Li Ximing remained in seclusion on the peak for several months, comprehending the secret arts contained within the *Scripture of Minghua Yuanjing*. To cultivate divine abilities by implanting these nine arts into his Immortal Foundation, he had so far only mastered a single one.
Upon completing the first secret art, [Yangyuan], an additional golden mark of Mingyang appeared upon his Huangyuan Pass. The circulation of his magical power became half a fraction stronger than before, slightly raising his cultivation strength.
These nine secret arts differed slightly, but had no strict order of precedence; one could begin cultivation with any of them. [Yangyuan] could thicken and enrich magical power and was useful across all facets, so Li Ximing had cultivated this art first. Mastering a secret art was originally a good thing, but without pause, Li Ximing proceeded to cultivate the second secret art, only for his complexion to gradually darken.
There was no other reason than that when this second secret art began condensing within his Immortal Foundation, it mutually repelled the first secret art, [Yangyuan]! The difficulty was a full fifty percent higher than before!
He had originally thought that mastering all nine arts would take over a hundred years... but judging from this state, how could it be a matter of just a hundred years?
His heart sank. He finally understood why a sect as mighty as the Qingchi Sect had so few Purple Palace cultivators, and why Li Encheng and other Qingchi cultivators delayed until they were near death before attempting a breakthrough.
"What is more, as more secret arts are cultivated and their repelling forces compound, will it not reach a point where not a single one can be cultivated further, leaving one to rely solely on that half-percent or one-percent chance to break through?"
He ceased his technique and rose from the jade seat in the cave dwelling. This cave dwelling possessed the richest spiritual energy in the entire clan, and the jade seat was the finest cultivation apparatus brought back from Mount Wu, shimmering brightly in the cave and shining upon his face.
The radiance caused Li Ximing to narrow his eyes slightly. Time had flown by in the blink of an eye; he was nearly sixty years old, yet the face illuminated by the bright jade was still that of a young man.
Li Ximing sorted through his thoughts twice and drew out a jade slip in his hand. This jade slip recorded his insights while cultivating the [Yangyuan] secret art, amounting to nearly a hundred thousand characters. Li Ximing had initially harbored grand ambitions, intending to master at least seven or eight arts and record them one by one into a manual, so that even if his breakthrough failed, it could be left behind for descendants. Yet looking at the length within the jade slip, only one sentence welled up in his mind:
"I originally thought that by cultivating diligently and paying no heed to worldly affairs, I would have at least a twenty to thirty percent certainty of reaching Purple Palace. But now, that is not the case... Unless... unless I can obtain a Purple Palace spiritual item, only then would there be a fighting chance."
Li Ximing did not need much thought to understand. Sects like the Qingchi Sect with scriptures like *Scripture of Dark Floating Wengyun* and *Scripture of Swimming Lake Dongxuan* certainly contained volumes upon volumes of recorded experience in cultivating secret arts. Chi Wei, Chi Buzi, and even earlier generations of the Chi family had long laid out the crucial junctures of every secret art. As for the likes of Zhang Yun and Qing Jifang, their lineages were surely no worse. For Xiao Chuting to break through to Purple Palace, Xiao Xianyou must have made thorough plans, perhaps even achieving it after obtaining relics from Lingyu Gate. Li Ximing considered himself lacking Xiao Chuting's scheming ability—to advance to Purple Palace amidst the cracks, forcing Qingchi's consent through various contradictions and sacrifices, and now growing into a standout among Purple Palace cultivators. Li Ximing believed he could not match that old man in the slightest.
Li Ximing looked quietly at the jade slip and sat for a moment. But then, the door of the cave dwelling was gently knocked. As if waking from a dream, he rose to his feet. A servant came in to report that Li Zhouwei requested an audience.
He exited the cave dwelling and saw the youth standing before the hall draped in a white cloak, his tiger-eyes profound, radiating a commanding presence. Li Ximing could not help but admire him inwardly:
"Zhouwei is currently in the middle stage of Qi Refinement. Even with extraordinary talent, he is not a True Monarch's reincarnation like Chu Yi. It will take him at least seventy to eighty years to reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment. How much time is left in the great war of Mount Yan? By then, the situation might not allow it... It is rare that the Chi family's Purple Palace cultivators are nearly extinct, and Sui Guan is neither human nor ghost, never caring for the Chi family's interests. Right now is an excellent opportunity to ascend to Purple Palace. Once the three sects catch their breath, where will there be another chance?"
Li Zhouwei carefully observed Li Ximing, feeling that this great-uncle was somewhat different from usual today. Li Ximing did not notice his gaze and nodded in acknowledgment. Li Ximing's gaze was solemn, his face lacking the usual rapt concentration of cultivation; with his mindset altered, his posture and demeanor differed, revealing a heavy worry.
Li Zhouwei lowered his brows and replied, "Great-Uncle, there is a matter I must ask you to examine."
Li Ximing listened to Li Zhouwei's account and inquired about the symptoms. Lady Xu was brought before the hall. He observed the woman closely and examined her twice with his spiritual sense, furrowing his brows.
