Chapter 42: Purple Qi Forges the Dao Foundation, Starving to Hunt Supremes, the Wolf Clan Walks Right into the Trap
Su Wan was pierced straight through by a sword, and blood splattered across the ground. Overwhelming agony engulfed her entire body; her eyes rolled back, and saliva drooled from her mouth.
Pain, it was far too painful!
Su Wan clawed at the crimson demonic sword with both hands, trying desperately to pull it out, while her mind instantly went completely blank.
Her fingers were sliced open by the blade.
Li Xuan looked leisurely at Su Wan. "To have the Emperor make a move personally can be considered your honor, not to mention this is the Human Emperor Sword itself. That deep, blackish-red on the blade is nothing less than imperial purple Qi!"
Su Wan's eyes widened. She caught fragments of Li Xuan's words, yet she refused to believe them—not a single word. This was clearly a demonic sword, one that had slaughtered countless living beings!
"I—"
Su Wan wanted to say something.
With a flick of Li Xuan's finger, the blade twisted, and Su Wan's body shuddered. Li Xuan said calmly, "You did nothing wrong. How could you possibly be wrong? You simply realized that you would suffer forever, and you are filled with regret."
"You and Ye Bufan are true lovers after all; do not make me look down upon your true love. Ye Bufan is already dead, though it is a pity I cannot send you to keep him company."
Su Wan's body trembled violently. Pain, it was too painful! No, stop!
She knew she was wrong, truly and deeply wrong!
Su Wan felt regret, boundless regret. She should never have chosen Ye Bufan!
Yet, it was all useless. Su Wan's physical body was instantly absorbed by the Human Emperor Sword. A solitary soul materialized inside the blade—it was Su Wan, enveloped entirely by the sword's dense purple Qi.
Her shrill screams echoed out, each one more piercing and wretched than the last.
With a calm expression, Li Xuan retrieved the Human Emperor Sword, glanced once at the Xiyue Sacred Land, and vanished into thin air.
***
Near the Xiyue Sacred Land, Kou Zhong and the others gazed into the distance. Anxiety gripped their hearts as they desperately wished to know what had transpired within the sacred land.
They finally believed it—the Senior Li whom they knew was actually an Emperor!
The reigning Great Emperor, the Taixuan Emperor!
Kou Zhong's face shifted rapidly between smiles and anxiety, twisting like a mask in a face-changing act, until the Daoist beside him could no longer hold back. "Old Kou, stop pulling faces over there."
Kou Zhong rubbed his hands, raising his head to look up at the Xiyue Sacred Land. "That's an Emperor we are talking about! I actually got to witness the current Great Emperor in the flesh!"
"I wonder if His Majesty the Emperor could be in any danger."
Kou Zhong's worry left the others speechless. The Emperor in danger? You are overthinking things by a mile.
"What danger could there be?" Li Xuan's figure materialized as he looked at Kou Zhong and the group.
"Greetings, Taixuan Emperor."
Revitalized, Kou Zhong and the others quickly bowed in salute, and Li Xuan told them to dispense with the formalities.
Unable to help themselves, Kou Zhong and his companions stole glances at Li Xuan. This was a living, breathing Great Emperor standing right before their eyes; how could they suppress their deep reverence?
"Greetings, Taixuan Emperor," Kou Zhong bowed respectfully. Now that he truly knew the Senior Li before him was none other than the Taixuan Emperor, an actual Great Emperor, and felt the Dao resonance matching that of the Xiyue Sacred Land precisely, he could not have been more reverent.
"Emperor, the Xiyue Sacred Land..." Kou Zhong blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity about the actual situation inside.
"There is no need to worry about the Xiyue Sacred Land," Li Xuan said indifferently. His words caused Kou Zhong and the others to breathe sighs of relief. An Emperor was an Emperor, after all; besides, the Xiyue Sacred Land had been founded by a close friend of the Emperor.
Presumably, the sacred land had already learned the Emperor's true identity and must be terrified, wondering how they had managed to offend him.
Right now, the Xiyue Sacred Land must be panicking and begging the Emperor for forgiveness.
