The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1695: Cultivation and Martiality's Killing Intent (I)

Great void.

Layer upon layer of Baleful Metal Qi flowed through the dark light and shadows. Clad in the Golden Stone Flying Sand Robe, the Daoist Master stood quietly, radiant light in hand. After taking a few steps, he gazed into the manifest world with a smile, while the woman beside him waited respectfully at his side.

"My lord... Will they come to blows?"

"They will not." Daoist Master Tianhuo shook his head with a smile and replied, "Qing Jifang has nothing to gain from winning, and losing would be even more humiliating. There may be friction between the two states, but it has certainly not reached the point where their kings must meet on the battlefield... From beginning to end, this has been nothing more than Mount Tan currying favor."

Seeing the woman nod in understanding, he pointed at the vast confrontation between the two states beyond the great void and smiled. "Yet his actions still carry the same old flavor. Tell me, when a miser reincarnates and lives another life, even if he forgets everything from his previous life, he still cannot shed that stinginess. He refuses to suffer even the slightest immediate loss, which makes him seem terribly petty."

The woman clearly knew he was mocking Qing Tangyin. Lowering her gaze, she said, "[True Essence] originally had nothing to do with Changhuai. The one in Changhuai dwells in a remote corner, isolated from spiritual qi and hidden far from the world. He originally followed the same path as Xiao Metal, so does that not conflict with the path of entering the world? The Taihua Scripture says that a celestial position cannot be obtained by force, and destiny is more precious than divine ability... Sigh! It will still take Majestic Earth a thousand years to drive out Bright Yang!"

However, it was not her place to pass such judgments. Tianhuo knew that she greatly admired the Xiao Metal True Monarch in the north and harbored considerable criticism toward Mount Changhuai, so he remarked pointedly, "I hear that among the various Supreme Yang lineages, the path that went against the natural order once stood foremost, yet now the lord of Changhuai possesses the highest cultivation... Were he not bound by his position, he could well aspire to the Dao Embryo Realm. Who can predict how far he might go?"

The woman understood the warning and fell silent. Tianhuo waited quietly, watching the gray qi on the horizon gradually recede. Only then did he manifest amid the mist-shrouded mountains.

Coming to a stop, he looked toward the black-robed man and greeted him with a smile. "Greetings, King of Wei!"

Li Zhouwei had actually noticed him long ago. Having just forced Qing Jifang to retreat, he showed not the slightest surprise and cupped his hands. "Many thanks, Daoist Master!"

Tianhuo understood that he was referring to the matter of the Zhuang Family. He shook his head with an amused smile and followed the king with his hands clasped behind his back. With his otherworldly bearing, he walked along the clouds in the sky beside the royal figure, the immortal and the king complementing each other perfectly.

"This is Duanyan!"

The noble immortal descendant of the Golden One Dao lineage gestured toward Zhang Duanyan beside him. The woman immediately dipped into a slight curtsy and smiled. "Greetings, King of Wei!"

The Golden Feather Sect had always conducted its affairs quietly, with every success or failure concealed within its grotto heaven. Yet after only a few years, this fairy had already reached the Purple Mansion Realm.

Li Zhouwei gave a slight nod as Tianhuo said courteously, "I had already intended to visit Tingzhou, so I took this opportunity to come... May I ask where Fellow Daoist Zhaojing is?"

"My granduncle is still in seclusion... I fear he will be unable to meet you."

Despite the commotion from the battle in the west, Li Ximing had still not shown himself, so his seclusion was most likely genuine. Tianhuo's gaze shifted slightly as he thought, What unfortunate timing...

He continued to reflect inwardly, though he continued speaking in a mocking tone, "Qing Jifang is quite a remarkable figure. Back when the matter of the Martial Inquiry Purification Vessel arose, I always suspected that he and his father were acting in concert. Yet now he wears his stupidity so plainly on his face that even I cannot tell whether he is truly foolish or merely pretending."

Tianhuo did not get along with Qing Jifang, so Li Zhouwei treated these few barbed remarks as mere pleasantries. Inwardly, however, he was quietly assessing Qing Jifang's strength.

Qing Jifang cannot be underestimated... He possesses numerous treasures, and his arts are exceptionally powerful. He took a direct strike from the [Brilliant Yang King's Axe] without so much as changing expression... To suppress him completely, I would need at least three divine abilities at the middle stage of the Purple Mansion Realm...

Once the two sides truly begin fighting, even if I can withstand him safely, the cultivators around the lake would suffer terribly...

As Tianhuo continued his mockery, Zhang Duanyan smiled faintly and bowed. "After all, he was born from a spirit item and inherited some of the origins of the [Radiance Profound Essence]..."

