Chapter 401 - 399: Pressure from the Qianli River

When Li Qiye returned to his island, King Jingxi was already waiting for him.

"Young Master Li, the Qianli River sect asked me to pass on a message. I was wondering if you’ve made a decision yet." King Jingxi was in a bind. Being caught between Li Qiye and the Qianli River was a difficult position to be in, but this thankless task had unfortunately fallen on his shoulders.

"It seems the Qianli River sect is quite anxious," Li Qiye said with a smile.

King Jingxi couldn’t help but smile wryly. ’How could they not be anxious? Lan Yunzhu is the successor of the Qianli River. The sect spent countless resources cultivating her. It would be stranger if they *didn’t* go crazy now that she might be marrying outside the sect.’

King Jingxi hurriedly took out a Treasure Disc. On it was a row of elixirs that, upon first scent, emitted a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

"Young Master Li, this is a small token from the Qianli River sect. They hope you can make a decision soon," King Jingxi said as he placed the Treasure Disc in front of Li Qiye.

"Five Transformations Life Pills." Li Qiye chuckled. "What, is the Qianli River sect giving me a little sweetener? Still, mere Five Transformations Life Pills... this is a bit too shabby."

"The Qianli River sect doesn’t mean to dismiss you with these Five Transformations Life Pills. They just hope for a good start between both sides. This is just a small token," King Jingxi hastily tried to smooth things over.

Li Qiye couldn’t even be bothered to give them a second glance. He casually tossed the Five Transformations Life Pills to Lu Baiqiu beside him and said nonchalantly, "Here, you can keep these for yourself."

Lu Baiqiu was stunned for a moment. Five Transformations Life Pills! For a Hall Master like her who had just one foot in the Prince realm, they were priceless. Even for many experts, Five Transformations Life Pills were exceedingly precious. These were, after all, Ancient Saint Level Life Pills. If a Prince were to consume them, the benefits would be immense!

For Lu Baiqiu, something like a Five Transformations Life Pill was not something a Hall Master from a minor country like herself could ever hope to possess. Even within Jingxi Country, it wasn’t easy for the Elders to obtain a Five Transformations Life Pill.

Yet now, Li Qiye had tossed them to her as if they were trash, without even a second glance. Such extravagance was simply beyond anything a small country like Jingxi Country could compare to.

King Jingxi also smiled wryly. ’Disciples from Emperor Immortal Gates truly are different.’ This wasn’t something disciples from ordinary Great Teaching Territories could compare to. They acted with such extravagance, thinking nothing of even Five Transformations Life Pills.

"Young Master Li, when do you plan to reply to the Qianli River sect?" King Jingxi asked hurriedly. Stuck between Li Qiye and the sect, his position was truly difficult, and this thankless errand was becoming impossible to report back on.

"If the Qianli River sect truly wants to annul this marriage, then have Lan Yunzhu tell me herself. What are a bunch of old geezers making such a fuss for?" Li Qiye said with a dismissive smile.

King Jingxi smiled bitterly, feeling like crying but having no tears. There was no way he could report this back. Li Qiye was so domineering it left one speechless. Which of the Qianli River’s Elders wasn’t a figure who could shake the world with a stomp of their foot? Among the younger generation, few dared to disrespect them, yet Li Qiye paid them no mind at all. ’Perhaps this is the confidence that comes from being a disciple of an Emperor Immortal Gate,’ he thought.

King Jingxi was about to leave, but he paused, hesitating several times as if wanting to say something more.

"If you have something to say, Sovereign, just say it," Li Qiye said with a smile, noticing the king’s hesitation.

King Jingxi hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Young Master Li, it would be best to give the Qianli River sect a reply soon. I’ve heard from their higher-ups that while the sect wishes to dissolve this marriage agreement amicably, some are advocating for using high-pressure tactics to resolve it."

"High-pressure tactics?" Li Qiye narrowed his eyes, a grin revealing his pearly white teeth.

King Jingxi said with a wry smile, "Young Master Li, you must understand, it’s not easy for the Qianli River sect to cultivate a successor. Within the sect, many people advocate for Bamboo Fairy to find a cultivation partner from within their own ranks. Of course, they don’t want her to marry outside the sect."

"Keep the goodies in the family." Li Qiye could understand this sentiment. In fact, this was a traditional practice for many Great Teaching Territories.

"I’ve heard that several of the Qianli River’s Elders have a very hardline stance," King Jingxi added as a reminder to Li Qiye.

In truth, as far as King Jingxi was concerned, he didn’t care if Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu got married or broke up; he just wanted the matter to end quickly. Having Jingxi Country caught between the two was agonizing, and the longer it dragged on, the more difficult his position became.

"Hardline?" Li Qiye rubbed his chin and chuckled. "I quite like ’hardline.’ Fine. Since the Qianli River sect wants me to end this quickly, I’ll pay them a visit."

"Go to the Qianli River?" Hearing this, King Jingxi jumped in shock, his expression changing drastically.

The way Li Qiye said it held no trace of friendliness. It sounded as if he intended to march right up to the Qianli River and wipe the entire sect out.

