Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1203 Demon Fetus
Tian Que's tone was icy, but Su Mian still seemed oblivious, and said quietly:
"Impressive... Jin Yi's plan is truly impressive. He managed to refine something like the Qi Stone Demon Embryo through someone else's hands. I was saying that no matter how capable Kong Changxi was, he couldn't have obtained the Qi Stone Demon Embryo... It seems that the noble 'Complete Elixir' Grand Master has already prepared the divine essence and the bone marrow, and is only missing the flesh and blood sacrifice. He's letting others do all the dirty work. Brilliant, truly brilliant."

These years of traveling and working far from home seem far from uneventful. The old layman's leisurely and carefree demeanor has faded considerably, replaced by a sense of weariness and toil. He chuckled, suppressing his emotions, and said:
"I was wondering how someone as cautious as Changxi could be caught like this. It must have been your doing... In the end, you even asked me to come all the way to Jiangnan, and somehow this thing was cleaned up and flowed back..."

This didn't seem to be the point of his anger. Only at the end did a hint of resentment rise in his eyes, and he said with a forced smile:
"I've come to find that woman favored by the bright sun for Jin Yi, to complete this final step. It's not excessive, and I don't want to meddle in other people's affairs. But although I'm incompetent, I am still a branch of the Lingbao Daoist lineage... Looking at the situation in Jianghuai today, if it weren't for Kong Tingyun, if it weren't for my caution, or even if I lacked a bit of experience and had a bit more greed, it would be me, Qi Wu'an, who would be dying in Shanji today!"

He sighed in disbelief and whispered:
"Truly breathtaking...you guys..."

"You insist on draining my very bones and marrow, using up every last bit of value from my lower cultivation!"

Su Mian suppressed the words in his heart, but when he got to this point, Tian Que's gaze calmed down and he only stared at him. The old master hesitated for a moment, and finally swallowed back half a sentence.

After a deathly silence, the Grand Master above finally stepped down and, unusually, spoke to explain:

"Fellow Daoist Qi, Guan Hua's actions in Jianghuai are not normal. The one who made the move was a celestial being. Even Qiu Shui cannot predict the outcome, let alone know whether that man surnamed Kong can succeed. Why ask so many 'what ifs'?"

"Changxi's matter is part of his own scheme. He was the one who was greedy and tried to refine that thing. If you can be willing to break it up, consider it a chance for him. Why do you have to use it to cover up your own actions?"

His gaze deepened:

"Back then, you were still at the Foundation Establishment stage, masquerading as a member of the Lingbao lineage, swindling and showing off in front of the disciples of Qutan. Little did you know that their master was actually a legitimate descendant of Lingbao, and you were utterly humiliated and surrounded by enemies. Who guided you then? Later, when you, Qi Wu'an, returned from the East Sea, you had nowhere to stand and no successor. How did you end up at my mountain gate? Do you still remember today?"

“You cultivate the precious land and have the virtue of nurturing. We only have one request: that you participate in the reincarnation of Mingyang and retrieve the [Qi Stone Demon Embryo]—Is it because I, Jin Yi, blocked your path and prevented you from leaving, or did I use some means to keep you in Jiangnan? No, it's nothing. You have your share of opportunities and tribulations, so why blame us?”

After saying this, his aura intensified, and he approached the real person before him step by step, saying calmly:

“My family is not Luoxia, with such a strong obsession with immortality, nor is it the underworld, cold and ruthless like ghosts and gods. To those who cooperate with me, Jin Yi, there are only four words: ‘Each depends on their own ability.’ Don’t say that you are safe and sound today. Even if you are slow to move and get caught up in some scheme and die there, I will only give you four words.”

He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes still showing little emotion, and smiled:
"It's your own fault."

Su Mian remained silent for a while, not bothering to argue about the truth or falsehood of the other party's words. Truth or falsehood was meaningless now. He had lived in constant fear overseas for so many years, feeling he had escaped the Zhang family's trap, yet always worried that Zhang Yige would crush him like an ant. In the other party's eyes, it was all a joke.
'Such arrogance… Back then, and now, they're all the same, each more arrogant than the last. It was just a single sentence… barely a word! And they blame me for not contacting your family? How dare I even try!'

Just as the Zhang family hadn't expressed any of his fear of a fight to the death, Su Mian, despite his immense dissatisfaction, still shamelessly returned. Having established their stance, he withdrew and smiled:
"Great Master, you misunderstand! Everyone has their own destiny. I merely admire the profound and unfathomable arrangements made by your esteemed Daoist. How could I possibly interfere with Jin Yi's fate?"

Tian Que glanced at him but did not answer. The old master, however, seemed oblivious and laughed:
"I came to the mountains today to deliver some news."

