233: Invitation from both good and evil

Time flew by, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Li Xiangyun had vaguely sensed before, the long-dormant conflict between the Righteous Path and Demonic Path finally erupted again, even more fiercely than before.

This time, the situation was different. The Righteous Path was no longer scattered forces led by the Great Zhou Dynasty, but rather, the three top Sects—Heavenly Dao Sect, Star Gazing Pavilion, and War God Hall—had taken the lead to officially establish the “Heavenly Dao Alliance.” More crucially, the Great Zhou Dynasty, along with its internal forces, had completely sided with the Righteous Path, giving the Righteous Path an unparalleled momentum.

In contrast, the Demonic Path was not to be outdone. The Asura Sect, Blood God Sect, and Heavenly Demon Sect formed the “Demonic Path Alliance,” baring their fangs and standing in defiance of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

The two major factions absorbed nearly all local forces. To contend for Spiritual Veins, mineral veins, and Secret Realm resources within the Great Zhou Dynasty, a brutal war erupted as soon as they confronted each other. Mountains and rivers trembled, and Spiritual Qi aftershocks swept in all directions, drawing countless Cultivators into this catastrophe.

This morning, Li Xiangyun was meditating in his courtyard, his body surrounded by a thin mist of ice-blue Spiritual Qi.

Suddenly, two transmission talismans, each with a distinctly different aura, successively penetrated the courtyard gate and landed steadily on the stone table in front of him.

He opened his eyes, and with a slight movement of his fingertip, the first transmission talisman unfolded on its own.

It bore the mark of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and the writing was solemn. It was clearly a joint invitation from the Heavenly Dao Alliance, inviting him to join as a powerful Loose Cultivator to jointly crusade against the Demonic Path, protect the common people, and, upon success, share in the high-grade resources of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Before he could ponder it further, the second transmission talisman glowed on its own, imbued with dark-red Devilish Qi; it was from the Demonic Path Alliance.

However, its content was completely different from the Heavenly Dao Alliance's, filled with seductive words. It claimed the Heavenly Dao Alliance was utterly hypocritical, merely plundering resources under the guise of “protecting the Dao.” It invited him to join in breaking the Heavenly Dao Alliance, sharing in the Demonic Path's grand endeavor, and even promised to help him explore the secrets of Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage.

Two invitations, one Righteous Path and one Demonic Path, one overt and one covert, like a multiple-choice question, were laid before Li Xiangyun.

He picked up the two transmission talismans, his eyes showing no ripples. With a flash of Spiritual Qi on his fingertip, the two talismans floated in mid-air, silently confronting each other.

Looking at the two transmission talismans, a hint of deliberation flickered in Li Xiangyun's eyes.

He was not without a stance; it was just that the burden on his shoulders did not allow for any rashness.

If he agreed to the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the Demonic Path Alliance would surely view the Li Family as a thorn in their side, and with their ruthless methods, it was likely that Demonic Cultivators would harass the Li Family's territory in the blink of an eye.

If he joined the Demonic Path, how could the Heavenly Dao Alliance tolerate a force that “aided evil”? At that time, labeled with the crime of being “accomplices of evil Cultivators,” the Li Family would likely face encirclement and suppression by the Righteous Path's allied army.

He was not a Loose Cultivator alone, but the Old Ancestor of tens of thousands of people in the Li Family. From the Cultivation resources of young and strong Cultivators to the peaceful lives of women and children, the safety and Cultivation of these tens of thousands of lives rested solely on his shoulders.

The vortex of the Righteous Path-Demonic Path great war was too perilous; a slight misstep could drag the entire Li Family into it, leading to eternal damnation.

Understanding all this, Li Xiangyun immediately made a decision.

His fingertip Spiritual Qi suddenly tightened, and the marks on both transmission talismans simultaneously dimmed. The Heavenly Dao Alliance's Tai Chi pattern and the Demonic Path Alliance's demonic pattern successively dissipated, leaving only two blank talismans floating down onto the table.

He then retrieved two new transmission talismans, condensing words with Spiritual Qi, his tone calm but his attitude clear.

To the Heavenly Dao Alliance, he stated, “The Li Family is newly established and needs to focus on development, temporarily refraining from external conflicts, wishing to protect its own peace and not align with the Demonic Path.”

