Li Ximing glanced down at the cultivators assembled below and furrowed his brow slightly. He knew that as more and more Violet Palace figures learned he was in seclusion here, staying would only grow increasingly inconvenient. After all, if they could kick up a fuss today, tomorrow someone might disturb him enough to force him out of closed-door cultivation, leaving his affairs entirely in others' hands.
*It isn't that I distrust Xiukui or Mount Jiuqiu… Baisha Island can still serve as a place to leave messages, but I can no longer meditate in seclusion here. It is better to seek out territory somewhere else.*
With that thought, he lost any lingering desire to remain on Baisha Island. Casting his gaze over the motley crowd of cultivators below, he inwardly frowned again.
*Yet if I simply brush my sleeves and depart, this place will suffer disaster in just a few years… Whether it is the immortal sects of the West Curtain Sea or the surrounding factions, even if they dare not strike immediately, probing is inevitable.*
If he remained here, matters would only escalate. Setting aside the dragon lineage, even Daci Tongcai Temple over in the Peacock Sea would likely dispatch someone to inquire upon hearing that a Violet Palace power had emerged in an adjacent sea. Those monks were rotten to the core; when the time came, there was no telling what trouble might arise.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke:
"I roam the various seas and passed through this place purely by chance. I did not expect you to gather on this island to seek my shelter. Now that I am departing this sea, our karmic bond has run its course."
Hearing his words, the cultivators below breathed a collective sigh of relief, realizing they would not be held accountable. Yet when they heard he was leaving, fear gripped them once more. Weeping, they bowed low. Li Ximing merely said:
"Monsters run rampant in the Sea of King Dong'e. Since I have come here, I cannot simply sit by and watch them wreak havoc…"
Had Li Ximing been a formation master, modifying Baisha Island's formation would have been ideal. Regrettably, he knew nothing of formations, and giving spirit pills would only turn them against one another. In the end, he could only retrieve several jade slips from his sleeve.
These were a few scrolls of cultivation methods and spells from the Inland Seas. No matter what, they were vastly superior to the cheap, common goods these people carried. Tossing the jade slips onto the table, Li Ximing shook his head.
"What sort of haphazard arts have you all been practicing? You couldn't even best a few monsters. Circulate these among yourselves and study them… No monster will dare approach for the next ten-odd years. Rely on your own cultivation to pass down your lineages.
"This Real Person shall first make a trip to the West Curtain Sea. When I return, I shall offer some guidance to those on this sea who stand a chance at Foundation Establishment before continuing my travels across the seas."
The cultivators were both startled and overjoyed. The old Daoist shuffled forward two paces and wept, "May we know My Lord's title…? The people of the Sea of King Dong'e are… weeping with boundless gratitude…"
*A title?*
Li Ximing had no interest in letting this lot borrow his tiger skin as a banner, nor did he want whatever trouble they caused later to be pinned on him. Could he really count on this rabble of rogue cultivators, who had nothing to their names, to produce any standout late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators? Or perhaps even a Violet Palace figure?
Since he harbored no such hopes, leaving behind a title and tying a lineage's karmic bond would only invite needless trouble. Turning to leave, he remarked offhandedly:
"What need is there for a title? If you people ease up on using vital blood, that will be the greatest recompense you could ever give me."
He vanished into the Great Void, leaving the crowd below still not daring to lift their heads. At his parting remark, cold sweat broke out across more than ninety percent of the cultivators, and their eyes turned toward Daoist Wu, who was leading them.
The old Daoist merely kowtowed ceaselessly. Now that the crisis had passed, his entire body relaxed, and he pondered inwardly:
*Fortunately… several juniors of my Wu family are just the right age, and that Han kid has headed west to temper himself… This means my Wu family stands to gain the most…*
***
In the distant seas, spiritual energy was thin, allowing for extremely rapid traversal through the Great Void. Li Ximing traveled for less than half a day, crossing several seas, and soon arrived at the territory known as the West Curtain Sea.
