[Year 910]
Five years had slipped by in a flash since Li Wei returned from the Western Frontier; having learned many of the world's hidden secrets on that trip, he hadn't dared to slack off in the slightest.
Consequently, these five years had become the most peaceful and stable period their family had ever experienced.
No matter how terrifying the Western Frontier had become, the twisted members of the Peerless Hall were bound, unable to take a single step outside the Blood Moon's crimson range.
In the end, they were nothing more than a horde of Dao Seed minions firmly trapped beneath the Blood Moon.
Furthermore, having taken that secret trip to the Imperial Capital, he now thoroughly understood the Empress's intentions.
All that remained for his clan was to rapidly strengthen themselves to weather the looming threat of the Western Frontier and any other unknown dangers.
"So this is the true essence of the Fire Dao..."
At this exact moment, Li Wei silently manifested as an ethereal phantom right beside Li Yaotie.
All he could hear was the rhythmic, deafening clang, clang of heavy hammering.
He had stated long ago that Ah Tie was fundamentally different from other lofty Body Integration experts.
Even though he had forcefully broken through to the Dao realm and mastered the tyrannical Great Dao of Heavenly Fire, the man still spent his entire day furiously forging iron.
Outside the Heavenly Fire Dao Field, the Nirvana Sage Elder happened to be passing by.
Hearing Li Yaotie's bellowing voice, the Elder tightly covered his ears; whether he was physically affected by the surging flames inside the Dao Field or simply enraged, his face flushed a furious red as he gritted his teeth.
"How can the supreme Great Dao of Heavenly Fire be squandered like this? A wicked creature, a hopelessly unteachable wicked creature!"
However, these indignant words were incredibly short-sighted.
Li Wei simply shifted his gaze to Li Yaotie's status panel.
[Heavenly Fire Dao Principles: 5%]
"The Great Dao of Heavenly Fire has finally found its rightful master," Li Wei praised inwardly as he watched Li Yaotie, profusely drenched in sweat, hoist a massive hammer and brutally strike a chunk of Tier-3 material.
Raising Dao Principles from 1% to 5% in such an impossibly short timeframe would have taken any other cultivator several centuries of bitter meditation.
This explosive progress perfectly proved that Li Yaotie and the Great Dao of Heavenly Fire possessed a flawless, natural compatibility.
Forging tirelessly year-round, constantly accompanied by the clash of metal and roaring fire, using the ultimate Fire Dao simply to strike iron—this truly followed the natural, unhindered course of the Dao, proving that the greatest worldly truths were indeed the simplest.
"Though it certainly is tough on the family's stockpile of materials..."
Li Wei cast a sideways glance at a massive, battered pile of mangled scrap iron.
These tragic remnants were once priceless heavenly materials and earthly treasures the family had painstakingly plundered over the years.
Currently, Ah Tie was desperately attempting to break through the bottleneck to become a Tier-3 artifact refiner, a revered rank also known as a Forging Saint Master.
In truth, supreme existences at or above the rank of Tier-3 artifact refiners and alchemists were phenomenally rare throughout the realm.
Every single Tier-3 material had formed naturally over endless eons, making them incredibly stubborn and difficult to refine.
Given their extreme scarcity, what sect possessed the massive wealth required to endlessly supply such treasures just for a refiner to accumulate forging experience?
Furthermore, a true Tier-3 Forging Saint Master did not actually refine fully formed Spirit Treasures, but rather forged flawless Spirit Treasure embryos.
To achieve their ultimate form, Spirit Treasures typically needed to reside within a Body Integration cultivator's body, slowly nourished by their profound Dao methods over centuries.
Even a Forging Saint Master wielding the Great Dao of Heavenly Fire couldn't possibly conjure fully formed Dao Principles out of thin air.
However, for the Li family, his relentless progress was still a matter of profound joy.
[Your descendant Li Yaotie broke through to the Body Integration realm, becoming a peak Tier-4 artifact refiner and Spirit Puppet Master.
Utilizing the Body Integration realm's immense spiritual power, he can effortlessly gather heaven and earth spiritual energy. With sufficient materials, he can easily forge Dharma Treasures.]
[After years of heavily experimenting with the Body Integration realm's Dao methods, he has successfully developed the 'Spirit Puppet Armament'.
Containing spatial stones, the Spirit Puppet can seamlessly liquefy into a Dharma Treasure just like a standard Spirit Puppet.
Over the years, tirelessly using exotic materials from the Underworld, he has forged a supreme-grade Dharma Treasure set specifically tailored for Li Dalong:]
[Blood Sea Martial Armament]
[Can be seamlessly stored within the Blood Sea through Blood Sea Spiritual power.
Its nine interlocking components can house nine fierce ghost entities, constantly confounding the enemy's mind while utilizing their immense ghost Spiritual power to flawlessly defend against incoming attacks.]
The Underworld was an abyssal realm rarely visited by the living, naturally making it the absolute most abundant source of rare forging materials.
In the past, Li Dalong's famously formidable combat strength had relied almost entirely on the oppressive characteristics of the Blood Sea and his Heaven-Imprisoning Lock.
