The Wei Household

Heavenwater lay in the northwest, west of Long Mountain.

The moment he stepped ashore, Xu Xuan felt somewhat surprised. This place was far from the sea, and farther northwest lay mostly stony wastes and deserts, yet this commandery was lush with greenery, trees and grasses flourishing everywhere.

"I haven't ventured into the world for so long. To think this region has already been incorporated into Heaven Province."

Tiantuo sounded rather wistful as he continued:

"In ancient times, this place belonged to Liang Province. It was the Ancestral Land of the Great Li Song Clan. [Vast Water] flourished here first, earning it the name 'the southern riverlands beyond Long Mountain.' Who would have thought it would nurture an imperial clan of [Li Fire]?"

Xu Xuan had already assumed a fully human form, though he had altered his features so that no one could recognize him.

Traveling upstream along a tributary of the Li River, he arrived before an immense city. The characters [Chengji] stood above its gate. Its walls were made of seamless gray stone without any mortar joints, presumably raised through spells.

Farther west, this region bordered Qiangrong, and many cultivators walked about in clothing unlike that of Great Li's people. No disputes broke out, however, and most spoke a common language. Quite a few foreigners had even adopted Great Li attire, though their faces still revealed their foreign origins at a glance.

"Tip-Feng Mountain is here in Heavenwater Commandery, but where exactly?"

Xu Xuan walked through the city and found a tea stall to sit at. A sense of his main body's condition reached him; nothing was amiss. Thus, he wanted to explore Heavenwater a little more and learn about the commandery.

"Though that household has a Purple Mansion inheritance, this is the Song Clan's Ancestral Land. Naturally, they can't act as they please. So Tip-Feng Mountain occupies only a single Spirit Mountain beside Heavenwater Lake."

Tiantuo spoke softly. With Xu Xuan concealing him, he felt little fear even now that he had returned to the place of his escape.

"That household has it pretty rough, then. A Purple Mansion cultivator can govern an entire commandery. They must feel terribly hemmed in here."

Watching the people coming and going along the road, Xu Xuan sighed, only for Tiantuo to give a strange laugh.

"Hemmed in? Countless Immortal Dao households would fight until their heads split for a single acre of Spirit Land beside Heavenwater Lake, and still fail to get it. That lake descended from the heavens during the Windflame dynasty. In the heavens, Vast Water is a suspended river. This lake received its true essence and possesses countless wonders."

"It's a blessed land, only a hair's breadth short of a grotto-heaven. A beggar like you is actually pitying them?"

Left speechless, Xu Xuan could only change the subject and ask quietly:

"The Mist Marsh Secret Scroll says that Great Mist Marsh once had a [Ren Water] Dragon Lord, but he fell, while a [Vast Water] Dragon Lord reigns over the Eastern Sea. What's the difference between those two paths?"

Tiantuo perked up and said with a hint of self-importance:

"That matter is extremely complicated. When the true dragon's nine sons divided their domains, the seats of authority over [Ren Water], [Gui Water], and [Vast Water] shifted, each encroaching upon the others."

"I can't explain all those changes as they stand today. Still, the nine dragon sons parted fairly amicably, without fighting. They weren't like the Golden Crows, slaughtering their own brothers."

Something stirred in Xu Xuan's heart. Recalling the vision he had witnessed in the Law-Observing Hall, he described the scene of the God of the Soil and the two thunders contending and asked Tiantuo what he made of it.

The old demon seemed somewhat puzzled as well, and said hesitantly:

"When [Altar Thunder] held authority, that must have been in the Thunder Palace's distant past. Even when I was alive, I never saw anyone cultivating that path. Take a look at the Thunder Radiance Spirit-Inquiry Method and the Marsh Thunder Dragon-Treading Scripture. Perhaps they reveal something."

Xu Xuan had indeed been puzzled. He had carefully compared [Thunderfall Marsh] and [Tribulation Heart Pool], only to find that their immortal foundations differed enormously. Why was that?