The seabed of the West Curtain Sea was exceptionally high. Along the way, he observed that the water averaged less than a hundred fathoms in depth. In shallower areas, many islanders were even wading into the sea to quarry reefs. Their numbers were substantial, and most appeared robust and well-fed. Occasionally, someone drowned while quarrying reefs; when the corpse floated to the surface, the onlookers showed little profound grief, their expressions reflecting sighing resignation and surprise more than anything else.
Achieving such stability under the governance of the immortal path was no easy feat. Seeing the expressions and demeanor of the commoners, Li Ximing judged that life under this Quanjing Immortal Sect was not overly miserable, giving him a solid sense of the situation. Continuing westward, he soon spotted an immortal mountain rising from the sea alongside several islands.
He did not have to wait long. The cultivators across the entire island were already thrown into commotion, gathering below him. Li Ximing quietly raised an eyebrow.
*How alert… This clan is no ordinary lineage, nor is it some rogue cultivator overseas who attained the Dao. Judging by this reaction alone, they are already on par with the lineages of the Inland Seas…*
Sure enough, as he looked up slightly, several streaks of escape light lit up from the immortal mountain nearby, racing toward him before resolving into two young men in fluttering robes. They bowed together and said in unison:
"The Jishan Zhao Clan greets the Real Person!"
"We wonder… what orders the Real Person may have, gracing us with your immortal presence?"
Li Ximing felt a trace of doubt, wondering if he had stumbled upon a mortal clan subordinate to Quanjing, so he asked:
"Is the Quanjing Immortal Sect located here?"
The two young men exchanged glances, showing an unusual look. One of them said respectfully:
"If the Real Person seeks the Quanjing Immortal Sect, it is indeed our Jishan Zhao Clan."
Just as his words fell, a figure stepped out from the Great Void. Clad in a white feathered robe over an azure-blue inner tunic, he looked quite aged, a stark contrast to Li Ximing. His cultivation was only at the early Violet Palace stage, falling somewhat short of Li Ximing's own.
Having broken through to the Violet Palace in his twilight years, the old man naturally acted with utmost courtesy upon meeting him. Cupping his hands with a smile, he said:
"So it is Real Person Zhaojing who has arrived! I am Linyi of Mount Jishan. Please, come inside so we may converse in detail!"
Hearing the man state his Daoist title in a single breath, Li Ximing pondered briefly and asked tentatively:
"Fellow Daoist… you are remarkably well-informed."
Seeing him ask this, Real Person Linyi immediately chuckled. "It was thanks to the guidance of a master from Mount Jiuqiu that I learned your Daoist title, Fellow Daoist… Hearing that you were cultivating in the Sea of King Dong'e, I took a tour over there. By sheer chance, I ran into the commotion on Baisha Island and knew with nine-out-of-ten certainty that it was you."
Hearing the name of Mount Jiuqiu, Li Ximing felt his vigilance subside slightly. When it came down to it, Mount Jiuqiu's reputation carried far more weight than those of Ziyan or Xiukui. He nodded gently and replied:
"Finding a place nearby to rest will suffice."
The elderly master understood at once. The two traversed the Great Void and settled down in a nearby pavilion. Real Person Linyi evidently had a favor to ask, appearing exceptionally polite as he ordered tea served. A maidservant brought forward a sparkling crystal platter holding two small purple fruits.
"Zhaojing, please…"
Linyi spoke with a smile. Li Ximing did not have a particularly favorable impression of him, so he simply nodded perfunctorily and said:
"What matter brings you to seek me out, Fellow Daoist…? Let us speak of that first."
The master straightened his expression and said, "There is no need for you to call me by my Daoist title, Fellow Daoist; my clan does not hold to such customs. You and I share common roots, after all. My surname is Yan and my given name is Dushui. You may simply address me as Dushui."
