Li Zhouwei gathered the various items and finished reading the jade slip. Only then did he learn that inside the jade pot was Shangyi's Xuan Feast Vast Jade, and that the Xuan Heart Extract Qi required for the Enlightening Heart Feast of the Extracting Heart Xuan Yuan Gong was meant to be drawn from this very pot.
‘This too is an opportunity to revitalize a lineage.’
Yet doubt stirred in his heart:
“Precious Vase... Canjiu... When Changxiao pursued Granduncle all those years ago, he left a severe art upon him called the Sangyu Nine Mystery Method, and there was also the Precious Vase Conjoining Mystery Method...”
“Changxiao rose from a Douxuan lineage somewhere in the East Sea. Since it is also Douxuan, it is nine times out of ten inseparable from the lineage before me... If I can uncover some clues here, things might be easier in the future.”
At this thought, he grew secretly vigilant:
“Since Changxiao comes from a Douxuan background, he must feel like a fish in water within Wanling Heaven. He definitely would not miss this chance and must be somewhere in this cave heaven. The man is insidious; I must remain on guard...”
As he walked out of the cave abode, he surveyed his surroundings and felt a twinge of regret. Everything on Qingyi Peak was of fine quality. Though he had no personal use for these things, taking them out to decorate would still suffice to furnish an exceptionally high-grade cultivation sanctuary for his family.
With a sweep of his gaze, he dismantled the gold-inscribed screen dharma treasures flanking both sides of the abode. With a flick of his fingers, he took down the spiritual cabinets on either side and bundled them up in haste. Wasting no time, he swiftly exited the cave abode.
The world within this cave heaven was blanketed in a wash of gold. Changing direction, he sped eastward. Yet after speeding a hundred li, his gains grew ever sparser. Destruction lay all around. Many Violet Palace cultivators had seized items and smashed to pieces the abodes carved with doctrinal discourses and cultivation methods. The once magnificent celestial palaces and pavilions were now fields of ruins, with thick spiritual smoke billowing while streaks of multicolored light darted across the sky.
Feigning a search, he quietly peered through with Investigating the Subtle. Everything before him turned ethereal, fully revealing the marvelous suppression and confinement inherent to heaven and earth, which draped over the ground like a thin veil. Yet in one place, the color grew noticeably faint.
‘This...’
He studied it for a moment, then advanced toward it, spurring his celestial light to maintain the appearance of scouting. As he drew closer, an elevated terrace crafted from pure silver came into view.
Upon this terrace stood a battered lintel gate, faintly showing the shape of three bays and four pillars. It was carved with relief patterns running from top to bottom, incorporating water, fire, earth, and wood. The central and tallest gateway seemed to have endured the baptism of some divine ability; it had been battered beyond recognition from top to bottom, its patterns completely obliterated, marred everywhere by fierce, sharp sword scars.
These sword scars were ancient and weathered, clearly not the work of the Violet Palace cultivators who had just entered. Yet every single sword scar still radiated heart-stopping might. Li Zhouwei paused briefly, and a perception emerged in his spiritual sense:
‘The marvelous suppression and confinement of heaven and earth... seems to weaken upon reaching this place. Beneath this lintel gate, it has weakened to the point of being virtually nonexistent...’
Li Zhouwei took a step forward and closed his eyes slightly. As the suppressing force diminished, the range of his spiritual sense expanded considerably. Tuning his perception further, he could faintly connect with that infinitely dark, reassuring Great Void.
‘It really is an exit!’
Before this cave heaven opened, the suppressing force sealing this place must have been far denser. Only now was entry and exit possible...
He committed this location to memory to serve as a future escape route. Not lingering intentionally, he took to the air once more, flying faster and faster. His eyes swept continuously across the earth, quietly channeling the power of Investigating the Subtle until he caught an anomaly ahead and silently drew near.
Soon, he spotted a divine ability surging in the air, streaking forward with a rolling brownish-yellow light. A cloud of dust and smoke trailed behind it—none other than a Zhenxuan Spirit Statue.
