Chapter 1068

The South Sea is vast, with surging waves. From the ten-thousand-mile stone pond surrounded by islands, passing through the strait between Song Zhou and Danrong Wuluo, there is a sea that is eight hundred miles wide.

This sea has peaks standing tall, and there are one or two small islands near the north, very close to Danrong Wuluo. Guo Nanwu's clan is established here. His family has few people, and he has recruited many loose cultivators. That great array is in full swing and very lively.

Li Ximing did not see him here. After passing this island, the mountains become narrower the deeper they go, forcing them into a river. The wide parts are only a dozen miles of small lakes, connected in pieces, called 【Nanbo Sea】. Rather than a sea, it is more like a continent.

The mountain of Qusi is on the Nanbo Sea.

Li Ximing had inquired about this matter before coming. In the past, there was quite a lot of seawater here, and the water level was not as low as it is now, similar to the Reef Sea in the north. Later, the seawater fell twice, and it became more and more like a continent. Therefore, the cultivators who come and go now often call it 【Nanbo Continent】.

This was his first time here, and also his first time crossing the long and narrow 【Danrong Wuluo】. He looked around with some freshness and found that the mountains were lush and green, with many immortal cultivators and Daoists staying. Most of them were immortal palaces and immortal halls, and there were many immortal maidens flying among them, with beautiful appearances. In the South Sea, where there are many Buddhist and demon cultivators, it is truly a paradise.

And the Qusi mountain in the very center is ferocious and winding, with strange rocks, surrounded by white clouds, and immortal pavilions standing in great numbers. The Daoists who come in and out are all dressed in black-purple clothes, and their clothing and decorations are all like northerners.

'The Qusi mountain practices the Great Dao of balancing Yin and Yang, combining water and fire, and standing upright. Under its command, there are many who practice the Dao of male and female, Yin and Yang... It is truly an immortal atmosphere.'

He stopped in the mountains and asked politely. Immediately, a white wind blew out from the mountain, manifested a form in front of him, turned into a man in a long gown, with a proper appearance and a smile between his brows:

"Senior has found this place!"

"So it is Nanwu..."

Li Ximing nodded to Guo Nanwu, but found that another person came out with him. This one was much more handsome, in a blue-bottomed black-patterned Daoist robe, with a vermilion dot between his brows, and a black cloud silver sparrow bottle hanging from his waist. He looked romantic and suave, and laughed:

"Long time no see!"

It was True Person Xuanyi.

These two were originally people of the Qusi lineage, so it was not strange for them to be here now. Li Ximing greeted them, and Guo Nanwu laughed:

"Please come in, Senior!"

Guo Nanwu had been running around for the Li family all these years, and Li Ximing had never treated him unfairly. The elixirs he should have refined for him were not difficult at all. Compared to Xuanyi's politeness and courtesy, Guo Nanwu was obviously much more grateful and close. He immediately led him in and landed in that magnificent palace.

On the jade table, black and white pieces were crisscrossed, and the clear tea was flying with wisps of white smoke. Obviously, the battle was at a critical point. Two beautiful women came up and took the chess away. Xuanyi turned to order:

"Nanwu, go and call your Sister Xinyu back!"

Guo Nanwu suddenly realized, laughed and exited. Li Ximing, however, received a lot of news from this sentence, and sat in his seat thoughtfully as he followed him.

'The relationship between these families is even closer than I thought... Guo Nanwu even looks like a junior of the sect... Although Xuanyi is of the Jingyi lineage, he has considerable speaking power...'

The two sat upright. Xuanyi looked a bit melancholy, poured tea, and replied:

"Kuangyu is currently in Tongmo, Yuzhou. It will take some time for her to return, so please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist."

Li Ximing asked suspiciously:

"Tongmo?"