To the Demonic Path Alliance, he replied, “The Li Family Cultivators adhere to their original intentions, have no desire to seize power, and are unwilling to be enemies with the Righteous Path, hoping that each side will guard its borders and not infringe upon the other.”

After writing, he flicked his finger, and the two transmission talismans transformed into streaks of light, soaring into the sky and speeding towards the directions of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Demonic Path Alliance, respectively.

Having done all this, Li Xiangyun stood up with his hands behind his back, looking towards the direction of the Li Family's back mountain.

Spiritual Qi converged there, and Cultivators had already begun their morning practice in the newly built Cultivation pavilion. Clansmen by the Spiritual fields were busy tending to the Spiritual plants, presenting a scene of peace and stability.

Currently, the most important thing for the Li Family was to accumulate strength and protect this peace.

As for the outcome of the Righteous Path-Demonic Path conflict, let them fight; the Li Family would remain an outsider, waiting until they had sufficient strength to protect their clansmen before discussing anything else.

Indeed, perhaps out of apprehension for the Misty Swamp and his strength, neither the Righteous Path nor the Demonic Path disturbed the Li Family.

And the Li Family seemed to be in a forgotten corner of the world, with battles raging outside while the Li Family developed rapidly within the Misty Swamp.

The Spiritual plant fields outside the Cultivation pavilion grew increasingly lush, and good news of new batches of young Cultivators achieving Foundation Establishment came one after another. Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts in the storeroom were also being systematically stockpiled.

As for Li Xiangyun himself, with the System's help, his progress was even more rapid.

Various Medicinal Pills aiding Breakthrough were continuously provided daily, and the ice-attribute Spiritual Qi circulated within his body with increasing density.

Although he had only recently stabilized his Nascent Soul Pinnacle Stage Realm, the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian was already subtly surging, slowly impacting the invisible barrier to the Soul Transformation Stage, progressing far faster than Cultivators of the same Realm.

These peaceful days continued for nearly half a year when a new transmission talisman suddenly penetrated the Misty Swamp and landed in Li Xiangyun's hand.

The transmission talisman bore the sword-shaped mark of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, and the writing carried a hint of joy.

It was an invitation from the Ten Thousand Swords True Lord, who was about to Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage, specifically inviting him to the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to observe the ceremony.

Li Xiangyun held the transmission talisman, a trace of realization flashing in his eyes.

The Ten Thousand Swords True Lord had been at the Nascent Soul Pinnacle Stage for many years; now, with the Heavenly Dao Alliance's resource support, a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation was also within reason.

His fingertip rubbed the talisman paper, and his thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the past.

When Lord Thunder Dragon had achieved a Breakthrough to Nascent Soul, he had also invited him to observe the ceremony. At that time, they had even considered cultivating him to break the Great Zhou Dynasty's suppression of them, but now the situation had long since changed.

“It's good to go and see,” Li Xiangyun murmured softly.

Not only because he was once an Elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, so it was appropriate to go out of sentiment.

More importantly, he was currently also at the Nascent Soul Pinnacle Stage, and observing the Soul Transformation process might provide him with an opportunity for his own Breakthrough, making it even more appropriate to go for practical reasons.

Now, the Li Family had ample resources, and Deng Qi and the others were all in seclusion for Cultivation.

So, Li Xiangyun summoned the current managers of the Li Family and instructed them, “While I am away, everything in the Li Family will proceed as usual. Strictly guard the Misty Swamp defense line and do not participate in external conflicts.”

After they acknowledged and withdrew, Li Xiangyun's ice-blue Spiritual Qi flashed, and his figure, enveloped in a dark Daoist robe, soared into the sky, flying directly towards the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, leaving behind only a faint trail of ice mist that quickly disappeared into the horizon.

However, just as his figure was about to leave the confines of the Misty Swamp, Li Xiangyun suddenly paused, his ice-blue Spiritual Qi slightly receding.

He remembered the young Disciples of the Li Family who were diligently Cultivating, most of whom had only trained within the swamp and had never witnessed the grand spectacle of top-tier Cultivators from the outside world, let alone a century-rare event like a Soul Transformation ceremony.

“Cultivating in isolation will ultimately not lead to greatness,” Li Xiangyun muttered softly. He then turned back, returning to summon the Grand Elder responsible for guiding the clan's Disciples.