12dz Chapter 90: Li Wu Emerges from Seclusion
Chapter 90: Li Wu Emerges from Seclusion
Qi Chengheng turned around and looked at his younger sister:
"I have never taken a single pill, not because I am so noble, but because I am afraid. I am afraid that one day I will become like my grandfather and say with a clear conscience that it was all for cultivation."
Qi Qinyao's eyes reddened.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything.
"Therefore, I must take this path."
Qi Chengheng walked back, reached out and ruffled his younger sister's hair, speaking softly as he had when they were little:
"It's not for anyone else, it's for myself, so that future generations of the Qi family can recognize who they are when they look in the mirror."
Qi Qinyao finally couldn't hold back her tears.
"Heng-ge, what if... what if you lose?"
"If you lose, you lose."
Qi Chengheng smiled slightly, a smile that contained both relief and resolve:
"It's better than spending your whole life as a cannibalistic monk."
…………
Qi Shaoning returned to Xunlu Peak from Sanqing Mountain.
He gazed at the jade slip in his hand, pondering:
"Now that I have obtained 'Mountain Pine Reciting the Chill,' the next step is to find someone to practice it with."
He wanted to cultivate this technique, and so did others, but he cultivated it to develop supernatural powers.
Others cultivate so that they can become the resources for him to refine his supernatural powers.
"What a pity... It's rare to find another person with such exceptional talent as Ning Miao."
"If we were to find ordinary rogue cultivators, the cultivation speed would be far too slow..."
Qi Shaoning closed his eyes and pondered. Now that the situation had changed drastically, the Dragon Clan and Yulin Mountain had gathered the inheritances of [Thunder], [She Thunder], and [Divine Thunder]. It seemed that it was only a matter of time before the Jade Pivot Palace reappeared in the world.
The Qin state has also replenished the long-lost "Longevity Qi," and now the three Qi of Fortune, Longevity, and Prosperity are gathered together.
The four sects are now in turmoil, and it seems that Buddhist monks are also plotting something.
Only the witchcraft was still suppressed by Yulin Mountain and the Dragon faction, and no major moves were made.
"Time waits for no one. I must gather all five methods as soon as possible to achieve perfection." Qi Shaoning's eyes narrowed.
In such turmoil, only by perfecting the Five Dharmas, or even seeking the Golden Elixir, can one protect one's family and remain uninvolved.
"In that case, we'll have no choice but to let the people in our clan cultivate this 'Mountain Pine Reciting the Chill'," Qi Shaoning thought, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
With this in mind, he immediately cast a spell to pass on the practice of "Mountain Pine Reciting the Cold Intent" to the clan's disciples.
Soon, the entire Qi family learned that their ancestor had found a new cultivation method called "Mountain Pine Reciting the Cold Intent," and that all the talented disciples in the clan who had not yet established their foundation should learn it.
No one dared to ask why.
In the Qi family, the words of the ancestor are the law, the will of Heaven.
Qi Chengheng naturally learned of this news as well.
"The Mountain Pine Recites the Chill"... This lays the foundation for immortality [Reciting the Chill], the fourth supernatural power...
"They're going to eat their own people!"
Qi Chengheng felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected his grandfather to have reached this point.
For the sake of the fourth divine power and for the sake of cultivation, he was actually willing to eat his own people.
Even though Qi Chengheng knew the truth, he was powerless to do anything about it and could only go into seclusion to cultivate and break through to the Purple Mansion Realm as soon as possible.
…………
The Dragon Palace of the East Sea.
Thunder Pool.
Li Wu borrowed the thunder and thunder-attribute spiritual objects from the Thunder Pool, and in less than three years, he broke through from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to the late-Foundation Establishment stage.
He slowly opened his eyes, his spiritual sense peering inward. Thunderclouds gathered in his dantian, with silvery-white lightning flashing intermittently within.
"Late stage of Foundation Establishment... Next step is Foundation Establishment Perfection..."
There is no barrier between the late stage of Foundation Establishment and the completion of Foundation Establishment. As long as you break through the late stage of Foundation Establishment and accumulate for a period of time, you will naturally reach the completion of Foundation Establishment.
