SWDnovel Chapter 91: Pei Xiyan Breaks Through to the Purple Mansion Realm
Chapter 91: Pei Xiyan Breaks Through to the Purple Mansion Realm
Li Wu stood in mid-air, his robes fluttering, his body crackling with lightning and his tongue flickering, turning half the sky as white as day.
The camp was deathly silent.
Of the twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators, more than half were killed or injured, and all three altars were shattered. Xu Yuan was supported by several junior brothers, the blood at the corner of his mouth still wet, his face ashen.
"What...what exactly do you want?"
Xu Yuan's voice was hoarse as he looked up at the towering figure, his eyes filled with resentment and fear.
Li Wu looked down at him and said calmly:
"I don't want anything, I just want to see what the so-called elite troops of Yue are really capable of."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the trembling Qi Refining cultivators in the camp, his voice neither hurried nor slow:
"Now it seems, it's nothing special."
Upon hearing this, some of the Yue Kingdom cultivators showed indignation, but none dared to utter a word in rebuttal.
Those bolts of lightning had shattered their courage.
Li Wu sheathed his halberd, and the two golden mirrors transformed into streams of light that disappeared into his sleeves, while the lightning gradually subsided.
"I will not kill you today."
Li Wu's purpose in coming here was not to wreak havoc, but mainly to intimidate these people.
If they really go on a killing spree, it might provoke the intervention of the Purple Mansion Immortal, which would be a losing proposition and lead to a bad end.
"Go back and tell those behind you that the affairs of Qin are not for them to interfere with. The Jade Pivot Palace is about to open. If you still want to walk the righteous path, turn back now; if you insist on eating people to cultivate..."
Li Wu raised a slight smirk at this point, his expression indifferent, and said coldly:
"Next time I come, I won't just come to look around."
As soon as he finished speaking, lightning flashed, and his figure transformed into a silver-white arc of light, piercing the sky and disappearing in the northwest in an instant.
The camp was quiet for a long time.
Xu Yuan slowly released his two junior brothers' support, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice:
"Order... to retreat thirty li."
"Senior brother?"
A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator looked up in astonishment, "We're just like that..."
"Otherwise what?"
Xu Yuan abruptly turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and glared at the man, saying in a deep voice:
"Can you beat him? Or is it that either of you can beat him?"
No one answered.
The older cultivator sighed and said in a low voice:
"Senior Brother Xu is right, let's retreat. Although this person's cultivation is only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, the suppression of my divine lightning is too great. Even if ten more Foundation Establishment cultivators come, it will only be a matter of taking a few more lightning strikes."
He gazed in the direction where Li Wu had disappeared and murmured:
"[Divine Thunder]... No wonder those Purple Mansion True Persons are afraid of the Thunder Palace reappearing."
Xu Yuan didn't reply, but clenched his fist in his sleeve, his nails digging into his palm until blood seeped out.
…………
The residence of Ying Zichu in the Qin state.
When Li Wuluo returned to the courtyard, dusk had fallen, and the last rays of sunset were slowly fading away.
"Brother Li!"
Qi Yu was the first to come forward, looking him up and down. Seeing that he was unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
"How was it? Were those cultivators from Yue Kingdom so scared they wet their pants?"
Li Wu smiled slightly, sat down on the stone bench, and casually picked up a grape from the table and popped it into his mouth.
"They've retreated thirty li; it seems they won't dare to move again anytime soon."
Ying Zichu raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:
"You went alone and forced them to retreat thirty miles?"
Li Wu spat out the grape seeds, waved his hand, and said calmly:
"Twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators set up three altars, but the formation was shattered by my two lightning strikes, and no one dared to step forward again."
"Xu Yuan still had some backbone. He took a hit from my halberd, spat out blood, but didn't die."
Zhou Xuandu and Su Wan'er exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.
Twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators and three altars were forced back by one person; even they probably couldn't have done it.
With this level of combat power, below the Purple Mansion level, probably no one can stop him.
"The suppression of this group of demonic cultivators by the [Divine Thunder] is stronger than I imagined."
Zhou Xuandu pondered for a moment, then slowly said:
"However, while Fellow Daoist Li's actions today have certainly intimidated the Yue Kingdom, they will also make the Purple Mansions of the four kingdoms even more wary of you."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly:
"I know, but what good is being wary? If they dare to send someone from the Purple Mansion to kill me, my senior brother and the Three Pure Ones Mountain will not stand idly by."
