Nanwu

His response was clever, subtly conveying his stance and prompting chuckles from the other three. Sima Yuanli pulled Li Ximing aside and sighed. “Fellow Daoist Guo has truly been frightened off… After all, he suffered early on and gave himself an agonizing headache over this business of Combined Fire. Nowadays, the mere mention of fire turns him pale!” “Guo Shentong does have quite a reputation, after all,” Li Ximing replied with a smile. Sima Yuanli remarked feelingly, “More than one clan has suffered. There once was a Violet Palace Combined Fire that ruined many prominent members of his family. Later, he sold it to exchange for spiritual materials to achieve a breakthrough, and only then did things gradually improve for him… It is good not to cultivate Combined Fire! As long as one steers clear of it…” He tapped the side of his forehead and joked, “There is something inside this head of his after all!” Li Ximing let out a hearty laugh, but then suddenly recalled that the most potent fire art in his own repertoire—the Tianwu Combined Fire—was also a form of Combined Fire. Had he not possessed Gu Wind Fire Summoning and his talisman seed, he too would have been afflicted. He awkwardly dropped the subject. Perhaps because Kuangyu was not particularly well-acquainted with Sima Yuanli, she merely pursed her lips in a smile. Li Ximing, however, nodded in deep empathy and smiled. “Please!” Acting as the host, he led the three up the mountain. Once they stopped at the summit, Sima Yuanli introduced him: “Fellow Daoist Guo hails from the East Sea as a rogue cultivator. His forebears were descendants of a renowned clan—the illustrious Guo Clan of Yongzhou. When Liang fell, they fled into exile across the outer sea, and their fame faded away…” Real Person Nanwu nodded slightly and took up the conversation with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Qinghu need not flatter me so. If we are speaking of noble birth, how could I ever compare to an imperial scion? It only invites mockery from Senior Zhaojing.” He let out a soft sigh. “Back then, our ancestor was severely injured and dared not show his face. He had no choice but to take refuge in the outer sea, where he passed away in haste. With the spiritual energy in the outer sea so thin and sparse, in less than a century our family had fallen into utter destitution, surviving only by cultivating upon an island formed by the Real Person’s remains after his demise… “Before his death, our ancestor entrusted various treasures to a certain Real Person, asking him to look after us so that our clan would not perish on account of possessing those treasures. That Real Person looked after us for a century, but then fell in a calamity, and all word of him was lost… Our family dwindled even further, gradually reaching the point where we could not even defend our island. “Had an old Real Person from Mount Qusi not passed by the outer sea a century ago and happened upon me… taking me out of the outer sea, along with a stroke of good fortune on my part, I never would have found the path I walk today!” He seemed lost in deep reflection, yet Li Ximing understood clearly. This introduction first mentioned Great Liang to establish his lineage, then cited Mount Qusi to indicate the network behind him—the Violet Palace lineage of the southeastern sea to which Kuangyu belonged. At the same time, it answered Li Ximing’s question. For a family to be harmed by a Violet Palace Combined Fire, those “prominent members” must have been Foundation Establishment cultivators who forcibly wielded Combined Fire to rescue the clan from dire straits. Combined Fire damaged one’s disposition and shortened one’s lifespan; dying a tragic death in the end was only natural. Li Ximing lowered his hands and sighed. “It truly has not been easy…” Kuangyu nodded slightly and continued, “The Guo Clan has endured no small amount of turmoil over these years… Having returned from overseas, they urgently need vast amounts of spiritual resources and a Violet Palace formation capable of protecting the family… This aligns well with your expectations, Fellow Daoist! “For this reason, upon receiving word from Zhaojing, I thought of Fellow Daoist Guo immediately. I sought him out and asked in detail. Who would have guessed he already knew Fellow Daoist Qinghu? He was traveling along to inspect the formation at Helin, so he stopped by on the way.” Li Ximing nodded in realization. Sima Yuanli wasted no time, retrieving an item from his sleeve. It was a dark scroll painted with multicolored patterns, bound by a golden spiritual cord. Setting it down before Li Ximing, he sighed, “Over these past days, the formation masters in my clan have been sketching and piecing together the diagram of this formation. Gathering clues