Chapter 1623: Price (I)
Chapter 1623: Price (I)
The [Zhaoguang Profound Purple Spirit Formation] shimmered in the sky as purple radiance gathered together. The Daoist Master in white-golden Daoist robes sat atop the heavenly gate, deep in thought.
Si Yuanli pressed the scroll in his hand against the gate without saying a word. Streams of golden light flowed from the gaps in the scroll like running water, spreading across the heavenly gate and making it shine ever more brilliantly.
The [Huai River Map] actually possesses such a mystic.
The Merciful Ones had always been cautious. The situation had deteriorated to this point, and with the [Heaven-Venerating Gate] above her, Nuxiao had no possibility of escape. Yet she had neither taken her own life nor uttered a single plea for mercy. Naturally, this was the work of the Huai River Map's mystic.
That golden mystic flowed outward and complemented the [Heaven-Venerating Gate] perfectly. It actually sealed the great void itself, locking the entire [Heaven-Venerating Gate] into a realm of absolute stillness, cut off from the outside world. Only that unfortunate Nuxiao remained suppressed beneath the [Heaven-Venerating Gate], unable to rise and unable to die...
It truly is a treasure once inscribed by a True Monarch. Though that senior has long since fallen, its mystic remains unfathomable...
Li Ximing raised his head slightly and saw heavenly light rushing in from the horizon. Carrying several dozen people in a scattered cluster, it tossed them all into the formation in one motion before finally taking shape. It was none other than Li Zhouwei.
Si Yuanli felt as though those golden eyes were scorching his own. Lowering his gaze, he said, "My greetings... Fellow Daoist!"
Gray flames still danced fiercely across the golden-eyed youth's body, burning off wisps of pale white smoke. Li Ximing only needed a single glance before he exclaimed in surprise,
"[Little Peacock Karma]?!"
The flames on Li Zhouwei's body were unmistakably the Karmic Fire, [Little Peacock Karma], which he had once seen within the Nine Mounds Dao Lineage of the Peacock Sea!
Those three words visibly shook Si Yuanli, and he asked doubtfully, "The Peacock Clan has come as well?"
This was not the time for further discussion. Li Ximing reached into his sleeve, but Si Yuanli moved first, plucking a gourd from the great void. Pale gray Valley Water streamed forth and pooled in his palm.
Stroking his beard, the middle-aged man said, "[Azure Blaze Pure Essence]... precisely suited for fire wounds!"
The fighting on the eastern front had not been particularly intense, and Li Zhouwei's injuries were not severe. A month or two of recuperation would have been enough. Still, since Si Yuanli had already produced the spirit water, he did not stand on ceremony.
Using the [Azure Blaze Pure Essence] to wash away the fire wounds, he nodded and said, "My thanks, senior."
Si Yuanli demurred, "I dare not accept that... I should be the one thanking you..."
Although everything they had gained within the grotto heaven had been swept away in one stroke by that man surnamed Chi, Li Zhouwei had nonetheless lent his aid. Si Yuanli naturally owed him thanks.
However, the timing was inappropriate, so he only mentioned it briefly before hearing Li Zhouwei say thoughtfully, "Blue-purple plumage, crimson eyes, and a golden beak. It should indeed be a peacock."
Li Ximing was quite familiar with the Peacock Clan. Frowning, he said, "Let's leave that aside for now. There's still a beast trapped beneath the divine ability that needs to be dealt with first."
Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow in surprise. A hint of delight immediately appeared on his face as he asked, "You managed to capture a Merciful One?"
Li Ximing let out a cold laugh. "It was thanks to Fellow Daoist Si."
He asked Si Yuanli to remain above, guarding the divine ability. He then descended together with Li Zhouwei in a streak of light, manifesting beneath the [Heaven-Venerating Gate].
The area blazed with dazzling bright light and waves of scorching heat. Fierce purple flames leaped and danced in the air, while a suppressive, grinding force permeated the surroundings, circling the brilliant radiance at the center and producing a harsh, grating sound.
At the very center stood an elderly nun. Her glass-like face was covered in cracks from her desperate resistance, and one of her arms bore signs of having been shattered. She looked quite horrifying. Clearly, she had struggled for a long time, but with Li Ximing and the [Huai River Map] suppressing her together, how could she possibly break free?
Now that she saw the two Daoist Masters appear and realized that no one from the north was coming to her aid, she immediately bent low, tears and mucus streaming down her face as she kowtowed and said, "This humble cultivator greets the two honored lords..."
