Now that he had asked, Kong Tingyun could remain silent no longer. She bowed and replied:
"My thanks for your concern, My Lord… But when our ancestral founder fell all those years ago, there was no one in our sect capable of shouldering the burden. Who knows how many contingency plans he laid in secret? As for the mountain gate, it might well have been promised to another faction long ago. It still requires careful consideration… and consulting old friends first."
Wei Xuanyin turned his head and said with a smile, "Naturally. Let us receive your people first. Your territory will be arranged by Martial Nephew Qi."
Qi Lanyan nodded with a smile and gestured for Kong Tingyun to step down. "Fellow Daoist, please… Let us proceed to my side pavilion first to review the sect archives. Quite a lot has happened in Jiangbei over these years. Once you have looked through them, I will accompany you over."
Kong Tingyun had no choice but to nod in agreement and silently withdraw. Qi Lanyan turned back around and sighed.
"This Real Person Changxi was truly full of schemes all along—he had merely been kept in check by That One. Having a change of heart in his later years, he actually managed to produce a Violet Palace cultivator out of his accumulated savings. In the end, it was my miscalculation. Had I known back then that Kong Tingyun would prove so useful, I ought to have met with Changxi earlier."
"You are not to blame."
Wei Xuanyin unrolled a scroll, took up his brush, and said placidly, "One can only go with the flow. Fortunately, it is no great matter. If anyone is truly to blame, it should be me. That year, I also visited Mohe Liangli of Yuhai to check on his injuries, and in fact, I had heard of this Changxi back then. How could anyone have imagined at that time that an itinerant rogue cultivator from a ruined house could arrange such a contingency?"
"Whether it was pure luck or an actual deduction, in the end, it delivers a handle right into our hands. This Kong Tingyun is a clever person, and we possess the full set of divine abilities tailored for her, not to mention the general momentum of North and South…"
"By aligning with us, she can ascend to the immortal pavilion, rekindle her orthodox lineage, obtain abundant resources, and reclaim her mountain gate. Otherwise, she would only alienate her own origins, ruin her future prospects, and then either wander in exile or swallow her pride and bow her head to Taiyang, becoming nothing more than a demonic cultivator who must devour men to continue cultivating. She will see things clearly."
Evidently, the master of the Zhixuan Pavilion had known about Real Person Changxi all along; he had simply been playing along with his martial nephew earlier. Qi Lanyan bowed his head and said respectfully:
"Indeed, there are plenty of excuses, and it did not have to be her. Yet her arrival is the most opportune. This pretext is the most righteous and magnificent, most capable of stripping the Taiyang lineage of moral standing and sowing division among them."
Wei Xuanyin furrowed his brows and asked, "Didn't Bai Ziyu… also have a hand in that matter back then?"
Qi Lanyan nodded silently. Looking up at his martial uncle, he heard him say:
"It also happens to give us one more person to command, sparing Jiangbei from having only his voice. As for the history between the two of them, they will never see eye to eye anyway, which creates a balance and makes them easier for you to manage."
Qi Lanyan hurriedly acknowledged the command, expressed his gratitude, and withdrew.
***
On the East Sea.
Blazing heavenly light and misty azure radiance swept in from the west. Demon King Qingyan wore a profound, contemplative look, while Li Ximing remained silent, shrouded in private worry.
Upon emerging from Master Zhugong's residence, Li Ximing had realized that current developments had mostly turned into Taiyang's headache. Once Zhugong consumed the elixir, he began laying his plans:
*Regardless, with zero news at present, I cannot just wait around idly. It is better to settle the matter of the elixir as soon as possible and pay another visit to Qize.*
And so, he retrieved Yuan'e from the lake, gathered a few precious spiritual materials and magical artifacts, and then went to Huyi to bring Qingyan along.
Before long, a man robed in white rose upon the wind, flying to meet them with an uneasy expression. "Fellow Daoists… how did matters go?"
