Chapter 607 455: Five Lords Observe the Dice Cup (Part 2)

Li Yuanjiao rode the wind back and deliberated with Li Qinghong for a while. Seeing that there were only a few days left, he scoured the marketplace, and unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

This middle-aged man looked ordinary, garbed in antiquated clothing. Following behind him was a burly man, tall and powerfully built. His eyes were sharp; the moment he saw them he strode forward eagerly:

"Han Shizhen of the East Sulphur Han Family, greets you, Taoist Fellow!"

This was none other than the young master of the Han Family of East Sulphur Island, who had previously visited the Li Family to purchase Wanling Flower. Li Yuanjiao, each time he went out to sea, would make a special trip to East Sulphur Island to check whether this man's sales had taken away their share.

Han Shizhen had long been called out on this by him. Over these years he'd acted fairly enough, so when they met, their courtesy was genuine. Han Shizhen glanced over at Li Qinghong nearby, nodded, and smiled:

"This must be your younger sister?"

He uttered a few words of flattery, merely exchanging pleasantries, then spoke directly:

"Taoist Fellow, have you heard of the affair at Qing Song Cave Heaven?"

"Naturally, I'm aware."

Han Shizhen's smile widened as he then conferred softly:

"Our East Sulphur Island has joined with several other families, planning to settle together ten li off Qing Song Island, drawing in spiritual energy, forging a defense together. At the end, we'll divide the spiritual energy amongst ourselves. Would your clan be interested…"

As for matters outside Qing Song Temple, Li Yuanjiao intended to entrust them to Li Qinghong, hoping to acquire a few treasures; and if they failed, so be it. He'd contemplated forming an alliance with the Xiao Family, but perhaps out of fear that what was inside might spill to the outside, the Xiao Family had sent no one.

Thereafter he discussed certain details with Han Shizhen; as Li Qinghong's combat prowess now was considerable, combining with the Han Family, who knew the terrain well, would be mutually reinforcing.

They agreed on a date; Han Shizhen excused himself and left. Softly, Li Yuanjiao told his sister:

"Do not attract too much attention. Take one or two spiritual objects and leave. No one can predict what might happen; afterward, best to return to the clan to lie low awhile."

Li Qinghong nodded in silence. Li Yuanjiao said no more, again rode the wind to find Li Xuanfeng, and after settling the date, they all headed to Qing Song Island.

...

Qing Song Island sat near Red Reef Island. Thanks to Li Xuanfeng, they still had that Evergreen Flowing Cloud Ship with them. Li Xuanfeng tossed it into the air, and it expanded immediately; emerald light surged as it transformed into a great vessel over ten zhang long.

Zhong Qian, Li Yuanjiao, and the third companion boarded, filled with curiosity. The ship sped like the wind and soon reached Qing Song Island. It was close to Red Reef Island, and Zhong Qian's two friends were already waiting there.

Leading them was a woman in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. She wore purple robes swirling with violet mist, her features lovely, a long purple jade sword strapped to her back. She bestowed Zhong Qian a smile and clasped hands to Li Xuanfeng:

"I am Kan Ziyu of Ziyan Sect, greetings, Taoist Fellow."

The other was dressed in black robes, with short, thin brows and a distinctly wild air; his gaze was fierce. Jade stones and beast bones hung from all over his body. Nevertheless, he greeted Li Xuanfeng politely and replied:

"Great Owl Sunflower View, Lin Chensheng."

Zhong Qian smiled and said:

"These two senior fellows befriended me during my travels. This is Senior Li Xuanfeng — surely you have heard his name."

'To establish such ties with three Immortal Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators while only at the Qi Cultivation Level… truly incredible.'

The three knew this well. Li Xuanfeng stowed away the Jade Ship, announced his name. Kan Ziyu smiled softly:

"I have already opened a Cave Mansion here. We intend to activate the formation when this Cave Heaven draws closest to the mortal world. There are still ten days left. Why don't you come rest in my place, where we may discuss things in greater detail?"

Li Xuanfeng nodded, and transmitted a message to Li Yuanjiao:

'Go scout out the situation first, then come find me.'

After all, it was not yet certain if the Immortal Mirror could be used to enter. If not, only Li Xuanfeng, sword in hand, could go in. Li Yuanjiao nodded quietly, watching the group depart.

Li Qinghong went to look for the Han Family, while Li Yuanjiao rode the wind alone, heading onto the island.

