In his youth, their ancestor Li Tongya had been present when disaster struck the market on Lake Central Islet. Later, he had secretly slipped inside and used water-controlling techniques to extract a jade casket from the formation eye. It was pale green all over, densely carved with arcane patterns, and completely empty within.
Although the ancestor had obtained no treasure from it, he noticed that the casket was made of an extraordinary material capable of preserving precious items. He carried it with him, passing it down through the generations, and it was later used to store the sword canon.
Li Ximing had no aptitude for swordsmanship and had barely interacted with the object. By rights, he should not have recognized it. Yet years ago, when the Li clan unified Wangyue and dismantled the Great Barrier Formation of Lake Central Islet, Li Xijun had retrieved the jade casket specifically to study the islet’s formation techniques. Li Ximing had caught a glimpse of it back then and still retained that memory.
Seeing a Purple Mansion cultivator now presenting this very object with such cautious, tiptoeing reverence, how could Li Ximing not be astonished? But this was no time to ask probing questions. Forming an incantation hand-seal, he mobilized Brightness Over All. The invisible Radiance of the Six Directions coalesced at his fingertips at once, conducting subtle calculations.
Li Ximing's momentary daze went unnoticed by Yan Dushui, who drew a black jade slip from his sleeve, handed it to Li Ximing, and said in a low voice, "I must trouble Fellow Daoist to place this talisman between your brows before you can behold the spiritual object... It is exceedingly bizarre. Were it not locked in place by this slab of Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood, it would likely have drifted off to who knows where long ago.
"Only, lifting this thing may shave off a bit of your destiny... I shall not take a single sliver of the Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood; all of it will go to Fellow Daoist as compensation!"
Li Ximing held the Immortal Mirror and could see everything with utmost clarity, yet he still accepted the talisman with solemn composure and applied it, lost in thought.
The spiritual object before him was truly wondrous. When the spiritual sense of an esteemed Purple Mansion cultivator swept across the wooden stump, it appeared completely empty, without the faintest trace. Only when the Radiance of the Six Directions brushed past did an anomaly reveal itself...
The Radiance of the Six Directions in his hand was Mingyang’s sole life divine ability, used to balance Heaven and Earth and interrogate the cosmos. Under normal circumstances, it could sense the pervasive filling of destiny and qi between Heaven and Earth, occupying every void. If observing the world through spiritual sense was like looking into an empty room filled with various furnishings, observing the world through the Radiance of the Six Directions was like standing in a boundless ocean with all manner of items resting beneath one's feet—the difference was not vast.
Yet within this cave dwelling, while spiritual sense perceived only vast emptiness all around, the Radiance of the Six Directions found that the space above the stump was likewise entirely vacant—an immediate contrast. If an ocean lacked even 'water,' how could it not be all the more glaring?
'Banished Qi can swallow qi and mechanism. If a weapon were forged from this, it might pass clean through someone's body before they even realized it!'
Having marveled inwardly, he opened the jade box and silently pushed it forward. Naturally, he could not touch the spiritual object directly with divine ability, nudging it forward bit by bit solely with the Radiance of the Six Directions, then gently lifting it!
The divine ability magic power within Li Ximing immediately poured forth at a terrifying rate, as if he were hefting a mountain forged of blackstone. The Radiance of the Six Directions shook violently, yet it merely made the feather flutter ever so slightly.
At that slight flutter, Yan Dushui’s eyes suddenly lit up, his heart pounding: 'What the venerable lord said was indeed true! This thing cannot be lifted by divine abilities or detected by spiritual sense; only the cosmic order of Heaven and Earth, the sanctuary where all living beings bow, unifying one of Heaven, Earth, or Man, can perceive it... Fortunately, Brightness Over All is effective!'
While Yan Dushui was overjoyed, Li Ximing’s complexion changed abruptly.
As he manipulated the feather, his own life divine ability rapidly dwindled, the Radiance of the Six Directions steadily eroding. This was genuinely shaving away the cultivation of his life divine ability!
