Chapter 799: Within the Secret Pan

Cui Cui Jueyin responded with an acknowledgement, then saw Li Li Xiqian shake his head:

"The manpower from Ziyan moving to the East Sea is becoming less efficient by the day. However, since the True Person has not returned, dragging it out is fine. The clan is stable now, so none of this counts as a major issue. Protector Cui, you are often on the East Bank; are you aware of any news from Li Xixia?" Li Li Xiqian pointed to several letters on the desk. Judging by their format and specifications, they were nine-tenths likely to have been sent by Li Li Xixia. He frowned and said, "For several months, the various families on the East Bank and the wilderness vassal territories have suddenly gone silent. The number of disciples coming to the dense forest has plummeted. It is clearly the time for the triennial mountain entry, yet hardly anyone has come... This is not a simple matter."

The one hundred and eighteen families on the East Bank have extended their vassal territories into the wilderness. Over the years, Li Li Xixia has been nibbling away at them like an ant. Although they were struck by the Duxian once, their foundation was not shaken. Though called the East Bank, it has long since ceased to be something a single "East Bank" could encompass. If the entire wilderness were divided into five parts, the two western parts would be under the remote control of the Li family.

These places are quite important sources of spiritual materials. Now that they need to forge the 【Purple Geng Vast Valley Mountain-Piercing Profound Nail】, it appears even more critical, and he cannot afford to ignore it.

Cui Cui Jueyin nodded and replied, "I have already received news... the cause has also been investigated..."

"In recent years, the 【Muquan Sect】 in the eastern Mount Shanjie Prefecture has gradually established a firm footing. The cultivators are recruiting disciples widely. This group of demonic cultivators appears to be imitating the Chengyun Sect, and with Ziyan supporting them from behind, they are intending to convert to the righteous path..."

"Their sect is truly lacking in low-level cultivators, so their standards have been set low. They mostly require cultivators of clean origin, preferably from Jiangnan... In the Mount Shanjie region, the north is blocked by the Profound Wonder Temple, and both sides are also Sun Lineage territories; only the wilderness has many cultivators... The wilderness is full of rogue cultivators, uneven in quality, and their traditions are scattered and disorganized. Even if the 【Muquan Sect】 lowers their standards further... not many can qualify."

"On the contrary, just past the wilderness is the East Bank. It just so happens that over these years, the various families on the East Bank have been cultivating disciples according to the seasons, waiting for recruitment into the dense forest. They have all been focused on consolidating their cultivation and building a solid foundation, not rushing into practice. As a result, when they encountered the 【Muquan Sect】 opening its mountain gates wide, they all went east to try their luck."

Beyond the East Bank lies the wilderness, so the various families mainly provide offerings through mining and planting. Unlike the various prefectures on the lake, which are clearly within the sphere of influence, they do not need to negotiate back and forth like Ding Mu. After hearing this, Li Li Xiqian did not appear anxious and nodded, saying:

"That is true. My family has plenty of guest ministers, and there are too many rules; one cannot enjoy much pleasure. Future development is far inferior to the 【Muquan Sect】. Where is it as comfortable as being a disciple of a Early Zifu sect?"

Cui Cui Jueyin bowed and replied:

"The Clan Master is right... but the Profound Mu tradition is only using them to fill numbers. Entering as an outer sect disciple, with insufficient practice time and inadequate resources, it may not necessarily be pleasant..."

"That is not important... People have their own aspirations. We were not lacking this one or two batches of people anyway."

Li Li Xiqian raised his eyes, his gaze fixed gloomily on the map on the table, and replied, "I am afraid that as they enter the Profound Mu tradition one by one—taking this one today and that one tomorrow—if all hundred-plus families are taken away to enrich the east, what will happen to the west?"

Cui Cui Jueyin nodded hesitantly and said softly, "The Third Young Master has been working and accumulating for many years. It might be better to integrate the East Bank—wilderness area and establish a prefecture peak... I only fear that this would make these hundred-plus families feel insecure... It is not an easy thing to manage."