Li Zhouwei acted as though he had heard nothing. Taking a step forward, he shot out a hand and seized her throat like lightning, then slammed his other fist directly into her face.
Boom!
The woman's words were abruptly cut off. A sound like shattering glass rang out as countless fragments fell away. Her head caved in instantly and was smashed to pieces, leaving only a mouth that continued opening and closing. Multicolored glass-like gemstones rolled across her body, only to be burned clean away by the flames.
Lifting her up, Li Zhouwei casually asked, "Tell me. Why did the Great Desire Dao move south?"
That punch had nearly knocked Nuxiao unconscious. Her vision had gone black as stars danced before her eyes, and she almost stopped breathing.
Yet she did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction and trembled as she replied, "Your Highness... Your Highness... This lowly one holds only a humble position. I only know... that this side... intends to march into Simin Prefecture!"
"Oh?" Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes and asked, "What forces are involved? And how many stand behind them?"
Nuxiao did not dare reconstruct her face. She merely forced a fawning smile onto that lone mouth as she explained, "The Emptiness Dao has always acted in submission to greater powers. What truly matters is the involvement of our Great Desire Dao. This matter was decided long ago, back when Lord Suiguan exterminated demons, upheld the righteous path, and swept Jiangbei clean..."
"Oh?" Li Zhouwei asked, "You're referring to the million people of Jiangbei?"
"Your lordship is truly wise!"
Li Ximing's heart trembled slightly as he watched the Merciful One continue ingratiating herself. "My lord... Although the higher-ups never said it openly, those of us who cultivate the Devil Dao could all see it. The million people of Jiangbei were not only used to influence [Wanlin Heaven], they also represented an enormous karmic nexus. Whoever provided those million people back then effectively secured the first opportunity to ride the tides of the next era. It was a tremendous fortune... and anyone drawn into it would, for the most part, be unable to escape its entanglements!"
Several of Li Zhouwei's suspicions seemed to have been confirmed. Staring at her coldly, he said, "And there are a few key instigators behind these workings of fate as well, aren't there?"
Nuxiao hurriedly nodded and replied timidly, "Exactly... Whether it be Lord Si or Your Highness, both have taken on immense karmic ties... and that Daoist Master Ning as well... Even several others on the periphery have become involved to one degree or another."
Li Ximing felt a chill run through him. At last, Li Zhouwei rose to his feet and said coldly, "So it was exactly as I thought!"
Back when Wanlin Heaven descended, the Great Desire Dao had provided the manpower and resources, while the Zhao Palace supplied the divine ability and the [Star-Gazing Bronze Sparrow]. Since Suiguan could have acted directly from the outset, why had he gone out of his way to bring that painting?
Li Zhouwei had always believed that Suiguan could not cross the river freely and needed him as a cover. But if the north and south had already reached an understanding, would an inability to cross the river truly have been enough to stop him? Also, why go to such lengths to conceal it? It was not merely a matter of both sides turning a blind eye under a shared agreement. There had been a deeper purpose all along!
"Lord Suiguan was one of the origins behind the talisman's creation. And what was that painting? It was a talisman!"
A talisman capable of unleashing Suiguan's divine ability!
The one that incurred the karma was the Azure Pond Sect. This talisman had been drawn by Si Yuanli of Azure Pond Sect, used by Li Zhouwei, and had served as the trump card deployed in the Wilderness after the Azure Pond's Sect Master Ning Wan ordered the attack... Under the pretext of a single talisman, the Pristine Water Lord had used a divine ability to deceive karma itself, concealing Suiguan's involvement while distributing all the resulting karma among the others...
Was it simply because the Pristine Water Lord did not wish to bear the karma? Far from it...
Li Zhouwei raised his head and said quietly, "Since all these cultivators have incurred such immense karma, if they wish to survive the coming tides of the age... their only option is to throw in their lot with the Yang Family and oppose the north. In doing so, they have effectively sold the Azure Pond Sect and Yue State along with themselves... to the Yang Family!"
Li Zhouwei himself had long been irreconcilably opposed to the north. For him, this merely added another layer of karma and cut off the retreat of his clansmen. But whether it was Ning Wan, Si Yuanli, or even the Chen Family of Yuyang Prefecture, once this matter had passed, they would fundamentally have no path of retreat left!