'What a terrifying speed!'
His scalp tingled with numbness. His divine ability magic power cascaded inward like a waterfall, and the feather finally drifted down into the jade casket. Strangely enough, the spiritual relic—previously as heavy as ten thousand jun—became as light as a white plume the moment it entered the casket, bearing not the slightest weight.
By now, Li Ximing's face was deathly pale, the talisman between his brows burnt to ash. Forcing himself forward, he channeled the Radiance of the Six Directions to gather the black qi of the cave dwelling, sealing it into the casket to nourish the relic. Only after regulating his breath for several moments on the spot did some color return to his face.
'A close call... Were it not for this talisman between my brows absorbing so much of the blow... I might have suffered internal injuries.'
Once he ensured nothing was amiss inside his body, he sealed the jade box and handed it to Yan Dushui, saying, "Congratulations!"
Yan Dushui’s eyes were faintly red. He nodded heavily and pointed at the wooden stump atop the stone platform. "The Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood is yours to take, Fellow Daoist."
Though the Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood could simply be taken using a divine ability, Li Ximing still probed it cautiously multiple times before reaching out to collect it. Sweeping his gaze around, he committed the various talismans and runes to memory, pondering: 'This place is narrow and long; it looks rather like a coffin.'
Suspecting that the dark mist drifting all around was also valuable, he collected some black qi into a bottle while watching old Yan Dushui, who looked torn. Looking around alongside him, Yan Dushui seemed reluctant to leave, yet hesitant about something, before finally taking a step forward.
The incense burning in the front hall shone brightly, having shortened slightly. The blackness within the hall seemed even thicker, so dark that one could not see one's own outstretched fingers.
Li Ximing paid extra attention and noticed another corridor on the opposite side. Seeing that Yan Dushui had no intention of leading him inside, his thoughts stirred. Seemingly walking forward at an unhurried pace, he secretly activated the Immortal Artifact once more.
In an instant, the mist before him dispersed, the engravings on the walls appearing in distinct detail. Six stone lamps in the other passage emerged before his eyes, stretching all the way into the depths, ending at a smooth stone wall.
The markings on the wall were sparse, appearing to depict a small, eerie array that exuded the profound, arcane air of shamanic talismans.
'This place isn't particularly large either... merely a residence.'
Li Ximing had no leisure to study it further. The two stepped across the threshold and emerged outside. The cave dwelling was once more enveloped in an impenetrable, hazy blackness. When they exited the place together and stepped into the Great Void, looking back, the location seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Li Ximing's expression shifted slightly, having secretly memorized this place. Turning to look at Yan Dushui, he saw that the old man was completely oblivious, clutching the box in his arms with a somewhat dejected air as he muttered, "A treasure handed down by ancestors across thousands of years has ended up falling into another's hands."
Li Ximing knew that Yan Dushui was bound to hand it over to Jiuqiu; after all, Jiuqiu had been orchestrating this all along. But Yan Dushui had little lifespan remaining, and his descendants were inept—what else could he do?
"Ancestral treasures were meant to preserve the clan for future generations in the first place... It hardly matters whose hands they end up in... Being able to build ties with Jiuqiu is something other families could only envy."
Yet these were merely polite pleasantries. Even Li Ximing standing beside him felt little true pity. Instead, his gaze settled upon the jade casket in Yan Dushui's hands. After offering a few comforting words, he wore an expression of mild envy and asked, "This journey has truly opened my eyes. Only... this casket... I wonder what it is? To think it could so easily contain an object of Banished Qi, which is renowned for being impossibly elusive!"
Disturbed in mind, Yan Dushui turned back hurriedly to glance at him, offering a strained smile. "This object was borrowed for me by True Person Lingdu of Jiuqiu, prepared specially for this affair... Not only is Fellow Daoist unable to discern its origins, but I too cannot see through it."
