Chi Buzi accepted the Daoxu Yin Soul Mysterious Blade floating before him. His expression remained calm and submissive, even as all manner of conjectures flashed through his mind. Kneeling meekly upon the ground, he said respectfully, "I certainly will not disappoint Your Ladyship's expectations!"
Shaohui said softly, "There are no expectations to speak of. It is merely granting a chance at survival based on merits rewarded."
"This humble cultivator understands!"
Chi Buzi responded obediently. Beside him, Dangjiang raised his head and asked cautiously, "I see that the mansion... has grown much quieter. I wonder why..."
Parting her vermilion lips, Shaohui let out a faint sigh and replied, "The celestial phenomena have shifted, and the Wutu light shines bright. A grave matter has occurred in the lower realm. We were commanded to observe the celestial portents to guard against any True Monarch or even higher powers intervening. Most of our fellow Daoists are no longer in the mansion."
At these words, Chi Buzi's lowered eyes narrowed slightly, a chill seizing his heart.
*Wutu... Luoxia... It seems a True Monarch has personally descended to suppress the conflict between north and south... I wonder which one from Luoxia it is...*
Though Chi Buzi resided overseas, he had heard no shortage of news from the mainland, possessing many channels for intelligence. A deep chill gradually crept through him.
*I knew long ago that the clash between north and south was a bottomless pit; whoever enters it meets no good end, yet I never imagined a True Monarch would arrive in person... No wonder!*
*Even though Louxing traded his very life to pin Xue Yang down at Qinling—drawing the attention of cultivators across every path to observe their techniques and pry into Xue Yang's depth—in the face of such an overwhelming tide, it was nothing more than a ripple. Who could have thought this north-south struggle had escalated to such an extent?!*
His heart turned cold.
*Just whom is this True Monarch of Luoxia waiting for...? Taizhu? The venerable one above? Lady Pinshui... or perhaps one of the remaining two from Shaoyang?*
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, he heard Shaohui speak softly from above:
"There is no need to be nervous, however. We have observed closely, and in the end, no clash erupted; otherwise, things would not be as they are now."
Chi Buzi quickly chimed in, saying deferentially, "Indeed! When the contest for the attainment of Yuzhen played out over the North Sea back then, the celestial signs were turbulent and indiscernible to the world. Only those of us with higher cultivation who had formed our fated divine abilities felt slight premonitions. The word gradually spread, and now several great cultivators have conferred and termed it the 'Hezhen Upheaval,' all waiting for that single outcome..."
Although he said this to probe indirectly, his words held true. The outcome of that great battle would dictate the future path of the Yuzhen Dao. Though more and more people cultivated Yuzhen these days, every clan and sect still waited for a definitive result before deciding whether to commit their true core descendants to that lineage. Lineages like Zhu Sheng's Yuzhen inheritance likely tested white jade with Swimming Water and goldstone day after day, terrified of hearing bad news.
Yet Lu Jiangxian lacked the ability to peer beyond heaven. He did not even cast an extra glance at Luoxia, where the Wutu Golden Core lay, let alone study the results of battles between True Monarchs. There was naturally no relevant news from above. Faced with this inquiry, Shaohui merely shook her head with a smile:
"Unless an event of shattering significance occurs, even if an outcome is reached, it will not be seen within a few years."
Her answer was airtight. Chi Buzi bowed his head. He had hoped to discern the stance of heaven from her words, but coming away empty-handed, he immediately sealed his lips.
This had been his persistent perplexity for a long time. Although Taiyin and Taiyang undoubtedly reigned above, the present state of this place seemed nothing like the Yuan Mansion. When Chi Buzi mentioned Du Qing, Zhengao—evidently an exalted figure—had casually referred to him as 'that True Monarch cultivating Swimming Water.'
*Yet the Lord of the Mansion established his domain here. The origin of this realm must predate the Yuan Mansion, or perhaps the Lord is merely one of many in heaven!*
After all, this place had different mansions governing distinct domains. The woman before him cultivated Shaoyin, yet in Dangjiang's words, she was merely an immortal maiden of the Shaoyin Mansion...
