Chapter 1682: When Black And White Blur (II)

The Realm of Sun and Moon Radiance.

Wisps of cloud drifted through intertwining prismatic light as Li Ximing slowly emerged from meditation. The heavenly light filling the pavilion withdrew at once.

He rose and lifted a hand. One or two specks of golden light appeared at his fingertips, circled gracefully around his wrist, then settled back onto his fingers. The Daoist Master, clad in white and golden Daoist robes, slowly raised his head.

"[Radiance Under Heaven] has finally reached perfection!"

Cultivating the Immortal Foundation of [Radiance Under Heaven] had consumed more than a single Purple Mansion Realm spirit pill, including a [Qilin Radiance Illumination Pill] from the Bright Yang Dao. That was without even counting the immense time and effort it had required!

No wonder people seize the Immortal Foundations of others. This round of cultivation relied on Purple Mansion Realm spirit pills, a Golden Core Realm grotto heaven blessed land, and even the support of talisman qi! Without all of that, my cultivation would have been three or four times slower. Who knows how many years it would have taken?!

He sighed inwardly, Even after completing it, there's still a good chance this attempt will fail... If I lacked a cultivation method or were simply stuck at the immortal threshold, I could at least go out into the world, lay my plans, and bide my time. But with divine ability lying right before me, yet remaining just out of reach, this truly is a test of one's resolve.

Li Ximing stepped forward, leaving the grotto heaven and appearing within the inner formation. With another step, he was standing amidst Zhijing Mountain.

Heavenly light shimmered throughout the mountain as a young man stood beneath a gardenia tree, lost in thought.

When Li Ximing appeared, Li Zhouwei turned and cupped his hands in greeting. "Granduncle!"

Li Ximing smiled and said, "You came back quickly!"

"It's already been nearly half a year." A shadow crossed Li Zhouwei's face as he shook his head. "I fought a Dragon Son in Yinzhou. My whereabouts were exposed, so there was no time to continue to the Southern Sea. I had no choice but to hurry back. At least the matter with Minghui was resolved, so the trip wasn't entirely in vain."

"What?!" Li Ximing was inwardly shaken as he asked, "A Dragon Son? Dingjiao? How did things end up like this?"

Li Zhouwei paced as he recounted everything that had happened in Yinzhou before saying softly, "I had long suspected that Guang Fou could not kill me. But the moment Dongfang Lieyun appeared, all my doubts were put to rest. By now, both the Underworld's judiciary and Luoxia have revealed themselves, and the Yang Family has even bestowed a royal title upon me. I, Li Zhouwei, am now an openly placed piece on the board. The dragons can no longer remove me recklessly.

"Had I refused the Yang Family's throne back then, there might have been a slim chance that I would have died in Yinzhou today. Moreover, if someone had truly made a move, it would likely have been the White Dragon."

Li Ximing was taken aback as he asked, "The White Dragon? Dingjiao? But... wasn't he on friendly terms with you?"

Li Zhouwei silently shook his head. "Not him. The order would have come from Bei Sea... Dingjiao was only carrying out orders. Back then, he was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm. The position from which he viewed things was completely different."

In truth, Li Zhouwei had never believed there was any genuine struggle among the various Dragon Successions. Their positions might differ, but in the end, they all sought the same goal.

"Granduncle, the different attitudes the various Dragon Successions hold toward me merely reflect the dragon's different considerations..."

His voice dropped even lower. "When it comes to me, Li Zhouwei, the dragons are conflicted, whether in sentiment or strategy. Naturally, they do not wish for me to hasten Bright Yang's downfall, but that does not mean they hold any special affection for Li Qianyuan. As I said during the battle, if the dragons truly possessed both the ability and the desire to save Bright Yang, why would there ever have been a need for someone like me?

"The very fact that there is a Li Zhouwei, and that the White Qilin is allowed to come and go from the Dragon Palace, proves that, at its core, the dragons harbor the intention of seeing Li Qianyuan dead!"

He enunciated each word deliberately. "So long as the seat has a master, who sits upon it is of no consequence."