Upon hearing this, Tian Que finally became somewhat serious, sat back down, and listened to the old man say:
"That cauldron named Fei Qingfei was, after all, just a mortal. I slowly opened her meridians and infused her with your Daoist's [Zanya Chunyuan]. Within a few days, the blood flowing from her body stopped flowing. Later, I stuffed a demonic fetus into her body and nurtured it for five or six years before it began to take on a human form, but it was about to burst her..."

The truth is simple, but the profound and nourishing meaning within it has exhausted even a seasoned cultivator like Su Mian from the Treasure Land. As the furnace for this cultivation, how could Fei Qingfei have had a good life all these years?
Tian Que, however, sensed his lack of ability despite his good intentions, and his expression turned unpleasant. He said coldly:
"It's not like you're raising a demonic fetus. It's not some kind of magical skill. You cultivators from the Treasure Land are good at this method, so why are you causing so much trouble?"

Su said awkwardly:
"Where would I get such great ability from, with only one supernatural power? I had to do it against my will..."

"That's not what you promised in the first place!"

Tian Que shook his head, but he couldn't do anything about it, and said:

"How is it now?"

Su Mian patted his chest and said:
"Having raised him to this day, he's almost human-like. I've kept him in the manor's waters and locked him in his cave, just waiting for the right day to use him... As for that guy surnamed Fei, although his belly is dragging on the ground and he doesn't look human anymore, he's been kept alive by the female waters and I've sent him to a small island overseas to live out his old age in peace..."

Tian Que didn't care whether he was just saying nice things or not. That woman was practically a medicinal residue; she'd probably been used to refine pills by Su Mian anyway. He paused slightly and said:
"Where's the stuff?"

This question hit the nail on the head. Su Mian's heart tightened, but he smiled and said:

"They are being kept in a cave... I wonder how you intend to arrange for them?"

Tian Que gave him a long, lingering look:
"Qi Qiuxin's secret technique is not yet complete. The fact that you've returned today means your lifespan is running out!"

Su Mian was caught off guard by his words, paused for a moment, and finally nodded. Tian Que smiled and said:

"Not only will I lure Qi Qiuxin into the grotto-heaven, but I will also send him to the [Zunzhi Shangqing Palace], where he can cultivate diligently and I will prepare a tailor-made Purple Mansion spiritual artifact for him..."

"Once he enters the Immortal Palace of my Dao, the time he spends in ignorance will be greatly shortened. When he becomes a Purple Mansion, I will give him your things and also give him a spiritual treasure of this Dao path."

Su Mian looked slightly taken aback:
'Aside from not being accepted as disciples of the Daoist lineage, this is almost on par with the treatment given to important direct descendants of his family!'

As a rogue cultivator, Master Su Mian had worked hard all his life, but he only managed to accumulate two spiritual artifacts and one spiritual embryo as his assets, neither of which were of very good quality. If it weren't for his alchemy skills and the favor he received from Jin Yi, he would have had a hard time even accumulating this much wealth... let alone spiritual treasures! Even the Li family, with its Prince Wei, who stood at the forefront of the times, only had a handful of spiritual artifacts!

Tian Que's words carried immense weight, so much so that they seemed unreal. Su Mian calmly raised her head and asked:
"If that's the case... then what should I give in return?"

Tian Que's smile faded, and he said softly:
"Deliver the [Qi Stone Demon Embryo] to that person for us."

Su Mian seemed to have misheard, shaking her head in disbelief, and said:
"Just sending it over? Kim Il-suk has done something incredibly kind!"

He clearly didn't believe it, and Tian Que, knowing he didn't believe it either, stood up and laughed:

“I swear to my fellow Daoists on the occasion of my attainment of the Dao.”

He had just promised such a great benefit, and Su Mian hadn't hesitated at all. But the moment those words left his lips, this old master, with centuries of experience, was suddenly moved. He stood up, his expression trembling, and exclaimed in shock:
"Is this true?!"

Cultivation is a matter of life and death, and the most important thing is to attain enlightenment. No one with ambition would gamble their own enlightenment. If one remembers such a promise when seeking gold, and is distracted even a little, failure is possible. Tian Que has already become a Great True Person. In Su Mian's opinion, he is a person with great promise. He also knows this person quite well. Although he has a bad temper, he is not the kind of person who would lie about such an important matter!

Seeing the person in front of him nod, he felt a surge of joy mixed with bitterness, and said:

"It's probably not as simple as just sending it over!"

Tian Que laughed:

"The person I'm referring to is also an extremely cautious individual. My family has dealt with him for many years, but we haven't gained much advantage. All these arrangements are to ensure he feels comfortable using this [Qi Stone Demon Embryo]..."

