Chapter 580 439: Severing the Omens

Li Qinghong and Ling Yanzi discussed some matters of recent years. Ling Yanzi, gentle and without airs, stroked his snowy white beard and smiled:

"But I must ask… does your noble clan have any young ones of suitable age and talent who might come to cultivate upon my peak… I, the old one, am forbidden to leave the sect, and the disciples atop this peak are ever so few. The Taoist lineage stands in peril…"

"Junior remembers this, and shall search upon returning to the clan."

Li Qinghong nodded, not lingering long in this place. She took her leave of Ling Yanzi and rose upon the wind. Yet outside the peak, amidst the clouds, stood a woman—none other than Shen Yanqing—who beamed with a gentle smile and spoke in a soft voice:

"Let me escort Senior out."

She stood atop a flying shuttle shaded in azure and violet, and said quietly:

"Our Shen Family has long heard the renowned name of your clan. Should opportunity arise, I would surely visit with my father."

"Good!"

The young lady was so courteous that Li Qinghong naturally nodded with a radiant smile, chatting with Shen Yanqing as she escorted her all the way to the border of Ziyan Sect, pointing out:

"Eastward is the domain of Red Reef Island; northward lies Snow Ji Sect…"

This place was already close to the East Sea. Though Red Reef Island was a sect of the East Sea, yet in Yue Country it occupied several coastal ports as well. With a word of farewell, Li Qinghong rode the wind northward.

Shen Yanqing saw her off, then rode the wind back into the blessed land of Ziyan, delving deep within until she arrived at the very heart: Ziqi Heavenly Mountain. There, before a terrace of violet jade, she alighted. On each side stood two elders.

At the sight of Shen Yanqing, both men cupped their hands and smiled:

"Little Ancestor-Mistress!"

Though Shen Yanqing was still young, she had entered the tutelage of ZipPei Perfected Person and held a lofty status in the blessed land of Ziyan. She returned the salute and strode within.

Within the cave mansion, violet mist was dense, tinged with golden light—purple and gold intermingled. Shen Yanqing raised her brows to see, at the upper end, a woman standing with hands behind her back, draped in purple-gold robes, appearing merely in her twenties, a dot of dazzling purple-gold light shining at her brow.

"Master!"

This was indeed ZipPei Perfected Person. Shen Yanqing bowed, and the woman nodded slightly, her voice cool and clear:

"It is truly Sky Thunder… with none of the blood qi consumed."

Shen Yanqing responded respectfully:

"Replying to Master, so it is."

ZipPei Perfected Person inclined her head gently and spoke:

"I just journeyed to the East Sea. Dongfang You failed to break through to Golden Core; his body perished and his Dao was severed. He had accumulated for many years, yet faltered at the very last step, drawing down nine shares of Heshui Nature, of which Dragon Kind seized six shares."

"Without Heshui Nature, and now with the East Sea's current state: 'Water descends, thunder rises.' It is indeed a rare time for cultivating Thunder Dharma. The South River is yet 'Mysterious Equilibrium of Central Aura'—not suited for you. Once you break through, go to the East Sea to stand guard, and broaden your horizons."

Shen Yanqing paused, voiced her doubts:

"But… if it was but the final step, would not this phenomenon soon rival that of Donghua Perfected Person in years past? With 'Mysterious Equilibrium of Central Aura' already fragile, might it not be affected by the East Sea?"

The woman in purple-gold softly shook her head and spoke gently:

"Xiuyue Sect, for Shangyuan's breakthrough, successively made use of Chi Wei's demise and the falling of Eastern Fire, managing with much difficulty to tune the Spirit Mechanism of South River's world to 'Mysterious Equilibrium of Central Aura'—fitting for the cultivation of Golden Core such as Jade True. They will not stand idly by and watch South River's Spirit Mechanism shift again."

She changed the subject, drawing a brilliant violet crystal stone from her sleeve, limpid and radiant, with flashes of purple-white thunderbolt dancing within. ZipPei Perfected Person said gently:

"We went into the wilds and found two 'Mysterious Thunder Celestial Stones'. Red Reef Island claimed one, while I procured the other. Carry it close to you—it will greatly aid your breakthrough to Zifu."

Shen Yanqing bowed in thanks. ZipPei Perfected Person gave a soft laugh and dismissed the maiden, standing amidst the amethyst spiritual mist, the violet light at her brow slowly shining.

Before her, Purple Qi flowed swiftly, converging like rivers, clashing together. She murmured:

"To preserve 'Mysterious Equilibrium of Central Aura', Xiuyue Sect must act. It will be well to see what stage this Perfected Lord has now reached… In those years, riding upon the fall of Liang and the rise of Zhao, he ascended to his fruit position—by now, he must be truly formidable."

...

Li Qinghong, on her way, passed by Snow Ji Sect, only to find the mountain sealed and receiving no visitors. It would be improper to simply fly straight over, so she made a small detour around.

"Snow Ji Sect spends eighty years out of every century sealed away. Seldom does one see even a few disciples… How strange indeed. Rumor has it their line was severed centuries ago… but is that reason enough to shroud themselves thusly?"

Following the river east to the East Sea, she saw the horizon black and oppressive—a mass of storms and thunderbolts roaming the sky, like drops of ink descending into clear water, advancing from afar.

"The anomaly of the East Sea… its might has grown to such a degree…"

Li Qinghong contemplated slowly:

"When Duanmu Kui died years ago, there was no such great portent… Even when Chi Wei perished in breakthrough, there was little disturbance… Was that because of intervention from Yin Si? Or is it merely a difference in strength?"

As she pondered, speeding above the sea, she found it so dark that not even a hand could be seen—inky and gloomy; the great sea was as black as ink, thunderbolts rising and falling, the interminable dark waves and the clouds above reflecting each other, as though she had flown into a boundless, everlasting night.

She passed down from the estuary, followed by several Qi Cultivators who kept their distance. Li Qinghong observed the scene, when suddenly her fellow cultivators entering the sea cried out loudly:

"Look… look at the sky!"

Li Qinghong gazed upward. Her Pupil Technique was still unmastered, so she saw nothing but blackness—save for a single speck of light above the South River coastline to the west, vague, with a hint of human form, yet nothing could be seen clearly.

"That is… at the very least, a Perfected Person…"

She paused, understanding at once—likely a high cultivator stood there. She dared not stare, yet suddenly felt dizzy, and dimly, visions appeared before her eyes, leaping across a thousand miles, countless images arising.