Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1187 The Philosophers (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 13113 for "Hidden Dragon in Action")

His attitude caused Li Ximing to fall silent for a moment. The master asked:
How confident are you? What do you need?

Li Jiangliang shook his head and replied:

"Ordinary cultivators break through to the Purple Mansion realm by simply raising their immortal foundation to the Ascending Yang realm, condensing their supernatural powers, and indulging in ignorance and boundless fantasies. We cultivators who hold the Profound realm already possess true Qi and supernatural powers in the Ascending Yang realm. Raising our immortal foundation to the Ascending Yang realm is merely a matter of a single thought."

He looked somewhat helpless.
"However, precisely because the True Qi Divine Power resides within the Rising Sun, even upon arriving in Tingzhou, the light of martial arts cultivation still lingers within the Rising Sun, making it impossible to break through without mastering the Profound!"

This sentence extinguished any glimmer of hope in Li Ximing's heart. Li Jiangliang then added:

"Since you hold the Mysterious One, Sheng Yang has frequently entered and exited the Great Void, and has been greatly influenced by it, your ignorance has been greatly reduced. The most difficult thing is actually the final infinite fantasy..."

Li Ximing slightly composed himself and said calmly:

"Even ignorance can be diminished?!"

Li Jiangliang nodded and replied:

"It's just a reduction, nothing compared to the legacy of the Martial World! Ancient cultivators even had the method of traveling through the void, which allowed them to adapt in advance and reduce ignorance. Now that's no longer possible. However... they still have many calamities to face. In comparison, ignorance is much more pleasant."

"In reality... among all the hardships that have plagued us throughout history and are equally pervasive both internally and externally, there is only one: [Boundless Imagination]!"

Li Ximing secretly approved of what he heard:
'Being restricted is fine, but it's a real and substantial advantage!'

'However… most people who achieve supernatural powers through the practice of Xuan (玄) don't care about being restricted. Chen Wenyao of the Chen family isn't a prodigy, just an average person. As long as he can achieve supernatural powers, Chen Yin absolutely doesn't care about being controlled by others… For the Chen family… unless Chen Yin can pass through the Canzi (参紫) stage, whether or not he practices Xuan, he'll always be controlled by others and drift with the tide.'

'As for Sima Yuanli… everyone knows his gentle and unyielding nature; deep down, he's not a sentimental person. Even if Sima Xun has some ability to independently break through to the Purple Mansion realm and manage to become a True Qi master, Sima Yuanli would be overjoyed!'

'After all, holding the Xuan position isn't all bad. In the eyes of other cultivators, Yang Zhuo is undoubtedly the master of True Qi. Today, they are holding the Xuan position under his command; when True Qi is achieved in the future, how could they not become meritorious officials like Jie Lin or the Judge?'

Ultimately, in my eyes, this is still an extremely attractive and promising path!

The same principle of "holding the Xuan" can lead to completely different results depending on the perspective. Those who are truly hindered are those who do not intend to follow the Yang family down the same path or those who have other ambitions.

Unfortunately, the Li family members possess both of these traits.

After pondering for a long time, the man asked:
"This relies on the cultivation of profound knowledge to attain supernatural powers. If it were someone like Situ Huo or Liu Bai, who attained supernatural powers before cultivating profound knowledge, how many restrictions would they face?"

This is no simple question; it even involves the attitude of fence-sitters like Situ Huo. Li Jiangliang spoke frankly and quietly:

"Much lighter! The more supernatural powers one possesses while holding the profound, the lighter the impact. If one is a great master with perfect supernatural powers, one can almost borrow and return at will. However... as long as one borrows, there is a suspicion of borrowing the profound power. A person with perfect supernatural powers would never touch these things!"

Li Ximing nodded in understanding and comforted him:
"At least I'm still alive!"

These words were half a reminder and half a comfort, prompting Li Jiangliang to nod slightly. This high-ranking official of the Song court, Fengzhen Guangyun, nodded and replied:

"After all, 'True Qi' is not the same as Bright Yang. It does not enable people in the mountains and fields to be loyal and filial, to have control over their lives, or to have the path of perfecting supernatural powers and cultivating in the next life."