Just by glancing at Demon King Qingyan's expression, Liu Changdie grasped the outcome in his heart. Yet seeing the lingering worry on Li Ximing's face, he was momentarily baffled and asked with cautious care. Only then did Li Ximing squeeze out a smile and reply:
"The elixir is successfully refined!"
A heavy boulder fell from Liu Changdie's chest. Had the concoction failed, he truly would not have known how to answer to Fuxun; not only would his conscience torment him, but it would also have made things terribly awkward between Fuxun and Li Ximing.
Now that he had exhaled in relief, Li Ximing also adjusted his frame of mind:
*At least those troubles are for them to shoulder. My family's crisis still lies to the north; I should focus on my own affairs first…*
He offered a few words of congratulations before soaring on the wind alongside the man and the demon. After flying for a time, Li Ximing had a sudden thought and said gravely:
"I have numerous affairs to attend to back inland. Since the elixir is ready, I will not make the extra journey with you, Fellow Daoist. I can only entrust the two of you to deliver the elixir on my behalf."
After all, he had already obtained his Lihuo and refined the elixir he needed to refine. There was no need to make the thousand-li trek to Poluoduo. He produced the jade bottle sealed with a divine ability, handed it to Liu Changdie, and said solemnly:
"Safe travels!"
Liu Changdie had noticed his troubled expression long before. While he felt in his heart that Li Ximing ought to go in person to receive the gratitude for the favor, he ultimately did not press the matter. Sighing, he replied:
"You have worked hard… Do not forget what we discussed earlier regarding nurturing the spiritual resources."
Li Ximing naturally had not forgotten. A Throat Feather was a fine treasure. Seizing the opportunity, he asked at once:
"I wonder if Senior still has pressing business to attend to after heading to Poluoduo?"
Liu Changdie stroked his beard and laughed. "I am a man of leisure—what could I possibly be busy with! If your schedule permits, I will wait for you at Fenkuai. It just so happens that I negotiated a formation repair job there, so I have plenty of days ahead. Whenever you find free time, just look for me at the usual place."
Liu Changdie truly wished the family well. Among all the Violet Palace cultivators Li Ximing had met, not a single one had ever offered to help his family while waiting so patiently. Touched, Li Ximing sighed:
"Many thanks, Senior!"
Liu Changdie shook his head with a smile and strode through the Great Void with Qingyan, traveling far into the distance. Li Ximing, riding his light, galloped through the air and soon arrived in the State of Wu.
This was not Li Ximing's first time visiting the State of Wu, but he had never been to Qize in its southernmost reaches. Before him stretched a lush green, somber marshland. The morning sun was just rising, reflected in the fragmented wetlands beneath his feet and casting sheet after sheet of golden brilliance.
After flying for a while, he finally sighted Mount Baiyang. It could hardly be called tall; in Jiangnan, it would count as no more than a hillock. There were not many pavilions either, merely a few scattered across the bare hill, lacking the majestic air of an immortal dwelling.
As soon as he touched down, someone came up to welcome him and led him all the way to the mountain summit. Sure enough, a scorching heat wave rolled over them with raging flames. A massive cauldron stood atop the peak, giving off crimson light.
Dingyangzi came out to receive him with an expression of astonishment. "Fellow Daoist Zhaojing! What a rare guest!"
Reaching out, he tossed the object in his hand to several cultivators standing on either side to tend to it, and led Li Ximing down to a small pavilion nearby.
The pavilion was exceptionally crude. It appeared to have been scorched by fire a couple of times and was far from pleasing to the eye, containing merely a few tables and chairs. Dingyangzi brewed tea and asked:
"Fellow Daoist, has the elixir been completed?"
In person, the old man naturally spoke far less freely and gracefully than in his letters, appearing quite rigid. Li Ximing did not waste words with him either, producing a jade box from his sleeve and gently sliding it across the table.
Dingyangzi opened the jade box and inspected it closely. Finally, a smile broke across his face, and he praised repeatedly:
"What formidable alchemy skills you possess, Fellow Daoist!"
