Cold snow fluttered down in thick flakes. The white-robed man leaned against the jade platform, gazing at the circular curtain of light shimmering faintly before him. It projected the boundless expanse of the Great Void, reflecting all manner of divine wonders in clear, unobstructed view.
Streams of golden radiance descended from above, swirling around his body and coalescing layer upon layer into brilliant light.
Lu Jiangxian lightly extended his hand, and an intensely dazzling speck of gold emerged from his palm, shifting restlessly.
*Minghua Huangyang Yucheng Nature!*
The magical mirror's power had already reached a bottleneck. Li Zhouwei's breakthrough to achieve a divine ability had not granted much visible feedback—it merely widened the internal world and set profound light flickering. Yet the one thing that reacted the most intensely was the Minghua Huangyang Yucheng Nature before him!
This Mingyang golden nature gleamed brightly, surging ceaselessly. It seemed to have been stirred by something, climbing higher and higher, held back only by the suppression of the mirror's world. Unable to break free, it could only release its radiance in vain.
*Over ninety percent of this Mingyang golden nature was left behind by Li Qianyuan...*
Lu Jiangxian was no longer the novice he had been when he first obtained the item. His expression grew solemn as he understood what this golden nature implied.
*If the golden nature within the Jianyang Ring belongs to Li Qianyuan, then without a shadow of a doubt, it is one of the contingency plans left by Emperor Wei!*
The fact that this item had fallen into his hands, and that the present Li family was widely considered to carry the bloodline of Emperor Wei, undoubtedly indicated an extraordinary connection between the two sides. The realization left Lu Jiangxian in silent contemplation.
After an unknown stretch of time, he focused his gaze once more and peered into the mirror.
The unfathomable Great Void was draped in gloom. As his vision concentrated, the void gradually grew translucent, and the dim scene revealed a brilliant, sky-spanning pillar of yellow luminescence, resplendent and majestic.
Far in the distance sat a Dharma body.
The towering figure reached into the clouds, its entire form the color of loamy earth. Its lower half was submerged into the ground, rooted upon the ley lines. Behind it, concentric rings of polychromatic light radiated outward, as vast as mountain ranges, forming an almost impenetrable barrier separating heaven and earth. Limitless radiance lingered beside the figure like rolling billows of wind and smoke.
Beneath dense layers of cloud and mist, the giant's eyes appeared murky and indistinguishable. Its pupils were perfect spheres of pitch-black darkness devoid of even a sliver of light, yet from them fell nine cascading bands of colored radiance, blanketing the earth below.
This Dharma body sat cross-legged in the middle of heaven and earth, unfathomably colossal. It sat upon the Luoxia Plain—that fertile expanse spanning thousands of li merely wrapped around its smooth belly. The titan leaned slightly forward, resting both hands forward on either side: by one hand was Mount Cai, and by the other Mount Xiaoshi.
And Mount Tangdao, where the cultivators were stationed, lay directly within its embrace!
This Dharma body was at once terrifying and bizarre, like a gluttonous child clutching half a watermelon, peering closely at it and refusing to let go.
From beginning to end, whether it was Kuiqi, Li Ximing, Tinglan, Chehong, or Helian Wujiang—all the cultivators of both north and south had been clashing and battling under its very palms and gaze!
Lu Jiangxian observed with caution, not manifesting his presence in the Great Void. He calculated silently:
*It looks like a True Monarch of Earth Virtue, yet it does not resemble a Fruit Position... It should be one of the subsidiary positions of Wutu.*
The lineage of Luoxia Wuguang encompassed positions of both Rosy Splendor and Wutu. Needless to say, this True Monarch had descended specifically from Mount Luoxia to Luoxia Plain!
*What is this for...?*
With a True Monarch holding watch, no matter how fiercely the great battle raged, the spiritual essence and ley lines of the land would definitely come to no harm. But if it was merely for that, why would a True Monarch need to descend in person?
*Who knows who he is waiting for... Truly watertight.*
Lu Jiangxian solemnly shifted his gaze back to the table before him.
Resting on the white jade platform was a short dagger, completely silver-white, with a hilt merely an inch long. It lay flat beside his hand. Cold snow fell from above, landing on the blade before quickly sliding off.
For the longest time, Lu Jiangxian had been unable to interact with the outside world except through spiritual items of the Taiyin lineage... But as the world where sun and moon shone together grew richer, it meant he could truly forge things beyond Taiyin spiritual items!
The shamanic blade before him was a masterpiece forged from his entire mastery of shamanic craft and Dao attainment!
*Chi Buzi is a chess piece worth trying to preserve. Yet whether he can be saved or not, my own existence must never be exposed... This blade is the crux of it all!*
***
Inside the Taiyin Mansion.
The moment Chi Buzi heard the smug arrogance in Dangjiang's voice, he immediately poured cold water on it, sighing:
"Look at how pleased you are! There is still no word from above, yet the days are drawing closer by the day. This time we sent up a Buddhist cultivator, but where are we supposed to find another next time?"
