sinovels Chapter 66: The Grand Wedding
Chapter 66: The Grand Wedding
Li Wu met Ying Zichu, who cultivated the "Lu Qi," through Pei Xiyan's introduction.
Then they saw Ying Zichu dressed in a golden silk robe and wearing a ceremonial crown, with a tall and straight posture, truly worthy of being the Crown Prince of Qin.
"【Lu Qi】, Ying Zichu greets fellow Daoist."
Li Wu also cupped his hands and said:
"【Divine Thunder】, Li Wu greets fellow Daoist."
After listening, Ying Zichu nodded slightly and said with a smile:
"In this way, the five thunders of the Thunder Palace will have gathered three of them: the Thunder of Earthquake, the Thunder of the Earth, and the Thunder of the Gods."
Pei Xiyan, standing to the side, nodded and said:
"Now only [Sky Thunder] and [Dark Thunder] haven't appeared yet."
This was the first time Li Wu had heard of "Zhenshe Shenxiao Yin Five Thunders," so he asked:
"What are the differences between these Five Thunderbolts?"
Pei Xiyan explained:
"【Thunder】Heaven and earth unite, all things begin anew; 【Earth Thunder】oversees the world, regulates emperors; 【Divine Thunder】slays evil and dispels malevolent spirits, rewards the good and punishes the wicked."
"As for the [Sky Thunder] and the [Yin Thunder], the former is a mighty force of heaven, capable of subduing immortals and gods, while the latter is specifically in charge of evil spirits in the underworld."
Thus, it seems that the five thunderbolts of the Thunder Palace each have their own duties and can monitor the world. Whether they are mortal emperors or cultivators, all are under the surveillance of the Thunder Palace.
"No wonder so many sects want to destroy Thunder Palace," Li Wuxin thought to himself.
He now understands why that great war between immortals and demons was sparked back then.
After all, no sect wants a lightning bolt hanging over its head at any moment.
"This time when we enter the [Tai Xu] Secret Realm, we're afraid we'll be targeted by cultivators from other lineages," Li Wu said, looking at the two of them.
Ying Zichu nodded and said:
"That's for sure. The [Tai Xu] Secret Realm is almost a continuation of the ancient war between immortals and demons, except that the battle has changed from between True Immortals to Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Pei Xiyan nodded and added:
"This time, we must obtain the Purple Mansion Spiritual Treasure no matter what. Now that we have the Three Thunders, as long as we both break through to the Purple Mansion realm, we can summon the Jade Pivot Palace."
"【Jade Pivot Palace】?" Li Wu raised an eyebrow and looked at Pei Xiyan.
Pei Xiyan explained:
"The Jade Pivot Hall contains many magical treasures and secret techniques... all of which can be obtained by exchanging merit. As for the source of merit, it is very simple: it is to punish those who defy the laws of heaven."
"In other words, the Jade Pivot Hall is essentially the treasure trove of the Thunder Palace."
"More or less."
Ying Zichu nodded and said:
"However, the Jade Pivot Hall is not only open to cultivators of the Thunder Palace, but to all cultivators in the world."
"In other words, once the Jade Pivot Palace reappears in the world, many cultivators and forces will inevitably join us."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu suddenly understood the importance of the Jade Pivot Hall, and then looked at Pei Xiyan, chuckling softly:
"It seems that Senior Sister Pei and I need to break through to the Purple Mansion Realm as soon as possible."
Pei Xiyan nodded and said:
"I am only one step away from breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm, but you will have much more trouble."
Li Wu nodded and said:
"The 'Jade Pivot Edict of Extermination Scripture' that I cultivate has its subsequent Purple Mansion chapters in the hands of the Golden Yue Sect of the Yue Kingdom. I need to find a way to get my hands on it."
"Jin Yue Gate..."
As the crown prince of Qin, Ying Zichu naturally had a good understanding of the power of the other four states, and said with a solemn expression:
"The current leader of the Golden Yue Sect is True Man Taixi, who cultivates the [Kujin] Dao. He has now perfected all five methods and is skilled in weapon crafting. It is said that he is currently crafting a magic weapon."
"The Five Dharmas are perfected? Then the next step is to attain enlightenment?" Li Wu raised an eyebrow.
Ying Zichu shook his head and said:
"It's not that simple. That Taixi Zhenren has been perfecting the Five Arts for nearly two hundred years, and he hasn't even attained the other levels yet. Now he's spending a lot of energy refining magic weapons."
"I suspect that it's mostly because the True Lord at the [Kujin] level doesn't want him to attain enlightenment."
Li Wu was now somewhat confused.
Logically speaking, wasn't the master of the Taixi Zhenren a True Lord in terms of fruition?
