Chapter 534: Li Ku

On this day, Duan Rong was in his Cave Abode within the deep valley, sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Suddenly, the entire Cave Abode trembled and shook, and small pebbles from the ceiling came pattering down...

Duan Rong's body was swayed slightly by the tremors; he assumed an earthquake had suddenly struck the depths of Changliu Mountain.

Yet at this very moment, muffled thunderous booms erupted from outside the cave...

Duan Rong, moving with the speed of a ghost, passed through the fine rain of falling stone debris and darted out of the Cave Abode.

As soon as Duan Rong exited the cave, he raised his eyes to look at the void above the valley, his eyes filled with astonishment!

He saw two figures slowly descending through the void where the towering cliffs stood on all four sides.

They were an old man with a gray beard and white hair, and a thin, pale youth.

Above in the void, dozens of nearly transparent giant bird phantoms were circling with wings spread; where the tail feathers of these bird phantoms flew, faint, thin wisps of mist remained...

For some reason, those thin wisps of mist reminded Duan Rong of the mist that permeated the Deadwood Forest...

The deep valley where Lv Yinlin lived in seclusion was entirely shrouded by a Symbol Array, and the void above the surrounding cliffs was naturally no exception.

But at this moment, those two, the old man and the youth, seemed to be forcibly breaking through this Symbol Array!

Above in the void, those dozens of nearly transparent giant bird phantoms were launching attacks on the two, circling and dancing as they crashed toward the two uninvited guests slowly descending into the valley.

The gray-bearded, white-haired old man had his hair, beard, and robes fluttering without wind, and countless purple electric sparks surrounded his body, shielding both himself and the thin, pale youth in the center of a purple electric net.

Whenever a nearly transparent giant bird phantom crashed into them, a bolt of purple lightning, appearing as if solidified, would suddenly fly out from the purple electric net surrounding the old man and strike the bird phantom.

At this, a muffled thunderous boom would erupt!

The giant bird phantom would let out a clear, mournful cry and then transform into a puff of mist.

At the same time, the entire deep valley would tremble slightly.

Lv Yinlin stood in the deep valley, his face livid as he watched the two figures descend from the void.

After another giant bird phantom turned into mist, Lv Yinlin suddenly flicked his sleeve, and an object flew out from within.

It was actually a multicolored feather!

The moment that feather flew out, it gave a light shake and suddenly vanished; when it appeared again, it was already circling in the center of the high sky, spinning around and around...

As it spun, rosy light surged forth like water ripples...

The faint rosy light floated in the void, and the dozens of nearly transparent giant bird phantoms that had been circling in the void were now all cloaked in rosy light, emitting sounds like shattering jade as they crashed toward the gray-bearded old man surrounded by purple electric sparks!

The old man's expression was grave; seeing the bird phantoms cloaked in rosy light and their terrifying momentum, he immediately shouted, "Brother Lu, stop! This old man has come to pay a visit, not to engage in a magical duel."

Lv Yinlin stood in the valley and said, "Li Ku! There is a proper gate you refuse to use, yet you insist on forcibly breaking through the magic array! What kind of way to pay a visit is that?!"

Lv Yinlin clearly had no intention of stopping, as one giant bird phantom after another, cloaked in rosy light, crashed toward the two in mid-air.

Within the purple electric net, bolts of purple lightning, as thick as fingers and appearing as if solidified, flashed out continuously.

But those giant bird phantoms were getting closer and closer, and it looked as if they were about to reach them.

The thin, pale youth standing behind the gray-bearded old man had a flash of fear in his eyes; just then, a giant bird phantom cloaked in rosy light crashed directly into the flickering purple electric net near him.

"Zzzzt!"

The giant bird phantom turned into a puff of blue smoke, but the purple electric net was actually torn open, leaving a hole the size of a fist.

And another giant bird phantom crashed in again!

Seeing that the purple electric net around him could not protect them for much longer and that its collapse was imminent, the gray-bearded old man grabbed the thin, pale youth, his aura surging, and before the purple electric net collapsed, he transformed into a black streak of light and smashed into the deep valley!

