Chapter 635

While Li Li Chengwei was pondering, Li Li Zhouluo cupped his hands and stepped forward, introducing his brothers and sisters. Li Li Zhoufang and Li Li Zhouyang of the Elder Branch were the oldest, but the brothers were somewhat stage-frightened and dared not speak much, so he, the Fourth Young Master, had to speak. Below them was Li Li Zhouken of the Second Branch. The Second Branch's generation had poor talent; although he was of the Second Branch, he had been adopted from the Elder Branch, so he was actually a biological brother to Li Li Zhoufang and the others, and he bowed toward them.

The others were all young, mere children with hair tied in tufts, and nothing could be told of them. After greeting them one by one, Li Li Chengwei first went to look at the outstanding disciples of the Sixteen Prefectures, numbering about thirty. The criteria for selection were naturally a notch lower than for his own children. He cast his gaze over them and none seemed like fools, but their cultivation was mostly unsatisfactory.

"Seven from the An clan, two from the Chen clan, three from Xitan, ten from the various Gentry clans, ten from humble backgrounds..."

Li Li Chengwei had a clear count in his mind. The situation currently faced by the Chen, Tian, Dou, and Xu clans, as well as the Mount Lijing Gentry clans, was not much different from that of the Li family's main branch; it was likewise a situation where direct descendants were scarce, so naturally, their numbers were not high.

Conversely, for the prefectural mountains on the west and east banks, the emerging clans and those of humble background were rapidly accumulating strength and establishing a firm foothold. Li Li Chengwei sat on the isle, night after night holding a vermilion brush to observe this matter; he feared few were more familiar with it than he.

"The era of marriage alliances between the four clans—Chen, Dou, Tian, and Xu—and the Mount Lijing alleyways is about to pass. With the appointment and dismissal of itinerant officials in the Sixteen Prefectures and the separation of immortals and mortals, the Gentry clans have people but no fields; their rise and fall will be a matter of mere generations."

He nodded as he listened to the youth below report on the customs of Wutu Prefecture, smiling and nodding, but his mind was on other things. The stable and worry-free situation of these Sixteen Prefectures was not Li Li Chengwei's achievement; he was clear-headed and knew he had merely taken over a Li family that was extremely stable and easy to manipulate.

The rotation and appointment of the Sixteen Prefectures, the centralization of power in the prefectures, and the oversight by Mount Yuting and Mount Qingdu were all carefully designed by Li Brother Yuanping and Li Li Xijun. They even had the idea when the Li family only occupied a corner of the east bank. After Li Li Xicheng and Li Li Xijun bit by bit cleared out the local forces in the new territory, they finally applied this framework to the vast Sixteen Prefectures of the lake region today.

"It is just that..."

He still remembered the sacrifices the four clans made alongside the Li clan in the north. The current powerlessness of the various Gentry clans was not unrelated to the death of their leaders. Early on, the rewards of spiritual objects and magic treasures were one aspect, but intimacy was still necessary.

Li Li Chengwei then singled out people from the four clans to show concern for a while, gave spiritual objects to each of the outstanding individuals of the Sixteen Prefectures, and marked out cave dwellings on the isle for them to settle and cultivate. The cultivators then took their leave first.

By the time he finished arranging this series of affairs, more than an hour had passed. When he looked at his own clansmen again, he found that everyone was standing to the side, having stood empty-handed for so long without daring to speak.

Li Li Chengwei put down his brush and smiled: "Li Zhouluo, bring your brothers up."

Li Li Zhouluo responded respectfully. As Li Li Zhoufang and the others approached the front of the hall, they found that the Li Li Chengwei before them suddenly looked joyful. They hurriedly rose, avoided the main seat, and said respectfully: "Greetings, my lord!"

Li Li Zhouluo turned to look and found that a woman was already standing in the hall, dressed in a long-feathered robe, wearing silver boots, her black hair coiled up, adorned with a white flower hairpin, and holding a silvery-Bai Long spear, standing quietly.