Li Ximing considered carefully and said:

"Even if one gains control over their own life, is the only path to cultivation in another life? Is the saying, 'Borrowing much from the mysteries of the universe, one is bound by divine constraints,' really such a great limitation?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangliang's expression turned somber, and he said:
"Master, do not underestimate the power of these eight words. The so-called hanging means that one is driven to the brink of death and hanged. When a supernatural being is alive, he has his own nature and will. If he borrows from other mysterious things and gets involved in the karma of a certain position, not only will his supernatural power be impure, but he will also be rejected by other positions. Even a dignified True Dragon will obediently perish if it touches two positions!"

"In ancient times, many gods were established, and prominent positions were numerous. This tragedy was repeated from generation to generation, to the point that the Three Mysteries all had different degrees of advice on reclusion, saying that ambitious people, like unmarried women, should 'cover their faces and run away' when they see gods or deities in broad daylight... Although it was said in jest, the cruelty behind it is evident!"

Li Ximing sighed inwardly and nodded in approval, while Li Jiangliang changed the subject:
"There is no room for maneuver in this matter, but His Majesty is willing to grant it. When I met with His Majesty, His Majesty also mentioned that in the Song Dynasty, if there is someone with perfect supernatural powers who can control the five elements, His Majesty will not hesitate to return their autonomy, allowing them to be freed from the cycle of karma and reincarnation, thus fulfilling their desire for immortality."

Li Ximing finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded:
"Following the path of martial arts and cultivating immortality, both are perfectly aligned!"

Li Jiangliang smiled politely and nodded in response, but both of them understood how valuable the "perfected supernatural power" was. In other words, if someone truly possessed such perfect supernatural power, how difficult would it be to break through to the Purple Mansion realm? Could such a person really be lacking that one ray of martial arts light?
The refined-looking young man with golden eyes sighed:
“I know my limits… I am but a mediocre talent who relied on the Bright Sun to achieve the Dao. I have some talent, but even if I were lucky enough to reach the Purple Mansion, I could not pass the Purple Transformation stage, let alone be the material for achieving the Dao… These words were probably said to my elder brothers in secret.”

Li Ximing, however, discerned something:

'Regardless of whether it was said to them or not, in the eyes of all cultivators in the Song Kingdom, one person attains enlightenment, and even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. As the most important minister of the Song Emperor… why should Jiang Liang cultivate alone?'

This undoubtedly opened up a new perspective, allowing Li Ximing to glimpse the thoughts of various schools of thought, and even those two sons of Mingyang. He patted Li Jiangliang on the shoulder and said:

"The path you've walked is something they all envy."

Li Jiangliang could only smile wryly, bow deeply, and say:
"This junior is going to pay my respects to the elder..."

Li Ximing nodded repeatedly, watching him leave. While feeling sentimental, he began to sort out his own gains.

'This [Mysterious Jade Edict Pill] is probably not suitable for immediate refinement…'

The refining of this spiritual treasure will take time, and quite a long time at that. Hengzhu belongs to the virtues of the Three Witches and Two Prayers, and has a deep relationship with Quandan. In the end, it must be handed over to Li Quewan.

'Que Wan is about to return home, and I'm not a fully-fledged Core Formation cultivator. If I refine it today, and she comes back with this spiritual treasure, I'll have to refine it again... Wouldn't that be a waste of time?'

He suppressed his anticipation, carefully put away the heavy magical treasure, and reflected on his thoughts:

"Since the exorcism of Yin is not yet complete, the matter of the elixir must also be postponed. Zhou Wei's injuries are the priority; the formation and the grotto-heaven must wait."

He suddenly found himself with some free time, and after a moment's thought, he came up with an idea:

"I have two important matters to attend to. During the great battle, the Song Emperor sent me a spiritual ingredient called 'Hornwood.' I can take some time to prepare a batch..."