The Violet Palace cultivator being pursued wore black robes and appeared young. It was unclear where he hailed from, but judging by his attire, he was likely a True Person from the outer sea who had come to Jiangnan solely for this cave heaven...
What drew Li Zhouwei’s focused attention was the Zhenxuan Spirit Statue: it was considerably larger than the one at Xinhu Palace, and its aura was far more potent and ferocious. Li Zhouwei simply circled around and departed, disinclined to meddle. Sweeping his golden eyes across the scene, he took advantage of the cultivator drawing the statue away to head directly toward where the man had come from. After flying for a while, he indeed began to sense fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air, feeling a surge of quiet satisfaction:
‘Just as expected... Exactly the same as Xinhu Palace. A few key locations are bound to be guarded by spirit statues. This True Person must have fled in this direction after obtaining something!’
‘Most of the minor places have already been picked clean... The good things must be seized by force!’
He sped forward. As the distance closed, he could indeed feel the marvelous confinement of heaven and earth take a sudden leap, reaching the same intensity as that of Xinhu Palace. Far ahead, thick black light and dark clouds emerged.
Unlike Xinhu Palace, a terrifying torrential downpour raged across this area. The sky above was pitch-black without a sliver of light, and every single drop of rain was a deep, lush cyan, hissing harshly as it struck the dharma body.
The rolling deluge made him look up. A thought stirred in his spiritual sense, and understanding dawned on him:
“The rising Lushui brings the Rain of Clear Dusk... Nine out of ten chances, there is a Lushui treasure here!”
This boundless cyan rain obscured almost all light, and beneath his feet lay a vast expanse of water. Broken walls and collapsed ruins could be seen faintly flickering above the surface, emitting a faint glow.
Without needing to deploy Investigating the Subtle, he simply swept his golden eyes across the scene, piercing through the Rain of Clear Dusk to take in the situation completely.
“Hm?”
Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself:
‘An old acquaintance is here as well!’
Amidst the rolling light of Lushui, a figure was soaring along, fighting while retreating. Dressed in deep blue robes, he had a short face and a slightly pointed chin, bearing a handsome spiritual air. His body surged with the reinforcement of divine abilities, purple light interlaced—it was Real Person Ye Gui!
This True Person had defected to the north and had lived quite well over the years. Standing in the rain atop surging purple water, he held a round, lustrous pearl in his hand. Though fighting one against three, he remained relaxed and at ease, without the slightest sign of haste.
In contrast, the three Violet Palace cultivators pursuing him hesitated and showed signs of wanting to retreat.
Just as Li Zhouwei gripped Dasheng, a blazing white light rose from the rain in the distance. From the ruins amidst the surging cyan waters, a streak of light shot skyward!
The lustrous white light poured down like a waterfall. Even the veil of the Rain of Clear Dusk could not block that piercing glare. Merely hovering in midair, it cast down radiant arrays of light, causing mist to diffuse and the Lushui glow to recede.
“A spirit tool!”
Breaking out right behind it from the churning Lushui was another figure, clad in python robes and short of stature. Surrounded by surging white light, wearing a triumphant smile, she raised a hand and firmly grabbed the dazzling white light into her palm!
Zong Chang of Great Zhao!
Her appearance made Li Zhouwei raise his brow in silence:
‘A Jueyin cultivator, one of the Buddhist faction... Daixi’s junior niece... A natural enemy!’
He silently marked her as an enemy, lifting his eyes to examine the white light. With a blink of his golden eyes, its radiance faded, revealing dense, interlocking patterns. He understood at once:
‘It is a warding seal. Multiple treasures should be preserved within it. Let me inspect it with Investigating the Subtle.’
Though delight showed on Zong Chang’s face, she did not hesitate in the least. Channeling her Yin Qi without delay, she sped away, trailing a brilliant white tail of flame. Turning around, she swept her sleeve viciously behind her.
A deluge of white qi cascaded down, transforming into multicolored prism-like beams of white light that carried a bone-chilling cold. Behind her, a man with a sullen expression, clad in a dark feathered black robe with a jade gourd tied at his waist, stepped through hazy golden mist and sneered:
“Zong Chang! How lawless of you!”