Seeing his sincere expression, Li Ximing asked, "I wonder… where do our roots lie?"
Yan Dushui nodded. "You, Fellow Daoist, are a descendant of ancient Wei, while I am a descendant of the ancient State of Yan. In earlier times, our ancestors were joined in marriage with the imperial lineage. Back then… our carriages departed Mount Yan and headed south in grand, magnificent procession…"
This caught Li Ximing entirely by surprise. He looked at him once more and inquired, "The ancient State of Yan…"
Not knowing whether Li Ximing believed him, Yan Dushui raised his brows with melancholic longing and said in an aged voice:
"Yan and Wei watched over and aided one another until the State of Wei united the north, while our State of Yan held the sixteen Hu barbarian tribes in check beyond the mountain passes. Later, when both our houses were broken by the Hu and Jie Buddhist cultivators, my family took the State of Yan's lineage and fled all the way here… Only today do we finally meet again…
"Counting down to this day, several centuries have passed without our seeing a descendant of Wei… Yearning for the past, my family named even these islands and mountain ranges after places from our old homeland… A large number of our clansmen even changed their surname to Yan in remembrance of the past."
Hearing this, Li Ximing felt no genuine kinship; instead, he shook his head inwardly.
The first half of Yan Dushui's words might hold some truth, but the farther along he went, the emptier it rang. It was not as though the State of Wei had never undergone a restoration, and plenty of Wei-descended Li descendants had spread outward over the years; there was no reason they could never have met…
The descendants of Yan were clearly not as close as the Cui Clan, and their eventual submission to Wei's rule had likely been reluctant. Now, seeing Li Ximing attain the Violet Palace and approach their borders, Yan Dushui had sought information from Mount Jiuqiu and rushed over to join in the excitement… Clearly, there was little true sentiment involved.
Li Ximing merely cupped his hands and said:
"It is commonly said that my family descends from the Wei Li lineage, but in truth, my clan knows nothing of our ancestral origins. It was merely by chance that I attained the Dao through Mingyang, leading various families to make this conjecture…"
"I understand!"
Yan Dushui nodded knowingly and answered, "My family does not flaunt our identity abroad either. When the national destiny collapsed back then, we fled with several immortal sects. By the time we arrived here, almost only the royal house remained. We also borrowed the names of those immortal sects, referring to ourselves as the Quanjing Immortal Sect to outsiders…"
The prestige of the State of Yan was clearly inferior to that of Wei, which carried immense karmic entanglements. These people had spent all these years compromising and getting by. As Li Ximing fell silent, the old man immediately pressed on:
"The reason I invited an old acquaintance today is indeed to ask a favor…"
He adopted a solemn tone. "In a certain realm, my family chanced upon a precious treasure that we have watched over for many years. It requires the aid of a Mingyang divine ability… Earlier, we also consulted Real Person Yangya of the Cui Clan in the Western Sea…
"However, his stance was that whether it concerned the Eastern Sea or the Inland Seas, he would never intervene again, wishing to sever all ancestral karmic ties cleanly… Since this matter of ours clearly involves the ancestors of the Cui Clan, he was unwilling to act."
Li Ximing had also heard of Real Person Yangya. This person was a member of the Cui Clan who had branched off to the Western Sea and maintained virtually no ties with the main line. He had not expected the severance to be so absolute. Hesitating slightly, Li Ximing asked:
"What treasure is it?"
Yan Dushui lowered his voice, speaking with profound gravity:
"A wisp of Banished Qi."
Li Ximing asked in doubt, "What kind of treasure is that?"
The other man paused, yet refrained from elaborating, smiling instead. "You need only offer a modest amount of assistance, Fellow Daoist. Once the deed is done and you keep the secret for my clan, Jishan will reward you handsomely!"
He gave a slight smile and continued, "This item grows upon a stand of [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood]. Once the matter is concluded, I will take the treasure, and the [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] on which it resides can be given to you. As for any other requests, you may raise them as well."
