Chapter 1412
Reorganization
Chapter 1412 Reorganization (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 40113 for "Hidden Dragon in Action")
The white rain fell from the sky, mixed with fine, silk-like fragments of jade. An emperor favored by the element of gold and a Jade True Immortal had both perished here, creating a strange phenomenon that seemed like a dream.
Qiu Shenshi waited anxiously, watching as the King of Wei, dressed in black, sheathed his long sword and finally looked at them with proper eyes. Qiu Shenshi immediately bowed down.
"Your humble servant Yuan Shi, leading the Qiu clan, pays homage to Your Majesty!"
Several people traversed the sky, but the leader, Qiu Shenshi, was a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. Beside him were three other powerful beings: Qiu Wanyi of the Qiu clan, a True Person from the Le clan among the Nine Surnames, and a True Person from the Tong clan… all Purple Mansion cultivators who had emerged after the establishment of the Shu Kingdom. Li Zhouwei glanced at them and said:
"Get up."
With just three words, the mountain of pressure was lifted from Qiu Shenshi's body. Overjoyed, the master led everyone in bowing and said:
"Your Majesty, there was another cultivator, Chi Xuan, but he was struck down from his divine form and lost his life due to the power of martial arts cultivation..."
This is not a big deal. There are not many Xuan masters in Shu, and Qingji often causes trouble. In all these years, only one more has been added. Li Zhouwei nodded and led his people down into the air, returning to the ruins. Only then did they see an old man kneeling in front of the Azalea Bridge. They didn't know how long he had been waiting.
Upon seeing Li Zhouwei come down, the old man coughed twice, his face glistening with sweat, and reported:
"This humble subject pays respects to...Your Majesty!"
This person is none other than the old master of the Shangguan clan, the Tanfan master, Shangguan You!
This old master used to live in Shu. He only heard the sound of the Qilin but never saw its shadow. Just like all the masters in Shu, when the clouds of Tanshan Mountain soared into the sky, they thought the Qilin was just a disease in the skin.
This old man was quite peculiar. When the capital was in chaos and the Shu emperor had fallen, he neither curried favor with the powerful and immediately joined Mingyang's forces, nor did he pledge allegiance to the death. Instead, he took orders and went out to pacify the people, seal up the Xuan Treasury, and guard the ancestral temples...
Now that the so-called Xuan Treasury has been completely burned to ashes by the black flames, and all the various seals have also been incinerated, he can only hold the token of the Shudu Grand Array in both hands, raise it above his head and offer it, saying:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty beyond redemption. I am old and frail. My only recourse is to bring peace to the people, seal off the palace, and arrest the usurper, so that Your Majesty may use me. I beg you to execute me alone and spare the Shangguan family to serve the Ming Dynasty!"
Li Zhouwei took the jade token with one hand and stroked it. The entire Shudu city was instantly under his control—only the core array platform was destroyed by his black flames, and the array was slightly dimmed.
This isn't difficult to repair, after all, the array plate is still there. King Wei put the token away, his voice finally showing a hint of amusement, and said:
"If I kill you, Shangguan Mi will be spitting blood! You have rendered meritorious service to the peace, so there is no need for such formalities."
Only then did he look behind Shangguan You.
Behind him knelt a woman, holding an infant who looked to be one or two years old in her arms, trembling. To his left knelt a group of servants and confidants, surrounded by many guards.
Qiu Wanyi immediately stepped forward, slightly turned to the side, and introduced:
"Your Majesty, the usurper Qing clan once had a son named Qing, born to a palace concubine. He was enfeoffed as the Prince of Xin and resided outside the palace; this is the usurper..."
Qingting was held hostage by Changhuai. This child was most likely not the one the Qing family wanted. It was only after much maneuvering that the child was placed outside the palace. However, just a year later, Western Shu was destroyed by Li Zhouwei.
After Qiu Wanyi finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the surroundings. The white Qilin beside him stepped forward, stood in front of the woman, raised his hand, and glanced at the infant in the swaddling clothes.
The child had delicate skin and bright, lively eyes. Surprisingly, he wasn't afraid of him at all and stared straight at him.
The King of Wei raised an eyebrow and casually said:
How is the North?
Shangguan You quickly turned around, changed the direction of his bow, and whispered:
"The passes were pacified by proclamations... However... the capital city was the battleground. The three counties of Taoshui were contested by the Northern Zhao and Xiangxiong. Tong Zhenren, who was stationed at Taoshui, received orders to return south, but was besieged and unable to leave. He held out for a long time and finally surrendered to the Northern Zhao."
