Chapter 1684: Undying Radiance (II)

Li Zhouwei frowned as Li Ximing recounted everything that had happened. The news prompted the golden-eyed man to rise and ponder for a long time.

"So that explains why the Daoist Master of Mount Qusi was so enthusiastic..."

Only after some time did Li Zhouwei raise his head and smile. "A shrewd calculation, and a bold one."

Li Ximing shook his head helplessly as Li Zhouwei said, "After all, our family is certain to enjoy no shortage of benefits in the future. They have lost the radiance of Supreme Yang and now occupy an awkward position, so they still need to survive this age of turmoil. Their old Daoist Master possesses remarkable foresight, though this term of thirty years is rather conservative.

"Even if I, Li Zhouwei, die without attaining the position I seek, what I leave behind will endure for far more than thirty years."

Li Ximing replied, "How could I not understand that? Kuangyu made it clear to me long ago that their old Daoist Master will not last much longer. Our two sides can make up for what the other lacks. By accepting Guo Nanwu today, we are each obtaining what we need... At the very least, it will spare us a great deal of trouble.

"As for those thirty years... they are merely casting a stone to test the road ahead."

Only then did Li Zhouwei nod to himself and smile. "That works out well. I returned in such haste that I had no time to visit Southern Shun Raksha. If this man proves trustworthy, we can have him deal with that matter as well."

Li Ximing replied solemnly, "The same applies to the matter concerning Qingyan... But while Mount Qusi can be trusted, the same may not be true of Guo Nanwu. We have no influence in the Southern Sea and cannot keep watch over his clansmen. Besides, if he is willing to cast aside all dignity, escape, and hide in some remote corner of the world, how could we ever find a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator like him again? We should first entrust him with minor matters and test his character several times."

Seeing that Li Ximing had a clear sense of the proper limits, Li Zhouwei put his concerns to rest. Li Ximing, however, shook his head and said, "There is one matter that troubles me... When I cultivated my secret technique years ago, I was able to draw inspiration from the spirit treasure [Huai River Map], which greatly benefited my cultivation... Therefore, when Jiangqian began cultivating today, I brought [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire] to him."

A trace of doubt appeared on his face. "But the [Two Bright Rites of Layered Fire] provided scarcely any assistance to his cultivation..."

Back when Li Zhouwei had cultivated his secret technique, he had completed it in one seamless stretch and never considered whether a spirit treasure might be involved. Thus, this possibility had never occurred to him. His Dao conduct was now considerable, however, and after a moment's thought, he replied, "I have also seen that spirit treasure. The [Huai River Map] is no ordinary object. It was not originally a particularly high-grade treasure, but it bears an inscription written by True Monarch Shangyao, which is the source of its profundity..."

Li Ximing finally understood. Feigning a teeth-gritted smile, he said, "Sooner or later, we will take that thing for ourselves!"

Li Zhouwei shook his head with an amused smile and asked, "Have you been keeping an eye on the matter of the [Imperial Book of Radiance-Slaying for Myriad Chariots], granduncle?"

"This is an important matter. How could I forget it?" Li Ximing smiled and said, "According to the [Imperial Book of Radiance-Slaying for Myriad Chariots], one must gather [Qi of the Humbled Sovereign Harnessing Radiance].

“It must be gathered from a place imbued with the aura of a clan's Exalted Position or concentrated imperial qi; a place where armies were defeated and their weapons buried in the sands; where an exalted figure was brought low and executed; or a hall where one received a mandate and rose to serve, cleansing the realm of hated foes. Thousands upon thousands must don armor and offer worship there, aided by the celestial conditions of Bright Yang. Even then, it takes half a year to gather a single wisp."

Li Zhouwei considered this gravely, then frowned. "We still have to go through all that trouble?"

Li Ximing's expression turned peculiar as he replied, "There is no need. I investigated with my divine ability and sent people to examine each location. Around the great Moongaze Lake, no fewer than four mountains and halls meet the requirements. There is even... even one on the northern shore."

Li Zhouwei immediately nodded. "That is true... Moongaze Lake has endured a century steeped in blood and tears. It has more than earned a wisp of that qi."

