The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 129

Chapter 2 Exposed

Li Xun didn’t understand for a moment, and asked curiously, “What do you mean by ‘God’…”

Shui Dielan’s eyes pierced him like needles, “Remember this: no one can escape the eyes of the thief God.

” “If you don’t have the courage to face everything, you can avoid all the world’s disasters, but you can’t avoid that final Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder! Do you understand?”

This time, Li Xun understood, but remained silent.

Shui Dielan vented her anger, snorted coldly, and turned away, no longer speaking to him. Li Xun pondered for a long moment, ultimately remaining silent as he changed his

clothes. While undressing, his fingers happened to touch the trinkets he had just snatched from Fatty Ji, including, of course, the black silk clam treasure.

The cool, smooth touch reminded Li Xun of Qin Wanru. After a moment’s deliberation, he simply took out all his “harvest,” regardless of Shui Dielan’s willingness, and, gripping her shoulders, he stuffed it all into her hands.

“You can play with these. The only problem is, you’ll need to use your Hundred Ghosts identity to deliver them to Qin Wanru of the Yin-Yang Sect. You’ll know what to say.”

The roughness of the gesture was somewhat i*imate, and the effect was quite good. Shui Die Lan struggled unsuccessfully, then glanced back and stabbed him again before reluctantly accepting it.

Upon hearing Li Xun’s instructions, she tossed the large shell around, as if to gauge its weight. Then, she said, “Just throw it into her arms and walk away. I guess she’ll want the treasure over the talent. Is that okay?”

Li Xun chuckled dryly but didn’t object.

After the incident at Xuanhai Youming City, the Shui Die Lan’s presence on Qin Wanru’s side was probably no longer a secret.

Li Xun was actually trying to show off his strength, lest Qin Wanru, after gaining the advantage, turn against him. But then he thought again, and remembered a key point.

With this black silk clam, Madam Baoyu should be able to break free from the control of the ancient sound. However, if this woman, deeply involved in Gu Yin’s decision-making, were to awaken, any word she uttered without restraint would have a profound impact on Gu Yin’s plans.

This showed that Qin Wanru’s concerns were not unfounded.

The Demon Phoenix was now practically within reach—Li Xun had always wondered how such coincidences could exist. What would her reaction be if she learned of Madam Yu’s recent condition?

Thinking of this, Li Xun added, “If you have time, you might want to keep an eye on the Demon Phoenix… Yeah? Where are you going?”

Shui Dielan waved without turning back, “I’m sorry, I’m seriously injured, and I don’t have any plans to break up with Qixia for now. You worry about it yourself. See you later!”

So straightforward? What about the Razor Peak incident after that?

Li Xun watched her disappear into the dense forest for a long moment before shaking his head helplessly. But he had no time to waste. He quickly packed up, confirmed his direction, and sprinted towards the Mingxin Sword Sect’s headquarters.

As he hurried, Li Xun mentally constructed excuses. Everything was a piece of cake. Yet, perhaps influenced by their previous conversation, he suddenly felt an overwhelming weariness and weariness at this familiar routine. Could this also be considered an escape?

The night’s chaos vanished with the dawn.

The monks from various sects in attendance had more or less heard some news, adding fuel to the fire of the upcoming alliance meeting.

With some time left before the official meeting began, over a thousand people had gathered outside Shuijing Cave Heaven. Figures could be seen everywhere, from the sky, to the ground, from the trees, and beneath them. A constant buzz of discussion filled the air. However, the conversation mostly centered on the Shuijing Gāthā, the outcome of the alliance meeting, and the demonic phoenix and the blood demon’s interference.

Hearing the new name “blood demon” along the way, Li Xun and his three fellow disciples arrived here together. Ling@ whistled after observing the scene. “I’ve been here seven or eight times, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.

Is it the allure of the Tongxuan Sects’ alliance that’s so appealing, or is it…”

“The Xuanhai Youming City is more effective, isn’t it?”

Li Xun, after a busy night, wasn’t particularly refreshed, but he was the only one of the four who could answer such a frivolous question.