Qi Yu leaned against the stone table and said with a grin:
"Brother Li has calculated that the four kingdoms' true masters will not dare to act rashly, which is why he dares to be so arrogant."
"Arrogant?"
Li Wu thought for a moment, then said seriously:
"I think I've been very polite."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zichu couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly composed himself and said seriously:
"However, Brother Li is right, the balance at the Zifu level will not be broken in the short term."
…………
at the same time.
The news that the Yue Kingdom's camp had retreated thirty miles quickly reached the ears of cultivators from the other three kingdoms.
In the central command tent of the Qi State's garrison, several Foundation Establishment cultivators sat in a circle, the atmosphere heavy.
"One person forced back twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators? Do you believe that?"
The speaker was a middle-aged female cultivator with a cold and stern face, a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows, and a powerful aura, clearly indicating that she was also at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Believe it or not, that's the news coming from Yue."
The male cultivator opposite her shrugged, his tone helpless:
"That Li Wu who cultivates [Divine Thunder] is said to have been able to fight on par with a Foundation Establishment cultivator when he was still in the early stage of Foundation Establishment in the secret realm. Now that his cultivation has broken through to the late stage, his combat power is probably even more terrifying."
"Senior Sister Song, shouldn't we retreat a bit too?"
A younger monk tentatively spoke up.
The female cultivator, addressed as Senior Sister Song, gave him a cold look but said nothing.
After a moment of silence in the tent, another cultivator said in a deep voice:
"The Yue Kingdom retreated thirty miles, but that was only a temporary retreat. The four kingdoms' Purple Mansions will not sit idly by and watch this child continue to grow. Just wait, the higher-ups will take action soon."
"action?"
Senior Sister Song sneered:
"Those immortals up there, aren't they all shrewd and cunning? None of them are willing to make the first move and offend the Dragon Palace and Sanqing Mountain. They're just dragging it out until the Jade Pivot Hall opens, then we're all finished."
Silence fell again in the tent.
Everyone knows this principle, but no one can change this situation.
"Let's continue holding our position."
Senior Sister Song finally waved her hand, and said in a weary, deep voice:
"We'll do whatever orders we're given. As for the future... let fate decide."
…………
at the same time.
Yulin Mountain.
Inside the cave, Pei Xiyan sat cross-legged, surrounded by lightning. Purple-gold arcs of electricity danced around her, making a soft crackling sound.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, her spiritual power surging like a river, repeatedly impacting the chasm between the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion stages.
After months of seclusion, the most crucial moment has arrived.
Outside the cave, several elders from Yulin Mountain stood guard, their expressions tense.
"Xi Yan has been in seclusion for several years now, and it should be time for her to achieve results."
An elderly woman with white hair leaned on a cane, gazing in the direction of the cave with concern in her eyes.
"Junior Sister is exceptionally talented and has obtained a Purple Mansion spiritual treasure. Breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm is only a matter of time."
A middle-aged cultivator standing nearby chimed in, his tone carrying a certainty.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a deep rumble of thunder suddenly echoed from within the cave.
Immediately afterwards, the entire Yulin Mountain trembled.
A thick bolt of purple-gold lightning shot into the sky, piercing the clouds and illuminating half the sky as bright as day.
In an instant, the cloudless sky was covered with dark clouds.
The leaden-black clouds gathered on Yulin Mountain and spread out in all directions, visible from all parts of the East China Sea.
Within the clouds, purple lightning churned and flashed, occasionally unleashing bolts of lightning resembling tree branches.
Pei Xiyan stood beneath the clouds, her eyes gleaming with lightning, surrounded by purple lightning. Her expression was serene, and her voice echoed from the void in all directions:
"Lei Gong Pei Xi said, 'Now that I have attained the divine power of [Thunder], I can prove two out of the five types of thunder in the world.'"
Pei Xiyan's words spread throughout Yulin Mountain, across the East Sea, and even to the Five Kingdoms.
It reached the ears of every cultivator.
…………
The Crown Prince's residence in the Qin state.