Flee to the outer-sea? They were bearing the karma of crossing the river to slaughter a million followers of the Great Desire Dao and obstructing the grand momentum between north and south. Some of them were merely at the early Purple Mansion Realm, while others were burdened with entire families. How could they possibly escape the clutches of Liangli and the many Mahas of the Dao of Great Desire?
If they could not stand with the Yang Family, then from the Daoist Masters themselves down to their countless descendants, they would be viewed as delicacies waiting to be consumed. They might be left alone for a time, but sooner or later, their lives would be collected.
The Li Family's fall from an imperial bloodline of former glory to its current decline was a perfect precedent. Si Yuanli believed he would always have a place within the greater currents of the age, yet he had no idea that he had already been irrevocably chained to the Yang Family's war chariot!
Li Ximing's expression darkened. As for the Merciful One, the reactions of the two men had already frightened her half to death. Li Zhouwei abruptly changed the subject and said coldly, "Let me ask you this... The Seven Daos have opposed my family for many years. Are there any converted cultivators among them, any high-level cultivators carrying the bloodline of the former Imperial Clan, or any figures with profound karmic ties to the Li Family?!"
Nuxiao froze for a moment. How could she not know? She herself was one of the chief instigators! Terror surged through her heart as countless fears welled up within her chest. She hesitated for only an instant before blazing flames descended from above and landed upon her body.
Sizzle!
The agony brought by the [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire] instantly swept through her mind. The divine ability of her dharma body was suppressed once more as the brilliant flames rapidly spread across her form.
Terror filled Nuxiao's eyes as she cried out in pain, "My lord... My lord... among the Seven Dharma Forms[1], there are countless people with great karmic ties to the Imperial Clan! How could I possibly name them all? As for high-level cultivators carrying the bloodline of the former Imperial Clan... there is one, there is indeed one! Please withdraw the divine ability first!"
Li Zhouwei had already released her, allowing her to crash heavily into the sea of light below. Feeling her dharma body crumble apart bit by bit, Nuxiao no longer cared about anything else and hurriedly bowed as she said, "There is one within the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm! His name is Li Jieyi, and his title is Guangchan... He is also an immensely influential figure... As for converted cultivators, those who have been converted..."
Li Ximing's expression darkened slightly, causing the flames to diminish somewhat. The golden-eyed youth stepped forward and planted his boot upon her throat before saying calmly, "Continue."
Nuxiao knew her death was at hand. Yet the people she hated most were not the two before her, but Daisi, who had abandoned her here, and Lingci, who had taken her place. Her lips trembled with hatred. Strangely, she spoke with calm composure now, laughing even as tears streamed down her face.
"There is one called Lingci... With the Devil Dao's conquest of the Wilderness, he should have become a Merciful One by now. The higher-ups value him greatly. While others came to kill the Imperial Clan, he came to convert the Imperial Clan. Aside from Lord Que, he gained the greatest share of benefits this time, and he will only gain more in the future."
Li Ximing's pupils widened as he stared at her in disbelief. Li Zhouwei lowered his head, his golden eyes fixed coldly upon her. One hand rested upon his knee while the foot on her throat pressed down even harder. "What was his mortal name? And who converted him?"
The moment those words were spoken, Nuxiao knew there was no hope left. Deep, bone-piercing hatred filled her eyes. Fear abandoned her, and a mocking expression appeared on her face as she thought, No way out for me... good... good...
A smile actually spread across her face. "It was me! As for his mortal name, listen well. It was Li Chengqi! Before we even used any divine abilities on him, he willingly converted himself. He devoured another one called Li Chengpan and turned his own brother into a weapon!"
As the words left her mouth, she felt a twisted sense of vengeance, Your Imperial Clan is so arrogant. I want you to honor the descendants of a man who converted to Buddhism, then condemn the one who would rather die than yield. I want you to see Lingci and be filled with regret beyond remedy!
The shrill, vengeful laughter had not yet escaped her throat when golden scale-like patterns spread across the young man's face. The coldness and fury in his eyes were as deep as an abyss and as violent as drawn swords.
Boom!
In a single instant, her entire upper body was smashed into multicolored radiance by a burst of brilliant light. Bright flames surged upward as white light flashed and glass-like fragments shattered apart.
Thus, under the suppression of the [Heaven-Venerating Gate] and the confinement of the [Huai River Map], Nuxiao's body and soul were utterly annihilated. She vanished like smoke. The raging Heavenly Crow Merging Fire devoured her remains completely, leaving behind not even a shard of glass or a single petal.
1. The Seven Daos of Buddhism. ☜