In the past, scolding him like this and stoking some anxiety would instantly ruin Dangjiang's mood, sending him into a fit of frowning, overthinking, and endless muttering. But this time was entirely different. The fellow merely sneered and retorted:
"Just who do you think I am? You provide the labor while I provide the brains—are we even on the same level? I sorted everything out long ago!"
"Oh?"
Chi Buzi was surprised for a split second before immediately suspecting him of boasting. With great interest, he asked:
"What do you mean by that?"
Dangjiang chuckled:
"Hurry up and follow me! Fairy Shaohui instructed me long ago... The moment your deed was done and you ascended to the upper realm, I was to bring you to see her!"
"Excellent!"
Chi Buzi was overjoyed. While anything else might have been a boast, meeting a superior was not something one could fabricate. Delighted, he followed Dangjiang out, once again catching sight of the two maidservants at the hall entrance.
The one holding the pipa still held her instrument, but the maidservant with the bamboo basket had replaced it with a jade tray. Resting upon it were wisps and tufts of material resembling white cotton, each about a finger long and radiating faint light.
Having learned from the lesson of the Golden Laurel Branch, Chi Buzi's eyes burned with fervor. Dangjiang felt the hairs on his neck stand on end and quickly tugged at his sleeve, whispering:
"You haven't even paid off the last debt!"
Chi Buzi shook his head silently. As he walked alongside him, he kept his voice down to a secret murmur:
"It's only right that it isn't paid off! What do you think that thing was? The heavens keep things concise and call it the Golden Laurel Branch, but to those fellows from Chunyi Dao, it's known as the Xuandan Taiyin White Moon Laurel Branch!"
From the moment he heard the name from Chunyi Dao, he knew it was something extraordinary. In many cases, ancient texts across various paths recorded numerous spiritual items, yet only those who specialized in that specific path could discern which name corresponded to which item. Squinting slightly, he prompted:
"That name sounds somewhat familiar. Do you know anything about it?"
Dangjiang shook his head.
"How many years ago was my time? How the hell would I know?"
Seeing that he had no answer, Chi Buzi mused with a frown:
"I hadn't thought about it before, but once I head back this time, I must investigate it thoroughly."
The two traversed the covered walkway together. With Chi Buzi's keen powers of observation, he quickly noticed that figures seemed sparser than usual. He whispered:
"What happened here?"
Only after Chi Buzi pointed it out did Dangjiang realize it. Secretly alarmed, he shook his head in silence. In the blink of an eye, the side pavilion appeared before them. With no time for further questions, Chi Buzi could only brace himself and push open the door.
The pavilion was far more disheveled than before, with numerous maidservants bustling up and down. The two ascended all the way to the top floor, where they found the fairy in tea-white robes seated beside a desk, staring intently at a scroll laid before her.
"This lowly cultivator—" said Chi Buzi, as Dangjiang echoed, "This subordinate greets Fairy!"
The two bowed to one side. Shaohui immediately raised her head and forced a smile.
"So it is you... Rest assured, my calling you here today is to deliver good news."
Chi Buzi hurried forward to express his gratitude, listening as the fairy above spoke to him with rare courtesy:
"Do you remember that hidden place you found last time? Why don't you tell me about it?"
Since this concerned his very life, how could Chi Buzi ever forget? He replied with utmost respect:
"Reporting to My Lady, that place lies within an immortal array, topped by the Golden Crow Transformation Profound Light. An exalted lord personally declared back then that even True Monarchs cannot peer inside or enter. It is a superb refuge and hiding place!"
"Oh..."
Shaohui said softly:
"You are sharp indeed. The Golden Crow Transformation Profound Light is the most supreme and wondrous light of Taiyang. That site is of immense importance, and the jade stele is even more critical. The lord of our mansion personally sought me out to record a great merit for you!"
Hearing this, Chi Buzi immediately understood why he had been summoned. Dangjiang's grand claims had been nothing more than bluster. But knowing the man's temperament, Chi Buzi did not mind in the least. Overjoyed, he replied:
"My deepest thanks, My Lady! It was entirely due to My Lady's guidance; how could it be counted as my merit..."
Shaohui had no patience for pleasantries, nor did she take up his flatteries. She merely shook her head:
"You are right about one thing: that place is indeed somewhere even True Monarchs cannot peer into. Since such a spot exists, I will not go back on what I promised you before. I have already procured it for you."
She withdrew a casket from her sleeve, lightly raised it, and set it on the desk. A maidservant immediately stepped forward, took up the box, and carried it down.
Her words sent Chi Buzi's heart trembling with anticipation. Deep ecstasy and gratitude washed over his face as he repeatedly voiced his thanks. Once the box was placed into his hands, Shaohui continued:
"Inside are two items.
"First is the *Morning Rain and Pure Clouds Formula*."