Thinking of this, Kou Zhong felt a sudden surge of schadenfreude. The Xiyue Sacred Land had previously tried to obstruct him when he was tracking down his enemies; now they were kneeling in terror, weren't they?!
Li Xuan smiled faintly. These people were rather amusing, and he could easily sense what they were imagining. Unfortunately, they had guessed entirely wrong.
The Xiyue Sacred Land had not even been destroyed by his hands; the disciples of the sacred land were simply too weak, having already been drained dry by Cui Ning beyond any hope of salvation.
They had essentially been destroyed by Chen Xiyue herself.
Li Xuan did not linger. Leaving behind a single talisman paper, he vanished once again.
Clutching the talisman paper, Kou Zhong's entire body trembled with excitement as his fingers stroked its surface. "My heavens! Is this an Imperial Edict?!"
An Imperial Edict! A genuine decree left by a Great Emperor, and it had somehow ended up in his hands—the hands of a mere Saint!
Kou Zhong swallowed hard. The Daoist and the muscular man stared with bulging eyes, utterly astonished that the Taixuan Emperor could be so generous. Kou Zhong had barely even done the Emperor a minor favor.
Not only had the Taixuan Emperor helped Kou Zhong find the murderer of his son, but His Majesty had actually bestowed upon him an Imperial Edict!
The Dao resonance and terrifying power contained within it were enough to make them tremble with envy and drool with greed!
This was a supreme treasure! No matter what ghosts or malicious entities appeared—even if a decaying Emperor's corpse crawled out—they would have to retreat upon seeing this decree.
And yet it had fallen so easily into Kou Zhong's grasp. Unable to resist, the Daoist reached out a hand to touch the Imperial Edict, only for Kou Zhong to slap his hand away with a sharp slap. Glaring fiercely at the Daoist and the others, Kou Zhong snapped, "What do you think you're doing?"
The muscular man scratched his head. "We were just looking, taking a look! It's not like we've ever seen an Imperial Edict before. What's wrong with looking?"
Kou Zhong immediately stowed the Imperial Edict away and shook his head. "In your dreams! No looking. This is going to be my family's heirloom from now on. No one is allowed to touch it; I have to keep it safe!"
His sworn brothers were left utterly speechless.
Envy burned fiercely in their hearts. This was an Imperial Edict from a Great Emperor—who wouldn't want it?
Even if the Taixuan Emperor were no longer around in the future, the power contained within this decree would endure!
Obliterating a Saint with it would be as easy as turning over a hand!
Such a thing was a priceless treasure, an immensely formidable treasure!
Even top-tier sacred lands would find it difficult to acquire an Imperial Edict of this caliber.
Kou Zhong burst into hearty laughter, immensely pleased with himself. He was the Emperor's most loyal devotee!
Anyone who dared to speak ill of the Taixuan Emperor would have to answer to him, Kou Zhong!
***
In a small city, within the Li family estate, the atmosphere was one of leisurely composure.
Li Zhan stood upon a pavilion, overlooking the clan grounds, and massaged his face. He had just seen off a wave of visiting guests—sect masters and minor sacred land lords from the surrounding regions—and his face was aching from smiling so much.
The Li family was truly thriving now, having become a preeminent great clan in the vicinity. The strength of their disciples had skyrocketed; and not just the disciples—he and several of the clan elders had also advanced in cultivation by leaps and bounds.
The abundant meat provided by the Ancestor was wonderfully invigorating, driving their strength upward at a ferocious pace, to the point where even Mo Ji had fallen into seclusion.
Just then, Li Qingqing requested an audience and ascended to the pavilion. Li Zhan spotted her approach, turned around, and looked at her with a gentle smile. "Ah, Qingqing is here."
Li Zhan held mixed feelings toward Li Qingqing—he was both satisfied and dissatisfied. He was satisfied with her strength, but dissatisfied because her ambition and vanity had begun to swell.
Li Qingqing bowed and stated the purpose of her visit. She had come to request a rare medicinal herb from the clan. After explaining her intent, a trace of nervousness flickered in her heart.
Though the Li family was wealthy nowadays, a rare medicinal herb remained extremely precious to the clan.
She doubted whether her request would be approved.
