Chapter 410: The Thunder of the South

Li Xijun and the other, riding the wind, headed south with Master Kongheng. They followed the southern edge of the Mushroom Forest Plain. Li Xuanxuan was flying behind them when Li Xijun remembered something. He pulled Master Kongheng over and whispered:

"Master, since you cultivate using the Thunder Pool as your opportunity... why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I heard earlier that the South is treacherous, so I truly didn't dare... My cultivation technique is of a very high grade... Your noble clan might suspect me of harboring ulterior motives, and I was also afraid that your noble clan would covet my wealth and take my life..."

Master Kongheng rubbed his clean, smooth head, opened his narrow eyes, and said softly:

"Alas, let me be clear with you, Fellow Daoist... The technique I cultivate requires the heavens and earth to give birth to the Nine Thunders, but the position of this Dao fruit is vacant in the world, and the Thunder Method is not manifest. It is already difficult to find. Only when a Thunder cultivator breaks through and condenses their Immortal Foundation will one of the Nine Thunders inevitably be born."

"The elders in my temple calculated for a long time before they passed away, which is how they were able to deduce that thunder would inevitably be born in the South within the last hundred years. That is why they sent me here, and they also calculated that there would be a tribulation in this, which could temper my mind..."

He lowered his brows and eyes, and said warmly:

"Fellow Daoist Yuanjiao suspects me at every turn... In truth, to put it bluntly, my Liaohe Temple... is even more destitute than your noble clan. After the Abbot passed away, I became like a stray dog with nowhere to go."

Li Xijun nodded lightly, his heart becoming vigilant, and he asked:

"How long has it been since the elders of your temple passed away?"

"It has already been... more than forty years!"

"More than forty years... Several Thunder cultivators have emerged in the South today. If there is any Zifu layout among them, it must have all been set up together more than forty years ago..."

Li Xijun had never met Senior Ling Yanzi, but he had read the clan history and knew that this person was taken over by Li Tongya. He thought to himself:

'Senior Ling Yanzi... should not have been able to deceive the Old Ancestor. That means Senior Ling Yanzi himself did not know, and unintentionally became someone else's chess piece. Purple Smoke Gate... could it be a True Person from the Purple Smoke Gate?'

He then asked:

"Does the Master know of 【Lei Yun Temple】?"

Master Kongheng shook his head slightly, indicating he did not know. Li Xijun weighed it in his heart and thought secretly:

"It seems I must find an opportunity to go to the Purple Smoke Gate and ask about this Senior Ling Yanzi."

Li Xijun speculated from the worst perspective and thought:

"It is best if it is precisely because Senior Ling Yanzi and the others brought this item out of Lei Yun Temple that the Liaohe Abbot calculated it and sent Master Kongheng out of the mountain..."

As Li Xijun pondered, the group had already passed through the Helin Prefecture of the Long Xiao Gate. They rested briefly and landed in the mountains at one end of Helin Prefecture.

Li Xijun exerted his vision, the snow Qi surging. He looked at the terrain and said softly:

"It should be here. What we just crossed over was Mount Quanwu, and ahead is the Helin Mountain Range, which is where the earth veins converge. The several types of water veins described in the 'Cold Snow Collection' all converge here."

This trip was half-true and half-false. On the surface, it was still Li Xijun collecting cold water. Li Xuanxuan was still wearing gray clothes, following behind with a straight face. Master Kongheng was quite interested, looking at the beautiful mountain and river scenery before him, and muttered:

"The South really has abundant water veins."

Li Xijun nodded lightly, turned his head to look at Li Xuanxuan, and said respectfully:

"Uncle Grandfather also read the 'Cold Snow Collection' on the road. The Helin Mountain Range is vast. You and I should search separately so we can find it sooner."

Li Xuanxuan only nodded. Li Xijun looked at Master Kongheng again and whispered:

"Although the spiritual energy of the Helin Mountain Range is not strong and there are no famous spiritual objects or demon beasts, it is inevitable that there are some wandering demon cultivators. I ask the Master to sit in command and hold the line for the two of us."

