Chapter 735

Dantai Jin was also a Early Zifu direct line. The Si family's descendants were not prosperous, and in order to dilute the traces of usurping the sect, after Si Si Yuanli went into seclusion, the sect's affairs were handled by Dantai Jin. It looked like he was chosen for his virtue, but in fact, he was just a Si family member. Li Li Xizhi led him to his seat, and Dantai Jin took the tea and drank it, savoring it for a moment, and smiled: "Good tea."

Nowadays, Li Li Xizhi was the brother of a Early Zifu True Person and was qualified to sit and drink tea with Dantai Jin of the Early Zifu direct line. Although Si Sima Tongyi's cultivation was lacking, he was already the most outstanding among the Si family juniors and was originally qualified to sit and drink tea together, but he was a person who could always put down his face and stood respectfully on the side, performing the rites of a junior.

Li Li Xizhi exchanged pleasantries with him and asked:

"My lord, your immortal presence at my Jiutian Pavilion—is there any instruction?"

Dantai Jin repeatedly said he dared not, shook his head several times, and replied:

"I dare not call it an instruction; there is one or two things to trouble the Pavilion Master with."

He put down the teacup and said seriously: "The Si family has a talent, just reached Qi Refining, with extremely high talent and understanding of techniques far exceeding his peers. Sima Tongyi has looked at him carefully and is afraid that our own teaching will ruin this uncut jade, so he thought of having him apprentice under the Pavilion Master... If Li Xizhi does not mind, please take a look."

As soon as Dantai Jin finished speaking, Si Sima Tongyi on the side immediately took out a wooden box, offered it with both hands, and replied: "The Pavilion Master's techniques are divine. My family does not dare to covet the Daoist lineage. This Xiaguang Daoist lineage 【Five-Colored Deep and Vast Sword Technique】 is a fourth-grade ancient technique obtained by our family's True Person in the north many years ago. No one has been able to master it for a hundred years; only the Pavilion Master is worthy of it."

Si Sima Tongyi's sentence "The Pavilion Master's techniques are divine, my family does not dare to covet the Daoist lineage" really made Li Li Wushao on the side freeze, almost missing the subsequent words, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart:

"Damn this Si family direct line... having a Early Zifu makes it easy to talk."

Li Li Xizhi felt slightly strange in his heart.

"Actually coming to apprentice at my mountain gate."

It had to be said that this 【Five-Colored Deep and Vast Sword Technique】 was truly tempting. This was not a sword technique, but a magic technique, only related to sword cultivation. The Li family also had a 【Jiazi Soul Refining Halberd Technique】, which was even more purely a magic technique.

Li Li Xizhi had been looking for this kind of technique for a long time. One must know that his 【Colorful Clouds】 could directly improve his mastery of techniques, and his sword cultivation talent was not weak. Once this technique reached his hands, it would have a completely different effect.

But no matter how tempted he was, Li Li Xizhi did not show much desire on his face. Accepting this disciple would undoubtedly strengthen the connection with the Si family, and he didn't know what his brother's stance was, so he couldn't nod immediately, only replying:

"Sima Tongyi is too polite, but regarding accepting a disciple, the important thing is the affinity between master and disciple; one cannot ruin the talent of your noble family! It's not something that can be settled with a nod; one must pick a good day, take a look, and test him..."

Hearing this, Dantai Jin nodded, understanding that he had to ask Li Li Ximing first, and said:

"What is the Pavilion Master's arrangement?"

Li Li Xizhi replied: "Send the child over first, let me see if there is an affinity, and I will take two Daoist books to test him. It all depends on whether the affinity has arrived."

The two knew exactly what "affinity" meant. After discussing for a while, they ended the topic. Dantai Jin said:

"Senior Senior Changxi has died, and the Xuanyue territory is in chaos. Mount Shanjie County is surrounded by enemies on all sides, and there are many more demonic cultivators. I heard that the Xuanyue successor has arrived in the wilderness. That piece of land by the river has lost its protection, and East Sea demonic cultivators can also mix in."