from several of Changxiao’s formation cultivators, they have managed to reconstruct fifty to sixty percent of it.” Sima Yuanli’s gesture was undeniably thoughtful, according both sides ample face. Li Ximing nodded with a smile and watched as Sima Yuanli stroked his beard and continued: “This is the Tianyi Zhixi Spiritual Formation, forged by Changxiao himself. When he emerged from the grotto-heaven back then, he was laden with treasures and spared no expense. The formation plate uses Baiying Tiaojin as its base and Changhe Langxing for its patterns, refined from two kinds of Violet Palace spiritual materials alongside numerous other resources. This formation plate alone could be considered priceless and beyond market value! “Once established, though slightly weaker in repelling other cultivators and possessing few offensive means, this spiritual formation is of the highest caliber for aiding cultivation, gathering spiritual energy, nourishing life and vitality, and establishing Dao lineages and passing down teachings. It is a first-rate treasure!” As soon as his voice fell, he presented an object from his palm and smiled. “This is the formation plate!” It was palm-sized, octagonal with eight corners, displaying a unified celadon-white hue. Dense, hair-thin talismans were inscribed across its surface, brilliant white like fresh snow, yet as Sima Yuanli’s palm shifted, they radiated flecks of golden yellow. “My family’s heritage carries some foundation, so we managed to retrieve this item safely without much damage. At most, its spiritual energy was slightly impaired; once the new grand formation is refined, it will only take a year or two of nurturing to restore it! “The only issue is… this was hastily extracted when we breached the formation. I do not understand formations and have merely bound it here with spell arts. We still need to find someone skilled in formations to accompany me to install it.” Hearing this, Real Person Guo’s eyes lit up, and he nodded inwardly. Li Ximing calmly received it; resting in his hand, it felt cool to the touch. Truly worthy of a Violet Palace–grade treasure. Compact and exquisite, it rippled with the multicolored divine light characteristic of the Violet Palace realm. One glance made it impossible to look away, and holding it in one’s hand made one reluctant to set it down. Even if his own clan had no use for it, he would have loved to keep it as a prized curio for close study. Beside him, Real Person Guo could not tear his eyes away either. Li Ximing looked at him with a smile and asked, “Fellow Daoist Guo… what do you cultivate?” Real Person Guo hurriedly looked up and said politely, “Senior need not stand on ceremony. This humble one is Guo Nanwu; please feel free to address me simply as Nanwu… My Guo clan cultivates Pinshui and Shaoyang, supplemented by the path of Fire Virtue. As for myself, I attained my breakthrough through the path of Shaoyang…” “That is indeed rare!” Li Ximing reflected that this was the first time he had encountered a Violet Palace cultivator of the Shaoyang path. Yet his mind worked quickly; beyond his surprise, he felt a deeper suspicion. *Shaoyang is not entirely unexpected—after all, they hail from a great clan of the Great Liang, and Great Liang once had the renowned Shaoyang Demon Lord. But taken together with his ancestor’s flight into exile, it is very likely his forebear was a senior minister of the Liang Emperor, a cultivator of Shaoyang!* What did that signify? Great Liang’s Shaoyang lineage originated from the Zitai Xuanxie Sect, commonly known as the Guanxie lineage! Who currently held sway over the Guanxie lineage? Wei Xuanyin! And whom did he serve? Luoxia! Such was the benefit of understanding the tapestry of Dao lineages. Even though the likelihood of Guo Nanwu originating from the Zitai Xuanxie Sect was exceedingly low, Li Ximing immediately began to probe. He nodded and said: “It is not surprising after all. So it is the Shaoyang path… Could it be of the Guanxie lineage?” The moment these words left his mouth, Sima Yuanli, who had just been about to speak, sipped his tea in silence. Guo Nanwu chuckled and replied: “I could never aspire to the Guanxie lineage. In truth, Pinshui was our family’s primary cultivation path; the Shaoyang art was traded for by our ancestor back then… Who would have thought that while Pinshui repeatedly failed us, Shaoyang succeeded instead?” A touch of wistfulness surfaced in his expression as he answered, “I know you refer to the Zitai Xuanxie Sect… Back then, those immortals stood high above the rest, but today… their orthodox lineage is utterly severed. They are nothing more than lackeys running errands for the Guanhua Tianlou Dao.” Li Ximing was slightly surprised, but Sima Yuanli let out a cough, signaling