Xuanyi sighed and said:

"Fellow Daoist may not know... The day before yesterday... Yuzhou had torrential rain, the water light was surging, and it was a sensation. The momentum was so great that it covered several places, to the point where a Zifu cultivator needed to take action to stop the celestial phenomenon. Later, I inquired about the news, and someone from the Chen clan failed in Zifu and fell. His name is... Chen Xuanyu..."

Li Ximing was suddenly shocked in his heart, closed his eyes, as if remembering something, and asked:

"Chen Xuanyu?"

This swordsman had joined forces with him to kill Wang Fu back then. Although they only met once, the impression was extremely good. He was the undisputed leader of the Chen clan's generation, almost the most outstanding junior in a hundred years. His status in the Chen clan was exactly the same as Li Zhouwei's status in the Li clan back then. He was the recognized pillar!

True Person Yushui Chen Yin had mentioned him. Although there were not many words of praise, he valued him highly in his heart. Now that he had fallen hastily, it was almost a fatal blow. Li Ximing frowned and asked suspiciously:

"He had been in seclusion for a long time. Logically speaking, he had already passed the most dangerous period. To actually fall at this point in time..."

Xuanyi's expression was a bit dim, and he shook his head, saying:

"It seems that Fellow Daoist went into seclusion immediately after the great battle... While you were resisting Guangchan on the lake, the Shu Kingdom in the west was not without action. An army came out from the three counties of Huayan and attacked Yuzhou..."

"The one leading the army was the head of the nine surnames of the Wu Kingdom, True Person Shensou of the Sun clan of Miaozhou. Assisting from the side was True Person Shangguan Mi of the Shangguan clan. True Person Shensou and the Chen clan had been at odds for a long time and had long-standing grievances. Taking advantage of the arrival of a large army, he shook the Grand Void of Tongmo with 【Wubo Water and Fire】..."

Hearing this, Li Ximing had already heard about seven or eight out of ten. Chen Xuanyu appreciated his younger brother Li Xijun very much and invited him to be a guest back then, but he didn't expect his younger brother to die suddenly. He also came to mourn with great grief. Li Ximing had a very good impression of that swordsman from then on, and there was a bit more regret in his heart. Sure enough, he heard Xuanyi say:

"【Wubo Water and Fire】 is also a treasure of True Qi, and has a greater impact on the Grand Void compared to 【Wuzhang Water and Fire】... Old True Person Chen was so anxious that he spared no damage to his vitality to force this person back. Later, True Person Shensou withdrew, and there was no strange phenomenon. I thought this matter had been endured, and he was secretly rejoicing. I didn't expect that a year later... that junior ultimately couldn't hold on."

"He actually held on for another year..."

Li Ximing was silent, and only after a long time said:

"His fate was not good, the same as Senior Cheng Gao."

Xuanyi did not say much more, untied the jade bottle from his waist as usual, threw it lightly, and illuminated Bai Yinzi on the spot. He held the pot and offered tea to the two. Li Ximing knew that he had the meaning of proving his innocence, asked a few questions carefully, and heard Bai Yinzi laugh:

"This little person is now busy for the True Person in the bottle, doing more work of gathering Qi and accepting Qi, calculating fate and measuring luck, and refining magic light. Being alive and worry-free is already excellent."

Li Ximing answered casually and asked straight to the point:

"Is the Old True Person in the mountain? I came here this time specifically to visit the Old Person to express my gratitude."

Xuanyi was not surprised and said:

"The Great Person cultivates in the mountain all year round and does not go out. He is just locked in the Xuan room, which is difficult for us to see... It requires Kuangyu to invite him."

"After all, Xinyu is his blood descendant, and some things are related to their clan. I have already left Nanbo Sea with my master to establish a lineage, so it is not good to disturb him rashly."

Seeing Li Ximing nod and drink tea, he laughed openly and added:

"Furthermore, the Old True Person has great prestige, I... dare not disturb him."