With this in mind, Li Wu was not in a hurry to continue cultivating in the Thunder Pool, so he left the Thunder Pool with a thought.
First, he went to pay his respects to his senior brother, Tianxuan.
…………
Inside the hall.
Tianxuan already knew that Li Wu was coming.
Li Wutong walked into the hall without hindrance and bowed, saying:
"Senior brother."
Tianxuan nodded slightly and smiled:
"That's right. You've already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment. After another two or three years of cultivation, you can really prepare to break through to the Purple Mansion stage."
Li Wu nodded and said:
"Senior brother, I wonder if senior sister has broken through to the Purple Mansion realm?"
Tianxuan shook his head and said:
"Xi Yan is in seclusion at Yulin Mountain and has not yet broken through to the Purple Mansion realm, but it shouldn't be long before he does."
Pei Xiyan has cultivated the [Thunderclap] technique to this level, so breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm is naturally not a difficult task.
Not to mention the help of the spirits in the Purple Mansion.
It's just a matter of time.
Upon hearing this, Li Wuwei nodded slightly, naturally believing that Pei Xiyan would definitely be able to break through to the Purple Mansion realm.
At this moment, Tianxuan spoke:
"Now that you have broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, why don't you go and take a look at the Qin Kingdom?"
"Brother Qi seems to be in Qin as well?" Li Wu asked.
Tianxuan nodded and said:
"【Shouqi】That kid is also in Qin."
"Now that the four kingdoms' Daoist traditions are eyeing the Qin Kingdom covetously, I will go to Sanqing Mountain to seek help from fellow Daoists of Shangqing, so you will also see disciples of Sanqing Mountain when you go to the Qin Kingdom."
"Sanqing Mountain?"
Li Wu raised an eyebrow; he wasn't very familiar with this mountain gate.
"Then I'll go and take a look at the Qin state."
…………
The State of Qin.
Qi Yu was idly sitting in the courtyard when he suddenly saw an arc of light streak across the sky from the east. It was incredibly fast and arrived over the Qin Kingdom in the blink of an eye.
Qi Yu looked up and felt a chill run down his spine.
The light faded, revealing a young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, wearing a blue Taoist robe, with faint lightning flowing around him.
"Brother Li?"
Qi Yu exclaimed in delight.
The person who arrived was none other than Li Wu.
He landed from the air, glanced at Qi Yu, then at the unfinished fruits and melons in the pavilion, and a slight smile appeared on his lips:
"Brother Qi, what a refined taste you have."
Qi Yu quickly stood up, wiped his mouth, and cupped his hands in a smile:
"Brother Li, you've come at the perfect time. Please have a seat."
He instructed his servants to add another plate of fruit and pour a cup of tea, then looked Li Wu up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Brother Li's cultivation... has improved again?"
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and sat down on the stone bench.
"By borrowing the power of the Dragon Palace Thunder Pool, I managed to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
"Late stage of Foundation Establishment?"
Qi Yu gasped and stared at him with wide eyes.
"Brother Li, you were only at the early Foundation Establishment stage when you came out of the secret realm. How long has it been, and you've already broken through two minor realms?"
Li Wu laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying:
"It's just luck."
Qi Yu remained silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said softly:
"I suddenly feel like I've wasted the last twenty years of my life."
Li Wu's lips curled slightly, revealing a rare hint of a smile:
"Brother Qi's cultivation of longevity qi emphasizes nourishing life rather than advancing in cultivation. His ability to cultivate to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage is no slower than mine."
Are you trying to comfort me?
"Just telling the truth."
As the two were talking, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Ying Zichu strode in, followed by Zhou Xuandu, Su Wan'er, and three other disciples from Sanqing Mountain.
"Fellow Daoist Li Wu?"
A look of surprise flashed in Ying Zichu's eyes, and he said:
"You've emerged from seclusion?"
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and said:
"Just came out of quarantine."
Zhou Xuandu and the other three were also sizing up this cultivator who practiced [Divine Thunder].
Late stage of foundation building.
The lightning intent around him was contained within, and the sound of thunder could be faintly heard with each breath. This was a phenomenon that only occurred when lightning-attribute techniques were cultivated to an extremely profound level.
