Chapter 1749: Heretical Cults Of Tiered Mountain (I)

A light breeze swept across the island, but the sunlight was fiercely intense, bleaching the reefs white beneath its glare. The white-robed man stood among the clouds by the shore for a while, silent and seemingly calm.

An Siwei had already become advanced in years. After his father, An Zheyan, passed away, he became the most senior elder of the An Family. When the Great Desire Dao marched south, An Xuanxin and many of the An Family's direct descendants and followers had been completely wiped out. The loss was hardly enough to shake the Li Family, but to An Siwei, it was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

The blow had struck him especially hard. An Xuantong had sent a lengthy letter from the lake, and An Siwei wept as he read it, repeatedly covering the letter and sighing in anguish. It took him three attempts before he finally managed to finish it, only to find himself at a loss as to how he should reply.

To think such a calamity would befall us!

His heart was filled with dread. He understood all too clearly that although the An Family's position still appeared secure, An Xuantong had no sons. Over the next century, the An Family would inevitably be left without anyone capable of carrying its burdens. Meanwhile, the struggle between north and south was only growing fiercer. If fortune turned against them and An Xuantong fell as well, the An Family would become the next Tian Family!

A cultivator's appearance was tied to their lifespan, and even more closely to their state of mind. With his spirit all but spent, the ever-loyal Guest Cultivator An seemed to have aged several decades at once.

Now looking every bit an old man, he stood dazed by the shore as a faint hope unexpectedly stirred within him, I may be old and useless, but I would gladly give up my life. Could I beg the old elder to send me to the riverfront... if it could only save Xuantong's life...

He had privately discussed the idea with his son, but An Xuantong had vehemently opposed it, swearing to avenge his brothers’ blood. He was exactly as An Siwei himself had once been. Yet An Siwei had lived through it all and knew in his heart that this was a vengeance they could never exact, not in a hundred lifetimes or even a thousand.

His thoughts drifted, and he unexpectedly found himself thinking of his father. When my younger brother died, did father ever think as I do now? Probably not. In his heart, he only ever had one son, only one Jingming, just as the name he called out before his death. The rest of us were merely children he fathered in greater number because he was following the last wishes left to him.

The countless affairs of his clan and household weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him standing there in a daze, unsure what to do.

He waited by the shore for a while until the waves suddenly began to churn, as though something pitch-black were moving beneath the sea. His wandering thoughts immediately vanished. Growing alert, he clutched a talisman in his hand.

What demonic creature is this... to dare come to my Lulai Island?

With a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator guarding Lulai Island, there was little need to fear an attack. The Li Family was also on close terms with the dragons, so An Siwei merely suspected that some demonic creature had recklessly wandered here. Then the water rippled, and a white figure leaped out from the sea.

It was a man dressed in a short green kesi[1] jacket beneath a brocade cloak. Fine jade-green scales could be faintly seen along his neck, and his cultivation was extraordinarily profound, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Behind him, the water shimmered as demonic creatures beneath the sea rose, bearing a turquoise palanquin shaped like a palace. Adorned with gold and jade, it had seven tiers of pavilions and six spacious halls, all hung with beaded and jeweled tassels. It looked like an immense terrace rising from the sea.

An Siwei immediately paled in fright and dropped to his knees. Who else in the sea could command such grandeur besides the dragons? Having spent many years in the Eastern Sea, An Siwei naturally knew just how domineering the dragons could be!

Yet the man wore a courteous expression. He stepped forward and saluted respectfully from beyond the grand formation. "Are you a member of the Li Clan? Please inform your masters that the Xu Water Demon King has come to visit."

An Siwei shuddered. He quickly summoned someone, gave him careful instructions, and sent him through the formation to report to Liu Changdie. He himself remained respectfully to one side, waiting humbly.

After casting the man a nervous glance, he cautiously asked, "Could... could this be Lord Ying?"

The brocade-clad young man lowered his eyes slightly, a trace of gratitude appearing on his face as he nodded. "Indeed, it is this lesser demon... You must be an old acquaintance from the Great River."