Li Zhouwei asked:
"Jiangtou Shou?"
"Yes…"
The King of Wei sneered and said:
"He's quite clever!"
When discussing the three prefectures along the Tao River, one cannot help but mention Qing Jifang. This great general's achievements in his years of northern expeditions were limited to this area, not even reaching the Tao River itself, yet he insisted on naming it the "Three Prefectures along the Tao River"...
In Li Zhouwei's view, this is not much of a loss.
'Now that Shu has been conquered, the great masters of Shu have been almost wiped out, and many mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators have also perished, leaving the land almost empty. I cannot stay here for long; ultimately, these local masters will have to guard it…'
Now that he has broken free from his true qi, he would never again hand over the Shu region to the Song people.
This is also the reason for Li Zhouwei's change of attitude towards the cultivators in Shu. Facing the powerful and ambiguous Xiangxiong, he must strengthen Shu to avoid being held back by his rear while he is galloping across the Central Plains.
The counties along the Tao River are located outside the pass. He currently has neither the intention to leave Shu nor the interest to compete with them for the Tao River. This place is isolated and will only be besieged by Xiangxiong and Northern Zhao. It would be better to let it go and let the two countries have a border to fight over.
'Jiang Toushou is indeed afraid of me. With such a golden opportunity, he dares not seize the passes of Shu, only daring to steal my tasteless chicken rib… It seems I have truly terrified him…'
Li Zhouwei ignored him, his only regret being that the mid-stage Purple Mansion True Man, Tong Zhenren, was also a formidable warrior with outstanding combat skills. If it weren't for the fact that he was too far away to reach him, he would never have given him to the Northern Zhao.
'We just can't afford to be careless.'
The entire northern pass remained deserted, which was unsettling. Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and gave the order:
"Master Qiu!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Qiu Shenshi bowed deeply with a thud. Li Zhouwei said:
"You shall lead the two True Men, Wang and Tong, north to Nanzheng to guard against Bei Zhao."
Qiu Shenshi was overjoyed, knowing his life was no longer in danger. He immediately accepted the order and hurriedly went out. Li Zhouwei sent him away first, then looked at Qiu Wanyi and Shangguan You. Unexpectedly, Qiu Wanyi took a step forward and presented a bottle with both hands:
"We have something to offer to Your Majesty!"
Shangguan You glanced at it secretly. The bottle was only about the height of a palm, with a slightly larger belly. It was just an ordinary Purple Mansion Spiritual Artifact. He wondered what was inside. However, the white Qilin in front of him did not reach out to take it. Instead, it looked down at him and raised an eyebrow, saying:
"Tian Su".
Although the two words were plain, they were like a thunderclap in the ruins, causing the two men to freeze in shock. Qiu Wanyi felt a chill run through him, as if he had fallen into an abyss.
Yes, the bottle contains Qiu E!
Qiu E was originally under the protection of the various cultivators, but later Ping Yan intervened and ended up under her nose. As a result, this great master never returned and fell back into the hands of the other cultivators.
On Wuchuan, fearing retaliation from Changhuai, they acted in his name and casually put him into Qiu Wanyi's magical artifact before leaving. The two Qiu family masters downplayed the matter, saying he was the emperor's confidant. In reality, they were taking advantage of the fact that the cultivators were unaware of Tian Su's affairs to protect him and try to gain an advantage in the ensuing chaos.
However, in his fury, Qingji Fang exposed his mistake, informing Guan Shang that he had been informed!
Now, the King of Wei's cold words have exposed all his little schemes, leaving him feeling utterly chilled.
'Fortunately...fortunately, that idiot Qingji Fang ruined my family's plan, otherwise we would have secretly hidden Tian Su...'
'He knows everything…nothing so confidential escapes his notice…how can we win? How can Qingji possibly defeat him!'
Qiu Wanyi was unaware of what the white qilin before him knew. At this moment, he dared not conceal anything, nor dared to gamble. Without a moment's hesitation, he bowed and said:
"Your Majesty! Tian Su is currently in our clan, surnamed Qiu and named E. He is from a distant branch of the family. However, he has always served the Emperor and is not of one mind with us. At this moment... he is in our hands... We did not want others to know, so we secretly handed him over to Your Majesty..."
Li Zhouwei glanced at him indifferently, nodded with interest, and with a flick of his finger, took Qiu E out of the bottle. He didn't give him a chance to speak at all, and with a flick of his sleeve, he put him back into the dark.