Still absorbed in thought, Li Ximing replied, "After comparing them all, I concluded that imperial qi should be stronger than the other kinds. Great Jueting was the residence of generations of kings, making it nobler and more convenient than the other sites, so I chose to gather the qi there.

"Judging by the time required, it should take no more than three or four years."

Li Zhouwei was in no hurry. His cultivation had progressed extremely quickly, and he had only recently mastered [Sovereign in Peril]. Excess was as harmful as deficiency. Even with his destiny, he could not withstand refining one divine ability after another in rapid succession.

He merely nodded and said, "I will leave it in your hands, granduncle."

Li Ximing's expression grew more complicated as he replied, "Actually, even Mount Meiche behind our ancestral lands could also be used... It was never a treasured land, however, and its qi is somewhat stagnant. Gathering the qi there would likely be difficult.

"That place... is where the ancestor of the second lineage... Lord Tongya, fell. It is where my second uncle received the command..."

Li Zhouwei fell silent for a moment before saying, "I swore to kill Cen Lufu."

"Ah!"

Ever since the fall of Changxiao Gate, Li Ximing had been unable to ease the turmoil in his heart, and the matter of the dragons had only added to his anxiety. Now, those few words left him choking with emotion.

He gritted his teeth. "When will there ever be an end to circumstances like these? On the surface, we appear to be flourishing like oil poured upon a blazing fire, yet gods loom above us, and everywhere we turn, someone seeks to make things difficult. You have suffered most of all, burdened even with thoughts of the demon king in the southern border..."

Li Zhouwei shook his head and replied, "Granduncle, that is not how this matter should be viewed. Even if I am swept along by the greater tide of the world, I cannot leave our ancestors unavenged! If the day comes when the task lies beyond my power, I will gladly give my life, and our descendants will carry on this vengeance."

He meant those words to comfort Li Ximing, and they indeed seemed to give the older man some form of assurance. Yet Li Ximing sighed inwardly, feeling even more melancholy upon hearing them. He kept the emotions from his face, rose, and put away the [Attuned Purple Intent Essence].

"I will regulate my condition at once. Whether I succeed in attaining the divine ability will depend on this attempt! I cannot afford the slightest lapse."

Li Zhouwei nodded and escorted him out of the mountain. Only then did he come to a silent halt amid the billowing rain of flowers.

The golden-eyed young man stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze cold. In the past, I believed none of my children would be allowed to survive, so I chose not to enter the clan genealogy. But now... I fear our entire clan could easily be destroyed!

He gently extended a hand. The golden patterns embroidered upon his sleeve shimmered beneath the heavenly light as one or two gardenia petals drifted into his palm.

Granduncle, there can be nothing left for our descendants to avenge. I will kill Cen Lufu because every burden I bear and every purpose to which I cling must find its conclusion in my hands. I am not fighting for the past, nor merely for the present, nor even for three generations or ten. I am fighting for a radiance that will remain undimmed for ten thousand generations.

It has been almost two thousand years... Bright Yang is an unstable Dao lineage that has been locked in mutual enmity with those upon the mountain, a Dao lineage into which Mount Luoxia has poured nearly two thousand years of painstaking effort. They will not tolerate the slightest further disruption to it.

I refuse to believe that Luoxia and the dragons have not made arrangements for Bright Yang. Nor do I believe that neither the Dragon Palace nor the mountain has any great cultivators who practice Bright Yang. There is no turning back from this path. If the father falls and his son cannot take his position, someone else will. Even if they cannot sit firmly upon it, they will first take a place beside it and wait with ambition burning in their hearts. Whether or not they can ultimately claim the position, as long as they still desire it, how could the previous holder's children possibly be allowed to live?

After all...

He murmured with a trace of self-mockery, "So long as the position has a master, does it matter who sits upon it?"

Rustle...

A gentle breeze swept through the mountains, carrying away every white petal in his palm. The young man vanished, leaving only the fluttering white flowers and the immortal mountain, deathly still beneath the heavenly light. The great formation slowly sealed itself, freezing everything within a bygone moment.

The heavenly light over the mountain remained tranquil, but the clouds in the east churned ceaselessly, alternately taking the forms of intertwined serpents and clashing water and fire. The radiance of Merging Fire grew steadily dimmer and was soon driven back north.

If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.