Li Zhan stared at Li Qingqing for a moment, recalling the Ancestor's instructions, before nodding. "Very well, you may go to the treasury to make the application. However, Qingqing, you must be a bit more mindful of your actions lately."
A wave of relief washed over Li Qingqing, followed immediately by a chill. The Patriarch had actually agreed to her request! But what did his warning mean? Pondering this, she bowed respectfully and departed with a cheerful expression.
Li Zhan let out a soft sigh. This Li Qingqing...
"Why the sigh?"
A voice rang out from directly behind him.
Li Zhan stiffened, spun around, and his expression relaxed as he bowed. "Greetings, Ancestor."
***
Li Xuan took a sip of tea and waved a hand. "No need for formalities."
Li Zhan bowed regardless. The Ancestor told him not to stand on ceremony, but as a junior, how could he lack basic etiquette?
Without waiting for a response, Li Xuan seemed to recall something. With a flip of his hand, a mysterious ring flew out and hovered beside Li Zhan. "These are the resources of the Tailong Sect. Take them and use them to cultivate the disciples of the clan. Oh, and give special focus to cultivating Li Qingqing."
"Understood, Ancestor."
Li Zhan quickly caught the ring. Upon hearing Li Qingqing's name, he hesitated not a moment before speaking up. "Ancestor, in my view, Li Qingqing is not worth cultivating. She harbors divided loyalties toward our Li family and has grown far too close to that Nie Mie recently. I suspect she intends to sever ties with the clan, and today she even had the audacity to apply for a rare herb."
Li Zhan offered his judgment based on his own analysis: Li Qingqing was not worth the investment. Even though the Ancestor seemed to look favorably upon her, he, as the Patriarch of the Li family, felt compelled to voice her disloyalty, even if it meant incurring the Ancestor's punishment.
Li Xuan's gaze landed on Li Zhan. The latter grew intensely nervous, but then Li Xuan suddenly smiled.
"No matter, continue to follow my arrangements. Li Qingqing wants to leave the Li family?"
Li Xuan chuckled softly. Li Zhan swallowed hard; the Ancestor's smile sent a shiver down his spine.
"She grew up in my Li family. Everything she has consumed, used, and cultivated came from our clan's resources. If she wishes to abandon us, I do not mind letting her witness the ruthless side of the Li family."
Li Xuan's tone was flat, yet Li Zhan felt a piercing chill. It seemed the Ancestor had long since made arrangements regarding Li Qingqing. While such arrangements surely spelled trouble for her, Li Zhan found himself entirely in agreement!
The Li family had done nothing to wrong Li Qingqing. If she truly dared to betray them...
"Understood, Ancestor," Li Zhan committed the instructions to memory.
"You are the Patriarch of the Li family. Remember this: with me here, the Li family has nothing to fear. If anyone dares to come looking for trouble, your attitude must be resolute—kill whenever necessary."
"If you cannot kill them, I am here."
Li Xuan spoke calmly as he took another sip of tea, issuing his commands. He valued the Li family to a certain degree because their ancient ancestors had once harbored the ambition to follow him, the Great Emperor.
At best, Li Xuan considered the Li family still a long way off, though they were worthy of cultivation.
This clan did indeed share a somewhat distant connection with his mortal origins.
Li Zhan's expression tightened, and he nodded solemnly. "Yes, Ancestor."
In his heart, he resolved to act with greater firmness. Thinking of Li Qingqing again, he decided he would need to issue one more warning to her—he only hoped she would not commit a foolish mistake.
In a fleeting blur of perception, Li Zhan blinked, only to find the Ancestor had already vanished.
Li Zhan drew in a deep breath. The Ancestor's mastery and power were truly unfathomable!
***
In the endless expanse of the cosmos, starfields clustered densely. Li Xuan stepped into the primordial darkness of the universe. With his Great Emperor cultivation, crossing the distance from the Li family into deep space was no more than a single step.
Yet it was a distance that ordinary cultivators could not span in a lifetime of trying.
Looking back at the planet where the Tianwu Continent resided, it was a world radiating brilliant light, exuding boundless Xuanhuang Qi.
Countless stellar debris and various mysterious, hazardous anomalies were constantly drawn in by the gravitational pull of the Xuanhuang Imperial Star.
