Shanji Commandery.
Clouds and rain drifted through the sky. A woman in violet stood aloft in the air, forming an incantation seal with one hand while cradling an off-white pot in the other. Chanting beneath her breath, billowing flames of cyan and azure coiled around her figure, resembling several bared-claw dragons surging and writhing.
Across from her, rolling black fumes converged in the heavens. A crimson radiance slashed across the horizon like a blood-red greatsword, piercing the sky and crashing directly into the tempestuous fire. Held at bay by the exceptional power of Measureless Water-Fire, it dissipated into tumbling swathes of black smoke.
Amid that churning demonic smoke stood the four-eyed Violet Palace demonic cultivator, the prodigy of the Helian clan. Blood-colored luminescence shone ceaselessly from his eyes, yet his face bore only an exuberant smile.
"The Shangxiang Pot truly lives up to its renown!"
Within the flames, the violet-robed woman paid him no heed. Her alluring eyes shifted, quietly fixing upon a certain spot within the mist. There stood a remarkably handsome middle-aged man with a prominent nose and deep-set eyes, his body turned slightly sideways as the longsword, dagger, and long whip at his waist gleamed with lustrous light.
*Helian Wujiang!*
This mid-stage Violet Palace Master was not renowned for magical combat, and his path of cultivation was entirely distinct from Helian Wumeng’s Heavenly Embryo Demonic Path; he walked the traditional Violet Palace Golden Core Dao.
His cultivation was far superior to Helian Wumeng’s, and the credit for the rise of the Helian clan rested largely on his shoulders alone. It was practically he who had pulled Tiefu out of dire straits, granting Helian Wumeng the fortune to live to this day.
He did not focus his cultivation on spells, craftwork, artifact refinement, or alchemy. Instead, his heart was set entirely on advancing his Dao cultivation—a path Tinglan knew intimately, as two seniors of her own Ziyan Gate excelled in it.
Masters of this kind possessed broader variations in their divine abilities, and their methods were far more comprehensive. Those capable of reincarnating to cultivate anew, or adapting through greater variations according to their lineages, often belonged to this type.
Consequently, though he might not unleash any ferocious spells, he could certainly mount far more countermeasures against hers. With an open-and-shut fighter like Helian Wumeng battling fiercely at the forefront and a mid-stage Violet Palace cultivator of profound Dao attainment watching cold and detached from the side, the situation was thorny in the extreme.
Yet the middle-aged man in the clouds made few moves. His deep gaze looked from afar at the small off-white pot amid the rolling fire, and he sighed silently to himself.
*Zimu's Shangxiang Pot… What exquisite craftsmanship!*
As one who also specialized in divine abilities and profoundly studied Dao cultivation, his gaze lingered for a few breaths. Then he tilted his head slightly, glancing at Helian Wumeng, who had already leapt into the air to pounce ferociously.
His divine ability condensed into a thread, transmitting silently:
"The Solar lineage still holds strength. Houfu’s whereabouts remain unknown, and there are even Great Masters who have yet to reveal themselves. Do not act rashly—simply hold her off according to instructions! If you are suppressed by one of her spiritual artifacts when reinforcements arrive, you will be in grave danger!"
Though Helian Wumeng appeared thoroughly delighted, fighting with hearty abandon while closely observing his opponent’s techniques, he was no reckless brute, and he gave a silent response of assent.
The sky gradually dimmed. Helian Wujiang lowered his brows slightly as the jade pendant in his grasp began to flash. Just then, a streak of clear light surged across the river, darting toward them, and a voice called out:
"Is that Fellow Daoist Tinglan!"
Helian Wujiang exchanged a look with Helian Wumeng. Without hesitation, the two turned together and stepped into the Great Void.
The two foreign Violet Palace cultivators halted within the Great Void rather than departing immediately. Putting away his long-handled zhaodao, Helian Wumeng appeared somewhat subdued. He smiled at the man beside him and said, "This truly lacks flavor. It is far better to gallop across the vast desert, where to kill is to kill, and to die is to die. If one survives, one flees with one's life to nurse one's wounds for a few years… The south is just so lukewarm…"
"The situation in the south has long been stable, and the Solar lineages are all of one family. It cannot be compared," Helian Wujiang answered calmly, speaking with a touch of brooding melancholy. "Now that we have been driven onto the river, we must never become another's spearhead. Ever since the break in our family's succession, we have hacked our way through thorns and brambles to reach today. Under no circumstances may we make a misstep…"
He lowered his voice:
"However… you did exceedingly well not to mention that Suiqi combat art. After all, it belongs to the Tuoba clan. Putting aside their long-standing patronage, they produced another prodigy in recent years. The King of Dai is in his prime, just one step away from possessing all five methods, and he is close friends with Master Chiguang… At such a critical juncture, they must never be crossed.
"Everyone knows that combat art is unusual, but from whose mouth the words fall… that carries an entirely different weight. Leaving aside yourself, have any of those Lianmin in Jiangbei ever opened their mouths?
"Do not be deceived by Murong Yan's brutish look or Shilou Yingge's arrogance; neither of them will utter half a word about it."