The immortal foundation formed by cultivating the abbey's Fire-Crossing Unhindered Art was called [Fire-Crossing Body]. It was subordinate to the Heavenly Fire Eternal Radiance Scripture's [Heaven-Seeking Flame], but merely possessed far fewer wondrous functions.

Yet the immortal foundations of these two Shock Thunder methods differed fundamentally in nature, as though they had not evolved from the same path.

Tiantuo continued explaining:

"Didn't that Thunder Ghost tell you? Soil perished before Divine Shock. In ancient times, [Altar Thunder] restrained sovereigns and punished cultivators, meting out judgment on heaven's behalf and presiding over lightning tribulations."

"Now it no longer manifests, and even lightning tribulations barely sting. This [Tribulation Heart Pool] of [Shock Thunder] may have been passed down after [Altar Thunder] vanished."

Understanding dawned on Xu Xuan. [Shock Thunder] represented the harmonious union of heaven and earth's Yin-Yang, and the renewal of all things, not punishment on heaven's behalf. Fortunately, he had not formed his immortal foundation with [Tribulation Heart Pool], or he would have stepped onto a severed road.

"The road of cultivation really is riddled with pitfalls. One wrong move, and you're beyond redemption through ten thousand calamities."

Xu Xuan sighed. Tiantuo's casual remarks likely surpassed hundreds or thousands of scriptures in the sect's library. Such was the benefit of a Purple Mansion cultivator's breadth of vision.

"Hey, that Marsh Thunder Dragon-Treading Scripture of yours contains a few secret arts. Have you read them?"

Remembering this, Tiantuo hurriedly reminded Xu Xuan.

Naturally, Xu Xuan had read them at the first opportunity. The Marsh Thunder Dragon-Treading Scripture contained two Fifth-Rank Secret Arts and one fourth-grade art.

The fifth-grade [Marsh-Descending Soaring Dragon Art] focused on transforming the surrounding world into a thunder marsh, making it an extension of one's body. One could move freely throughout this thunder marsh and even command any drop of its lightning liquid to attack an enemy.

The fourth-grade [Heavenly Drum Art] was not a killing technique. Instead, it could manifest a heavenly drum whose thunderous beat bolstered one's momentum, shaking the opponent's magical power and energy flow to obstruct them.

As for the final Fifth-Rank Secret Art, it could only be cultivated after Foundation Establishment, once both inner nature and life force were fully present. It was called [Thunder Marsh Saint-Transmuting Body].

This Fifth-Rank Secret Art required Foundation Establishment dragon qi, combined with a bolt of Foundation Establishment-level [Shock Thunder], to form the [Marsh Dragon Body].

This secret art could be cultivated all the way to Purple Mansion, though the corresponding dragon qi and Shock Thunder would also need to reach Purple Mansion Tier. Then one could form a dharma body: the [Thunder Marsh Saint-Transmuting Body].

Xu Xuan had seen the Northern Liao Purple Mansion cultivator's dharma body. Iron-gray in color, with a savage beast's head, its casual blows shook the Great Void, and it had even withstood Lingming True Person's spirit artifact head-on. It was truly formidable.

While Xu Xuan was still considering these matters, he suddenly sensed a disturbance. The clear qi accumulated within him over the years seemed on the verge of forming characters, responding to something farther west.

Even Tiantuo's voice turned serious as he said gravely:

"It's in the direction of Heavenwater Lake."

The clear qi rapidly took shape, forming four ancient seal characters in official yellow: [Goat-Spirit Earth-Nurturing].

At the same time, several images flashed through Xu Xuan's mind: a woman fleeing with a young child, only to be seized by a group of people and taken deep into a desert.

The child looked peculiar. His pupils were official yellow, and two small curved horns had actually grown from the crown of his head.

Xu Xuan dared not delay. He immediately set out toward Heavenwater Lake, excitement surging in his heart.

After so many years, seal script had finally manifested again. Perhaps this time he could fully illuminate [Sword Rises from the Deep Abyss]. Sword intent was within sight.

Chengji was quite far from Heavenwater Lake. Xu Xuan left the city and sped along with Wind-Riding, crossing mountains and rivers until he finally reached the lake's vicinity.

