Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1198 Greedy Net
Gardenia Mountain.

The setting sun cast a dark shadow over the sky, its crimson rays pressed low into the purplish-black clouds, as if about to fall to the ground at any moment. Yet, a blazing fire shone brightly on the mountain, illuminating everything in a white glow.

After an unknown amount of time, a hand as white as jade struck the edge of the golden alchemy furnace, causing the flames to flicker and quickly subside. The golden furnace lid jumped up, revealing a splendid green scene.

'The pill is complete!'

The Taoist master in the platinum-gold robe stood up, exhaled a long breath, and the fatigue on his face eased considerably.

Then he opened his hand, and three emerald-green objects were floating in his palm.

This creature is no bigger than a fingernail, resembling neither a bird nor a dragon, with large wings covering its body into a round shape. It is exquisite and small, like a piece of jade.

'This is indeed the elixir formed from horned wood!'

These three precious pills were made using a large amount of healing resources, and one of them was made from a horned wood spirit. The result is that they contain the ultimate wonders of horned wood, which made Li Ximing stroke his beard with satisfaction.

"With the help of [Eastern Life Water], this is a further step forward!"

This pill ranks among the top three pills he has made in his cultivation career. The only ones that can clearly surpass it are the [Wang Jin Xuan Yan Pill] and the Taiyin Pill obtained by chance. Now, it is just sitting in his palm, yet it has caused all kinds of plants around Li Ximing to grow, and the withered leaves have found their owners. One by one, white gardenias have taken root and sprouted, taking root on the mountaintop.

'What a wonderful elixir!'

Li Ximing's intense gaze swept across the mountain peak, and he was secretly amazed. With Li Zhouwei's injuries on his mind, he did not linger. He immediately took off on the wind and landed on the island in the lake. After a little concealment, he ascended to that bright world!

The aura of the sun and moon being equal and even rushed towards him. Li Ximing immediately passed through the ancient and elegant corridor, pushed open the door of the small courtyard under the pavilion, and saw that the sandstorm was as red as blood and scattered everywhere. It was a vast expanse, with fine scales and falling thin wings scattered everywhere. The whole courtyard was like a killing field of bright sun.

The young man, his body riddled with cracks and shimmering with golden light, sat cross-legged in the wind, his hands clasped together, like a broken statue, unable to move. Only upon seeing Li Ximing appear did he open his eyes, a hint of a smile appearing in his pale white pupils:
"Uncle!"

Li Ximing calculated with his fingers, then, feeling worried, asked:
"I just finished refining the elixir and was about to come see you, but it's been quite some time... Since there's no Earth element here... why hasn't your injury improved at all?"

Li Zhouwei's eyes showed no signs of fatigue from his injuries; in fact, he seemed to be in good spirits. He nodded with some difficulty and said:
"Knowing that my uncle is refining the Great Elixir, why should I bother to work on my injuries? I might as well take advantage of this severely injured body, riddled with cracks, to cultivate the 'Crimson Arrowhead'!"

The man was stunned for a moment, then asked:
"You're injured like this, how can you still practice supernatural powers?"

Li Zhouwei shook his head and replied:
"It is indeed not an easy thing. My physical body is injured, but my supernatural powers are still stable. With my cultivation, it is not a problem for me to refine my supernatural powers."

He paused slightly at this point, a hint of doubt in his voice:
"The 'Crimson Arrowhead' technique is obscure and fraught with trouble. My family has nothing that can help me achieve this, and even the pill I used was of very limited quality. For many years, I've relied on my own diligent practice... But now, it seems that with this Calamity of Wu Guang upon me, I've secretly aligned myself with some extremely high auspicious omen, making my cultivation of the 'Crimson Arrowhead' twice as effective with half the effort..."

"Such a claim is actually made..."

Li Ximing praised him, handed him the three pills, and recounted all of Li Quewan's previous discoveries. He then gave him the remaining portion of [Precious Rain Water] and instructed him:
"This elixir is very potent, and its full effect cannot be achieved by ordinary methods of administration. It is most suitable to take it with [Precious Dew Water]."

Li Zhouwei nodded and said seriously:
"The Taiyin Essence in the family now has a source, but it has really taken too much of Que Wan's energy. In my opinion, there is no need to be stingy with that portion of [Final Melody]."

Li Ximing hesitated for a moment, listening to the King of Wei say in a deep voice:
"Items like the [Zhongque Chenyuan] are not meant to be used outside, and we already have five portions, so one more won't make a difference. Most of the spiritual essence we've obtained has been used for refining artifacts; whether Taiyin spiritual essence can be used for alchemy is still unknown. However, given the wondrous nature of the [Zhongque Chenyuan], it's very likely that it can be transformed into more than one top-tier Taiyin spiritual item..."

