novelraw Chapter 448 369: Weili
Chapter 448 369: Weili
Yuansu Perfected Person's Cave Mansion was built simply, appearing to be ordinary bluestone, with no sign of luxurious ornamentation—only a bronze beast placed before the entrance, neither wolf nor tiger, its posture curled in on itself.
Ning Wan walked ahead, and the two of them entered the cave together. Yuansu Perfected Person sat high above, holding a small, pale gold dharma seal in his hand, gazing at it in a trance.
It was Li Xuanfeng's first time meeting a Zifu Monk. Yuansu Perfected Person's face was round, lacking any intimidating aura, seeming barely over twenty, one hand propped on his knee, utterly at ease.
White mist billowed all around, flowing incessantly; the concentration of spiritual energy was astonishing—so much so that, if one scooped up a handful and refined it a bit, it would yield a stream of 'Lesser Clear Spiritual Energy'. Around the ankles it was icy cold, most likely yet another form of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Water.
Yuansu wore light armor. At his side, laying flat, was a halberd—both glowing a pale gold. He raised his eyes to regard them.
"Li Xuanfeng/junior pays respects to Perfected Person!"
Yuansu Perfected Person answered with a soft "Mm," showing no further reaction.
The bluish cave walls on all sides were inscribed with rows upon rows of characters, obscured by misty spiritual energy. The contents were indistinct—only traces of many strokes could be discerned, with varying depth.
Yuansu did not keep them waiting long. After a brief pause, he asked:
"Wan'er, in The Great Void the radiance has dissipated; that person must already be reborn. Perhaps between Yu Fu County and Lin An County—have people keep watch, and by all means, avoid conflict."
"Understood!"
Ning Wan nodded slightly, Yuansu continued:
"Stage the whole journey northward, the demon-slaying and safeguarding the Way—arrange it well. Don't let him break the linked Metal Nature; send him safely back, and that will suffice."
Li Xuanfeng listened quietly to their exchange, saying nothing, but secretly weighing every word in his heart. Only then did Yuansu turn his gaze toward him, speaking gently:
"Has Li Mutian forged an Immortal Foundation? What kind of Immortal Foundation was formed?"
This topic was abrupt, but fortunately Li Xuanfeng had been forewarned and had been pondering it along the way. Now, he felt little panic and responded:
"The Foundation Establishment is mere rumor. My great-grandfather was but a commoner. In those days our clan was weak, so we let the rumor spread, simply to borrow some influence."
Yuansu nodded, murmuring:
"A mortal has four sons but three spirit apertures—this is no coincidence. Do you know why?"
The crucial question was finally laid bare. Li Xuanfeng, knowing well the means and spells of Zifu Monks, nodded and decided to meet the issue directly, replying:
"Perfected Person, with your insight, even we have long been troubled by this, often imagining ourselves descended from a Zifu lineage, and even hearing that the Immortal Mansion Descendant bears the surname Li, wondering if there might be kinship."
This topic was virtually taboo, making Ning Wan involuntarily cast a sidelong glance; Li Xuanfeng, however, remained calm-faced and steady-voiced, as if discussing the most trivial matter.
"Oh?"
Yuansu Perfected Person broke into a smile, glancing over with a twinkle, and replied:
"Donghua Li Jiangqun?! You dare imagine that!"
He waved his hand and said softly:
"In all the Li and Cui under heaven, eight or nine hail from Wei. By precedent, it is most likely from the ancient Wei Country Li Clan, next would be Wu Country's Tan Mountain Li Clan. The Li Clan was prominent in recent ages, leaving behind considerable bloodlines."
"As for Donghua Perfected Person…"
Yuansu Perfected Person fixed his gaze on Li Xuanfeng's grey eyes and smiled:
"Donghua Perfected Person was born in Ning Country, famed as 'blood drops turn to cassia, tears fall forming frost'. If your house could claim such kin, would you ever be in your current plight?"
So he spoke, then paused again and added in a gentle tone:
"Step forward."
Li Xuanfeng took a step forward. Yuansu placed one hand on his shoulder, the other formed a seal for spellcasting; colorful light flowed from his palm, and Li Xuanfeng felt a sharp pain at his fingertip—blood welled out.
The blood rolled and leapt, spinning ceaselessly in the rainbow light, transforming into a band of brilliant gold. Only then did Yuansu speak:
"Indeed, you are of the Weili line—looks like the Taoist Lineage was severed long ago…"
Yuansu was a Zifu Monk; to devote so much thought to this question was already most unusual. He waved away the spell, speaking gently:
"Your family is the remnant of Weili…"
He stood dazed for a couple breaths, then suddenly came to himself, as if some long-standing puzzle had just been unraveled in his mind. His doubts dispelled, he laughed and said:
"So that's why that bunch of bald donkeys always give your Li Family such trouble! Here lies the reason! The Hu barbarians destroyed Wei then seized the North, ruined Zhao Yuan Immortal Mansion—such ancestral hatred and blood feud, naturally a splendid vessel for destiny!"
"This must be a legacy of the Weili main vein!"
Yuansu, having lived hundreds of years, was long jaded with most mortal delights; now that the cause and effect were clear, he felt thoroughly elated, beaming as he spoke:
"A fine stratagem, truly; with such a plan, even those bald donkeys wouldn't understand why fate hinges on you! Furious only knows to slay the whale, but not how that whale came to exist."
"Had I not played a random move, who could have uncovered this? Using Mingyang's Metal Nature to lay out a thousand-year web of entanglements—this is what a Great Cultivator does! This is what it means to be a Golden Core Cultivator!"
Li Xuanfeng only half understood, but he knew the crisis had been resolved; Yuansu, however, grew excited, pacing back and forth, then suddenly sighed with a bit of regret:
'No wonder Xiao Chuting plays such a deep game. If this one isn't some old monster re-cultivating, he truly is a remarkable young talent!'
Ning Wan was startled by Yuansu's uncharacteristic loss of composure. Her knowledge was broader, and she vaguely pieced together the causes and outcomes.
'Could this be the matter of Furious Maha!'
Half-understanding is always most harrowing; Ning Wan felt a chill down her spine, a deep terror rising in her heart:
'So this is the handiwork of a Golden Core Cultivator… Even beset and slain, they leave hidden moves, calculating the Nine Lives Maha centuries hence!'