The Heavenly Essence, if it falls into someone else's hands, would certainly be a great threat, but if it were captured and put into one's own hands, it would be nothing more than an ant. The white Qilin rolled up its sleeves and thought to itself:
'That's quite a rare find; I'll take it back for Suining to enjoy.'
He then turned around and asked:
"True Qi has the power to suspend the void; are there any secret realms in Shu?"
Qiu Wan and Shangguan You exchanged a glance and spoke, but it was the old master who spoke first, respectfully saying:
"Your Excellency, of course there is... In the past, there were four sects in Shu, which were later annexed by the usurper and divided among four immortal mountains. Qing... Qing Zhuo gathered all the sects and spiritual resources and built a cave, which is located in Tuyang and named [Fengzhen Cave]!"
The white Qilin nodded and said:
"lead the way."
……
The rain poured down.
With the three passes destroyed and the four borders deserted, behind these formidable barriers stands the precipitous Spirit Mountain, from which waterfalls cascade down and spiritual arrays gleam.
Inside the magnificent hall, boxes upon boxes of spiritual objects were laid out. An old man in red stood with his hands behind his back, his expression peculiar. His gaze did not linger on the glittering spiritual objects, but instead fixed on the west.
After only half an incense stick's time, he said:
Where has Master Zhaojing gone?
The real person beside him whispered:
"We've already received Yu Fu; he'll be there immediately. Ancestor, there's no need to rush..."
Seeing Shen Sou's appearance, Shan Yin shook his head repeatedly and said:
"How can we not be anxious? Chengdu has been pacified, but we are on the frontier, with no one before you. Wouldn't that ruin everything!"
The old man knew perfectly well that every word was crucial in this redistribution of power. Even though he was one of the few Great Masters in Shu, he would likely suffer if he couldn't keep up with the King of Wei for long!
Furthermore, the Lesser Yang Calamity has not yet been dispelled. The Lesser Yang Fire within his body is raging, having been suppressed for a long time, and is now intensifying. He only wants to pay his respects to this King Wei as soon as possible, so that things can settle down and he can return to seclusion to heal his injuries.
Shen Sou was about to say more when he suddenly paused. The two men's expressions immediately changed. The old master stepped forward to greet them at the front of the hall, showing no airs whatsoever, and said happily:
"Master Zhaojing!"
Just then, the golden-robed immortal arrived, bathed in light, with a young master standing beside him with a smile. It was none other than Li Ximing and Tian Huo!
Li Ximing was beaming with joy. Qingji had abandoned the pass and fled. Such a magnificent pass had ultimately surrendered at the mere sight of it. Jin Yi, of course, would not take anything from it. He sent people over one by one, and naturally, everything ended up in his own pocket!
Even the large-scale formations in the local area seized a large amount of basic spiritual resources that the Li family currently lacks. After careful calculation, it was more than enough for the affairs of the cave heaven, and there was even a large surplus to subsidize the expenses on the lake.
This troublesome matter was finally resolved, and his own White Qilin had once again conquered this country, displaying its might. The people of Jin Yi changed color and treated him with utmost respect. How could Li Ximing not be pleased?
Seeing Shan Yin greet him with a warm smile, he chuckled to himself:
'If it weren't for my Qilin, would these people even give me a second glance? Such is the fickleness of human nature!'
He replied warmly and eagerly, and Shan Yin smiled:
"All the resources of this mountain are here. We've also gathered the rest from below and sealed them all away, awaiting your use, sir!"
Li Ximing, of course, understood his meaning and smiled:
“The life of a rogue cultivator is also difficult. Now that the Shu region is in turmoil, it is not appropriate to impose heavy taxes and levies.”
Dan Yin suddenly understood, hesitated for a moment, and then Shen Sou immediately turned and left, clearly to follow up on the orders below. Only then did Dan Yin step forward and say quite sincerely:
"The lands of Shu and the east all belong to the King of Wei. However, firstly, the north is eyeing us covetously, Nanzheng is vulnerable, and Ranwu is lacking in manpower. I urge Zhaojing to prioritize the safety of Shu... Secondly... Now that the King of Wei has pacified Shu and eliminated the false regime, I fear there may still be remnants. There should be someone to serve him..."
He bowed deeply and said:
"I beg this old minister to escort the cultivators westward and guard the passes, so as not to harm the overall situation!"
Li Ximing, however, was preoccupied with the same thought: the Xiangxiong invasion of the east would lead to widespread devastation and ruin in several prefectures. He nodded repeatedly, while Tian Huo watched with a smile and said:
“All of you may leave now. I, Jin Yi, will take care of the passes. However… I still have a few private words to discuss with Master Zhaojing.”