He had practiced alchemy for many years and studied under Xiao Yuansi, possessing a solid foundation in the Dao of pills. Yet after careful examination, he found nothing amiss. He merely took out two pills and had Lady Xu ingest them, which refreshed her spirits considerably.
Seeing the woman's deeply uneasy expression as she peeked at him with wide eyes, Li Ximing comforted her, "Our family possesses abundant spiritual elixirs and medicines; we will surely ensure the safety of both mother and child."
Li Ximing then dismissed Lady Xu, raised his brows toward Li Zhouwei, and said softly, "This Huiyang Powder and Dingning Pill must be taken daily. Also, take some spiritual materials from the family treasury to my place to compound a formula, treating her as one with a congenital deficiency to nourish her."
Li Zhouwei found it somewhat curious. The Li family had also obtained that lineage, and Li Ximing had even pounded medicine there back then. That technique was yin-cold, mostly involving cold qi, Jueyin, Shaoyin, and similar arts.
Li Ximing continued, "I cannot make sense of it either; this matter is not simple. I fear we must see Kongheng. For one, Buddhist and demonic paths are more adept with matters of the womb; Kongheng has traveled the north for years and surely has relevant insights. Second, his temple once enshrined Bright King Shengming Jin, which is likewise connected to this lineage and has many records; we should inquire with him."
Li Zhouwei listened to this, glanced at him thoughtfully, and gave a deep nod of agreement.
Li Zhouwei continued, "A letter has arrived from the north. Please have a look, Great-Uncle."
Li Zhouwei drew a letter from his sleeve and handed it over.
The letter was naturally written by Li Qinghong, conveying the news that the [Mingfang Sky Stone] had fallen into the hands of Xu Peiyu of Changxiao Gate. Li Ximing was overjoyed upon reading it: "Good, good, good! There is finally news! Difficult though it may be, it is far better than having no trace at all!"
Li Zhouwei had read the letter earlier and said in a deep voice, "Indeed. This [Mingfang Sky Stone] was obtained by Xu Peiyu in the [Dongning Palace]... The spiritual mechanisms of the State of Xu are difficult to calculate precisely; even Purple Palace cultivators and Mahas are hard-pressed to tamper with them, making it somewhat safer. Changxiao Gate has a Purple Palace master holding the fort, so we naturally cannot lightly offend their family lest we fall into a Purple Palace cultivator's schemes; we can only attach ourselves to other Purple Palace powers and plot secretly. Furthermore, Changxiao Gate and Hengzhu Dao are currently locked in relentless strife, harboring deep grudges and slaughtering one another. Our family can make a move from this angle—whether allying with Hengzhu Dao or trading with Hengzhu, we can seek an opportunity to obtain this treasure."
After Li Zhouwei analyzed the situation, Li Ximing stroked his beard and nodded. Li Ximing said resolutely, "In any case, we must first gather intelligence on Xu Peiyu, checking his cultivation level and treasures, as well as his temperament and preferences. As long as he does not hide inside the sect without taking a single step outside, there will surely be an opportunity. Does the clan have any other news?"
Li Zhouwei said, "I took a guess; this cultivation technique is eight or nine times out of ten a technique from before the Heaven's Change, which only lost its effect recently. Now that Yuzhen has returned to its proper place, perhaps we can give it a try. If the qi-gathering method works, our family will gain an additional Foundation Establishment technique!"
Li Ximing naturally knew of it. This art was cultivated by the Jiang family in earlier years. Its rank was unknown, but it was extremely formidable. Unfortunately, the qi-gathering method had lost its effect. Back then, the Yu family's ancestor, Yu Yufeng, had mastered it using a preserved copy and made quite a name for himself, known as the [White Jade Hand]. Back then, even before recovering from severe injuries, it took three Foundation Establishment cultivators combined with a grand formation to slay him, heralding the decline of the Yu family.
Hearing this, Li Ximing asked, "What is required?"
Li Zhouwei replied, "It requires gathering [Court Red Dust]. A large courtyard of white jade is needed, preferably jade that gleams with spiritual light. It must be bathed in brilliance, garrisoned by a thousand people, and surrounded by ten thousand inhabitants... Each year, a wisp can be extracted, yielding one portion every ten years."
Li Ximing nodded, and Li Zhouwei, his eyes swirling with golden light, continued:
"This is indeed laborious and costly. Where would we find so much spiritual jade? Although jade is abundant nowadays, to build such a courtyard would require the volume of a small hill... Thanks to the [Mirage Mirror Sky] of Qingsong Grotto-Heaven, the Li family's Embryonic Breathing techniques can be considered among the best of all families—two rank-four techniques, *Three Chapters on Seeking Immortals* and *Inquiring the Dao from Scaled Beasts*, along with a rank-three *Gains from Contemplating the Scripture of Taihua*, are all remarkable. Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment techniques are far inferior. The rank-five *Scripture of Minghua Huangyuan* concerns our foundation and cannot be bestowed casually. Aside from the rank-four *Pheasant Fire Continuous Motion Art*, the remaining techniques fall to rank three. This technique is of a respectable rank, perfectly suited to be bestowed upon the clan's descendants! When the time comes, I fear we will have to trouble Great-Uncle."