“The Water Mirror Verse will spread like wildfire in less than three days, and the world’s alliance will end up like this. The earlier we know about Xuanhai Youming City, the sooner we can prepare. It’s no wonder everyone wants to take a chance.”

The four approached the Water Mirror Cave Heaven and saw the surrounding trees and mountains merge into one. A faint glow of water reached the sky, rising with the rising sun, separating the interior and exterior of the cave heaven. Clearly, a forbidden formation had been activated. The wandering cultivators outside weren’t unwilling to enter, but lacked permission, leaving them with nowhere to enter.

Seeing this, Li Xun felt a pang of emotion. “This must be the difference between cultivators from the major sects and those who are wandering.”

As the four approached, a receptionist from the Water Mirror Sect emerged to usher them into the cave heaven.

Aside from Lingji, Li Xun and the others were all regulars at the Water Mirror Conference. Furthermore, Yan Shuiyue’s relationship gave the receptionist a certain familiarity and casualness.

Seeing the four of them examining the forbidden technique, the receptionist smiled and said, “This is a temporary arrangement, perhaps due to the frequent appearances of demonic forces outside in the past two days. It’s a safety measure.

” “Besides, most of these independent cultivators outside are here to watch the fun. Our sect has prepared the Water Mirror technique to project information about the verses and the events of the Xuanhai. We will not favor one over the other.”

Li Xun uttered a soft “Oh.” Even if it was just a gesture, it was impressive that the Water Mirror Sect could achieve this.

Disparities between ranks were ubiquitous in this realm. Just as third-generation disciples like them could enter the Water Mirror Cave Heaven, they were barred from the gathering places of representatives from other sects.

Entering the Water Mirror Cave Heaven was like entering a tranquil water town.

It lacked the majestic atmosphere of a sect headquarters. A first-time visitor would only be struck by the incredible density of waterways and lakes. Just find a small stream and follow it to reach any corner of the cave heaven.

However, all the water systems of the Shuijing Cave Heaven still have a central hub, meaning that any passage from one main river to another inevitably passes through

Jianhu Lake.

The Shuijing Sect’s core is also located on Jianhu Lake, and this is also where the sect’s most precious treasure, the Chetian Shuijing, is stored.

Under the guidance of the receptionist, Li Xun and his companions arrived on a natural sandbar east of Jianhu Lake.

This location was over ten miles from the nearest gathering place for cultivators, and the dense water vapor and vital energy within the cave effectively isolated them from any interaction.

Unless there was deliberate provocation, the likelihood of conflict was minimal, which was the Shuijing Sect’s intention.

After the receptionist finalized everything, he smiled and said, “Your sect’s Immortal Master Minghuo arrived at Yunguang Island half an hour ago, and Fairy Mingji arrived even earlier.” “

Has Fourth-Master arrived?”

Wu Lingquan’s brows relaxed and he nodded, “Thank you for letting me know. Fourth-Master didn’t come back last night, but I didn’t expect he’d already arrived.”

The receptionist smiled and bowed, “Last night, Fairy Mingji helped our sect capture the Blood Demon. They are the only three cultivators who have faced the demon head-on, so they stayed in the sect to discuss matters…

“Brothers, please wait here. In half an hour, the Water Mirror Sutra will appear, and information about the Xuanhai incident will be announced soon.

“From now on, you can arrange your itinerary with the sect’s immortal master or by yourselves. Our sect just hopes that there will be no unpleasant things happening in the Langya Water Mirror Heaven. Ha, in fact, these words are of no significance to you brothers. It’s just a routine matter.”

Everyone smiled knowingly, and several topics immediately followed. The receptionist was smooth and eloquent, so chatting with him wasn’t boring at all, and the time flew by.

Just as Li Xun and the receptionist were discussing the “Water Bloom Curtain” barrier outside the cave, the sharp-eyed Ling@ suddenly called out, “Hey, Junior Sister Shuiyue, where are you going?”

Everyone turned around to see Yan Shuiyue walking across the lake, head bowed, seemingly distracted.

The receptionist looked over in surprise, asking, “Junior Sister Shuiyue, why are you here when you’re not in Liu Tingzhou?”

