Chapter 1557: Snow Of Tianwan (II) |
Qin Xian's body trembled. He was completely unprepared, and hardly dared to believe it. He had assumed the position of sect master would certainly go to Si Tongyi. Getting even a share of the benefits would have been enough, so how could he have imagined obtaining such a position? For a moment, his mouth went dry.
"This… how could that be appropriate…"
He stole a glance at Si Tongyi, only to see him smiling, "With Guest Elder Qin handling it… everyone can rest assured!"
Joy appeared on Qin Xian's face at Si Tongyi's smile. He swore solemnly, "I will serve the Daoist Master unto death!"
Si Tongyi did not understand Si Yuanli's intentions, nor was he without desire for the sect master position. But now that his elder had become a Daoist Master, and he was the only junior of his line, his position was already secure. There was no need to compete for a sect master position.
Smiling, he saw Qin Xian off, then turned back to hear Si Yuanli speak leisurely, "Have the younger generation step down from their posts within the sect. Find suitable excuses to send them all to the Southern Sea. Make preparations to keep them out of this matter."
Alarmed, Si Tongyi responded, "Yes…"
He was about to leave when Si Yuanli called him back. After pondering for a long time, he instructed, "Send someone to the Li Family…"
Si Tongyi hesitated slightly, then looked toward Si Xunhui, as if making a decision. His tone shifted, and with a smile, he said, "Xunhui, you will accompany me to the Li Family!"
Si Yuanli stroked his beard and smiled. "Ning Wan does not follow the Azure Pond Sect's conventions, so neither will I. Let it be called… Qinghu."
The two agreed, but a trace of deep sorrow flashed across Si Yuanli's face. He let out a heavy sigh and said, "Before that, there is still one matter to attend to… I have heard that the ancestor failed his breakthrough in the Southern Sea. I should go there to pay my respects, then return to the sect's tomb to report this good news to him!"
————
"The Eastern Sea… Zhen Tao Residence…"
White blossoms covered Zhijing Mountain. A Daoist Master sat by a table, calmly sipping tea as Radiant Light gathered about him and True Fire lay in coils. Another stood nearby in armor, taller and more imposing, hands clasped behind his back as he faced the mountains.
Li Quewan knelt to the side, somewhat surprised, and replied, "I will follow the decrees of the two Daoist Masters…"
Li Ximing merely smiled. "The spiritual energy there is not lacking. This is all for your benefit."
Li Quewan hurriedly said, "I have no such intention! It is only that if I devote myself to cultivation, matters at home will have to trouble my brothers."
Li Ximing shook his head with a chuckle, while Li Quewan hesitated before speaking again, "I still have a matter to report."
"Oh?"
Li Ximing raised a brow, and Li Quewan reported, "A few days ago, I went to the Wilderness, intending to see my younger brothers before entering seclusion. While calculating the fluctuations of spiritual energy, I detected several irregular disturbances. My Immortal Foundation gave warning signs, as if a bound shackle were quietly loosening. I fear there may be changes."
"The Wilderness?"
Li Ximing's first thought was naturally about Wanlin Heaven across the river, but upon hearing it was in the Wilderness, doubt stirred within him. Li Zhouwei had already turned his head, deep in thought.
Li Ximing immediately understood.
If Quewan has detected something unusual, she must have already used an immortal item to investigate. She has surely seen some clues, though they may not be easy to explain. Still, she is confident.
They exchanged a glance, then stepped together into the great void. In just a few steps, they had arrived above the Wilderness within the great void.
Li Zhouwei swept his gaze across the area. His divine ability brushed over it as he nodded thoughtfully. "There is indeed something unusual!"
Li Ximing's illusion-breaking arts were far inferior to Li Zhouwei's, but he silently invoked his own technique and scanned the area. The world seemed to clear before his eyes. Beneath his feet, within the darkness, a faint patch of illusory white emerged, its light rippling like water.
