A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 528 Li Ku
On this day, Duan Rong was meditating cross-legged in his cave dwelling deep in the valley.

Suddenly, the entire cave trembled, and small pebbles fell from above with a rustling sound...

Duan Rong's body swayed slightly from the tremor, and he thought it was an earthquake that had suddenly occurred deep within Changliu Mountain.

Just then, a series of muffled thunderclaps echoed from outside the cave...

Duan Rong moved like a ghost, darting out of the cave through the drizzling rain of falling stone chips.

As soon as Duan Rong stepped out of the cave, he looked up at the empty space in the valley, his eyes filled with astonishment!
Two figures could be seen slowly descending from the void above the towering cliffs on all sides.

It was an old man with a white beard and hair, and a thin, pale boy.

Above the void, dozens of nearly transparent, large bird phantoms soared and circled, their tails leaving behind wisps of thin mist...

For some reason, the thin mist reminded Duan Rong of the pervasive fog in the withered forest...

The deep valley where Lü Yinlin lived in seclusion was completely shrouded in a talisman array, and the void in the surrounding cliffs was no exception.

But at this moment, the old man and the young man seemed to be forcing their way through the talisman array!

Above the void, dozens of nearly transparent bird phantoms were attacking the two people, circling and flying, crashing into the two uninvited guests who were slowly falling into the deep valley.

The old man with a white beard and robes moved without wind, surrounded by countless purple electric sparks that protected him and the thin, pale boy in the center of the purple electric net.

Whenever a nearly transparent phantom bird crashes in, a bolt of solid purple lightning suddenly flies out from the purple electric net surrounding the white-bearded old man and strikes the phantom bird.

At that moment, a muffled clap of thunder exploded!
The large bird phantom let out a mournful cry and then turned into a cloud of mist.

At the same time, the entire valley trembled slightly.

Lu Yinlin stood in the deep valley, his face ashen as he watched the two figures fall from the void.

After another large bird phantom turned into mist, Lü Yinlin suddenly flicked his sleeve, and something flew out from his sleeve.

It was a colorful feather!

The feather, as soon as it took flight, fluttered its wings and suddenly disappeared. When it reappeared, it was hovering in the center of the sky, spinning endlessly...

As it rotates, the rosy light surges forth like ripples on water...

A faint glow floated in the void. Dozens of nearly transparent bird phantoms that had been hovering in the void were now all covered in the glow, emitting cries like jade shattering, and crashing into the white-bearded old man surrounded by purple lightning!
The old man's face was solemn. Seeing the large, ethereal bird with its shimmering light and terrifying presence, he immediately cried out, "Brother Lü, stop! I've come to pay my respects, not to fight!"

Lu Yinlin stood in the valley and said, "Li Ku! There's a main gate, but you insist on forcing your way through the magic array! What kind of way is this to pay your respects?!"

Lu Yinlin clearly had no intention of stopping, and one after another, large, illusory birds shrouded in rosy light crashed into the two people in mid-air.

Within the purple electric grid, streaks of purple lightning, as thick as fingers, flashed continuously.

But those large, phantom-like birds were getting closer and closer, and they were about to get right up to us.

The thin, pale boy standing behind the bearded old man had a flicker of fear in his eyes. Just then, a large, ethereal bird, draped in rosy light, crashed into the shimmering purple electric net that crisscrossed around him.

"Fuck!"

The phantom of the large bird turned into a wisp of green smoke, but the purple electric net had been rotted open, leaving a hole the size of a fist.

And then another large, phantom-like bird crashed in again!
Seeing that the purple electric net surrounding them could no longer protect them and that collapse was imminent, the old man with the white beard grabbed the thin, pale boy and, with a surge of energy, transformed into a black beam of light before the purple electric net collapsed, crashing into the deep valley!

The old man with the white beard crashed into the deep valley, raising a cloud of dust. A large, ethereal bird, draped in rosy light, swooped down from the sky and crashed into the source of the dust!

Within that cloud of smoke, the old man with the white beard was no longer protected by the purple electric net.

As the phantom of the large bird drew near, suddenly, amidst a cloud of dust, the outline of an infant appeared abruptly above the head of the white-bearded old man.

When Duan Rong saw the blurry outline of an infant appearing above the head of the white-bearded old man amidst the smoke and dust, his eyes involuntarily flickered.

In fact, he had already guessed that the old man was a Nascent Soul cultivator. But seeing the Nascent Soul vaguely appear, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

Although the smoke and dust made it impossible to see the truth...

As soon as the nascent soul appeared, its eyes suddenly widened, and it looked up at the large bird phantom that was swooping down from the sky and covered in rosy light. With its mouth open, the nascent soul made a childish sound.

"argot!"

As soon as that strange syllable was uttered, the phantom of the giant bird vanished instantly, without even a wisp of smoke rising from it.

With a wave of his right hand, Lü Yinlin summoned the colorful feather that was circling high in the sky, which then hummed softly and came into his hand.

At this moment, the bearded old man finally led the thin, pale boy out of the swirling dust.