"But he's quite a capable person now. No matter which method we use to deliver it, it will inevitably arouse his suspicion. Perhaps... fellow Daoist... you could risk your life to gain his trust..."

His voice lowered, his tone becoming calm:
How about offering oneself to nourish the Dao?

……

Moon Lake.

The sky was clear and the air was crisp. The white-robed immortal stepped out of the void, riding the wind. A precious bottle shimmered at his waist, and the Dharma clouds beneath his feet rolled and swirled. Upon seeing the scenery beneath his feet, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

'What a beautiful lake... I wonder how magnificent it was before it withered away...'

He quickly found the small hill full of gardenias from years ago. He used his supernatural powers to visit the owner's house and was immediately alerted by the great formation. He entered the inner formation, but the person sitting inside was no longer Li Ximing. Instead, there was a young man with golden eyes and a crimson robe, who was smiling and looking at him with faint flickering flames on his body.

'Another promising young talent!'

Xuan Yi wasn't that old. He and Li Ximing were both considered part of the new generation in the Purple Mansion. However, the speed at which the Li family members achieved supernatural powers was so astonishing that it made Li Ximing seem older.

He considered his tone carefully and smiled:
"My name is Xuan Yi from Jingyi Mountain. May I ask your name, friend...?"

This made the young man smile warmly, his lips slightly parted, his voice soft yet steady:

"So it is Senior Xuan Yi. I am Chang Li, the son of the King of Wei. Master Zhao Jing is my great-uncle."

Xuan Yi naturally knew it was him, but she was used to hearing his name and flattered him:
"So it was Changli! Like father, like son!"

Li Jiangqian was also secretly observing him, then smiled and sighed:

"Senior, you flatter me. I was merely blessed by Mingyang and was born into a better position. My family has always been well-off, which has allowed me to rise to my current status. I am not worthy of such praise!"

"Fellow Taoist Zhaojing..."

Upon hearing the question, Li Jiangqian's face immediately showed worry. He sighed, shook his head, and said:
"Because of my father's situation... my family has suffered terribly!"

Xuan Yi had heard of the reputation of [Qingya Huazhi], and upon closer reflection, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She asked:
"This is a troublesome matter!"

Provoked by his words, Li Jiangqian, who had just stopped speaking, seemed unable to swallow his words any longer, and the young man said bitterly:
"This thing is burning my father so badly that he can't rest in peace, he can't heal his wounds, and he can't cultivate. Moreover, it's getting worse every day. No matter what kind of spiritual medicine he takes, it's just a drop in the ocean. My great-uncle is in a hurry to refine pills for him."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yi sighed inwardly and, not daring to delay any longer, said:
"I'm here for no other reason than to hand over Master Guo's things—the nobleman once entrusted him to refine a spiritual artifact, and with all the arrangements made at Qu Si, he should have come in person. But he visited me first, suddenly realized something, and hurriedly handed over the things before going into seclusion!"

Li Jiangqian's face showed a look of sudden realization, but inwardly he shook his head:
"He's simply decided to go into seclusion to cultivate his second supernatural power, and he's afraid that if he comes to my house, he'll have something to ask of him, and he won't dare refuse out of consideration for personal relationships and the orders of his sect... It's better to have someone deliver it to avoid any awkwardness."

His face showed gratitude, and he said:

"The elders in the family have seen the sincerity of the two gentlemen..."

Xuan Yi smiled and said:

"There's no need for your family to feel indebted. My lineage has a deep connection with Qu Si, but due to our different backgrounds, we were separated and established our own sect. It's complicated, but the bond between master and disciple is still there... Take a look at this treasure!"

As he lifted his sleeve, several treasures appeared on the jade table in front of him.

The short sword, now deeply imbued with demonic energy, revealed its true form: a blend of gold and black, engraved with mysterious patterns, exuding a chilling aura. The long whip, meanwhile, curled up, transforming into a palm-sized disc.

But aside from these two, there is a small and exquisite glass object on the jade table in front of us!
This thing is no bigger than a thumb. It is shaped like a lotus flower and looks crystal clear. It seems that there is spiritual water flowing inside, showing an extremely mysterious appearance. What is even more peculiar is that there seem to be two golden lights intertwined in the center of the lotus, illuminating a circle of charming halos.

Li Jiangqian was slightly taken aback, and Xuan Yi then smiled and said:

"Besides Guang Chan, do you still remember the King of Wei back then? Fellow Daoist Zhao Jing retrieved the Female Water Lotus from his belongings, transformed it into [Returning Stream Female Water], and merged it with that [Chang Yue Zhi Bian Jin], then gave it to my senior brother..."

"He received the noble's spiritual object and was extremely grateful. He consulted the Great Master and invited several fellow Daoists to practice together. Now he has finally succeeded in refining it. Congratulations!"