Chapter 980: Crimson Light

The light was bright and brilliant, the white radiance pure and clear. Passing beneath the five-story terrace of the side pavilion, one could see a circular platform one hundred and seventy feet wide, with a gallery bridge like a floating span. Only after passing seven great halls and twelve opposing pavilions did one reach the 【Crimson Light Hall】.

The 【Crimson Light Hall】 was located in the north of the prefecture, second only to the main hall. It had been newly built not long ago, rising because Li Jiangzong had shown his willingness to occupy a secondary position. Later, when the Li clan was enfeoffed as the Wei, Li Jianglong likewise dared not occupy the main position and also moved here. This place gradually became the center of power for Wangyue Lake and Ting Prefecture.

The current 【Crimson Light Hall】 was not yet as prominent as it would be, but it had already begun to take shape.

Li Suining, the eldest in age, followed closely behind Li Minggong. Only then did he see an old man in a long gown waiting to welcome them in front of the pavilion, his face full of smiles: "Greetings, my lord!"

"Old Qu, you are too polite!" Li Minggong replied with a smile, appearing very respectful.

The old man sighed: "Watching yet another batch of children arrive... it seems like the image of Jiangzong and the others when they were young is still before my eyes. I wonder how many more times this old man will be able to see them..."

Qu Bushi... Li Suining glanced at him and recognized him, quickly lowering his head.

The old man had descended from Jiangbei. Throughout his life, he had served various family heads, but his strength was very poor. He was skilled in managing spirit fields and did not need to go out to fight... Later, when chaos broke out on the lake, he was lucky enough to escape outside. He wandered and begged for news, eventually finding his way to the Southern Border.

But his strength was too poor, and he had no means or background. When he arrived at Black Lacquer Ridge, he happened to run into the Black Barbarian King patrolling the mountains. Although he invoked the Li family's name, it was no longer effective that day. He was captured in three moves and two strokes, falling into the Black Barbarian King's magic treasure, the 【Kan Water Gorge】, and was dissolved into yellow earth and blood amidst loud laughter.

Li Zhouming had once regarded this as a regret, and Li Suining had also gnashed his teeth in hatred because of it, yet he was powerless to help.

Now, seeing the old man standing before the hall, smiling with his sleeves tucked, he also raised his head, smiling and bowing: "Greetings, Senior Qu!"

Qu Bushi looked at him with some surprise, nodding repeatedly, and raised his brows: "Everyone, go inside..."

A group of children, big and small, filed in, but Li Minggong was held back by Qu Bushi. The old man said sternly: "Jiangzong is looking for you! The Second Young Master has already come out of seclusion; it is just in time!"

"Oh?" Li Minggong's eyes lit up, and he stepped inside.

Li Suining had already reached the front of the hall, lifting his robes to bow, and in the gaps, he caught a glimpse of those two figures.

One was dressed in white, with orange-yellow fabric at the collar, and the patterns of true fire swimming sparrows on the left and right cuffs. His gaze was bright, and though he had not yet grown a beard on his lips, he had a stern appearance.

It was their own manager—Li Jiangzong, the only man of the Jiangque generation who was not of the Mingyang direct line but possessed outstanding ability.

This clan uncle had received the evaluation from the Wei King of being "broad-minded, respectful, and cautious, sufficient to inherit the enterprise." He had held the position of the Qingdu clan head for many years, always keeping the internal affairs of the lake in good order. In the days of the Li clan's decline, he had maneuvered among many parties, seeking favors, and cooperated with Li Zhouluo to preserve the bloodline...

Li Suining lowered his eyes slightly, but could not help turning his head to secretly size up the man on the other side.

This person was dressed in shimmering radiance, his cultivation profound, with golden-red light lingering by his side. He was wearing crimson robes, sitting in the main seat with a frown, holding a book in his hands, looking over from afar.

Beneath his brows were a pair of golden pupils!

'Second Young Master...' Li Suining felt heat rise in his heart.

When the Li family was at its peak, it was known as having four Zifu in one family, with three holding positions to assist the court. This Second Young Master was one of the three holders—the holder of the Zifu Hall, the envoy of the Fengwu Hall, the administrator of General Prefecture, and the Fengzhen Guangyun Envoy with a fief of three thousand five hundred households—Li Jianglong!

The current Li Jianglong was not wearing the purple-light golden-patterned robes, nor was he wearing the Fengzhen ribbon; he was merely a cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. But the moment those eyes opened, bright and golden, it was enough to make one's heart tremble!

The Song produced three heirs, not yet reaching the Wei... The brightness at that time... was too dazzling.

Li Suining felt a sour ache in his heart and instead lowered his head dejectedly. Yang Zhuo, the Song Emperor, a great figure whose status as a True Lord was set in stone, had only three sons among his many children who were capable. At that time, the court and the public praised them, which was one fewer than the Wei King's four sons like dragons.

"Thinking about it now... the lords must have had their own unavoidable circumstances. It is just that we, the younger generation below, could not see clearly. We received the illumination of the light and thought it was something to be proud of, not knowing that disaster was imminent."