Yan Shuiyue turned around, her beautiful face gritting her teeth, “Who assigned me to Liu Tingzhou? You knew… Eh? You…”

Li Xun sensed a noticeable change in Yan Shuiyue’s expression the moment she saw him. He hesitated for a moment before turning back onto the sandbar and smiling.

“I’m so unlucky today, getting assigned to the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect. Someone there is so treacherous that they finally found an excuse to slip out. By the way, Senior Brother Jin, how about we switch?”

This is the exclusive text version of this work and may not be reproduced or excerpted without permission. For the latest and fastest chapters, please visit! Li Xun ignored the conversation between the two brothers and sisters. His mind was filled with Yan Shuiyue’s strange expression. Compared to her natural and generous demeanor from the previous two days, the girl had changed so dramatically that he had to be wary.

Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect?

What had Yan Shuiyue discovered?

By the time he came to his senses, Senior Brother Jin, the receptionist, had already apologized to everyone and had left helplessly. Yan Shuiyue smiled and bowed. Her usual menswear attire made her look charming and lively, hiding much of her earlier antics.

Although Yan Shuiyue couldn’t match the smoothness of the receptionist Jin, she had a good relationship with everyone and her sharp tongue made the atmosphere on the sandbar even more lively.

But Li Xun found it difficult to absorb himself. Watching Yan Shuiyue’s vibrant and ever-changing expressions, a certain string in his mind grew increasingly taut.

Ling@ suddenly brought up the topic of the Water Mirror Verse: “Junior Sister Shuiyue, from what your sect has said, today’s Water Mirror Verse has already been released, but it hasn’t been announced yet, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Yan Shuiyue replied with a grin.

“If you want to ask me for details, please don’t ask. I wouldn’t violate sect rules for a piece of news that’s about to be announced.”

As she spoke, her eyes flicked towards Li Xun.

Li Xun raised an eyebrow and glanced back questioningly. The girl immediately turned away and continued chatting and laughing with Ling@.

At that moment, the clear sound of a jade chime echoed like ripples on Jianhu Lake. The voices of people within a radius of dozens of miles suddenly faded.

The lingering sound extended the silence layer by layer.

“Do you hear the sound of water?” Li Xun gently explained to Lingji, who was attending the meeting for the first time, “The Chetian Water Mirror is located within Jianhu Lake. Its position constantly shifts in response to the movement of the stars, similar to the principle of the Milky Way.”

Yan Shuiyue, hearing this explanation, winked and smiled, adding, “However, due to the nature of light, it’s OK to treat the entire Jianhu Lake as the Chetian Water Mirror. The Water Mirror verse will appear anywhere on the lake’s surface.

“Of course, through the evaporation of water vapor, it can also be projected onto any corner of the cave heaven. There it is!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the water in front of everyone’s eyes suddenly cleared of all ripples, becoming as smooth as a mirror.

Simultaneously, countless colorful threads swam beneath the waves, resembling fish in various divine poses, a dazzling sight.

Simultaneously, the vital energy within the Water Mirror Cave Heaven began to ripple in an orderly manner. Thunder rumbled across the surface, shaking the soul.

“Hey, this Water Mirror is so impressive… Don’t worry, it’s useless on its own.”

Li Xun patted Lingji’s shoulder with a smile, scanning the area to locate the location of the Water Mirror verse. But he happened to catch Yan Shuiyue’s awkward look, her gaze fixed on a certain spot.

Seeing Yan Shuiyue’s gesture, Li Xun’s heart trembled slightly. He vaguely sensed a slight imbalance in the energy fluctuations on the sandbar.

What the hell was she up to?

Just as he was pondering this, Lingji beside him exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder and shouting, “Look, there’s the Water Mirror Sutra… emerging from beneath the surface!”

Li Xun uttered an “oh,” his gaze never leaving Yan Shuiyue as he casually added, “Do you understand ancient seal script? The important thing is the color!”

Even as he spoke, he could already tell Yan Shuiyue was gazing at the water’s edge of the sandbar.

