The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1831: Breaking The Encirclement (I)

Li Muyan pressed a hand against his sleeve and fell briefly silent, seemingly hesitant. Just then, a divine ability descended through the purple light. Its wielder pulled Li Muyan aside and said quietly, "Let's go... Let's go... It's time to leave!"

Hongyan's arrival prompted Li Muyan to stir. Only then did he notice the cold sweat on the Daoist Master of Ni Family, who genuinely seemed unwilling to linger any longer. By urging him to leave, Hongyan had also assumed half the responsibility for withdrawing the troops. Li Muyan thus turned silently and departed with him.

Li Ximing simply maintained his divine ability, facing them in silence. Almost simultaneously, the troops in the manifest world withdrew westward. Western Shu had so many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators that, even with their will to fight gone and their retreat hastily begun, their ranks remained as firm as Mount Tai.

Hongyan and Li Muyan had only just withdrawn past Mount Xiping when a cultivator in green-gray robes approached on the wind. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I have been ordered to meet you both and assist your withdrawal!"

This was Daoist Master Guanlan, Qing Zhuo. He was one of the Qing Family's new generation of Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. He had possessed two divine abilities for some time. Now he looked radiant, his aura full and complete, clearly close to attaining his third. The Qing Family had been rather reluctant to send him into battle.

He was evidently much more approachable than Qing Jifang, as Hongyan replied with a bitter smile, "It was I who urged a retreat before orders arrived. The decision was not Muyan's alone."

Li Muyan said nothing. Looking forlorn, he silently clutched the jade talisman inside his sleeve. Qing Zhuo waved away their concern and bowed, replying, "You needn't worry. I came precisely to ask you both to withdraw your troops."

Li Muyan raised his brows in surprise. Qing Zhuo sighed. "The King of Wei slew Guangchan at Baixiang Valley. The Zhao army has suffered a crushing defeat!"

Understanding suddenly dawned on Li Muyan, while Hongyan exclaimed in surprise, "I saw white sand billowing in the north and colored light reaching into the heavens. I thought someone must have suffered a serious setback, but I never imagined it was Li Jieyi. Unfortunately, I hear his dharma body was stolen from the Golden Land, so its loss can hardly be called devastating."

Qing Zhuo looked steadily at him as he said, "Guangchan is dead."

At that emphatic clarification, both Li Muyan's and Hongyan's expressions changed. They fell silent, neither saying another word. Only after a long while did Li Muyan murmur, "Banished Essence truly is formidable."

Qing Zhuo's lips moved, but he gave no answer. Those words were just like Qing Jifang's. Qing Zhuo was among the gentler, more gracious members of the Qing Family, and he knew the details of what had happened at Baixiang Valley. He dared not say much before Qing Jifang, but he would not indulge Li Muyan's dismissiveness.

He tactfully replied, "Banished Essence is certainly formidable, but the King of Wei revealed Bright Yang's true nature within three moves. His Dao attainment is already extraordinary, far beyond what ordinary cultivators can match."

His words made Hongyan turn toward Li Muyan in deep concern, his resentment growing stronger. Li Muyan was clutching a jade talisman given to him by Qing Jifang, and had been preparing to make another move. Had Hongyan not dissuaded him, they would have incurred still more enmity.

Qing Jifang... You think nothing of anyone else. Your conduct is utterly disgraceful... Even Li Muyan is beginning to hesitate... We may have no powerful backing, but we are still Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, pieces of consequence on the board... If one day we slacken our efforts in a major battle or deliberately hold back, would you really be able to kill us, Qing Jifang?!

His reasoning was sound. Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were hardly nobodies, and a True Monarch could not personally intervene. If the Song court conquered the Ni Family's territory, Hongyan would not hesitate to switch allegiances.

The Daoist Master's gaze gradually darkened as he continued his train of thought, I only hope Qing Zhuo breaks through soon and takes some of us under his command. I refuse to spend another day serving this Qing Jifang!

————

Great void.

Although the Shu troops had withdrawn, Li Ximing remained vigilant, silently maintaining his divine ability. His spiritual sense had already connected with the Immortal Mirror. He used his ability to discern the hidden to sweep the great void as he considered the situation.

Li Ximing naturally knew that Li Muyan was clutching something inside his sleeve. His claim that Li Zhouwei would arrive any moment had been a bluff meant to intimidate the man... If they truly came to blows, the beneficiary might be Shu or Song, but it certainly would not be either of the two Li Families.

Li Muyan's withdrawal is no surprise...

