Visions of the Future

Supreme Mystery Mountain, Ancestral Hall.

"High Person Shouyan... turned calamity into merit..." Li Chengxuan looked at Liu Zhijian and Hu Yueqiu, who had returned to the mountain gate, and slowly said, "[True Fire] was once a illustrious lineage of the Great Dao, and it is said that it made great Merit to this world and received much favor."

"Therefore, even though the Old Method have declined for a thousand years, the [True Fire] lineage still has [Foundation Establishment] cultivators presiding over it."

"Later, internal strife broke out within the Immortal Alliance, and Xue Sha Xi Sui and Si Qi defected to the Dragon Clan, heading south to the sea."

"The [True Fire] lineage has also severed ties with the Immortal Alliance, and is stationed at the Flame Mountain in the west, blocking many demon kingdoms."

"Many years ago, the High Person Shouyan visited Supreme Mystery Mountain, hoping to find some cultivators to help slay demons at Flame Mountain."

Unfortunately, Supreme Mystery Mountain was in decline at the time, and there was simply no one who could go there.

"It's quite normal for him to invite the two of you now."

Liu Zhijian was taken aback. "The Demon Kingdom?!"

On the Southern Edge Continent, there are few traces of demons.

Even if there are some scattered rumors, most of them don't amount to much.

Unexpectedly, there is even a demon kingdom.

Li Chengxuan nodded with a smile, "When the Old Method were moved south, they caused quite a few deaths."

"Of the surviving demons on the Southern Edge Continent, some fled to the sea, and some fled to the Southern Borderlands of the Central Continent."

"The others followed several powerful demons westward, establishing demon kingdoms on several large islands west of the Southern Edge Continent."

"The [True Fire] lineage guarded Flame Mountain, blocking the invasion of the demon kingdom; their merit is truly immense."

Even though Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain has a noble origin and controls the Immortal Alliance, it still deserves respect.

"Your cultivation of [Kan Water] doesn't align with the imagery of [True Fire]."

"As for Xiao Hu, if he were to go and slay demons and monsters, it might actually benefit his [Sword Dao] cultivation."

Liu Zhijian suddenly understood. "At the time, I was unsettled and unaware of the details of Flame Mountain, so naturally I dared not agree. I only said that I needed to return to the sect to report to my master before making a decision."

Fortunately, Senior Shouyan did not force the issue; he only gave her two True Fire Tokens before leaving.

Hu Yueqiu also said, "My cultivation level is currently too low. I'm afraid that even if I went to Flame Mountain, I wouldn't be of much help and might even damage the sect's reputation."

Li Chengxuan nodded upon hearing this.

Both of my disciples are rare talents for cultivation.

This time, even though they only went to Mirror Moon Lake, which is under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Alliance, they were still tricked.

If they really went to the Flame Mountain, a great demon might descend from the sky and devour them whole.

It would be better to stay on the mountain and cultivate peacefully.

Li Chengxuan then inquired about various matters concerning the lake.

Hu Yueqiu then recounted the story of the snail-shell cave abode in the [Yin World]: "... Later, the [Confluence Water] Pearl was taken by a sea monster."

"The Dongfang family of Yufeng Mountain took away that cassia tree."

"The remaining items, such as moon-patterned mirrors, Divine Dao Law Artifact, and Yin Qi beads, were all divided up among the Immortal Alliance cultivators and Rogue Cultivator."

"This disciple kept Master's instructions firmly in mind and did not attempt to steal it."

"I only obtained a wisp of Blood Qi after killing that [Blood Qi] cultivator, and I was worried that someone else might get it and cause some trouble, so I brought it back."

"And then there's that Daoist Lightless..."

"You did very well." Li Chengxuan praised him, then gently reassured him, "As for that Daoist Lightless, there's no need to pay him any mind. With the revival of the Old Method and fortunes, it's not surprising that some extraordinary talents rise up or old monsters are resurrected."

You just need to focus on your spiritual practice.

Hu Yueqiu breathed a sigh of relief, "Disciple obeys."

"And that conch shell..." Liu Zhijian recounted how he had been tricked into slaying demons and nearly breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, then added, "After all, it was the body of a powerful demon at the Purple Mansion, and it involved the Yin World and the Divine Dao, so I dared not act rashly and let it sink to the Mirror Moon Lake."

Li Chengxuan nodded slightly upon hearing this. "The karma of demons in the [Purple Mansion] is relatively easy to explain, but those in the [Yin World] and the Divine Dao, once tainted, will face inescapable trouble."

"It's good that the snail shell sank into the lake."

"Those who don't know their own strength can't take it at all."

Those who know the risks would certainly not dare to touch it.

"If there truly is cause and effect, it's not too late to settle it when you've achieved spiritual cultivation in the future."

Liu Zhijian was still somewhat uneasy, but after hearing Li Chengxuan's words, he gradually felt more at ease and said in a deep voice, "Although I consider myself clear-headed, I have often been flattered in the past, and it's hard to say that I haven't felt a little smug inside."

"To be plotted against and haunted by Sha Qi is now the karmic retribution for what I have done."

"From now on, I wish to devote myself to spiritual practice and never go to those dangerous places again."

"There's no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater." Once Liu Zhijian and Hu Yueqiu returned, Li Chengxuan immediately summoned them to the Ancestral Master Hall. Seeing that the Ancestral Master's portrait showed no unusual reaction, he was relieved and reassured them, "You two, go and rest for a while. In a few days, I'll send you to the Grotto-Heaven, where you should be able to cleanse yourselves of the Blood Qi and Sha Qi."