Li Ximing heard this, suspecting that this Great True Person Diyuan was probably in poor condition. He answered calmly, but before he could speak, Xuanyi seemed to have hesitated for a long time and asked:

"Zhaojing... after Tingyun achieved the Dao, has she ever looked for you?"

Li Ximing was slightly stunned, vaguely aware, and sighed:

"Naturally not... I see that she is also involuntary now!"

True Person Xuanyi looked anxious and said:

"My disciple... Kong Gumo... she didn't ask a single word, and even after she left seclusion, she heard that Gumo had no sound in the entire Xuan Yue situation, and those sent to ask for help were all rejected by Gumo. She became angry and removed him from the genealogy, wishing that the Kong clan disciples would never see him again!"

Back then, when True Person Changxi fell, he laid out many paths, one of which was to let Kong Gumo join the Jingyi mountain gate. True Person Xuanyi coveted that Yuezhou island and was at odds with Yehui, so he specifically accepted him.

'Now it's troublesome!'

Li Ximing pondered for a moment and asked:

"How did Kong Gumo answer?"

True Person Xuanyi shook his head:

"He just laughed, then threw the letter back and went to cultivate."

Li Ximing looked at him, raised his brows, and said;

"It is also a friendship. No matter what happens to the Kong family in the end, it will not affect your disciple. I hope Fellow Daoist will look at the friendship of master-disciple and the Kong clan and protect him more."

Li Ximing naturally knew that Kong Tingyun was not a person who would make such a big move. The so-called severing of relations and removal from the ancestral hall was just a means to let this junior stay out of the matter. He still remembered the old friendship between Kong Tingyun and his elders, so he spoke to persuade him.

True Person Xuanyi understood his position, no longer concealed it, sighed deeply, and replied:

"How can I not see clearly... Back then, Senior Kong came to find me with one request: whether the sea was killed into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, or the Kong clan was safe and sound, I didn't have to pay attention, and I also taught Kong Gumo to sever contact. At that time, she tempted me with profit, saying that protecting her family's Gumo would allow me to fight for the Kong family's inheritance in the future and disgust Yehui... But Gumo has cultivated in my mountain for many years, and it is impossible to say there is no affection."

There was some worry between his brows, and he said:

"I also wanted to protect him by severing relations, but I didn't expect that I would go into seclusion for a few years, and when I came out, I saw that he was cultivating 'He Water' and was already in the late stage of Foundation Establishment!"

Li Ximing suddenly became clear in his heart, became alert, and hesitated:

"What Fellow Daoist means is..."

True Person Xuanyi paused and said with difficulty:

"Based on my understanding of his aptitude, as the most talented disciple of the Kong family's generation, his heart is firm, and he has hope for Zifu, but it is not great. I don't have spiritual objects for He Water to give him... But what I think is Kong Tingyun's side... she may not hope for Gumo to seek divine power..."

"Even if he really seeks this divine power and fails to break through in the future, what will Kong Tingyun think of me? I won't be able to wash it off. How do I know if I didn't take action secretly?"

Li Ximing held his breath for a moment, understood his concerns, and True Person Xuanyi hesitated for a while and said in a low voice:

"I also wanted you to see her..."

He finally lowered his head and drank tea without speaking, full of worries. Li Ximing, because of Chen Xuanyu, thought of Li Xijun. The two talked about some Daoist theories, and the atmosphere sank.

Fortunately, time passed quickly in the discussion of the Dao. A cloud of gray and white fell hurriedly from the mountain. A woman drove the wind and landed in front of the palace building, entered hurriedly. The worry that was originally on her face before entering the door was replaced by a few smiles, and the blue-purple light in her eyes flickered, only saying:

"Ximing is here!"

Li Ximing hurriedly stood up and laughed:

"I have mentioned it several times... If I don't come again... I'm afraid you will blame me."

Seeing him, Kuangyu laughed, hugged her hands and said:

"It was me who was narrow-minded."