"Relax, I’ve always been a peace-loving person. Since the Qianli River sect is willing to talk, I’ll go in person and have a nice chat with them," Li Qiye said with a beaming smile.

Lu Baiqiu and King Jingxi exchanged a glance. They would have to be fools to believe him. This was a man who killed at the slightest disagreement. If he was peace-loving, then everyone in the world was a vegetarian.

"Young Master Li, are you really going to the Qianli River?" King Jingxi asked, his face twisting into a pained expression. "If you don’t intend to resolve this amicably, you’ll be walking right into the tiger’s den."

Of course, he wasn’t worried about Li Qiye’s safety. He was worried the situation would escalate into a cataclysm. If Jingxi Country were to be dragged into it, he feared they would find it impossible to escape!

"The tiger’s den?" Li Qiye laughed. "I don’t have many hobbies, but one of them is charging straight for the mountain I know has a tiger."

King Jingxi’s face was a mask of misery. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have said a word, even if it cost him his life. Great. Not only had he failed to dissuade Li Qiye, but he had also pointed him straight toward the Qianli River.

But on second thought, King Jingxi realized that Li Qiye going to the Qianli River wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Jingxi Country. After all, with Li Qiye staying here, his country was caught in the middle, which was a truly awful position.

"Bai Qiu, are you coming with me?" Having made his decision, Li Qiye was ready to act. He said to Lu Baiqiu, "Of course, I won’t force you if you don’t want to go."

Lu Baiqiu looked toward King Jingxi, who hesitated for a moment. In the end, he gave up, sighing with a wry smile. "Master Lu, you should decide for yourself."

It was impossible to tell whether this path led to fortune or disaster. King Jingxi had given up on making the decision for her. Whether it was a blessing or a curse would depend on Lu Baiqiu’s own fortune.

Lu Baiqiu hesitated for a moment before finally telling Li Qiye, "I’ll go with you!"

King Jingxi sighed softly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

After King Jingxi left, Lu Baiqiu immediately asked, "Are we going to the Qianli River now?" She had already steeled herself for the coming storm. Although the trip to the Qianli River was a gamble between fortune and disaster, for her, it was also a rare opportunity to broaden her horizons. After all, the world of the Thousand Islands was far too small.

"If you don’t have anything to take care of, then let’s go," Li Qiye said. "I’m actually looking forward to visiting the Qianli River!" At this, he couldn’t help but smile. ’The Qianli River,’ he thought, ’a place that brings back memories.’

"What about the Lost Divine Island?" Lu Baiqiu couldn’t help but ask. She could tell that Li Qiye had originally come for the island.

Li Qiye gently shook his head. "Getting onto the Lost Divine Island is not so easy. We’ll wait. Once enough people have gathered, there will be an opportunity." ’Only with enough blood, only after enough people have died, will there be a chance to board the Lost Divine Island.’

Of course, Li Qiye didn’t say this part out loud.

Lu Baiqiu had nothing she needed to arrange, so when Li Qiye set off for the Qianli River, she went with him.

In reality, Jingxi Country was quite far from the Qianli River. Of course, for someone like Li Qiye, distance was not an issue; it wouldn’t take him long to arrive.

The Qianli River sect, an Emperor Immortal Gate founded by the Qianli Immortal Emperor, was named after the river itself. As the inheritors of an Emperor’s Lineage, they controlled the vast majority of the territory on both banks of the Qianli River.

Although the sect didn’t directly control all the land, most of the Inheritance Sects and the imperial families of the kingdoms along the river were subordinate to it.

The Qianli River sect was incredibly powerful and influential. As the last Immortal Emperor of the Ghost Sacred Realm during the Age of Emperors, the Qianli Immortal Emperor’s lingering might was still palpable.

Although the sect was named after the river, its Ancestral Land was not built at the river’s source. Instead, it was located in the widest part of the river, the Thousand Carp Lake, occupying the central hub of the entire Qianli River.

Standing before the Thousand Carp Lake, no one would think it was a lake; it looked more like an ocean! This impression wasn’t surprising. In fact, the Thousand Carp Lake could be called the largest lake in the entire Ghost Sacred Realm. It was so immensely vast that standing on its shore, one would be met with a magnificent expanse of water that resembled a vast sea.

Many legends surrounded the Thousand Carp Lake, and it was said to hold many secrets. There was once a rumor in Nanyao Yun that the Qianli Immortal Emperor himself had originated from the Thousand Carp Lake. It was said that because he came from this place, he named himself Qianli, established his sect on the Qianli River, and built his Emperor Foundation beneath it.

Of course, these were only rumors, and no one knew if they were true. The secrets hidden within the Thousand Carp Lake, much like the Qianli Immortal Emperor himself, had always remained a profound mystery.

Standing on the shore of the Thousand Carp Lake, one could feel the air thick with moisture as Spiritual Qi washed over them. It was as if the entire lake was a great Treasure Basin for nature’s spiritual energy, gathering immense quantities of it in this one place.