When Pei Xiyan's voice came from the void, Li Wu was chatting and laughing with Qi Yu while holding a teacup when he heard it:
"Lei Gong Pei Xi said, 'Now that I have attained the divine power of [Thunder], I can prove two out of the five types of thunder in the world.'"
The voice was so clear it was as if it were being spoken right next to your ear, and every word carried an unquestionable authority.
The teacup rested at his lips.
The four people in the courtyard fell silent at the same time, and even their breathing seemed to stop for a moment.
Qi Yu was the first to react. The grapes in his hand fell onto the stone table, rolling twice. He opened his mouth, turned to look at Li Wu, his eyes filled with a complex expression, as if he had seen a ghost.
"...Brother Li, has Fairy Pei reached the Purple Mansion?"
Li Wu put down his teacup, his expression seemingly calm, but the fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly for a moment.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of Yulin Mountain. Although it was thousands of miles away and he couldn't see anything, he knew that the purple-gold lightning had indeed lit up there, illuminating half the sky.
"Senior Sister has broken through to the Purple Mansion realm."
Zhou Xuandu slowly stood up, his usually composed face showing an unusual solemnity and surprise.
He gazed at the sky, at the void covered by Pei Xiyan's telepathic transmission, and after a long while, he said in a deep voice:
"【Thunder】Divine Power...Of all the thunder in the world, two are evidenced by it. The other thunder must be the 【Social Thunder】of the Heavenly Mystery True Man."
"I wonder how the four kingdoms would react to these words."
…………
The State of Yue, the Golden Axe Gate.
While Master Taixi was refining the magical artifact in the furnace, he suddenly heard a clear, cold voice.
"【Thunderclap】? Thunder Palace now has two Purple Mansion True Persons."
Master Taixi pondered in his heart:
"The only thing missing before the Jade Pivot Palace opens is that [Divine Thunder] cultivator."
He made a pact with Tianxuan and set a trap to hand over the complete "Jade Pivot Edict on Extermination" to the Dragon Palace.
This gave Li Wu the possibility of breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm.
"Let's wait and see."
He has placed bets on both sides of the Golden Yue Gate, so regardless of whether the Jade Pivot Palace becomes a market player, he will not lose money.
…………
In the Shu Kingdom, there is a hidden paradise.
A red rainbow descended from the sky, falling into the depths of the cave and transforming into an old man with white hair and a youthful face.
The old man flicked his sleeves and entered the hall, where three Purple Mansion True Persons were already seated on either side.
"You all must have heard it."
The old man took his seat in the main position, his voice aged yet dignified:
"The one at Jade Forest Mountain has attained the [Thunderclap] level. Thunder Palace now has two Purple Mansion experts in charge, plus the Heavenly Profound True Person from Dragon Palace... The situation has become extremely dire."
The other person nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:
"The only thing missing is the [Divine Thunder]. Is his name Li Wu? Once he also breaks through to the Purple Mansion realm, the Jade Pivot Palace will truly be revealed to the world."
"That Li Wu is exceptionally talented; it's only a matter of time before he breaks through to the Purple Mansion realm. We must make plans as soon as possible."
"Hmph, it's all the Golden Axe Sect's fault that things have come to this. If they hadn't carelessly distributed the 'Jade Pivot Edict of Attack Scripture,' how could a [Divine Thunder] cultivator have suddenly appeared?"
Originally, there were only [She Lei] and [Zhen Lei] in the world. Even if both of them were in the Purple Mansion, they would not amount to much.
However, Li Wuxiu's [Divine Thunder] suddenly appeared, completely disrupting the situation.
Moreover, Li Wuming seemed to be shrouded in immense supernatural power; they secretly cast spells several times, but none of them were effective.
"We must not allow Li Wu to break through to the Purple Mansion realm."
"He's in Qin now, this is a great opportunity," a Purple Mansion True Man suggested.
If Li Wu were in the East Sea, they might not be able to kill him right under the noses of Tianxuan and Yulin Mountain.
However, if it were in the Qin state, there might not be no opportunity.
"Senior brother, please make a move."
The other real people all looked at Xuan Du, who had white hair and a youthful face.
Master Xuandu remained silent for a long time, then nodded slightly and said:
"I'll take care of it then."
…………
The State of Qin.
As Li Wuzheng was browsing through the jade slip containing information about the Four Kingdoms' Purple Mansion True Person that he had obtained from Zhou Xuandu in the courtyard, he suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of suffocation.