*A separate mansion exists here, which means heaven must hold at least one True Monarch in the Shaoyin seat as well!*
Shaoyin had remained in obscurity for many years. To Chi Buzi's recollection, apart from the Western Jizhong region where the mountain gate of the Guanhua Tianlou Dao resided, the lineage was seldom heard of elsewhere...
Leaving no time for idle thoughts, Chi Buzi bowed hurriedly and offered obeisance. "Time is of the essence, and the matters of heaven must not be delayed... Yet prudence must come first in all things. I wish to leave these items in the care of Immortal Official Dangjiang for now, to be retrieved once I am inside the formation!"
His caution was not unfounded. After all, he was heading to Penglai; who knew what bizarre methods that cave heaven possessed? It was best not to take risks if they could be avoided. Though Shaohui knew nothing of Penglai, she understood his reasoning and gave a slight nod.
"Very well!"
"Many thanks..."
Before he could finish, Shaohui waved her hand for him to leave. As Chi Buzi rose, Dangjiang moved to follow him, only to be stopped by Shaohui and kept in the courtyard.
Though Dangjiang said nothing outwardly, having resolved Chi Buzi's matter had clearly put him in good spirits. He leaned forward with a smile. "My Lady..."
Shaohui shook her head quietly and asked, "With Chi Buzi leaving this time, his return remains indefinitely far off. Still, he has earned merit, and you can share in the credit. I have already reported to Immortal General Zhengao that you are well-versed in matters of celestial sacrifice and familiar with the lower realm..."
Dangjiang instantly perked up, nodding repeatedly. Days earlier, Zhengao had also mentioned a reward. He exclaimed, "It is all thanks to My Lady's guidance! This lowly one's gratitude knows no bounds..."
Shaohui teased, "If you put it that way, shouldn't you first return that basket of moon laurel golden branches to me?"
Dangjiang had merely been offering pleasantries. The mere memory made his heart bleed, and he stammered dolefully, "This... how can that be calculated? Even now, I only have two or three hundred merits to my name..."
Shaohui chuckled and shook her head. "I will tease you no longer. The intention is to promote you to an immortal official overseeing sacrificial offerings and dispatch you to another realm... The formal decree of appointment has not yet arrived. As long as you wait, good days should follow."
Overjoyed, Dangjiang nodded and kowtowed in gratitude, eagerly and inquisitively pressing for details. His ceaseless chattering soon exhausted the maiden's patience, and she promptly concocted an excuse to send him away.
Lu Jiangxian stood in the hall from beginning to end, watching in silence.
This arrangement for Dangjiang was not merely a response to his repeated complaints; it was also tied to Lu Jiangxian's own plans.
*When Li Ximing seized Mount Tangdao, he once killed a Lianmin named Hua Kong. Though his mortal frame perished at Li Ximing's hands and returned to the Pure Land, he was slain by a talisman seed. That speck of his true spirit was naturally recorded on the Stone of Inscribed Names.*
In other words, with a mere thought, Lu Jiangxian could draw Hua Kong directly into the mirror!
Not only him—Li Ximing had slain another at Mount Cai, but that had taken place right in the palm of a True Monarch, under the gaze of watchful eyes. Moreover, that Lianmin had been utterly mediocre, so Lu Jiangxian had not acted.
Conferring this post upon Dangjiang was preparation for precisely such matters.
*Going forward, the north and south will come into direct contact. The Buddhist cultivators do not share a single heart, making it the perfect opportunity to reap profit from the middle and cultivate several insiders of our own to ease the pressure on the Li family...*
*As for the Lianmin, the more secretly recorded, the better, though one cannot simply go around killing them indiscriminately. For now, it is of little consequence, but those summoned into the mirror must be chosen for quality rather than quantity. Even if they are not Mohe, they must at least be of the Minghui or Five-Eyed rank—Lianmin who hold high positions and genuine power!*
***
Lake Wangyue.