Her almond eyes were hazy with purple, and even though she just stood there and the thunder on her body did not manifest much, it made Li Li Zhouluo afraid to look. Naturally, he understood in his heart who this person was.

"Ancestor Li Qinghong!"

Li Li Qinghong nodded toward him and asked:

"How much time has passed?"

"Replying to my lord, one year and six months."

Li Li Chengwei replied. Li Li Qinghong casually put away her spear. In this year or more, she had not been in complete seclusion; she often went to the sea to harvest thunder. Now, her control over the 【Six Thunders Profound Punishment Decree】 was becoming deeper, and she could already store thunder and lightning within it at will, and even add a few points of power.

The white flower hairpin in her hair was also obtained in the East Sea. Although it was only at the Qi Refining level, it was a rare Sky Thunder magic treasure that could store some thunder, and although it was not much, it was better than nothing.

"The time agreed upon with Xi Xi Zikang is near, so I came back to take a look."

She stood there, and no one dared to sit. Following by Li Li Qinghong's side, they went out of the hall along the steps. The woman looked at the scenery on the isle and praised it. Li Li Chengwei said respectfully:

"A year ago, Senior Kong Kong Tingyun of the Xuanyue Sect came by. Hearing that my lord was in seclusion, she did not disturb you and left a message with me, hoping that after my lord leaves seclusion, you will send her a letter so she can come to visit."

"I will go to Xuanyue to see her instead."

Li Li Qinghong lowered her brow and responded, without any major emotional fluctuation.

Li Li Chengwei governed the family well; at the very least, the isle already had the atmosphere of an immortal clan. She admired it all the way, and by the time the sky grew dark, she indeed saw silvery-white thunder light landing on the isle.

Xi Xi Zikang held a jade slip in his hand, his robes silvery-white. He cupped his hands and bowed to her, smiling: "Fellow Daoist Li Qinghong, long time no see!"

Li Li Qinghong nodded slightly and exchanged a few polite words. Xi Xi Zikang did not dawdle, handed over the cultivation technique in his hand, and said loudly: "Fellow Daoist, please take a look. This is the 'Zhao Che Heart'!"

Li Li Qinghong's spiritual sense wandered through it for a round. The technique Xi Xi Zikang provided was truly as he said—nothing good, merely second-grade, called the "Zhao Tulong Jian Cheng Xin Art."

She only looked at it carefully once and raised her head with a look of doubt. Xi Xi Zikang naturally understood that the value could not be equal, and immediately replied:

"Xi Zikang knows this item is a notch lower, but I have other items to compensate; perhaps they can match the value."

He took a jade box from his sleeve and said softly:

"This is an escape technique from the Mingyang lineage, third-grade, called 【Flowing Sun Refracting Light】. Adding the two together, it should be able to match the value of this 【Strategy of Thunder and Mooring Clouds】."

Li Li Qinghong hesitated slightly. Escape techniques were very rare things in Jiangnan, and she did not understand the value of any 【Strategy of Thunder and Mooring Clouds】. In the eyes of the Li family, the "Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique" was just an ordinary third-grade technique, which could never match a third-grade escape technique.

If one were to think maliciously that this person wanted to obtain the technique to deal with her, Li Li Qinghong had long since changed to practicing the "Sky Cloud Asking Thunder Technique." Although her immortal foundation was still the original one, many of the key points were already different.

She pondered repeatedly, thinking it better to be cautious, and said softly: "The 'Purple Thunder Secret Origin Technique' is, after all, my own technique and involves many secrets. If you can set your mind at ease, let us exchange jade slips first. When you and I return from the East Sea, we will then exchange the incantations to unlock them..."

She looked seriously at the youth's expression and found his gaze clear. He said decisively: "Good!"

He readily agreed to Li Li Qinghong, showing the straightforward nature of a North Sea thunder cultivator. He exchanged a few words with her, took his leave along the way, and departed on the wind without any lingering attachment.

Li Li Qinghong watched him go into the distance and said softly:

"While we are away, you must act with extra caution."

Li Li Chengwei lowered his head and agreed. Li Li Qinghong mused:

"I reckon Minghuang is also close to breaking through, so I will go to Xuanyue and take the opportunity to go to the East Sea to borrow the spiritual gauze from Hengzhu and bring him back first."

No matter how much trouble this matter required, Li Li Qinghong did not mind. If possible, she even thought of inviting Kong Kong Tingyun to go along to prevent any problems halfway.

Zongquan Isle.

With the water receding and thunder rising in the East Sea, the weather was always overcast. It was rare for the thunderclouds in the sky to disperse, and the bright light spilled down, shining on the pavilions and halls on the isle.

When the North Sea sky leaked and the East Sea water receded, Zongquan Isle expanded by a hundred miles. Its area suddenly grew, and even many spiritual mines were exposed. The isle's income suddenly improved, and there were even signs of prosperity.

On a barren mountain in the middle of the isle stood a small courtyard. There were no guards on either side, nor servants, only a monk bending over in the courtyard washing clothes. Just as he finished half, he looked up at the sky and muttered:

"Two years... so fast!"

Master Kongheng's face was a bit pale. After finishing the robes, he wrung out the water, grabbed both sides to shake them, and hung them on a rope to dry. The sea sparrows outside the courtyard chirped, waiting for him to light a fire and cook.

But after he changed his clothes, sensing something, he rose on the wind and went straight into the clouds. Sure enough, he saw the sound of water outside the formation shaking violently, and the emerald-red seawater rumbled and groaned incessantly.

"Woo..."

A faint conch sound came from far to near. The sky was bright, and looking out, the sea surface was filled with jumping fish and shrimp. Their green backs slightly exposed above the sea, and it seemed as if countless giant beasts were churning underneath.

The sea seemed to be boiling. One by one, demon creatures rose from it and stopped in the air, holding knives, spears, or halberds. They were surprisingly symmetrical, arranged in two rows, all armored and robed, staring with two fish eyes.

"Hmm?"

Master Kongheng began to chant scriptures, watching the sea surface quietly. The seawater before him actually parted bit by bit, and a giant green-scaled beast with a horse's face and an ox's body leaped out from within.

"Boom!"

Seawater like a waterfall crashed down from both sides. This beast stopped at the shore, as large as a small mountain, with eyes like small houses. Its blue-black eyes stared quietly at Master Kongheng. The monk stood before it, no larger than a single scale.

Most of the isle was shrouded in the shadow of this sea beast. Monk Master Kongheng turned his prayer beads somewhat uneasily, holding a bronze monk's staff in his hand, which clattered.

"Fellow Daoist..."

Dense crowds of shrimp and crabs crawled down at the beast's feet. Several water snakes walked upright, dripping and tapping on conch shells. The cultivators on the shore were shrouded in the giant beast's shadow, terrified beyond words.

"Clang..."

Master Kongheng finally raised his brows and caught a glimpse of the bronze chains on the sea beast, which stretched all the way into the deep sea, from which a green fish leaped up.

The green fish rode the water, with a pair of scaly wings growing under its ribs. Its huge fish eyes stared, transforming into human form, dressed in black-green robes, laughing out loud in its mouth:

"Dharma Master Master Kongheng! Long time no see!"

The calmness on Master Kongheng's face finally broke. He gripped the monk's staff in his hand tightly, let out a deep breath, shook his head, and replied:

"You... you... Fellow Daoist Huiyao! Why create such a great momentum!"

Huiyao chuckled and said in a low voice: "Dharma Master, do not blame me... Dharma Master, do not blame me... This Sea-Patrolling General is here on orders, so the momentum is naturally a bit greater. Please do not blame me..."

Master Kongheng frowned slightly and asked: "I wonder what orders you are following?"

This green fish wore a robe and had some momentum. He waved his hand and smiled: "Congratulations!"

Master Kongheng was stunned, raised his head thoughtfully, and then saw the clouds and mist in the sky disperse, a strong wind rise, scorching heat churn, and the sky light become extremely bright.

'The Heir has broken through...'

Huiyao's fish face dripped with mucus, laughing: "This demon general is here on behalf of the Dragon Son to congratulate your clan!"

Master Kongheng finally let out a breath and nodded in agreement. It was only because this monk had a good temper that he could just chant some scriptures and let it pass; if it were another familiar Foundation Establishment cultivator, being scared like this, they might not necessarily refrain from scolding him.

Back when the Zhu Nan Jiaogong changed masters, Huiyao specifically invited his own cultivators to surround and kill a demon creature together. Over the years, he had heard that he was doing well under the new master, and just assumed that with his own help, his status had become higher, and he had more prestige when going out to sea.

The two waited for a quarter of an hour. The grass and trees on the ground were a bit wilted, and clusters of yellow energy, as large as a carriage cover, floated out in the sky with a rustling sound. Master Kongheng squinted to look and found that there were many shadows of people in the clouds, with the sound of soldiers and horses neighing.

Huiyao stared tightly at the sky, waited for another moment, and when all the strange phenomena in the sky disappeared, he finally landed in front of the hall.

The monk took a step, and the hall was filled with bright light, spraying out from the windows and doors like a white blade falling on his face, illuminating the faces of the man and the demon with a bright, white radiance.

He pushed the door and entered. The main hall was bright, all flowing toward the head seat. Huiyao followed closely behind, raising his head to look.

In the hall, a deep golden long halberd was inserted upside down, its long branches curved like a crescent moon, and in the center was outlined a bright white arc. Intense bright light was released from it, actually flowing out like water.

The demon creature stared blankly, a burst of floral fragrance at its nose. Its gaze skipped over the long halberd, and only then did it see a youth leaning on the main seat at the very top.

The youth was in a gold-white soft armor, painted with black mysterious patterns, his sleeves tightly bound, half-leaning against the back of the chair, gently raising his head to reveal a smooth jawline, his eyes slightly narrow, opening quietly.

Huiyao had seen that Li Li Yuanjiao back then and only felt that this person's appearance was somewhat similar, but more generous, with longer eyebrows and slightly wider eyes, possessing an indescribable bearing.

"Looking at him, he does not look like a human, but rather a Dragon Son transformed into human form... Only that cunning evil in his gaze... is just like Li Li Yuanjiao, and even surpasses him by a few points..."

Huiyao once did not understand the cunning and evil of the human race, and only after seeing Li Li Yuanjiao did he suddenly realize it, from then on understanding that ordinary people were cunning and evil, but he had never seen anyone like him again. Now, it matched.

While he was lost in thought, Li Li Zhouwei's slow and long eyebrows lifted, and his dark golden eyes looked over from afar. Huiyao felt his whole body go cold, his heart trembling slightly, and he secretly thought:

"It should be that he has practiced a pupil technique to intimidate others... That Li family Heir... The Dragon Son said the one least like a human should be him, and besides, there is no one else here practicing Mingyang."

He only felt that this person's gaze was like the shining of the sky, stinging his face with pain. He could not help but lower his head, cupping his hands in the manner of the human race, and said loudly: "Huiyao, Demon General of the Zhu Nan Jiaogong, greets the Heir!"

The youth at the head seat stood up, his black boots tapping on the ground, making a few echoes. His voice was clear, with a hint of a smile, echoing in the hall:

"Fellow Daoist, you are too polite!"

Huiyao, however, did not rise while bending his waist. He flicked his robe, took a step forward, and used the etiquette of a dragon-kind bowing to a great person. With a thud, he knelt on the ground, bowed toward the east, knocked his forehead on the ground, and only then turned to bow to him, his voice respectful and slightly shrill: "This small demon, fortunate to receive the Dragon's command, bows repeatedly, respectfully representing the White Dragon Tiao Crown Prince of the Quanchong Dragon King, the Chengbi Dragon Son of the Clear Pond of the Sea-Clearing, the Zhu Nan Prefect of the Sea of Zhu Lu, leading the shrimp soldiers and crab generals of Zhu Nan..."

His voice was extremely respectful and cautious, dragging out a long tone, his green-black robe hanging on the ground, chanting: "Waiting to invite the Heir to grace our Jiaogong!"