Volume One: Youths Meet in Humble Times Chapter Sixty-Five: Visitors from the Great Cheng Dynasty (Part Four)

In the eyes of the great sects, only two stood as aloof and indifferent to Tianmen Town as the Sovereign Hall and Great Sword Green Mountain. Their peer, the Li family of Yunmu Heavenly Mountain, was quite different. Though they could not, like other sects, establish their own power within Tianmen Town to seek future advantage, they would never allow themselves to miss any opportunity for ascension to the upper realm.

Unlike the Sovereign Hall and Great Sword Green Mountain, which each sent a single representative of status and strength merely for appearance, the Li family dispatched three elders, every one of them at the thirteenth realm, the realm of Dao Convergence. Their path of cultivation, apart from the orthodox way of spiritual energy entering the body, turned to the art of Spirit Command after entering the Dao.

The path of Spirit Command was truly unique; even among those of the same thirteenth realm, their battle prowess surpassed their peers by far. The reason was simple—when this path was cultivated to its pinnacle, not only would one's own power be formidable, but one could command spirit servants or even spirit gods as followers. These followers could themselves be practitioners of other major Daoist paths.

It was said that the most dazzling ancestor of the Li family, Li Bailong, could command all things under heaven as his spirit servants, even commanding the true gods of heaven and earth as his aid. Such a stunningly gifted man eclipsed all his contemporaries in his generation.

Everyone in the Li family, and indeed all the immortal sects of the time, believed he would be the first to achieve ascension after the path to Tianmen was broken. Yet even he could not escape the tribulation brought by the final realm when he faced the great ascension.

With such an illustrious predecessor unable to ascend, it was clear how deeply the Li family feared ascension. Since then, they became fanatically obsessed with any possibility related to the road to ascension.

Strangely, despite their extraordinary Spirit Command path and their remarkable prowess in cultivation elsewhere, they found themselves uniquely rejected by Tianmen Town. Ever since discovering its existence, the Li family—then the most powerful clan of the era—sent many to investigate, yet all discovered that they could not employ their Spirit Command abilities there, nor could they absorb any spiritual energy or essence from the land.

It was as if, in Tianmen Town, they were outcasts, entities the town itself would not accept.

Thus, they were forced to abandon this coveted territory, only sending people to observe whenever there were unusual happenings.

A land without the Dao, which could host all the myriad ways of the world, yet rejected only the path of Spirit Command. Such a peculiarity aroused suspicion in all, the Li family included. They had tried every method to uncover the reason, yet remained unsuccessful, and in the end, were left with nothing but uncertainty.

As Tianmen Town was about to come into view, the three Li elders looked upon the five young Li disciples before them. The leading elder, Li Zhonghong, spoke in a calm tone, "You all know that Tianmen Town is innately hostile to our Li family. Once you are there, keep a low profile. Should you come into conflict with others, your strength will be diminished by at least a third compared to outside. We will not intervene on your behalf. If you suffer losses—or even lose your lives—it is not our concern. Do you understand?"

These five youths, all appearing around twenty years of age, with the youngest at least eighteen, replied in grave unison.

After sending them away, another elder, Li Zhongmi, voiced his concern, "Third Brother, with the Tianmen of Tianmen Town opening wide this time, it's likely that some truly extraordinary figures will appear! We won't be able to use our Spirit Command there, nor draw the spiritual energy to replenish ourselves. We'll have to rely on our own cultivation. With our strength diminished, what chance do we have?"

Li Zhonghong recalled the family head’s words before their departure, "Your mission is twofold: gather as much information about Tianmen as possible, and keep a close watch on the people from Dacheng and the Sovereign Hall. See what their intentions are regarding Tianmen. For the rest, do not involve yourselves—should Tianmen truly open, the family will have its own arrangements."

Li Zhonghong did not know what those arrangements might be, but he supposed they would send some extraordinary ancestor. When Tianmen opened, with their strength suppressed by the town, what hope did they have to seize any opportunity?

“We need only do our part—keep the disciples in check, leave the rest to the family head’s concern.” His words carried a hint of evasion, but for them, it was all they could do.

Once the five youths left, they gathered in one of their rooms for a casual chat.

All five were direct descendants of the Li family’s main branch. There were also some from collateral lines, but in terms of status, none could compare to them.