that this matter was best left unsaid. Li Ximing set down his cup and nodded silently. *True enough… For one, if his family had been hunted into such dire straits, they couldn't possibly be of the Zitai Xuanxie Sect. For another… even if Wei Xuanyin wished to stir up trouble, he wouldn't do it like this… Nor would he need to court such suspicion. If not seeking a descendant of Mingyang, he would at least pick someone with a cleaner background…* Sensing the slight awkwardness, Guo Nanwu promptly added, “Nanwu also understands the value of this item, and I have brought a spiritual material with me this time.” “Oh?” Li Ximing looked up with interest. Guo Nanwu retrieved a box from his robe, opened it casually, and revealed a clear, luminous glow within. He whispered, “Senior, please take a look!” Li Ximing swept his spiritual sense over it and saw an imposing aura of metallic qi surging within the box, suppressed by the divine ability magic power guarding its surface. At the very bottom, clear and luminous light gathered—it was distinctly a Metal Virtue spiritual material. Li Ximing narrowed his eyes and asked, “Duijin?” “Precisely!” Guo Nanwu replied with a grave expression, “This item is nameless, a type of metallic baleful qi, yet it is a Duijin spiritual material. I asked an old Real Person to examine it, and he said it is even more noble than ordinary Violet Palace spiritual materials!” “Noble?” His choice of words sounded peculiar to Li Ximing, who fell into silent contemplation. Sima Yuanli, however, furrowed his brow, half-believing and half-doubting as he remarked, “To me, it looks like Changyue Zhibianjin… yet with a touch more radiant light…” “Fellow Daoist Qinghu has remarkable discernment!” Guo Nanwu shook his head and sighed. “Back when our family was cultivating in the outer sea, the Great Void quaked, and a golden star fell from the sky. A long rainbow swept across the moon, pressing close against the horizon, throwing the landscape into disarray and mist. Though heavily injured, our ancestor was forced to show himself. “He saw several specks of golden light plunging into the sea. Taking advantage of his proximity, he secretly retrieved them. After repeated study, he also concluded it was Changyue Zhibianjin. “Later, Old Real Person Diyan aided our family. When I sought to break through to the Violet Palace, I offered this spiritual material in gratitude, using Miuwei Combined Fire to obtain Sanzong Rongyang Stone. The old Real Person accepted the Combined Fire, but returned the Changyue Zhibianjin.” With a complex gaze, Guo Nanwu said, “The old Real Person cited the phrase: *‘Bestowed by Shenbai, gold of years gone by.’* He firmly refused to take it, and cautioned us never to let it come into contact with other forms of Duijin, warning that touch would bring about a transformation… Thus, it has been preserved to this day. “After attaining my divine ability, Nanwu visited the mountain gate to pay respects to the old Real Person and inquired about the matter. Yet the old Real Person remained tight-lipped. When asked about its wonders, he merely said it held a touch more of the sun’s might… In truth, I was rather curious myself, but as our clan searched high and low, only this item was worthy of being presented!” Li Ximing sensed it carefully. As his divine ability resonated with it, he replied, “It indeed possesses the might of the First Manifestation.” This gave Li Ximing pause for thought. His family's Diqi Light was meant to condense a chamber within the Juque Court, with the sun, lightning, and radiant baleful qi occupying the principal positions. This item contained the sun and was also a metallic baleful qi. Even if he could not sell it immediately upon acquiring it, it could be used for cultivating spell arts, which would prove greatly beneficial. He did not intend to use it himself, but rather wished to add luster to Li Zhouwei’s spell arts. Otherwise, he truly would not have been willing to trade for an item of Duijin! Guo Nanwu nodded repeatedly. Li Ximing raised his brows and said, “This item is indeed precious, but the Tianyi Zhixi formation plate is forged with Baiying Tiaojin as its base and Changhe Langxing for its patterns—both are exceptional Violet Palace spiritual materials. This single piece of Duijin alone might scarcely suffice to offset the value.” Guo Nanwu hesitated. He parted his lips, wanting to offer cultivation methods, but matters of his ancestors had not been discussed with those on his island, so he could hardly bring them out. Kuangyu smiled and interjected: “It is not just that. If you wish to construct the formation, the vast quantities of spiritual resources required can never bypass the inland realm. Moreover, the path of Shangyi is exceedingly rare; now that Fellow