The old man with the white beard looked at Lü Yinlin and said, "Lü Yinlin! We've only just met, and you've already made me look so disheveled, even forcing me to utter the seed word! Is this your way of treating guests?!"

Upon hearing the old man mention the seed syllable, Duan Rong's expression sharpened. Just moments before, the nascent soul had emerged from the smoke and dust, uttering a strange, childlike syllable. "Could that be the seed syllable?"

Duan Rong's thoughts were in turmoil for a moment.

Lu Yinlin snorted coldly and said, "I do have a way of treating guests. Li Ku, you should at least act like a guest so that I can properly entertain you!"

"So, it was my fault after all?" Li Ku flicked the dust off his Taoist robe, suddenly smiled, and looked at Lü Yinlin, saying.

Lu Yinlin glared at Li Ku and said, "It's been over a hundred years, and you're still the same as ever, unchanged!"

"How come kind words turn out so wrong when they come out of your mouth?" Li Ku laughed. "More than a hundred years ago, we fought side by side in the Moheyan Desert in the Western Regions! Lü Yinlin, why do you always have such a stern face when you see me? Don't you remember any of our past friendship?"

Lu Yinlin coldly said, "You still have the nerve to say that? Back in Moheyanqi, if it weren't for you dragging me down, I wouldn't have been injured."

“Aren’t you being petty? It’s such a small matter, and you’ve been nagging about it for over a hundred years?” Li Ku said, glancing at the stone table under the ancient pine tree. On the stone table was a stone-carved chessboard, with a neatly arranged chess game on it.

Li Ku chuckled, "Still studying endgame puzzles? Come on, Lü Yinlin! I'm in a good mood today, I'll play a game with you!"

Lu Yinlin said, "With your lousy chess skills, I don't want to play with you!"

Li Ku said, "Don't be so arrogant! It's not certain who will win or lose! Come on!"

As Li Ku spoke, he sat down at the stone table.

Although Lü Yinlin didn't seem to like Li Ku very much, he walked over with a cold face and sat down opposite Li Ku.

This Li Ku is the patriarch of the Tianyan Sect, a Nascent Soul cultivator, and one of the most powerful beings in this world. Among the major sects of the Nine Provinces, there are only a handful of such powerful figures. They often have dealings with each other regarding the deepest secrets of this world.

Both of them knew perfectly well why Li Ku had come. Since he was already sitting at the stone table, Lü Yinlin should also sit down.

Ultimately, both of them are old monsters at the Nascent Soul stage and patriarchs of their respective sects. Their transactions must be equal.

Li Ku has come braving the mountains, and Lü Yinlin must make him fall into the valley in a sorry state; this is not an option!
Li Ku was already sitting at the stone table, so he had to sit down too; it was no joke!
Seeing Lü Yinlin sit down, Li Ku turned to look at the thin, pale boy not far away and said coldly, "Senior Lü and I have important matters to discuss. You should stay in the valley and not cause any trouble!"

"Yes, Ancestor!" Upon hearing this, the thin, pale youth clasped his hands in a salute and then moved away to a slightly farther place.

Just after the boy moved aside, Li Ku and Lü Yinlin were talking under the ancient pine tree, playing chess, but Duan Rong and the others could no longer hear them.

Duan Rong stood there, glancing at the two old men under the ancient pine tree. The thin, pale-faced youth stood before a cliff face, giving off an air of "keep away, strangers."

Duan Rong glanced at Lü Qingzhu across the valley, then slowly walked over and asked, "Miss Lü, that person seems to be the patriarch of the Tianyan Sect, right?"

Lu Yinlin had called out "Li Ku" to the bearded old man several times, and both of them had heard it.

The Tianyan Sect occupies Youzhou, bordering Qingzhou. It's no secret that their sect's patriarch is named Li Ku. Furthermore, the fact that the old man was a Nascent Soul cultivator further confirms his identity.

There were only a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators in this world to begin with!

Lu Qingzhu showed no reaction upon hearing this. However, Duan Rong still sensed her agreement from her words.

Lü Qingzhu was aloof and taciturn; her lack of reaction indicated that she basically agreed.

Duan Rong continued, "Who is that young man who came with the patriarch of the Tianyan Sect?"

Lu Qingzhu glanced at the young man standing in front of the cliff, who looked like he didn't want to be approached, and said coldly, "How should I know?!"

After finishing speaking, Lü Qingzhu turned and went into her cave.

Duan Rong stood there for a while longer, but since he couldn't hear Lü Yinlin and Li Ku's conversation and didn't want to rashly strike up a conversation with the boy who had a stern expression, he returned to his cave and continued his cultivation.

Beneath the ancient pine tree, Li Ku held a black chess piece in his hand, rubbing it between his fingers, unsure of how to place it.

Lu Yinlin was right; he was indeed a terrible chess player and not good at the art of chess.

Li Ku, holding a chess piece, suddenly looked up and said, "Lu Yinlin, this old man is a little thirsty!"

Lu Yinlin glared at him and said, "Idle people have too much to do!"