Li Ximing nodded without pressing further. Neither spoke another word as they tacitly flew toward Mount Jiuqiu. Not until the crimson leaves covering the mountain came into view did Yan Dushui remark wistfully, "What Fellow Daoist said is true as well. Generations of our ancestors tried and failed to retrieve that thing. Without this jade casket, one would only enter a mountain of treasures to return empty-handed, leaving it there in vain..."
Once they entered the mountain, Li Ximing discovered that Lingdu was still sitting quietly beside the table, perusing a scroll of Daoist scripture. It seemed he had not moved since Li Ximing's departure, awaiting their return together.
Yan Dushui bowed respectfully before the table, saying with a smile, "Venerable Lord... Linyi has come to pay respects... The item has been retrieved for you."
Li Ximing had known that the Jiuqiu Dao tradition held an exalted status, but he had never imagined it was this lofty. He clicked his tongue in secret amazement. Lingdu, however, acted quite naturally. Smiling, he bid them sit, set down the jade casket, and raised his brows. "You two have worked hard."
The old man did not open it. Instead, he took from his sleeve a clay coin barely two fingers wide and thin as a cicada's wing, placing it atop the jade casket. The side facing up was glossy and jet-black, inscribed with four characters:
[Serve the Dead as the Living]
No sooner had he laid it down than the clay coin, impelled by some invisible force, flipped over on its own to reveal the four characters on the reverse:
[Supreme Obscurity is Sagely]
Evidently, outside of that ghostly residence, the jade box could no longer be opened. Lingdu had used a special method to verify whether the spiritual relic was truly inside. Satisfied, he stowed the item away and addressed Yan Dushui, "I have inquired myself. Aside from the portion of Chunyuan owed to you, Zhiyan Peak is willing to forge ties and provide for three descendants among you and your grandchildren. As for whether they achieve divine abilities, that will depend on your clan's fortune."
Yan Dushui nodded silently and expressed his gratitude repeatedly, lapsing into a long silence. Lingdu then looked at Li Ximing with a smile. "Congratulations, Zhaojing!"
Li Ximing had reaped an immense reward this time. Though he had lost a substantial amount of cultivation, such things could ultimately be recovered through elixir pills, whereas a slab of Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood the size of a tabletop was something one might never encounter again.
His thoughts had been preoccupied with the jade casket, but now that he was reminded, joy welled up within him: 'Zhouwei... myself... Jiangqian... Quewan... It is more than enough for our soul lamps; in fact, that will barely take a fraction! Cut two palm-sized portions to return to Minghui, and whatever remains is still plenty to spend freely... I could even research some consumable items for self-preservation and clone projection...'
Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood was considered precious; he had only heard that a few Sun traditions possessed it internally, handed down from their ancestors and supplied exclusively to Purple Mansion cultivators. Back then, Changxi of Xuanyue Gate had used a jade-base soul lamp with gold and silver patterns, crafted through resonance with Gen Earth and jade treasures. It was essentially an oversized life jade, except that divine abilities could endure within it for a long time without requiring constant nourishment, making it relatively convenient for Purple Mansion cultivators themselves to use.
He was in good spirits, but Yan Dushui was thoroughly despondent and did not speak. Li Ximing thus repeated his previous inquiry, asking again about the mysterious casket. Lingdu smiled, shook his head, and gradually grew grave as he replied, "If one were to trace this object's origins... it should belong to True Monarch Taixu."
Li Ximing froze, and even Yan Dushui looked up with a look of utter disbelief, asking, "It is of such noble origin?!"
Lingdu gave a faint sigh and replied, "Back then... True Monarch Taixu had not yet attained the Dao, and cultivated in the Mirage Mirror Grotto-Heaven—commonly known at the time as the Qingsong Mirage Realm. After all, the Qingsong lineage had three rises and three falls, with many reconstitutions; a single Qingsong Abbey cannot encompass it all.
"Rumor has it that there were several seats within, upon which that Immortal left behind jade caskets for various disciples, corresponding to Xiuyue, Changhuai, Hengzhu, the Sword Sect, Ziyan, and Qingchi.