Li Ximing met his gaze, and in that instant, he understood. The dragons' seemingly contradictory stance actually pointed to another possibility. They also wanted him to seek Bright Yang. Yet the outcome of attaining that Fruition Position would inevitably be ascending to Bright Yang itself. As a True Monarch who stood on friendly terms with the dragons, he would become another source of strength for their pursuit of the true path.

If you, Li Zhouwei, seek no proof, so be it. But if you do, then you must succeed!

Li Ximing opened his mouth to speak, only to stop himself as Li Zhouwei let out a mocking laugh. "As for reincarnation through Metallic Essence? I don't know whether you believe it, granduncle, but I certainly don't."

What standing did Li Zhouwei possibly have? Why would the dragons help him if not for Bright Yang? But if Bright Yang had already reincarnated to cultivate another path, why would they continue helping Li Zhouwei? If he could no longer bring any benefit to the dragons, why would they benevolently spend a portion of Metallic Essence to reincarnate him? Was it because they were short of a single Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?!

If one can reclaim one's essence, one naturally becomes a golden rainbow. If there truly were a path to immortality, how could they possibly leave it for me?

As part of Luoxia's immortal design, the demon's mockery of those on the mountain was more than merely Luoxia imitating the dragons' manner of speaking. It was also a biting satire of the dragons' methods themselves!

From beginning to end, reincarnation through Metallic Essence had likely been nothing more than a convenient lie to send him off to die!

That is precisely why the dragons have appeared so indecisive. It has nothing to do with sparing me out of old ties to Wei's Li. What a joke. Why would the mighty dragons care about the sentiment owed to a mere descendant of Wei's Li?

In other words, the so-called reincarnation advocated by the White Dragon Succession led by Dongfang Lieyun was utterly meaningless. The dragons either could not accomplish it, or simply had no desire to. They only wanted stability. They did not believe he could succeed. They merely wanted him to abandon any attempt at Fruition Attainment and quietly go off to die!

That was why Guang Fou had sneered in the midst of battle and deliberately said, "Who is it that truly despises Wei's Li Bright Yang? Dingjiao, or me? Li Zhouwei... Think very carefully before you answer."

Did that mean Guang Fou was truly friendly toward Wei State, as he claimed? Not at all. What he supported was Wei's Li Bright Yang, not Li Qianyuan. Whoever could sit upon that position would have his support. Fundamentally, the dragons would rather gain the backing of a new Bright Yang True Monarch than cling to a half-dead Li Qianyuan! It was that very will that had driven Guang Fou to act.

Even the more radical Black Dragon Succession did not fully trust him. Guang Fou had merely been sounding him out, deliberately provoking him to see whether he possessed both the rebellious resolve and the capability to attain that position!

Indeed, in that exchange, that rebellious resolve mattered even more than his strength.

Meanwhile, the White Dragon Succession had watched him like a tiger stalking its prey. Li Zhouwei was ninety percent certain that the Dragon King of Bei Sea valued stability above all else. He desperately wanted Li Zhouwei to draw the attention of the entire north upon himself, walk this path through the mortal world, and in the end, quietly meet a peaceful death!

That was precisely why Dongfang Lieyun had deliberately pointed out the symbolism behind the [Dry Yang Bangles]!

Li Ximing met Li Zhouwei’s golden eyes for a long while before saying, "They've trapped you in the middle... Yet not one of them has taken a definitive stance..."

Li Zhouwei slowly closed his eyes. "A definitive stance... Whether killing me or fully supporting me, both come with a price. Either choice would invite retaliation from the other two Successions. It's not that they cannot afford the cost. They're simply waiting.

"If I truly prove unworthy, then they will move to eliminate me. But if I am truly one destined to rebel against Bright Yang and ascend to its throne, I may not rule with the domineering authority of Heavenly Radiance in its Orthodox Position, commanding ministers through righteousness. Yet I would certainly resemble Yang Apex in its Inverted Position, cloaking myself in feigned loyalty while subverting the sovereign through cunning. Why would such a person fear being pulled between two opposing Successions?"

Li Ximing silently watched him as the younger man revealed a chilling smile. "They... are afraid that I'm not ruthless enough!"

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