*Clatter!*
The midday sunlight spilled across the polished desk, illuminating a neat row of wooden slips laid side by side. The old man sat in the courtyard, lifting his eyes to look over with a smile:
"What brings the Real Person to my humble courtyard today?"
Beside him, Li Zhouwei took a sip of tea, his expression slightly somber. Only in this courtyard of Li Xuanxuan's did he allow a hint of worry to show:
"The new tune at Like Tower—has the Venerable Elder heard it?"
Li Xuanxuan was advanced in years. Whether facing Li Ximing or Li Zhouwei, he liked to address them as "Real Person"—not out of emotional distance, but more as a way to reassure himself. Hearing this now, he shook his head and said:
"Ever since Ming'er entered seclusion, I have not listened to that tune of *Resenting the Passing Waters*. I feared the lingering worry in my heart would make me overthink. Yet I heard this time is quite different; the lyrics were changed, adding some novel elements."
Though the old man's vitality was failing, his standing in the clan ensured he knew a great deal. On this point alone, he sighed:
"I heard that the Real Person went to Like Tower. Presumably there was a guest..."
Li Zhouwei set down his cup and lowered his gaze.
"I met someone from the north. In truth, they do not care much about me. They merely dropped by to appraise my mettle, listened to an opera, and departed.
"Thinking on it, that is only natural. To them, I am an unexpected bonus—leaving me be is fine enough. If I prove helpful, so much the better; if not, there is no harm done anyway. It is just that my name has been inscribed on the underworld's roster, making it inconvenient to take me away. Thus, they let me drift as I will."
Li Xuanxuan pinched his teacup, his expression dimming.
"On the other hand, things will be harder to settle with the other side."
Li Zhouwei understood the old man was speaking of dragonkind. Although the qilin and dragons shared ancient ties, and the dragons' longevity allowed some of their blessings to fall upon him, as his strength continued to rise and the day came when he could truly strike for the fruit status, the estrangement and suspicion between him and the dragons would surely intensify...
*Qingyu Qian also said that dragonkind never truly intended to support Li Qianyuan. For several millennia, from beginning to end, dragonkind has single-mindedly pursued the True Dragon Dao, hoping only to delay the process of his fall and drain Mount Luoxia's energy as much as possible... If they genuinely wanted to help him break free, they would need to suppress me, keep my cultivation from advancing too quickly, and strive to grant Li Qianyuan opportunities to reach me. Whether dragonkind dares not or wishes not to do so, their repeated aid to me now clearly indicates they have other arrangements.*
*I myself am the product of a shaken fruit status, an overt piece played by Mount Luoxia. Mount Luoxia holds absolute initiative; their moves are simply too brilliant, leaving dragonkind caught in a dilemma.*
*As for that four-eared white-robed man... he is almost certainly a fox.*
Multiple ears were originally the external manifestation of Mount Dali's fox clan lineage; combined with his seat and the other's reaction, the answer was hardly difficult to guess.
*First... the account given by dragonkind—or rather, by Dongfang Lieyun—was not false, but carried a distinct bias, whereas the fox clan's words were more neutral... Mount Luoxia's stance—at least on the surface—is that as long as Li Qianyuan does not occupy this Mingyang fruit status, anyone else will do...*
*Furthermore, according to Mount Luoxia's implication, were it not for their suppression, Li Qianyuan's reincarnation might well harbor the intention to slay me to achieve his Dao. Not only would that conform to the Mingyang Dao, it would also be his most probable move to break the deadlock.*
His expression gradually grew pensive.
*If that is so... was forcing me to leave the lake and go into seclusion in the East Sea the work of a single faction? The timing of the True Monarch's reincarnation coincided precisely with my days in the East Sea... ensuring that the reincarnated one could never meet me... That, too, was arranged well in advance.*
Yet the demeanor of that Great Real Person from Mount Luoxia was truly intriguing, prompting Li Zhouwei to speculate inwardly:
*Not uttering a single word, leaving after an opera was sung... It seems more like his own doing. Passing through this place on his journey south, seeing that my interests and Mount Luoxia's clearly align, though disdaining to order me around, he still possessed a certain temperament. Unable to bear how others spread idle gossip, he borrowed the performer's mouth to make his stance known.*
Yet no matter how disdainful Mount Luoxia might be, or how they meddled in the situation out of their Dao path and principles, they possessed the standing to do so. Li Zhouwei, on the other hand, had no right to state his position, let alone make a choice.