He bowed before the steps, truly appearing familiar with the routine, and compared to the other children, he appeared calm and composed.

Li Jiangzong raised his brows, and sure enough, he saw the golden pupils looking over: "This is..."

Li Jiangzong flipped through the list in his hand, compared his ranking, and said: "Dongdi... he is of the line of Lord Minggong. There is also the eldest son, Suikuan, who seems to have higher talent—after so many years, it is finally a time of prosperity."

Li Jiangzong, in order to ensure the two were not influenced by their predecessors, deliberately did not mention Li Xixuan. Li Jianglong, however, understood clearly in his heart, lowering his head to sip tea, glancing over, and nodding secretly.

Li Suining below remained motionless, waiting silently. Only when the group was complete did the light in the hall suddenly flash, with colorful radiance gathering in a peaceful scene. The people on the left and right were all startled, bowing together and saying respectfully: "Greetings, True Person!"

Li Suining raised his head slightly and saw a white-gold color appear in the main seat. Like lightning, he lowered his head, bowing before the steps, refusing to rise.

This True Person stood before the steps, his expression carrying a smile, and said leisurely: "Rise, there is no need for such formalities!"

In an instant, the cultivators rose, the atmosphere solemn. The True Person possessed divine abilities, and even without speaking, an invisible pressure permeated the hall.

Li Xi Ming sat down in the main seat, scanned the room, and nodded: "Not bad, these children's talents all have some weight..."

Since the slaughter by the river in the Chengming generation, the Li clan's descendants had never flourished, and geniuses were even rarer. Both the Zhou Xing and Jiangque generations appeared withered. If not for Li Zhouwei and Li Quewan brought from the lakeside, there would only be Li Jiangzong... His personality was different, making him hard to evaluate. His talent was similar to Li Chenglie's, but whether due to experience or opportunity, the current him was more than a notch behind.

But now, looking around, three or five of them had talents well worth cultivating, and there were even figures with outstanding talent who were pleasing to the eye. How could Li Xi Ming not be happy? His gaze scanned, but first stopped on the face of the young man below. Seeing the golden pupils, he smiled and pointed: "Is it Suihuan?"

The young man was handsome with refined brows, his golden pupils bright, possessing a noble air. He stepped forward and said respectfully: "Suihuan greets the True Person!"

The young man was indeed Li Suihuan, Li Jianglong's own son—Li Jianglong had specifically come out of seclusion to be here, partly because of his own son.

Li Xi Ming had personally bestowed the name. Counting the days, he was already thirteen years old. He was the eldest son of the Mingyang bloodline, ranking fourth among the Sui-generation, and his cultivation speed was the fastest. He was already in Qi Refining, cultivating the 【Heavy Light Fire Bright Scripture】.

With Li Xi Ming and Li Zhouwei successively reaching Zifu, the resources for the Li clan's disciples became better and better. Starting cultivation at the age of six, with sufficiently good techniques and resources, Li Suihuan's cultivation of the six rounds of fetal breath was one round per year. If not for the high difficulty of the 【Heavy Light Fire Bright Scripture】, the breakthrough time could have been even earlier.

Now standing before the disciples, he had an air of being a cut above the rest, making the cultivators look sideways, which made Li Xi Ming laugh: "You have your father's demeanor... this talent and grace, even the direct line of the Immortal Sect cannot compare!"

Li Suihuan was not old, but his courage was not small. Facing the gazes of the cultivators and the True Person's attention, he raised his brows, his eyes bright, and replied: "Which direct line of the Immortal Sect... back then dared not face my grandfather's halberd? The descendants of the White Qilin will illuminate a thousand miles, raising the rising sun to make Wangyue bright, not just the divine ability of the second generation!"

The left and right looked at each other in shock. Li Minggong had a smile, Li Jianglong raised his eyelids and frowned, while Li Xi Ming raised his brows and laughed, only replying: "Good ambition!"

"Come!"

He reached into his sleeve and took out a jade box, handing it to Li Suihuan, smiling: "This is a Li Fire magic treasure from the family, called 【Li Light Flower Radiance】. It was originally something I had someone craft in my spare time to verify divine abilities and techniques. Now that you have used it, I will hand it to you... as encouragement!"

For a time, there was only his sound of thanks and the praise of those on the left and right. Li Suining stood on the side below, not raising his head. Listening to Li Xi Ming's praise, he felt no jealousy or envy, but rather a complexity.

'Fourth Brother...' Li Suihuan was not speaking wildly, nor was it just empty talk. Even when the Eldest Young Master later broke through to Zifu, people still mentioned his 【Guo Shentong of the Second Generation】. This Fourth Brother's own cultivation speed was also extremely fast. When the Immortal Decree reached the lake, his Immortal Foundation was complete, his secret techniques achieved, and he was but one step away from Zifu.

It was just... who could have imagined that the Li clan, then at its zenith, would end up with this outcome?

He raised his brows slightly, not daring to look directly at Li Xi Ming, only listening to his tone of gratification. Perhaps because he had hints in his heart, he only felt that Li Xi Ming was not as happy as he had imagined.

Li Xi Ming quickly turned his head, raised his brows to look down, pointed to Li Suikuan on the side, and smiled: "You are?"