Now, fully donning the profound-colored Blood Sea Martial Armament, perfectly synchronized with the nine fierce ghosts hidden within its plates, he could rightfully be called a truly top-tier expert within the Void Refinement realm.
Honestly, this system evaluation was rather conservative, primarily because Li Dalong hadn't fought anyone in a major, life-or-death battle for many years.
His most recent scuffle had been a sparring match against Li Yunlin's heaven-defying 'Skyveil Physique' avatar.
Ever since that brutal battle, the normally arrogant, foul-mouthed old cat of the Skyveil Hall had remained unusually low-key, outright declaring that Li Dalong was not a man to be provoked.
As for the family's only actual living Spirit Treasure—Li Yaotie himself—he was growing increasingly, terrifyingly formidable.
[Your descendant Li Yaotie's Unorthodox Artifact Body is currently forging exotic Underworld materials directly onto his right leg. Acquired Trait: Underworld Right Leg]
[The Underworld Right Leg, completely suppressed by the Great Dao of Heavenly Fire, possesses the terrifying Underworld characteristics of 'Hell Layer I: The Silence Maw' and 'Hell Layer II: The Rending Vows'.
A single physical kick carries vicious traits such as 'Fear', 'Corrosion', and 'Blood Drain'. Overall Dao Principle Spiritual power dramatically increases by 10%.]
"Old Ancestor, please don't tell Dad. If he finds out that just one of my legs is more powerful than his entire Blood Sea Martial Armament, he'll tear me apart with his bare hands."
Li Yaotie paused his relentless hammering for just a second, grinning somewhat guiltily at the spirit tablet.
"Alright."
Exactly a month later, Li Dalong hurried back from the Underworld, and the utterly mournful wails of the Fire Ancestor echoed endlessly through the Heavenly Fire Dao Field.
...
[Year 912]
[Special Event — Daoist Mosquito]
[Daoist Mosquito of the Ephemeral Grotto-Heaven successfully broke through to the Void Refinement realm.
Esteemed cultivators from every major sect across Azure Cloud Prefecture all arrived to heavily congratulate him, presenting grand gifts.]
A sprawling, incomparably grand banquet was set up deep within the Ephemeral Grotto-Heaven.
Demonic beasts ran about everywhere in joyful celebration; ever since fleeing from the Northern Frontier to the Ephemeral Grotto-Heaven, they had finally seen a tangible glimmer of hope following the tragic decline of the Fox Tribe.
With the Fox Saint still missing in action, they had finally gained another Venerable powerhouse.
Perhaps, in tens of thousands of years, firmly under Daoist Mosquito's steady leadership, they could truly restore their former, mythic glory.
The silent night immediately following the great celebration.
Li Dalong, having hurriedly returned from the Underworld once again, sat quietly on a smooth stone stool.
Beside him stood Daoist Mosquito in a pitch-black robe, his pale hands politely tucked into his wide sleeves, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xu Cuihua.
Immersed in the cool, refreshing night breeze, the trio gazed silently at the bright, hanging moonlight illuminating the sky.
Feigning utter nonchalance, Li Dalong stealthily scooted his stone stool closer to his wife and Daoist Mosquito, his keen ears twitching incessantly to catch their words.
"Master is currently residing in Grandhaven Prefecture. He absolutely must know that we have settled down in Azure Cloud Prefecture, yet he hasn't once come to see us." Xu Cuihua's beautiful eyes were deeply lowered in sorrow.
During those harsh years stranded in the Fox Tribe, the Fox Saint had treated her exceptionally well, never allowing her to suffer the slightest hint of bullying, constantly preaching the Dao, imparting profound knowledge, and patiently resolving her cultivation doubts.
Over the years, fully knowing that the Fox Saint had voluntarily joined the Peerless Hall and swallowed a cursed Dao Seed, her lingering feelings toward her former master remained incredibly complex.
"If Lord Fox Saint truly wanted to see us, he naturally would have by now." Daoist Mosquito had also known of this heavy truth for a long time.
He spoke solemnly, his voice carrying immense respect.
"I spent far more time by his side than you did, Holy Maiden. Even if he was severely injured and his lifespan was rapidly nearing its bitter end, a man like him wouldn't ever easily submit to others."
"Should we go see him instead?" Xu Cuihua frowned slightly.
Logically, she didn't want to actively seek out the Fox Saint, as exposing their connection would immediately sacrifice the hidden chess piece that was Li Chuyuan.
"There could be countless unfathomable reasons why Lord Fox Saint abruptly joined the Peerless Hall after our Fox Tribe was forced to flee our homeland.
He is currently only stationed in Grandhaven City, completely outside the oppressive range of the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier.
You said it yourself: only those trapped directly under the Blood Moon are the ones truly beyond saving. Lord Fox Saint must definitely be plotting something massive in the shadows."
Xu Cuihua remained utterly silent, her heart heavy with conflicted emotions.
"If Lord Fox Saint ever wants to see us, he will naturally come on his own terms. When he originally sent us here, he strictly ordered us to obey your commands. That absolute loyalty will never change. Please rest assured, Holy Maiden."
As Xu Cuihua and Li Dalong finally turned and left, Daoist Mosquito continued to stand silently at the very edge of the steep cliff, simply letting the solitary night wind brush past his robes.