"Your nephew understands," Helian Wumeng replied. After a brief pause, he asked, "Could it have come from Tuoba Chongyuan? The Second Young Master died violently in the south years ago, causing a massive uproar across Mobei. I heard about it back then—he was supposedly slain by Dongfang Heyun… Since Dongfang Heyun killed him, could one or two spells and divine abilities have been taken and fallen into another's hands?"
"Hard to say."
Helian Wujiang's expression grew solemn, and he shook his head. "Even though Emperor Wu of Liang praised the methods of Great Wei and held considerable favor toward the state of Wei, things have reached a point where the Tuoba clan can absolutely no longer share any entanglement with the Li clan.
"Taking a step back, even if they were secretly lending aid, there would be no need to reveal such distinct traits. The arrangements behind this are far from simple; you and I must not touch them."
His deep eyes welled with profound hatred, his voice turning low. "We need only keep our eyes fixed on the forces that besieged and killed the Patriarch back then… We must flay their skin and feast upon their flesh… to appease the Patriarch's spirit in heaven!"
Helian Wumeng's face clearly betrayed hatred as well, though it was far less brooding than his uncle’s. Even though he was the impetuous one, he now clasped his hands together and ground his teeth in a low voice: "We shall endure for now… and make them pay the price…"
Having settled their minds, uncle and nephew returned northward together. Above Shanji Commandery, the flames finally drew to a close, draining entirely into the off-white pot. Master Tinglan descended upon the wind to meet the streak of clear light arriving from across the river.
There appeared an old man with a head of white hair holding a wooden staff. Halting in the commandery, he clasped his hands toward Tinglan. Though laden with worry, Tinglan could only muster a smile and say, "Senior Shanbai! Thank you…"
This man was none other than the coastal rogue cultivator Master Shanbai. Somewhat embarrassed, he replied, "I waited on the river for quite a while. Seeing someone cross over, I came to lend a hand…"
Tinglan quietly sensed the jade pendant within her sleeve. Finding that it had ceased flickering, which meant the trouble at Lake Wangyue was resolved, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Please!"
Master Shanbai had always maintained good relations with Ziyan and Xiukui, but the sea territory he inhabited lay near the mountain gate of Xiuyue, strictly falling under Xiuyue's jurisdiction. Taking this into account, Houfu and the others had never pressed him with requests, and he was tactful enough to decline over all these years under the pretext of seclusion.
Now that the conflict between north and south had momentarily lulled into a standoff across the river, leaving the Solar lineage with only the strength to guard the waters, Master Shanbai waited no longer. Using his emergence from seclusion as an excuse, he had arrived… naturally to examine Zhugong’s injuries.
The two entered the formation, only to find the mountains in utter disarray, barely maintaining order. Shanbai was fond of tidiness; seeing this scene, he immediately frowned and shook his head.
"The people under Zhugong are, in the end, demonic cultivators from the East Sea—they cannot be relied upon! Look at the new disciples recruited over these years, what have they been shaped into… How can this be called a lineage? Is their heart in this place at all…"
Tinglan was relatively respectful toward this old Master, far more polite than she had been with the late Master Sumian, and her words were much more candid. She sighed with regret. "She is free-spirited by nature… In her eyes, managing such affairs is inferior to practicing her divine abilities for a few more days… Had it not been for her interrupted lineage and her need for treasures from Jiangnan, she would never have bothered with this…"
Shanbai shook his head repeatedly. "How does that measure up? The affair of Mifan is over, yet does she still feel the Mihua Spiritual Medicine is insufficient? Does she want to take several more pills from your hands? Or does she yearn for the Chanhua Chongyuan Intercalary Method? That is far too slim a hope."
The fame of Mihua Spiritual Medicine was illustrious—it was one of the exceptionally potent medicines of the Mifan lineage, capable of washing away superficiality, replenishing foundations, and offering immense benefit to cultivators of Earth Virtue and Metal Virtue. Though Master Shanbai had not known earlier why she had come, now that the situation was out in the open, he naturally understood.
Yet these words left Tinglan unable to reply, her eyes quietly downcast.
Only she knew the truth: the south had not reaped a single shred of extra benefit from the Mifan affair; what lay on the surface was all they had received… There was not even a shadow of Mihua Spiritual Medicine!
As for the Chanhua Chongyuan Intercalary Method, it was entirely without trace. Everyone knew it was within the Donghuo Grotto-Heaven, so one after another they grew suspicious of the Solar lineage, leaving them with bitter grievances they could not voice! Shanbai had guessed correctly—in her heart, Zhugong truly thirsted for these things…
Putting away her expression, Tinglan gave a tactful smile. "Senior worries too much. Sister Zhugong seeks the Grand Xiukui Abbey's Three Inches of Wuxin Earth. As for things like Mihua Spiritual Medicine… we do not possess them."
Shanbai stroked his beard and nodded, whether convinced or not, and the old man simply sighed:
"How many lament ailments born, how many perish seeking the Dao? Are the waves of the Vermilion and Green not tranquil? Why must one walk through fire?"
