Li Changqing was always keeping an eye on the situation within the Great Dream Soul Stone.
As the owner of the Great Dream Soul Stone, Li Changqing was eager to see how the grandfather and grandson of the Su Family would manage to live in a world similar to Earth.
The flow of time inside the Great Dream Soul Stone was completely different from that of the Cangyuan Realm, so even though Su Zheng had already spent a day inside the stone, for Li Changqing in the Cangyuan Realm, it was just a moment.
"Thank you, Qinglian Sword Sovereign, for your rescue."
Li Hengsheng approached with Lu Shiran.
"It's nothing," Li Changqing said softly.
I'm your father, why are you being so formal with me?
However, Li Changqing only said this in his heart.
At that moment, Li Changqing turned his head to look at the sky.
Just then, a figure tore open the space with bare hands and stepped out from the rift in the void.
The newcomer was dressed in a white robe and was bald, looking very much like a monk.
With kind eyes and a gentle demeanor, he exuded an air of refined elegance.
A soft glow surrounded the newcomer.
At first glance, he seemed to be standing in an ocean of light, his mere presence inspiring an urge to worship.
A terrestrial immortal?
Li Changqing frowned, noticing that such legendary figures were appearing more and more frequently.
Who was this terrestrial immortal?
"Guangzu…"
Lu Shiran's face turned pale upon seeing the newcomer.
She had thought that after sending away the Su Family's grandfather and grandson, she would be safe, but now Guangzu had appeared.
"Is this person Guangzu?"
Li Hengsheng was also shocked.
Rumors had it that he had once challenged the Cangyuan Realm Master, possessing awe-inspiring strength, and was the revered elder of Guanglan Palace.
He hadn't expected such a powerful figure to appear.
Lu Shiran instinctively hid behind Li Hengsheng, clearly wary of Guangzu.
Li Hengsheng also stretched out his hand to pull Lu Shiran behind him, watching Guangzu cautiously.
This scene reminded Li Hengsheng of the time when the Long Night Ancient Nation and the Yinshi Tower wanted to take Lu Qiaoqiao away.
Only now, the person he faced was even more terrifying.
A terrestrial immortal!
Seeing this, Guangzu simply smiled and said nothing.
"Greetings, Qinglian Sword Sovereign." Guangzu looked at Li Changqing with a smile and politely clasped his fist in salute.
His demeanor was like that of a perfect gentleman.
Li Changqing's eyes flashed with caution, and he returned the gesture.
"Guangzu, you've been hiding and watching all this time," Li Changqing said with a frown. "What is your purpose?"
"No purpose," Guangzu said with a wave of his hand and a smile. "Sorry for the laughter, Brother Qinglian. It's just that I wasn't in a position to take action. If the people from the Su Family had really taken Shiran away, I had already arranged for my friends to intercept them on the way."
"Oh?"
Li Changqing raised his eyebrows, somewhat skeptical.
"Guangzu," Li Hengsheng spoke up, "wasn't it you who agreed to the marriage alliance between the Su Family and Guanglan Palace?"
"It was me."
Guangzu didn't mind Li Hengsheng, a junior, speaking to him in such a manner. His gaze landed on Li Hengsheng: "Perhaps you wonder how Lu Shiran, with her cultivation sealed by the Zhenxian Seal, managed to escape from under my watch?"
Li Hengsheng was taken aback by the question.
Indeed, even if Lu Shiran's cultivation hadn't been sealed, escaping from under Guangzu's watch would have been nearly impossible.
Unless Guangzu had done it on purpose.
Confusion flashed in Lu Shiran's eyes.
"Or do you wonder how Lu Shiran, without cultivation, managed to safely make her way from Guanglan Palace to Zhenguo Mansion?" Guangzu continued.
At this point, Lu Shiran understood everything.
Her escape had been deliberately allowed by Guangzu, and the fact that she hadn't encountered any major dangers along the way was also because Guangzu had been protecting her all along.