Naturally, the area around Heavenwater Lake was off-limits. Only a few Immortal Dao households permitted by the Great Li Song Clan could cultivate there. Xu Xuan had no intention of entering, either. The child should still be in the desert farther west, perhaps even outside Heavenwater Commandery.

After hearing Xu Xuan describe the child's appearance, Tiantuo had suddenly fallen silent. Only now did he speak:

"Actually, I think I know where that child came from."

Startled, Xu Xuan hurriedly said:

"If you know, then tell me! Our lives and fortunes depend on this."

Tiantuo sounded somewhat embarrassed as he said quietly:

"Do you remember how you obtained that [Earth Mother's Benevolent Pearl]?"

Only then did Xu Xuan recall what he had learned at the Ghost Market. An old True Person who cultivated earth virtue had been killed by Tiantuo's charge. His household's descendants had fled, and the Spirit Treasures had found their way to Red Cloud.

"Don't tell me this has something to do with you? What was that household called again-the Wei Household?"

Xu Xuan sounded suspicious, though he was still uncertain. Tiantuo answered sheepishly:

"Exactly. That household cultivated [Nurturing Earth]. The goat-spirit is a spirit creature of earth, a manifestation of [Nurturing Earth]. After I escaped the Demon Refining Tower, that old man of the Wei Household had lost his senses. His lifespan was almost spent, and he wanted to capture me to refine pills. I killed him with a single surge of qi."

"That [Nurturing Earth] path is truly cursed. All the blood qi released when that old man of the Wei Household fell transformed into a spirit creature and escaped underground. I didn't get a single scrap."

As he spoke, the old demon began smacking his lips, his tone full of grievance.

"Where is the Demon Refining Tower? How did you escape?"

Remembering this crucial point, Xu Xuan grew worried and questioned Tiantuo.

"The Demon Refining Tower lies beneath Heavenwater Lake. It belongs to the Great Li Song Clan, and the Purple Mansion cultivators around the lake take turns watching over it."

"I was only on the eighth floor. The ninth floor exploded, and I seized the chance to escape. Even a True Lord appeared. Those Immortal Dao cultivators were busy retrieving the big one and overlooked a little one like me."

"The big one?"

In life, Tiantuo had reached the peak of Purple Mansion and had even attempted to attain Golden Core. Could the "big one" he mentioned be...?

Xu Xuan hastily told the old demon to shut up. Such matters could not be discussed recklessly. Golden Core cultivators had already united with the Dao; their every movement portended changes in their traditions, and they could sense even the recitation of their names or the viewing of their images.

"By now, the Wei Household has probably already perished. That child should be of their bloodline, but he's been abducted. How can we rescue him?"

"Keep going west. The Wei Household's territory was there back then. Perhaps you can still find some information."

Tiantuo spoke softly. Near Heavenwater Lake, he was still rather nervous and instinctively quieted down.

Xu Xuan gazed into the distance and could make out a precious lake stretching boundlessly beneath vast, misty waters. Its water was deep blue, somewhat like seawater, but a great formation seemed to cover the area, preventing him from seeing clearly.

"So this is the blessed land where the Great Li Song Clan first rose to prominence."

Xu Xuan sighed. Though this was the imperial clan's Ancestral Land, and even housed the Demon Refining Tower, many mortals still lived around Heavenwater, peacefully going about their lives. Xu Xuan deliberately questioned several people, yet not one had noticed the earlier upheaval at Heavenwater Lake.

Most had no memory of it. Even mentioning the lake left them dazed. Clearly, a divine ability was concealing it.

Continuing west, he finally reached the Wei Household's territory. It lay at Heavenwater's border, beside a desert. Spiritual qi was sparse, and gray and yellow filled his vision, with scarcely any green.

The region seemed to have suffered a great calamity. Its earth veins had shifted, and the market and houses lay collapsed and desolate, with few people about.

After making inquiries for a long time, Xu Xuan learned that an earthquake had struck, destroying the spiritual vein. The Wei Household's old True Person had passed away, and the Ai Household now administered the area temporarily.

"I'll go see how this household is doing."