The gray-bearded old man smashed into the deep valley, kicking up a cloud of dust, and a giant bird phantom cloaked in rosy light descended from the high sky, crashing toward the spot where the dust had risen!

And within that cloud of dust, the gray-bearded old man no longer had the purple electric net protecting his body.

Seeing the bird phantom closing in, suddenly, within the dust, a silhouette of an infant appeared atop the gray-bearded old man's head.

Seeing the blurry infant silhouette appear atop the gray-bearded old man's head amidst the dust, Duan Rong's eyes could not help but twitch.

In fact, he had already guessed that this old man was a cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm. But seeing the Nascent Soul vaguely manifest, he still felt a tremor in his heart.

Although the dust was thick and the reality could not be seen clearly...

The moment the Nascent Soul appeared, its eyes suddenly opened wide; it looked up at the giant bird phantom cloaked in rosy light rushing down from the high sky, opened its small mouth, and a milky, childish voice issued from the Nascent Soul's mouth.

"Gou!"

As soon as that strange syllable was uttered, the giant bird phantom instantly vanished into nothingness, not even a puff of blue smoke rising.

Lv Yinlin beckoned with his right hand, and the multicolored feather circling in the high sky gave a clear chime and fluttered into his hand.

At this moment, the gray-bearded old man finally walked out of the swirling dust, bringing the thin, pale youth with him.

The gray-bearded old man looked at Lv Yinlin and said, "Lv Yinlin! The moment we meet, you have to make this old man look so disheveled, even forcing out the Seed Character! Is this your way of treating a guest?!"

Hearing the old man mention the Seed Character, Duan Rong's gaze tightened. Just now, in the dust, the moment the Nascent Soul appeared, it had emitted that strange, milky, childish syllable. "Could that be the Seed Character?"

Duan Rong's thoughts drifted for a moment.

Lv Yinlin snorted coldly and said, "I do have a way of treating guests. Li Ku, you must first act like a guest for me to host you!"

"So, it's my fault then?" Li Ku brushed the dust off his Daoist robe, suddenly smiled, looked at Lv Yinlin, and said.

Lv Yinlin glared at Li Ku and said, "It's been over a hundred years, and you're still the same, not changed a bit!"

"Why do even kind words turn sour in your mouth?" Li Ku laughed. "Over a hundred years ago, we fought side by side at Mohe Yanqi in the Western Regions! Why do you always keep a straight face when you see me, Lv Yinlin? You don't cherish our old friendship at all!"

Lv Yinlin said coldly, "You still have the nerve to say that? Back at Mohe Yanqi, if it weren't for you dragging me down, I wouldn't have been injured."

"Aren't you being petty? Dwelling on such a small matter for over a hundred years?" As Li Ku spoke, he looked toward the Stone Table under the ancient pine; he saw that the Stone Table was a stone-carved chessboard, and the endgame on the board was orderly.

Li Ku laughed with a cackle, "Still studying endgames? Come, Lv Yinlin! I'm in a good mood today, I'll play a game with you!"

Lv Yinlin said, "With your lousy chess skills, I have no interest in playing with you!"

Li Ku said, "Don't be so arrogant! Who wins and who loses is not certain! Come on!"

As Li Ku spoke, he sat down at the Stone Table of his own accord.

Although Lv Yinlin seemed not to care for Li Ku, he walked over with a cold face and sat down opposite Li Ku.

This Li Ku was an Ancestor of the Tianyan Sect, a cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm, and also one of the most top-tier existences in this world.

In the great sects of the Jiuzhou Continent, there are only a few such powerful beings. Regarding the deepest secrets of this realm, they often have some dealings with one another.

Both men knew full well why Li Ku had come this time; since he was already sitting before the Stone Table, Lv Yinlin had to sit down as well.

When it came down to it, both were old monsters of the Nascent Soul Realm and both were Ancestors of their respective Sects; any transaction between them had to be an equal one.

