From Westfall Prefecture back to Azure Cloud, a journey of three days was required.
The family's Dark Crow had arrived. The various powerhouses, having concluded their matters, had already dispersed.
Standing at the bow of the spiritual boat, Li Xinnian read the letter brought by the Dark Crow, his expression turning exceedingly gloomy.
"Yun Manlou and Bi Shihu are both in Deston Prefecture? Good, excellent. That certainly saves us some effort."
Regarding the tragedy at the Western Border pass, Old Ancestor Tianyue's defeat was not a failure of her martial prowess.
The underlying connections were highly complex, yet it had all occurred during his tenure managing the family.
This caused Li Xinnian to bitterly reflect on his own shortcomings.
"Why didn't I perceive it earlier? I allowed the Old Ancestor to become a pawn for all those different factions.
This sin rests on my shoulders.
If I do not settle these accounts one by one, how can I console the spirit of the High Ancestor in heaven?"
The spiritual boat pressed onward, bypassing the Merit City Grotto-Heaven and heading straight for the South Sea.
Midway through the journey, a dark shadow suddenly flew over and landed behind Li Xinnian.
Shockingly, it was the very same Eternal sect disciple who had spoken disrespectfully beside Duanmu Yushu three days prior.
The disciple's expression was deeply respectful. "Greetings, Patriarch Li."
As the man bowed in greeting, a flash of light gleamed from the spatial ring on his index finger, and an ancient slip appeared in his cupped hands.
"Senior Brother has already led his people, using a sect secret technique to disguise themselves as members of the Wu Race.
They have gone into hiding within Wu territory, plotting a thirty-year grand scheme to harvest and consume the lives of the Wu Race.
This is the copy of the Eternal Spirit-Refining Eight Directions Array that your subordinate managed to secretly transcribe from Senior Brother's hands over the years.
I humbly ask Patriarch Li to accept it."
The ancient slip landed in Li Xinnian's hands.
The immortal sect disciple's eyes darted about, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Patriarch Li, regarding your subordinate's matter..."
"Very good. It is indeed the grand array."
Li Xinnian smiled and said,
"Continue to stay by Brother Duanmu's side, devising schemes and strategies for him. Do not harbor any treacherous intentions.
Your fortuitous encounter to break through to the Divinity Transformation realm lies within the Wu Race; someone will naturally make the arrangements.
As for your descendants at home, I will have them attain the position of a Region Prince. It is a matter as simple as flipping my hand."
"Yes, yes! Thank you, Patriarch Li!"
The Eternal sect disciple departed with joy.
Not long after, Scholar Wuwen of the Heavenly Principle Hall arrived, holding a scroll in his hand.
This number one figure of the True Yang Faction now held a crucial position within the Heavenly Principle Hall, ranking within the top five among its Thirty-Six Commanders.
His words became law, and he was protected by the Righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth.
The scroll in his hands was also a high-grade Dharma Treasure gifted by the Li Clan.
Without even turning his head, Li Xinnian tossed the ancient slip, which had already been emptied of its copied contents, to Scholar Wuwen.
"I must trouble you, Sir, to make a trip to the Wu Race territory. The aura of a person harboring treacherous intentions lingers upon this ancient slip.
This person is about to obtain a fortuitous encounter to break through to the Divinity Transformation realm.
Sir, bring it back for me, so that it may help the Heavenly Principle Hall produce another Divinity Transformation realm cultivator."
"Excellent."
Scholar Wuwen smiled faintly. Over the years, the Heavenly Principle Hall had served multiple masters, jointly governed by the members of the Li Clan.
Compared to Li Changyao's forceful suppression through martial prowess, now that it was in the hands of Patriarch Li Xinnian, their good days had finally arrived.
The matters Li Xinnian handled might be a bit dirty, but he considered the overall situation far more comprehensively. At the very least, they were able to claim half the benefits.
Scholar Wuwen departed.
Li Xinnian's spiritual boat soon arrived at the South Sea.
The South Sea region was once a boundless expanse, stretching as far as the eye could see.
However, since Li Xinnian became the Patriarch of the Li Clan, numerous islands had sprung up out of nowhere over the short span of three hundred years.
Traces of living beings could be seen upon these islands, bringing with them a multitude of disputes.
The coastal commoners all lamented that ever since the number of small islands increased, the weather had become highly volatile, completely unaware that these changes were actually the result of cultivators engaged in brutal life-and-death struggles.
The moment Li Xinnian arrived at the South Sea, streaks of light representing Nascent Soul and Primordial Spirit cultivators approached from the cloudy sky, acting with the utmost reverence.
"Greetings, Patriarch Li!"
Ever since taking on the role of Patriarch, Li Xinnian had welcomed cultivators from all over the world who could no longer survive within the imperial dynasty to come to the Southern Border; the South Sea region became their sanctuary.
Relying on his excellent reputation among the "evil factions," even Li Xinnian himself couldn't accurately calculate just how many minor factions—rumored to have committed all sorts of atrocities—were hiding in the South Sea.