Li Changqing also realized what had happened.
On the surface, Guangzu agreed to betroth Lu Shiran to Su Xianci in exchange for a deal with the Su Family, but behind the scenes, he let Lu Shiran escape.
I gave you the person, but if she runs away, it's not my fault.
This old man was using Su Xianci and Su Zheng, the grandfather and grandson, as pawns.
"You're called Li Hengsheng, right?" Guangzu asked with a smile.
"Yes, junior Li Hengsheng." Now that he knew Guangzu didn't really intend to marry off Lu Shiran, Li Hengsheng's hostility towards Guangzu lessened, and his tone became much more respectful.
Guangzu squinted and looked over Li Hengsheng, making him feel a bit uneasy.
"The Seven Treasures Crystal Pill was for you to consume, right?" Guangzu asked indifferently.
At this, Li Hengsheng's heart skipped a beat!
Had Guangzu seen through it?
"I lost it!" Lu Shiran quickly stood up in a panic and explained, "I accidentally lost it during the encounter with the Ghost Devil."
Seeing this, Guangzu laughed: "That excuse might work on others, but you think you can fool me?"
"I…"
Lu Shiran felt like Guangzu could see right through her with just one glance.
"It was me."
Li Hengsheng stepped forward and respectfully said, "The Seven Treasures Crystal Pill was consumed by me, please do not blame Lu Shiran. I know the pill is precious, please give me some time, and I will gather the materials and refine a new Seven Treasures Crystal Pill to return to you."
"Hmm, okay. I won't rush you; take your time to collect them," Guangzu nodded. "If it were anything else, I wouldn't ask for it back, but the Seven Treasures Crystal Pill is indeed very precious. It was something I painstakingly refined for Shiran's Divine Body to reach full maturity."
"I will do my utmost," Li Hengsheng said through gritted teeth.
The Seven Treasures Crystal Pill required at least seven drops of dragon blood essence.
He only had two drops on him, and one was given to him by Lu Shiran.
Where would he get the remaining five drops?
Li Hengsheng had almost forgotten about this matter, but now it had come back to haunt him.
"Shiran," Guangzu then said to Lu Shiran, "come back to Guanglan Palace with me."
"Okay." Lu Shiran hesitated but nodded in agreement. Although she was reluctant to leave Li Hengsheng, she couldn't disobey Guangzu's command.
Moreover, after today's events, Lu Shiran also understood that she wasn't strong enough to handle things on her own.
She needed to return to Guanglan Palace to cultivate properly.
Li Hengsheng turned to look at Lu Shiran but didn't try to keep her. He knew that for Lu Shiran, returning to Guanglan Palace was the right choice.
"Guangzu, after returning, you won't insist on the marriage alliance, will you?" Li Hengsheng still asked.
"Marriage alliance? With the Su Family?" Guangzu laughed, "The Su Family is now too busy to take care of themselves, and besides, I've already received what they promised me. Who would want to ally with them now? Moreover, hasn't that old man Su Zheng already been imprisoned by Qinglian Sword Sovereign in the Great Dream Soul Stone? Haha."
"That makes sense," Li Hengsheng guessed as well.
"Stay here for another day, and I'll come to pick you up tomorrow," Guangzu said, noticing Lu Shiran's reluctance and giving her one more day.
"Thank you, Guangzu," Lu Shiran said, slightly happier.
"Brother Qinglian," Guangzu turned to Li Changqing, "do you have time for a small chat?"
"Sure."
Li Changqing didn't know what he had to talk about with Guangzu, but since Guangzu had invited him, he was curious to see what was in store.
After all, being able to befriend a terrestrial immortal would undoubtedly bring great benefits.
Even if they didn't become friends, it was best not to become enemies.
"Then I'll wait for you in Tianqing City to the west," Guangzu said, stepping forward and vanishing on the spot like a rainbow.
"Li Hengsheng," Li Changqing called out.