"This object is one of them—the very one belonging to True Monarch Taixu."
His gaze rested deeply on Li Ximing as he added, "People of your clan entered it before as well; they ought to have seen them."
'Qingsong Island!'
Li Ximing's heart quaked even harder: 'If so, then which one of them did the casket in our family's hands belong to?!'
Li Ximing's thoughts swirled in turmoil, and he nodded silently. Lingdu continued, "When the True Monarchs opened that realm, there were six caskets within. Changhuai and Hengzhu were empty; Qingchi and Ziyan were lost; the Sword Sect retrieved theirs, and Xiuyue's went to Xiukui..."
He specifically said Xiukui, pausing briefly. Seeing that Li Ximing was not surprised, he understood that Li Ximing also knew of Xiukui's past. Stroking his beard, he said, "The lost casket had fallen into the hands of a certain cultivator. He was originally blessed with the destiny of Fire Virtue and possessed extraordinary talent. My lineage's Great Real Person thought very highly of him, taking good care of him and offering much guidance. He acted as an intermediary to return the Ziyan casket. Great Real Person Zimu accepted the contents within, while this jade casket was entrusted to our Dao lineage for safekeeping."
Hearing up to this point, Li Ximing was struck with a shuddering shock, momentarily rendered speechless.
The Li clan had been involved in the matter of the jade casket back then! The 'certain cultivator' mentioned was nine times out of ten Tu Longjian, who was now hiding overseas to preserve himself!
'It was actually Senior Jun Jian!'
'Senior Jun Jian actually had deep ties with the Jiuqiu Dao tradition! Not only that, but he even received guidance from this Great Real Person of Yuandao, allowing him to avoid Jiangnan early on and head to the North Sea!'
All the clues connected together, leaving him silent and solemn, his heart reeling: 'Just when did this take place... Does it mean he was a pawn placed by the Jiuqiu Dao tradition all along?! Back then, when the various True Persons joined together to seal the Great Void, how was he able to escape? Most likely, it was this Great Real Person who intervened! Only someone with his divine abilities and Dao attainment could quietly preserve the senior right under the noses of all those True Persons!'
'And was this Great Real Person's motive precisely this jade casket?'
He hesitated to speak. His immediate reaction was to wonder if the goodwill the Jiuqiu Dao tradition showed him stemmed from Senior Tulong! Yet lowering his eyes to glance at Lingdu, he saw the old man seemed completely oblivious, showing no meaningful glance or hint simply because he had mentioned Tu Longjian.
The old man continued the conversation quite naturally, "This object cannot be said to be exceedingly precious; originally, it was merely an ordinary item. It is just that having witnessed the attainment of the Dao by the various True Monarchs, and bearing the significance of transmission from master to disciple, it channeled a sliver or two of exalted aura. From then on, it transcended the mundane, making it a simple matter to contain rare and wondrous treasures."
He seemed somewhat wistful and shook his head, saying, "Purple Mansions have already achieved divine abilities. The vast majority of things permitted to circulate in this world cannot escape the eyes of a divine ability. When something reaches the point where a Purple Mansion cannot discern its materials or deduce its origins, nine times out of ten it is related to a True Monarch. And ninety-nine percent of those are items once used by such True Monarchs..."
He sighed with emotion, "Since these objects never caught the esteemed lord's eye, they possess no concrete divine wonders. In the hands of minor cultivators, they are of little use—sturdy at best. Even in the hands of figures with heaven-shaking Dao attainment like a Great Real Person, it is used merely to store a trace of Banished Qi."
Having listened to such secrets, Yan Dushui's mood had eased considerably. He could not help but ask, "What if it did catch their eye and possessed divine wonders?"
Lingdu turned to look at him and laughed, "You wouldn't be able to run away, and your life would be forfeit. Wouldn't you kneel down and kowtow on the spot? You ought to consider whether you'd even have a life left—did you think you could actually pick it up?"
Chapter 1052