*On the surface, dragonkind opposes it and is even willing to offer me golden nature in the end. Yet in the south, the underworld has made no declaration, and how do the various True Monarchs of the world view this? In Mount Luoxia's telling, the underworld seemingly only wishes to harvest golden nature, but who can know if they are not laying stones across the board to draw in their net!*
He had watched them leave, understanding that Mount Luoxia sat firmly above the fray, unbothered, while dragonkind and the underworld harbored their own schemes. Even the various Buddhist factions in the north and the powers across the seas had designs of their own. What hung in the balance here was far more than his personal wandering fate:
*I fear that when it all reaches its end, only an outcome that satisfies the vast majority of factions will give the Li clan any future to speak of...*
His thoughts ran deep, and he held his teacup in silence. Li Xuanxuan watched him with clear understanding, and only after a long silence did the old man say:
"Back then, the Four Xi were the pillars of our Li clan, and Ximing was the foremost among them. Harmonizing with the common dust while softening his light, he naturally possesses his own breadth of spirit. You are the qilin of our clan for a century. He entrusted the clan's great authority to you; whatever you decide is the will of the entire clan."
Ever since Li Ximing handed over the Huayang King Battle-Axe, Li Zhouwei had gained an understanding. At this moment, his eyes shone with light as he said softly:
"Minghuang has received the trust and devotion of his forebears, and only fears his considerations are not thorough enough. I fear the conflict between North and South still holds killing tribulations aimed straight at our family, urging this junior to temper his divine abilities and advance his cultivation until they reach consummation."
***
Kuidu Hall.
True fire blazed, its hues shifting. The golden flames cast light upon the dark gray walls of the furnace, deepening the rich violet above and black below. The strangely shaped crows and horned owls embossed upon the walls lit up one by one, breathing dark rays as profound mysteries gradually manifested.
The five legs of the Xiuxuan Dujing Furnace trembled faintly, casting radiant light together. The divine ability and dharmic power gradually contracted, condensing specks of flowing brilliance. That luster was warm and gentle as jade. The hand directing the divine ability swiftly formed an incantation gesture, reining in the flames.
In an instant, the bubbling sound of a flowing stream echoed. Sheets of grayish-black light surged out from the furnace mouth, restrained by divine ability, and fell one after another into his palm, turning into plump, round spirit pills etched with patterns of rugged mountains and streams.
"The elixir is done!"
Li Ximing exhaled slowly, feeling thoroughly invigorated.
When it came to alchemy, concocting pills that were too difficult was troublesome and mentally exhausting, while those that were too simple were dull and uninteresting. The Huishui Xuandao Powder was of moderate difficulty, and the Xiuxuan Dujing Furnace was extraordinarily handy—had he not had an utterly satisfying refinement? Opening the jade box now, he saw two full rows of pills resting inside.
"A full seventeen pills!"
The Xiuxuan Dujing Furnace was indeed worthy of being a Violet Palace spirit furnace. The Dao of Bingxiu aligned with Kanshui, yielding a full eight pills from this single batch. It was undoubtedly the largest quantity of Violet Palace pills he had ever produced in a single cauldron; had it not been for his own mismatched lineage, he might well have reached an unprecedented ten pills!