Daoist Minghuang has conquered Changxiao, these things are indispensable as well!” Guo Nanwu clearly placed great trust in her and nodded thoughtfully. Kuangyu spoke softly: “How about this… I have calculated the days. The Guo Clan has few members, and even if they poured all their efforts into forging this formation, it would still take ten or twenty years—practically an indefinite prospect…” She turned to Li Ximing and said amiably, “Why not let him take the Bafang Tingyun Spiritual Formation first so the Guo Clan can establish their island in the South Sea? Meanwhile, Fellow Daoist Zhaojing lacks someone to lend a hand and manage affairs across the sea. For the next twenty to thirty years, the Li Clan can provide some basic spiritual materials, while Nanwu runs errands for Wangyue in the South Sea, occasionally lending a hand in matters within his power that do not touch upon the conflict between north and south. It would serve as mutual support…” Kuangyu smiled and added, “There is no need to worry about anything else. Once the grand formation is established, if these thirty years pass without imposing upon Nanwu, he can simply add one or two spiritual resources for you depending on how the situation stands.” She said earnestly, “With Mount Qusi and myself acting as intermediaries, this carries a guarantee! If all else fails… he can only bring out a few cultivation methods to make up the difference for you…” This caught Li Ximing entirely by surprise. Turning his head in mild astonishment, he began to weigh the matter in his mind: *True enough…* The matters regarding Qingyan had yet to be settled. Li Ximing also maintained contact with several monster kings from Polotuo, and there were pills and spiritual resources that could be traded. Yet it was inconvenient to have low-level cultivators ferry such items back and forth, and he could not leave his post… He could only sit idly on the mountain to no avail… Even trading with Raja Nanshun or meeting the one in Yinzhou should have been his responsibility. Yet with so many threats looming and Lake Wangyue requiring protection, he could not leave promptly. The family had finally gained Liu Changdie, but he had to be stationed in Qunyi! These matters had piled up for so long that when Li Zhouwei traveled abroad, he had even been forced to run such errands. *If we have such a figure—one who ostensibly maintains only a friendly acquaintance with our clan, paying a visit or sending a letter now and then—we can leave aside items that are too precious or confidential and entrust him with ordinary pills, spiritual resources, and common goods… That would actually be quite convenient…* As for those one or two spiritual resources, Li Ximing did not covet them in the slightest, understanding that Kuangyu genuinely hoped the cultivators of the State of Yue would draw closer to her faction. But what truly stirred his heart was another matter altogether! To this day, Li Jiangqian and Li Quewan already held hope of attaining the Violet Palace. When the time came, another critical matter would arise—the Azure Register! *When the time comes, if we can find an unbacked monster overseas and pool everyone’s strength… it might just be possible… Even if an unbacked monster is hard to find, having an additional Violet Palace combatant is always a good thing!* *The only pity is… the South Sea holds little interest for our family… nor would it be right to drag him into the struggle between north and south.* After deliberating repeatedly, he abandoned any thought of asking for the clan’s cultivation methods and smiled. “A relationship built on mutual favors is more than welcome. Since we have agreed on thirty years, we will be good friends from here on. There is no need to bind things so rigidly, and I would be too embarrassed to ask Fellow Daoist for additional spiritual resources!” “This…” Guo Nanwu was momentarily taken aback. Feeling somewhat uneasy, he hurriedly returned the salute and said, “Senior Zhaojing…” Li Ximing shook his head and rose with a smile. “No need for such courtesy!” He picked up the formation plate and placed it into Guo Nanwu’s hands, smiling. “Since the matter is settled, let us not keep Fellow Daoist Qinghu waiting. Please make haste!” Though the formation plate felt icy in his hands, Guo Nanwu held it as though clutching a warm and cherished treasure. Breathing a long sigh of relief, he sighed, “Junior will remember this kindness!” He raised his brows to look at Kuangyu, only to be momentarily stunned to see that she had stepped beside Li Ximing. The woman said with a radiant smile: “Congratulations! I still have a few trifles to discuss with Fellow Daoist Zhaojing… so I will not accompany you back. Immortal Ning is currently in Xinyu; you may go straight to find her!”