Li Ku had come by storming the mountain, and Lv Yinlin had to make him land in the valley in a disheveled state—this was a matter of not yielding!

Li Ku was already sitting before the Stone Table, so he too had to sit down—this was a matter of not bullying!

Seeing Lv Yinlin take his seat, Li Ku turned his head to glance at the thin, pale youth not far away and said coldly, "I have important matters to discuss with Senior Lv; you stay in the valley by yourself and do not cause any trouble!"

"Yes! Ancestor!" Upon hearing this, the thin, pale youth cupped his hands in a salute and then moved away to a slightly more distant spot.

Just after the youth moved away, Li Ku and Lv Yinlin sat under the ancient pine, holding pieces and playing on the board while talking, but Duan Rong and the others could no longer hear any sound coming from them.

Duan Rong stood there, looking at the two old men under the ancient pine. As for the thin, pale youth, he stood before a cliff face, looking as if no strangers should approach.

Duan Rong glanced at Lv Qingzhu on the other side of the valley, walked over slowly, and asked, "Miss Lv, that person seems to be the Ancestor of the Tianyan Sect, right?"

Lv Yinlin had called the gray-bearded old man Li Ku several times earlier, so both of them had naturally heard it.

The Tianyan Sect occupied the land of You Province and bordered Qingzhou. That their Sect Ancestor was named Li Ku was no secret. Moreover, the fact that the old man was a cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm further corroborated his identity.

The cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm in this realm were originally numbered within a dozen; there were not many of them in total!

Upon hearing this, Lv Qingzhu had no reaction at all. But Duan Rong still sensed a feeling of agreement from her.

Lv Qingzhu was solitary and taciturn; having no reaction meant she basically agreed.

Duan Rong continued to ask, "Who is that youth who came with the Ancestor of the Tianyan Sect?"

Lv Qingzhu glanced at the youth in front of the cliff face who looked as if no strangers should approach, and said coldly, "How would I know?!"

After saying this, Lv Qingzhu turned and went into her own Cave Abode.

Duan Rong stood there for a while longer, but since he could neither hear the conversation between Lv Yinlin and Li Ku, nor did he want to rashly go and strike up a conversation with the youth who had a "no strangers" look on his face, he returned to his own Cave Abode to continue practicing.

Under the ancient pine, Li Ku pinched a black piece, rubbing it in his hand, unsure for a moment how to place it.

Lv Yinlin was right; he was indeed a terrible chess player and was not skilled in the way of Go.

Li Ku pinched the chess piece, suddenly looked up, and said, "Lv Yinlin, this old man is a bit thirsty!"

Lv Yinlin glared at him and said, "Idle people have too much piss and shit!"

Although he said this, Lv Yinlin still frowned, and a water pot and two Bamboo Tube cups flew out from the depths of his Cave Abode, hovering in front of the two men.

Lv Yinlin lifted the pot and poured a cup of clear water into the Bamboo Tube hovering beside Li Ku.

At this moment, Li Ku finally placed the black piece in his hand onto the board, then picked up the Bamboo Tube beside him, glanced at it, and a look of disdain flashed across his face. "I am also a dignified master of a faction; is there not even a cup of tea in your valley?"

Lv Yinlin said, "I never drink tea, only clear water."

Li Ku picked up the Bamboo Tube, took a sip, and smacked his lips. "How truly bland! You don't even drink tea? Lv Yinlin, it's not that I want to lecture you, but you don't know how to enjoy life at all!"

Lv Yinlin smiled faintly and said, "In my view, drinking clear water is the true enjoyment."

Li Ku looked at Lv Yinlin and said, "You are quite pure and detached, aren't you!?"

Lv Yinlin did not respond to this, gently placing a white piece onto the board.

While watching the game, Li Ku said, "Two months ago, it was rumored that Zhuang Tairu of the Divine Medicine Sect had formed a Nascent Soul. Have you heard about this?"