“Nowadays, my family’s grand formations and elixirs—especially the Taixu Creation Technique—all require top-tier spiritual materials. Time is more precious to my family than spiritual resources, so there’s no need to take a detour to save this one [Final Chapter of the Primordial Essence].

Li Ximing nodded in understanding, and Li Zhouwei then smiled and said:
"Besides, the fact that I can cultivate is good news. There's no need to rush to resolve this Wu Guang calamity. I'll heal my injuries first and leave these eyes untreated, which aligns with the meaning of the [Great Crescent-Breaking Technique]. I'll then cultivate properly for a while."

His words transformed a bad situation into a good one, dispelling the gloom that had been weighing on Li Ximing's mind. The man smiled.
"I'll do as you say."

Li Zhouwei then took out the Horned Wood Pill and casually soaked it in the [Precious Rain Water]. The pill actually stretched out its body as if it were alive, lying on its back with a pattern resembling a human face growing on its upward-facing belly.

Li Zhouwei swallowed it all at once and said seriously:
“We must take care of Uncle’s injuries. I’ve noticed that they’ve been dragging on for quite some time now. If this drags on any longer, things might get worse.”

Li Ximing was actually injured, but he was in a hurry to refine pills and didn't pay attention to it. He kept it all bottled up in his lungs and didn't take it to heart. He didn't bother him too much. He closed the courtyard gate tightly and immediately returned to the pavilion. There he saw a Crimson Robe Immortal standing on the corridor filled with immortal energy!
He was handsome, with slightly narrow eyes that shone brightly with gold. His bright and flamboyant crimson robe was adorned with gold patterns, which gave him a unified and elegant demeanor. One hand rested on the railing, while the other held a flame, as if he were observing the progress of his supernatural powers.

The apricot-colored flames spread out, but seemed to encounter something in the sky, vanishing without a trace, unable to extend further. His gaze was full of scrutiny, and he seemed to casually withdraw his gaze, smiling:
"Greetings, Great Uncle!"

It was Li Jiangqian who had just left the pass after consuming the [Li Si Apricot Fruit]!
"We're out of quarantine...that was fast!"

Li Ximing's eyes lit up, and he took two or three steps forward, asking:

"how?"

The question asked by this True Person Zhaojing was certainly not about the mere progress in cultivation from consuming the Li Fruit, but rather about Li Jiangqian's talismanic energy—[Greedy Gu Xuan Li]!
Upon hearing his words, the golden light in Li Jiangqian's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled:
"I have already consumed it, and my cultivation has greatly improved. It's as if I refined this fruit into a pill and consumed and refined it one by one. Now my supernatural powers are abundant, and I have made great progress!"

This single use alone has already saved countless hours of cultivation, yet Li Jiangqian seems to consider it insignificant. He laughed and said:

"As for its effect on lives..."

He suddenly activated his supernatural powers, revealing the apricot-colored [Southern Bright Heart Flame] in his palm. The flames roared fiercely, seemingly about to burn through everything. Li Jiangqian said:

"The [Li Si Apricot Fruit] is no ordinary item. It has enhanced my life by half a percent. With the assistance and blessing of the [Greedy Gu Xuan Li] itself, the power of the Li Fire has increased by ten percent."

This improvement, though seemingly small, represents a complete overhaul of the Purple Mansion, from supernatural powers to various techniques! This prompted Li Ximing to sigh, saying:

"This... is already halfway done... Although I don't understand the concept of cultivating life and death together, and can't comprehend how far it goes... it seems that with just five of these apricots, the [Southern Bright Heart Flame] can double..."

Each increase in the power of a supernatural ability represents a qualitative leap, not something that can be measured in multiples! If the [Southern Bright Heart Flame] doubled in power, it would already surpass the [Heavenly Crow and Fire] in Li Ximing's hands!
'While five apricots are certainly expensive, the difficulty in obtaining them... is not necessarily true!'

In this world, there are many spiritual items of the Li Fire. As long as the Li family is willing to spend a lot, they can definitely get quite a few. And if Li Jiangqian has any good fortune, he can get a few more in addition to the five. I'm afraid the [Southern Bright Heart Fire] can rival the top three Li Fires in the world.

Not to mention the growth that the improvement of life force brought to Li Jiangqian in all aspects; even Li Zhouwei and Bai Lin's life force perception was only doubled after reaching perfection!

'Wouldn't it be... if he were born into a Golden Core Immortal Clan, and consumed a dozen or so pills in succession, one of them would instantly possess a life flame comparable to [Heavenly Apricot Rain], a genius reborn as a Golden Nature?'

"This is... way beyond reason!"

Li Ximing only needed a quick calculation to perceive the enormous potential for growth, which he found somewhat unbelievable. Li Jiangqian, however, smiled and said:
“I understand what Grand Uncle means. If the [Greedy Net Profound Separation] can achieve that level, what would be the point of cultivators in the world? Now that I have carefully considered it, I roughly understand the mechanism of its function... Essentially, it replenishes the different Li Fire Profound Mechanisms and life force contained in these spiritual fruits.”