Cultivators thronged here, darting through the skies, pausing now and then to observe. Clearly, news of Qing Song Temple had slowly spread, drawing numerous clan cultivators and loose cultivators alike to investigate.

Qing Song Immortal Island was average in size, with low mountains, and the island was covered in pine trees. Many figures rose and fell across its slopes, and some, in their scramble for prime locations, even broke out in fierce fights.

As the Qing Song Cave Heaven drew ever closer, the spirit mechanism on the island grew increasingly dense. Many spirit plants spontaneously bloomed and bore fruit, ore veins surfaced, and the fire vein erupted incessantly.

Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes, used his spiritual sense to probe the area, sweeping the sky before him.

The scene was calm: sea a blue-black, a sizable island rising amidst the vast ocean, pines blanketing the land, sky azure and clear, tranquil and harmonious.

He paused among the cultivators, scanning the area twice, finding nothing peculiar.

The island seemed utterly ordinary — no sign of strangeness. Under the Immortal Mirror's gaze, it did not differ much from what the naked eye perceived. Li Yuanjiao felt a touch of surprise:

'It seems… truly nothing stands out. Now that's troublesome.'

...

While Li Yuanjiao investigated, Lu Jiangxian was already gathering his divine sense, motionless as stone.

In Lu Jiangxian's view, the seemingly serene island swept by pine breezes had utterly transformed.

The previously empty sky was now densely crowded with human figures; rays of dharma light of every hue flowed throughout the heavens, dividing the sky into five great sections.

In the five directions, a figure in each direction sat cross-legged, their forms reaching to heaven and earth, blotting out sun and sky, towering amidst the clouds. Behind them, layer after layer of prismatic light encircled their backs, and countless golden seal script characters rained from their bodies. Countless human figures, ant-like, clung to them, each with a different expression.

Ahead, ten orbs the size of suns hung in the sky. White outside and black at their core, they were, astonishingly, ten enormous eyes. Each pupil was either vertical, square, or shaped with six prongs, all glaring straight at the little island in the center.

'Eyes…'

The "suns" he had seen before were, in truth, the eyes of these five figures. Their faces were clearly veiled by endless layers of cloud, yet their eyes, as glaring as suns, floated before his mind — both impossibly distant and unbearably close.

Their heads pierced the sky, bodies vanishing into the infinite upper mists, so huge they pressed against the Heavenly Canopy itself — forced to bend forward like children peering at ants, their heads all but touching.

They sat on the ocean bed, forms vast beyond measure, vanishing deep beneath the ocean, now staring pensively, now with palms pressed, now propping their faces with their hands — shrouding the whole sky above.

The five figures sat in a tight circle, the Qing Song Temple between them like a covered dice cup ready to be revealed; each had wagered a guess, and together they waited in silent anticipation.

And above the island, a single arc slowly began to manifest, images of earth, water, wind, and fire swirling in alternation — surely, this was the Cave Heaven itself. In the eyes of the five Perfected Lords, it resembled a precious cake awaiting their pleasure.

Lu Jiangxian stared fixedly, not daring to turn his head. The four colossal figures surrounded him, their shoulders, knees, even fingertips crowded with rows of cultivators, each gripping magic artifacts, frozen in every manner of pose, staring intently at him as if carved from stone.

The last, fifth gigantic figure sat directly behind Li Yuanjiao, one hand vertical at the junction of philtrum and gold-white lips, the other flat against the chest, palm up, supporting what looked like an island.

The two of them sat squarely in its palm, the lines of the hand like rivers, skin gold and white — as if they themselves were some peerless treasure.

Its robe was like gold and white mist draped over all creation, or a waterfall plunging into endless clouds. Focusing intently, Lu Jiangxian glimpsed a face whose features were indistinct.

The Perfected Lord wore a jade crown like a mountain, and in the silver-white oval pupils of his eyes played myriad visions: gold refined in flame, metal clashing, sand ascending — one after another, they flashed past.

What made Lu Jiangxian's chest seize with terror — the Perfected Lord was staring coldly at Li Yuanjiao in his palm.

Lu Jiangxian seemed to hear a chill voice, drifting out from the Great Void itself, falling like a handful of shattered gold and iron, arising from the emptiness and manifesting before the mirror-realm of his own soul:

"Ying Ze, old friend… so I have at last awaited you."