Seeing the prismatic white light rush toward him, he immediately raised a hand. Waves of golden qi rippled forth, sweeping all the white light into their fold and steadily neutralizing it. Yet the woman laughed flirtatiously:
“Lawless? What if I am! You, an overseas demonic cultivator relying on the connections of the Jinyu Sect to gain a foothold in Jiangbei, dare speak of rules to me?”
Golden qi clashed with Yin Qi, bursting into a brilliant flare in midair. Just then, another figure surged forth, clad in gossamer robes, with a pure and innocent face, treading upon rolling Female Water. Li Zhouwei was momentarily taken aback.
It was actually Daoist Nun Xiangchun!
She was one of the earliest Violet Palace cultivators Li Zhouwei had ever encountered. Mistress of Mount Changliu and woman to the Sea-Guarding Dragon King Dongfang Lieyun, she was certainly no simple figure!
Daoist Nun Xiangchun stood in midair, a precious orb appearing behind her to cast down the light of Female Water. She finally spoke, her voice cool and aloof:
“Fellow Daoist should also see whether you have the ability to swallow it alone!”
Zong Chang’s expression shifted subtly. Making no response to the threat, she cast a rather flippant glance at her and said:
“Ah, so it is Madam Sea-Guarding.”
It took a woman to truly cut another woman to the quick. Hearing this, Real Person Changyun’s expression twitched slightly, and the observing Violet Palace cultivators clicked their tongues in secret. Daoist Nun Xiangchun’s face darkened even more as she murmured:
“You...”
When a cultivator ascended to the Violet Palace and forged divine abilities, the dharma body was an embodiment of those abilities, capable of presenting as male or female. Aside from those Mahas in the north who enjoyed shifting back and forth between male and female forms under the claim of seeing through physical forms, most Violet Palace figures retained their original gender and appearance. Yet Dao companions at the Violet Palace tier were rare to begin with, mostly formed within the same sect. A human-beast liaison of this sort was taboo in people’s hearts, even if left unspoken on the surface.
And the Sea-Guarding Dragon King’s primary wife was of the dragon race; though she held no fiefdom, she was a true dragon. This taunt of “Madam Sea-Guarding” was both a stinging insult and deeply humiliating to Xiangchun!
For a moment, the radiance of multiple divine abilities intertwined. But Zong Chang had come prepared. She threw open her sleeve, shining forth thousands of illusory colors:
Yinguang Three Palaces Bewildering Light!
This light was murky, dark, and sinister, like an eclipsed moon veiled by clouds, carrying thousands of chilling banes. Faint visions of premature decay among flora and teeming copulation among beasts appeared within it—a light that bewildered the mind and severed magical power, giving both pursuers a sudden pause.
Yet how could Changyun be ordinary? His eyes flared with light, and the gourd at his waist bounded up slightly as if blowing outward. A boiling, rolling golden wind that could grind bones to dust burst from it, dispersing the Yinguang Three Palaces Bewildering Light.
Daoist Nun Xiangchun possessed an equally profound foundation. The precious orb behind her spun, emitting a pure glow that swept away the bewitching haze. Knowing full well how formidable both were, Zong Chang had never dreamed of holding them off with a single Yinguang Three Palaces Bewildering Light. Capitalizing on the moment bought by the delay, she activated her divine ability:
Chamber of Doubts and Inquiries!
Behind Zong Chang, freezing Yin Qi billowed, birthing an esoteric palace out of nothingness. Wings, corridors, halls, and partition chambers were all complete. East and west pillar chambers stood with seats set between doors and windows, and a courtyard lay before the main hall, enshrining a sundial right in the center.
The woman fell backward into the deep palace as if tumbling into endless darkness, vanishing from sight. Dissolving along with the Chamber of Doubts and Inquiries, she disappeared cleanly into the rolling Lushui.