The young man in the purple robe shook his head and replied, "The prefecture peak cannot be easily expanded, and even less can it swallow over a hundred families in one bite. This is the face of my family. These East Bank families also allow the families on the edge of the continent to have lower-level cultivators to step on, a method of unity that makes them feel superior..."

"Furthermore, these families are the legacy of the Jiang and Yu families from a century ago. It is fine that the Yu family is weak and cannot be moved, but why didn't we move against the Jiang family back then? Why didn't we move against the Xiao family? The rule that the Green Pool cannot cross prefectures and counties did not come from nothing; it originates from the more ancient Moon Flower Origin Prefecture. Under the Origin Prefecture, only sects can cross prefectures and counties, and even the Ziyan Sect only guards its own demarcated territory."

"Secondly, it is also to avoid directly bordering other Early Zifu forces... My family has the dense forest to manage the various families, and the Xiao family has the Remnant Mountain... it is all the same."

Li Li Xiqian pondered slightly, looked at the territory, and asked, "The wilderness also borders the Xiao family. Now that it is near the Remnant Mountain, presumably many people have gone there to practice. The Li Xia Xiao family has no reaction... this is difficult to handle."

He looked up and asked, "Do the various families all have people in the dense forest? You must immediately reclaim the positions. For those who went to the 【Muquan Sect】 and failed to enter, the dense forest should not accept them either. I will send someone to the east to ask. That Dai Dai Jinquan of the Profound Mu tradition seems reasonable; let's ask first before deciding."

Li Li Xiqian waved his hand to dismiss Cui Cui Jueyin. Finally, he saw someone come up from below the hall. Di Di Liguang had followed Li Li Zhouluo to the South Sea, so the one coming up now was a member of the Dou family. He bowed and said:

"Reporting to the Clan Master, Hu Keqing Miaoshui has returned."

Li Li Xiqian was very concerned and immediately raised his eyebrows, saying, "Alone? Or with Hu Keqing Wang?"

This person replied:

"Three people returned together, and they have already arrived at the side courtyard. It is said that they are not lightly injured."

Li Li Xiqian immediately frowned and went down. He happened to meet the three of them coming forward. Miaoshui's aura was stable, though his clothing was somewhat disheveled. He bowed first, while Wang Qu, wearing his sword, followed behind with a pale complexion.

The remaining one was very unfamiliar, his face covered in cold sweat, his clothes stained with blood. A body of Jin Gang had entered him, freezing his hands and feet purple, and he bowed stiffly.

Li Li Jiangqian gave a loud laugh, stepped down from the platform, took Wang Li Quwan's hand, and said with a smile, "Li Quwan, you truly are a heaven-sent talent; you really have returned safely!"

He turned again to the unfamiliar face and asked suspiciously:

"Who is this..."

Li Li Xiqian asked carefully, and saw Wang Qu cup his hands and reply, "This is Daoist Shou Ding of Lin Jingyi Mountain. He fought the enemy with his subordinate in the underground palace. Finally, he was injured, and together we left that dangerous place. Thinking that the journey back to the East Sea was long and would have to pass through the territory of the Pure One, fearing an ambush, I invited him to rest on the lake."

'Lin Jingyi Mountain!'

When Li Li Xiqian heard this, he immediately sized him up. This Daoist Shou Ding looked no older than a young man, his eyes were very narrow, and he did not look very imposing. Perhaps he had suffered some backlash from a spell, his beard and hair were slightly withered, and he had been injured by a spell like Jin Gang, to the point where he couldn't even speak.

Regarding the Brother Xuan Yue affair back then, Chang Xi had given Yuezhou Island to Lin Jingyi Mountain. It should have been considered an ally of the Brother Xuan Yue line, but from beginning to end, not a single person from Lin Jingyi Mountain had come, not a single resource had been provided, leaving the Kong family to struggle in Jiangnan, indirectly leading to Li Li Ximing being trapped to death. To put it bluntly, Su Mian at least opened his mouth, while True Person Xuanyi didn't even open his mouth; one could say he didn't even let out a fart.

The Brother Xuan Yue direct line deeply resented this matter. Although the Profound Wonder Temple had no losses, Su Mian was similarly extremely dissatisfied with Xuanyi. His own family had suffered greatly, and the family had nothing good to say about Lin Jingyi Mountain.