There, a faint glint of light flickered from the pooling water vapor, a condensed water mirror. From a slightly different angle, a figure could be vaguely discerned within the mirror.

Lingji’s eyes widened as he struggled to discern, “Thousand Mountains… dusk snow falling on the East China Sea, the first wave of the sun… rising again?”

Li Xun was startled by the voice, and when he realized what was happening, his mind went blank again.

He looked up at the two lines of blood-red seal characters floating on the water vapor, confirming the text was correct. His first reaction was to look back at Yan Shuiyue, wishing he could dissect her with his gaze to discern the strange and mysterious meaning within.

At the same moment, Yan Shuiyue turned her head, meeting Li Xun’s sharp gaze.

The young woman flinched noticeably as their eyes met, allowing Li Xun to detect her other movements.

He suddenly tilted his head, allowing him to see the figure in the water mirror more clearly. The sight made him purse his lips, and the water mirror at the sandbar instantly disintegrated.

Even for a moment, Li Xun could still confirm that the cultivator in the water mirror, whose expression remained the same, albeit slightly surprised, was none other than “Hundred Ghosts.”

While that expression was perfectly normal at the moment, for the person actually involved, it was undoubtedly the worst possible expression.

Li Xun reflected on his actions, and a thunderclap seemed to explode in his head, his brain surging and the buzzing noise intensifying.

He tilted his head back slightly and closed his eyes, suppressing the panic rising from deep within. When he opened them again, a single thought crossed his mind:

So that’s it… This was the plan!

He was lost in thought, unaware of the passage of time, but judging by the reactions of those around him, it was only a fleeting moment.

Li Xun clenched his fists, listening to the crackling sounds of his joints before releasing them. In that moment of clenching and releasing, he had made his decision.

He took a step forward, meeting Yan Shuiyue’s dazed gaze with a grin. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, “Do you have something to say to me?”

These simple words signaled the beginning of the collapse of a barrier deep within him.

Li Xun couldn’t tell whether he was feeling relieved or exhausted, but his expression remained impeccable.

Yan Shuiyue was clearly afraid of him, and her figure swayed, her bright eyes misting over. She took another half step back, glancing to either side.

Lingji and the others were still staring intently at the sky, awaiting the next message from Xuanhai Youming City.

The girl, trying to maintain a natural demeanor, spoke softly, “I don’t really mean it! I’m just curious…”

Her voice trembled uncontrollably. Just now, the most shocking secret this world had held in the past century had been laid bare before her.

Even Yan Shuiyue, at her most detached, found it difficult to bear, let alone the person at the heart of this secret standing right before her. Her familiar, friendly smile blurred in the mist.

At this moment, she truly wanted to cry.

It was then that the young woman finally summoned her stubborn side, suppressing the surging emotions. Within a few breaths, she soothed her trembling voice and whispered, “Senior Brother Lingzhu, can I speak with you for a moment alone?”

Yan Shuiyue’s attitude told Li Xun that she and the Shuijing Sect behind her didn’t seem to be ready to sever ties.

Li Xun smiled faintly, saying nothing more, and turned to Wu Lingquan, “Senior Brother Wu, Junior Sister Shuiyue needs help with something. Please keep an eye on me.”

Wu Lingquan, clearly still dazed by the Shuijing verse, paused for a moment before his gaze swept over Yan Shuiyue’s face.

The young woman managed to maintain a smile, desperately trying to maintain it. Wu Lingquan, though perplexed, nodded and said, “Since it’s Junior Sister Shuiyue who’s looking for you, then go ahead. By the way, the situation within the cave is complicated right now, Junior Brother, you’d better be careful.”

Li Xun nodded, then greeted Lingji and Ling@. Then,

leisurely, he walked over to Yan Shuiyue and winked at her. “Alright, let’s go!” His words were casual, but Yan Shuiyue could clearly hear the tail end, followed by a deep, dark sound. She

looked at Li Xun’s eyes again, a hint of blood flickering and spreading through the stark black and white.