Although pill yield was also tied to the recipe—for instance, the Xuanque Heart-Channeling Medicine was designated a "medicine" meant for emergency rescue, typically yielding only three to five pills per cauldron, with the alchemist's craft focused on enhancing its medicinal potency—the Huishui Xuandao Powder had advantages inherent in its recipe as well:
*As the saying goes, "Powders dispel and treat chronic ailments, yielding five or six pills to prepare for regular use." Powders naturally yield a few more pills, yet at most that makes a difference of one or two. Eight pills in a single furnace is an extraordinary feat!*
These two batches combined yielded sixteen pills. Added to the one leftover pill from before, that made seventeen in all—more than enough to deliver the fifteen pills owed to Dingyangzi. Bringing over the medicine box to the side and glancing inside, the jet-black Cangzhou Viper Scale, shimmering with the gleam of fine scales, lay quietly within.
*The Cangzhou Viper Scale is mine!*
Looking at the Xiuxuan Dujing Furnace, he felt a fleeting pang of regret:
*It is wonderful to use, but a pity it does not belong to my clan.*
Li Ximing possessed few spirit resources to begin with. With the Chongli Treasure Leaf gone, all he had left were the Plume Under the Neck and the Shangxiang Silver. Having acquired this new spirit resource, he put it away like a treasure, musing:
*Delivering fifteen pills leaves me with one or two. They are spirit pills after all, useful at critical moments.*
He glanced at the jade pendant Liu Changdie had given him; it had awakened three to five days ago, radiating a faint halo. Clearly, Liu Changdie had already located the person. Li Ximing could delay no longer. He withdrew his power and rose, walking out of the hall. The corridors were quiet and deserted, but Real Person Houfu, clad in Daoist robes, approached with a smile:
"Seeing the cloud vapors surge, I knew the pills were complete. I never expected there would also be a hint of Kanshui flavor to them. Truly marvelous alchemy!"
Li Ximing offered a few words of modest deflection and replied:
"Senior flatters me. I was merely warming the furnace and testing the pill fire and the spiritual resonance of this blessed ground. It is truly a peerless sanctuary; I cannot help but envy it."
Houfu exchanged a couple of modest remarks, but Li Ximing said:
"I must concoct pills for that friend of mine, and still need to bring an assistant over. It happens to be a good chance for Senior to meet him as well."
"Go right ahead."
With the Taiyang lineage currently weakened, Houfu was naturally pleased to form ties with more figures. Stroking his beard, he nodded. Li Ximing took his leave and took to the air, treading the Great Void all the way to Fenkuai Island, following the resonance in the jade talisman.
Before long, he passed Fenkuai Island and came to a halt over the waters nearby. Diving straight into the sea, he saw a silver pavilion perched upon a reef. Its soaring eaves flowed with cinnabar hues, its carved beams and painted rafters were exquisite, and fish and prawns darted through the currents around it, presenting a truly opulent sight.
Sweeping it with his divine ability, he realized this was merely a Foundation Establishment magical artifact, yet it had its wondrous qualities. It was a temporary traveling pavilion released into the sea, lacking many other functions and crafted specifically for indulgence. Li Ximing smiled inwardly:
*He is an array master after all, and spent so long in the Southern Border. He is quite lavish.*
Descending into the pavilion, he found Liu Changdie sitting cross-legged. The man's aura fluctuated incessantly, as though he had recently battled or wielded his divine abilities. Seeing him arrive, Liu Changdie opened his eyes at once and smiled:
"Ximing, you're here!"
Li Ximing reined in his smile and raised his brows.
"What happened..."
Liu Changdie waved a hand to show it was nothing. Reaching out, he pointed with a smile to the desk, where a dull-colored metal casket already rested. He smiled and said:
"Earlier, Ximing used a Chongli Treasure Leaf, and I promised to make it up to you. I went specifically to fetch this for you. Please have a look; its value should be roughly equal!"
Li Ximing naturally remembered the matter and knew Liu Changdie had not been speaking in jest, yet he had not expected it to arrive so soon. Slightly astonished, he made a polite token refusal, but was gently rebuffed in a couple of sentences by the other man. He could only smile, express his gratitude, and step forward to open the casket.
The casket was merely palm-sized. Dense clouds swirled within, milky-white like a bowl filled with goat's milk, rippling faintly. With his divine ability stationed at his brow, Li Ximing easily saw through the mist to find, floating in the very center, a yellowish-white wooden tendril. It was about an inch long, densely branched, less than a fraction of an inch wide, and delicate and frail.