"Good!"

Seeing that he acted thoroughly and methodically, Li Xuanxuan nodded and went off in one direction. Li Xijun watched him leave before looking at Master Kongheng:

"I trouble the Master to look after my elder. I will go to Hengdong Prefecture."

Master Kongheng nodded in understanding and gave him two words of advice. Li Xijun rode the wind and continued north, passing through two large mountains in the Helin Mountain Range, and followed the road to Hengdong Prefecture of the Hengzhu Dao Gate.

Just as he flew out of Helin, he saw a plain. Everywhere he looked were pavilions and kiosks of all sizes, connected eaves and beams. Hengdong Prefecture was a large prefecture with a population of over a million. The Hengzhu Dao Gate had operated it for many years, and it was one of the wealthiest and most populous prefectures in the Yue State.

Li Xijun flew for a while, looking around, all he saw were open and fertile fields. He was suspicious in his heart:

"Hengzhu Dao Gate... actually does not set up an Immortal Mountain?"

Just as he was thinking, a person flew over from the front, stepping on a cloud of Qi under their feet. They were dressed in white, painted with golden-red cloud patterns, with thin lips and large eyes, and slender brow bones. They did not look like someone from the South.

"I am Bi Chengjuan of the Hengzhu Dao. I have met the Fellow Daoist... I do not know which gate or sect you are visiting from?"

Bi Chengjuan had deep eyes and a high nose, and his expression was difficult to detect. His gaze swept up and down Li Xijun, and he had already deduced that he was not from any of the Three Sects and Seven Gates, but his words were very tactful.

"This humble cultivator comes from Wangyue Lake... Li Xijun of the Li family of Qingdu."

Li Xijun answered warmly, and Bi Chengjuan was slightly surprised. He nodded and replied:

"So it is the Li clan... No wonder I saw the clear Qi in the Fellow Daoist's eyes, outstanding and exceptional. I was wondering which Dao lineage of the Wu State it was."

Li Xijun was humble for two sentences, and Bi Chengjuan said politely:

"I do not know why the Fellow Daoist has come from ten thousand miles away... for what matter?"

Li Xijun replied:

"I heard that the Hengzhu Immortal Dao has the 【Ningqing Demon-Cleansing Art】, which can eliminate inner demons and remove heart knots. I have an elder who is depressed by inner demons, so I have come specifically to seek treatment."

Bi Chengjuan had obviously seen this many times and was not surprised. He opened his mouth and said:

"Since we are all Fellow Daoists, treatment is naturally no problem... only there is one point I must make clear to the Fellow Daoist first."

He paused and said very cautiously:

"Our Immortal Dao's 【Ningqing Demon-Cleansing Art】 is not some top-grade Immortal Method, it is only the fifth grade. There are some inner demons it cannot do anything about. If the Fellow Daoist wants to seek treatment, you must be prepared!"

"This is natural. Where is there anything that is certain."

Li Xijun responded as a matter of course. Bi Chengjuan then nodded and apologized, replying:

"For many years, there have often been people who have had no success with the spell and angrily blamed the fellow sect members who performed the spell. There were even those who blamed our Hengzhu Dao... Our Dao has operated for many years, and we have truly been scolded into fear. We have no choice but to take extra precautions."

Seeing him like this, Li Xijun felt a bit more favorable toward him and thought to himself:

"This Hengzhu Dao Gate is quite different from Qingchi, and better than all the gates in Northern Yue... It is truly rare."

Bi Chengjuan divided the responsibility clearly, and his speech became a bit more enthusiastic. He smiled and said:

"Is this the Fellow Daoist's first time coming to our Hengzhu Dao?"

"Not bad."

Li Xijun responded, and Bi Chengjuan explained:

"Our Hengzhu Dao has a long history. For generations, it has been called 【Hengzhu Dao】. Later, people who liked to meddle ranked the sects and gates, and only then did some people call our Dao the 【Hengzhu Dao Gate】. Gradually, it spread wider and wider... and it is difficult to change now."