Her heart ached, and she dared not look again. She lowered her head and led Li Xun away from the sandbar

. For a moment, as they traversed the dense, spiderweb-like waterway, neither of them felt inclined to speak first. Seeing the silence stretching endlessly, Li Xun finally spoke first: “It’s strange. I remember everything was fine a few days ago…

” “When did you start to doubt me?”

“When you were still Baigui.”

“Because of ‘Blood Eyes and Fiery Soul’?” “

“Yeah.”

“But a few days ago…”

“I saw that you and Bai Gui appeared at the same time, so how could I be suspicious!”

“What about today? Is it such a coincidence that I arranged for you to go to the Ghost Devouring Shadow Sect and find out that Bai Gui didn’t have the “Blood Eyed Fiery Soul” and then come back to expose me?”

“…So what?”

After Yan Shuiyue responded a few times, she finally couldn’t stand the increasingly strong high-pressure emotions around her and suddenly burst out: “Don’t put on airs, okay? I know you are annoyed and angry, but I didn’t do it on purpose and I don’t want to make things difficult for you. Who knows… who knew that you would bump into it yourself!”

In the relative silence at this moment, Yan Shuiyue’s fierce and sharp voice was heard from far away and inevitably attracted the attention of some people.

Li Xun narrowed his eyes and suddenly moved forward. While Yan Shuiyue was struggling, he covered her mouth and nose and slipped into another river. After confirming that there was no one around, he whispered: “Since you know that this matter cannot be made public, please think about me for the time being.”

Yan Shuiyue shook off his hand angrily and finally couldn’t help but let the tears that had been accumulating for a long time fall. The more she spoke, the more frustrated she felt. Yet, unable to vent, she could only stamp her feet and say, “You’re so arrogant! You’ve already done it, so why are you afraid of what others will say? Besides, the missions of each guest master were personally ordered by the Sect Master. Who else can I blame, you blame me?”

Her words were rambling, but her inner complexities were clearly exposed.

Li Xun watched silently. He would be lying if he pretended to be calm. However, he knew better than to let anyone hold the power in his hands in such a life-or-death matter. Relying solely on illusory emotions would be like holding a sword upside down and seeking his own death.

So, he remained calm and whispered, “I remember you once told me that if I wanted to keep this secret, you or your sect would keep it a secret. Now, let me ask you, have you done that?”

Yan Shuiyue jumped up and cried, “Of course I did. How could I possibly tell anyone about your little sham?”

“What about this?”

“Of course…” She paused mid-sentence and shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Huh?” “

I don’t understand the Sect Master’s arrangement. Just like what you said, it was such a coincidence… Oh, how did it turn out to be such a mess!”

Seeing her scratching her head in pain, Li Xun had almost figured out what the girl was thinking. For some reason, he didn’t want to push her too far, so he brought the conversation to the most practical level. “Whether your Sect Master knows about it or not, is the promise you made to me that day still valid?”

This time, Yan Shuiyue didn’t respond immediately.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on him until Li Xun frowned, then gritted his teeth and said, “Are you so concerned about this shitty status? You’re clearly a child of destiny, with a promising future and such wonderful fellow disciples. What else is there to complain about?

” “Why…why do you have to acquire not one, but two, but even more shameful statuses? Is it necessary?”

Li Xun glanced at her, his tone unchanged. “…or does this promise require everyone in your sect to fulfill?”

“Asshole!”

Yan Shuiyue, oblivious to the flowing river beneath her feet, stomped her foot, splashing water everywhere. The sudden, shrill tone caused a slight commotion around them.

It was also by sheer coincidence that at this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the sky above Jianhu Lake. Through some unknown means, it was magnified a hundred times in the hazy mist, hanging high in the air, visible for dozens of miles.

Li Xun glanced over and was slightly surprised. The figure was none other than Yan Shuiyue’s master, Taoist Yu Lan, whom he had met several times.

Naturally, this massive figure caused an even greater commotion. The small stir Yan Shuiyue had stirred was instantly drowned out by the surging voices, barely stirring a ripple.

Yet, Li Xun’s gaze remained icy and hard, and the mist surrounding him seemed frozen in the chill,

its flow ceasing .