Li Ximing replied with a smile, understanding that the Real Person before him was not one for idle chatter, nor was he capable of showering him with flattery. As Dingyangzi acted briskly, Li Ximing displayed a shimmering suit of scaled armor from his hand and cupped his hands:
"Please have a look, Senior!"
With a look of considerable satisfaction, Dingyangzi stowed the elixir from the box, took Yuan'e into his hands, and first stroked it with a divine ability. He then channeled magic power through it, causing the scales to stand upright one by one.
Frowning, he muttered, "Moxuan Heavenly Iron, Huangyuan Stone, Wolf Scale Bone, and Hebai Feather, forged with true fire."
With just a single glance, he had identified every single material used when this scale armor was forged. Turning it over and inspecting it twice, he said unreservedly:
"Except for the Moxuan Heavenly Iron, not a single one is presentable… The forging technique, however, can be considered passable."
Li Ximing was not surprised, though he felt a pang of bitterness.
When the Li family first acquired this dharma robe back then, it had been regarded as an invaluable treasure. Yet viewed from his current heights, unless an artifact was an ancient magical artifact, other items were ultimately inferior. What was more, this piece had originally been remodeled from the helmet and armor of the Murong clan's Moxuan Armor… When the Qingchi cultivators were ordered to forge it, aside from the Moxuan Heavenly Iron it inherently possessed, why would they ever provide good materials?
He could not help shaking his head and asking, "In your view, Fellow Daoist, how should this be modified?"
Dingyangzi turned it over and over, inspecting it thoroughly, before answering:
"In this state… it would barely even qualify as a spirit embryo. Aside from the Moxuan Heavenly Iron, the other parts cannot be kept. It would be better to melt it down, extract the Moxuan Heavenly Iron, and forge it anew…"
After a moment of thought, Li Ximing touched the storage bag at his waist and shook out several items, piling the tabletop with a golden glow. Dingyangzi swept his sleeve and picked out only a few of them.
Two of these were congratulatory gifts from other houses for Li Zhouwei's breakthrough to Violet Palace, and both chosen items were gifts from the Taiyang lineage: Mingguang Scale and Huayi Stone Bone. The remaining two were a saber and a spear, both ancient magical artifacts—Yuancha and Mingzhu—which had been acquired from Bai Yinzi and belonged to the Mifan lineage.
*Only these few items are presentable…*
Dingyangzi actually picked up Mingzhu to inspect it, voicing a word of praise, then turned back and said:
"Dismantling these items will yield enough materials. As for the rest, it depends on your clan. Once forged, without any Violet Palace-grade materials inside, it will never reach the threshold of a spirit vessel. At most, it will make a fine customized magical artifact for you to temper into a spirit embryo."
Fortunately, Li Ximing had come specifically to discuss the matter in advance. He said solemnly:
"Showing you the design today was only to aim for something along the lines of this scaled armor. After all, the spirit vessel in your hands has yet to be finished, and the matter is still far off… If you have suitable materials on hand, Fellow Daoist, or happen to come across anything appropriate during your transactions with other cultivators… please help secure them for my family first. This is for the long term!"
Dingyangzi stroked his beard, nodding thoughtfully. "I do have a small portion of Lesser Tianli Gold on hand, leftover from forging a sword ornament for a sword immortal. It is barely suitable, but perhaps excessively precious… As for Mingyang spiritual items or resources, I have none at present."
"There is no rush."
The Li family originally had a Violet Palace resource sent by the Kong clan, which was also a scale, but unfortunately, it belonged to the Kan Water path and could not be used. Li Ximing retrieved a brocade box from his sleeve and revealed the pearl-like white stone inside, murmuring:
"This is a Six Phases Spirit Stone of the True Qi path. It is suitable for all branches of True Qi and should prove useful as an alternative."
Only then did Dingyangzi adopt a contemplative look. Li Ximing showed it to him before putting it away, then brought out another box containing three metallic, long white feathers. Li Ximing said gravely:
"These are Throat Feathers. I leave them with you as a deposit—first, as a gesture of sincerity, and second… should someone come seeking a treasure forged and you come across suitable spiritual resources, please secure them on my behalf!"