Even so, Lü Yinlin frowned. A kettle and two bamboo cups flew out from the depths of his cave and hovered in front of the two of them.

Lu Yinlin poured a cup of water into the bamboo tube floating beside Li Ku.

At this moment, Li Ku finally placed his black piece on the chessboard. Then, he picked up the bamboo tube beside him, glanced at it, and a look of disdain flashed across his face. "I am a dignified lord of this region. You come to your valley and can't even offer me a cup of tea?"

Lü Yinlin said, "I never drink tea, I only drink water."

Li Ku picked up the bamboo tube, took a sip, and smacked his lips. "How bland! You don't even drink tea? Lü Yinlin, I'm not saying anything, but you have absolutely no idea how to enjoy life!"

Lu Yinlin smiled faintly and said, "In my opinion, drinking plain water is the real enjoyment."

Li Ku glanced at Lü Yinlin and said, "You seem to have a very pure heart!?"

Lu Yinlin remained silent upon hearing this, and gently placed a white piece on the chessboard.

While watching the chess game, Li Ku said, "Two months ago, it was rumored that Zhuang Tairu of the Divine Will Sect had formed a Nascent Soul. Have you heard about this?"

Lu Yinlin said, "I've heard about it. But I don't know if it's true or not. I'm sending people to investigate. Maybe it's a false rumor deliberately spread by the Divine Will Sect."

Li Ku remained expressionless and said, "It's true. Someone on my side found out."

Lu Yinlin looked up and gave Li Ku a meaningful look. He knew Li Ku wouldn't joke about this.

Indeed, if it weren't true, Li Ku wouldn't have needed to make this trip to this deep valley.

"Then the Divine Intent Sect has two Nascent Soul Realm experts in charge!" Lü Yinlin said in a nonchalant tone. He knew that in the past ten years or so, the conflict between the Heavenly Evolution Sect and the Divine Intent Sect had intensified, and Zhuang Tairu of the Divine Intent Sect had suddenly reached the Nascent Soul Realm, which obviously put a lot of pressure on Li Ku.

Li Ku said, "There were originally only a dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators in the Nine Provinces Continent. Now that one has suddenly appeared, the situation in the world will likely change again!"

Li Ku did not talk about his own family, but only about the situation in the world.

Lu Yinlin smiled faintly and said, "The world is in turmoil. I wonder what Brother Li's plans are?"

Li Ku pointed at Lü Yinlin, then at himself, and said, "My Tianyan Sect's Youzhou and your Taiyi Sect's Qingzhou both border the Divine Intent Sect's Jizhou. The Divine Intent Sect has suddenly gained a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. If he wants to wage war, you and I will be the first to bear the brunt!"

Lu Yinlin said, "Qingyang Sect also has two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, and it adheres to the sect balance policy that has been in place for thousands of years. If Shenyi Sect wants to expand, those two from Qingyang Sect will definitely try to restrain it."

Li Ku said, "Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst! To be honest, Lü Yinlin, I came here with the sincerity of forming an alliance. Only by forming an alliance between our two sects can we withstand the first wave of attacks and expansion from the Divine Intent Sect. In this way, we won't suffer too many losses before the Qingyang Sect mediates and checks and balances us. Otherwise, once the Divine Intent Sect has taken hold of us, it won't be so easy for them to spit it out!"

Lu Yinlin's face remained expressionless, but his mind was in turmoil.

What he wanted was for Li Ku to first state the terms of the alliance.

Li Ku also saw through Lü Yinlin's thoughts, but he didn't hide it and pointed it out directly. Because over the past ten years, the Tianyan Sect and the Shenyi Sect had indeed accumulated a lot of old grudges, and he needed this alliance more than Lü Yinlin.

Lu Yinlin took a sip of water and said, "This is a matter of great importance!"

Li Ku said, "Lu Yinlin, I know your plans. But let me tell you, the first wave of attacks from the Divine Will Sect may not necessarily start with my Heavenly Evolution Sect!"
"Oh, how so?" Lu Yinlin asked, his expression remaining noncommittal.

Li Ku said, "Is old grudge more important, or resources and interests? Don't forget! Those few plots of land bordering your Qingzhou and Jizhou are very fertile!"

Lu Yinlin's face twitched; he naturally understood what Li Ku was saying.

Li Ku said, "Lu Yinlin, we're both cunning foxes, why bother with all this roundabout stuff? Alliance or not? Just say it straight!"

Lu Yinlin chuckled and said, "Li Ku, you're still so impatient. The Divine Will Sect is coming on strong, so forming an alliance is a must. However, I'm just giving my nod. You'll have to discuss the specific terms of the alliance with Chu Qiushan."

Li Ku cursed the old fox inwardly, but still smiled and said, "You just need to nod. If we agree, they can talk in peace, right?"

Lu Yinlin chuckled, placed a white piece, and said, "Li Ku, you've lost this game. I told you you're a terrible player."

Li Ku looked at the chessboard and, as expected, the game was lost. He sighed and said, "It's alright to lose the game! You can always gain something from something else."

(End of this chapter)