Yet Lin Jingyi Mountain had no connections in Jiangnan, and they happened to meet Wang Qu. Now they had found their way to the Li family. Li Li Xiqian, being deep-minded, smiled warmly and politely, "So it is a guest from Lin Jingyi Immortal Mountain. This is only right and proper. Please enter the cave dwelling to practice... If you need any resources, just ask."

Daoist Shou Ding's face turned purple, his lips trembled, and he managed to respond with a sound, then coughed up blood. He wanted to say polite words but couldn't. Li Li Xiqian let Wang Qu sit in the hall and had Miaoshui take the others down. Only then did he return, having made up his mind: 'I don't know if this guy's mouth is tight. Since he is from Lin Jingyi Mountain, it would be best to inquire... to probe and find out exactly what kind of friendship Chang Xi and Xuanyi have.'

He smiled now:

"Congratulations... how was it in the underground palace?"

As he spoke, his eyes lingered on Wang Qu in an intriguing way.

According to Wang Qu's performance just now, he must have had many exchanges with that Daoist Shou Ding in the underground palace. As a disciple of Lin Jingyi, Daoist Shou Ding must know the secrets of the Secret Pan tradition.

So the question is, has Wang Qu already found out the news?

As he asked this, Wang Qu hurriedly bowed, took a large box from his sleeve, and opened it in front of him. In the center lay a red bead chain and an earthy yellow long shield; these were exactly the 【Red Hun Jade Treasure】 and 【Hundred Stone Spirit Shield】 that had been lent out.

He said:

"Reporting to the Clan Master, there is a mystery in this underground palace. We traveled to the deepest part, entered a ley line, and then entered another ley line, where we saw a pool of combined water, within which there was a universe..."

"Once we entered that pool of water, there was a palace inscribed with 【Great Secret Dou Pan】. The long plaques on both sides had been stolen. Once past this palace, water, fire, and thunder immediately fell. We flew and shuttled through... for a year or more."

"This water, fire, and thunder were not very powerful at first, but the water was combined water, the fire was combined fire, burning more and more fiercely. There was also thunder added, shattering spells. Fortunately, I had the two magic tools bestowed by the family—especially the 【Red Hun Jade Treasure】 for protection, and the 'Floating Cloud Body' to bless myself, which allowed us to cross."

Li Li Xiqian immediately felt something was wrong: 'Could it be a cave heaven? But where is there a cave heaven where Foundation Establishment cultivators are trapped in the same place for a year or more? How can there be such a logic?'

Wang Qu continued: "Only after passing through the water, fire, and thunder could we see a stone bridge. According to Daoist Shou Ding who was with me, this bridge was made of 'Wu Earth' spiritual objects. There was a great array on the entire stone bridge, suppressing spiritual sense. I groped halfway until I saw a stone tablet inscribed with the three characters 【Derivation Gold Section】. A box of water was bestowed from heaven. I accepted it and had no way forward, so I had to retreat."

"When I returned and saw Shou Ding, he said the 【Derivation Gold Section】 needed to be broken with Gold Virtue spells, which I had not learned, so I walked back. But the road out had changed. A group of people inside seemed to be fighting over something. I found a place to hide, and after a year or more, I took advantage of a group of people going to one side and secretly escaped."

"As soon as I left that pool of combined water, there was a group of demonic cultivators ambushing from the side. Fortunately, the magic tools in our hands were effective... it was just hard on Daoist Shou Ding... that group of demonic cultivators only saw his cultivation was high, so they thought the treasures were all on the leader, and they kept hitting him... using up all the talismans his master had given him."

Li Li Xiqian listened in silence and asked, "How did this Shou Ding of Lin Jingyi Mountain... come to be with you?"

Wang Qu was concise and replied, "He was seriously injured but knew the way out. Shou Ding led his subordinate out, and his subordinate protected him on the way."

Li Li Xiqian felt a little curious: 'Xuanyi knows so much about the Secret Pan? It seems that to get that precious sword, Lin Jingyi Mountain can be a helpful force...'

After he finished speaking, he bowed slightly, took a box from his storage bag, and opened it in front of Li Li Xiqian, revealing the light and transparent spiritual water inside.