Purple-gold pillars stood erected across the islets, shrouded in drifting mist and inscribed with arcane patterns. Cultivators moved among them amidst an imposing, somber aura. At the very center of the inner formation, a hazy purple light glowed, the pale yellow flagstones reflecting flickering firelight.
The Real Person in white-gold Daoist robes clasped his hands together, joy spreading across his face. Striking the cauldron with a heavy palm, he watched a surge of deep gray light swell and coil above it. The elephant head parted wide, expelling a plume of gray-black vapor.
As the smoke cleared, the trickle of a brook sounded within the cave dwelling, winding softly. Li Ximing set down a jade box, and seven pills fell one after another, resting quietly upon a delicate white cushion.
*Phew...*
Seeing these seven pills, Li Ximing let out a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat fortunate.
He had known long ago that Kanshui and Mingyang did not harmonize well and had received multiple reminders, yet only upon beginning the refinement could he truly grasp the friction between the two.
*Fortunately, my skill is profound and I used True Fire rather than Mingyang Purple Flame, allowing me to maintain control over the situation...*
His initial estimate had been eight to nine pills. Even hampered by the clash of Daoist lineages, securing an output of seven was more than enough to meet the client's request of six.
Peering into the box, he saw each pill marked with patterns of rugged mountains and flowing waters. A refreshing, light aura met his nose, faint murmurs of water echoing within. He snapped the lid shut to keep the pills from being contaminated by surrounding spiritual influences.
Huishui Xuandao Powder cleared the mind, sharpened vision, and advanced one's cultivation. In Li Ximing's eyes, wasting a Purple Palace-grade Cangzhou viper scale for such minor effects was hardly worthwhile. Yet their lineage likely possessed other miraculous applications for it. He summoned Li Minggong and instructed her to lead a party to Qize.
Leaping into the air, he landed upon Mount Zhijing. At the foot of the mountain, the purple flame vein clinked and hummed. Scanning with his spiritual sense, he saw Li Zhouwei's Dasheng bobbing amidst the purple flames, shimmering brilliantly while cultivators from the Ziyan Gate repaired it at the side.
"Where has Minghuang gone?"
He asked casually. Ding Weizeng immediately descended onto the hillside and answered respectfully, "Reporting to Real Person, Real Person Minghuang has entered Mount Dali."
Understanding dawned in Li Ximing's mind. He gave a nod and asked, "How is the situation on the riverbank?"
Ding Weizeng replied with utmost deference, "The opposite bank has already been occupied by the Dayuan Guangyin Temple. Over the course of three nights, countless commoners moved south, covering the entirety of Baijiang Creek while widely spreading their teachings and erecting innumerable temples."
Li Ximing shook his head. "They truly excel at disgusting people."
With hundreds of thousands of Buddhist commoners migrating in, Baijiang Creek was thoroughly settled. Even if the land were reclaimed someday, the Buddhist teachings could not be eradicated without fifty to a hundred years, unless one resorted to mass slaughter.
*Yet to go through all this trouble just to drape themselves in the banner of the Dayuan Guangyin Temple... I wonder which lineage they truly belong to, or what inheritance they covet...*
The opposite shore had made no further moves and showed no signs of advancing south for the moment, which was a blessing. As he pondered, Ding Weizeng spoke again:
"There is one more matter to report. A demon arrived from the Southern Border... escorted by people from Qingchi. He calls himself Yan Hu."
"So it is him."
Yan Hu had been sent out by his own family to begin with. Li Ximing waved his hand and replied, "Have him come up."
Presently, a broad-faced man with black hair ascended from below, draped in a dark robe. Upon seeing Li Ximing, he cried out, "This subordinate pays respects to My Lord! It has been far too long; this subordinate has missed you dearly..."
Li Ximing had no patience for pleasantries, wanting only to hear good news. He waved him off and commanded, "What have you found?"
Yan Hu bowed hastily and said with deference, "Reporting to My Lord, thanks to My Lord's prestige and the aid of your divine ability, this subordinate crossed the great mountains of the Country of Piaoren. Searching through the demon realms west of Piaoren beneath Great Xiyuan, after extensive inquiries, I located a demon king in Xipo Country who hopes to obtain benefits from Real Person."
