Chapter 523: Divine Ability

Chapter 523: Divine Abilities

The Green Pond Sect.

The Green Pond Sect’s main hall rose grand and imposing, wreathed in wispy immortal aura; white jade steps stretched upward, and glowing treasure lamps blazed with light, while white spiritual energy drifted down like mist. Chi Zhiyun was descending those steps when a middle-aged man approached him—his gait steady, his demeanor unhurried. Chi Zhiyun asked simply:

“What is it?”

This man was none other than Ning Hejing, who bowed with clasped hands and said:

“Reporting to the Sect Leader, the men from Green Pine Island have returned… They spoke to several people, and Li Xizhi’s younger sister said she went to the Han Clan, but her whereabouts are now unknown.”

“The men who followed went to the Han Clan, only to hear the clansfolk say Li Xizhi had left long ago, having sent only Han Clan members to investigate the Sea of Barbarian Tribes.”

Ning Hejing paused, then continued:

“We traced his trail and learned Li Xizhi accepted an invitation from Kong Tingyun of the Black Peak Sect to gather rosy clouds on Forging Mountain on behalf of True Person Changxi. As for the two Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Han Clan, they are most likely dead.”

Chi Zhiyun listened in silence, his expression inscrutable, then asked:

“So Li Xizhi never went near Thunder Cloud Monastery, but headed straight for the Black Peak Sect… Interesting.”

Ning Hejing bowed his head in assent, then heard Chi Zhiyun mutter:

“Could it be True Person Changxi’s doing?”

A look of hesitation crossed Ning Hejing’s face, but Chi Zhiyun quickly shook his head:

“It can’t be him. He never mastered the Life Divine Ability, and he would never dare meddle in the Green Pond Sect’s affairs…”

Both were direct lineages of the immortal sect, with ancestors who had reached the Purple Mansion Realm; they were well-versed in Purple Mansion Divine Abilities and the Purple Mansion cultivators of the Southern Rivers region.

Purple Mansion cultivators forged divine abilities, but these abilities were not all of a single type—they encompassed a vast array: Body Divine Abilities, Life Divine Abilities, Eye Divine Abilities… Each held unique wonders, but the Life Divine Ability was the most crucial of all.

The Life Divine Ability was the key for Purple Mansion cultivators to touch upon fate. Similar to many methods of Buddhist cultivators, it could bewitch minds to extract confessions, manipulate events without a trace, or discern omens to deduce origins.

Though Purple Mansion cultivators rarely clashed fiercely, and aside from a few peak figures, most were hard to rank, only those with the Life Divine Ability could truly be called players on the chessboard—it was a critical threshold.

Because the divine abilities of a sect’s true persons varied, immortal sects also had rankings. For example, the Purple Smoke Sect once had two peak Purple Mansion true persons, making it vaguely the strongest among the sects beneath the Three Great Clans. The weakest, the Snow Wing Sect, had lost its Purple Mansion cultivator for years, and even its disciples dared not show their faces.

All the Purple Mansion cultivators of the Green Pond Sect possessed the Life Divine Ability. Once known as the Three Pillars of the Green Pond, Yuan Su was the most renowned—not only for his formidable seal, but also because his Green Water Divine Ability, “Cave Spring Echo,” was both a Body Divine Ability and a Life Divine Ability, of extraordinary wonder.

True Person Changxi’s cultivated divine ability, “Foolish Mountain-Driving,” was a rare Technique Divine Ability, and he was poor at combat. He had stagnated for years due to a lack of cultivation methods, and had always been the most submissive among the Seven Gates—so Chi Zhiyun had no reason to suspect him.

After a moment of thought, Ning Hejing asked:

“Could it be True Person Chu Ting…?”

At the mention of Xiao Chuting, both men’s faces clouded with unease. Xiao Chuting had not appeared in years, but he was a figure to be feared.

This true person had broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm from a precarious position, struggling every step of the way. Later, he grew calm and adept, and now he was a figure all factions sought to win over.

Chi Zhiyun’s face darkened, but he still shook his head and said in a low voice:

“If Xiao Chuting were behind this, he would not need to act this way… Besides, he has been in the Northern Sea all this time, presumably with Yuan Xiu in Cang Prefecture. He could not possibly cross tens of thousands of li to manipulate the situation in the Eastern Sea…”

Ning Hejing fell silent, and after several breaths, he said:

“This subordinate does not understand—how dare he go to the Northern Sea!”

Chi Zhiyun replied in a low voice:

“After all, it is a grand event for Purple Mansion cultivators to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Xiao Chuting cannot afford to miss it. Moreover… his cultivation is rooted in Kan Water, and Cang Prefecture has the strongest Kan Water aura—it is a rare opportunity for him.”