The jade slip fell from Li Wu's hand, and he immediately felt his spiritual energy stagnate.
"This is... the Purple Mansion Immortal!"
He looked up at the sky and saw that the originally dark sky had suddenly turned crimson, and the boundless sea of fire illuminated the entire Qin Kingdom.
"This is the [Fire Combination] technique... it's the work of True Man Xuandu!"
Li Wugang had just read the jade slip about the Purple Mansion True Man of the Four Kingdoms when he instantly guessed the identity of this Purple Mansion True Man.
"Is this the Great Perfected One who has mastered the Five Dharmas?"
At the same time, not only was Li Wu suppressed, but the entire Qin state witnessed this phenomenon.
Inside the Crown Prince's residence.
Ying Zichu's expression changed drastically as he looked at the image. As the crown prince of a country, he had a protective array in his mansion, but the array had been crushed to pieces by the overwhelming pressure before it could be activated.
Zhou Xuandu reacted the fastest, and a jade talisman flew out from his sleeve, exploding into a ball of clear light in the courtyard, barely enveloping the four of them.
These are protective talismans given to them by the Shangqing Zhenren, which can ward off supernatural powers.
Zhou Xuandu gazed at the figure in the sea of fire and immediately recognized its identity, saying in a deep voice:
"The Purple Mansion True Man... is the Mysterious Capital True Man!"
"He must be here to kill Fellow Daoist Li Wu!"
The crimson clouds slowly rotated and gathered towards the center, eventually condensing into a humanoid phantom about a hundred feet tall.
The phantom figure had white hair and a youthful face, with an indifferent expression in its eyes and brows, as if looking down on ants.
"Li Wu".
The sound came from all directions at the same time, silent yet clearly reaching everyone's ears, making their souls tremble.
Do you know your crime?
Li Wu's lips twitched slightly, his heart churning with turmoil, yet he managed a smile on his face:
"I don't know."
He raised his head, staring directly at the hundred-foot-tall phantom, and chuckled softly:
"Throughout my cultivation, I have never indiscriminately killed the innocent, nor harmed my fellow practitioners. May I ask, Master, what crime have I committed?"
Master Xuandu looked down at him, his expression unwavering, as if he hadn't heard his reply.
"Your cultivation of [Divine Thunder] is your original sin."
Before the words were finished, a giant crimson hand descended from the sky.
Li Wu frowned slightly. He unleashed his spiritual power, and his body was surrounded by silver-white lightning, yet he could not move an inch.
"We have no choice but to run."
With a thought, Li Wunian vanished instantly.
"Um?"
Xuan Du Zhenren suddenly realized that Li Wu's aura had disappeared, and was immediately puzzled. He pondered:
"Who? Could it be that fellow Daoist who was able to rescue someone from my grasp so silently? Could it be that True Lord?"
"Xuan Du! How dare you!"
However, before he could think further, he heard a loud shout.
Xuandu immediately stopped and turned around, only to see a giant dragon rolling in the thunderclouds from the direction of the East Sea.
Yellow lightning bolts struck the ground intermittently, decimating most of the cultivators from the four kingdoms.
"Fellow Daoist Tianxuan."
Xuan Du's expression was solemn. He had originally planned to kill Li Wu instantly and leave immediately, but unexpectedly, Li Wu disappeared without a trace.
He is still being held captive by Tianxuan.
Xuan Du pondered in his heart:
"This Tianxuan has cultivated the [She Lei] technique to perfection, and is truly not to be trifled with."
Master Xuandu's expression darkened slightly, and crimson flames swirled around his body, but he did not immediately make a move.
The roar of Master Tianxuan still echoed between heaven and earth, and the giant yellow thunder dragon had already arrived in the sky above Qin.
Thunderclouds surged like a boiling sea, dyeing half the sky a dim yellow, rivaling the crimson sea of fire of the Xuandu True Man.
The two pressures of the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm collided, and the entire Qin Kingdom seemed to tremble slightly.
The cultivators in the city collapsed to the ground, and countless mortals fainted. Even in the Crown Prince's residence, the clear light supported by Zhou Xuandu's jade talisman was violently vibrating, emitting creaking sounds, as if it would shatter at any moment.