He reported, "His subordinate does not recognize this spiritual object, but fortunately, he brought it back for the family."

Li Li Xiqian immediately frowned and replied:

"This is an opportunity you obtained; what kind of talk is this."

Only then did he take a look and immediately recognized it, replying:

"This thing is 【Clear Origin Spirit Water】, which can be used to practice pupil techniques. You should keep it well. It is exactly one portion and will be very useful!"

Before Wang Qu could answer, Li Li Xiqian had already waved his hand and replied:

"Anything obtained from the Dao Treasury counts as yours."

Wang Qu hesitated for a moment, finally put it away temporarily, bowed lightly, and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Clan Master... his subordinate discovered one thing... I fought with many people in the underground palace. As we dived into the ley lines, the cultivators I saw became more powerful, but their immortal foundations became more monotonous, seemingly just those few types. I privately asked Daoist Shou Ding, and he said that those who enter the underground palace are gathered together by similar traditions..."

Li Li Xiqian was noncommittal, not knowing if he was telling the truth or a lie. He rubbed the jade cup in his hand, seemingly having made some decision, and finally opened his mouth:

"Indeed..."

Wang Qu looked suspicious at the sound. Li Li Xiqian shook his head and said, "This matter concerns the Early Zifu. I have some guesses... which I can share with Qu."

Wang Qu bowed immediately, clearly having been suspicious for a long time. Li Li Xiqian said sternly, "If I am not mistaken, this underground palace was built by the Chengyun Sect. The demonic cultivators outside the pool are also people of the Chengyun Sect. They discovered a certain tradition underground and needed the relevant immortal foundation to enter it... so they sent tokens to people with this type of immortal foundation everywhere... letting these people enter the cave heaven for them, and then killing them when they were unprepared..."

His expression was gloomy as he replied:

"Back then, the Floating Cloud Cave was destroyed, and the cultivation methods and resources were sent by the other two caves. The set of cultivation methods you practice was sent by the Fan Yun Cave supported by the Chengyun Sect... It seems they originally intended to send it to my family's disciples, lure them into the combined water pool, and kill them... That place probably doesn't even count as having divine powers. Fortunately, Qu was cautious and did not compete with them for treasures... and the True Person bestowed an elixir to make you establish your foundation, which allowed you to escape unscathed."

Wang Qu was slightly stunned for a moment. He saw Li Li Xiqian shake his head and smile, "However, the True Person has foresight beyond what you or I can know. Perhaps he had already calculated the Chengyun Sect's tricks and valued you highly, specifically bestowing the elixir, allowing you to break through in the face of battle, which left them with nothing... This little trick of the Chengyun Sect instead became your opportunity..."

Li Li Xiqian reversed the order of the statement and mentioned Li Li Ximing lightly, speaking generously, covering up the mistake of not having warned him earlier. Wang Qu gradually showed shock, thought about it from beginning to end, and let out a long breath.

Li Li Xuanxuan gave the magic tools sincerely and also wanted to save his life sincerely. Neither Li Li Xiqian nor Li Li Zhouluo was involved in his gains, and they made their attitudes clear. Wang Qu bowed and said softly, "I only hate that my cultivation is shallow, and I could not fight hard to compete, wasting the opportunity given by the True Person..."

"That is not a matter."

Li Li Xiqian smiled slightly and replied:

"According to what you said, that place is definitely not something you few Foundation Establishment cultivators can explore in one go. You go find Sun Bai to heal your injuries first. I will write a letter to ask the Pavilion Master of the Ultimate Heaven, and there will surely be gains."

Characters appearing in this chapter

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Li Li Xiqian 'Great Li Book' 【Foundation Establishment Early Stage】

Miao○shui 'Return Flow Place' 【Foundation Establishment Mid Stage】

Wang Li Quwan, "Floating Cloud Body" 【Foundation Establishment Early Stage】

Cui Cui Jueyin 'Long Bright Steps' 【Foundation Establishment Late Stage】

Shou○ding 'Empty Response Powder' 【Foundation Establishment Mid Stage】 ===== CHAPTER 801 =====