Just as Li Xuan was subduing the Nine-Tailed Fox and granting it an imperial seal, outside what was known as the ’mortal realm’, deep within a hidden ice world in the Taixu, the first Earl Chengyi, Li Lexing, had just brewed a pot of tea in his own cave dwelling and was sipping it contentedly on his own.
Actually, there were no tea leaves in the pot, only so roots and leaves collected by Li Lexing.
Yet, he cherished them greatly, tasting them as if they were peerless treasures.
At this mont, if one were to observe his surroundings, they would find that the first Earl Chengyi’s cave dwelling was exceedingly simple. Apart from a cloud bed and so rudintary furniture, he had next to nothing—his ho could be described as utterly bare.
Just as Li Lexing was closing his eyes to savor the mont, a streak of Stlye Light suddenly approached his dwelling from afar.
Li Lexing sensed sothing, raising his eyebrows and with a sweep of his wide sleeve, he collected all the jars and pots on the table, including the ’tea leaves’ he had made himself.
Then he heard a voice shouting from outside, "Li Bowen, are you there? Answer , or I’m coming in. Don’t worry, I’m not here to take your stuff this ti. I’ve brought so Spirit Rice with , and I was hoping to share it with you, Li Bowen."
The person was calling Li Lexing by his courtesy na and without waiting for a response, he strode into the cave.
Li Lexing’s face initially showed a resigned expression, but upon hearing the words ’Spirit Rice’, his face lit up with a smile, "Song Lian, brother, please co in! Co in!"
The visitor was his good friend from his days in the mortal realm, Song Lian, who had once served with him in the Court.
In his early years, he had left his household to beco a Taoist, known as ’Longnzi’, and together with Li Lexing was revered as one of the "Three Great n of Poetry and Literature of Early Jin Dynasty" and "Four Gentlen of Eastern Zhejiang".
Song Lian had also assisted Li Lexing in supporting the foundation of the Jin Dynasty and was personally praised by Emperor Tai of Jin as "the foremost founding scholar-official."
The two n, old friends of several hundred years, dispensed with pleasantries. After taking their seats, Song Lian skillfully produced a small bag of rice from his sleeve, began rinsing it, and started cooking.
The water for rinsing the rice was provided by Li Lexing. Although the world they were in was covered with ice, the ice actually contained deadly poison. Even beings at the middle heaven level and Great Heavenly Position like themselves could not directly consu it.
Unable to find firewood to create fire, the cooking could only be done by Song Lian transforming his Hao Qi into flas to cook the rice.
Looking at the stone-made rice pot on the table, Li Lexing mused, "Song Lian, brother, you wouldn’t be visiting my humble abode without good reason, would you? What brings you here? Let’s talk it over before the rice is done."
Song Lian sighed upon hearing this, "My good friend, are you aware that there is an issue with the First Emperor’s Seal in the mortal realm?"
"The First Emperor’s Seal?"
Li Lexing’s face imdiately took on a grave expression. The so-called ’First Emperor’s Seal’, though nad after the First Emperor, was actually the cumulative effort of generations of human emperors, including Suiren, Xuanyuan, and Shennong, with the First Emperor being the last among them.
It was the barrier of the mortal realm, keeping those at the heavenly level, be they Confucian cultivators, Wu cultivators, or all gods and demons, isolated from the world of humans.
Despite suffering from its restrictions, Li Lexing knew that this ’First Emperor’s Seal’ was the cornerstone of stability and peace in the mortal realm.
Utterly surprised, Li Lexing exclaid, "Didn’t Jinque Palace take care of it?"
As far as he knew, the First Emperor’s Seal was inherently incomplete since the First Emperor of Qin hadn’t managed to finish his work for so reason.
But with Jinque Palace maintaining it in the mortal realm, even if occasional Heaven Gaps appeared, the problem wasn’t serious.
"You really have no idea," Song Lian said, shaking his head. "Could it really be that you plan to spend your whole life in this frigid place, with no concern for the outside world?
You should see for yourself. The First Emperor’s Seal now experiences dozens of Heaven Gaps daily, and their number is only increasing. I’ve heard that Jinque Palace has been heavily damaged and is no longer able to attend to the First Emperor’s Seal."
At this point, Song Lian’s face showed a strange expression, "I’ve heard a rumor that the recent upheaval is connected to one of your descendants. You have a descendant nad Li Xuan, bestowed with the title of County Prince Fenyang in the mortal realm, tasked with managing the Court of the Great Jin Dynasty. Not only has he achieved unprecedented accomplishnts, but he also inflicted heavy damage on Jinque Palace."
"My descendant, Li Xuan?"
Li Lexing found the na sowhat familiar, as if he had heard it sowhere before.
He was oblivious to the fact that it was the fragnt of his Primordial Spirit left in the Earl’s mansion that had encountered Li Xuan, and then he burst into laughter, "How could that be? You and I both know just how powerful Jinque Palace is, Song brother, better than I do.
It would be quite remarkable if my descendants could maintain the wealth and status of the Earl’s mansion for eight hundred years. How could they possibly contend with Jinque Palace?"
In his days assisting Emperor Tai of Jin, Song Lian had clashed with Jinque Palace nurous tis. Eventually, Jinque Palace forced him out of the mortal realm.
"That’s true," Song Lian agreed, finding the rumor absurd. He chuckled and continued, "I heard about this a few days ago and treated it as a wild and fanciful tale. However, Li brother, the current situation in all Heavens of Outer Void doesn’t bode well.
With the ’First Emperor’s Seal’ constantly giving way to Heaven Gaps, many are eyeing the mortal realm, eager and ready, just waiting for the mont the gaps beco irreparable. If this continues, there might be another great catastrophe between heaven and earth."
"I understand what you an, Song brother. This situation is indeed not good for the mortal realm or all Heavens of Outer Void. The three great apocalypses of the past—the overturning of heaven and earth, the extinction caused by falling stars, the collapse of Buzhou Mountain—were all due to the strife among all gods and demons."
Li Lexing shook his head, "But the situation will not deteriorate to that extent. The Court of the Great Jin Dynasty and Jinque Palace will not stand by idly. I suspect so major demon or devil must have erged, montarily distracting them."
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