Zhou Xuandu clasped his hands and said:
"I am Zhou Xuandu from Sanqing Mountain, and I have long admired Fellow Daoist Li."
"My name is Li Wu. I'd like to greet you fellow Daoists."
Li Wu returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping over the four of them, thinking to himself:
"They are cultivators from Sanqing Mountain, and they do not have the aura of having consumed human pills."
Li Wu nodded silently, then looked at Ying Zichu and said:
"Brother Zichu, I heard from my senior brother that cultivators from four kingdoms are plotting to destroy the Qin Kingdom. I wonder what the current situation is?"
Ying Zichu briefly explained the recent situation.
The four kingdoms temporarily withdrew their troops, and the border was unusually quiet. Although the Purple Mansion level was supported by the Three Pure Mountains and the Dragon Palace, there was still a gap in numbers.
Li Wuwei nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard, and said in a deep voice:
"The withdrawal of troops from the four kingdoms is merely the calm before the storm. Although Senior Brother and Shangqing Zhenren are in charge at the Zifu level, there are many Zhenren from the four kingdoms. If things really come to a head, the outcome will be unpredictable."
Zhou Xuandu agreed:
"What Fellow Daoist Li said is absolutely right. The most urgent task is to help Fellow Daoist Pei and Fellow Daoist Li break through to the Purple Mansion and open the Jade Pivot Palace as soon as possible."
"As long as the Jade Pivot Palace reappears in the world, the quick-fix method of the four kingdoms that consumes human pills will have no place to stand, and at that time, they will be in chaos from within."
Ying Zichu stood with his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment, and said:
"Fairy Pei has been in seclusion on Jade Forest Mountain for several months. I wonder how her progress is. As for Brother Li..."
He looked at Li Wu, his eyes filled with hope:
"You are now in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. How long until you reach the peak of Foundation Establishment?"
Li Wulu thought for a moment and said:
"One can reach the Foundation Establishment stage within a year, but the accumulation required to break through to the Purple Mansion stage is far more than just having enough spiritual energy. One also needs to comprehend the true meaning of thunder magic, and this cannot be rushed."
Qi Yu noticed Ying Zichu's worry and comforted him:
"Brother Ying, there is no need to worry too much. Although the four kingdoms have a large number of people and great power, they each have their own ulterior motives and none of them are willing to be the first to break ties with Sanqing Mountain and the Dragon Palace."
"Fellow Daoist Qi is right."
Zhou Xuandu nodded slightly and added:
"Moreover, the departure of Master Xuandu that day also sent a signal to the four kingdoms. Master Xuandu has cultivated for many years and is well aware of the way to protect himself. He is unwilling to have a direct conflict with Uncle Shangqing."
Su Wan'er replied softly:
"Once the Jade Pivot Palace opens, those Foundation Establishment cultivators in the four kingdoms who have achieved their cultivation level quickly by consuming human pills will discover that their proud cultivation is nothing more than a sand tower that will dissipate with a gust of wind."
"At that time, the cultivators within the four kingdoms who already harbored resentment towards the cannibalistic pills will inevitably turn against them."
"Junior Sister Su is right."
Zhou Xuandu picked up the conversation and said:
"The four kingdoms are not a monolithic entity. Most of the lower-level cultivators who were forced to take human pills were kept in the dark."
"They were simply forced into this situation because they had no other way to cultivate. Once the Jade Pivot Palace opens, cultivation techniques and spiritual items can be obtained through merit. Who would still want to take that evil path?"
Li Wuwei nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and said:
"Therefore, what the four kingdoms fear most is not the Qin Kingdom, but the disunity among their disciples after the Jade Pivot Palace is opened."
"That's exactly right."
Zhou Xuandu looked at Li Wu with a hint of respect in his eyes and said in a deep voice:
"Therefore, the breakthroughs of Fellow Daoist Li and Fellow Daoist Pei are not only matters of personal cultivation, but also concern the rise and fall of the Daoist traditions throughout the world."
Qi Yu leaned against the stone table, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, and suddenly laughed:
"Speaking of which, Brother Li fought against many enemies in the Taixu Secret Realm, and the cultivators from the four countries were routed. Now, when the words 'Divine Thunder' are mentioned, people from the four countries will probably tremble."