Dan Yin wisely retreated to wait, while Tian Huo simply said:
"There is a small matter I need to trouble you with, fellow Daoist. Do you remember Que Wan? She promised me something."
Li Ximing was puzzled as to why he suddenly brought up Li Quewan, and his guard instantly went up. He asked with a puzzled expression:
"I don't know..."
Tianhuo smiled and shook his head:
"It's about Fellow Daoist Liu!"
He said:
"I mentioned this to Que Wan before. Now that my father has finally emerged from the cave, I should also do my filial duty. I would like to ask him to take a look at the auspicious signs of Bao Suo and ask the immortal to write a letter to him, so that he can come to the desert and not miss the appointed time."
Li Ximing then remembered this matter. He had discussed it with Liu Changdie years ago, and it was indeed as the other party said. It was merely fulfilling an old agreement, and in reality, it was a reward for the "Tianqi Man" cultivation technique. However, he still hesitated for a moment:
'If that's the case, it must have been planned for a long time... and now it's finally being used. I wonder what kind of scheme it is.'
So he tentatively asked:
"Master Liu... is a good friend of my uncle, and we have a history of kindness towards him..."
Tian Huo shook his head and laughed:
“Our two families have been friends for many years. When King Wei pacified Shu, my family personally went to suppress the rebellion. How could he not trust us? This matter will not do him any harm!”
Li Ximing knew, of course, that the conquest of Shu was achieved with Jin Yi's help; he himself had personally delivered the scroll. Since the other party seemed so confident and assured him there was no harm in it, he nodded, picked up a brush, used his supernatural powers to write a few lines, and then took out a jade talisman, handing them both to Jin Yi, saying:
"He has already sensed it. Please send someone with the token to pick him up in the desert."
Tian Huo smiled with delight and said:
"Thank you for your help!"
He took his leave, and Li Ximing saw him off all the way. Seeing Shan Yin's burning gaze, he called Qiao Wenliu over and entrusted him with something:
"I beg Master Qiao to lead my people across the river and secure several passes..."
How could Qiao Wenliu refuse? He was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. Li Ximing, mindful of Qiao Wenliu's greedy nature, couldn't help but say:
"The powerful families and impoverished cultivators of Shu should not be taken advantage of... Now that the Martial Star is damaged, it is difficult to promote martial arts. With the upper and lower classes in disarray, they will inevitably be forced to drink blood offerings, which will cause great casualties!"
Qiao Wenliu chuckled and said:
“Zhao Jing underestimates me. Since it is not something from the Purple Mansion, how could I possibly take it? I can only restrain the cultivators.”
Li Ximing still refused to believe him, saying:
"Take a few more portions of Purple Mansion Spiritual Resources in secret, but don't touch them."
So he left the injured Wu Miao to supervise him, then took his leave and headed west with Sima Yuanli, Cui Jueyin and the others, heading straight for Chengdu.
Before long, the rain of jade stones appeared before their eyes. That old fox, Shan Yin, always cunning, was immediately delighted, thinking to himself:
'That Wu Chong is ignorant of fate; he's stubbornly resisting! Now that no one is hindering us, pacifying Shu is none other than my responsibility!'
The group landed in Chengdu. The legendary raging flames had vanished without a trace. Bloodstains covered the Azalea Bridge, and atop the ruins stood a palace.
This magnificent and imposing palace, in gold and black, extends from the foundation and almost blends into this ruined palace, making it even more grand. Rolling clouds gather, and a massive heavenly gate stands behind the palace, like a place of immortals.
Li Ximing recognized that this palace was the manifestation of "Emperor Guanyuan." Seeing that he wielded his supernatural powers with effortless ease, reaching a point where he could do as he pleased, he couldn't help but secretly admire him.
'I really benefited greatly!'
The group entered the palace and climbed the high platform. They saw many people kneeling or standing on both sides, none of whom dared to enter the main hall. Shangguan Mi had been waiting for a long time, so he quickly went forward, found the old man inside, and the two embraced and wept, not knowing what to say.
'A complete transformation...'
Li Ximing didn't ask them any more questions. He entered through the side hall and saw a man in black sitting on the throne in the center, casually reading a scroll of scripture.
Seeing Li Ximing enter, he looked up, stood up, and smiled:
"Uncle is here!"
Li Ximing quickly stepped forward, grasped his hand, and tried to speak several times, but the words all stuck in his chest. After a long while, he finally said:
"At least I can vent my anger now!"