Daoist Master Tianhuo neither agreed nor disagreed. He replied, "Duanyan, that is a rather shallow view. Qing Tangyin may be miserly, but neither his cultivation nor his schemes are superficial. Back then, he used the [Radiance Profound Essence] to beget a son, then tempered it with [Veiled Yin] in an attempt to achieve a balance of Yin and Yang.

“At first, he intended for Qing Jifang to cultivate True Essence... Unfortunately, harmonizing Yin and Yang is something only great figures would dare attempt. Since ancient times, many have tried to balance Yin and Yang within their descendants, but none of the children born from such attempts have turned out well. Too much Bright Yang makes one brutal and cruel, while too much Veiled Yin makes one ugly and cowardly. Qing Jifang can already be considered one of the better outcomes!"

His words made Li Zhouwei pause slightly, as though something had occurred to him. He fell into thoughtful silence, and Tianhuo continued with a smile, "The moment he was born, Qing Tangyin knew that his plan had failed. Fortunately, the boy's innate ability was still decent, so he hurriedly sent him to cultivate the Pure Rite Profound Earth Dao lineage and placed him at the mountain's disposal..."

Li Zhouwei nodded and probed, "Now both Changhuai and Golden One serve the same state."

Tianhuo's smile gradually faded, revealing a trace of helplessness. He sighed softly and replied, "For those of the immortal path, cultivation is simply a matter of moving with the times, discerning the course of heavenly fate, and following the transformations of the Golden Positions. It cannot truly be called serving one side or another. We are merely acting in accordance with the prevailing tide!"

His words sounded pleasant enough, but Li Zhouwei knew they were insincere. The Golden One Dao lineage had never been a secluded tradition detached from worldly affairs. There had once been a time when all beneath heaven followed the Golden One's transformations and moved with the ascendancy of Upper Azure!

Li Zhouwei nevertheless replied, "Daoist Master, you are entirely correct. The present transformations of the Golden Positions revolve around nothing more than Shu and Song, while Zhao and Yan stand in the north and are hardly the sort to remain quietly within their borders or settle for mediocrity. I serve under the imperial mandate of Great Song, so I wonder how many more opportunities I will have to converse and laugh with you at Xiping."

Though Li Zhouwei had phrased his words obliquely, Tianhuo was not truly the carefree, dissolute nobleman he appeared to be. He understood the question perfectly.

What role does your Golden Feather Sect play in the court of Shu?

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes shone brightly as he waited for an answer.

Wu and Yue had once been comparable, but now the gulf between them was like heaven and earth. To put it bluntly, Great Song was truly weak at this time. Unless its emperor personally intervened, Changhuai alone was enough to leave the entire state struggling to cope...

Tianhuo understood the situation perfectly as he thought, Sima Yuanli is timid and overly cautious. He may serve as an assistant, but he cannot be relied upon. Ning Wan is softhearted and gentle by nature, and is unfit for great responsibilities... There are truly no heroes in the Song court.

As for those outside the Song court... The Lingu Family is a stunted root that received the potential to reach the heavens, yet produced only a sapling three feet tall, making itself a laughingstock. Chen Yin guards Yuyang Prefecture, but though he has the will, he lacks the strength. The Sword Gate is consumed by selfish interests and refuses to emerge from behind closed doors. The Purple Smoke Gate may obey orders, but with one sick and the other still young, how could either amount to anything?

Li Zhouwei is a treasured weapon of the empire, but his edge has yet to be sharpened, and a killing tribulation hangs over him. Liu Bai may be an immortal blade of green jade, but he remains unwilling at heart and is stationed in defense of the Southern Sea. Yang Ruiyi's true depths remain unknown, but unless he crosses the Purple Mansion Threshold, at best he will only become another Li Zhouwei at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm...

Even all of these people combined amount to no more than Mount Changhuai and the Nine Surnames. If my Golden Feather Sect entered the contest, the defenses along Song's borders would be nothing but a joke... And that is without even considering the north! Those in the north covet Li Zhouwei even more!

This is not merely a matter concerning the Great Song dynasty. With the Underworld's judiciary behind it, Great Song will ultimately be able to hold the situation together. But his Moongaze Lake lies right beside the river... He has no choice but to worry!

Tianhuo had analyzed everything clearly, yet he still hesitated to answer. After remaining silent for quite some time, he finally said, "The desert has been pacified, the immortal mountains sealed, and pacification offices established throughout Golden One's former territories. The cultivators of my Golden One Dao lineage have entered seclusion and have no intention of interfering in worldly affairs. Only Daoist Master Tiangui has descended into Lacquer Marsh. At the very least... We should still have many years in which to meet!"