Chapter 1625: Divine Sequence Arrangement (I)
Chapter 1625: Divine Sequence Arrangement (I)
"An Xuanxin..."
The grand hall was solemn and imposing. Li Ximing quietly listened to the report from below while Ding Weizeng, standing at his side, said in a low voice filled with grief, "Daoist Master, over these past two years, Xuanxin has remained by my side, stationed along the riverbank. He helped resist devil cultivators and hunted down Buddhist cultivators who had infiltrated the region. His contributions were immense...
"Today, I received Young Master Zhoufang's orders and went to Milin to deliver a report, leaving him alone on the mountain to wait... I never expected him to be struck directly by the Karmic Fire."
Li Jiangxia stood below the platform with lowered eyes. From behind him stepped forth a young man dressed in white and adorned with jade. He was rather handsome, but his face was drenched in tears.
Falling to his knees beside Ding Weizeng, he said respectfully through his sobs, "My second brother remained loyal to the lake until the end and did not fail the trust our elders placed in him!"
The An Family possessed an excellent bloodline. This man was An Xuanxin's elder brother, An Xuantong. He had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm at almost the same time as his younger brother and had served at Li Jiangxia's side for many years, becoming his most capable assistant.
Yet this third young master, who was usually known for his forthright and heroic demeanor, now wore a dark expression, with unmistakable sorrow in his eyes.
The Wilderness had been under Li Jiangxia's management for many years, yet the Karmic Fire had burned it clean. The losses were catastrophic. Whether it was the trusted subordinates he had painstakingly elevated over the years or the forces cultivated by his maternal clan, everything had effectively vanished in a single stroke.
The only fortunate thing was that Li Jiangxia had long worried that, during his periods of seclusion, his trusted followers might be reassigned by his second brother. As a result, aside from An Xuanxin, who had remained with Ding Weizeng, confidants such as An Xuantong and Wan Qi had all returned to the mountain one after another to enter seclusion. None of them had perished in the Wilderness. Otherwise, Li Jiangxia would truly have found himself without anyone left to rely upon!
An even more devastating blow had fallen upon Li Jiangxia's maternal clan, the An Family. Not only had An Xuanxin, the rising genius of the new generation, been killed by the Karmic Fire, but nearly forty percent of the An Family's retainers and long-standing associates had been stationed in the Wilderness. Now, all of them had vanished into ashes and smoke. Had An Siwei not taken many of their people to the Eastern Sea beforehand, the situation would have been even more tragic!
An Xuantong felt as though his heart were bleeding. He kept his head lowered as he knelt upon the floor.
Although Li Ximing did not usually concern himself with the clan's appointments and dismissals, how could he fail to see what had happened? If Li Jiangxia and the An Family had not wielded such influence in the Wilderness, Ding Weizeng, one of Li Jiangxia's closest confidants, would not have remained stationed there all this time.
Likewise, Li Zhouwei would never have arranged for Li Jiangliang to cultivate under Cui Jueyin, who was stationed in Milin. Naturally, Li Ximing knew which faction had suffered the heaviest losses.
He let out a faint sigh before speaking, "Rise first."
The two men hurriedly rose to their feet. Li Ximing swept his gaze across the hall before he said, "This fire in the east will not burn for much longer. For now, wait patiently and remain where you are. No one is permitted to leave..."
He closed his eyes briefly and pondered for a moment. "Weizeng... you said it was Zhoufang who summoned you to Milin? Where is Zhoufang now?"
Li Minggong stepped forward and answered respectfully, "When the unrest began, the Court Guards had already been dispatched to suppress the various peaks and bring back the cultivators from the different prefectures. He is currently accounting for the direct descendants of each lineage. I can bring him here."
Li Ximing suddenly recalled something. "No need."
Back when the Wilderness had likewise suffered a disaster, the brothers Li Zhoufang and Li Zhouyang had both been serving there. By all rights, they should have fallen victim to the calamity as well. Yet because an unexpected incident had delayed Li Zhoufang before his departure, they had escaped it...
This child truly does possess some fortune... Had it not been for him, Weizeng would most likely have perished as well.
He merely filed the matter away in his heart and said softly, "Although the grand formation over the lake has already been activated and the roaming purple light can protect the cultivators, we must not let down our guard. Remain on the island and stay put. Dispatch more people to gather information."
