Chapter 687 500: Chen and Li

Li Yuexiang, upon hearing her older brother's words, showed no delight. She had much more on her mind and said softly,

"I'm not wronged, I just fear that if we offend them too harshly, it might lead to trouble,"

Li Xijun shook his head lightly and replied,

"There's no longer any question of offending or not offending. All the families are merely looking for their own advantage, and the Yuan Family has lost its moral ground."

Li Yuexiang nodded her head, and Li Xijun unfolded a small letter he held, reading it again and speaking softly,

"You should go and make preparations. Brother is coming back soon to take you to Qing Song Island... His Cave Mansion still has a vacant place, and cultivating there would be greatly beneficial."

Only then did Li Yuexiang show a trace of joy as she nodded gently. Li Xijun did not wish to say more and had the others leave. After hearing the report from the people below, a smile appeared on his face. He left the hall and quickly made his way to the Pill Pavilion.

Dressed in a Taoist robe befitting an alchemist, Li Ximing sat comfortably within the Central Hall, his garments crisp and slightly whitened, having just made a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage—it was his moment of triumph.

Li Xijun, well aware of his feelings, kept up the facade of calm composure, though his heart was already blooming with joy. He stepped forward briskly, feigning surprise and asked,

"Brother Ming, so soon? Was it smooth?"

Li Ximing nodded cheerfully, cinching up his sleeves as he replied,

"After all, with the help of elixirs, the breakthrough was a breeze. I first recuperated for a while to stabilize my cultivation before I emerged from seclusion."

His spirits high, Li Ximing was just about to speak in more detail when he suddenly glanced around, shock and joy mixed in his voice as he exclaimed,

"You've established your foundation!"

A faint smile appeared on Li Xijun's face as he nodded lightly. Li Ximing quickly stood up from the ground, clapped him on the shoulder, and laughed,

"What a strong aura of the 'Pine Snow' mana!"

Li Xijun nodded once more, waiting for him to calm down before saying,

"There's something I need to discuss with you."

Li Ximing, upon hearing the words of Li Xuanfeng, furrowed his brows deeply, shook his head silently, and pondered,

"I don't see it that way. My cultivation in the 'Mingyang' technique is progressing rapidly, already surpassing the direct lineage of the Immortal Sect. How could it not suit me... Maybe our ancestor's vision has been set too high by his experiences at the Southern Border..."

He suddenly clenched his fist, realizing something belatedly he said,

"If we go by what the ancestor said, had I followed the family arrangements from the beginning, my cultivation might not have lagged that much..."

He was calculating to himself when Li Xijun caught a glimpse of an orchid in a pot on the desk. Despite several years in seclusion, it was still flourishing, evidently cared for specially.

His eyes moved, and he quickly turned his head to look toward the Pill Furnace on the other side, where the flame flickered brightly and dimly. Amidst the tempest outside, Li Ximing did not understand why Li Xijun's expression changed and was somewhat puzzled.

Li Xijun paused for a moment, then suddenly asked,

"Have you taken to orchids in recent years, Brother Ming?"

Li Ximing looked slightly embarrassed and replied hastily,

"It's just a hobby, nothing to do with 'Burning Clouds'!"

No sooner had he spoken than he realized his words had come out a bit too hastily, but then he saw Li Xijun frown, looking towards the storm outside, and murmured,

"It's a Heavenly Phenomenon!"

Li Ximing was still trying to organize his thoughts when these words stopped him short. Li Xijun vanished in an instant, and Li Ximing, riding on a beam of golden light, went out to stand beside him on the Qingdu, looking at the distant golden light to the south.

Their Immortal Foundations gently fluctuated, hazily discerning a colorful light rising from afar. Li Ximing said enviously,

"I'm afraid someone has broken through to Zifu!"

The dazzling colors rapidly spread, transforming into myriad cloud shapes of animals and birds in the sky, lifelike. At the center of the ocean of clouds was a white elephant formed by congregating clouds, trumpeting long and deep, casting beams of golden light.

This golden light, like waves, surged towards them. The grass and trees in the mountains swayed gently, and falling leaves rained down like gold, covering the mountains in a golden hue. Li Xijun closed his eyes slowly, carefully feeling the ascendant Spirit Mechanism in the world.

Li Ximing paused too, realizing what was happening. The brothers each closed their eyes and deeply sensed the phenomenon. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they looked at each other. Li Ximing sighed,

"The 'Mingting Middle Qi'... has fully dissipated!"

"Rare for it to have lasted so long."

Li Xijun peered in the direction where the clouds were gathering, guessing it was the Hengzhu Toaism, and whispered,

"Hengzhu Toaism has gained another Zifu!"

Together the brothers flew back to the mountain. Li Ximing then said,

"I clearly remember that Hengzhu Toaism has always had a good relationship with Xiuyue. But such breakthroughs are not something that can be controlled at will. The Heavenly Phenomenon proclaims it to all. This must be the last breath of the world's Spirit Mechanism being overpowered."

Although the Li Family had gradually gained some resources now, they had almost no means to explore 'Mingting Middle Qi' or 'Water Descends, Thunder Ascends'—phenomena related to the Zifu and the Spiritual Aura of the world. For the time being, they could only watch helplessly, uncertain of the changes taking place in the world's Spirit Mechanism.

"After all, we don't have the necessary spells. If we hadn't known there would be changes and paid careful attention, we might not have even noticed these subtle shifts..."

Li Xijun sighed. Beside him, Li Ximing asked,

"Why don't we ask Aunt to come back and use some Thunder Dharma? It seems like it might reveal some information."

"I think it's not that simple."

Li Xijun had discussed this carefully with Li Qinghong. It seemed that they were able to glimpse something because 'Water Descends, Thunder Ascends' related to Thunder Dharma. Now it would probably be difficult. He simply replied,

"I think it's best to just write a letter and ask Brother for his views."

...

Chen Mufeng returned from the Central Hall and headed back to his residence. He did not expect to find his wife from the Li Clan sitting in the courtyard, with two elders settled at the head of the place.

One of them wore a brown robe, the sight of his sleeveless broken arm a bit jarring in the open air, his hair and beard scraggly, his eyes sunken, exuding an air of being on the brink of life's end.