"Great-Uncle's meaning is..."
"If some pills could be refined..."
Li Ximing stroked his beard, nodded, and smiled, "I can be considered a master in the Dao of pills nowadays. Although I focus on cultivation and rarely refine pills for outsiders, the pill recipes I have seen and studied are not few, and there are many miraculous pills among them. My cultivation has hit a bottleneck these past few days, and having just exited seclusion, I was thinking of refining some elixirs—on one hand to boost our cultivation, and on the other to clear my thoughts and change the pace; perhaps a breakthrough may come from another angle."
Li Zhouwei was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something. He abruptly raised his head and looked toward the west.
Approximately ten thousand li to the west, a stretch of sunset-red clouds hung in the sky. A hazy fiery crimson drifted on the horizon, as if a bright morning star had arisen. Brilliant light swept across, dispersing the clouds across the sky, leaving only that hazy, flickering color flashing on the distant horizon. A solemn, dignified voice of a young man resonated forth:
"I, Bai Yuanjian of Tujun, have today attained Purple Palace and gained the divine ability of Mu Fire! Upon [Mount Kuijun], I re-establish the [Tujun Immortal Gate]! Three months from now, we shall gather the State of Wu and establish commanderies and cities. Fellow Daoists are welcome to attend the ceremony!"
"All cultivators of my Tujun Daoist lineage may come to Mount Kuijun to rebuild our mountain gate!"
By the time the voice reached this distance, it was already faint, yet one could still discern the soaring vigor within. The fiery glow on the horizon fluctuated along with his words, flashing bright and dim.
Li Ximing abruptly raised his head, gazing at the hazy radiance of Fire Virtues' "Mu Fire" on the horizon. For Bai Yuanjian's voice to transmit all the way here, Mount Kuijun could not be far from Lake Wangyue—perhaps right on the border of the State of Yue. Surging with excitement, he said in a deep voice:
"Bai Yuanjian has achieved a divine ability... How majestic!"
Coming to his senses, Li Ximing was delighted. After all, Bai Yuanjian was a Zhenren who had formed ties with the Li family back during the Foundation Establishment and even Qi Refinement stages, and who deeply respected Li Yuanjiao; he was an inherent backer.
Li Ximing said repeatedly, "We must send someone to offer congratulations! Go to the treasury and pick several precious spiritual items... Ah... when a Purple Palace cultivator breaks through, and a Zhenren so close to us at that, we should properly send some precious medicinal herbs! What remains in the treasury?"
Li Ximing had barely spoken when Li Zhouwei stopped him. The shizi's eyes shone golden, tinged with a smile, as he said calmly, "In my view, whether we present heavy gifts or not, Great-Uncle should make the trip in person."
Li Ximing was startled at this, then immediately caught on. With a broad smile, he said repeatedly, "Indeed! Indeed! You are truly thoughtful after all. This congratulatory visit is brilliant to the utmost. If the Zhenren recognizes Zhaojing, that would be all the better... Were it not for you, Shizi, I would have nearly bungled the matter!"
Li Zhouwei had long heard Zhaojing speak of this man and understood that he was acquainted with Bai Yuanjian, which was why he had calculated so. Straightening his white cloak, he cupped his hands in return and nodded in assent, replying, "Attaining Purple Palace is not the work of a single generation. Our family rose too late; after several generations of climbing, we have merely reached the starting point of the Xiao family back then."
Now rebuilt after destruction, and with Bai Yuanjian possessing the [Liuding Combined Fire Token], Mount Kuijun had become the mountain gate for the Dao of "Mu Fire" and "Combined Fire."
"Furthermore, 'Mu Fire' is rare in the State of Yue and even the Eastern Sea. It is likely unique in the entire Jiangnan region. From now on, whenever Mu Fire is mentioned, everyone will know of Tujun Gate."
"I wonder where in the Eastern Sea there are Purple Palace demons; capturing one to test... refining it into pills for nourishment..."
"Such creatures are rare in the Eastern Sea. I shall go look into it; perhaps there has been no news these past few years."
Li Zhouwei poured tea and suddenly said, "The only issue is that our elders are guarding the north and cannot act freely. The many redeployments so far are difficult to tally... the losses have been severe."
Li Zhouwei was not blind to the situation. Currently, the Golden Cores of the three sects did not show themselves; whether their struggle was intense or not, they were more or less injured and would certainly not appear. Qingchi was even more drained by Chi Wei, reaching a point of withered talent and lack of usable manpower unseen in five hundred years.
Yet time waited for no one! Now was the prime opportunity!
Having spoken, Li Zhouwei rode the wind downward. Li Ximing sat in the cave dwelling for a moment, pondering silently.
He took out his pill furnace and thought to himself:
"My sons should also be of age by now. In my race against time to cultivate, I have only seen them two or three times in over a decade; I fear they may have turned into useless dandies."
Chapter 565