Although [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] was merely a Foundation Establishment grade spiritual item, it was extraordinarily rare and valuable because the mortal world yielded almost none of it. Most of it was found within grotto-heavens and secret realms, with a small portion obtainable in the Southern Border.
This material could be used to craft soul lamps of supreme quality, which could largely prevent Violet Palace divine abilities from interfering with the omen of life and death.
One had to realize that this was a material reserved for the soul lamps of the three sects' cultivators. If his own family possessed a share, their foreknowledge of the direct line's fortunes and misfortunes would become far more precise, making it a considerably important spiritual item.
Li Ximing also remembered that Minghui of Lotus Temple had once asked him to look for this item. If his clan had any surplus, he wondered whether that monk would buy it. Still, Li Ximing had always held a poor impression of monks and remained wary of them, so he simply stroked his beard in silence.
After a few moments, Li Ximing remarked deliberately:
"I still hope you will explain it clearly, Fellow Daoist. If I do not even know what sort of treasure it is, how can I know whether it will embroil me in trouble? How could I possibly agree so readily?"
It was unknown what the people of Mount Jiuqiu had said to Yan Dushui, but the old man appeared to place considerable trust in Li Ximing. After a hesitant nod, he finally lowered his voice:
"Then I shall hide nothing from you…
"The Twelve Qi originate from 'Clear Qi.' Beneath the Profound Wind, the various Qi were born, yet the fruit position of one Qi was snagged at the very moment of its birth, plunging into the boundless Netherworld to become an obscure, invisible Dao.
"That was in an exceedingly ancient era… Once this Qi was locked away and its fruit position fell into the Netherworld, undergoing myriad transformations, it grew scarcer and scarcer in the mortal realm. I heard that back then it was still possible to re-attest and reclaim it, but it was immensely arduous, and no one was willing to gnaw on such a tough bone.
"Only the ancient immortal path still practiced it slightly. As this Qi merged increasingly with the Netherworld and turned to feed it in reverse, less and less of it remained in the mortal realm. Soon, its lineage was severed entirely… and it rarely manifested in the mortal world.
"In high antiquity, this Qi still possessed a name. But as traces of it dwindled, people came to refer to the event as the [Mutation of the Yin Banishment], and its true name was sealed away in the annals of history. By recent antiquity, it was referred to as the [Qi That Suffered Banishment], a term passed down to this day. Even if people know of this event, they can only call it 'Banished Qi.'"
He clearly yearned for Li Ximing's participation, speaking in great detail with a sighing expression:
"Items today such as [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] and [Nine-Refined Quintessence Soul]… all belong to this Qi. To call them part of the immortal path is accurate enough, but if one were to scrutinize them precisely, they retain only the faintest, imperceptible traces…
"Furthermore, the reason modern methods—such as crushing jade talismans or command tokens to deliver warnings—are viable at all can also be traced back to the fruit position of this Banished Qi…"
Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully. Yan Dushui's gaze turned profound as he murmured softly:
"The [Mutation of the Yin Banishment] also provided a shortcut for a certain World-Honored One to seize another fruit position, even touching upon the secret histories of several major lineages. Ah! The matters involved are labyrinthine and tangled; the closer they are to our era, the less they can be spoken of. Pray forgive me…"
Yan Dushui promptly fell silent, while Li Ximing asked softly:
"In that case… you truly possess remarkable fortune, Fellow Daoist, to be able to reach items of the Netherworld."
Yan Dushui shook his head heavily and sighed. "That is not how it happened. My ancestors fled here and built a foundation over dozens of generations, having the good fortune to form a karmic bond with a certain figure from the Nether Office. This item was a treasure that person left behind upon departing. Unfortunately, my family possessed no method to move it… We could only watch, burning with anxiety…
"It was not until I achieved the Violet Palace and visited Mount Jiuqiu several times, seeking instruction with a reverent heart, that I obtained the method to retrieve it. Yet it requires the aid of the Mingyang divine ability 'Clear Illumination Heart,' the Binggu divine ability 'Fit for Emperors and Kings,' or the intervention of a Sheji lineage… One need only display the divine ability."