'Furthermore… Helian Wujiang's legacy requires some effort to refine.'

This matter should have been put on the agenda long ago, but although the Li family's purple mansion was increasing day by day, it was still insufficient when needed, which put Li Ximing in a dilemma:
Even if Que Wan returns, she can't do things like refining spiritual artifacts. Jiang Qian got the treasure and hurriedly went into seclusion again. It seems I'll still have to use Nan Wu... ask him for help... at worst, I can give him a few more pills...

He descended on the wind, landing high on Zhijing Mountain. He took the alchemy furnace, placed it in the formation, and first retrieved the newly acquired Qingxuan spiritual artifact.

This azure bottle has already recognized its owner and is named the [Eastern Life Bottle]. It shines brightly from all eight sides. Li Ximing stroked it with great affection. Considering that he did not have any azure foundation-building materials, he took out a stream of [Hui Yuan Spirit Water] from his storage bag and filled it up in an instant.

So he calmed his mind and channeled his supernatural power into the bottle. As darkness fell, the blue talismans on the bottle began to glow. He then put it down and allowed the mystical power to slowly nurture it.

Knowing full well that he would have to wait another year, Li Xi could only regretfully put it aside and take out the "Chu Chun Xuan Mu" bestowed by the Song Emperor.

The spirit wood was only two fingers wide and one finger long, a pleasing, deep green color. It was embedded in the box like a precious jade. Li Ximing closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment. He then touched his storage bag and took out a [Neck Feather].

'It's a pity there's no female water elemental resource, and the mansion water... the mansion water isn't very usable either. If only there were green water!'

He currently had a large harvest stuck in his hands, unable to be converted into usable spiritual resources in time. Most of the spiritual items he possessed were of great use, and his spiritual resources were already almost exhausted. After pondering for a moment, he came up with a solution:

'Ziyan's Wenqing is seriously injured and in poor condition. At least she has Song Ting looking after her, and her neighbor Gu Lanying is in even worse shape. We can go and ask them to contribute some spiritual resources. Once this batch of pills is refined, we can each give one to them!'

Although Li Zhouwei's injuries were extremely severe, and it was unknown how many bullets would be needed to stop him, Li Ximing had no other good options at the moment. He looked at the setting sun on the horizon and was about to get up when he saw the formation move slightly, and an old man hurriedly went up the mountain.

It was Li Xuanxuan.

The old man, having received nourishment over the years, looked much better and his legs and feet were more agile. He dispersed the crowd and rode the wind to the mountain by himself, his eyes filled with worry.

"Big father!"

Li Ximing softened his tone and hurried to help him up, but the old man pulled his hand away, looking worried and uneasy. He frowned and sighed:
"I am but a minor cultivator and cannot comprehend matters of supernatural powers. I would not have dared to disturb you, but rumors are circulating that the King of Wei is seriously injured. If I do not inquire about it, I would be unworthy of being an elder."

Li Ximing had been so busy these past few days that he had no time for anything else. The old man was already very composed, and no matter what rumors were circulating outside, he remained in Tingzhou without making a sound. But when Li Jiangliang came to say goodbye, the old man couldn't help but ask. After receiving confirmation from this important minister of the Song court, he finally felt a little uneasy.

Li Ximing felt both heartache and gratitude, and simply said:

"It was my fault for acting improperly... Father, there is no need to worry about the King of Wei. Although it is troublesome, it will not cause serious harm!"

The old man raised his eyebrows, carefully discerning his expression, before finally letting out a sigh of relief:
"That kid Jiang Liang said a lot of things, but before he left, he brought up his father's injuries, handed me a box, said something as if he was afraid I would return it to him, and then hurriedly took his leave!"

"Ok?"

Li Ximing was stunned. The old man carefully took out a jade box from his sleeve and placed it on the jade table. Li Ximing scanned it with his spiritual sense and stood there dumbfounded.

The box contains two bottles, a pot, and a piece of jade.