"That demon king cultivates Auspicious Qi and styles himself Great King Suopo. He holds two Purple Palace spiritual materials and a portion of Purple Palace spiritual water, but he requires pills... and wishes to engage Real Person to refine them."
Li Ximing furrowed his brows. From the sound of it, the other party clearly did not trust a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, refusing to disclose even the names of the spiritual materials. A hint of disappointment welled within him. Reading his expression, Yan Hu lowered his voice:
"He said this pill is exceptionally difficult to craft, yielding only one per cauldron. However, hearing that Real Person is a Mingyang cultivator whose foundation aids this pill, he came forward eagerly to inquire."
Li Ximing possessed zero intelligence regarding that region. Without seeing the pill formula, he could not judge its difficulty. Frowning, he asked, "Only this one?"
At these words, Yan Hu whispered, "East of the Country of Piaoren, there is an old demon king, Mountain Master Bifu, who is extraordinarily formidable. His name is Shen Lufu, and he is adept at pill refinement. In recent years, he has made friends far and wide; many demons of the Southern Border seek him out... so he has little desire for external alchemy."
Hearing that name, Li Ximing cast aside the cup in his hand as if shaking off bad luck, his gaze turning icy, though he uttered not a word.
"Past the Country of Piaoren, beneath Great Xiyuan, Shengbai Hall possesses a Purple Palace protector—a demonic cultivator of the Five Clarities who is remarkably skilled at alchemy and treats others fairly. Most demon kings in that region seek him out. Only Great King Suopo is on bad terms with him... which is why..."
Li Ximing could only shake his head. He still carried injuries; how could he travel thousands of li into the depths of the Southern Border? Moreover, he did not know how deep the grudge ran between Suopo and Shengbai Hall, or whether it involved pills... He had no desire to make enemies for nothing, so he replied:
"Reply that I have pressing matters and cannot travel easily. If he insists on having them refined... he can either come here or wait a few years. Bypass this demon king and continue inquiring further inland."
"Understood!"
Yan Hu acknowledged respectfully before continuing, "Regarding the spiritual fires My Lord instructed me to seek, I also gathered concrete information on two sources. One is the master of the Country of Piaoren, an immortal cultivator; the other is a demon king along the shores of the South Sea. Both treasure their spiritual fires dearly... and have never intended to trade them."
Li Ximing shook his head and asked, "What are their cultivation levels?"
The question startled Yan Hu. Dropping to his knees, he cried out, "This humble one does not know... this humble one does not know!"
His mind raced, and he quickly added, "I... I also heard that the exalted one of Nanshun Raja and the master of Dakonghai Temple both possess spiritual fires! Years ago, a great demon of the Fire Virtue failed his breakthrough near the Country of Piaoren and perished. Several spiritual fires escaped, so someone must have secretly kept some!"
The one at Nanshun Raja was undoubtedly Jiao Zhongzi, while Dakonghai Temple was surely in the hands of that old Mohe, equally difficult to obtain. Li Ximing nodded, having formed an understanding in his mind. He instructed quietly:
"Investigate further!"
The demon hurriedly withdrew. Li Ximing could not help but feel a lingering headache.
"In the end, not everyone is as lavish as the Taiyang lineage, promising gifts right and left. Every one of them clings tightly to their treasures... It seems I will have to make a journey myself."
He promptly settled on an itinerary:
*First, make a trip to Qunyi to unseal that hidden cave dwelling and see what can be gained. Then turn toward the Country of Piaoren to look into the spiritual fire.*
With a single step, he returned to the formation. Closing his eyes, he soared into the realm where sun and moon shone together. Savoring the overwhelmingly dense spiritual energy that greeted him, he retrieved a pill from his sleeve—pure white, etched with patterns of a qilin.
"With the situation shifting, I cannot afford to be stingy any longer. I must consume this Linguang Zhaoyi Pill, renowned for mending Dharma bodies, heal my lingering wounds, and seize the time to make a trip out!"
Chapter 918