The reason it was called the Xuanhuang Imperial Star was precisely because of the Xuanhuang Qi it emitted, and the Great Emperors who had walked forth from its soil.
Among all worlds, the Xuanhuang Imperial Star harbored the highest number of forbidden zones, and had birthed the greatest number of Great Emperors.
Sitting cross-legged in the depths of the starry void, Li Xuan thought to himself: *Sooner or later, I will wipe out every last forbidden zone.*
On the first day after losing Ye Bufan, Li Xuan actually felt a twinge of nostalgia for Ye Bufan and his companions. If only Ye Bufan's destiny hadn't been exhausted so quickly—how wonderful it would have been to keep him strung up, constantly harvesting his lifespan without end.
Li Xuan opened the system interface. Ye Bufan and the others had contributed over five thousand years of lifespan; it was a massive profit!
Along with that came a vast ocean of villain points.
"Ye Bufan truly is a good fellow."
Musing to himself, Li Xuan initiated the blind box draws.
Glancing at the system, he noticed higher-tier blind boxes available, though they required significantly more villain points, yielding correspondingly superior rewards.
Goodness, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
Without hesitation, Li Xuan converted all his points into the new tier of blind boxes.
[You have exchanged for five blind boxes and received the following rewards: Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi ×3, Nine-Turn Golden Pill ×1, Dao Scripture: Severing the Self Scripture ×1.]
Examining these items, Li Xuan drew in a sharp breath. Good grief, the drop rates were stingy; his massive reserves of villain points had only been enough to exchange for five intermediate-tier blind boxes.
A sharp glint flashed in Li Xuan's eyes. Even so, it was entirely worth it. He only wondered if even higher-tier boxes existed—such as advanced blind boxes?
As long as the gains matched the cost, villain points were of no consequence!
The reason Li Xuan deemed it worthwhile was that the Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi was a supreme treasure—precisely the kind of treasure he needed for his cultivation.
He was cultivating an alternate path.
The missing element in his specific path was precisely such supreme treasures, and the Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi fit that exact requirement!
The Nine-Turn Golden Pill was a supreme healing elixir. Li Xuan claimed it, highly satisfied with the potent medicinal energy it radiated.
With this single Nine-Turn Golden Pill, he could recover even from fatal injuries.
As for the *Severing the Self Scripture*, it was a foundational manual of the Dao. Leafing through it, Li Xuan furrowed his brows; this scripture was designed to sever and discard the flawed aspects of one's Dao foundation.
He had no use for it at present.
Putting it away, Li Xuan flipped his hand over. Three noble, majestic golden dragons materialized in his palm. They were golden dragons rolling amidst boundless Xuanhuang purple Qi, possessing five claws each.
This was none and other than the Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi. It was because he sensed the sheer power contained within them that Li Xuan had declared the draw worth it.
"Roar!"
The three manifestations of Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi seemed to possess a spiritual sentience. As they writhed in his palm, earth-shaking roars echoed out—roars capable of shattering a planet.
They slammed against Li Xuan's palm, producing metallic clanging sounds. Realizing they were trapped, the three golden dragons thrashed frantically, yet they could not budge his hand in the slightest.
With a faint smile, Li Xuan opened his mouth and swallowed them whole.
The moment the three entities entered him, they were instantly guided down into his Dao foundation.
Within his Emperor's physique, boundless energy flowed like silk and thread. The three golden dragons of purple Qi were instantly suppressed.
A streak of Primordial Purple expanded before their eyes, causing them to freeze in place.
At that moment, one could actually perceive the emotions of shock and terror radiating from them.
Supreme treasures among natural wonders were actually feeling shock and awe in the presence of Li Xuan's Dao foundation.
In an instant, Li Xuan's Dao foundation unfolded, radiating an endless sense of hunger. A closer look revealed that this Dao foundation was far from complete.
It was an incomplete Dao foundation.
*Gurgle.*
The three streams of Heaven, Earth, Xuanhuang Purple Qi were swallowed into the depths of the Dao foundation, instantly ground down, and converted into streams of Dao principles that Li Xuan's purple Dao foundation absorbed.
His Dao foundation had... completed itself just a fraction more!
Li Xuan opened his eyes and cursed softly, realizing he had fallen victim to his own greed.