The bottle contains a mysterious and luminous gray, its colors contained within, representing the wonder of female water. The pot contains rising and falling water, like rain and mist, intertwining and changing, representing the liquid of green water. The last piece of green jade is full of vitality, with faint wood grain, revealing that it is actually made of horn wood!

Li Ximing murmured:

"Spiritual resources?... "

"Four kinds of spiritual resources?!"

Li Xuanxuan didn't actually recognize these four items; he was just older and had some experience. Even though he was mentally prepared, he was still moved, his face filled with complex emotions, his old eyes showing surprise. He said:

"He said that I was an unfilial junior, unable to relieve my father's worries, and that when he heard I was ill, he couldn't even come to visit me. He then hurriedly took out a box from his sleeve and said:"

"When Father was injured, I asked several friends and also asked Tianyou for help, and obtained two 'Female Water' spiritual resources [Precious Rain Water]... My two elder brothers were also concerned. My third brother received more rewards, and he happened to have a 'Green Water' [Heart Cleansing Spring Liquid]. My second brother was a bit strapped for cash... He didn't have anything of the sort, so he went to his family and exchanged it for a 'Horn Wood' [Manifesting Green Leaf]..."

The third brother Li Jiangliang mentioned was naturally Li Jiangxia. He was now highly regarded by the Song Emperor and received more rewards. His second brother, Li Jianglong, was clearly not as prominent as before after Yang Ruiyi lost power, but he still managed to squeeze out a share of spiritual resources.
'Four spiritual resources!'

These words were so powerful that they caught Li Ximing off guard. Over the years, the Li family had been thriving. He had been traveling around, using his alchemy skills or being driven by others to obtain some spiritual resources. Li Ximing knew better than anyone how much effort it would take to obtain these four spiritual resources!
'Although they are at the level of Holding the Profound Realm and have not yet achieved the Purple Mansion Realm, they don't need these things much, but they are already preparing for the resources after reaching the Purple Mansion Realm... They should be the ones who cherish these resources the most...'

If we really want to be clear about it, both Li Zhouwei and Li Ximing, as fathers, had long regarded Li Jiangliang and others as figures of the Song court, implicitly excluding them from the family structure, leaving only a blood connection.

That's why it was so unexpected!
Jiang Liang understood this in her heart, which is why she handed it to the old man without making a sound…

Li Ximing sighed deeply, glanced at the jade box in his hand, and said in a hoarse voice:
"This actually made them run around."

The old man before him sighed, understanding his meaning, and said:
"Given the bond between father and son, it wouldn't be unreasonable for us to accept this now. We should just find an opportunity to return it to them."

Li Ximing nodded silently, his eyes lowered.

"Now we have the female, the green, and the horned—all three are complete. Combined with the [Chu Chun Suspended Wood], we have everything we need for a complete system of ruler, minister, assistant, and envoy. We no longer need to worry about producing seven or eight [scattered] pills from one batch to share with others. We can refine three pills, keeping one or two on hand for emergencies!"

"This batch... must be a miraculous healing medicine!"

There is no major conflict between the female, green, and horn. They subtly cooperate with each other in the art of healing. It doesn't take much effort. In an instant, the trace of worry between Li Ximing's brows disappeared, and he revealed a smile.

Then he heard the old man say:
"Now that I've finally met you in person, I thought I'd take this opportunity to ask you a few questions."

Li Ximing raised his eyebrows, and Li Xuanxuan said:

"Once my supernatural powers are gone, time passes by in an instant. As for matters concerning my generation, I have given them much thought."

"Please speak, Father!"

The old man nodded:
"There are many talented people in the Suiyu generation. Although they cannot compare with Jiangque, they are still among the top. I don't need to make many arrangements in this regard. I only need to consider my offspring."

"Although he had a concubine early on, he had no son. Now that he has achieved the Foundation Establishment stage, he should be given a wife so that his room will not be empty."

Li Ximing casually sent the [Three-Tier Guardian Mystic Fire] into the furnace, and then put the [Manifestation Green Leaf], which had a texture like jade, into it to refine it, saying as he did so:

"Does Your Excellency have someone in mind?"