Xu Xuan found a rogue cultivator nearby and questioned him. He learned that the region had become a wasteland of ruins that no household wanted. The Ai Household's Foundation Establishment cultivator had apparently died during the upheaval at the Demon Refining Tower. Now, their lineage had only an old man at the sixth level of Qi Refining, trapped guarding these ruins.

As he passed through the ruins, he saw many mortals along the way, mostly women, children, and elderly people, all living in makeshift shelters.

Xu Xuan felt a pang of emotion. Only after questioning an old man did he learn that these mortals had originally been farmers with fields of their own. A great disaster had killed or injured countless people. Now, the able-bodied had fled the famine or gone to work as laborers, leaving those who could no longer walk to wait here for death.

Unable to bear it, Xu Xuan took some supplies suitable for mortals from his spatial storage and distributed some silver and gold. Many women brought their children over and kowtowed repeatedly. Some even followed him, refusing to leave. Helpless, Xu Xuan could only depart with Wind-Riding.

"You Immortal Dao cultivators are truly hypocritical. This region's upheaval was caused by the struggle between cultivators and demons. Doesn't your Great Red Abbey treat mortals as private property just the same?"

Tiantuo's mocking tone irritated Xu Xuan.

"I saved these mortals only because seeing them made me uncomfortable. So what if I'm a hypocrite?"

A trace of anger entered Xu Xuan's voice, silencing Tiantuo. He said nothing more.

A little later, Xu Xuan finally arrived before the Ai Household's estate. He wore a black robe and had changed his appearance, giving himself coarse, rough features and the bearing of a rogue cultivator.

The Ai Household had not even set up a formation. The estate also appeared newly built, though by mortal standards it was luxurious. It seemed to be undergoing further expansion, with many laborers gathered to work there.

Xu Xuan did not conceal his aura, allowing his substantial seventh-level Qi Refining cultivation to radiate out. Soon, the estate's gates opened, and an elderly cultivator emerged. He was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, with white hair and beard, and wore brocade robes.

"I am Ai Chenghui. May I ask what brings you to our Ai Household, fellow Daoist?"

The old cultivator spoke respectfully, but surprise and uncertainty showed on his face. Clearly, he had no idea where this seventh-level Qi Refining rogue cultivator had come from.

"I am Duxin. I heard this region was once governed by the Wei Household, the former seat of a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan. I'm looking for a Nurturing Earth Foundation Establishment spiritual item and came specifically to inquire. Any information will be rewarded."

Ai Chenghui clearly did not want to become involved with Xu Xuan, but faced with his cultivation, he could only invite him inside.

Xu Xuan was led into the estate and brought to a hall. Ai Chenghui invited him to sit, served tea, and spoke almost pleadingly:

"Fellow Daoist, our household merely worked under the Wei Household in the past. Our Foundation Establishment cultivator is gone, too. They were a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan. Even if they've collapsed, how could our household know anything about such Spirit Treasures?"

Though Ai Chenghui seemed to be pleading, he appeared to have some assurance and showed no wariness toward Xu Xuan.

"You must be joking, fellow Daoist. The Ai Household has operated here for a long time and must know something. Even if you have no information about Spirit Treasures, do you have any news of the Wei Household's direct descendants?"

At Xu Xuan's words, Ai Chenghui froze slightly, but quickly concealed it and said with a smile:

"Every faction wants to take away the Wei Household's direct descendants. How could a minor lineage like ours know anything?"

Ai Chenghui was like an old fox. His words were watertight, blocking Xu Xuan at every turn.

Just then, Tiantuo let out a strange cry, shouting within Xu Xuan's heart:

"There's something wrong with this old bastard! Something's off beneath his estate."

Xu Xuan had only just looked down at the floor paved with blue stone tiles, a puzzled expression on his face, when the ground split open. A creature covered in mud burrowed out and lunged at him.

Waves of foul wind swept over him. Ai Chenghui had already withdrawn from the hall and said with a cold laugh:

"You actually noticed something amiss. You have some ability."

"Consider yourself unlucky. Since you came looking for those remnants of the Wei Household, you can feed my [Heart-Eating Puppet]!"