"Once Mount Shanjie County is in chaos, demonic cultivators and monsters might pass through my Mount Qingchi territory. I am thinking of adding more defenses, and a batch of people might be sent over. If Li Xizhi has disciples who need to experience the world, they can go along."

Li Li Xizhi agreed casually. Dantai Jin had finished speaking, and the two drank a cup. The two had the intention to leave. Li Li Xizhi was thoughtful and suddenly asked:

"I wonder what the noble family's disciple's name, age, and cultivation technique are?"

"I actually forgot about that!"

Si Sima Tongyi said seriously: "That child is of the Xun generation, named Hui. He is only eighteen years old and cultivates the 'Empty Response Scatter'. He is also an immortal foundation talented in practicing techniques. When he reaches Foundation Establishment, his techniques can go a step further."

Li Li Xizhi nodded thoughtfully, only then sending Li Li Wushao to see them off. Although the old snake had a low bloodline, his status was not low now, and his cultivation was late Foundation Establishment, so everyone had to give him some face. Si Sima Tongyi also smiled and greeted him.

Dantai Jin left Jiutian Pavilion and sighed:

"Sima Tongyi, Li Li Xizhi doesn't seem to be very tempted. We still have to wait for True Person Can Zhaojing's reply."

Si Sima Tongyi nodded silently, his expression very complicated. It was no longer the situation where he and Li Li Xizhi were brothers back then, so he replied: "Years ago, Yuan Tuan went to Wangyue Lake, and I had just entered the peak to cultivate. I heard that the whole Li family came to greet him, and Li Li Xizhi was a nobody. At that time, Yuan Tuan... had to smile and greet me."

"Now that Can Zhaojing has achieved success, I have to be very polite to the juniors among the Li family juniors... even that Li Li Jiangqian... it's truly hard to predict..."

Dantai Jin only shook his head and said: "Worldly affairs are like this. Let alone Yuan Tuan, how majestic was the Yuan clan back then? The dignified Yanyang Daoist lineage, what has it become now? Now Yuan Yuan Chengzhao has to live by your and my breath. Is he aggrieved? What's the use?"

The two stopped talking and rode the wind out. Dantai Jin regretted:

"Our True Person also had some thoughts on that piece of Mount Shanjie County. Unfortunately, Senior Changxi died too early, and many True Persons were caught off guard. It was actually True Person Yehuai who got the benefit. Looking at it now, that land can only be divided up by the nearby families."

Wangyue Lake.

The small hall in the continent was decorated brightly and planted with many plum blossoms, but it wasn't the season, so a few lonely branches stretched out in the courtyard, with many cultivators coming and going.

A cultivator in a crimson robe paced down from the main hall, with tiger whiskers and swallow jaws, a sturdy build, and particularly piercing eyes. Just standing there, he had a power that made people unable to look away.

Ding Ding Weijian's injuries were almost healed. He was a person specifically mentioned by the True Person and had obtained a 【Xuanque Heart-Clearing Medicine】. This elixir had the ability to transcend karma and had the same effect as the karma-transcending nature of Ding Ding Weijian's immortal foundation 'Hall Yang Tiger', complementing each other, with its efficacy exerted to the extreme.

Therefore, most of the people around had some injuries on them. Even Li Cheng, who had well-preserved combat power in battle, still needed to adjust his breath. Ding Ding Weijian's injuries were among the heaviest, yet he had come out of the mountain early, his strength recovered by seventy or eighty percent.

Now that he had arrived in the hall, a servant reported: "Reporting to my lord, Wang Li Quwan from Funan is visiting."

Ding Ding Weijian was not surprised, sat in the main seat, and said: "Invite him in."

After a while, the man with tied hair and a sword on his back entered the hall and bowed respectfully: "Junior Wang Li Quwan of the Funan Wang clan, greetings, my lord."

Cultivators of the Jiangbei lineage had newly entered the Li family and naturally had to huddle together for warmth. The Funan lineage had more people, most of whom were trained under Qu Qu Bushi, and they all considered themselves to be of Funan origin.