Why don't you want your disciples to attain the remaining rank?
Or is it that there are already people in the remaining seats?
"There's no need to think about this anymore. There are still three years until the [Tai Xu] Secret Realm opens, so let's focus on preparations."
Pei Xiyan brought everyone back to their senses, then stood up and said:
"I'm going to cultivate."
Li Wu nodded and said:
"Then I'll go into seclusion to cultivate as well."
…………
A year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Wu sat cross-legged in the cave, opened his eyes, and calculated the time in his mind.
In a few days, it will be Lu Sui and Zhao Nanxu's wedding, and he certainly cannot miss it.
Then, he raised his hand and waved it, and two spiritual objects appeared in front of him.
Firstly, it is a Foundation Establishment level precious pill, which can help Foundation Establishment cultivators break through their cultivation level; it is a rare and valuable item.
Secondly, there is the alchemy furnace at the Foundation Establishment level.
Both of these items were obtained by Li Wu from the treasure vault in Yulin Mountain.
It would be most appropriate to give it to Zhao Nanxu and Lu Sui as a congratulatory gift.
…………
The Refining Realm.
Upon returning to Qing Shi Men, Li Wu immediately sought out He Yu and asked him directly:
"Have the wedding invitations from the Zhao family arrived yet?"
Upon hearing this, He Yu quickly took out an invitation from his storage bag and said:
"The invitations arrived long ago."
Li Wu took it and glanced at it, his gaze falling on the time, and said:
"Three more days."
He Yu said from the side:
"Sect Leader, the Zhao family's wedding this time is quite grand. They have invited more than 30 forces, large and small, in Youyang County, and even sent invitations to Guang'an County."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu raised an eyebrow.
Li Wu was not surprised that all the forces in Youyang County had come.
After all, Zhao Nanxu was the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator besides him, with extraordinary talent, and might even break through to Core Formation in the future.
Lu Sui was also a renowned alchemist, not only a retainer of the Zhao family but also an elder of the Qing Shi Sect's alchemy tradition.
Their social standing is equally impressive.
However, the fact that a powerful force from Guang'an County would come is most likely the work of Zhao Qianyuan.
"Sect Leader, Elder Lu is our sect's alchemy elder. What kind of gift should we give him?" He Yu asked.
Li Wu waved his hand and said:
"You decide."
He had already prepared two generous gifts, which were to be given by a personal friend, but his status was, after all, that of the head of the Qing Shi Sect.
Therefore, the value of a gift sent in the name of Qing Shimen is not important.
Upon hearing this, He Yu nodded and went to make preparations.
…………
Three days later.
Valley, Zhao family.
The entire Zhao mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Red silk was laid out from the main gate all the way to the main hall, and hundreds of lanterns were suspended in the air, casting a festive glow even in the daytime.
The Zhao residence was bustling with carriages and horses.
Cultivators from various factions came and went in an endless stream, taking this opportunity to interact with each other.
Various lights flashed among the crowd. The Zhao family disciples who were welcoming guests were so busy that they were sweating, but they still maintained a proper smile, checking the invitations one by one and announcing them loudly.
"The Zhang family of Qinghe has sent three Qi-refining magical artifacts as a congratulatory gift..."
"The Liu family of Songshan has donated one hundred spirit stones and ten jars of spirit wine..."
"The Great Evolution Sect is sending you a Foundation Establishment Pill..."
Each announcement drew sidelong glances from the surrounding cultivators.
In particular, the appearance of the Foundation Establishment Pill from the Dayan Sect caused everyone to exclaim in amazement.
Just then, someone in the crowd pointed to the sky and said:
"It's Qing Shimen!"
Almost everyone looked up at the same time and saw a spaceship approaching the valley on the horizon, with a flag flying on it that read "Qingshi".
The surrounding cultivators all turned their heads to look, and whispers rose and fell among them.
In recent years, Qing Shi Men has been gaining momentum, rising from an ordinary Qi Refining sect to become a Foundation Establishment power.
The source of all this is Li Wu, the leader of the Qing Shi Sect.
A lightning cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage.
"I've heard that Headmaster Li of Qing Shi Sect and Alchemist Lu are longtime friends. I wonder if it's true or not."
"Of course it's true. Master Lu is an elder of the Alchemy Sect of Qing Shi Sect."
Li Wu stood on the bow of the boat, with He Yu, Da Ji, and several others behind him.
The spaceship landed steadily, and Li Wu stepped down, followed closely by He Yu and Da Ji.
The steward of the Zhao family, who was in charge of welcoming guests, hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"The presence of Sect Leader Li is an honor to the Zhao family. The patriarch is already waiting in the main hall. Please follow me."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and followed the steward through the front yard.