At that moment, Yan Shuiyue clearly sensed the murderous intent within him!

While equally threatening, the “Spirit Bamboo” and the “Hundred Ghosts” were, after all, different.

At least before the Hundred Ghosts, Yan Shuiyue didn’t harbor the endless resentment that welled up within her. Relying solely on her innate stubbornness, she forced the mist from her eyes, but the bitterness kept her speechless.

At that moment, the enormous “Yu Lan Taoist” in the sky spoke slowly, cutting straight to the point without further ado: “Two months ago, at the invitation of Sect Master Ramash, I traveled first to the Southeast Forest Sea and then to the South Sea to deduce the events surrounding Xuanhai Youming City…”

Li Xun listened to this before returning his attention to Yan Shuiyue, making no move to speak.

Just as the silence threatened to drag on endlessly, a voice suddenly heard through the misty water: “A gentleman does not mirror himself in water, but in himself. Mirroring water reveals his own appearance; mirroring himself reveals good and bad fortune. Perhaps one who mirrors heaven and earth, what can he know?”

The sudden voice, as ethereal as a thread, penetrated his ears distinctly, every word clear.

Li Xun’s brow furrowed, and seeing Yan Shuiyue’s expression of shock and astonishment, no pretense, a calculation formed in his mind. After a pause, he replied coldly, “Is the Shuijing Sect’s only skill at mystification?”

“There may be some mystery, but it’s not a sham. As the saying goes, flowers in the mirror, moons in the water, are only visible

but out of reach. If you, my friend Lingzhu, can grasp this, you’ll have a deep understanding of our Shuijing Sect.”

As he spoke, a figure emerged from the mist

. Li Xun frowned as he looked at the newcomer, who wore a wide robe and a wide belt, a rather ornate scholarly attire, but his features were ordinary and devoid of any distinguishing features.

He had some impression of him, but he couldn’t confirm his identity until he saw the small, exquisitely carved bronze mirror hanging from his belt.

“It’s Mr. Shuijing?” Li Xun’s face was filled with unconcealed surprise.

“I thought your presiding over the meeting of all sects was far more important than exposing a junior like me.”

At this point, Yan Shuiyue finally realized what was happening and hurriedly wiped her face, bowing.

Mr. Shuijing nodded at her before turning to Li Xun, “The meeting ended before it even began. It’s merely a verbal spat between the Nine Righteous Sects, the Western Alliance, and the other sects. Our sect’s involvement is useless.”

From a distance, the Shuijing Sect leader’s voice had a certain air of transcendence, but up close, it felt as bland as his face, devoid of any memorable qualities.

This, in fact, is a hallmark of the Shuijing Sect’s heritage.

Regardless of their previous titles, each successive Shuijing Sect leader assumed the title of “Mr. Shuijing.” Over time, the title “Mr. Shuijing” became a symbolic symbol.

People only knew “Mr. Shuijing” rather than “what kind of person he was.”

It was precisely because of this “symbol” that Li Xun found it difficult to tailor his character to his personality.

Instead, Mr. Shuijing, prepared as he was, spoke first. “Young friend Lingzhu, please don’t blame Shuiyue. I swear on the reputation of our sect that she has remained silent and has not revealed your secret. However, you were right about that ‘coincidence’. There are no such coincidences. Shuiyue’s trip to Liutingzhou was indeed my deliberate arrangement.”

Li Xun’s lip curled, intrigued by Mr. Shuijing’s seemingly contradictory words. He tilted his head slightly to listen carefully.

Seeing his interest, Mr. Shuijing continued, “Young friend Lingzhu is a true genius. His cultivation is so advanced that perhaps only Zhong Yin in his time can rival him. Drawing inferences from one instance should be a piece of cake.

” “Then you should understand that the saying ‘looking at the surface to know the inside, touching the hair to discern the bones’ is nothing more than using a fixed method to untangle the threads and coordinate the scattered appearances, tracing them back to their source. But before ‘tracing’ to the source, you must know what the source is.” “

That’s not necessary…”

“Yes, I sent Shuiyue just like a person going upstream. Shuiyue is the ‘boat’ and the hundred ghosts are the ‘stream’. How can you know what the ‘source’ is if you haven’t reached its source?” Li Xun blinked and said, “That does make sense, sir. But how can you confirm the qualifications of

the ‘boat’ and ‘stream’ ?”