The figure of the True Man Xuandu solidified, and he stepped out from the hundred-foot-tall phantom, transforming into an ordinary Taoist priest and standing in mid-air.
He gazed at the colossal yellow thunder dragon stretching across the sky, his expression calm, but his eyes growing more serious:
"Why is Fellow Daoist Tianxuan here in Qin instead of enjoying blessings in the East Sea?"
"Whatever you do, I will do."
The aged voice of Master Tianxuan came from the thunderclouds, though he was nowhere to be seen. However, the giant yellow thunder dragon had already transformed into human form.
It has a dragon's head and a human body, with lightning arcs coiling around its body like dragons and snakes, and faint yellow lightning flickering in its eyes.
"Xuan Du, how dare you lay a hand on my Thunder Palace disciple!"
Master Tianxuan scanned the Qin Kingdom with his divine sense and found no trace of Li Wu, but he was also certain that Li Wu had not been killed by Xuandu.
"Could it be that he was saved by that fellow Daoist?" Tianxuan thought to himself.
However, no matter what, as long as Li Wu is not dead, that's all that matters.
Master Xuandu shook his head slightly, his expression indifferent:
"This boy cultivates [Divine Thunder], making him an enemy of the world. My actions are to rid the common people of this scourge; what shame is there in that?"
"What a fine example of eliminating a scourge for the common people!"
Master Tianxuan sneered and said:
"While your Shu Kingdom's cultivators were out there killing people to refine pills and extracting souls to forge weapons, where were you to come out and rid the world of this scourge?"
Master Xuandu remained silent for a moment, his tone still calm:
"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Tianxuan, the conflict between you and me cannot be resolved in a few words. Since you have already made your move today, I will give you face."
Since Li Wu had disappeared, he didn't want to stay here any longer, so he vanished into the void and left.
Since Li Wu was not killed by Xuandu, Tianxuan did not intervene.
After all, now is not the time to completely turn against the Four Kingdoms Purple Mansion.
Ying Zichu was the first to regain his senses. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply in the direction where Tianxuan Zhenren had landed.
"Junior Ying Zichu thanks you, Master, for saving me."
Zhou Xuandu, Su Wan'er, and Qi Yu also bowed in greeting.
Master Tianxuan waved his hand, ignoring them, and his divine sense swept across the entire Qin Kingdom once more.
After a moment, he frowned slightly and murmured:
"They're really not here... Who was behind this?"
His gaze fell on Zhou Xuandu, and he said in a deep voice:
"Did you see how Li Wu left?"
Zhou Xuandu shook his head, a hint of confusion on his face:
"Reporting to the Master, when Master Xuandu struck with his palm, I only felt a blur before my eyes, and Fellow Daoist Li's aura vanished, as if... evaporated into thin air."
"Could it be that the True Lord rescued her?"
Such an idea came to Tianxuan's mind.
After all, only a True Lord could disappear without a trace right under the nose of a Great Perfectionist who has mastered the Five Laws.
"Well, since they rescued Li Wu, they probably didn't mean any harm." That was all Tianxuan could think for now.
…………
When Li Wu opened his eyes, he was already in a familiar scene on the other side.
It was the cave dwelling of Qing Shimen.
Even though he was out of danger, Li Wu was still shaken and said:
"Phew... the Purple Mansion True Person is actually this terrifying..."
"It seems I can't go to the Qi Gathering Realm for the time being. I'll wait until I've completed the Foundation Establishment stage."
Li Wu estimates that it will only take one or two years for him to complete the Foundation Establishment stage.
With this in mind, Li Wu left the cave and went to find He Yu.
At this time, He Yu was handling many sect affairs in the General Affairs Hall.
With Li Wu becoming a guest elder of the Biyang Sect, the status of Qingshimen soared dramatically in the surrounding counties.
Many forces have come to Qing Shimen seeking an alliance.
Many Qi-refining forces even voluntarily agreed to become affiliated forces of the Qing Shi Sect, paying a fixed amount of spirit stones every year in order to receive the protection of the Qing Shi Sect.
This also led to He Yu having more administrative duties, and even with other disciples sharing the burden, he was still very busy.
"He Yu".
Suddenly, He Yu heard a familiar voice. He looked up and saw a figure suddenly appear in front of him.
Upon recognizing the person, a smile appeared on his face:
"Sect Leader, you've emerged from seclusion!"