Though he had never seen this color before, it felt strangely familiar. Li Ximing's heart stirred as he asked, "A formation?"
Li Zhouwei nodded slightly. The two descended together into the depths of the great void, following the spirit vein downward. They sank who knew how deep, as the fluctuations of the great void grew intense, until they saw a mass of gentle white light flickering and surging violently.
Li Ximing sensed slightly. This region of the great void corresponded to a frigid cavern deep underground. The surroundings were pitch dark, and the air biting cold. Ice crystals formed everywhere, and the earth's baleful energy was thick and oppressive.
"So there is a space deep beneath the earth…"
Li Zhouwei's golden eyes slowly swept across the area when he suddenly heard his granduncle speak in a grave tone through divine ability, "There's someone."
Sure enough, a woman in white stood within the frigid cavern.
Her hair fell loosely about her shoulders. With bright eyes and a delicate nose, her beauty was striking. Her skin was like congealed snow, her bearing as cold as frost. She stood quietly amid the chill, like a blizzard condensed into human form, accompanied by a biting, icy wind.
Cultivating [Cold Essence] naturally enhanced one's appearance and temperament, and her features were exquisitely refined. Within that coldness lay a grace fitting of an Eastern beauty, making her seem otherworldly at a glance.
Li Ximing had seen countless women, and even he was struck at first glance. Yet the intense radiance of divine ability had already entered his sight, and in the next instant, his heart tightened.
Four streams of Cold Essence divine ability had condensed around her, circling her body in a terrifying display.
He was inwardly shaken, A Grand Daoist Master of the [Cold Essence] Dao?
There were many who cultivated [Cold Essence], but very few who reached the level of Grand Daoist Master. In the next moment, Li Ximing understood.
It was Tianwan!
Daoist Master Tianwan of Crimson Reef Island!
At that same moment, Tianwan, who had been meditating with closed eyes, slowly opened them and raised her head. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the great void, falling upon the two of them like drifting snow.
Decades had passed, yet her appearance had not changed in the slightest. The only difference was that the divine ability she had cultivated upon stepping past the immortal threshold had now reached perfection, coiling around her like a raging blizzard.
Daoist Master Tianwan cultivated [Cold Essence]. Though the path had its flaws and she was not skilled in combat, she was still a Grand Daoist Master. While she could not compare to figures like Changxiao or Wei Xuanyin, handling an ordinary mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator posed no difficulty for her.
Crimson Reef Island held a deep enmity with the Li Family, almost like a generational feud. Encountering Tianwan here sent a chill down Li Ximing's spine.
Tianwan… here of all places… And it seems she has not been here for just a day or two!
Li Ximing glanced around the frigid cavern, already forming a conclusion. The great void only manifested where spiritual energy was present. This place should not have been connected to it, as techniques had been used to sever spiritual energy and avoid detection by Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. Yet Tianwan had somehow found this location and waited here in silence, as though anticipating something.
However, due to violent changes within and the looming descent of Wanlin Heaven outside, traces of spiritual energy had begun to surface, linking with the outside world. The disturbance was minimal and deep underground, and Tianwan had suppressed it to the best of her ability, leaving it unnoticed by others…
It was only because the Li Family was situated nearby and had managed the Wilderness for years, and because Li Quewan had achieved [Divine Singular Attunement] combined with shamanic spell arts, granting her perception comparable to a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, that they were able to detect these subtle changes.
Ordinary people would likely dismiss such sensations as illusions, but Li Quewan had used an immortal item to investigate in secret and confirm it, which gave her the confidence to report it to the two of them.
Yet Tianwan, standing quietly within the cavern, seemed neither surprised nor particularly hostile. She said softly, "I knew the two of you would come sooner or later. Please, come inside."
Li Ximing hesitated slightly and looked toward Li Zhouwei, only to see him frown faintly as he said through divine ability, "This likely concerns Hongxue Gate."