Ning Hejing’s lips parted slightly, his voice barely a whisper:

“What the Sect Leader says is true… But… Xiao Xianyou died under suspicious circumstances back then, presumably at the hands of Shang Yuan. The subordinates dare not speak of it, the Xiao Clan dare not know of it, but Xiao Chuting must be aware! If I were him, I would not dare go to the North at all…”

Chi Zhiyun’s face grew grim, and he said:

“Enough of this! How many people were involved in the matter of Dong Hua’s Li Jiangqun back then? Not just Xiao Xianyou—wasn’t the one from the Purple Smoke Sect also involved? Yuan Wu, Yuan Xiu… all of them had a hand in it. Why would he dare not go to Xiuyue?”

“Shang Yuan was promoted by Dong Hua… but how dare he do anything? I say even if he reaches the Golden Core Realm, he dare not say a word about this matter…”

Ning Hejing could only nod repeatedly. The two spoke briefly of this centuries-old matter, their hearts pounding with dread. Chi Zhiyun composed himself and made a conclusion:

“If Li Xizhi truly did not go, it is most likely a matter of coincidence… and for the remaining possibility…”

Ning Hejing nodded slightly and said in a soft voice:

“It is also possible that he was only putting on a show… that he never truly put his heart into investigating Yuan Tuan’s matter, hence the random delays…”

“After all, once Yuan Tuan died, Green Ear Peak fell into his hands.”

Chi Zhiyun nodded noncommittally. He seemed to have another answer in mind but did not speak it aloud. He waved Ning Hejing away and sat alone in his seat.

After waiting a moment, he summoned a wind and flew to the peak of Green Pond Mountain. There, he found it shrouded in white mist and wispy clouds. He wove his way through them and walked to the deepest part of his cave abode.

At the very depth was a deep pool, its water clear and pleasing to the eye. Chi Zhiyun scanned his surroundings carefully and gently formed a hand seal.

Instantly, lines of light blazed to life on the cave’s stone walls, spreading densely to seal the interior from the exterior. The faint fluctuations emanating from them were extremely powerful—it was a Purple Mansion-level formation, even isolating the surrounding void.

Only then did Chi Zhiyun bend down, his eyes glowing with fervor as he gazed at the deep pool. After a full quarter of an hour, a reflection slowly emerged in the pool’s previously pitch-black water.

Above the pool was nothing but empty blue rock, yet the water reflected a small tree—silver and radiant, its delicate, beautiful leaves like silver threads, rippling with the pool’s gentle waves.

Soft, feminine moonlight drifted out slowly. Chi Zhiyun watched the small tree in the pool in silence, counted the days in his mind, and his heart filled with growing joy:

“Soon… soon… it will bear fruit soon… Bu Zi hoarded every fruit for himself time and time again, refusing to give me even one despite my countless pleas. Now that he is missing, I finally have the chance to take the fruit… just a little longer…”

As he plotted silently in his heart, the small tree in the pool slowly unfurled as if breathing, emitting clear, gentle moonlight. Wispy patches of orchids grew around the pool, filling the air with a pleasant fragrance.

……

Yishan City.

Yishan City’s city walls were weathered, covered in the traces of incantations. A group of guards atop the walls gazed downward at a stretch of barren land before the walls, littered with white bones. Several crows perched on the barren ground, cawing loudly.

Directly above them stood a group of young men in fine silk robes, a stark contrast to the clan cultivators beside them. Some even sat in the air holding wine cups, gazing leisurely at the scenery.

To these guards, Yishan City was a place to risk their lives, but to these Green Pond Sect members, it was merely a place to trade with demons and train disciples—there was nothing to fear.

They all had the mindset of travelers, chatting and drinking atop the city walls. A young man sitting slightly to the left of the center seemed drunk, leaning weakly against the wall.

His robes were unfastened, and he sat astride the steps, tilting his head as he held a wine cup. His gray-black eyes were clouded with intoxication. This was Li Yuanqin, the son of Li Xuanfeng from the Southern Border, and he was surrounded by the others.

The group gathered together, chatting about the amusing affairs of a certain noble clan and who had obtained a fortuitous opportunity in a certain immortal sect. It was a lively scene. One man took a sip of wine and laughed:

“Brother Yuanqin, you carry that bow every day. Why not take it off and shoot an arrow to see how much of your father’s skill you’ve inherited?”

At these words, Li Yuanqin let out a cold laugh, took off his bow, and tossed it casually into the man’s hands, saying:

“What skill could I have? It’s just for show.”

The others exchanged a glance and tacitly changed the subject, soon talking about funny stories. One man said:

“I heard that the Southern Border has changed a great deal in recent years. Several witch kingdoms near the North are fighting each other, seemingly trying to establish a great sect… That’s quite a strange matter.”

The Southern Border was not entirely under the control of demons; Yishan City merely faced the demons’ territory. The Southern Border stretched for tens of thousands of li, extending deep near the Wu Kingdom and even bordering the territory of the Golden Feather Sect.

There were many witch kingdoms in that area. Most were raised by demons for food, while others were obscure small forces, many of which fell during the demon calamity.

“There seem to be many small sects in that area already…”

One of them asked.

These small mountains and temples were naturally no match for the behemoths like the Three Great Clans and Seven Gates. Most were small sects built by Qi Refining loose cultivators, trapped in the vast barren land between the Wu Kingdom and the Southern Border, with new ones rising and old ones falling every day. A look of reminiscence crossed his face as he muttered:

“There seemed to be a decent force there once… called Tu… Tu Jun Sect?”