Li Jianglong stepped forward and acknowledged the order respectfully, "Yes."
Li Ximing then turned to look at Li Jiangzong. "Jiangzong, you may take the medicine and enter seclusion now. There will be great turmoil ahead. If you fail to break through at this moment, there may not be such a favorable spiritual aura later."
Li Jiangzong responded at once, "Yes!"
Only then did Li Ximing shift his gaze to Li Zhouda. He was surprised to discover that Zhouda's cultivation had become remarkably solid, with a robust Thunder Pool and an imposing presence.
Li Ximing nodded in approval and said, "The same goes for you. Once you have advanced beyond the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm and spent two years consolidating your cultivation, come find me on the mountain."
Li Zhouda had never stood out in his early years, and no one had expected him to possess such a presence today. Even Li Ximing was pleasantly surprised. Reaching the Purple Mansion Realm was clearly unrealistic, but there was no need to be stingy. With a single Talisman Pill, Li Zhouda could first be elevated to the late Foundation Establishment Realm, adding another capable combatant to their ranks.
After arranging matters for each of them as well as distributing dharma artifacts and medicinal pills, he dismissed the gathering. Only Li Xuanxuan was asked to remain behind.
It was then that Li Zhouwei said, "The Demon King Qingyan of the Western Sea previously sent word, inviting granduncle to visit. Now..."
Li Ximing merely shook his head. "I was already hesitant before. Under the current circumstances, I can leave even less than before!"
Li Zhouwei nodded and said, "Granduncle, when you were traveling in the Eastern Sea, Daoist Master Zhong Qian of Chengshui Marsh happened to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm."
Li Ximing first raised an eyebrow, then soon shook his head with some regret. "Zhong Qian..."
Seeing Li Zhouwei glance toward Li Xuanxuan, he hesitated briefly before offering a few words of comfort. "Although our family has deep ties with him, Chengyun Gate has aligned itself with the north, and what lies ahead is difficult to predict. Back then, the Azure Pond Sect ordered our forebears to make use of him to enter the grotto heaven, yet he later aided them within the Great Ning Palace.
“I remember hearing about the matter from my elders... Perhaps he did not realize he was being used when he was still in the Foundation Establishment Realm, but now that he has reached the Purple Mansion Realm and stands opposed to the south, he most likely knows the truth.
"Now our positions are opposed. There may be no friendship left to speak of in the future. We may even meet on the battlefield. I repaid that debt of gratitude by gifting him some spirit materials, settling the matter once and for all. If we should clash in battle someday... at least I will not owe him anything."
Li Xuanxuan could only nod with a sigh. Li Ximing glanced at him but chose not to mention the matter of Li Chengqi's conversion. Instead, he said, "I made a trip to the Eastern Sea and only managed to bring back a single piece of [Under-Neck Feather].
“For one thing, [Wall-Sinking Water] had become far too scarce. For another, turmoil has broken out in several parts of the Eastern Sea as well. That Daoist Master Miao of Thunder Island has come into conflict with the Southern Shun Raksha, while disturbances have erupted elsewhere. Several marketplaces have already been forced to close."
He shook his head with a sigh. "It truly is an age of great chaos. I asked Senior Liu about Dao lineages related to formations and even swallowed my pride to request some formation inheritance from him. Fortunately, Senior Liu did not disappoint. He has always been generous and immediately brought out several items.
"According to him... one formation-related lineage is the [Treasury Beam Silver] of the [Stored Metal] Dao that he possesses. The cultivation art is excellent, but it is no longer suitable for cultivation. Even if one wished to cultivate it, the necessary qi no longer exists... However, he also possesses a precious copy of the [Stellar Enclosure Grand Repository Divine Scroll], specifically the Heaven-Governing lineage's [Southern Balance Residence].
"As for other Dao lineages beneficial to formation arts, there are two more [Heaven-Governing] lineages, [Morning Listening] and [Divine Sequence Arrangement]. There is also [Radiance-Extending Art] of the [Upper Rite] lineage, as well as a Xiao Metal lineage that has already been severed, and even one of the Majestic Earth lineage. None of those are things we can realistically hope to obtain..."