"Senior," Li Hengsheng quickly approached, "I must thank you for your help today. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do."
"It's a small matter." Li Changqing then took out a small bottle from his Acceptance of Rings and handed it to Li Hengsheng.
"What's this?" Li Hengsheng curiously looked at Li Changqing.
"You owe Guangzu a Seven Treasures Crystal Pill, don't you? Your cultivation is still shallow; where will you gather so much dragon blood essence? Here are four drops of dragon blood essence. I have no use for them, so they're perfect for you," Li Changqing said nonchalantly.
The four drops of dragon blood essence were originally saved for Li Hengsheng. He had intended to collect five drops and give them all to Li Hengsheng at once.
But considering that the matter with Guangzu had put a lot of pressure on Li Hengsheng, he decided to give them out earlier.
"Four drops!!"
Li Hengsheng couldn't believe his ears.
A single drop of dragon blood essence was a supreme treasure, worth two hundred thousand contribution points in Tianhai City. He had nearly lost his life in the Ghost Devil to obtain one drop.
Lu Shiran had also exchanged her ranking for one drop.
He only had two drops and felt it was already extremely difficult to gather them.
Yet Qinglian Sword Sovereign casually gave out four drops.
This left Li Hengsheng speechless for a moment.
"This is too precious, senior, I…" Li Hengsheng didn't know what to say. He felt the item was too valuable and that he owed Qinglian Sword Sovereign too much. He shouldn't accept such an expensive gift.
But the temptation of the four drops of dragon blood essence was too great!
If he didn't accept them, he couldn't imagine where else he could obtain so much dragon blood essence.
"Treasures are only valuable when used by those who need them. They're useless trash if left with me. It's better to give them to you."
Li Changqing still solemnly placed the bottle in Li Hengsheng's hand and closed his fingers over it.
At that moment, Li Hengsheng felt the bottle in his hand was as heavy as a mountain.
This Qinglian Sword Sovereign, who had no ties to him, was being so kind to him.
He had become a beacon of hope in Li Hengsheng's life.
When he was betrayed by his brothers and his lover, such a senior warmed him selflessly.
Li Hengsheng knelt down and kowtowed three times to Li Changqing.
Li Changqing was startled, but then he thought, what's so surprising about a son kowtowing to his father?
So he accepted it graciously.
"Junior Li Hengsheng thanks the senior for the grace of rebirth," Li Hengsheng said solemnly.
The value of four drops of dragon blood essence was self-evident, and saying they were useless was just an excuse.
Even if they were useless, they could still be sold for money.
This was the care of an elder for a junior.
Li Hengsheng swore that once he became powerful, he would repay Qinglian Sword Sovereign.
"Husband, get up. The senior has already left."
Lu Shiran came over and helped Li Hengsheng up.
Li Hengsheng looked up.
Indeed, Qinglian Sword Sovereign was no longer there.
But when he opened the bottle slightly, the domineering aura rushed out.
Li Hengsheng was familiar with this aura; it was undoubtedly dragon blood essence.
And by the weight, there were indeed four drops inside.
He already had two drops in his hand, making six drops in total.
Only one drop was left to refine the Seven Treasures Crystal Pill. Although other precious materials were needed, compared to dragon blood essence, those were not a problem.
"Let's go back."
Li Hengsheng took Lu Shiran and rode Purple Lightning back to Tushan City.
***
Li Changqing arrived in Tianqing City of the North Cold Country.
As soon as he entered the city, he heard Guangzu's voice.
Following the sound, Li Changqing found Guangzu in a small alley.
In the alley was a dilapidated little shop, its sign barely legible.
Entering the shop.
Guangzu was sitting at a table, eating a bowl of dumplings.
"Qinglian Sword Sovereign, come sit." Guangzu beckoned.
Li Changqing walked over and sat down.
At this moment, a middle-aged man with a limp came out from the back room, limping as he walked.
"Bring him a bowl too," Guangzu told the limping man.