Li Xuanxuan said:

"There is a candidate. He is the right age, has a clean background, is from a loyal family, has reached the Foundation Establishment stage at a young age, possesses a superior cultivation technique, and has excellent looks and talent..."

"Oh?"

Li Ximing became interested, went through the names in his mind, and vaguely remembered the names. When he asked the question, he heard Li Xuanxuan laugh and say:
"Ding Yujing".

Li Ximing recognized the name—it was Ding Weizeng's only daughter! She had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and he had met her earlier. She cultivated the 'Dianyang Tiger' lineage, which was passed down through generations. Wasn't she a descendant of loyal and virtuous officials?

Li Ximing was greatly surprised. After calculating with his fingers, he said:
"Not bad... This woman is obedient and a good match. How about we return her to the Ding family?"

Li Xuanxuan finally smiled and said:

"The two have known each other since childhood and have worked together since. I asked privately, and Yu Jing is fine with it. As for Sui Huan... Yu Jing is of excellent character and demeanor. He is wise and sensible, so why would he refuse?"

"As for Guest Master Ding... I would like to ask him a question, Master."

"I understand."

Li Ximing nodded with a smile, and Li Xuanxuan said with satisfaction:
"As for offspring, some people have a lot, and some have few. Zhou Daxuan mastered his lightning cultivation early and switched to other cultivation methods early, which made him quite popular with women. He has many children, even having two after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. He takes good care of each one, and I am the most satisfied with him. It's a pity that none of them are outstanding..."

A smile appeared in Li Ximing's eyes as he said:
“But I know! Zhou Ming mentioned it to me… Zhou Da used to work at Yuting, and all he did was drink, fight, and take concubines…”

Li Xuanxuan shook his head helplessly and said seriously:
"And Jiang Chun!"

When this matter was brought up, Li Ximing also expressed some regret, replying:

"This is not up to anyone. He is a seed of my family's Purple Mansion, and he cultivates sword intent. We cannot thwart his wishes. If the marriage is not ideal, it will cause him trouble. When he enters the Boundless Illusion realm, he might jump out and obstruct his path... We can only let him have his way..."

Li Xuanxuan had also thought about it, and sighed:
"I'll write a letter to Zhou Luo, telling him to 'study harder!'"

"As for Sui Kuan... he has two concubines and already has children, so you and I don't need to worry about him. Only Sui Ning, I asked him twice, and he declined both times—this child is deep-thinking and highly talented. He buries himself in his studies every day and has big ambitions."

Li Ximing shook his head and said:

“He has a secret. King Wei even asked about the fox clan. It’s also a matter of chance. With Sui Kuan around, and being close by blood, we can simply adopt one of them. We don’t need to force him.”

Li Xuanxuan actually preferred that everyone should have offspring, so upon hearing this, he had no choice but to give up and raised his hand, saying:

"There's another important one... Uncle's two children! Qingduo went south, but Qinggong is still on the lake, cultivating his inner energy. He's a master cultivator, rarely seen. I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to establish his lineage..."

"Uncle's lineage..."

Li Xuanxuan clearly had high hopes for this child, and had come personally to request the cultivation method from the Purple Mansion True Person to gather Qi in advance, so that he wouldn't waste time making a hasty selection later. Li Ximing considered for a moment and said:

"Since it is a technique from the same lineage, it is best to make it different from the current one."

The Li family currently possesses quite a few Purple Mansion cultivation techniques. Not to mention those in the Upper Huan Pavilion, even Li Zhouwei's own acquisitions include the "Cold Qi" Cold Snow Lonely Peak Scripture, the "True Wood" Mountain View to the South Scripture, and the "Combined Fire" Dao Fire and Heart Scripture.

Of these three, the "Dao Huo Bing Xin Jing" (Scripture of Combining Fire) is the most revered, but while "Bing Huo" possesses immense power, it hinders the mind... and "Han Qi" (Cold Qi) is truly unbearable; considering that demon from back then, the "Qun Shan Wang Nan Jing" (Scripture of Looking South from the Mountains) isn't particularly profound either...

