If the Li family's cultivation methods and secret arts were inferior to those of the Cui family, why would the Cui family wish to exchange for this technique? Cui Xianye immediately deduced that Li Ximing's hesitation stemmed from this. Not wishing to put Li Ximing in an awkward position, he said respectfully:
"In response to the Real Person: our family's 'Sovereign Treads Danger' cultivation method is only of the fourth rank, and it possesses merely a single secret art. How could it possibly compare to Your Clan's immortal arts? What is more, the Scripture of Upper Palace Mingye is our family's foundational treasure; without the permission of our elders, I dare not take it out on my own initiative."
Showing swift resolve, he dropped to his knees at once and bowed deeply.
"Junior is willing to bring forth this cultivation method and offer it to the Real Person, seeking only a single favor from you. May your divine ability shine like the sun, sheltering Chongzhou from above, and safeguarding the peace of the Cui clan should any crisis arise."
Li Ximing paused slightly, thinking inwardly:
'Just a single favor in exchange for a Violet Palace body divine ability cultivation method? Even if it is only fourth-rank with one secret art... it is still a Violet Palace cultivation method!'
Cultivation in the Violet Palace differed greatly from Foundation Establishment. Breaking through to the Violet Palace with an immortal foundation did not mean one could immediately cultivate the next divine ability; one first had to temper this initial divine ability to perfection.
This process could be achieved through slow, steady grinding—cultivating the divine ability bit by bit, spending decades to bring it to completion—or by utilizing various spiritual items, elixir pills, and certain path-extending incantations to cultivate the divine ability to perfection.
Moreover, once this divine ability reached perfection, one had to begin cultivating the next divine ability. This required a Violet Palace cultivation method to condense an immortal foundation within the Qi Sea, and then transport that immortal foundation into the Ascending Yang. With a divine ability to assist, this was not as difficult as during Foundation Establishment; it merely took time.
Certain cultivators could refine pills or consume the immortal foundations of others, pairing them with specific mantras to swallow them directly into the Ascending Yang to nurture a divine ability. But someone like Li Ximing could only rely on a Violet Palace cultivation method to forge it step by step. If he lacked this method, he would be stuck holding a single divine ability until the day he died. The importance of such a cultivation method to him was obvious.
Had it been someone like Ning Tiaoxiao, who had been troubled for years at the early Violet Palace stage, unable to advance an inch without a cultivation method, what this single technique could buy was far too much! It could even make a Violet Palace cultivator scheme with all their might—why would they stop at taking action just once?
Although Li Ximing trusted the Cui family, he did not agree immediately. He took a sip of tea and remained silent for a moment. With his forehead still pressed to the floor, Cui Xianye said:
"The Cui clan has hung isolated overseas for a thousand years, yet our heart has never changed. Whenever the Li and Cui clans interacted in ordinary times, much care was shared between us. Now, asking for the Real Person's intervention is born of that bond of friendship as well.
"Our family enjoys the protection of the dragonkin, so normally nothing threatens our foundation. It is only that should we one day catch wind of a Mingyang spiritual item, we will need to trouble the Real Person to lend a hand and aid our family."
Li Ximing believed most of this in his heart. Nodding thoughtfully, he smiled and said:
"It is merely a reciprocal favor. So long as it is within my power, I will certainly do my utmost to assist.
"Frequent exchanges between our two families are what truly matter; everything else is only right between friends. Now that our old friendship is restored, if the Cui clan has juniors, you may send them to the lake to cultivate, and our Li family ought to send people to your island in return."
Only then did Cui Xianye rise. Stepping back, he answered:
"As the Real Person commands. The Cui clan's Jue generation is currently at the age of coming into their own. I shall summon someone for the Real Person to see."
He turned around, looked first toward Cui Wanqing, and instructed:
"Go fetch the Precious Scripture of Body Guarding Tiger Pass."
Cui Wanqing curtsied solemnly and stepped down. Then he called an attendant forward and instructed:
"Summon Jueyin."
These thoughtful gestures showed utmost deference, and Li Ximing could not help but silently commend the Cui family's upbringing. Soon, a figure entered the hall.