Over the past two hundred years, these factions still couldn't change their foul habits in the South Sea, constantly engaging in disputes with one another as they developed the maritime regions.
Yet, in such a chaotic land, Li Xinnian walked through as easily as if traversing an uninhabited realm.
Upon arriving at one of the islands, he chanted an incantation and sank beneath the surface.
Beneath the island lay what appeared to be an entirely different world, possessing a marvelous similarity in design to the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
Nangong Qingya was also present in this place.
Below lay a vast pool of blood, with inscriptions carved everywhere.
The air carried a sweet fragrance. Li Xinnian took a deep breath, an intoxicated expression on his face. "Qingya, are the major sects here still faring well?"
"Same as always."
The Li Clan's matriarch furrowed her dark, elegant brows.
"These factions you are raising fight day and night without end.
It is only because they are out on the sea; if they were within our Azure Cloud Prefecture's borders, who knows how much trouble they would cause.
The Nightmare Demon Sect hasn't been doing too badly these past few years, though. Their methods of killing in dreams are infallible.
I heard their Sect Master, Dream Demon, has already reached the Void Refinement Realm and excels at devouring souls in dreams.
Xinnian, you must be on guard against them turning on you."
"I will go meet Dream Demon. I happen to be making a trip to Deston Prefecture, and his dream-killing arts will be of great assistance." Li Xinnian began to undress.
"Deston Prefecture?"
Nangong Qingya was already chanting a Dharma incantation.
The talisman array on the ground gradually absorbed the bloody water from the pool, causing the blood pool to boil in an instant.
Nangong Qingya asked in a deep voice, "Is it regarding the matter of the High Ancestor?"
Having stripped completely naked, Li Xinnian lay upon the blood pool.
The pool naturally guided him toward its center.
With a look of absolute comfort on his face, Li Xinnian felt the blood crawl all over his physique, as if he were donning a layer of armor.
He replied, "For Min Tiange to pay such a massive price to allow the Wu Race to breach the pass and slaughter their way into the Central Plains, he must have an ulterior motive.
The same goes for the Nirvana Sage Elders of the Wu Race crossing our borders."
"There must be some underlying connection between them.
Their mutual conflicts are nothing more than a desire to break through to the Mahayana Realm. Yet, they viewed my High Ancestor Tianyue as a mere ant and treated our Li Clan as outsiders.
The elders of our clan are stepping onto the board, and this time, I too shall enter the game."
"Besides that, the situation in Deston Prefecture is critical. The imperial dynasty has ordered our Azure Cloud Prefecture to send troops, and we have no choice but to go."
Hearing this, Nangong Qingya's expression changed. "Xinnian... Min Tiange. Is the clan going to fight Min Tiange?"
"Yes."
Li Xinnian gazed calmly at the rocky dome above.
The boiling water of the blood pool made him feel as though the sweet, divine blood was gradually transforming his physique, flooding his body with Spiritual power.
"The divine blood of Ling Tian's Three Corpses is like heavenly assistance to me.
The Blood Illusion Demonic Art you obtained in your dreams is truly exceptional.
With this formation, coupled with the Blood Illusion Demonic Art, it is comparable to a Heaven-tier cultivation method."
[Your descendant Li Xinnian, having served as the Patriarch for many years, has obtained a great deal of intelligence and peculiar cultivation methods through the matters within Nangong Qingya's dreams.
Acquired the Blood Illusion Demonic Art and the Bloodthirsty Spirit Formation.
When combined, these two are comparable to a Heaven-tier cultivation method, capable of absorbing human blood and converting it into Spiritual power, making his physique akin to that of a body cultivator. Acquired Trait: Blood Demon Physique]
[Devouring human blood increases cultivation speed by 1 to 10 times, depending on the potency of the blood. Has a certain probability of acquiring special physiques.]
[Over the past few years, he has utilized the blood of the family's Ling Tian Three Corpses, integrating it into the blood pool to obtain Mahayana-level blood.
After many days of cultivation, Acquired Trait: Divine Strength]
Her husband wanted to change the subject, but Nangong Qingya's face had already turned deathly pale, as if she had recalled something terrifying.
"Xinnian, in my memories of the great world war, the one who attains the imperial throne is Min Tiange!"
Nangong Qingya lightly tapped her index finger against her glabella, and a white phantom drifted into the space between Li Xinnian's eyebrows.
Li Xinnian let out a long breath.
He saw the scene from Nangong Qingya's dream.
Mountains were collapsing, the earth was splitting apart, and heavenly lightning rolled overhead. Corpses floated in the cloudy sky, as if frozen in time.
A young man, possessing the ethereal air of an immortal, stepped toward the cloudy void.
With every step he took, a jade stair materialized beneath his feet.
It was as if something in the heavens was drawing him straight upwards.
The floating corpses in all directions invariably parted to make way for him, while the multitudes of cultivators gathered all around gazed at him as if looking upon a divine being.
The young man turned his head, looking down upon the people of the world with absolute disdain.
"Today, I ascend to the heavens in a single step. You all should look upon me as the Heavens themselves. Why do you not bow?"
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