Kuangyu's temperament was the most lively, and her words were witty. She blocked him until he couldn't laugh or cry. Xuanyi looked at the two with his hands behind his back, shook his head and walked out from the side. Guo Nanwu, who was on the other side, had only taken one step into the threshold, not knowing why, when he was pulled by his shoulders and led out, leaving only a laugh in the air:

"You two talk slowly! I'll go see the array for Nanwu!"

Once the two left, Kuangyu led him inside very naturally, put away the smile on her face, and the worry before entering the door appeared again, saying in a low voice:

"I just came back from the Chen clan... I think Fellow Daoist also knows, but I also saw Sister Tinglan... she..."

Li Ximing asked suspiciously:

"Tinglan?"

Kuangyu pursed her lips and said:

"True Person Chen Yin was heartbroken. Hearing that the celestial phenomenon appeared, he vomited blood on the spot. I happened to be near Sister Tinglan at the time and went together, but Old True Person Chen... excused himself because his injuries had not recovered and did not see her."

This made Li Ximing silent. He suddenly had thoughts in his heart:

'Tinglan guards Xunlin Plain...'

Dali Mountain is a natural barrier between Shu and Song. Located behind Dali Mountain, Xunlin Plain can guard Tongmo in the south and connect to Wangyue in the north. Yang Ruiyi left Tinglan to support both sides at any time... And the first one Tinglan rushed to support was Wangyue Lake...

'So Chen Yin had no one to help...'

Li Ximing felt bitter in his heart, but didn't know how to answer her. He could only walk forward with his head down, deep into the mountain, and saw a high platform rising from the clouds and wind, with sixteen long steps on each of the four sides. Water, fire, Yin, and Yang were opposite each other, blooming with hazy colors.

Kuangyu bowed, took out a talisman, and requested to go up to the high platform. After a while, a woman came down from the platform, with a beautiful face, draped in red gauze as hazy as mist, and snow-white skin vaguely visible, saying in a low voice:

"Please follow me, True Person Zhaojing."

Kuangyu smiled and nodded to her, then retreated to the side. Li Ximing had already noticed something wrong, secretly glanced at the woman in front of him, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow her forward.

The sixteen steps passed in an instant. On the platform high above, there was actually a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged, looking quite handsome, with his eyes closed, as if he was cultivating silently. He should be a capable junior.

The great hall was deep and dark, with thirty-two long copper lamps lit, tall and with many branches. Two or three small copper lamps rested on one branch, swaying like birds. He took another step forward and looked up carefully.

And on the main seat high above, there was actually a young man standing!

This person was tall, fierce, handsome, and romantic. There were no gorgeous decorations on his body, only a thin white robe draped over him, his chest open, revealing a strong chest and abdomen. A long sash was tied around his waist, dragging on the ground like a winding golden snake.

He was concentrating on fiddling with the wick of the copper lamp, his side face facing outside the hall. The light shone on his nose bridge, which was exceptionally high. Those eyes presented a black-gold color, as if they were made of copper.

Li Ximing was stunned for a moment.

'Diyuan... this Great True Person is definitely not a good person...'

After all, whether it was Guo Nanwu or Xuanyi, the two called him Old True Person one by one, and the Diyuan in their mouths was simply kind, and his lifespan was not much. Li Ximing always felt that he was an old man like Lingdu. Now that he was suddenly stunned, the young man turned his head, his copper eyes like a monster in the dark hall, and laughed:

"Which one is Your Highness? Come in and speak."

"Junior Zhaojing of Tingzhou, greets Senior Diyuan!"

Li Ximing stepped in, his heart moved slightly, and he felt vaguely uncomfortable.

This place felt like being in the sultry earth veins. The flickering copper lamps were like springs of earth fire, trying their best to gush out the light of the Xiayang mixed with thick male fire, almost condensing into substance, blowing across his cheeks, making a clanging sound of fine iron colliding.