Li Wu's lips curled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
"In that case, I'd like to take a trip to the area where the four kingdoms are stationed."
Li Wu is now at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and unless a True Person of the Purple Mansion personally comes, no one can be his match.
When Li Wu said this, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
Ying Zichu frowned slightly and said:
"Brother Li, the Yue Kingdom's garrison is over three hundred li from here, with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators stationed there. Isn't it too risky for you to go alone?"
Li Wuduan picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and said calmly:
"Only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Li Wu now truly doesn't take those cultivators from the four countries seriously.
Zhou Xuandu's eyes twitched slightly. He exchanged a glance with Su Wan'er, and both saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.
This fellow Daoist Li, who cultivates [Divine Thunder], is even more powerful than he imagined.
Ying Zichu pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhou Xuandu:
"What does Fellow Daoist Zhou think?"
Zhou Xuandu pondered for a moment and said:
"Since Fellow Daoist Li has this intention, why not give it a try? If we can deter the Yue Kingdom and prevent it from acting rashly, it will also be a good thing for the Qin Kingdom."
He looked at Li Wu and said solemnly:
"But Fellow Daoist Li, you must not venture too far behind enemy lines. If the enemy's Purple Mansion True Person makes a move, you must retreat immediately."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly:
"I know."
…………
This was a place where the Yue Kingdom stationed its troops.
At the foot of the green hills, camps stretched out in a row, with banners fluttering in the wind.
The three temporary altars are arranged in a triangular pattern, with several Foundation Establishment cultivators sitting on each altar. The fluctuations of spiritual energy intertwine to form an invisible net that covers the entire camp.
Inside the central command tent, Xu Yuanzheng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak of his cultivation and the person in charge of Yue Kingdom's expedition, was discussing military matters with several fellow disciples.
"There hasn't been any movement from the Qin state lately?" Xu Yuan frowned slightly as he looked through the jade slip in his hand.
"Reporting to Senior Brother, since the arrival of the four disciples from Sanqing Mountain, the Qin Kingdom has kept its borders closed, and even daily patrols have been reduced."
A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator cupped his hands and said:
"Furthermore, according to reports, a silvery-white lightning bolt fell into the Qin Kingdom, which seems to be the aura of [Divine Thunder]."
"[Divine Thunder]?"
Xu Yuan sneered, threw the jade slip on the table, and said in a deep voice:
"How many cultivators from my Yue Kingdom did Li Wu, who cultivated the Divine Thunder, kill that day in the Taixu Secret Realm? This debt must be settled."
Upon hearing this, the cultivators in the tent reacted with varying expressions.
Some people looked indignant, while others had a barely perceptible hint of apprehension in their eyes.
The [Divine Thunder] technique has a suppressive effect on most of them.
"Senior Brother Xu, there's no need to worry too much."
An older monk spoke up:
"No matter how strong Li Wu is, he is only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. This time, our Yue Kingdom has twelve Foundation Establishment experts in charge, and we also have you, Senior Brother, at the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage, to support us. If he dares to come, we will make sure he doesn't return."
Before he could finish speaking, a gasp of surprise suddenly came from outside the tent.
"What...what is that?"
"Lightning! A huge bolt of lightning!"
Xu Yuan's expression changed, and he lifted the tent flap and strode out.
The moment he looked up, his pupils contracted sharply.
A streak of silver-white lightning streaked across the sky at an incredible speed.
The lightning subsided, revealing a young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his robes fluttering in the wind, and arcs of lightning crackling around him.
"Cultivators from Yue Kingdom, do you dare to fight?"
Li Wu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the power of thunder, exploding across the entire camp, causing the banners to flutter and the spiritual light on the altar to tremble slightly.
Xu Yuan's face turned ashen as he stared intently at the figure in mid-air.
Late stage of foundation building.
In just a few months, this person actually broke through from the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment to the late stage?
What alarmed him even more was that the divine lightning aura emanating from Li Wu made him feel a chill.
"Set up the formation!"
Xu Yuan gave a low shout, and the three altars lit up at the same time. The twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators activated their magic power in unison, and the net of spiritual energy suddenly tightened, turning into chains of spiritual light that strangled Li Wu in mid-air.
