Chapter 1806: Turning The Tables (II)

Yang Ruiyi fell silent for a while before saying quietly, "When Tuoba Changming pledged allegiance to Wei, he was granted the [Yuan] surname and took the name [Yuan Changming]. He received one of the Twelve Profound Tokens, and the Emperor of Wei assigned him a Dao lineage, that of Devil Monarch Lu Xi of the Qingxuan Dao.

But the Qingxuan lineage has always been extraordinarily difficult to master. Yuan Changming learned only a little of it before he died, and he passed none of it down. All he left was the obscure [Great Venerable Xuanxi Book][1], which the Tuoba Family has always claimed was lost when Liang fell.

"Lu Xi was one of the four ancestors of the Devil Dao and the master of one of the Four Demonic Relics... You know as well as I do that, among those four ancestors, Devil Monarch Changsu was the master of the Lesser Yang Devil Monarch, while Devil Monarch Lu Xi awakened the fiend Tingshi. Both were masters of the soul and the great void. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

"That means the Tuoba Family holds the lineages of two of the four devil ancestors. That's how they became representatives of the orthodox Devil Dao, and how they've survived and kept Shengle Heaven intact to this day."

His expression turned grim. "Back then, father joined forces with others to obscure fate and set a trap for Tuoba Chongyuan. The aim wasn't to kill him while he was still young. We had sought to use the dragons as a blade and see what the Tuoba Family could do. They timed Tuoba Lan's arrival precisely, and sure enough, he simply swept up that remnant soul in his sleeve."

Yang Ruizao had lived through that upheaval himself, and had even lent Li Xizhi a talisman that saved his life. The memory came back to him at once. Yang Ruiyi continued, "Even then, we suspected that after Liang fell, they no longer dared cultivate the Lesser Yang Devil Monarch's lineage. Instead, they secretly studied the [Great Venerable Xuanxi Book], which they had kept hidden... Otherwise, an outsider like Tuoba Lan could never have learned to collect a remnant soul.

"What you saw in the great void must have been the power of the [Xuanxi Demonic Relic]. They aren't even trying to conceal it. The Pavilion of Profound Order must have compromised and brought the Tuoba Family in to counter Banished Essence!"

Yang Ruizao could hardly believe it as he asked, "Devil Monarch Lu Xi... Even if he was one of the Four Devils, he's been dead for years. How could anything he left behind stand against the supreme Banished Essence?"

Yang Ruizao was accustomed to seeing the Underworld's judiciary wield seemingly limitless power. The thought that a legacy left by a devil monarch dead for so many years could check Banished Essence was deeply unsettling.

What sort of being is the lord I serve? Even a devil ancestor would have to bow before him!

Yang Ruiyi turned away with his hands behind his back, his expression grave. "You're underestimating him! Devil Monarch Lu Xi was a direct disciple of the master of Qingxuan! Do you know what that means? Even the Great Sage, the True Hornless Dragon, who longed to enter Qingxuan and claimed he had, would have to ingratiate himself with this devil monarch and call him senior brother!"

Yang Ruizao had never cultivated in the Underworld and knew little about such matters. He stood stunned. Yang Ruiyi, who had clearly been under strain these past few days, seemed to be venting as he emphasized softly, "And it isn't just Devil Monarch Lu Xi. Wuguan goes without saying, and the other two devil ancestors could likewise come and go freely in the face of Banished Essence. They were venerable devils of antiquity!

“In an age when Immortal Lords stood side by side, anyone who dared call himself a devil had to be, at the very least, 'beyond the restraint of heaven and earth and untouched by accumulated karma'. How many people back then could make that claim?"

Yang Ruizao wiped away cold sweat and agreed repeatedly. Yang Ruiyi stopped himself, gave him another look, then turned and asked, "Still no word from Tingzhou?"

He expected another evasive reply from Li Ximing. Instead, a commotion rose outside. One man stepped forward, bowed, and reported, "General! Daoist Master Zhaojing has arrived in the courtyard! I didn't dare interrupt your military discussions!"

Hope flickered in Yang Ruiyi's eyes. "Bring him in at once!"

He signaled for his younger cousin, who cultivated in Jiangnan, to withdraw, then composed himself and sat in the main seat. Sure enough, Li Ximing soon strode in.

Yang Ruiyi smiled. "Brother Ximing!"

Li Ximing looked haggard, his eyes troubled and his expression despondent. He gazed at Yang Ruiyi for a long moment before replying, "Grand general..."

How could Yang Ruiyi miss the look on his face? His heart sank, and anxiety gripped him. That Horn Wood spirit resource I sent should have been enough to heal him... What's happened? Is Li Zhouwei's injury worse than I thought, so bad that Ximing is this distressed? Or, after I took such a risk to protect Tingzhou, is Li Ximing still playing games with me?

His expression darkened as he asked, "Brother Ximing, what is it..."

Li Ximing glanced around and merely sighed. Yang Ruiyi immediately swept his sleeve, sealing every door and window of the hall. Spirit light dense with Banished Essence began to circulate, cutting the hall off even from the great void.

But the moment the doors shut, Li Ximing straightened his back and stopped sighing. The weariness vanished from his eyes, replaced by a bright gleam. His expression changed so completely that he seemed another man.

He composed himself, bowed, and said, "Congratulations, my lord!"

Yang Ruiyi was genuinely taken aback. Delight surged through him, and before he had even thought it through, he found himself seeing the man before him in a new light.

I underestimated him. He is a Li, after all... With that honest face of his, I never thought he'd have this side to him!

Far from being annoyed, Yang Ruiyi looked delighted and amused. "Ximing, what's all this?"

Li Ximing smiled and said, "I heard you say there's a Daoist Master surnamed Tao across the river... His eyes are exceptionally sharp. I've left the front and spent days traveling between the lake and the Wilderness. How could he fail to notice?"

Yang Ruiyi understood at once. Li Ximing was helping him set a trap for the northern forces!

More and more northern cultivators had gathered in recent days, gradually closing in around Mount Tangdao. Situ Huo sent him a letter every three days, and the pressure on him was immense. He was already overjoyed by the good news; now, seeing what Li Ximing had done, he nearly clapped his hands in approval.

Yang Ruiyi rose at once and smiled. "Excellent!"

After that brief praise, he began to think. Then he said gravely, "Then we can't wait... Since the King of Wei has recovered from his injuries, we should launch a surprise attack at once and lift the siege of Mount Tangdao!"

Li Ximing only smiled at him and shook his head slightly.

Yang Ruiyi paused. Li Ximing held up three fingers and said, "The news is even better than that!"

The black-robed man stared at him for a moment, then understood. Shock ran through him. "What?!"

How... How did he advance so quickly?! Can this really be explained by his fate alone? Don't tell me he's Li Xunquan reincarnated!

The shock lasted only an instant. Yang Ruiyi recognized the opportunity before him, and his mind cleared. He paced two quick steps across the raised platform, his mood utterly transformed.

His eyes shone as he replied, "Good... Good. I understand."

1. In Great Venerable Xuanxi Book, Xuan (玄) means "profound," and Xi (赥) is the same character used in Devil Monarch Lu Xi's name. ☜