How could word of that tiny sect in the wasteland have reached these direct-line scions’ ears? Racking their brains, the only one they could recall was the Tujun Sect—once neglected and unheeded, now renowned across the realm for the Dragon-Slaying Jian, a fact all present had some inkling of.

Having brushed aside these tangential remarks, someone finally chuckled and asked:

“Say… I’ve heard that True Person Shangyuan is on the cusp of breaking through to the Golden Core realm. My lords… have any of your families caught wind of any gossip about this?”

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanqin’s previously hazy eyes snapped into focus; he fixed his gaze on his wine cup without a flicker of emotion, just as a member of the Chi clan spoke up:

“What news could there be! Even Duanmu Kui failed… how much of a chance does Shangyuan stand?”

No sooner had he spoken than a man of higher status and more lavish attire beside him let out a sardonic laugh and murmured:

“Cousin, you are truly amusing. Shangyuan has that figure from the Xiuyue Sect backing him—what does Duanmu Kui have? Merely a celestial scripture. He may be formidable in a magical duel, but do you think that can help him break through?”

The Chi clansman who had spoken earlier, clearly not aligned with this man’s faction, immediately retorted:

“The immortals even said he would attain the Golden Core. Where is he now?”

At once, a cacophony of bickering erupted. Li Yuanqin said nothing; glancing at the other members of the Ning clan present, he saw their faces were equally grim, all in low spirits as they drained their wine cups.

The reason was simple: a few days prior, True Person Yuansu had personally appointed Ning Heyuan as the clan head and also the peak lord of the Celestial Peak. Upon accepting the appointments, the Ning clansmen had all realized that True Person Yuansu’s time was running short.

With their family’s patron on the verge of collapse, they had no heart for jesting, and the Ning clansmen wore particularly furrowed brows. Li Yuanqin listened quietly until they finally unified their topic and asked:

“Where is True Person Yuanxiu now?”

As the Purple Mansion cultivators in the sect were one by one on the brink of perishing, True Person Yuanxiu—whose condition was unknown—suddenly became a coveted figure. All eyes turned in unison to a man in the corner.

This man had thick eyebrows and large eyes, sitting in the corner with a cheerful smile. The Chi clansman spoke up:

“Brother Sihong Lang… do you have any news to share with us…”

Sihong Lang had little talent and no notable accomplishments, remaining obscure among the crowd on usual days. Now, at long last, he looked pleased as he said:

“My True Person is skilled in nurturing his vitality, and he is also the youngest of the Three Yuans. It will be a long time yet!”

The crowd burst into laughter, but the leading Chi clansman suddenly fell silent as a golden figure came flying toward them from the front, landing slowly before the city wall—its expression stern, its gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Most of the young lords lost their nerve, stepping back and bowing their heads, their eyes cast downward. Only a few direct-line members of the Chi clan retained some backbone, bowing and greeting respectfully:

“Greetings, General. Brother Yuanqin is here.”

Li Xuanfeng’s eyes immediately fell on Li Yuanqin, his face flushed with wine, sitting amid the crowd—even the bow the boy had carried on his back every day had been tossed carelessly at his feet, lying there cold and abandoned. For a moment, he said nothing.

The crowd wore faint looks of apprehension and dared not speak, but a subtle undercurrent of schadenfreude spread among them. Li Yuanqin climbed to his feet, picked up the bow, and stumbled over to his father.

Li Xuanfeng shot him a cold glance, reached out to grab his collar, and lifted him up without mercy, then rode a golden gust of magical wind swiftly toward their mansion. Once the father and son had left, a low burst of laughter erupted from the crowd left behind.

One man said:

“Truly a fierce father and a worthless son!”

A direct-line Chi clansman sitting beside him, his face alight with a smile, said:

“You fool. Li Yuanqin is no ordinary person—he merely cannot see eye to eye with his father!”

A look of triumph blazed in his eyes.

Li Xuanfeng, riding the wind, carried Li Yuanqin all the way to their mansion before releasing his grip and setting him down in the courtyard. Li Yuanqin said nothing, straightened his robes, and stood to the side.

Li Xuanfeng stood silently for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:

“I do not know how I let you turn out like this. When I return from the Northern Sea, I will take you traveling across the lands… do not associate with those people.”

Li Yuanqin nodded, stepped back, offered a farewell, and left on his own. Li Xuanfeng stood there for a few more breaths before riding the wind again, descending toward True Person Yuansu’s cave abode.

After circling the stone statue at the entrance, the cave abode was still shrouded in wispy white mist. Before Li Xuanfeng even drew near, he heard the tinkling of spring water; bowing slightly, he entered, and True Person Yuansu was still seated on the jade platform.

He still had the round-faced appearance of a man in his twenties, sitting quietly in the chief seat. When he saw Li Xuanfeng approach, he finally stood up and whispered:

“Come with me to the Northern Sea.”

(End of Chapter)