Li Wu's lips curled slightly.
This kind of formation can trap ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, but it can't trap him.
With a thought, a halberd appeared in his hand, bursting with spiritual power and crackling with electric arcs. With a flick of his wrist, a silver-white lightning dragon crashed into the spiritual light chains.
"boom!!"
The entire camp trembled the moment the lightning collided with the spiritual light.
The chains of light shattered inch by inch, transforming into a shower of light that fell from the sky.
On the three altars, several Foundation Establishment cultivators groaned, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
"How is that possible?"
Xu Yuan's pupils contracted sharply.
He could see clearly that Li Wu had not used his full strength in this attack; it was just a casual strike that broke the formation set up by the twelve people working together.
"This is the [Divine Thunder]?"
The older cultivator's face turned deathly pale, and he murmured:
"He has absolute dominance over us... In his presence, all our magic is rendered useless."
Xu Yuan gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice:
"Don't panic, he's alone, let's attack together!"
Upon hearing this, Li Wu smiled calmly, and then two [Golden Mirrors] appeared behind him. He said coldly and indifferently:
"I beg you fellow Daoists to die."
As soon as he finished speaking, bolts of lightning shot out from the mirror.
Xu Yuan's expression changed drastically, and he said sternly:
"Full defense!"
The twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously activated their magical power, and the defensive formations on the three altars lit up at the same time, their spiritual light condensing into a huge light shield that blocked the camp directly above.
Lightning crashed down.
"boom!!!"
The lightning struck the formation, causing it to tremble violently. However, although it blocked the attack, countless more bolts of lightning continued to fall.
"Boom boom boom!"
After successfully blocking several bolts of lightning, the great formation finally succumbed to the strain and dissipated completely.
The lightning, undiminished in its force, blasted straight into the camp, sending dirt flying, tearing tents apart, and sending dozens of Qi Refining cultivators flying, coughing up blood.
"This...how is this possible?"
The older monk was horrified, his voice trembling.
He had cultivated for over sixty years and had never seen such domineering thunder.
The three altars and the defensive array set up by twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators were as fragile as paper in the face of the [Divine Thunder].
Li Wuxuan hovered in mid-air, his robes fluttering, his expression calm.
He looked down at the terrified Yue Kingdom cultivators in the camp, but his heart was not greatly stirred.
These cultivators were all demonic cultivators who consumed human pills, and their cultivation was based on the slaughter of mortals.
Xu Yuan's face turned ashen, his spiritual energy surging wildly within him. He formed hand seals, and a crimson sword light shot into the sky, piercing straight at Li Wu.
"Crimson Sky Sword Technique!"
This is a sword technique; when mastered to perfection, it can cultivate sword essence.
"Ha, I'm not as good as Brother Qi."
Li Wu's eyes flickered slightly, he sneered, and then blocked with his halberd.
"boom!"
Sword light clashed with halberd light, lightning and crimson light intertwined, exploding in the air in a visible ripple of spiritual energy.
Li Wu's figure only swayed slightly, without even taking a step back.
He twirled his halberd, and lightning surged forth. The Golden Mirror lit up again, and this time, both mirrors were aimed at Xu Yuan simultaneously.
Xu Yuan's pupils constricted sharply, and he shouted sternly, "Help me!"
The other Foundation Establishment cultivators dared not be negligent and poured their spiritual power into Xu Yuan's body. Xu Yuan's aura rose steadily, and the Crimson Sky Sword Light surged several times, transforming into a ten-zhang-long crimson giant sword to meet the lightning.
"Boom!"
Heaven and earth faded.
The lightning and sword light clashed for a moment before the crimson greatsword began to shatter inch by inch.
Xu Yuan's face turned deathly pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward and crashed heavily into the ruins of the camp.
"Senior brother!"
Several Yue Kingdom cultivators exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to help him up.
Xu Yuan struggled to his feet and looked at the figure surrounded by lightning in mid-air, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Li Wu stood in mid-air, looking down at the crowd below, and said coldly:
"You people consume human pills to enhance your cultivation, which means you are destined to be no match for me."