Another batch was the Midong cultivators, mainly composed of surrendered generals and cultivators from Midong aristocratic families who were conscripted into the Dense Forest, led by Miaoshui. Their numbers were small, and their cultivation was not high. Miaoshui had a good relationship with Qu Qu Bushi, and these people often borrowed the name of Jiangbei to surround the Funan cultivators, still inevitably feeling inferior.

Wang Li Quwan's Wang clan was the Jiangbei Wang clan, strictly speaking, still Midong cultivators. Fortunately, they moved to Funan years ago. Wang Li Quwan was so clever; he had just come out of Mount Zhijing Mountain a few months ago and immediately called himself the Funan Wang clan, first going to worship Qu Qu Bushi, and the second was to see Ding Ding Weijian.

Ding Ding Weijian was loyal and never looked at factions, but his status was set there, so he naturally became the leader tacitly agreed upon by both Jiangbei factions. Therefore, Wang Li Quwan coming to pay a visit did not surprise Ding Ding Weijian.

Wang Li Quwan came out of tact, but Ding Ding Weijian had long wanted to see him.

For no other reason than that the first person Ding Ding Weijian was loyal to in his heart was Li Li Ximing. Wang Li Quwan was valued by Li Li Ximing, and there was even a vague intention of setting aside a Suiyuan Pill. Ding Ding Weijian's favor for him naturally increased greatly, so he only asked: "Li Quwan, don't be polite. Have your resources and place of cultivation been decided?"

Wang Li Quwan hurriedly said, and Ding Ding Weijian listened one by one, discovering it was the first-class treatment in the clan, nodding silently, confirming that the other party was deeply loved, and asked:

"Has Senior Qu explained the clan affairs to you? Do you understand them all?"

Nowadays, the decline of the Mount Lijing old clan lineage was hard to hide. The once-thriving Huayu sect had suddenly ceased its activities following An Siwei's capture. The Dense Forest and Nazhang sects were gradually growing, and the incoming Jiangbei lineage was quite awkward. If one wasn't careful, it was very easy to offend people.

Even if Qu Qu Bushi didn't tell Wang Li Quwan these things, he would have a bottom line after asking around for two days, but saying it out loud made things clearer. He only said: "Reporting to my lord, I understand them all."

Ding Ding Weijian nodded but still reminded: "Although the Mount Lijing old ministers are not prominent now, you must still respect them. As for the matters between the Fei family and the Funan cultivators, you don't need to get involved; just cultivate well."

Wang Li Quwan knew what he was referring to. The Fei family on the north bank had many blood feuds with Funan in the past ten-plus years, and many Funan cultivators were even small families from the north bank who had defected to Fuyun Cave. Now, although they shared one master, the blood feud was still in their hands, and the conflict was not small.

But his Wang family originally came from Midong and had never been involved in these things, so they were kept clean. After Ding Ding Weijian finished his instructions, Wang Li Quwan replied:

"The Eldest Young Master and the Clan Head have instructed me not to leave the continent until I reach Foundation Establishment."

Once these words were spoken, Ding Ding Weijian immediately reacted:

"Wang Li Quwan concerns the hearts of Funan; he is afraid of being harmed by the north side!"

Li Li Jiangqian was indeed afraid of Wang Li Quwan being harmed by the Duxian Dao. After all, regarding the Mount Xiaoshi Mountain matter, the only one who could be used right now was Wang Li Quwan. Once harmed, he didn't know when he would have to wait until next time. The two misunderstood each other's meaning, but both felt it was reasonable.

The two chatted for a while, and Ding Ding Weijian nodded repeatedly. From the continent to the shore, Wang Li Quwan had already arranged everything, even more thoughtfully than Ding Ding Weijian had imagined.

Chatting happily, Ding Ding Weijian couldn't help but rise, ignoring the other party's refusal, and sent Wang Li Quwan out, smiling:

"To have a Clan Head like you, the Funan Wang clan has truly received immense fortune!"