Li Ximing remained calm, harboring little suspicion regarding the man's request. For one, the benefits of the [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] were neither overwhelmingly grand nor negligible; it was simply rare. For Inland Sea cultivators, it could be sought in the Southern Border, so its preciousness was somewhat diminished.
*If he truly intended to lure me into a trap… this promised reward is far too unenticing. Besides, 'Clear Illumination Heart' is still far beyond my reach…*
Viewed from this angle, it likely was just a minor effort. Furthermore, with Mount Jiuqiu standing as guarantor—and given that Real Person Yuandao had generously gifted the [Three Hou Shuxuan Fire] and candidly explained the aftermath regarding the Peacock—Li Ximing had developed quite a favorable impression of them and was willing to place some trust in their word.
Even so, he gave a faint smile and nodded. "You overestimate me, Fellow Daoist. As for a profound lifebound divine ability like 'Clear Illumination Heart,' not only have I yet to cultivate it, but I do not even possess the cultivation method. How could I possibly assist you?"
Yan Dushui shook his head repeatedly, a relaxed smile surfacing on his face. "The Donghuo Grotto-Heaven has manifested in the world; Mingyang cultivation methods ought to be everywhere. With your talent in mastering a divine ability at such a young age, Fellow Daoist, how could 'Clear Illumination Heart' be far off?
"No matter. This old man still has a century of lifespan remaining; I should be able to see that day come… If I cannot wait until then, we can discuss alternatives."
Li Ximing understood where the old man's confidence came from. In this elder's mind, it was unthinkable that Li Ximing would forgo the wondrous method to extend his path so long as he had a Foundation Establishment method. Nor was it conceivable that, faced with the three divine abilities of the [Violet Participation Immortal Threshold], he would refuse to cultivate a lifebound divine ability. Thus, mastering 'Clear Illumination Heart' was only a matter of time.
After deliberating for a moment, Li Ximing replied, "Since you have already waited all these years, Fellow Daoist, there is no hurry. I still have one or two batches of pills left unrefined. Would it be acceptable if I make a detour to Mount Jiuqiu and return to seek you out afterward?"
The only potential flaw in the man's words was his invocation of Mount Jiuqiu's name. Naturally, Li Ximing had to verify it to set his mind at ease. Yan Dushui showed no surprise, nodding with a smile:
"That poses no issue; I shall wait for you here, Fellow Daoist… As for Mount Jiuqiu… you need not make the journey. Senior Lingdu happens to be nearby. If you fly slightly westward, you can meet his true self."
"Oh?"
Li Ximing's heart stirred, though the smile on his face deepened. "Haha… To think Senior is right here. Then I would truly be too embarrassed to run back to refine pills…"
Almost the moment Yan Dushui finished speaking, a shred of doubt arose in Li Ximing's mind:
*I suspect it might not even be Yan Dushui who wants this Banished Qi; perhaps it is Mount Jiuqiu instead… Could there truly be such a coincidence?*
Yan Dushui smiled and added, "The [West Curtain Sea] holds an exceptional secret trove. Mount Jiuqiu sends people to this sea every year for tempering. This year, Senior brought people in person, arriving right in season."
Li Ximing replied with a smile and soared into the sky following the directions given, sighing softly in his heart:
*In the end, is this West Curtain Sea truly Jishan's, or does it belong to Mount Jiuqiu? For a secret trove in the West Curtain Sea to require their people to harvest it is rather humiliating for Jishan.*
Clearly, while Jishan had not fallen to the Cui Clan's desperate straits, their survival over the years had still left them subservient to others. Perhaps they had been Mount Jiuqiu's vassals for ages; had Yan Dushui not attained the Violet Palace, their plight might have been far more miserable!
