Chapter 1645: The Army Arrives (I)
Chapter 1645: The Army Arrives (I)
Li Suining's heart sank. Wary of Li Jiangqian's sharp mind and cold, calculating nature, he dared not reveal too much on his face, showing only a mixture of surprise and delight.
The white-robed swordsman beside him, however, let his smile fade as he asked in a low voice, "How is it that we heard nothing of this? It actually brought elder brother out of seclusion."
Li Jiangqian gathered his sleeves and gave a slight nod. "For a matter of this magnitude, naturally."
Li Jiangchun immediately understood. Stepping aside, he motioned for Li Suining to step forward and introduced, "Elder brother, this is Suining, our family's rare formation prodigy. Even the Daoist Master personally received him and exchanged cultivation arts and Dao lineages for him."
A faint smile appeared on the crimson-robed man's face as he replied, "I've been in seclusion for many years. I never imagined our family had produced such a talent. At last, I've had the chance to meet you today."
The delight remained in Li Suining's eyes as he respectfully greeted him. Then, feigning concern, he cautiously asked, "It's just that not long ago, Karmic Fire raged across the Wilderness, and a great battle between Purple Mansion Realm cultivators broke out over the lake. I wonder whether those events affected the greater plan..."
Li Jiangqian waved a hand. "It matters little. One or two Merciful Ones merely threw away their lives in vain at the Daoist Master's hands."
Li Suining immediately nodded in admiration. In hopes Li Jiangqian would reveal more, he wisely refrained from saying anything further.
Only then did Li Jiangqian narrow his eyes and continue, "The situation developed too suddenly. Cultivators all across the lake were mobilized, leaving the region nearly empty. The Daoist Master summoned me out of seclusion simply to guard the lake... As for my sudden appearance, it wasn't really sudden. Father had only just returned from Simin."
The meaning was deliberately veiled. Li Jiangchun naturally understood it, and Li Suining, being no ordinary person, grasped it just as clearly.
So... the King of Wei had gone to Simin.
The movements of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were closely guarded secrets. Back then, he had been nothing more than an insignificant Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivator, so it was only natural that he had known nothing. As he carefully turned the matter over in his mind, he suddenly noticed a brilliant golden radiance rising on the horizon.
The golden radiance was as immense as a palace, yet long and elegant in shape. Its decks were lined with pavilions, while countless white-robed soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder upon them. It was, astonishingly, a pale golden flying vessel!
The great boat, [Curved Blessing]!
This dharma boat was the Li Family's earliest flying vessel, originally forged by He Jiumen of the western shore. At the time, the family's artifact-forging techniques were still immature, so the great ship lacked the ability to change its size freely. Yet every disadvantage came with its own advantage. Since there was no need to account for transformation capabilities, each subsequent round of modifications simply made it larger and larger. Ordinarily, it rested at the bottom of the lake, and few people even knew of its existence.
Now, as it shot into the sky, it resembled a towering palace gliding through the heavens. Rolling waves of air blasted outward as countless streams of escaping light converged upon it from every direction. The innumerable lights clustered around the great ship before soaring high into the sky. Then, as its formation activated, the entire fleet vanished into concealment and headed east.
The Jade Court Guards have already departed...
Countless streaks of escaping light, like a shower of stars, were reflected in Li Suining's eyes. He could not help but feel a surge of pride.
The Jade Court Guards... the predecessors of Tingzhou's Twenty-One Divisions and the Zhaoguang King of Wei's royal army. This will be their first campaign. It's time for Wu and Yue to hear the name of the Jade Court Guards...
Li Suining could say without the slightest exaggeration that there were only a handful of powers left in the world ever since the Zhao State's royal court had declined who were willing to spend a century building a single elite guard, preserving and supporting an orthodox military establishment generation after generation. Even the northern powers that fought constant wars across the great desert still retained the unruly customs of tribal armies. When it came to discipline and absolute obedience, none of them could compare to the Li Family's Jade Court Guards!
This was only a surprise strike, and those being deployed were merely the Jade Court's elite. Once the King of Wei claimed his kingdom, these veterans would form the core of an entire army. At that point, the only forces capable of rivaling them would be the royal armies of Northern Dai and Bolie. After another decade or so of campaigning and bloodshed, even the northern royal armies would likely think twice before facing them!
With Guest Cultivator Ding still alive, and [Palace Sun Tiger] and [Profound Steel Thunder] leading the vanguard in the future while third uncle commands the army... Heh... Even the Yan State will have a headache dealing with us.
Li Suining watched the great boat disappear beyond the horizon. Then, two silver-white boats rose from the lakeshore and followed after it. These two had been acquired later from the Turbid Slaughter Mausoleum, and were nowhere near as massive. Unlike the Curved Blessing, they could freely change size and were of exceptional quality, though they lacked the capacity to carry many people and served only as support vessels.
At last, with endless streaks of escaping light still flashing across the sky, he withdrew his gaze and descended with Li Jiangqian into the inner formation. Immediately, a grand hall beneath a purple-gold barrier came into view.
Purple light shimmered throughout the area in brilliant hues, while the ground beneath their feet gleamed with a rich bronze-gold color. Li Suining had spent much of his previous life cultivating here, and a familiar sense of nostalgia naturally welled up within him.