Changyun sneered, however, and gave his hand a light shake. A profound mirror slid from his sleeve:
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The profound mirror cast forth overlapping rays of radiance—sixteen in all—sweeping swiftly through the torrential rain like chains of white light. As they searched about, a tremor occurred in the distance, exposing a beam of Jueyin white light.
Before either could make a move, Zong Chang snapped her head up and shouted fiercely:
“Who is there!”
The Lushui Rain of Clear Dusk parted to either side. A golden halberd tore through the void, sweeping up celestial light and colored clouds, striking down upon the Jueyin white light ahead of them.
“Boom!”
Zong Chang reacted with astonishing speed. A pair of shuttles appeared in her hands, about a foot long, slender and sharp like two silver daggers, raised together in a parry!
Jueyin and Mingyang naturally aided and countered each other. In an instant, the pure and murky split apart, the Lushui leaped, and the blazing brilliance fell across Zong Chang’s face, making her grit her teeth:
“Li... Zhou... Wei!”
“Clang!”
Dasheng spun abruptly, white smoke billowing from the shuttles in Zong Chang’s hands. Nurtured by offerings from the Zhao court for many years, she possessed exceptional cultivation methods and formidable strength, managing to hold Dasheng at bay as she exhaled a puff of white qi.
Before the white qi could shift, the power of Emulation and Adherence surged. Golden light leaped up as the halberd swept through the white qi, thrusting straight toward her eyes!
“Hah!”
Zong Chang gave a shrill shout. The flesh of her face split open into thousands of cavities, spewing chaotic streams of white qi to reveal the white bone visage beneath her fair skin. Her flesh dissolved into a swarm of white bees, scattering like the wind.
Rolling golden sand swept in—Changyun was already upon her!
Changyun now possessed two divine abilities, while Xiangchun was in the mid-stage of the Violet Palace. Though Xiangchun’s lineage did not excel at combat, she was troublesome enough. Zong Chang’s prior ambition to monopolize the spoils had relied on the spatial evasiveness of her divine ability, but facing so many enemies was playing with fire.
Now, with the addition of the White Qilin, Li Zhouwei—who possessed two divine abilities—Zong Chang knew that even if she managed to prevail, it would only be a mutually destructive outcome. Without the slightest hesitation, she gathered her divine abilities, raised her hand lightly, and flung that bundle of white light straight at the charging Changyun!
Changyun’s expression was grim.
Among the three, his cultivation was only slightly higher than Li Zhouwei’s. Yet if it came down to it, he truly had no confidence in securing a victory over this White Qilin. He even estimated secretly:
‘He is the White Qilin of the mortal world; it would not be an overestimation to treat him as having three divine abilities... Xiangchun is unsuited for combat, and in a one-on-one fight without relying on the trump cards given by the dragons, she might not even be able to handle him!’
Though Changyun possessed his own hidden cards, who was to say others did not? His strength might very well be at the bottom of the pack. Facing the prized treasure tossed at him by the enemy, he felt no hesitation and no greed; his rolling golden wind swept past mercilessly with a gentle brush.
A flicker of regret passed through Zong Chang’s eyes.
‘So cautious. It seems there is no chance for anyone to monopolize it!’
“Boom!”
A blinding white light erupted, so brilliant that even the drifting Lushui Rain of Clear Dusk could not suppress it, scattering the clouds and mist. The surrounding cultivators looked on in shock, and concealed Violet Palace figures quietly revealed themselves, casting greedy glances.
“Clang!”
Sure enough, several streaks of colored light flew out from within, brimming with spirituality. Trailing vibrant tails of flame, they darted off in different directions. The four closest figures all changed countenance, taking flight together and lunging toward their chosen prizes!
Li Zhouwei appeared to choose at random, flying up on celestial light, yet his gaze had long since locked onto one of them.
This object shimmered with iridescent light, resembling both water and gold, rolling like a rainbow as it constantly shifted its form in midair. Faint traces of cinnabar mercury drifted within, intersecting and transforming as though embodying profound philosophies of change, making it impossible to look away—it was a Complete Dan spiritual material, something rarely seen in the present world!
Chapter 970