Chapter 1666: Making Things Difficult (II)

Back then, Minghui had brought disaster upon himself, and Jinlian had become embroiled in that calamity merely by examining his dharma artifact. Not only had the [Immaculate Body of All Buddhas] that Jinlian had painstakingly cultivated been broken, but even his soul had suffered damage, taking a full century to recover.

This had indirectly cost him the opportunities that arose during the conflict between north and south and delayed Minghui's own ascension to the rank of Maha until the present day... Yet neither master nor disciple harbored the slightest resentment.

The reason was simple. That lord's means were far too terrifying. Although Jinlian had not been within the Buddhist land at the time, he had still been under the watchful eyes of great powers.

The reason he had dared to pry without restraint back then was that a fragment of his true spirit was entrusted to the Buddhist land, with a Dharma Master standing behind him as his guarantor! The moment he began prying, any disturbance would inevitably alert the Dharma Master. If nothing went wrong, he could simply keep everything he discovered for himself!

Yet despite having a fragment of his true spirit entrusted to the Buddhist land, none of the cultivators had noticed the slightest thing after he suffered such grievous injuries! Even Maha Liangli Hongshan had seen Jinlian with his own eyes, yet he had merely lamented Jinlian's failure in cultivating the Immaculate Body. But the power responsible for all this had been triggered merely by Jinlian looking at Minghui's severed arm within the dharma artifact!

Either the Underworld's judiciary was responsible, or some other True Monarch. If it was the Underworld's judiciary, they could easily have reduced Minghui to ashes, or obscured all divinations as they had before, leaving no one able to calculate anything... Why go to such lengths?

Although neither of them knew exactly what Jinlian had experienced or what manner of means had caused the abnormalities in his soul, they had suspected from the very beginning that the culprit was someone at the level of a True Monarch. More specifically, a True Monarch who clearly possessed the means to act but could not reveal themselves to the outside world!

Later, when the Li Family's Bright Yang manifested, Minghui had reported it immediately. At first, the two hardly needed to give the matter any thought before identifying that lord father, Emperor Li Qianyuan of Wei, as their prime suspect.

He truly fits every clue...

Yet upon further reflection, Jinlian realized that something did not add up. With the heavenly might of Majestic Earth, how could such a glaring oversight have occurred? If Li Qianyuan still possessed such means, why would he stand by and watch Luoxia inflict such devastation?

Bright Yang was a Dao lineage of light, but it was also a lineage in which the strong flourished while the weak faltered. Everyone knew the current state of the Bright Yang Dao lineage. It had fallen into utter rebellion. If Li Qianyuan still possessed such power, then he had to be in excellent condition. He could emerge and slap a Dharma Master twice across the face without anyone daring to utter a word, so why would he need to go through all this trouble?

Moreover, no matter how profound that person's mystics might be, the northern cultivators' reverence for Luoxia was genuine. They simply could not bring themselves to believe that Luoxia had miscalculated. Thus, the two shifted their suspicions toward the Douxuan Dao lineage.

It must be a True Monarch of the Douxuan lineage... One who cannot reveal themselves at present... Perhaps they have some scheme in motion. Since conflict has arisen between north and south, they may intend to put us to use at this very moment!

Jinlian did not dare say any more and merely said quietly, "This is no longer the time to discuss that. I originally intended to follow one bright, open road all the way to the end, but problems have arisen in my cultivation over the years. Something is wrong with my soul, and my cultivation has stagnated. I had no choice but to secretly cultivate a clone technique, dividing my soul between separate bodies to conceal my injuries...

"Although I have managed to conceal them for now, I still cannot leave the Buddhist land. I also require a great quantity of [Soul-Tuning Mulberry Wood], so I cannot be of much help. I will have your senior brother accompany you. He knows nothing of this matter. Keep a close eye on him in all things... And do not make the act look too obvious."

Minghui nodded vigorously, bitterness filling his heart, If not for fear of arousing suspicion, I would never agree to go south. Even if I did, should Li Zhouwei slap me across the face, I would thank him profusely. If he tried to kill me with his halberd, I would bare my chest and welcome the blow! But now... I can only watch and see how the situation unfolds...

Before he could speak, however, his expression abruptly changed. He drew a gleaming jade talisman from his sleeve and saw the patterns across its surface shifting incessantly. With a sharp crack, it shattered into white sand that trickled through his fingers.

His heart pounding with alarm, Minghui raised his head to look at Jinlian and whispered, "There's news from Yinzhou..!"

"Yinzhou?" Maha Jinlian was taken aback at first, but understood almost instantly.

The connection we asked someone else to arrange... There's news about a way to establish dealings with the Li Family!

The two monks sprang to their feet in alarm. As their eyes met, the same electrifying premonition arose in both their hearts.

Could it be... Does that lord intend to put us to use at this very moment?!

————

Eastern Sea.

Wind and rain surged as a fierce gale howled. Golden light shimmered across the islands as rays of dharma light intertwined. A handful of cultivators flew from island to island, seemingly on patrol, while waves roared on either side. Midway through their rounds, they spotted someone approaching.

The man possessed an elegant bearing and looked every bit the refined scholar. Clad in a simple white robe, he cut a graceful figure as he sped urgently through the sky. Torrential rain battered against his dharma light, making it gleam brilliantly.

It was none other than Cui Jueyin. This direct descendant of the Cui Family had been home for many years, and his cultivation had grown increasingly profound. Now, perhaps because he had cultivated some secret technique, his eyes shone with a piercing light.