Li Zhouwei shook his head, not saying anything more. Li Ximing, unable to suppress his joy, asked softly:
"How powerful are you now?"
Li Zhouwei casually remarked:
"With the Emperor's View of the Origin fully realized, the cultivators in this realm who can suppress me are merely those Great True Persons whose supernatural powers have reached perfection."
Even though he had expected it, upon hearing him admit it himself, Li Ximing couldn't help but let out a deep breath, moved his lips, and said:
"Your voice shook the heavens and earth, and I knew that no one would dare to bully my family now."
Li Zhouwei chuckled and shook his head, saying softly:
"Not urgent."
He raised his hand and handed over the scroll. Li Ximing took it casually, unfolded it, and saw that it was a purple scroll with gold characters, and the first few large characters were:
【The Twelve Difficulties to Avoid in the Mysterious Book】.
This is a book that teaches cultivators how to resolve calamities. The author is an ancient cultivator named Zhong Qiuqing, who claims to be a cultivator of the Donghua Dao.
Li Ximing glanced at it a few times and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement:
"It's actually the Three Profound True Dharma!"
Li Zhouwei nodded, clearly somewhat surprised, and said:
"It came from the Fengzhen Cave. It contains the lineages of the four sects of Shu back then. The other things are nothing special, but this one is somewhat interesting. It should be that one of the sects was originally under the Qingxuan Sect, or obtained the lineage of Donghua... I didn't expect that Western Shu would be destroyed so suddenly. These things were left in the secret realm because I didn't have time to take them with me."
With Li Zhouwei's current level of cultivation, there are not many classic texts he can hold in his hands and read carefully. Li Ximing copied one, then seemed to suddenly remember something and smiled:
"How do you compare to that Long Kangyao now?"
Li Zhouwei glanced at him with some surprise, and said quite definitively:
"Now... he is no match for me, and if it were a life-or-death battle, there would be no chance of escape."
He held up two fingers to his lips, blew gently, and black flames burst forth. He turned and said:
"Uncle, please take a look."
Then the black flame landed and actually transformed into a shape, condensing into a black Qilin as tall as a person. Its scales were bright, its eyes were dazzling, its white horns were elegant, and its movements were domineering, causing Li Ximing to stop in his tracks for a moment.
As the beast's eyes fixed on him, he vaguely sensed a danger. Having cultivated for so many years, how could he not recognize this familiar feeling? A look of shock appeared in his eyes:
"An external body?"
Li Zhouwei slowly shook his head and said:
"This thing is the [Black Soul Qilin], born from the interaction of my life force with the [Black Soul Demon Body]. It possesses supernatural powers, as easily as an arm or finger, its body is forged from black iron, it breathes profound qi, and controls the bright sun..."
He considered it carefully and said:
"This thing is not at its peak now, yet it is already able to suppress ordinary second-level supernatural powers. I'm afraid even if Senior Wushao came, he wouldn't be a match for it..."
Li Ximing looked up in shock and said:
"Like a supernatural power? Wouldn't that be adding another supernatural power to the mix?"
Li Zhouwei's eyes showed a thoughtful expression as he said:
“Uncle, the [Upo Demon Body]... is not simple.”
This [Black Soul Demon Body] was originally called [Jiazi Soul Refining Halberd Weapon Technique], which Li Xuanfeng obtained from the East Sea. When he first acquired it, he only knew it as a transformation of a halberd weapon and a method of killing with black flames...
However, as this technique gradually took shape, the resulting physical form slowly deviated from the scope described in the original technique. When Li Zhouwei fought against Tuoba Ci, he knew that this technique must have a significant origin...
Until today, when the second transformation of the Black Soul Qilin manifested, he knew that the mystery of this technique probably far surpassed the techniques he possessed, and it was very likely the most core Daoist scripture of someone else's lineage!
Li Zhouwei raised his hand, and the Qilin before him slowly lowered its head, revealing its elegant and magnificent horns, allowing him to stroke them. The King of Wei whispered:
"Not only can it be condensed into a physical form, but its effect when applied to the body is far more powerful than that of the Qilin, which is comparable to a second-level supernatural power... More importantly... this technique is somewhat beyond the scope of ordinary spells..."
It is important to know that all kinds of spells have their own functions and effects, which is why spells are distinguished from supernatural powers. In Li Zhouwei's current view, the change of [Upo Demon Body] is a qualitative change that transcends the scope.
He had only experienced this feeling with another technique:
The laws of the Wei Emperor: [Heavenly deities will punish and kill those who perish!]