Li Ximing understood instantly and replied:
"In other words, the greater the difference in the spiritual items you consume, the better the effect on you!"

Li Jiangqian nodded and sighed:

"If it's a repeat, it might not add any life. But if it's completely different from what we've taken before, it might even increase our lifespan by more than half a percent."

Even so, Li Ximing still shook his head in disbelief and said:
"Shocking."

Before Li Jiangqian could speak, he heard a clear, melodious laugh behind him:
"Brother!"

Li Jiangqian suddenly turned around and, sure enough, saw a pretty girl in a plain dress standing behind him. His bright golden eyes finally showed a deep surprise. He took a step forward and smiled:

"I knew you wouldn't be hindered by supernatural powers!"

Li Quewan was noticeably less reserved around Li Jiangqian, whom she had grown up with and was of the same generation. She blinked, turned to the side, and said:

"I was still a step behind my brother."

There was a complex look in Li Jiangqian's eyes. When he was a child, he often skipped classes. Every time he looked out the window, he could see the figure of her studying diligently at her desk. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. The girl who talked to him about lacquer work back then has now become a great master.

"I actually have some divination skills, and I thought I'd try to calculate whether you've become a supernatural being, but you have a talisman seed on you, so I can't calculate it even if I wanted to."

He shook his head and laughed:
"I'm busy with clan affairs, and you're busy cultivating your skills. Let's not flatter each other; these are all natural advancements that will come naturally!"

Li Quewan asked curiously:
"Brother, you also possess the skills of divination?"

Li Jiangqian shook his head:
"It's just a minor, wondrous ability that comes with sensing life through the Qi of the Talisman, nothing compared to yours! Only your ability to sense danger is worth mentioning!"

The two siblings were very affectionate, and Li Ximing, who was watching from the side, was the happiest. He put his hands behind his back, took a few steps forward, and had a complicated look in his eyes.

'The younger generation is closer to me.'

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Quewan didn't delay the important matter. She immediately turned around, bowed to Li Ximing, and said:
"My elders have been in seclusion refining elixirs for over a year. I saw the flames on Mount Zhijing burning brightly without stopping for a single day, so I dared not disturb them. Now is the perfect time to deliver the good news!"

With a flick of her sleeve, a heavy, white jade-inlaid lead box appeared in her slender hand. It looked meticulously crafted and was engraved with mysterious runes. When she opened it, she saw that it contained a bright silver liquid as cold as ice and snow.

【Xuanqing Yuecui】!
"This junior spent a year using supernatural powers to create six cauldrons, and with good luck, five of them were successful. Adding to the one I had previously created, there are a total of six, all of which are in this box!"

Back then, Li Quewan said he was 70% certain. Therefore, achieving the Five Cauldrons was undoubtedly extremely lucky. Li Quewan handed it to Li Ximing, solemnly saying:

"However... in my calculations, these six portions are still not enough for the [Bi Ting Qing Yuan Xuan Ding] to condense spiritual essence... another round is needed to barely try, but with the time to condense the spiritual essence, it may take two or three years in total... I was afraid of delaying things, so I came to ask specifically."

"I've delayed your cultivation!"

This junior is very thoughtful. He hasn't even had time to stabilize his cultivation this past year, but he has focused all his attention on preparing the [Mysterious Moon Essence]. Li Ximing nodded repeatedly, and began to think about it.

'Since I can cultivate there at Minghuang's place, there's no rush here...'

So he put away the jade box, solemnly led the two to the pavilion, took out the jade box, kept a close eye on it, picked up a bottle of [Zhong Que Chen Yuan], and looked at Li Que Wan.

The woman immediately took it and examined it carefully, but she couldn't detect any spiritual energy. The bluish-white substance before her was a unified whole, almost like a cloud of mist. Unconvinced, she calculated with her fingers for a while, then asked doubtfully:

"Even I couldn't see through it..."

Even if she pushed her supernatural powers to their limit, she could only sense that this thing was of extremely high rank, but its spiritual energy was obscure and uncertain, extremely peculiar.

'really…'

When Li Ximing examined it himself years ago, he couldn't see anything special about it. The fact that it remained the same in Li Quewan's hands only deepened his awe of it. He asked:

"Can you calculate... what kind of spiritual object this thing can transform into?"

After hearing Li Ximing's words, Li Quewan finally understood that this was a treasure of the highest level of Taiyin, but its divination was incomprehensible, causing her to hesitate slightly before replying:

"How many spiritual objects can be exorcised remains to be seen; the application of the Yin-exorcising technique to spiritual objects varies greatly. This object before us may contain more than just Yin... it might also contain something like Pure Qi..."