Li Ximing understood in his heart that, just as an alchemist like himself saw many edible Violet Palace spiritual resources, the variety of artifact-crafting materials this man encountered was bound to be vastly greater than what he could find on his own. Rather than scouring the ends of the earth, it was far better to trade through him! Since the other party had already agreed to design it for his family, he might as well swallow his pride and entrust the matter entirely to him.
Seeing through his intention, Dingyangzi accepted the jade box and stroked his beard. "I understand…"
Li Ximing smiled and said in a low voice, "If there is anything you require of me, Fellow Daoist, please do not hesitate to ask…"
Changing the subject, he asked solemnly, "It is just that… regarding the Shangwu spirit embryo you promised me all those years ago, is there any news yet?"
Dingyangzi shook his head. "How could it be so fast!"
Li Ximing had utilized the fast-track method of the Guanxie sect and used Xiukui spiritual extracts to speed up the process. Dingyangzi belonged to a different lineage and certainly would not expend spiritual extracts on his behalf, so it naturally took far, far longer. As Li Ximing reflected on this, a pang of heartache seized him:
*Due to two major events in succession, I had no choice but to bring out the spirit embryos ahead of time, which cost me two portions of Xiangbai Yangshou spiritual extracts… If things hadn't been so pressing back then, saving those two portions now to forge the armor would have been the right move…*
Before he could dwell on it, a sound arose outside the pavilion. Dingyangzi excused himself and soon ushered someone inside. The old man's expression changed instantly, giving way to a cold, frowning glare as he said flatly:
"The person is right here… Ask him yourself!"
Li Ximing looked at the newcomer, who had a head of gray hair and wore black robes riddled with brown circular holes. Recognizing him at a glance, he smiled:
"Fellow Daoist Luo, how have you been lately!"
"So it is Brother Zhaojing!"
The visitor was none other than Real Person Luo, the demonic cultivator from the Southern Border. A look of delight crossed his face upon seeing him, which quickly turned into an astonished appraisal. "Truly the path of life and growth—your dharma body has actually healed completely!"
The other man likely assumed he would never bear to consume precious medicine. In truth, Li Ximing had taken the elixir, but adhering to the principle of never flaunting one's wealth, he merely laughed it off. Sure enough, Real Person Luo truly had designs on the spirit embryo:
"I have passed by this place several times and seen that treasure upon the altar… I am truly envious…"
Li Ximing suddenly recalled something and turned him down with a smile. Without giving the other man time to probe further, he simply said:
"Take a look at this, Fellow Daoist!"
With a flick of his wrist, he produced an object—layers of drifting clouds folded within a box, faintly giving off a yellowish-white luster. It was none other than the Miaohui Whisker gifted by Liu Changdie!
The Miaohui Whisker was a spiritual item of the Gathered Wood path, and within Jiangnan, the only cultivator of the Gathered Wood lineage Li Ximing knew of was this man.
Sure enough, upon seeing this spiritual item, Real Person Luo's smiling eyes froze. After examining it closely for a time, he said in considerable shock:
"A Miaohui Whisker… Have you been to the West Sea, Fellow Daoist?"
These Violet Palace figures had thoroughly studied the sources of their own lineages, recognizing it at a single glance. Unwilling to reveal Liu Changdie, Li Ximing merely said:
"Obtained by pure chance. Can you make use of it, Fellow Daoist?"
"To say I have no use for it would be an outright lie."
Real Person Luo seemed to be studying its quality, taking a long while before speaking absently, his eyes never leaving the spiritual resource. "Put yourself in my shoes, Fellow Daoist: if you came across a Mingyang spiritual resource, even if you had no immediate use for it, would you not try to obtain it? It is merely a question of price…"
Knowing how sly this man was, Li Ximing chuckled inwardly. Snapping the jade box shut, he sighed:
"So that's how it is… I thought it a rare encounter with you, and that having a spiritual resource of your path was quite timely! Turns out you have no use for it right now after all!"
Chapter 943