Lv Yinlin said, "I heard. I just don't know if it's true or false; I am currently having people investigate it. Perhaps it is a false rumor intentionally released by the Shenyi Sect."

Li Ku's expression remained unchanged as he said, "It is true. Someone on my side has verified it."

Lv Yinlin looked up and gave Li Ku a meaningful look. He knew Li Ku would not joke about such a matter.

Indeed, if it were not true, Li Ku would have no need to make this trip to his deep valley.

"Then the Divine Medicine Sect now has two Nascent Soul Realm experts sitting in command!" Lv Yinlin said in a flat tone. He knew that for over a decade, the disputes between the Heaven Eye Sect and the Divine Medicine Sect had been frequent; with Zhuang Tairu of the Divine Medicine Sect suddenly achieving the Nascent Soul Realm, Li Ku was clearly under great pressure.

Li Ku, however, said, "The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Jiuzhou Continent were originally numbered within a dozen. With one suddenly added, I fear the situation in this world is about to change again!"

Li Ku did not speak of his own sect, only of the situation in the world.

Lv Yinlin smiled faintly and said, "The world is changing; I wonder what plans Brother Li has?"

Li Ku raised his finger to point at Lv Yinlin, then pointed at himself, and said, "My Tianyan Sect's You Province and your Taiyi Sect's Qingzhou both border the Shenyi Sect's Ji Province. With the Shenyi Sect suddenly having one more Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, if he wishes to wage war, you and I will be the first to bear the brunt!"

Lv Yinlin said, "The Qingyang Sect also has two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, and they have upheld a policy of sect equilibrium for a thousand years; if the Shenyi Sect wishes to expand, those two from the Qingyang Sect will certainly find ways to maintain the balance."

Li Ku said, "Distant water cannot quench a near thirst! Lv Yinlin, to be honest with you, I came this time with the sincerity of forming an alliance. Only by forming an alliance between our two sects can we withstand the first wave of the Shenyi Sect's offensive expansion. In this way, before the Qingyang Sect can mediate and balance things, we won't suffer too many losses. Otherwise, once the Shenyi Sect gets a piece of fat in its mouth, it won't be so easy to make them spit it out!"

Lv Yinlin's face showed no expression, but his mind was surging.

What he wanted was for Li Ku to be the one to bring up the alliance first.

Li Ku also saw through Lv Yinlin's intentions, but he did not hide it and pointed it out directly. Because over these past ten years, the Tianyan Sect had indeed accumulated many deep-seated grudges with the Shenyi Sect, and he needed this alliance more than Lv Yinlin did.

Lv Yinlin took a sip of water and said, "This is a matter of great importance!"

Li Ku said, "Lv Yinlin, I know your Abacus. But let me tell you, the Shenyi Sect's first wave of offensive might not necessarily start with my Tianyan Sect!"

"Oh, how so?" Upon hearing this, Lv Yinlin revealed a noncommittal expression.

Li Ku said, "Is a deep-seated grudge more important, or are resource interests more important? Don't forget! Those pieces of land where your Qingzhou borders Ji Province are very fertile!"

Lv Yinlin's expression twitched; he naturally understood what Li Ku was saying.

Li Ku said, "Lv Yinlin, we are both thousand-year-old foxes, why bother with all these twists and turns? Are we forming an alliance or not? Give me a straight answer!"

Lv Yinlin chuckled and said, "Li Ku, you are still so impatient. The Shenyi Sect is coming on aggressively, so an alliance is naturally something to be formed. However, I am only giving my nod. As for the specific terms of the alliance, you will still have to go and discuss them with Chu Qiushan."

Li Ku cursed the old fox in his heart, but still smiled and said, "Your nod is enough. We have an agreement, so they can go and discuss it with peace of mind, right?"

Lv Yinlin smiled, placed a white piece, and said, "Li Ku, you have lost this game. I told you that you were a terrible chess player."

Li Ku looked at the board; the situation was indeed lost, and he sighed, "Losing the game is no matter! One may lose in the east, but gain in the west."

(End of chapter)