This man had slender eyebrows sweeping over his eyes; his features were only moderately handsome, but his bearing was elegant and possessed the refined air of a scholar. Upon entering the hall, he first bowed to Cui Xianye, and only then saw Li Ximing. He hastily took a step back and bowed low.
"Greetings, Real Person!"
Cui Xianye turned and introduced him:
"This is the second brother of the Jue generation, Cui Jueyin. He has been modest, courteous, and magnanimous since childhood, and the clan holds him in high regard."
Li Ximing was currently short-handed. Seeing that Cui Jueyin possessed a mid Foundation Establishment cultivation and was a direct scion of a Violet Palace immortal clan—even if the Cui family had fallen on hard times, their heritage was not lacking in the least—he said happily:
"Jueyin, would you be willing to follow me back to the lake?"
Although Cui Jueyin had been summoned abruptly, he had already deduced much from Cui Xianye's expression, Li Ximing's attitude, and the words 'the lake'. He bowed and said:
"To meet the Real Person face-to-face and go to the immortal lake to cultivate is the fortune of Jueyin's lifetime. I accept it with trepidation, reverence, and boundless joy."
Li Ximing laughed heartily. Cui Wanqing had already brought forward the jade slips, her gentle voice saying:
"Reporting to the Real Person, the Precious Scripture of Body Guarding Tiger Pass and its secret art are here."
She presented a jade tray holding three jade slips. With a light touch of his spiritual sense, Li Ximing discerned one Precious Scripture of Body Guarding Tiger Pass, one secret art, and one mnemonic chant.
'It is a Violet Palace cultivation method after all; even the mnemonic to unravel the art requires a jade slip to record.'
Being such a valuable item, it was best verified face-to-face. Without delaying, he used the mnemonic to unlock the precious scripture and skimmed through it:
"The Dharmakaya divine ability of Ascendant Radiance Mysterious Zenith, deriving from the Mingyang nature to tread danger; thus descending through the six and nine unto the realm of remorse and enlightenment, whereupon lies the cluster-breaking heart and the clearly illuminated intent. Once the divine ability is forged, only then is it known that the flawed precious artifact achieves perfection; whereupon, clad in dark robes and golden armor, mounted upon a white luan's carriage..."
Skimming to the end, a line caught his eye as remarkably familiar:
"Illuminating all eight directions, the myriad courts pay homage to me; all living beings look up, the Ascendant Radiance is the celestial deity!"
These two lines were precisely the incantation formula for his family's Subduing Light of Ascendant Radiance!
'Subduing Light of Ascendant Radiance and Sovereign Treads Danger share a deep connection!'
In high spirits, he turned to inspect the secret art. The art was named 'Recurved Hundred Formations Array-Breaching Body'. As Li Ximing read it carefully, he muttered:
"Isn't this just our family's 'Recurve'? Why give it such a long name?"
Li Ximing had read all nine secret arts of his family. The text of Recurved Hundred Formations Array-Breaching Body was pitifully short compared to Recurve. After reading it once, he was momentarily stunned.
He could not resist reading it again, thinking blankly:
"Huh??"
When Li Ximing had practiced his secret art before, he had felt regret, lamenting that his family's secret art was the original text—so difficult to cultivate, phrased with obscure and impenetrable wording—while sects like Qingchi and Jinyu surely had extensive commentaries on their secret arts, allowing later generations to cultivate them with half the effort and twice the result.
Yet looking at it now, this was the original text! His family's secret art had already been annotated and interpreted!
Reading Recurved Hundred Formations Array-Breaching Body made Li Ximing's scalp tingle. If his family's secret art was a delicately baked pastry, then Recurved Hundred Formations Array-Breaching Body was unhulled grain straight from the stalk!
"No wonder my cultivation went so smoothly... And here I thought I was exceptionally gifted..."
Li Ximing chuckled. However, he did not feel discouraged. His family had little foundation to begin with, so it was only natural that his cultivation was inferior to the direct heirs of great sects, and it was to be expected that their cultivation of secret arts should lag behind others.
Putting away the jade slips, he looked at Cui Xianye and spoke:
"I shall accept this technique. If you ever have a request, send someone to the mainland."
Chapter 720