His expression was a bit helpless:

"Therefore, Fellow Daoists from the North all call us the Dao Gate... In truth, this is not the case... Our Hengzhu Dao cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Qingchi and Jin Yu. Although they are all Zifu Jin Dan Daos, our Hengzhu Dao follows the path of ancient techniques."

Li Xijun listened carefully, and Bi Chengjuan said:

"If we really want to talk about it, our Dao's cultivation method is closer to the 【Great Kui Guan】 in the East. Many years ago, they were both branch mansions set up by the 【Moonlight Immortal Mansion】. One was the 【Hengzhu Dao】, and the other was the 【Kui Dao】."

He chuckled:

"Therefore, the 【Great Kui Guan】 also has this trouble and is often called the 【Kui Dao Gate】. That group of Daoists is much more fierce. If you call the name wrong, they will truly take action and hit people."

Li Xijun nodded thoughtfully. Bi Chengjuan's choice of words was very particular. Looking at the appearance of the common people under Hengzhu's rule, he praised:

"Your Dao has quite an ancient style."

"Don't mention it..."

Bi Chengjuan's tone was much lower, and he turned to ask:

"Good."

Li Xijun arched his hands and asked:

"I do not know how many spirit stones it will take?"

Bi Chengjuan was polite, but the price did not relax. He replied:

"It only takes fifty spirit stones."

Li Xijun felt a secret pain, nodded in agreement, took out twenty-five as a deposit from his storage bag, and then rode the wind and left.

After leaving the Hengzhu territory, Li Xijun worried secretly, not knowing how to explain it clearly to Li Xuanxuan. This Uncle Grandfather of his had been in a position of power for a long time, and although his spirit was somewhat crushed now, he was still very serious when he straightened his face.

Landing in the Helin Mountain Range, Li Xijun took out the jade pendant and sensed it. The distance was too far and he didn't know where they were, so he rode the wind in a circle and finally found the two of them.

He saw Li Xuanxuan was beside a small hill, silently casting spells, while Master Kongheng stood by to protect him. Li Xijun landed on the side, calculated with the secret method in the "Cold Snow Collection," and said happily:

"There is indeed a cold water hidden in the water vein below!"

So the two of them pinched the formula and guided it for a while. The ground shook slightly, cracking open a mouth the size of an infant's small mouth. A blue, glowing water light flew out. Li Xijun hurriedly took out a jade bottle and collected it into the bottle.

"【Mulin Cold Water】, can nourish true essence and cold Qi."

This heaven and earth spiritual water was not a rare item. It was located at the convergence of earth veins, and compared to 【Tianyi Chunyuan】, it was not worth mentioning. But for Li Xijun, it was like finding a treasure. One end could extract true essence, and he could also cultivate the Tuojun Kui Light. He put it away immediately, and his mood improved a lot.

Li Xuanxuan also smiled rarely and said:

Li Xijun apologized, bowed slowly, and said softly:

"This junior heard that the Hengzhu Dao has a method to dispel demons... why not go and take a look first, and it won't be too late to look for it when we come back."

Li Xuanxuan glared and shouted:

Li Xijun bit the bullet and said in a deep voice:

"This junior took the opportunity to settle it in Hengdong Prefecture and has already paid the fee... I ask Uncle Grandfather to move."

"You!"

Li Xuanxuan reacted immediately, was stunned for two breaths, and said:

"Good! You and Ming'er teamed up to plot against me!"

Li Xijun only lowered his head and replied:

"It was just this junior's impulsive action... If Uncle Grandfather doesn't go, I'm afraid it will be wasted."

How could Li Xuanxuan not hear it? He held it in for a long time before spitting out a:

"No next time!"

He looked at Li Xijun, opened his chatterbox, and nagged about his father Li Yuanyun, then pulled and tugged to talk about his grandfather Li Xuanling, and finally talked about how frugal Li Tongya was before he died, and how he didn't dare to spend even one spirit stone.