As for the "Classic of the Vast Mountains", "Classic of the Responding Stone and the Glossy Light", and even the "Classic of the Mysterious Mountain", there is no need to mention them. Li Ximing did not have any good options at hand, so in the end he could only settle on the [Shanghuan Pavilion].

He then said:
"The techniques I possess are not very advanced. Let me ask the King of Wei before I give you an answer."

Li Xuanxuan had no choice but to nod and hurriedly said:

"I won't disturb your alchemy. Just have someone notify me when you have any news!"

After seeing the old man out of the formation, Li Ximing returned to the alchemy furnace. He focused his mind and chanted incantations before the blazing true fire, refining spiritual resources while regulating his assistants. Light and darkness intertwined around him, and time flowed by.

……

Taixu.

In the dark, gloomy ocean, a mysterious and inexplicable color flew along, lurking in the shadows, slowly moving forward.

It is the Taiyin Spiritual Treasure [Bestowed Mysterious Glazed Talisman]!
This Taiyin Spiritual Treasure of the Nine Hills Daoist lineage truly broadened Li Quewan's horizons. The Li family was also a great clan, possessing many Foundation Establishment level concealment artifacts. Most of them could only be used to hide one's breath and remain still, while some precious top-grade artifacts could be used to conceal one's figure and move slowly.

After being concealed, this [Bestowed Mysterious Glaze Talisman] can move freely and travel through the void, and its speed is only slightly slower than her normal travel speed!
'If one were to wield this item, roaming freely between heaven and earth, passing before the eyes of various lineages, how could anyone know? Even if one offends countless lineages and supernatural powers, one can still use this treasure to escape disaster and calamity… Truly, it is a supreme treasure for continuing lineages and preserving heritage!'

Li Quewan was extremely at ease with this item. After parting ways with Guo Nanwu, he passed through Lulai and Changzhou Island, where he had spent a long time cultivating. He suppressed his desire to go in and report the good news to Liu Changdie, and made his way to the sea.

"The news of my breakthrough certainly can't be kept secret from the Underworld, nor from the top figures. It's just a matter of keeping it low-key and keeping it from the lower-ranking officials, giving them some time to miscalculate—that's a good thing."

She pondered carefully and noticed that the void was becoming increasingly steep. She quickly calculated with her fingers, then frowned instantly:
"What a terrifying inspiration..."

Having reached this point, flying through the void would be a waste of time, so she took a step out and stepped into the real world. The vast sunlight shone down, leaving the woman stunned.

'Where is this...?'

Before the perilous cliffs of Baihai, beneath the Heaven-Pointing Sword Peak, lay a vast expanse of mysterious forest.

This place is vast, bordering the north and south. Ancient trees reach the sky, and hills rise and fall, layer upon layer like waves. The forests compete for beauty, and the river flows like a white ribbon among the hills, its waters cascading like waterfalls. What a paradise on earth!
What's even more peculiar is that the sky above this vast Xuanlin Plain is filled with seemingly endless blue Xun winds, gentle and beautiful, like silk threads, spreading from this area to the north and south. Although it has no effect on Purple Mansion Divine Power like Li Quewan, it is undoubtedly fatal to lower cultivators—it has become a strange place where even Foundation Establishment cultivators dare not fly high!

'this…'

It should be noted that the plains south of the Yangtze River are rare, with most areas concentrated in the west and north. Furthermore, the lake has carved out a gap in the plains, making them even less common. The most famous plains are Xunlin Plain and Shanji County…

The hills before us are low and flat, with areas roughly the same size as the Mushroom Forest Plain. To the north, they connect to the White Sea, and to the south, they connect to the Mountain Pass. Countless rivers branch out from here like veins and flow into the sea. Even with endless winds in the sky, it does not prevent this place from turning the entire northern part of the Song Kingdom into fertile land!
'This is... a salt lake?!'