As he pondered, a woman in purple approached on a cloud. Daoist Master Wenqing, graceful and slender with a purple jade longsword on her back, bowed beside him and said, "Thank you, senior! And congratulations!"

She looked distinctly envious as she said, "After so many years... your family has truly earned its name as a clan of sword immortals!"

Daoist Master Wenqing was beautiful, and her divine ability further enhanced her appearance. Even looking somewhat bedraggled, she remained ethereal as a fairy.

Li Ximing smiled as he hastily returned her bow. "You are too kind, Daoist Master! Is there any news... from the west?"

Daoist Master Wenqing replied, "I hear the grand general deployed several treasures and held the line alone. It has been a struggle, but with Qinghu and Chengqian there, nothing will go wrong!"

She noticed Li Ximing's distraction. After all, Moongaze Lake's western shore had just been ravaged, leaving him much to attend to. Considerately, she said, "I'll stand guard at Xiping!"

"Good!"

Li Ximing accepted without ceremony. With a single step, he entered the manifest world. The first thing he saw was Li Jiangchun standing with his eyes tightly closed, the sword mark between his brows flickering faintly. He swept his sleeve, and the Light of the Six Directions moved unseen, drawing the youth behind him.

He examined the youth closely, paying particular attention to the sword mark between his brows. For a moment, he remained silent, seemingly contemplating something. Then understanding and astonishment appeared in his eyes. Yet the Daoist Master said nothing. He merely formed a hand seal, gathering radiance at his fingertips before letting it fall like rain.

It was [Radiance Under Heaven]! The Light of the Six Directions of [Radiance Under Heaven] resided within power and authority, making it difficult to confine by ordinary limits of range. Once Li Ximing took control of the western shore, he brought it beneath his divine ability's radiance and unleashed its full power!

The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators on the western shore stopped one after another as colored radiance surged from their qihai, healing their wounds. Those with lighter injuries, such as Li Minggong and Nantan Chen, immediately looked better. The more severely wounded, including the likes of Ding Weizeng and Qu Buzhi, had severed limbs regrown at once, and color returned to their faces!

This Bright Yang divine ability was overwhelmingly powerful. As he stood in the manifest world, Li Ximing had already restored the fighting strength of almost every Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator on the western shore without any change in expression. Those with powerful dharma bodies, such as Ding Weizeng, still needed to refine their restored bodies anew, while the effect was limited on Pit Water cultivators such as Chen Yang and Nantan Chen. All the others, however, were restored together!

As Li Ximing dismissed his divine ability, Li Minggong immediately approached and greeted him joyfully, "Greetings, Daoist Master!"

Li Ximing nodded, then noticed that the second person to approach was a middle-aged man with a fierce expression. Pale patches of tender new skin covered his body, and the skin on his hands and feet was torn all over, showing just how brutal the fighting had been.

This was none other than Li Ju, who had defected from the Great Mahayana Dharma Realm. Originally from Lingbei, he had once been a capable subordinate to Guangchan. Ding Weizeng had captured and brought him back, and after being cleansed by [Radiance Under Heaven], he had utterly lost all sense of himself. He had reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm and become a devoted follower. After so much time, he had changed to his very core.

That was the greatest irony. Throughout the battle on the western shore, apart from Ding Weizeng, who had fought multiple opponents alone, no one had fought more fiercely than Li Ju. Since joining the lake's forces, his cultivation had advanced greatly. Fully equipped and further empowered, he cared nothing for either his lifespan or his cultivation foundation, leaving the Shu generals surrounding him repeatedly stunned.

At the same time, the price had been enormous. Before Li Ximing intervened, Li Ju had already lost more than seventy years of his lifespan and nearly exhausted most of his Immortal Foundation. Had Li Ximing acted a moment later, he would certainly have died on the western shore!

Even with the Light of the Six Directions saving him and the divine ability replenishing him in time, he had still lost more than thirty years of his lifespan.

Seeing this, Li Ximing felt a mixture of emotions. He nodded and said, "Well done."

Those words were all the reward Li Ju needed . Overwhelmed with joy and a sense of honor, he prostrated himself in homage.

Following behind, Li Suining watched with deep emotion.

That the western shore had held out this long was owed above all to Li Ju, Ding Weizeng, and Li Zhouda, the direct descendant who fought with the greatest disregard for his own life... The western shore had avoided the swift collapse of Li Suining's previous life and gained a little breathing room precisely because this time, they had Ding Weizeng and Li Ju!