As for whether Yan Dushui had achieved the Violet Palace on Mount Jishan or Mount Jiuqiu, that was even harder to say…
*So the territory controlled by Mount Jiuqiu's lineage… has already reached this far… Then again, Real Person Yuandao's lifespan seems virtually boundless. What sort of waves could Yan Dushui or any other vassal ever hope to stir?*
He flew on in silence, soon catching sight of a pillar of light piercing straight into the zenith. An elderly man stood smiling aboard a flying boat. Seeing Li Ximing, he raised his brows slightly and chuckled:
"Zhaojing? To think I would run into you here, Fellow Daoist."
"Greetings, Senior!"
Li Ximing actually held a favorable impression of this elder, Lingdu. Seeing his demeanor, he temporarily suppressed his doubts, offered a formal bow, and replied:
"This junior was entrusted with a matter by Jishan regarding the retrieval of some wisp of Qi. He claimed to have received word from you, Senior. Daring not treat it lightly, I came by to inquire."
Lingdu came to an understanding and invited him aboard the vessel, shaking his head. "He pleaded bitterly over this matter for a very long time. Thinking it would also be of great benefit to you, I revealed a thing or two, merely mentioning that you cultivate Mingyang. I did not expect the fellow to possess such quick wit, piecing everything together and tracking you down in one go."
Li Ximing nodded slightly as Lingdu sighed:
"You have met him… and surely he poured his heart out to you… Perhaps he was somewhat eager for quick gains, but now that this matter has slipped from his lips, if he cannot retrieve it, his descendants will likely not even have the chance to scrape by."
He glanced at Li Ximing, seemingly perceiving his reservations, and smiled. "You must understand, if that thing remains in his hands, he has no way to handle it or reveal it; it must indeed be delivered to Mount Jiuqiu… But to Mount Jiuqiu, that object will not run away where it sits. Whether he retrieves it or my Mount Jiuqiu fetches it in the future makes no difference to us."
Once he spoke these words, Li Ximing understood completely.
Evidently, Mount Jiuqiu had not known early on that Jishan possessed such a good item. Yan Dushui's plea had brought it to Mount Jiuqiu's attention. Though the treasure was rare, it was not an urgent matter for Mount Jiuqiu. Yan Dushui was well advanced in years; if he retrieved it, he would naturally present it to them. If he failed to retrieve it, Mount Jiuqiu could simply take it once he perished and the opportunity arose.
Yet for Yan Dushui, offering it up of his own accord carried an entirely different meaning than having it seized after his demise!
Li Ximing stroked his beard and nodded, the doubts in his heart instantly unraveling. Lingdu sighed:
"After all, we have shared many years of friendship, and I would hate to see him fall to such a state. Setting aside my status within Mount Jiuqiu's lineage, on a personal level, I still hope he can find a turning point… That was why I revealed a bit. I pray Zhaojing will forgive me."
"This junior understands."
Li Ximing's heart suddenly cleared. Lingdu's willingness to speak so plainly showed that he valued Li Ximing's family greatly. Furthermore, armed with this knowledge, Li Ximing had effectively grasped the other party's bottom line. So long as his requests were not overly outrageous and did not force the elder to offend too many people, he could even request this Violet Palace master to lend a hand!
If Real Person Yuandao's assistance had been intended to display Mount Jiuqiu's magnanimity, then Lingdu's deliberate favor was all the more apparent. Although Mount Jiuqiu's lineage never spoke openly of assistance and disliked being entangled too deeply, their partiality toward his family was always present, whether visibly or invisibly, leaving Li Ximing both pleased and apprehensive.
After all, assistance from a lineage of this caliber almost always came with expectations or steering…
Even so, everything thus far bore the hallmarks of goodwill. He nodded silently and bowed to the master of Mount Jiuqiu, replying with heartfelt sincerity:
"Many thanks, Senior!"
Chapter 879