Within the casket lay another spirit array, so that even though he had opened the casket, the vessel of spirit mist did not readily dissipate. Liu Changdie smiled and said:
"This item is the Miaohui Tendril, a resource of the Gathered Wood Dao. It grows upon Mount Xiaoguangyu in the Western Sea; the moment it touches earth, it burrows away, becoming impossible to find... It must be contained using the True Qi Foundation Establishment spirit object, Heart-Locking Cloud, reinforced with an array, or an instant's carelessness will allow it to slip away. A friend of mine obtained a few portions on that mountain back then and gifted them to me as cultivation resources. Now I pass it on to you, Fellow Daoist."
He smiled faintly, saying with slight awkwardness:
"This item can treat ailments of the Qi Sea and Juque acupoint, and can also purge Sui Qi. If catalyzed with divine ability and cast into soil, it can sprout trees and attract birds. Its uses are somewhat niche... Gathered Wood is obscure these days, and what little is known of its applications comes from a line or two in ancient texts. Perhaps you might know more about it."
No wonder he felt awkward; this item was truly an awkward middle-ground treasure. Now that they were both Violet Palace cultivators, who would waste a spirit item on the Qi Sea? Yet shifting his tone, he added:
"The Western Sea is far, after all, once the domain of the ancient Lord of Fushui. Without divine ability, traversing it is impossible; and once one reaches the Abyss of Ruoshui, even with divine ability, travel becomes exceedingly arduous. Hence, few Violet Palace masters ever venture there to meddle. While this item cannot be called supremely precious, its merit lies in its rarity."
Li Ximing nodded repeatedly and sighed:
"Senior's righteousness is profound!"
To tell the truth, a niche item like the Miaohui Tendril could never match a spirit resource of the ascending Lihuo Dao like the Chongli Treasure Leaf, which was broadly useful to Li Ximing in every respect. Yet sacrifices were inevitable to obtain Lihuo; a single Chongli Treasure Leaf was nothing to balk at. It was only because Liu Changdie was so principled and honest that he even spoke of compensation. How could Li Ximing raise any objection?
Li Ximing himself was not wealthy. With a heartfelt sigh, he gave thanks and accepted it, whereupon Liu Changdie said:
"Fellow Daoist Qingyan has been searching for spirit materials in this area... for several days now. Let me call him back first..."
Looking wistful, he turned to Li Ximing and said:
"He is born to a life of hard toil. The True Monarch of the Qingxuan Dao fell long ago in the north, transforming into a mountain. I hear there was an anomaly when he perished, and the lineage has languished ever since. Whether spirit items or spiritual qi, they often only emanate from that mountain, while other places have next to none...
"Yet Qingxuan is peculiar: many of its spells and divine abilities urgently require those Qingxuan resources. How could he dare venture to the north? For all these years, he has rushed east and dashed west. I hear he only managed to retrieve a few things in Jiangnan, and later, even Jiangnan had none left, leaving him to run about all the more."
*Jiangnan... the only notable family practicing Qingxuan was the Yuan family...*
Li Ximing pondered quietly, a sudden jolt running through his heart.
*It seems that the exalted Yuan family of Xunlin Plain—their treasury was likely strolled through several times by this monster like his own back garden!*
*If this monster is like this, other Qingxuan cultivators across the world likely fared no better... Yuan Huyuan said the Yuan family used up all the spirit items left behind by their ancestors back then... Whether they truly used them up or they vanished into thin air remains unknown. A Violet Palace cultivator naturally scorns ordinary Qingxuan spiritual qi, but those ancestors secluded in closed-door cultivation, those geniuses cut down prematurely... how many of them ended up in its belly!*
*The decline of the Yuan family was no accident... That their numbers remain flourishing today is only because someone in Jiangnan preserved them for the sake of the Yanyang Temple Palace legacy. So long as the Yuan family continues to cultivate Qingxuan for even a single day, despair will shadow them every step of the way...*
Chapter 934