Chapter 694: Chapter 208: Seizing Power, Going with the Flow, Intertwining, Cultivating the Celestial Soul
But his father did it.
The Barbarian King clenched his fists secretly, thinking: ’The future glory shall be continued by me, father, your son will not disappoint you!’
...
On the other side, in the dark wind and snow, Li Yuan stood expressionlessly with his hands behind his back, his white hair dancing wildly like snow.
Black crows circled around him.
Li Yuan said to the crows: "Xiaozhao, from today, you will have a hard time for a while.
You must guard the Divine Tomb well, trust no one, and let no one in, even your brother Zhenyan Huang is no exception.
Although Meng Xingxian’s two-headed wolves are many, they are large and can only enter the Divine Tomb one by one, while your crows can fly all over the sky.
In the tomb, you remain an invincible presence."
A crow jubilantly said, "Okay, Dad."
Li Yuan said, "Since that old man wants to teach you the Celestial Soul Cultivation Method, just listen to him. Then tell me everything you hear. Dad will try it out first."
"Understood, Dad." Another crow hopped onto Li Yuan’s left shoulder, obediently replied, and then curiously asked, "Dad, is there a problem with that woman called Meng Xingxian?"
Li Yuan said, "Yes."
"Ah? Then why are you so nice to her, Dad?" Xiaozhao was puzzled.
Li Yuan smiled and said, "Dad has his calculations... moreover, Meng Xingxian might truly become part of our family in the future."
"Oh." Xiaozhao softly responded.
Li Yuan continued to ask, "Recently, Ping’an has been sneaking out often, right?"
"Yes, Dad, but my crows can’t keep up with him, he quickly notices them and throws them off.
When I ask him where he’s going, he tells me not to worry about it."
Xiaozhao was quite troubled.
Li Yuan nodded.
...
A month later.
The mode of interaction among the few people had been set.
The Barbarian King and Barbarian Queen went to the Zhenyan Clan.
While Li Yuan and other "old people" stayed with the White Deer Clan.
On this day, Li Ping’an sneaked back, "coincidentally" seeing Li Yuan actually making dumplings with Fourth Lady, Fifth Lady, and Aunt Yao in the dining hall, so he tip-toed to sneak past.
But just halfway there, he heard Li Yuan calling out: "Ping’an."
Li Ping’an flashed over immediately and said, "Dad, you actually have time to make dumplings today."
Li Yuan smiled and said, "You rascal, going out fooling around every day."
Li Ping’an retorted angrily, "Dad, it’s not fair to say that. I, Li Ping’an, am obviously training diligently."
"Oh?"
Li Yuan casually picked up a rolling pin, shook it, and then looked at the long blade at Li Ping’an’s waist and said, "Let’s spar."
Li Ping’an said, "No, no, I’ve been too tired from practicing recently, so let’s not fight...
Dad, Fourth Lady, Fifth Lady, Aunt Yao, call me when it’s time to eat.
Also, Fourth Lady, bring my wives to cook too, don’t spoil them."
Saying so, he ran off like a gust of wind.
Li Yuan watched his back deeply.
Jing Shuixiang softly said beside him, "Ping’an seems a bit odd."
Yaojue said, "Shall I go and ask him?"
"No need, he’s not a child anymore, he can make judgments. Besides, it’s normal for family to have some secrets, there’s no need to dig to the bottom." Li Yuan shook his head, a contemplative look in his eyes.
At this moment, it seemed that many undercurrents were surging from places unknown to him, forming a web of grey flows in his eyes, making his gaze increasingly deep, dark, and inscrutable, which then dissolved into a touch of a smile.
...
In the following days, Li Yuan did nothing, merely patiently observing the winds and grass around him.
Most of his time was spent at the Xie Mansion, occasionally at the Western Pole, and least of all in Shanbao County.
The Nine Paths Lords were besieging and occupying cities, moving towards encircling the Jade Capital.
Every day, he could hear Xie Wei talking about such topics.
And when the time was right, he, the Emperor, would still need to personally lead an expedition to retake the Jade Capital.
However, it naturally didn’t need his personal intervention to retake the Jade Capital.
Thus, Li Yuan did not plan to take action himself.
Instead, he began pondering the "Celestial Soul Cultivation Method" relayed by Xiaozhao.
The first minor realm of moving from Fourth Grade to Third Grade is ’Lone Yin Fire Body’.
To achieve this Third Grade, it doesn’t require solid cultivation like the Shadow Blood Skill, but merely needs to have your soul imbued with a great amount of Yin Qi.
If the description of this method is not mistaken, then a naturally prodigious and pristine being like Xiaozhao, who was born with Jade Remains, is already on the doorstep of the Third Grade.
Whereas others, like my ordinary self, need to work hard with Secret Skill to increase the Yin Qi in the soul to meet the requirements of this realm, which seems extremely difficult."
"However, dissecting the Shadow Blood Cultivation Method, it essentially boils down to Yin and Yang.
The Yang around me is fire.
My Yin is the Ancestral Talisman.
And the bit of Yin Qi given by Lady Yan... however, that Yin Qi has already been condensed into a Celestial Eye by me."
With a thought, a painted eye hovered around Li Yuan and then sank into his skin.
"So, the focus is still on fire and the Ancestral Talisman."
Two scenes flashed through Li Yuan’s mind:
One was the Nine Flames Clan where the nine clusters of flames became more intense, their color shifting from deep red to a faint, withered hue.
The other was the Wendao Palace outside Shanbao County.
As time passed, Shanbao County had been infiltrated by the Judges like a sieve.
Under normal circumstances, the Judges wouldn’t withstand the counterattack of the massive Lotus Sect.
But now, as the Nine Paths Alliance Army besieges the Lotus Sect, the Lotus Sect can barely defend itself, desperately rallying forces to defend the Jade Capital, having no time to defend Shanbao County.
Taking advantage of the chaos is apt here.
Li Yuan decided to visit Wendao Palace.
It was time to lay some channels.
Once Wendao Palace was fully absorbed into the sphere of influence, the failed "New Wendao Palace" he tried to establish on Cloud Mountain Path could also be reattempted.
Now, outside is the Immortals fighting, undercurrents surging, Li Yuan must seize the opportunity to continue strengthening himself.
...
Click...
With the closing of the secret chamber door in the Xie Mansion, the Emperor retreated into seclusion once more.
Meanwhile, inside the chamber, Li Yuan’s figure was ethereal, disappearing in an instant, and reappearing before the ominous Ghost Prison.
At this moment, the Ghost Prison had changed compared to before.
Iron cages suspended in mid-air contained live people, and in front of them was a mirror, seemingly replaying some scenes on loop, while the living were letting out painful screams, chanting things like "I was wrong, I was wrong".
Li Yuan glanced at it, then suddenly sensing something, he looked at the mountain peak behind him.
From that mountain peak, incense smoke was drifting upward, as if worshipping someone from afar.
Curious, he swiftly flew over, hiding his form with the Illusion Technique, watching carefully.
It was a dilapidated temple, with the original deity statue long gone, replaced by a painting.
In the painting, Lady Black Skirt had an ancient hairpin, a long skirt dragging, surrounded by hundreds of ghosts submitting...
Many people were burning incense and paying respects to this image, all chanting "Lady Yama protect us".
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