"It is only by the grace of the True Person's regard!"

The two arrived outside the hall, but suddenly saw a youth in dark red pleated clothes waiting at the steps. Ding Ding Weijian was slightly startled and bowed: "Greetings, Young Master!"

Li Li Jiangqian greeted him with a smile, nodded slightly and politely to Wang Li Quwan, who tactfully retreated. Ding Ding Weijian hurriedly invited Li Li Jiangqian in, but the youth did not state his purpose, instead smiling:

"Lord Ding, what do you think of Wang Li Quwan?"

Ding Ding Weijian's expression became solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "This person is likely not a creature of a pond."

"Oh?"

Li Li Jiangqian asked, and Ding Ding Weijian continued: "Although this person is not young, his cultivation is stable and mellow, his magic power is clear and bright, his clothing is frugal, his posture is steady, his magic sword's rope is worn out, and his palms have calluses from forming seals. His ambition of clear wind and bright moon is between his brows, and he does not lose his posture when bowing. If he acts decisively, can advance and retreat, and obtains opportunities, he will inevitably stand out from the crowd of cultivators."

Li Li Jiangqian pondered for a while and asked:

"My lord thinks highly of him."

He was surprised on the surface, but he already had a judgment in his heart:

"Opportunity? The Mount Xiaoshi Mountain Daoist lineage is an iron-clad opportunity. Could it be that fate is truly at work! It is better to use resources, treasures, and the clan's female relatives to win him over..."

But just as Li Li Jiangqian's thought ended, he was suddenly startled and mused to himself:

"But how do I know if my thought of winning him over... is not the good luck caused by his fate? Is it fate playing with people, or people becoming fate?"

He pondered for a short moment but deeply engraved Wang Li Quwan in his heart, a smile appearing on his face as he said:

"I have come this time because there is one thing to trouble you with, my lord."

"Young Master, please instruct!"

Ding Ding Weijian nodded hurriedly, seeing Li Li Jiangqian say seriously:

"I originally received the True Person's order to build a pavilion, a jade court, and a marketplace. Now the jade court is completed, the pavilion is about to be finished, and only the marketplace has not yet been settled."

"The True Person returned at the hour of the Rat, so I specifically went to Mount Zhijing to ask the True Person. The old man chose the location between Dense Forest Mountain and the east bank, taking a spot in the former Dense Forest County's old land, at the intersection of five earth veins, to build the marketplace on the spot."

"And this place lacks a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge. I asked the elders, and only you, my lord, are free. Why not go and guard it, allocate manpower, and build this marketplace."

Ding Ding Weijian nodded immediately and replied: "I obey the True Person's order!"

Li Li Jiangqian took several jade slips from his sleeve, took out a token, and handed them to him together, explaining:

"The earth veins in that territory are lacking. Over the years, they have been repaired quite a bit with the passage of time, but there are still a few leaks that need to be filled. My lord, take my token and go, and let the Xuanyue sect members repair them."

Earth veins being lacking was actually a relatively rare situation, and there were very few Daoist records of repair methods; most were just waiting for time to slowly repair them. Fortunately, the Xuanyue sect members were now in the Li family, and this group was best at these things. Ding Ding Weijian found it strange and slightly puzzled. Li Li Jiangqian only replied: "That place used to be the Yu family's marketplace. The Yu family had good vision; that spot on the entire east bank was the most suitable for building a marketplace. During the struggle of the various families back then, the marketplace was destroyed, the Yu Zhen formation was shattered, and the earth veins were injured, which is why there is today's trouble."

He revealed a calm smile and instructed:

"I will allocate the manpower for you, my lord, and the invited formation masters will also arrive on time. However, once you reach the east bank, all the cultivators around these five peaks will naturally be handed over to you to arrange. Just go find my brother; tell him clearly it is the True Person's order, and with this token of mine, he will not refuse."

Ding Ding Weijian said respectfully:

"Subordinate obeys!"