Yet the brows that were usually so composed were now laden with unease. The escape light beneath his feet grew faster and faster until he soon descended upon the sea on a current of wind. The waters beneath him were dark and murky, as though countless flood dragons were swimming through their depths.

Even from afar, Chongzhou Island was clearly visible. The shores were crowded with Cui Family cultivators, while all manner of altars and treasure halls had been raised, lending the scene an air of great solemnity. Before Cui Jueyin could land on the island, a middle-aged man rode the wind up to meet him.

The man’s face was filled with bitterness as he sighed. "Second brother!"

Cui Jueyin nodded silently and followed the man's gaze into the distance. Clouds were rising into the sky, transforming into dim rays of Converging Water light that cascaded downward like countless waterfalls, interweaving in a dazzling display.

The middle-aged man whispered, "Second brother... What are we supposed to do? You... You have always known how to handle things..."

Cui Jueyin let out a heavy sigh at that.

In truth, his words were not wrong. When Li Ximing came to the island years ago, Cui Xianye had been genuinely fearful and deferential. Although Cui Jueyin, the clansman he sent to serve Li Ximing, was not the most innately gifted among the younger generation, he was the most capable at handling affairs. This was not out of any particular loyalty. Cui Xianye had simply feared that an immature clansman might offend Li Ximing and bring disaster upon the island.

Cui Jueyin had held important positions at Moongaze Lake for decades and had long grown accustomed to intrigue and deception. Compared with the younger generation of Chongzhou, who had known nothing but peace and prosperity, he was naturally far more seasoned.

He gently shook his head and replied, "Juechen, since these visitors have come from the sea, what solution could there possibly be? All we can do is remain humble and cautious. We should see that every one of them is properly attended to."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sea beneath them began to surge. A deep, muffled rumble echoed through the air as the water bulged upward like a rising hill. Something colossal emerged from the depths, sending an enormous spray of water into the air.

A dark shadow instantly engulfed the entire shore as waves swept across the coast. Two enormous black shapes rose into view, revealing themselves to be a pair of mountain-sized beasts covered from head to toe in scales.

Light reflected from the scales shimmered across the water, and the entire coast immediately fell silent beneath the glistening radiance.

Cui Jueyin quietly stepped aside, while Cui Juechen timidly moved forward, bowed, and greeted them respectfully, "This humble cultivator is Cui Juechen of the Cui Family of Chongzhou. Greetings, envoys!"

A long, resonant drone issued from the colossal beast's mouth, sending up a spray of snow-white waves.

Then a cold, arrogant voice called down casually from the beast's back, "Who are you? Where is Cui Xianye?!"

Cold sweat immediately broke out across Cui Juechen's brow. Before he could answer, the colossal beast before him suddenly roared. A blue-green fish descended from the sky upon a stream of water, with a pair of scaled fins growing beneath his ribs.

His enormous fish eyes glared at him in obvious displeasure as he sneered, "You even dare neglect the affairs of the Flood Dragon Palace! What audacity!"

The sheer arrogance of those words stirred an uproar among the Cui Family members, who began whispering among themselves. Cui Jueyin also frowned inwardly.

I heard that when the Dharma Protector visited a few years ago, he was always quite courteous... Yet when we went to report the matter to the Flood Dragon Palace a few days ago, he refused to see us, and now he has arrived in such an aggressive manner. His attitude truly has worsened considerably. Could he be dissatisfied with the size of our bribe and be planning to raise his price now that he has us at his mercy...

This was also Cui Jueyin's first time meeting this Sea Patroller. He had heard that the demon had been transferred from the south and had originally been nothing more than an insignificant lesser demon. Somehow, he had gained the favor of someone important and risen rapidly through the ranks. Now, he had become particularly difficult to please!

After all, the Cui Family had once presented a spirit item to Dongfang You. Over the years, they had always enjoyed a certain degree of standing among the dragons. Back when several highly respected elders perished while attempting breakthroughs, the Dragon Palace had even sent representatives to pay their respects...

Yet without a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, no amount of favor or prestige meant anything. The family's position had declined with each passing day, and even the previous Sea Patroller had already treated them without courtesy. Now, some lesser demon transferred from some forgotten backwater had become a Sea Patroller and could freely order the Cui Family around!

"Sea Patroller Hui... Sea Patroller Hui, there has been a misunderstanding!" Cui Juechen had already suffered this demon's harassment at sea, and was clearly deeply afraid of him. His body trembled as he dropped to the ground in a bow and said tearfully, "Our grandfather failed his breakthrough and passed away last year!"

He had evidently reached the same conclusion as his elder brother. Taking several storage pouches from his sleeve, he respectfully presented them with both hands.

"We deeply regret our delay in reporting the matter. Please accept these spirit materials... as an apology, my lord!"

The blue-green fish demon sneered and swept the storage pouches from his hands as swiftly as a gust of wind. Yet his expression remained ugly as he clutched the pouches tightly and scoffed, "An apology? Do you think I took up a post here just to listen to your apologies? I treated your family favorably because of your connection to those by the lake, but it seems I have shown you too much kindness. Now you no longer know your place!"

His features were hideous, with drops of slime trickling down his face. Yet he tucked the storage pouches into his sleeve all the same, then continued in a mocking, insinuating tone. "Oh... So just anyone dares to make things difficult for me now... Daoist Master Yangya... What a fearsome temper you have!"

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