The buildings are almost exactly as I remember... Most of them have already been completed by this point...
The three of them arrived at the grand hall at the highest point, only to find a man anxiously pacing outside. Dressed plainly and bearing an honest, broad-featured face, he immediately produced a letter from his sleeve upon seeing Li Jiangqian approach.
After glancing around and seeing that everyone present was permitted within the inner formation, he bowed and said without hesitation, "I've brought a message from Qunyi!"
Li Jiangqian accepted the letter as An Siwei continued uneasily, "It's from Daoist Master Yuanbian... We heard that Pure Victory Dao intervened in the affairs of Poluoduo and pursued them all the way from the Western Sea to the Saha Kingdom. They wounded the Great Saha King, the demon king Fuxun, and nearly killed the demon king Qingyan...
"Fortunately, the demon kings of Poluoduo all feared for their own safety. The entire region was thrown into chaos, and most of the demon kings joined forces to drive back the cultivators of Pure Victory Dao. But... everything happened so suddenly. Demon King Qingyan has held on for several months, yet his injuries continue to worsen. Demon King Fuxun wishes to invite Daoist Master Yuanbian over!"
Li Jiangqian's expression shifted slightly. He carefully read through the letter before lightly slapping it against his palm and letting out a cold laugh. "What impeccable timing!"
This was clearly bad news. The greatest reason the Li Family could afford to leave Lulai Island in the scattered reefs unattended was because Daoist Master Yuanbian was stationed there year-round. His departure would not necessarily spell disaster for Lulai Island, but it would undoubtedly become far less secure...
Li Jiangqian's expression darkened as he asked, "What instructions did Daoist Master Yuanbian leave, and how long ago did this happen?"
An Siwei looked somewhat embarrassed as he answered respectfully, "This letter was written and dispatched immediately. It was first received by the cultivators patrolling the island, then reported to the Daoist Master. I read it on the way and hurried back to the family at once. At the time, however, we still hadn't located the Daoist Master, so we never learned his intentions. Qunyi is simply too far away. Although the Daoist Master usually doesn't remain away for long, the second letter is probably still on its way..."
Li Jiangqian paced a few steps, deep in thought, Poluoduo... Pure Victory Dao... This letter must have been sent before our family made its move... So what exactly is the scheme behind all this?
He raised his brows and asked, "What did the Daoist Master say?"
An Siwei hurriedly replied, "I've already reported it. The Daoist Master... said that Qunyi... is not urgent."
Li Jiangqian paced with his hands clasped behind his back, finally understanding just how resolute the two Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were. After all, a Purple Mansion Realm grand formation lay beneath Qunyi Island. The moment Daoist Master Yuanbian departed, Li Quewan would certainly lead everyone into the formation ahead of time and seal it shut. As long as the people survived, any other losses would simply have to be accepted.
He dismissed An Siwei with a wave of his hand. Before long, several more cultivators entered the formation to deliver their reports. Quiet voices echoed throughout the great hall, while Li Suining, standing silently to one side, suddenly felt everything become clear.
Pure Victory Dao intervened in Poluoduo's affairs and pursued them all the way from the Western Sea to the Saha Kingdom... If the Daoist Master had been in the Western Sea, he would have been caught up in all of this!
In my previous life, there was an eighty or ninety percent chance that the Daoist Master had been wounded after a battle of this scale. That would explain why, after returning to the lake, he remained in seclusion for so long, recovering from his injuries... Thus, the two Daoist Masters couldn't easily leave their positions!
The Song Emperor Yang Zhuo was preparing to march north. The forces of the Great Desire Dao had yet to withdraw, their eyes still fixed hungrily on the north. Moreover, it was said that a Maha named Daisi was currently guarding the Wilderness. That old monster had always been one of the family's sworn enemies. How could they simply stand by and do nothing?
If they remained tied down too long by the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators and Purple Mansion grand formation of the Changxiao Gate, turmoil could erupt around the lake at any moment. And if, as in his previous life, the Daoist Master had suffered grievous injuries or failed to return in time, then the moment the Great Desire Dao made its move, the situation would inevitably take a disastrous turn...
That was exactly why the King of Wei could only remain idle at the lake even when opportunities arose in my previous life. But now the Daoist Master is completely unharmed. He can keep Daisi in check, and with the master of the Karmic Fire nowhere to be seen and Liangli of the Great Desire Dao yet to arrive, they can rely on the formations to hold off the vast majority of the Great Desire Dao's forces...
After all, the Great Desire Dao was ultimately weaker than the Compassion Dao. The Maha Liangli was also unable to head south. Compared to the overwhelming offensive launched by the Compassion Dao, the Great Desire Dao's current actions amounted to little more than minor skirmishes.
He carefully sorted through everything in his mind and gradually calmed himself, realizing that the situation was not unfolding too badly.
Changxiao Gate is a burden at the moment, and that Grand Daoist Master will never show himself. If we can absorb the strongest among those seven gates, the Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation Realms resources we gain will amount to an enormous fortune...
Standing quietly to one side, Li Suining gazed at Li Jiangqian's tall figure before the main seat. Bit by bit, his heart settled. At last, he felt a sense of security, and as he took a step back, a flicker of hope unexpectedly arose within him.