This is the advantage of having a sect and teachers.

Liu Zhijian and Hu Yueqiu nodded in agreement and got up to leave.

Hu Yueqiu is relatively easy to deal with; all she needs to do is stay alert and suppress her murderous intent. This can be considered fortuitous opportunity to temper her Dao heart.

Liu Zhijian is tainted with Sha Qi, which is causing some trouble.

[Sha Qi] carries connotations of misfortune.

Next, Liu Zhijian fears his cultivation will be fraught with difficulties and everything will go wrong.

Even the rebellious Jiang Xiaoyu must be avoided.

After all, Jiang Xiaoyu has not yet entered the path of cultivation, and his mind is unsettled.

If Xiaoyu were to be tainted by Sha Qi, minor illnesses and ailments would be manageable, but if the Sha Qi entered her heart and turned her into a Xiaoyu, she would be in serious trouble.

"Master! What's wrong with you?!" Jiang Xiaoyu was terrified, stamping her feet anxiously outside the side hall, "Are you going to have a baby?!"

Liu Zhijian felt somewhat warmed by the first half of the sentence, but became furious upon hearing the second half. "Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

"No way!" Jiang Xiaoyu retorted confidently, "The cook at the school down the mountain is about to give birth and she's staying indoors, not even letting me in to see!"

Liu Zhijian was so angry he couldn't speak.

Given Jiang Xiaoyu's unruly nature, who would dare let her come into contact with a pregnant woman?

Hu Yueqiu chuckled and patted Jiang Xiaoyu's head, saying, "Alright, Xiao Yu'er, your master is going into seclusion to cultivate, so don't upset him."

"Then I'll come see him again tomorrow." Jiang Xiaoyu wasn't afraid of the faint Blood Qi on Hu Yueqiu's body. She pulled Hu Yueqiu towards the mountaintop and said excitedly, "Xiao Hu Sister Hu, look at Xiao Qingyun! It's grown a bit and become smarter!"

At the Supreme Mystery Mountain, a carefree Azure Cloud Sect drifted by. Sensing Jiang Xiaoyu approaching, it landed.

However, he seemed somewhat afraid of Hu Yueqiu, and timidly dared not approach her.

"Huh?!" Jiang Xiaoyu scratched her head in confusion and shouted, "This is Xiao Hu Sister Hu! You've met her before! How come you don't recognize her?!"

Li Qingyun circled around Hu Yueqiu for a long time before he seemed to recognize her. He flew to Hu Yueqiu's head, shrank slightly, and then a light drizzle of raindrops fell.

Hu Yueqiu was slightly taken aback, but did not dodge.

Jiang Xiaoyu laughed happily and squeezed next to Hu Yueqiu, tilting her face up to get soaked in the rain. "Me too! Me too!"

The Blood Qi on Hu Yueqiu's body was tainted by the [Foundation Establishment] scheme of the [Blood Qi] lineage; it was something that a naive Azure Cloud Sect could not wash away.

"Thank you, Azure Cloud Sect." Hu Yueqiu praised Li Qingyun, who was working very hard, "You're amazing! You really washed a lot off. Go play with Xiao Yu'er."

Li Qingyun then landed and chased and played with Jiang Xiaoyu.

Hu Yueqiu watched quietly for a while, and felt her State of Mind become inexplicably calmer. Even the murderous intent that had occasionally arisen disappeared. After thinking for a moment, she took out a jade box. "Xiao Yu'er, come quickly, this is a gift that your master and I brought for you."

"A gift?!" Jiang Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, her face full of anticipation. "What gift?! Open it and let me see!"

Hu Yueqiu placed the jade box on a nearby stone. "Open it yourself."

Jiang Xiaoyu carefully opened the jade box and exclaimed, "Wow! It's alive!"

Inside the jade box was the Mirror Moon Lake.

The bottom of the water is covered with a layer of white stones.

Among the white stones, there are also some beautiful seashells and seaweed.

Some colorful Xiaoyu are swimming back and forth.

The eldest brother naturally lacked such delicate thoughts.

However, Hu Yueqiu remembered that Jiang Xiaoyu had mentioned her longing for Mirror Moon Lake several times, and was willing to fulfill Jiang Xiaoyu's small wish.

Jiang Xiaoyu was overjoyed, scratching her head in frustration. "Where should we keep it?!"

Hu Yueqiu offered a suggestion. "There's a stream on the mountain; you two could dig a small pond and raise them there."

"Great!" Jiang Xiaoyu was overjoyed. With Hu Yueqiu's help, she dug a small pond and carefully poured the Xiaoyu and shells into it.

Li Qingyun brought rain again.

The Xiaoyu in the pond seemed quite pleased, and they all floated to the surface to get wet.

Jiang Xiaoyu is still a filial son; even while having fun, he doesn't forget his fishing master. He even dreams, "Once these fish grow bigger, my master won't have to go down the mountain anymore; he can come here to fish!"

Hu Yueqiu smiled and nodded in agreement.

Seeing that it was getting late, Hu Yueqiu led Jiang Xiaoyu and Li Qingyun down the mountain.

Jiang Xiaoyu stayed in a side hall of the General Affairs Hall at night.

Although Li Qingyun didn't need to sleep, he was quite timid and dared not stay alone on the mountaintop at night, preferring to play outside the Ancestral Hall.

The two of them, along with a cloud, disappeared into the distance.

The night was deep, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.

In the shallow pool, a tiny green snail crawls out from among the water plants, opens its shell, and breathes in and out the moonlight.