An Siwei felt somewhat reassured and hurriedly said, "Does my lord remember Floating Cloud Cave? When the King of Wei campaigned north, this humble one served under his command..."

He is already the King of Wei...

An Siwei needed to give no further explanation. The moment Ying Hebai heard the title 'King of Wei,' everything became perfectly clear to him. His heart surged with emotion, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

He saved my entire clan. How could I ever repay such a debt?!

When the situation inland had undergone a drastic change, Ying Hebai had not dared linger and hurriedly retreated. Although he had managed to save his life, he had abandoned his post before any orders arrived from the sea. It was ultimately a dereliction of duty, and thus his life had never been easy after angering his immediate superior.

After he returned from inland, his clan's fortunes had also taken a sudden turn for the worse. When the Xu Water Demon King attended the Reef Sea Dragon King's divine ability banquet, Ying Hebai's aunt had acted rashly and offended the White Wave Demon King during the feast. Although the Xu Water Demon King had protected her, she fell out of favor from then on. The missions assigned to Ying Hebai had only grown increasingly dangerous, and his clan's fortunes plummeted until they faced the threat of annihilation.

Fortunately, the King of Wei had put in a word before the Bei Sea Dragon King. Once the superior above his own superior personally spoke on the matter, even the White Wave Demon King came to apologize, greatly enhancing the Xu Water Demon King's prestige...

With a single word, he saved my clan's lives and fortunes!

Perhaps Ying Hebai had only treated him respectfully in earlier years because of Dingjiao, but now his admiration was genuine and wholehearted.

It seems even the Bei Sea Dragon King has to show some regard for the King of Wei's wishes, much less the Xu Water Demon King. Promoting me to this position today and sending me ahead of the king is partly a gesture for the Li Family to see... and partly the Xu Water Demon King's way of demonstrating his loyalty to Bei Sea...

He composed himself and waited quietly. Within a few breaths, a man walked forward through the air, his divine ability shining brilliantly with silver light. He bowed and hastily said, "This outsider cultivator, Yuanbian, greets the great king!"

Liu Changdie had only been told that someone from the dragons had arrived, but he already understood most of what was happening. Li Ximing had been so pressed for time that he had not even spared a moment to meet him before hurriedly leaving with Li Quewan. Presumably, he had been in a rush to establish ties with the dragons so that he could return inland in time. The thought left Liu Changdie somewhat emotional.

In the end, the position of Wei's Li is a difficult one. He does not dare stay anywhere for long...

Only then did a man clad in pitch-black armor descend from the pavilion. A helmet obscured his face, and a longbow was strapped across his back.

He strode inside and said in a deep, powerful voice, "I am Lu Xu. I have come to the island under orders. Please forgive the intrusion."

Liu Changdie demurred, "Not at all..."

He led his guest farther inside. Rather than entering the cave dwelling, the two took their seats in one of the island's courtyards.

The demon king remained calm as he said evenly, "I have long heard of your distinguished name."

The moment Liu Changdie heard those words, he realized that the other party had not come solely because of Fuxun. He immediately grew wary, though he replied politely, "I never imagined my insignificant reputation would trouble my lord's ears!"

The Xu Water Demon King simply lifted his tea and replied, "I am an uncouth fellow and have no patience for the ways of you humans, so I will not waste time trading courtesies with you. I will simply tell you what there is to tell. There is a Grand Daoist Master named Changxiao who intended to kill you, but our Profound Pool Thunder Maiden saved you. Otherwise, you would have been dead long ago."

The doubts in Liu Changdie's heart were suddenly confirmed. He hurriedly rose from his seat and bowed in thanks, appearing overwhelmed with gratitude as he said, "Yuanbian had sensed something long ago... I truly must thank this esteemed one..."

Lu Xu showed him little warmth. His expression remained indifferent as he continued, "Admittedly, heavenly fate played its part. In Lady [Profound Maiden]'s eyes, with Qunyi involved, it would not do to simply watch someone favored by Heaven-Governing perish. Still, the Profound Pool Thunder Maiden herself also shares a certain destiny with you..."

1. "Kesi" can refer to a traditional Chinese silk weaving art. ☜