This Great True Person... cultivates 'Xi Qi'. Xi Qi and Mingyang are incompatible, so naturally, it blew him quite uncomfortably.

Li Ximing was stunned for this moment, his heart pounding. This Diyuan stepped down from this dark red brilliance, his eyes like refined gold and copper looking at him, and laughed:

"Senior... I dare not accept it. My surname is Yin, and my name is Huan. If Your Highness must address me, why not call me by my name."

Li Ximing finally understood that his first sentence "Your Highness" really referred to "Your Highness". Before he could say much, this Great True Person had already turned and led him to the depths of the great hall, sat on the steps under the main seat, and made a gesture of invitation.

In such a magnificent great hall, there was not even a jade table or jade chair. Li Ximing could only sit down with him. True Person Diyuan laughed and said:

"It's been many years since I've seen an imperial descendant, and it's actually so unfamiliar."

Li Ximing raised his head in surprise. True Person Diyuan was staring straight at himself. In the intense light of Xi Qi, his calm voice was emerging:

"The first immortal emperor Gongxu Tu Chuyang obtained his scale clothes and two ships, and left his descendants to be sealed in the Li region, hence the name Bo Li. His descendants had merits in the western Long region, and the Zhou King enfeoffed them in Guanlong, leading six surnames, which was Wei."

The intense light of Xiayang fell with a bang, and Diyuan said gloomily:

"The six surnames fought against various countries and achieved merits. My Yin clan was one of the six surnames. The ancestor Yin Ni was enfeoffed as the Zhaoming King, cultivating the Xi Qi lineage."

The doubts in Li Ximing's heart were suddenly resolved by more than half, and he remained silent for a time.

'So what?'

The Wei Guo had perished for many years. Whether it was Long Wei or Dong Huo, which time was not more prosperous than the lonely Li Zhouwei? The subordinates who should have been loyal had long been loyal! Even the Cui clan, who had been divided into the positions of two True Monarchs, were hesitant. If Li Zhouwei hadn't gone there in person, they would still be watching... What about the other so-called six surnames?

As a Great True Person, it is impossible for him not to know the conspiracies between the north and the south, and it is impossible for him not to know the plan of Luoxia Mountain. If he is really loyal, he is loyal to the Wei Emperor. How could it fall on me?'

In his current situation, encountering the old acquaintances of the Wei Guo, Li Ximing only felt defensive, but still respectful on the surface:

"So it is an old acquaintance of the ancestors. The Great True Person still remembers the old feelings, and this junior is deeply grateful."

Diyuan didn't seem surprised, stared at him quietly, and laughed:

"It seems that the Cui clan shouts loudly, but in reality, they are not climate... which is also normal. Yangya is a coward who does not come out of the world and absolutely dare not be close to you, which has made Your Highness feel disheartened."

Li Ximing could not figure out his intention and dared not be careless. He stood up and said in a low voice:

"Senior misunderstood!"

He said solemnly:

"Mingyang has suffered many setbacks, and has risen and fallen three times so far. The Cui clan is loyal and filial, and has helped with all their strength three times, exhausting their foundation, and only lingering on..."

"Even so, when I visited them, the Cui clan was still generous, taking out their cultivation techniques, which was already benevolent and righteous! Later, True Person Yangya called back the clansmen... which was also helpless..."

Li Ximing added a word, wanting to test the reaction of this Great True Person. Who knew that this Great True Person's face was originally as calm as an ancient well, waiting for his last sentence to be finished, he immediately raised his brows.

Diyuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and there were a few more emotional fluctuations. The anger was like the surging waves under the ice, only appearing a little on his face, and his tone was cold:

"Cui Yushan has great ability."

His words were light and airy, but they made the copper lamps in the whole hall flicker slightly, and a terrifying aura vaguely appeared. Li Ximing was frightened into a cold sweat, and a terrible guess appeared in his mind:

'I heard that this True Person has crossed the Canzi realm for a long, long time. Could it be...'