Tinglan tilted her head slightly. Her delicate, ever-smiling face lost its smile, instantly revealing an unyielding resolve.
"To plant a golden lotus amid the flames—why begrudge one's life!"
The old man froze for a moment, only then realizing that gentle as Tinglan always seemed, there were shared traits between her and Zhugong, who had risen from demonic cultivation and embraced reckless risks.
He sighed without another word. They walked all the way to the deepest part of the cave abode. The surroundings grew increasingly gloomy, with not a single attendant in sight. The disciples leading the way were trembling with fear. Tinglan halted before the dwelling and called out tentatively:
"Fellow Daoist Zhugong?"
"Ah… Tinglan."
A voice answered from within, ethereal and hollow as it echoed through the cavern. Rushing out along with it was a warm gust of wind and a few scattered red flower petals, which tumbled all the way to Tinglan's feet.
The petals were delicate, yet marred by scattered tiny holes as though gnawed by something, presenting a battered appearance. Zhugong's voice turned noticeably hurried:
"Has the old Master arrived? My deepest thanks to both my benefactors!"
Master Shanbai's expression shifted slightly. He raised his brows to look, his pupils dilating. Hearing the rustling sound of cracking earth, unending like shattering porcelain, along with the scuttling crawl of rodents, the old man pinched his fingers to execute a divine ability. After a brief calculation, he frowned:
"When did you also suffer an injury of Jueyin?!"
The old man sighed. "This is terrible!"
If Master Shanbai could discern it, Tinglan was naturally no slower. Stunned for a moment, her eyes filled with guilt, and she said softly, "I fear… she was grazed by the trailing light of Wei Xuanyin's magical artifact. Jueyin lies hidden, concealed before erupting. Now… it will be exceedingly difficult to manage…
"May I ask the senior Master to first stabilize her injuries? I will summon Zhaojing to come over together."
***
Mount Huyi, Kuidu Hall.
*Clang… Clang…*
The prolonged ringing of colliding metal echoed ceaselessly through the hall, sending waves of sound reverberating one after another through the enclosed, cavernous space. At times it was leisurely, like the tolling of a bell; at other times it was frantic, like the striking of iron, chiming without pause.
The purple-black cauldron stood at the very center, swaying slightly with instability, as if something were sealed inside. Every violent struggle stirred ripples of golden light.
"What a marvelous spiritual entity…"
Li Ximing's face was faintly pale. An immense amount of divine ability magic power poured into the cauldron, constantly boosting the true fire's potency in an attempt to forcefully refine the entity within.
This pill was unlike any he had refined before. At first it had been simple, and Li Ximing had proceeded with practiced ease. But as the Xuankui Golden-winged Bat and the Non-falling Golden Cloud merged into one, the situation inside the cauldron changed abruptly—the pill had actually come to life!
The roaring true fire had burned beneath the cauldron day and night for nearly four months, yet the entity within grew ever more stubborn. Early on, it had begun trembling like a living creature, leaping up and down in frenzy as it sought to escape the cauldron.
Every instant and breath of that struggle demanded vast amounts of divine ability magic power from him… Had the Xiuxuan Dujing Furnace not been a Violet Palace spiritual artifact, completely impervious to the pill's collisions and requiring no effort on his part to stabilize the vessel, trouble would have arisen long ago!
*That pill scripture made no mention of this whatsoever! Once these two spiritual entities combined, their power became terrifying. Never mind the old Jiangzhong Furnace… even the Baoxiang Furnace would not have held out for long!*
Inwardly, he had long been cursing Fuxun, suspecting that the old fellow had not known either!
On the other hand, the various adversities forewarned in the pill scripture—uneven spiritual energy, poor harmony between spiritual materials, clashes between spiritual fire and spiritual energy—he had experienced every single one. Fortunately, he was seasoned with experience and had the aid of an aristocrat of the Qingxuan path at his side, allowing him to pull through smoothly.
*And with this consumption of divine ability magic power… it was fortunate he met me. Anyone else would have ruined his pill long ago…*
Thankfully, after nearly four months—one hundred and eight days of refinement—it finally reached the tipping point. As the waves of collisions subsided, the two spiritual entities ceased their resistance at last, and the entire cauldron quieted down.
Li Ximing immediately set down his anxious heart. The Three Hou Shuxuan Fire blazed brightly, illuminating the entire hall, when a low, hoarse lament reached his ears:
"Second Uncle… Second Uncle…"
It was the Demon King Qingyan, his eyes rimmed with red, overwhelmed by emotion and weeping profusely. His hands were clenched into tight fists pressed hard against his thighs, choking with sobs.
"Fuxun… Fuxun… If you take this pill and still fail to achieve cultivation, with what face will you return to Mount Sanwang!"
Li Ximing had not expected such an intense reaction from him, figuring that Qingyan must know Fuxun well as an elder. He fell silent for a moment, yet the true fire in his hands burned ever more fiercely.
For a time, gold and crimson flashed in brilliant hues, casting a scorching red glow across the Demon King's face and instantly drying his tears.
Chapter 939