Among the five, the host of the room commanded the greatest respect. Seated at the place of honor, the youth wore a purple-gold crown, adorned with a translucent jade hairpin of deep emerald hue. His robe of purple and black was embroidered with gold-threaded shark silk, inlaid with precious stones that glimmered with a faint light and rippling spiritual energy. The intricate patterns formed a complex and marvelous design; to a master of arrays, it would be clear that this was a spirit-gathering formation. The value of this robe alone was beyond measure, and it was but one of dozens in his wardrobe.

This youth was Li Xiyan, grandson of the current family head. In terms of status, only the five family elders stood above him; all others were bound by the strict rules of the Li clan to show utmost respect to those of the main branch.

After the five were seated, a young servant quickly brought out precious spirit tea and freshly prepared spirit fruits, then silently withdrew. The entire process was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop.

Once the servant had left, Li Xiqing, grandson of the sixth elder and one of the leading elders of this expedition, asked, “Yan, is Tianmen Town really so hostile to our Li family?”

This was the first time any of the five had come to Tianmen Town. They had been filled with curiosity, but after the stern lecture from the elders, their doubts about the town now far outweighed their interest.

They had heard only rumors of Tianmen Town’s uniqueness and its hostility toward the Li family, but the extent was unknown.

To them, the Li family was the favored child of Heaven, born with the power of Spirit Command, walking a path of great strength. In theory, if Heaven and Earth themselves had spirit, they ought to be able to command the world and use its power to perfect themselves.

Such a mindset bred arrogance. The idea that there could be anywhere in the world that would not accept them was met with more disdain than curiosity.

Li Xiyan replied coolly, “If the elders say so, it cannot be without reason.”

His answer did not satisfy Li Xiqing, who rose with indignation, “If that’s so, why send us here? Are we to be tigers brought low, bullied by mongrel dogs?”

The other three remained silent, but their expressions showed they agreed with Li Xiqing’s sentiment. Li Zhonghong glanced at him, eyes cold, and said, “Even if you are a tiger, you must have the heart and skill to suppress the dogs. If you cannot, do not call yourself a tiger.”

Li Xiqing, realizing that Li Xiyan was displeased despite his calm demeanor, fell silent.

Li Ximing, another of the five, quickly interjected, “Yan, don’t be upset. Qing didn’t mean it that way. He just doesn’t understand—if Tianmen Town is so unwelcoming, why would the family send us here?”

Li Xiyan’s gaze swept across them, taking in their expressions. He sneered, “I don’t know if there’s a deeper reason behind the family’s arrangements. What I do know is, why is it us and not others? That answer you should seek in your own hearts, your past experiences, your cultivation.”

He added, “And one thing I forgot to mention: this trip to Tianmen Town, I requested it myself. They say crisis and opportunity go hand in hand—danger is also chance. I have never prided myself on being of the main branch. If I have not been here, why not come and see for myself? If I were you, I wouldn’t dwell on the fact of being sent here, but on how to preserve your fragile and precious pride once you arrive.”

With that, he dismissed the others.

After leaving, Li Ji, one of the group, grumbled, “I told you not to ask him. He’s always been this self-important in the clan. Did you think he’d reveal anything? Even if he knew, his words would be just as unpleasant.”

Li Xiqing was furious. He had thought, as the sixth elder’s grandson, Li Xiyan would show him some respect. Instead, his dignity had been trampled into the dirt.

“Hmph, does he think he’ll still be the high and mighty main branch heir in Tianmen Town? There, we’ll all be equally rejected. No one will be more exalted than anyone else. When the time comes, he’ll find himself powerless as well. Let’s see if he still puts on that superior air.”

While tensions simmered among the Li family’s youths, the atmosphere among the representatives sent by the Dacheng Dynasty was peaceful.

The leader of the Dacheng delegation was Zhou Yu, one of the Grand Preceptor’s trusted aides, known for his obedience and lack of ambition.

The others had no grand designs on Tianmen either; moreover, they regarded Tianmen Town as a natural possession.

The reason was simple—the Dacheng Dynasty held jurisdiction over the town, giving them the advantage of local support. After years of management, Zhang Helun already knew every detail of Tianmen Town. With the Tianmen about to open, they had come on the Grand Preceptor’s command, confident that the fruit was ripe and they were best positioned to reap the harvest.

In addition, they bore a secret order: to bring someone back. Both tasks seemed straightforward, and in their minds, great rewards awaited them upon completion—perhaps even the Grand Preceptor’s favor, a chance to rise to new heights and transform their lives forever.