Li Xijun led him and listened silently for a long time before saying:

"If Great-Grandfather were alive, he would surely not want to see Uncle Grandfather torture himself like this."

Li Xuanxuan stopped immediately, flew with his head down, and said for a long time:

"Back then I didn't notice anything... If I could have gone to Zhenhui Temple for Ling brother..."

He turned his head, and his ugly, old face was full of bright tears:

"I, Li Xuanxuan! Will never say another word!"

The old man covered his face:

"I owe him too much... I owe him too much... If Ling brother were alive, he would have already established his foundation, unlike me... useless!"

"As a result, your father died in front of me, but I left him and escaped alone! How can I be worthy of you, how can I be worthy of him... It would be better to just die!"

Li Xijun was moved, persuaded him on the side, and only comforted him:

"Now the family is already getting better..."

Master Kongheng on the side was a kind-hearted person, and he was deeply moved, thinking:

"I only thought Li Xuanxuan was a pedantic and stubborn old man... I didn't expect such a story. In the end, my cultivation is still not enough..."

The three of them rode the wind to the territory of the Hengzhu Dao. Bi Chengjuan greeted them quickly, swept his gaze among the three, stared at Master Kongheng cautiously, and asked with a cold tone:

"I do not know which Master this is?"

Master Kongheng was confused and replied:

"This humble monk is a Northern Buddhist cultivator, and now I am a guest minister of the Li family."

"Guest minister of the Li family?"

Bi Chengjuan's face turned ugly, but fortunately he didn't turn his face immediately, only saying coldly:

"So it is. Wangyue Lake is close to the Great River... It is no surprise that the Li family has taken in a few monks."

Li Xijun noticed that the atmosphere was wrong and hurriedly said:

"This is Master Master Kongheng of Liaohe Temple. He originally cultivated in the Northern Desert, cultivating the ancient Buddhist method, strictly observing the precepts... I ask the Fellow Daoist to forgive me..."

Bi Chengjuan suddenly realized, apologized, his face softened, and he sighed:

"It was my impulsiveness! I am truly sorry!"

His face was sorrowful, and he explained:

"Many years ago, that Lord Murong Xia went south all the way, eating people everywhere, and actually harmed my eldest sister! My family's Old Ancestor fought all the way there, and actually alarmed the Qingchi Sect to come down to mediate, and in the end, it was left unsettled!"

Bi Chengjuan sighed long and said through gritted teeth:

"Two of my family's three Zifu cultivators were dispatched, and they still could not avoid this humiliation!"

Master Master Kongheng muttered:

"Lord Murong family... it seems to be the Compassionate Appearance."

"What kind of bullshit Compassionate Appearance!"

Bi Chengjuan seemed to have been humiliated, jumping like thunder, and said hatefully:

"That... that Lord Murong Xia harmed my eldest sister, that's fine! She actually... actually let her soul appear and offered herself to persuade my family's Old Ancestor... How can there be such a thing in the world! Ah!"

Li Xijun felt aggrieved in his heart, and was also secretly shocked by the strength of the Lord Murong family:

'Suffered such humiliation... the Zifu of the Hengzhu Dao actually endured it...'

Bi Chengjuan sighed muffledly, said he was out of state, took out five golden-glowing elixirs from his bosom, and whispered:

"I ask the Fellow Daoist to make some preparations..."

As he spoke, he took out a jade knife and said with little interest:

"This is the Body-Serving Elixir, which corresponds to the five acupoints of the heart and will. It is the path of ancient technique cultivation. I ask the Fellow Daoist to cut open the skin and flesh, stuff this elixir in, and then use a secret method to seal the skin and flesh."

He looked at the surprised faces of the few, and explained:

"Small formations are engraved on these elixirs. When you enter our Dao's 【Ningqing Xuanzhuan Great Array】 in a moment, and are guided by the Great Array, they will naturally all dissolve and assist in eliminating inner demons."

I have been busy recently and cannot add updates^. After the 25th passes and the things on hand are done, I will make up for the updates.

July will be much easier, and I will add more updates.

(End of chapter)