Mr.

Shuijing responded without hesitation, “Instead of asking me, why not ask yourself if your behavior these days is significantly different from today?”

Li Xun let out a silent laugh and exhaled, “What a sharp tongue! I’m deeply grateful for your time speaking to a junior like me. But I thought it would be more satisfying to simply call out to your friends instead of wasting your breath!”

Mr. Shuijing’s ordinary face broke into a smile, “You’re joking, my sect’s name is Shuijing, and its purpose is to observe the world without being tainted by dust. If there is even the slightest concern for gain or loss, or for good or evil, praise or criticism, we will be a thousand miles off the mark, and how can we even begin to observe it?”

These words were quite casual and otherworldly, and they once again clarified the Shuijing Sect’s stance. The subtext was, however, something like “I will not offend others unless they offend me.”

Li Xun was clear-headed but unforgiving: “I admire your detached attitude.

It’s a pity that no matter what kind of mirror you use, it’s ultimately for people to see. There’s no difference between ‘looking at it for people to see’ and ‘telling it to people to hear’.”

Mr. Shuijing’s response was familiar: “My friend, the mistake you made is that the ‘other’ is not ‘the other’, but yourself. The world in one person’s eyes is a world. If I project the world in my eyes onto the world of others, I will not accept the mistakes I have made. “

Li Xun really couldn’t hold back his laughter this time. He pointed at the Jianhu Lake under his feet and shook his head, saying, “If it’s as you said, why do we all need to hold the Water Mirror Conference anymore? There’s no need to come to your sect to ask for divination and just pursue our own future.

“Or maybe what you meant is that for tens of thousands of years, your sect has been playing with the future and destiny of the cultivators in this world?”

Upon hearing this, Yan Shuiyue was already indignant, but Mr. Shuijing replied with a wry smile, “My friend, haven’t you heard that it’s a crime to possess a treasure? Although our sect has the immortal treasure “Chetian Water Mirror” and the wonderful technique of deducing the secrets of heaven, it has no power to protect itself. If we don’t take it out and use it in the world, we will probably be wiped out.

“Don’t you mind if I laugh at you, my friend? Hasn’t this Water Mirror been toyed with for generations? You should have some understanding of this!”

There was clearly some “othering” in his words. Li Xun’s eyes were cold and fixed on this ordinary face, trying to dig out more information from it.

Mr. Shuijing seemed to feel he had said too much on this topic, and after another smile, he returned to the main topic and concluded.

“I’m meeting with you today to clear up any misunderstandings. Although I personally disagree with your actions, I won’t stir up trouble. I simply hope you can uphold the will of Heaven, not seek the interests of the world, but act with the sole purpose of preserving yourself, so that we can rest assured.”

He clasped his hands together in a formal and humble bow, unfazed. Even Yan Shuiyue, standing beside him, followed his example, bowing with a much calmer demeanor.

Li Xun smiled, remaining silent, which was quite rude.

Mr. Shuijing didn’t mind, sighed softly, took Yan Shuiyue’s hand, and turned to leave.

After taking two steps, he suddenly turned back and said in a gentle voice, “Your friend doesn’t have the ability to split himself into three bodies. Now, you are assuming three roles. While you can gain three benefits, you must also bear three pressures. I dare not speak rashly about the pros and cons of this. However, as our ancestors said, ‘What exists is beneficial, what does not exist is useful.’ It is important to understand that the interplay of existence and non-existence is the ‘eternal law.’

“My friend, you only see the ‘existence’ and not the ‘absence’. Isn’t that like seeing the surface but not the essence, seeing only the effect but forgetting the source of that effect?”

He nodded slightly before departing.

Li Xun silently watched the two disappear into the misty water. Suddenly, he sneered, “High-sounding! What do you mean by disregarding fame and fortune? Isn’t it all about self-preservation? Why all this nonsense!”