Li Changqing looked at the limper, feeling something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"People from the Blood Shadow Sect," Li Changqing said lightly.
The limper paused at the doorway but didn't say anything and continued inside.
With Zhang Fuguang by his side, Li Changqing's Divine Soul was strong, and his perception was sharp. Although the limper looked no different from an ordinary person, Li Changqing could still sense something unusual.
Guangzu just smiled: "Brother Qinglian has good eyesight."
"It seems that if I hadn't taken action today, this fellow would have had to kill someone," Li Changqing glanced at Guangzu.
He hadn't expected Guangzu to send someone to kill a member of the Su Family.
And it was Su Zheng from the Su Family.
"That was just a last resort," Guangzu said, stirring the dumplings in his bowl. "Shiran is the future of Guanglan Palace. Su Zheng dreaming of having Shiran bear offspring for the Su Family is just that—a dream."
"I'm curious, what did the Su Family offer to make you go to such lengths?"
Li Changqing was genuinely curious.
"You're curious about that, but I'm also very curious about something," Guangzu looked at Li Changqing's mask and said, "You, the real father of Li Hengsheng, always appear before him in this guise, which is quite interesting."
"Hmm?"
Li Changqing didn't expect Guangzu to recognize him.
"I followed Shiran all the way here and know almost everything about the North Cold Country, so when you disguised yourself as Qinglian Sword Sovereign and came to Zhenguo Mansion, I saw it too," Guangzu said calmly. "I didn't expect that the Eastern Desolate Land was hiding such a powerful expert like you."
"Your sword, your Painting Treasure, are both extremely powerful."
Guangzu had secretly witnessed Li Changqing's battle with Su Zheng. Initially, Li Changqing's strength was only enough to fight Su Zheng to a standstill.
The Qinglian Sword Sovereign was not weak, but Su Zheng was also strong, and once Su Zheng's Evil Ghost Scroll was unleashed, Li Changqing's Sword Formation was indeed about to falter.
The Evil Ghost Scroll was very famous throughout the Cangyuan Realm.
Its power was self-evident.
Guangzu had thought Li Changqing was about to lose, but to his surprise, the Zhenxian Platform was unleashed, and the Zhenxian Sword Formation directly obliterated the Evil Ghost Scroll.
Li Changqing even captured Su Zheng and Su Xianci and imprisoned them in the Great Dream Soul Stone.
Such an event was beyond Guangzu's expectations.
Therefore, he reassessed the Qinglian Sword Sovereign before him.
Since he had been seen through, Li Changqing simply took off his mask.
"Since Guangzu has known my identity for a long time, I wonder what you want to discuss with me," Li Changqing asked calmly.
At that time, the limping man came out and served Li Changqing a bowl of dumplings.
Li Changqing hadn't eaten all morning.
He took a light taste.
The flavor was quite good.
"Even if I hadn't come to the North Cold Country early, I would have recognized you," Guangzu said with a smile.
"Oh? Why?"
Li Changqing was curious.
Was his disguise not deep enough?
Or was his disguise useless in front of a terrestrial immortal?
But just after he finished speaking, Li Changqing noticed Guangzu's eyes change.
His pupils turned golden.
"Pupillary technique."
Li Changqing was somewhat surprised; Guangzu actually possessed a pupillary technique.
"I can see through some causality," Guangzu said. "The causality between you and Li Hengsheng is too heavy, so it's clear to see your relationship. As for why I called you here, it's because when I saw your line of causality, I discovered some interesting things."
"Interesting things?" Li Changqing frowned. "What interesting things?"
"Do you know Yue Hanjun?"
Guangzu suddenly brought up this name.
Li Changqing wasn't hearing this name for the first time, nor was it the first time someone asked him this question.
Again, Yue Hanjun.
"Do I look like him?" Li Changqing showed no expression, just taking another bite of the dumpling.