Guests along the way made way for him, their gazes falling on him with either awe or curiosity.
In the Youyang County, the reputation of a Foundation Establishment Thunder Cultivator is enough to command respect.
The main hall was furnished more elaborately than the front courtyard, with neatly arranged sandalwood tables and chairs, and several scrolls shrouded in spiritual energy hanging on the walls, clearly all of high quality spiritual objects.
At this moment, there were already seven or eight people sitting in the main room, all of whom were representatives of the Foundation Establishment forces.
As soon as Li Wuyi entered the room, several pairs of eyes swept over him at the same time.
Zhao Qianyuan was the first to stand up and greet him with a smile:
"Brother Li, it's been a long time!"
"Brother Zhao, it's been a long time!" Li Wu said with a smile.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Qianyuan personally led him to a seat.
Li Wu's gaze swept over the people in the hall. Several of them looked familiar; they were elders from other Foundation Establishment forces in Youyang County.
There were also a few unfamiliar faces, presumably from Guang'an County.
Zhao Qianyuan pointed to an elderly man in a gray robe and introduced him:
"Brother Li, this is Elder Zheng Yuan of the Changxi Sect."
Changxi Sect? That's the number one sect in Guang'an County.
Li Wu looked over and saw that the other party was actually at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. He thought to himself:
"It seems that the Changxi Sect values the Zhao family quite a bit, actually sending a Foundation Establishment cultivator to offer their congratulations."
"I've heard so much about you," Li Wu said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Zheng Yuan glanced at him, then smiled and returned the greeting:
"I have long heard of Sect Leader Li's great name, and meeting him today truly makes me admire him greatly."
"Not worth mentioning," Li Wuqing chuckled.
"Your esteemed sect is the foremost sect in Guang'an Prefecture, and I have long admired it."
Li Wu was naturally adept at offering compliments.
After waiting for about half an hour, most of the guests had arrived.
As dusk approached, the time came.
Then Lu Sui, dressed in a bright red formal suit with a red silk ribbon tied around his chest, led Zhao Nanxu, who was also dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, out slowly from the inner hall.
The two walked to the front of the hall and bowed under the guidance of the master of ceremonies.
The whole process was solemn and joyous, and the guests offered their congratulations.
Looking at the smile on Lu Sui's face, Li Wu felt happy for his friend.
Lu Sui has been wandering for years, but now he finally has a place to settle down.
After the ceremony, a banquet was held.
The Zhao family prepared a sumptuous feast of spiritual food and wine to entertain guests from all directions.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
Zheng Yuan put down his wine cup, suddenly looked at Li Wu, and asked with a smile:
"Sect Leader Li, the pills and other spiritual items refined by your sect are very popular in our Sanlukou Market."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu raised an eyebrow and said calmly:
"Really? I've been in seclusion recently and am unaware of this matter."
That's true. These matters were almost entirely handled by He Yu and Zhang Zai, and he was indeed completely unaware of them.
"Sect Leader Li is being modest."
Zheng Yuan picked up his wine cup, swirled it gently, and said with a smile:
"Your sect's pills and talismans are of superior quality and reasonably priced, which attracts many cultivators to purchase them."
"Senior Zheng is too kind."
Li Wuduan raised his wine cup in return, smiling as he said:
"These are just some pills and talismans for the Qi Refining stage, nothing special. As the number one sect in Guang'an County, your sect probably looks down on these small businesses."
After hearing this, Zheng Yuan smiled and shook his head, saying:
"My Changxi Sect doesn't care much, but other forces don't think so."
Li Wu paused, looked at him, and said:
"for example?"
"For example, the Wu family."
"The Wu family..."
Li Wu narrowed his eyes slightly, remembering that he did indeed have some connection with the Wu family.
When he first went to Guang'an County, he killed several disciples of Sunset Valley on the way, and the Wu family was behind Sunset Valley.
Zheng Yuan nodded slightly and said:
"The Wu family specializes in elixirs and used to control nearly 70% of the elixir market in Sanlukou Market."
"However, in recent years, the Wu family's pill business has been quite affected because of your family's pills."
"As far as I know, they have already been secretly planning an operation against you, Qing Shimen."
Li Wu looked at Zheng Yuan, wondering why the other party would tell him this news. But after looking at him for a long time, the other party's expression remained unchanged.
"Thank you for your reminders, fellow Daoists. I will surely repay you in the future."
"There's no need for that. After all, the more you earn, the more my Changxi Sect can benefit."
.........
The banquet lasted until late at night before the guests gradually left.
Li Wu did not rush to leave, but went to find Lu Sui.
Lu Sui had already changed out of his formal attire and was sitting in the courtyard enjoying tea. Seeing him enter, he greeted him with a smile:
"I knew you'd come."
Li Wu took out the Foundation Establishment Pill and the pill furnace from his storage bag and placed them on the table:
"These are congratulatory gifts for you and Fellow Daoist Zhao. Please accept them."
Lu Sui glanced at it, his smile faltering slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"Foundation Establishment level pills and Foundation Establishment level alchemy furnaces?"
"This is too valuable, I cannot accept it."
There's no need for these words between us.
Li Wu sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.
"That Foundation Establishment Pill is for Fellow Daoist Zhao. Tell her it would be best to take it when she breaks through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
"As for this alchemy furnace, wouldn't I benefit from giving it to you? After all, you are considered an elder of the alchemy sect of Qing Shi Sect."
Upon hearing this, Lu Sui no longer hesitated and put the pills and the alchemy furnace into his storage bag.
"I'll give you something even better when you get married in the future."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu took a sip of the spiritual tea and sighed:
"My wedding is probably a long way off."
Lu Sui nodded seriously and said:
"Since you established your sect, you've either been in seclusion or on your way to seclusion. You've hardly seen any female cultivators, so your wedding is indeed a long way off."
"I simply don't care much about romantic relationships," Li Wu waved his hand and said.
"I am more concerned with achieving immortality."
Since Li Wu has transmigrated to this world of cultivation, he has only one goal: to achieve immortality.
As for romantic love, he would not consider it before attaining enlightenment.
After listening, Lu Sui remained silent for a moment, then nodded:
"You're right. The path of cultivation is long; first seek immortality, then consider everything else."
His talent for cultivation is actually quite ordinary. Don't be fooled by the fact that he is already at the eighth level of Qi Refining in his thirties and seems to have a bright future.
But Lu Sui knew in his heart that his cultivation level was forcibly raised by pills, and he would probably only reach the Foundation Establishment realm at most in this lifetime.
The stages of Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and even Deity Transformation are far off and absolutely impossible.
However, Lu Sui took it in stride. He had long since devoted a great deal of energy to alchemy, and perhaps in the future he could compile a book on alchemy that would be famous for all time.
Li Wu chatted with Lu Sui for a while longer before getting up to take his leave.
After all, what follows is the preciousness of a fleeting moment of pleasure.
The bride is still waiting inside.
…………
When Li Wu returned to the spaceship, he saw Da Ji, He Yu, and Zhao Qianyuan sitting together.
"Brother Zhao, what are you doing here?" Li Wu looked at him in confusion.
Zhao Qianyuan stood up and said:
"Brother Li, I presume Senior Zheng told you about the Wu family matter?"
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and said:
"He asked me, 'Brother Zhao, do you know anything about the Wu family?'"
Zhao Qianyuan nodded and said:
"The Wu family patriarch, with a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level, has been operating in Guang'an County for hundreds of years and has a deep foundation."
"The pill business in Sanlukou Market is almost the lifeblood of the Wu family. Now that Qingshimen's pills are of high quality and low price, they have taken away a large number of their customers, so the Wu family is naturally not going to sit idly by."
"So, they want to take action against my Qing Shi Gate?"
Li Wu remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic. He asked:
"I'm curious how he could have attacked my Qing Shimen."
Since the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce, in order to reduce transportation costs, all members of the Chamber of Commerce have been uniformly arranged to be transported by silverback rays.
The escorting cultivators usually consist of a dozen or so Qi Refining cultivators, of whom at least five are at the late stage of Qi Refining.
If the Wu family takes action, it will definitely cause great losses to the entire Chamber of Commerce.
At that time, it will no longer be a conflict between the Wu family and the Qingshimen.
Zhao Qianyuan was naturally aware of this, so he said in a deep voice:
"I suspect that the Wu family will join forces with the Xiayun Temple and other alchemy forces to uproot our entire chamber of commerce."
"Perhaps, our side is behind this too."
"After all, apart from the Qian family, none of the other families have joined my chamber of commerce."
The other families Zhao Qianyuan mentioned were naturally the Liu, Sun, and Zhou families.
Li Wu suddenly remembered that all three families had sent their younger generation disciples to the Zhao family wedding.
"Brother Zhao, what do you think we should do?" Li Wu looked up at him.
Zhao Qianyuan's expression was serious, and he said in a deep voice:
"In my opinion, we should strike first!"
"The Wu family and the Xiayun Temple together only have two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators. I have already made an agreement with the Changxi Sect that they will support us in secret."
"The Changxi Sect will make a move in secret? What do they want?" Li Wu asked.
"The sacred mountains and lands of the Wu family and Xiayun Temple are of no use to us."
Upon hearing this, Li Wuwei nodded slightly and said:
"You can decide this matter, Brother Zhao. Just let me know when the time comes."