Diyuan had already stood up, stood with his hands behind his back, looked at him again, his tone calm but powerful:

"Longhu, Nanbei, Wuzhe, none of them are credible. Even if it is the Yang clan now, they can only barely manage a cowardly compromise of turning big things into small things and small things into nothing. When the situation reaches a critical moment, they will not hesitate to betray the Wei King."

Obviously, this Great True Person was definitely not a mediocre person. Li Ximing only added a word, but he easily detected the intention of testing, and said softly:

"Your Highness need not be suspicious. Now that the six surnames have fallen, there is no outstanding talent. Even the Cui clan, descendants of the True Monarch, has fallen to the current situation. To put it bluntly, in today's world, the only ones you can trust are the Wei King and me."

He stared and emphasized:

"Only me."

Li Ximing raised his head, moved his lips, and the doubts buried in his heart had been hidden for many years, and finally asked:

"Back then, Hengzhu..."

Diyuan said softly:

"Not bad, the 【Mingfang Heavenly Stone】 back then, I sent Kuangyu to go. Without her persuasion, this thing would not have fallen into Your Highness's hands—even if Tu Longjian took action in the end, what fell into Your Highness's hands would not be the real 【Mingfang Heavenly Stone】."

Li Ximing suddenly closed his eyes.

He had had this doubt for more than a day. It is true that the 【Mingfang Heavenly Stone】 back then was helped by Tu Longjian, but now that he has achieved Zifu for many years, he understands how much value a Zifu spiritual object has... What Hengzhu says is what it is, even if it is the righteous path, how can it easily allow two Zifu spiritual objects to fall into the hands of a Foundation Establishment family...

Li Ximing finally looked at him, and only after a long time said:

"What is Senior's cultivation level now?"

Diyuan's gaze was like iron stone, like brilliance, staring straight at Li Ximing, his voice quiet and steady:

"When the Zhaoming King was enfeoffed, the Dao of 'Xi Qi' was completed, 'Qi Dai Ye' as clothing, Xiayang participated in the brilliance of Mingyang, 'Kun Huang Fu' as life, the minister's heart respected the ceremony of the emperor, cultivated 'Yu Re Ku' as province, cultivated 'Qing Chui Xuan' as edict..."

As his words fell, one after another, the light of Xiayang lit up above his head, either with the power of the rising sun, killing cold and stopping water, or with the wonder of replacing the night with Yin, quietly sinking into the heavenly sun. The rolling colors condensed beside him, filling the entire hall, causing the thirty-six copper lamps to bloom together, turning everything into a bright white that was difficult to look at directly!

Even if the other party was not targeting him, the power of these four divine powers was still terrifying. Li Ximing, who was in it, still felt a thick stinging sense of crisis surging from his face, but the person in front of him did not stop.

Suddenly, something jumped out from that bright white point. Pieces of golden-white stone bricks condensed one after another, sticking closely together. The city gate was high, the gate feet had mysterious patterns, all the colors gathered inward, and inside it was bright, hazy, facing a scorching sun, the right was 【Zhao Zhao Wei Huang】, the left was 【Mingming Cheng Yao】!

【Jinyang Huangyuan Pass】!

"Using 【Jinyang Huangyuan Pass】 as the northern gateway of the Heavenly Dynasty!"

"Thus the divine power is complete!"

The Diyuan in front of him had already completed his divine power, with all five methods complete!

At that moment, all the Xi Qi light suddenly became soft, turning into clouds and mist, into assistants and supporters, all condensing into that one pass. The stinging sensation on Li Ximing's face disappeared completely, replaced by a sense of intimacy like Lihuo.

Even the arrogant man became soft, his brass-like eyes staring at him, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Li Ximing's eyes were full of deep surprise. He stood up and said with some disbelief:

"Senior wants to use... four Xi Qi, one Mingyang... to prove the Dao?!"