"I've seen him once, and indeed, there is some resemblance," Guangzu said calmly. "But the causality between you and Yue Hanjun is even more significant than that between you and Li Hengsheng. However, as far as I know, Yue Hanjun has been suppressed by Jiang Tianyun."
My causality with Yue Hanjun is so heavy?
Could Yue Hanjun be his illegitimate son?
That doesn't make sense either.
The ages don't match.
"I heard he was suppressed for stealing something?" Li Changqing suddenly became gossipy.
"It's something like that."
"What did he steal? To warrant such a severe punishment."
"He stole Jiang Tianyun's daughter."
Guangzu said while eating his dumplings.
Li Changqing was stunned by this revelation.
He stole what?
He stole Jiang Tianyun's daughter?
"Eat up; it's not good when it's cold," Guangzu urged Li Changqing. "Don't be polite with me; I'm treating today."
But how could Li Changqing still have the appetite?
Yue Hanjun stole Jiang Tianyun's daughter, what did that mean?
"What does that mean?"
Li Changqing still wanted to clarify, as he always felt that this matter involved some secrets about himself.
"It's quite clear; Yue Hanjun eloped with Jiang Tianyun's daughter, Jiang Qianrou. It's said that the two even had a child together, but unfortunately, after giving birth, Jiang Qianrou died in childbirth. Enraged, Jiang Tianyun captured Yue Hanjun and has suppressed him to this day."
Li Changqing was shocked.
Such a melodramatic turn of events?
"According to rumors, Yue Hanjun is the youngest Painting Sage in history, and a member of the prestigious Yue family. With such credentials, why would Jiang Tianyun disapprove? Why would Yue Hanjun and his daughter have to resort to eloping?" Li Changqing couldn't understand.
Guangzu, hearing Li Changqing's question, didn't respond but instead said, "The causality between you and Yue Hanjun is so extensive and growing stronger. I don't know what your relationship is with him, but I always feel that it's not going to lead to anything good. Yue Hanjun, being so young and already a Painting Sage, and managing to elope with Jiang Qianrou from under Jiang Tianyun's nose, is no ordinary person. You'd do well to be cautious."
"He's been suppressed, hasn't he?" Li Changqing didn't seem concerned.
"He is suppressed, but who knows if he might escape?"
"Thanks for the heads-up," Li Changqing nodded.
"Also, regarding the Su Family," Guangzu said seriously, "the people of the Su Family are not to be trifled with. If you can avoid killing Su Zheng, do so. Although you're strong, the powers in the Southern Wilderness are complex and intertwined, and the Su Family has its backers. Provoking them would bring you no benefits."
Li Changqing fell silent for a moment, then said, "Guangzu, you invited me to eat dumplings today, but surely it's not just to tell me these things."
There's no such thing as a free lunch, especially not from a terrestrial immortal like Guangzu.
"I'd like to borrow your Painting Treasure, the Zhenxian Platform," Guangzu finally revealed his purpose.
Hearing this, Li Changqing breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing the other party's intentions, he could relax.
But Li Changqing laughed and said, "A bowl of dumplings in exchange for borrowing the Zhenxian Platform, isn't that a bit of a joke?"
Guangzu laughed heartily.
Of course, he knew the Zhenxian Platform was not something that could be borrowed easily. When he saw Li Changqing unleash power comparable to a terrestrial immortal with the Zhenxian Platform, he knew this Painting Treasure was on par with the top treasures.
It wouldn't be so easy to borrow.
"The Seven Treasures Crystal Pill for your son, I no longer require," Guangzu said. "How about that? I'll only borrow it for ten days."
"We're almost done gathering the materials for the Seven Treasures Crystal Pill," Li Changqing still shook his head.
"You can refine it and use it when your son breaks through to the great completion of his Divine Body," Guangzu quickly added.
"Well…"
Li Changqing pondered.
But what exactly did Guangzu, with such strength, want with the Zhenxian Platform?
Could it be that he intended to challenge the Cangyuan Realm Master?
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas