Listening to Xiao Guiluan’s explanation, Li Yuanjiao felt a chill seize his heart, countless thoughts flashing through his mind:
*Where is Bu Zi right now? Has he heard any news about our family after all? Xiao Guitu had only just fallen under the spell when Luan'er immediately went to pay her respects—wouldn't Bu Zi misunderstand that?*
*Should I switch out the Immortal Mirror with the Qingchi Sword?!*
Li Yuanjiao believed that if he quietly placed this bronze Immortal Mirror in the woods or some ditch, even a Purple Palace Real Person would fail to find it. Then, placing the Qingchi Sword in its stead, no one would be able to detect anything amiss.
As these thoughts churned, his legs stiffened as another possibility flashed across his mind:
*The speed of a Purple Palace cultivator is completely beyond the comparison of Qi Refinement. What if Bu Zi has already arrived at Lake Wangyue and is watching us from within the Great Void this very moment?!*
If Bu Zi had already reached Lake Wangyue and passed through the Great Solar Apparatus Mysterious Light Array via the Great Void, Li Yuanjiao's actions right now would be under the man's very eyes. Going to take down the mirror at this point would be courting death.
*Yet I cannot just sit and wait for death! A Purple Palace cultivator would never be bored enough to waste time idly watching from the Great Void! A sweep of his divine ability could get the answers he seeks—Bu Zi must not be above the lake!*
Li Yuanjiao knew that for a Purple Palace master, traversing the void took merely an instant—by all rights, he should have arrived far sooner than Xiao Guiluan's return. Though hundreds of thoughts twisted in his mind, his body never paused. He said in a deep voice:
"Luan'er, return to Mount Wutu for now!"
With that, he was already striding toward the backyard. Xiao Guiluan understood the urgency and departed like the wind. Li Xuanxuan's face also changed drastically, hesitating on the verge of speaking.
Only then did Li Yuanjiao step outside, only for an alarm to flare abruptly in his mind. The Black Pearl Talisman Seed in his Qihai acupoint jolted violently, sending a chill running through his entire body, bringing the illusion of being watched by something sinister.
*Not good!*
He halted abruptly, only to see the air before him suddenly darken. A cultivator robed in green slowly emerged, standing with hands clasped behind his back.
The green-robed cultivator wore a faint smile, appearing no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His robes fluttered and his long hair hung loosely as he quietly watched him.
*Real Person Bu Zi...*
A bitter taste filled Li Yuanjiao’s mouth. Chi Buzi raised his head with a touch of interest, his green sleeves draping down, holding a petite, exquisite white jade bottle in his fair right hand.
"What is this?"
Bu Zi asked with apparent indifference, yet it made cold sweat break out all over Li Yuanjiao.
The jade bottle in Real Person Bu Zi's hand was none other than the talisman pill kept in the Li family treasury!
A talisman pill condensed by the Immortal Mirror!
*Bu Zi has already been to our treasury...*
Li Yuanjiao hurriedly bowed low, putting on a frightened demeanor as he spoke in a trembling voice:
"Junior Li Yuanjiao of the Li family under Qingchi's jurisdiction pays respects to Real Person Bu Zi!"
He spoke neither too loudly nor too softly, just clearly enough for Li Xuanxuan, who was on guard outside, to hear every word. In an instant, Li Xuanxuan was scared out of his wits and rose to retrieve the magical mirror.
Yet he had only taken a single step when he immediately realized: a Purple Palace cultivator's spiritual sense was more than enough to blanket all of Mount Lijing. Heading to the backyard now would practically be doing so right before Bu Zi's eyes.
Outside, Li Xuanxuan was like an ant on a hot pan. Inside, Li Yuanjiao stalled for time, reaching a conclusion almost instantly:
*Chi Buzi tore through the Great Void and landed straight in our family treasury first... his attention was drawn by the talisman pill, and he has come directly to ask...*
While a Purple Palace Real Person could easily utilize the Great Void to bypass most formations and enter inside, their spiritual sense could not penetrate formations either; they still had to enter in person to know what lay within.
The Li family possessed five mountains with over twenty formations of various sizes, and including the small warding arrays over the spirit fields, there were likely nearly a hundred. It was naturally impossible for Chi Buzi to check them all one by one.
Even on Mount Lijing alone, there were five separate formations: three for spirit fields, one for the ancestral hall, and one for the clan treasury.
*He only went to the treasury at the mountaintop, and hasn't visited the ancestral hall yet!*
While myriad thoughts flashed through his mind, Chi Buzi stared at him and asked softly:
"You actually recognize me?"
Li Yuanjiao bowed again and said respectfully:
"This junior has seen portraits of the superior sect's four Real Persons. Real Person Yuan Wu and Real Person Yuan Xiu are both white-haired seniors who have attained the Dao, while only yourself and Real Person Yuan Su appear as young men in green robes. Since Real Person Yuan Su guards the southern border year-round, it could only be you, Real Person..."
"Not bad."
Chi Buzi looked at him with a beaming smile. Among the remaining four Purple Palace masters of Qingchi, Tang Yuanwu, Si Boxiu, and Ning Tiaoxiao were cultivators of the same generation and had served as Chi Wei's right- and left-hand men, which was why they bore Daoist names beginning with 'Yuan.'
He belonged to a later generation. By the time he achieved Purple Palace, Daoist titles were no longer in vogue within the Qingchi Sect, so he was simply addressed as Bu Zi. Seeing that Li Yuanjiao could name so many of Qingchi's Purple Palace masters at once, his smile deepened, and he repeated:
"What is this object?"
This naturally referred to the talisman pill. Li Yuanjiao answered without hesitation, saying respectfully:
"This item was obtained by our subordinate clan from a cave abode, found alongside that wisp of Taiyin moon essence back then. Our clan could not identify this pill nor discern whether it was good or bad, and fearing the crime of harboring treasure beyond our station, we dared not let anyone see it..."
Chi Buzi waved a hand to cut him off, smiling as he said:
"This medicine possesses a superb realm-breaking effect, an exceedingly rare treasure. It appears to have been concocted through ancient arts. Your family's karmic fortune is by no means shallow!"
Just as Li Yuanjiao was about to answer, a wave of panic abruptly seized his heart. The world before his eyes suddenly turned gray and black, dark and shrouded in mist, as though draped in a veil of darkness, becoming dim and dreary.
*A divine ability!*
His stomach began to spasm with pain, and moisture welled on his face. Li Yuanjiao’s consciousness shattered into fragments as extensive lines of text hazily surfaced in his mind.
Using what little consciousness he had left, he clamped his mouth shut, his lips trembling. The talisman seed in his Qihai acupoint stirred faintly, releasing a cool stream of air that preserved his awareness without completely jolting him awake, lest he reveal anything abnormal.
Outside, Li Xuanxuan was also affected by the divine ability. Fortunately, Chi Buzi was focused solely on Li Yuanjiao, so Li Xuanxuan only felt a moment of dizziness before instantly realizing it was a divine ability.
Seeing his mind growing more and more clouded and knowing his own willpower was weak, Li Xuanxuan struck his palm directly against his Shengyang Mansion and collapsed with a thud.
Chi Buzi paid no heed to how Li Yuanjiao reacted. Waiting only until Li Yuanjiao fell to his knees in a daze, he lightly reached out and pressed his hand against the man's Shengyang Mansion, right between his unyielding brows, while his other hand formed an incantation seal:
"Nine Mounds Heart-Interrogation Art of Fangyin!"
This method was an authentic spell-cultivator soul-searching art, vastly superior to the clumsy, half-baked techniques of demonic cultivators. Once a forbidden art that damaged one's path to the Dao, in the present age it had become an immortal art of nothing but benefit and zero harm.
Li Yuanjiao's performance had been flawless, and Chi Buzi could not be bothered to guess where this pill truly came from. Whether Li Yuanjiao spoke the truth or put on a deceitful act mattered not; he had no interest in listening to long explanations. By searching the soul and seizing the spirit to question him, all would become clear.
With a focused expression, Chi Buzi lightly closed his eyes. He had used this technique many times, never failing once. Familiar with the path, his spiritual sense entered Li Yuanjiao’s sea of consciousness, drawing all memories to the surface.
*The origin of this pill!*
Channeling the technique, streaks of multicolored light emerged from his hand, pouring through Li Yuanjiao’s Shengyang Mansion and transforming into pale gray runes that danced within the sea of consciousness.
Chi Buzi's vision went dark for several breaths before a secret chamber hazily appeared. The lamps were dim, the surroundings icy and cold, with one or two streaks of white magical light constantly shifting.
*Is this... that cave abode?*
Chi Buzi's gaze shifted. Upon the patterned ground, osmanthus trees unexpectedly materialized, bearing illusory white blossoms whose fragrance assaulted the nostrils while radiating a piercing chill.
*What is this... It actually bears quite a resemblance to our sect's Purple Palace spiritual root, the Moonlit Glaze Tree.*
After all, this was where the Taiyin moon essence had been found, so strange phenomena were only natural. Chi Buzi looked away. Ahead stood a raised bluestone dais shrouded in white mist, remarkably wondrous.
*What is this...*
Chi Buzi’s heart stirred. Then a loud clamor rattled by his ears as golden-white osmanthus blossoms drifted down, their pistils like gold, emitting a pleasant fragrance and appearing exceptionally dazzling amidst the misty moon essence.
*Rustle, rustle, rustle...*
A rustling sound arose, and from the shadowy corners hopped several toads and hares, nimble and lovely, trampling the fallen blossoms into disarray. "Li Yuanjiao" finally straightened his body, allowing Bu Zi to clearly see the object on the dais.
Suspended above the stone dais was a small, greenish-gray orb engraved with ancient, profound seal patterns and lines. Suddenly, a pair of eyes manifested upon it.
Gentle, detached, majestic.
Atop Mount Lijing, the hand Chi Buzi held hidden in his sleeve, still forming the incantation seal, began to tremble violently. From his tightly shut eyes streamed lines of bloody tears, snaking down his cheeks in a horrifying sight.
*Drip, drop.*
The two drops of bloody tears fell onto the bluestone ground, shattering two flagstones with a pop. Like two rolling beads, they whirled across the stone with crisp clattering sounds.
————
Bu Zi had arrived all too suddenly—the bitter fruit borne of the reckless decision years ago to provide Li Chijing with Taiyin moon essence to cultivate his Dao Foundation.
Back then, fearing disaster might fall upon the Li family, Si Yuanbai had claimed to have obtained it during his travels, duping the various Purple Palace masters. Yet no one could have predicted that it would abruptly erupt so many years later, that a covetous soul harboring thoughts of good fortune would ultimately come in person to the Li family.
"It must be faced in the end, after all..."
Though the Immortal Mirror had not yet regained its power, its status was extraordinarily exalted. Any attempt to divine or deduce it was equivalent to deducing an entity above the Dao Embryo realm. Lu Jiangxian had made use of this in the past and already understood it well.
Whether it was Master Minghui or Violet Lotus Maha, they had merely traced Li Qinghong's origins upward; once Lu Jiangxian redirected them toward the magical mirror, they had immediately suffered disastrously.
Even more domineering was the mirror's talisman seed. For anyone in the Li family who received the Black Pearl Talisman Seed, their soul, destiny, and cultivation were all bound to the seed. Unless Lu Jiangxian permitted it, not a single person could touch them.
Now, Bu Zi searching Li Yuanjiao’s soul should originally have yielded nothing at all. Yet seeing his relentless persistence, Lu Jiangxian felt a secret apprehension; after all, if the soul-searching failed on Li Yuanjiao, it would only make the Li family look even more suspicious.
In the end, tangled complications would only expose his existence. The Taiyin Mysterious Light was only at the Foundation Establishment level; though its power to instantly slay peak Foundation Establishment cultivators was enough to pose a threat to a Purple Palace master, Chi Buzi was no stationary target. Once he fled into the Great Void, how could he ever be held back?
Seeing Bu Zi activate the soul search and touch upon the magical mirror, Lu Jiangxian gritted his teeth and thought:
*I might as well use the talisman seed as a springboard to directly latch onto this Chi Buzi's spell.*
Though Lu Jiangxian was not skilled in soul-searching arts, over all these years his mastery in the way of shamanic talismans had grown quite astonishing. Instantly, moon essence surged, destiny connected, and the Immortal Mirror lit up, slamming ferociously into Chi Buzi's sea of consciousness.
*Though I have not recovered, my divine consciousness far surpasses ordinary spiritual sense. Only through a backlash from this technique can we seize a sliver of hope!*
...
Li Yuanjiao's consciousness drifted in a daze for a long time before suddenly clearing completely. A cool sensation welled up from his Qihai acupoint. Snapping his eyes open, he saw Chi Buzi’s palm pressed squarely against the center of his forehead.
The surroundings were dark and gloomy, the corners pitch-black, and the atmosphere grim and stagnant—the very hour when baleful qi was heaviest in the day.
The sky had already darkened; nearly an hour seemed to have passed. A bloody, dim setting sun trailed dark red clouds across the horizon, appearing as an ominous portent.
Glancing around, he saw the ground covered in glittering red jade beads lying quietly on the stone, reflecting dazzling light that twinkled in the dim twilight, quite beautiful to behold.
"Real Person?"
Li Yuanjiao called out cautiously. Unsure of what Chi Buzi had done to him with his divine ability, he kept his head bowed.
*I am not dead... Chi Buzi must not have discovered anything.*
Yet Chi Buzi gave no response.
A trace of unease rose in Li Yuanjiao’s heart. Only after a long while did he slowly back away. Chi Buzi remained silent, his sleeve hanging limply. Li Yuanjiao looked up: the Real Person’s face was somber, his eyes tightly shut.
The dim twilight shone upon Chi Buzi’s face, revealing two startling tracks of bloody tears streaming down. A thunderclap seemed to detonate in Li Yuanjiao’s mind, leaving his thoughts completely blank.
*Chi Buzi! What happened to him...*
*Clack, clack...*
Blood flowed down Chi Buzi's cheeks, two drops dripping from his chin. The moment they hit the ground, they instantly solidified into translucent red jade beads, colliding with the beads on the floor in a sequence of crisp clinks.
Now Li Yuanjiao understood where this floor full of jade beads had come from. Alongside a sense of vindication, he felt his blood run cold. He took another step back; Chi Buzi still stood motionless like a sculpture in the dim evening glow.
Channeling his spiritual sense, Li Yuanjiao cautiously swept it over Chi Buzi, only to feel as though nothing stood before him—the overwhelming pressure had vanished entirely.
The jade bottle containing the talisman pill had fallen from his sleeve and shattered into pieces, and the talisman pill had rolled out, coming to rest in a crack between the floor tiles.
He quietly stepped out of the courtyard. His father, Li Xuanxuan, was lying stiff on the ground. Li Yuanjiao checked his breath—it was steady and long. There was blood on his head; he had likely knocked himself unconscious.
Li Yuanjiao immediately rode the wind aloft, sweeping his spiritual sense outward. The two clan soldiers outside the courtyard, perhaps affected by the spell, lay slumped against each other fast asleep, snoring like thunder.
Seeing that one of them was already stirring and wobbling awake, Li Yuanjiao hurriedly dropped back into the courtyard, closed the courtyard gate, helped Li Xuanxuan up, and cast a spell to revive his senses.
Li Xuanxuan slowly came around. Looking blearily at Li Yuanjiao, he was suddenly struck with terror and asked:
"Where is that Real Person?!"
Li Yuanjiao gave a grim laugh and shook his head. Helping Li Xuanxuan steady himself, he opened the courtyard gate. The two clan soldiers were already standing ramrod straight, showing no trace of having slept slumped against each other moments ago.
"Go summon Qinghong and Yuanping!"
The two clan soldiers hurried off, and only then did Li Yuanjiao lead Li Xuanxuan into the rear courtyard.
The sky grew ever darker. Chi Buzi still stood in the courtyard, two tracks of bloody tears steadily dripping. Li Xuanxuan’s head spun at the sight, the ground covered in translucent red jade beads rolling before him.
"Jiao'er..."
Li Xuanxuan tremblingly swept his spiritual sense up and down. The man stood silent as a pillar of jade. Unable to believe it, he checked again and again.
The rainbow glow of Chi Buzi's divine ability behind his head, his surging presence, and the crushing pressure of walking the Great Void had all vanished without a trace, leaving only thin green robes draping over his jade-like flesh.
Chi Buzi’s face bore a faint expression of pain, bloody tears streaming ceaselessly.
"...Has he fallen... Has he fallen..."
His face pale as ash, Li Xuanxuan stumbled back several paces. There was not the slightest feeling of relief or triumph—only a terror that made both of his hands shake uncontrollably.
"The Qingchi Sect... just how many years has it been since a Purple Palace master was slain..."
Chapter 353