"Junior Suikuan... is a disciple of the Yuanwan branch!" The child immediately knelt down, answering respectfully. Li Xi Ming nodded thoughtfully and replied: "Rare!"

In his previous life, he was ignorant, but now Li Suining understood very clearly in his heart why Li Suikuan was pointed out—because he looked the most outstanding among the many children—this naturally had to be credited to his own foolish grand-uncle, Li Chengzai.

This old man did not understand cultivation, but was willing to spend effort. Relying on favors, he obtained spirit resources from several guests and used them on Li Suikuan early on. With Li Suikuan's fetal breath cultivation, it was simply like a cow chewing a peony. How could the True Person not see it? On the surface, Li Suikuan's talent was much better than Li Suining's, but Li Suining himself knew that the two brothers were half a catty to eight taels.

Sure enough, the True Person's gaze swept past and quickly landed on Li Suining.

Even though he had lived two lives, his fear of Zifu and his respect for his own True Person would not be half a point less. Li Suining's heart suddenly rose. Li Xi Ming's gaze swept over him once or twice, and Li Minggong's gentle voice came from the side: "This is Suining. His father is Jiangwu, who once cultivated the Xiaoshi Mountain orthodoxy and was heavily injured by combined fire in the wilderness chaos, passing away not long after. His grandfather is Li Zhouhuan, who died of old age around the lake. He is the second son of Junior Second Brother Li Chendu!"

The reason Li Minggong treated Li Suining better was precisely because of this. Li Xi Ming focused his gaze on him and smiled: "Already at the fourth level of fetal breath?"

Li Suining suppressed his excitement and said respectfully: "Reporting to the True Person, it has been half a year!"

"Good..."

Li Xi Ming scanned Li Jiangzong and said: "Go to the clan to receive a portion of resources and two elixirs. You can start Qi Refining... Do you have any learned orthodoxy or skilled techniques?"

Li Suining stepped back, bowed to the ground, and said respectfully: "Reporting to the True Person, the junior has studied formations... hoping to learn the way of formations!"

Having lived two lives, Li Suining naturally knew what his family lacked most now!

He also knew how to reveal his talent—in the previous life, almost everyone in the Sui-generation had read books on formations, and three brothers were assigned to practice formations!

'The family's alchemy is world-renowned, and weapon refining, led by Uncle Jiangzong, has already emerged rapidly. Only the way of formations is lacking! This has also been a long-standing heart disease of the lords!'

"Oh?"

But as soon as these words fell, the True Person before him opened his eyes slightly, his eyes containing light, looking over quietly: "The Dongdi branch has long resided outside the prefecture, so they have some savings, and have tried the way of formations!"

Li Xi Ming did not have much joy in his heart, watching coldly, and scanned Li Jiangzong, making the young man's face change slightly, frowning.

He, Li Xi Ming, naturally knew that his family lacked formation masters, and had even discussed it with Li Jiangzong a few days ago. He had not expected to hear such an answer from Li Suining's mouth—he had asked about techniques like swords, spears, and sticks!

A disciple of the Dongdi branch whose family had fallen and was stranded by the lake, reaching the fourth level of fetal breath was only achieved by cultivating all day long. How could he have the heart to put it into the hundred arts of cultivation? Even the way of formations, which required expensive formation flags just to enter! Yet he could pick out the talent that his family lacked most and was preparing to promote... claiming to have some study, how could it not be suspicious? He knew how opportunistic the people below were!

Although he did not say any cold words, just this one or two suspicious ponderings instantly made the light in the hall turn cold, the atmosphere congealing. Li Minggong's face changed, his gaze worried.

With Zifu divine ability, mood and thoughts concerned the weather of a place. Most ordinary children would have been scared to tears by this scene and confessed everything. Li Suining, however, did not change his expression: "Reporting to the True Person, when my grandfather passed away, the junior once came to the lake alone and met the arriving Dharma Protector Ren... My father once served under him, so there was some friendship... He heard that the junior had spirit apertures, so he took the various techniques my father left behind and let the junior take them back to read. At that time, among my father's relics, there was a 【Comprehensive Explanation of the Way of Formations】!"

"The junior read it with fascination, never letting the book leave my hands... it has been nearly ten years now!"

How could an ordinary child lie in front of him? Li Xi Ming saw that he did not change his expression, and in his heart, he actually already believed him. His expression softened slightly, and he said lightly: "Oh? Without formation flags, it has been hard on you!"

Li Xi Ming's words were not wrong. Li Suining's perseverance in his previous life was astonishing. Not to mention reading for ten years, reading for six or seven years was certain. But without formation flags in hand, how could it be so easy to enter? Although this experience was quite beneficial to his future cultivation of the way of formations, even on this day before the great hall, he was still in a state of gradual realization and ignorance, and in the end, he had not researched any results, so he dared not mention anything, only humbly saying that he would obey the arrangements.

But now, his gaze was firm and calm, and he only bowed again to rise, saying respectfully: "Reporting to the True Person, using other things as substitutes is also possible!" ===== CHAPTER 981 =====