Back then, the dark turmoil had been fought over a single supreme treasure, with everyone nearly beating each other's brains out. Fortunately, Li Xuan had sensed the danger ahead of time and retreated early, leaving only a wisp of aura to participate.
Even so, he had nearly been cleaved in half by someone tracing that wisp of aura!
At that time, he had already been at the peak of the Quasi-Emperor realm.
During that chaos, Li Xuan had picked up a mysterious fragment, which he used to forge his current Dao foundation.
To be precise, he had never truly completed his foundation-building!
Sensing his Dao foundation, Li Xuan felt his eyes gradually turn red. He was starving—far too hungry!
His Dao foundation was ravenous, requiring countless Dao fragments. Of course, devouring complete Dao principles would be even better!
A ripple stirred in the dark void. Fortunately, there was no one else present in this region.
Li Xuan closed his eyes, unleashing his Great Emperor realm cultivation. His power began to climb: Second-tier Great Emperor, third-tier Great Emperor, fourth-tier Great Emperor...
Yet in an instant, his aura suppressed itself, dropping back down to the second-tier Great Emperor realm, remaining completely rock-solid.
He had suppressed it himself, forcing the fourth-tier realm back down into a fiercely stable second-tier Great Emperor peak!
Opening his eyes once more, Li Xuan's pupils remained crimson. He was truly starving.
An urge pulsed within his heart to hunt down a few forbidden zone sovereigns and alien supreme beings!
***
Ten thousand miles outside the Xiyue Sacred Land, people in a nearby great city gazed toward the sacred precinct.
Gradually, a sense of strangeness crept over everyone. Why was there still no movement from the Xiyue Sacred Land?
"What is there to worry about? A Great Emperor has descended personally; could anything possibly go wrong?"
"Indeed! It's the reigning Taixuan Emperor, after all. Although... well, it should still be stable! Besides, he is a close friend of the Xiyue Sacred Land; what could possibly happen?"
"..."
No one felt any real concern.
In the city, Kou Zhong and his companions sat drinking wine. Knowing far more than the onlookers, they could only chuckle at the ignorance of the crowd.
Had these people ever laid eyes on the Taixuan Emperor? Did they possess an Imperial Edict from him?
Kou Zhong was practically tempted to slap the Imperial Edict onto his forehead so everyone could see he held a decree from the Taixuan Emperor!
As for the Xiyue Sacred Land, there was even less need to worry!
The sacred land would surely offer humble apologies, and whatever demonic abyss had erupted would be instantly flattened by a single sweep of the Emperor's hand!
Right then, everyone stirred. The Xiyue Sacred Land was finally showing signs of movement!
The Emperor's Dao resonance surrounding the sacred land parted, revealing the landscape within.
Several figures emerged from the ruins of the Xiyue Sacred Land, their silhouettes appearing lonely and desolate.
"What is this? Why is the Xiyue Sacred Land so quiet? Where are the grand arrays, the floating pavilions? Even the islands are gone?"
"Hiss! I don't sense the aura of a single disciple inside the sacred land. It's a dead silence!"
"Look, the ones coming out are the Saints of the Xiyue Sacred Land! I recognize them!"
Someone's face turned pale with shock and horror. "Those are the foundational ancestors of the sacred land—Grand Saint Ji Chun and Grand Saint Wu Xian! And the rest are all the holy realm figures of Xiyue!"
Within the city, silence fell. Kou Zhong and his group were dumbfounded as well. How had the Xiyue Sacred Land been reduced to just this handful of people?
Just a sparse few? And all of them were at the holy realm? Where were the elders and peak masters of the Xiyue Sacred Land?
Inside the city, Kou Zhong and several others could no longer hold back. They sped toward the vicinity of the Xiyue Sacred Land, and upon arrival, their shock deepened into absolute disbelief.
The Xiyue Sacred Land was gone. Though spiritual energy still saturated the place, not a single living member of the sacred land remained!
Not a single one.
Even the demonic abyss of the Xiyue Sacred Land had vanished!
"Greetings, two Grand Saints. The Xiyue Sacred Land..."
Stepping forward, a Saint cupped his fists and asked with visible anxiety.
