taken away a spirit artifact and left behind the distinctive [Duruo][3], which had attracted the enmity of the Miao Family.

At the time, Li Tongya had only been a minor cultivator and could not hope for fairness. It had not led to disaster, so it had also not been pursued further. But now that the Golden Feather Sect had miscalculated, this item belonged to the Li Family. Seeing that it was no ordinary thing, how could Li Zhouwei allow it to be taken away without clarity?

Sure enough, when asked this, Tianhuo showed a hint of embarrassment and replied, “The moment that jade slip was opened, it transformed into a spark of Pit Water light and fell into Su Yan’s Shenyang Mansion. Su Yan is now an inner disciple of my Golden Feather Sect and is also skilled in alchemy. We cannot forcibly dismantle his Shenyang...”

He gestured slightly, and Su Yan immediately stepped forward to bow. A faint golden light flickered in Li Zhouwei’s eyes, and indeed, within Su Yan’s Shenyang Mansion, he saw a spark of Pit Water light. It seemed to be some form of inheritance, yet also resembled a symbol of identity.

The [River Mountain Sutra] indeed contains the inheritance of that Chen Family immortal gate from back then... perhaps even the position of sect master.

This was not surprising. Otherwise, Chen Taoping would not have spent his entire life searching for it, nor would the Golden Feather Sect have remained obsessed with it for over four hundred years. Both of them understood this clearly without needing to say it aloud.

If the Li Family cultivated [Pit Water], they would have been deeply pained at this moment. Fortunately, ever since they learned that Xiao Chuting sought to attain [Pit Water], the direct line of the Li Family had gradually reduced cultivating it.

The Li Family were not alone in this. Ordinary techniques of [Pit Water] were everywhere, but true Dao lineages were rare. Cangzhou lay far in the Northern Sea, and along that path stood the formidable Xiao Chuting. Those with insight in Jiangnan were unwilling to cultivate it, yet that did not mean it could not be used as a bargaining chip.

Li Zhouwei merely smiled and said, “It seems Daoist Master truly brings good news.”

His attitude allowed Tianhuo to relax slightly, and he smiled as he said, “Thank you for your understanding, Daoist Master! I have come precisely to make amends.”

Tianhuo continued, “That spark of Pit Water light settled, yet it showed nothing particularly unusual. I asked the elders in the sect, and they said it is related to the Great Ning Palace... Ah, that is from who knows how many ages ago. If Anhuai Heaven had not appeared, our two families might have cooperated well over this. But now that Anhuai Heaven has long since appeared and the Great Ning Palace has already been destroyed, what use is it?”

1. First appeared in Chapter 122. ☜

2. Referring to Li Ximing. ☜

3. Li Qinghong’s spear. ☜