At these words, half of Chi Buzi's worries vanished. The female cultivator explained:
"For this art, I requested an immortal general to modify the *Inquiring the Pure Clouds Formula* of the 'Chaohanyu' lineage from our treasury, incorporating some essence of Lushui to create the present *Morning Rain and Pure Clouds Formula*. In the terminology of your lower realm, it would be considered an ancient art. It is not particularly formidable, but after specially consulting the lord, it is ready for use."
Chi Buzi sighed with admiration:
"Compiling a Violet Palace cultivation method is something only those of great divine abilities and great cultivation can accomplish, let alone charting such an unorthodox, rugged path! That it could be turned into a functional formula is already miraculous beyond measure. This lowly cultivator is prostrated in awe; how could I speak of whether it is formidable or not...?"
Shaohui smiled faintly.
"You speak truly. The main reason is that this trace of Lushui essence will look quite promising to the eyes of Violet Palace cultivators, yet in the eyes of a True Monarch... they will only think you are embarking on a dead end by seeking Violet Palace through Lushui."
Chi Buzi nodded repeatedly. Though his heart thrashed with excitement, he still held the casket with utmost deference, not daring to make the slightest move until she finished speaking. Shaohui continued:
"There is also a second item: the Mundane-Borrowing Mind-Restraining Shamanic Art."
"Pray enlighten this subordinate on the details, My Lady!"
Chi Buzi quickly lowered his head. He heard Shaohui give a soft command:
"Bring the item forward."
A maidservant came forward carrying a jade tray. Resting in the center was a short dagger, barely the length of a palm, entirely silver-white with an inch-long hilt. It emitted no striking radiance; its brilliance was restrained, flowing subtly across the blade.
"This is the Daoxu Yin Soul Mysterious Blade."
Chi Buzi swept his fervent gaze over it, yet could not sense the slightest aura from the treasure before him. Though light circulated within it, it looked thoroughly ordinary, save for the occasional glint of silver that signaled it was anything but simple.
"This treasure pairs precisely with the Mundane-Borrowing Mind-Restraining Shamanic Art. All the wondrous effects you desire can be realized one by one through this technique!"
Shaohui's tone was calm, yet the words she spoke bordered on the unbelievable:
"I already understand your plan. The Mundane-Borrowing Mind-Restraining Shamanic Art is a profound and wondrous soul technique that can cleanse memories and store them elsewhere. And the Daoxu Yin Soul Mysterious Blade is a marvelous treasure capable of holding excised memories within itself—including your memories of the heavenly realm."
Chi Buzi narrowed his eyes slightly, understanding dawning in his heart. Exchanging a glance with the woman above, he immediately prostrated himself and whispered:
"My Lady is truly brilliant..."
*The Daoxu Yin Soul Mysterious Blade... Good, marvelous... And with that immortal array, everything is complete!*
A man of Chi Buzi's caliber had already pieced together the entire cause and effect, fleshing out his foolproof plan:
*If I hide the Daoxu Yin Soul Mysterious Blade within that immortal array, all I need is to leave behind a small cue to ensure that before making my final decision, I meet someone whom no one could possibly divine, receive their hint, and visit the array once to retrieve it!*
And even if he asked someone to give him that hint, the act itself would not remain in his memory. Even if Lushui examined his soul, they would find not a single trace—as a Great Real Person of Violet Palace, there were far too many people he could and would come into contact with.
Without even needing to make an unintended trip to Penglai, merely meeting Puyu would be enough for him to leave some verbal cues for his future self before calmly wiping his own memory.
His thoughts spun ceaselessly. Meanwhile, seated in an unseen corner of the pavilion, the white-robed man watched him quietly.
*For clever people, there is no need to say much. Just giving him the tools is enough...*
The blade's body was formed from a Taiyin spiritual item and a Shaoyin divine ability, fortified with various shamanic arts to grant it the wonders of defying divination and scrutiny, as well as the power to cleanse and refine the soul... And that peacock Lianmin soul from before had also been placed within it.
All of this merely provided a vessel. The single most crucial component was a talisman seed carried by that peacock soul!
This was the true origin of the blade's ability to evade all scrutiny and divination—rather than calling it a short dagger, it was better described as the reincarnation of that demon beast, taking the divine abilities on the blade as its body, endowed with a soul, and blessed with a talisman seed! Naturally, it was beyond scrutiny, beyond divination!
*In this way, with a mere thought from me, this blade will vanish without a trace, carried back into the mirror by the talisman seed... leaving not the slightest footprint!*
The principle behind storing memories was identical. Lu Jiangxian lacked metals and minerals for artifact refinement, nor could he afford to leave behind any trace. What happened in heaven could not be recorded in any jade slip, and Chi Buzi could not afford to split his own soul. Yet Chi Buzi could entrust his memories to the soul inside the blade, thereby achieving the ability to bear memory. The moment any risk of exposure arose, a single thought from Lu Jiangxian would disperse it into nothingness!
And that soul, sheltered by the talisman, could not be investigated—not even through divination!
Chapter 917