They had begun to suspect something had gone wrong with the Emperor, rendering him unable to save the sacred land—or perhaps he hadn't intervened at all!
Thunder crackled across the sky, and a chilling, ominous wind swept through the air.
Could something have happened to the Taixuan Emperor? A nameless dread gripped everyone's hearts.
Wu Xian spoke up, his voice steady. "Everyone, do not worry. The Emperor is safe and sound. The matters regarding our Xiyue Sacred Land involve other hidden causes and reasons. I can only say that our destruction was not unjustified; we harbor no grievances and hold no regrets."
Beside him, Ji Chun nodded as well, and the other holy realm elders of Xiyue wore calm expressions, genuinely free of resentment.
If they held any resentment at all, it was directed solely at the damned Chen Xiyue, and Chen Xiyue was already dead.
"This..."
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. The Xiyue Sacred Land had been destroyed, yet these surviving grand saints and saints of the faction were entirely at peace? Just what on earth had taken place here?
Kou Zhong's heart stirred as a possibility crossed his mind. If the Emperor himself had destroyed the Xiyue Sacred Land... but why would he do such a thing?
Could it have something to do with the demonic abyss? Kou Zhong could not puzzle it out.
Ji Chun spoke again, "Fellow daoists, the Emperor is fine; there is no need for concern. It is simply that the detailed circumstances cannot be shared with outsiders."
Though Ji Chun spoke with utmost sincerity, no one dared to believe him, given that the sacred land had literally been erased.
Naturally, none of them knew that the Xiyue Sacred Land had been destroyed by its very own founding master.
In the distance, a pair of sharp eyes flickered as they stared out from beyond the borders of the Xiyue Sacred Land.
The Xiyue Sacred Land had actually been wiped out?
The Taixuan Emperor must have run into trouble!
Could it be that he was no longer capable of intervening?
Splendid, simply splendid! The Wolf Clan's time to rise had finally arrived. Their two clan supreme beings had already awakened, and today might well herald a rain of blood and the fall of a Great Emperor!
The Wolf Saint's figure immediately vanished in a flash of array runes, reappearing deep within the territory of the Wolf Clan.
In the Eastern Wasteland of the Tianwu Continent, amid a landscape alternating between desert and oasis, a sprawling wolf clan city loomed in the distance. Wolf Feng materialized within the metropolis, where wolf pups with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp fangs tore into raw meat, letting out low, vicious snarls from their throats.
"My King, I have gathered the intelligence! The Xiyue Sacred Land has been destroyed, and the Taixuan Emperor apparently never made a move!"
Wolf Feng's figure appeared inside a grand hall, throwing himself flat upon the ground.
"Splendid! Immediately notify our clan's supreme beings! Pass down the order: every single whelp of the Wolf Clan is to prepare themselves for a slaughter!"
Stepping out from the depths of the grand hall was a hunchaged, white-furred wolf king. He looked eager for action; a Great Emperor... even a Great Emperor could bleed.
Especially in their twilight years, when some emperors grew desperate and moved against forbidden zones, how many of them ended up spilling their blood?
Today felt particularly breezy—time to publish a massive chapter and ask for votes, and let the slaughter truly begin! Let the bloodshed be refreshing.
Additionally, thank you to the benevolent patrons for your tips and votes.
ヾ(≧≦谢谢≧≦)ノ
Also, regarding the foreshadowing with Ye Bufan that I forgot to wrap up earlier:
Chen Xiyue was unwittingly drawn in by destiny, nearly becoming Ye Bufan's 'old master' [spirit guide within a ring], attached to him and aiding his recovery. The egg Ye Bufan obtained in the demonic abyss was actually Chen Xiyue; she had manifested upon him long ago. She had wanted to lie low and bide her time, only to be discovered by Li Xuan.
Chen Xiyue's presence on Ye Bufan was entirely under Li Xuan's control—it was a play orchestrated by Li Xuan for her benefit.
That was why Ye Bufan was able to continuously generate villain points for Li Xuan earlier, emmmm, I forgot to write that piece of foreshadowing clearly in the text.
I went back and tweaked Chapter 41 to patch it up, but I'll mention it here as well. Thanks to the sharp-eyed brother who reminded me!