Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1205 The 1194th Step
Li Quewan didn't know where the method came from, but guessed it was obtained by Li Ximing. Without giving it much thought, he introduced it to his brother, who was asking questions:

"This dose of [Spring Morning Drizzle] is nothing special, but its rarity makes it valuable, and it may be of some use to the King of Wei's elixir."

After all, it was a letter from Li Ximing, essentially a communication between Li Ximing and Situ Huo. Neither of them wanted to overstep their bounds. Seeing that this thing was useful, they exchanged a glance, and Li Quewan said:

"I'll go in and ask my great-uncle later. If possible, I can also retrieve this for him to refine pills."

"it is good!"

Li Jiangqian nodded in agreement, and then Li Quewan said:

"In this way, there is only one crucial one: the [Divine Edict], which requires a massive infusion of spiritual resources. Those of lower rank need not be discussed further. I think Grand Uncle's opinion is that Li Wushao is the most suitable, after all, he cultivates the Fushui River, and my family has the [Neck Feather] of the Fushui River, which, when supplemented with the [Mysterious Moon Essence], is the most suitable."

"Brother, do you have any other candidates in mind?"

Li Jiangqian thought for a moment and replied:
"The main purpose of this Divine Command Method is to give us a hand, such as refining spiritual artifacts, inscribing formations, and traveling through the void. We don't need to ask Master Guo for everything. Strength is not important; what matters is loyalty... Besides Li Wushao, I have another candidate—Senior White Ape."

His gaze was worried as he said:
“These things in the world are often unpredictable. Who knows what might happen in the process? We need to have backup options. My suggestion is to first execute Li Wushao and let the old white ape take good care of him. We should also match him with a destiny. Firstly, it will help improve his cultivation, and secondly, it will serve as a candidate.”

Li Quewan smiled and said:
“Ordinary people risk failure, but I know my limits. Both of you are elders, this is a good thing, a further step forward…”

She understood that her brother was actually referring to the possibility of Li Wushao dying or being seriously injured in the future battle at the Purple Mansion, but his rationality made her secretly uneasy.

"No, Elder Wushao has guarded this place for generations; I can't let anything really happen to him. I can't let him actually go to fight."

So she gave the order to wait in the mountains. While pouring a small cup of spiritual tea, she flicked her sleeve, and a feather-like [Neck Feather] appeared in her hand. With her other hand imbued with supernatural power, she flicked her finger, sending spiritual energy into the cup. A short while later, the old demon appeared from the mountains, bowed, and said:
"I've seen a real person!"

"Senior, you're welcome."

Li Jiangqian raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Has the spirit of the senior been returned to him?"

Li Wushao, not understanding, replied:

"It was indeed... Young Master Zhou Luo pitied me because my spirit was troubled and my cultivation was becoming increasingly difficult. He also thought that I had a use in the lake, so when he let me return, my spirit had already been released."

Li Jiangqian frowned, but Li Wushao suddenly felt a bright light appear before his eyes. A silver light descended beside the empty stone table, and a beautiful woman suddenly appeared, smiling gently, and said:
"It doesn't matter whether it's loose or not!"

Then she raised two fingers and gently touched the old demon's brow. A pale white dot of light detached and floated lightly into her slender hand!
Over the past century, Li Wushao had become quite familiar with the sense of loss caused by the separation of one's spiritual essence. Yet, even though the other party clearly possessed a wisp of spiritual essence that resembled his own flesh and blood, he felt no sense of loss whatsoever—as if nothing had happened.

It is indeed "Hou Shen Shu"!
He didn't have time to think much; he stared blankly for a moment before recognizing the woman before him, and exclaimed in shock:
"It's...Young Miss?!"

"Yes, senior, there's no need for such formalities!"

Li Quewan stood up, nodded with a smile, and said seriously:

"I invited you here today because there is an opportunity I would like to ask you to use."

"Opportunity?"

Li Wushao was stunned for a moment. The man in the crimson robe next to him actually handed him a jade cup. He was flattered and hurriedly accepted it. At Li Jiangqian's prompting, he drank the tea in one gulp.

This refreshing sensation rushed to his throat, and a surge of spiritual energy began to circulate within his body, seemingly threatening to overwhelm his mortal form. A sense of extreme danger welled up in his heart, but then he saw the woman before him flip her hand, revealing a crimson-patterned, silver-based, finger-sized Xuan Dan, and commanded:
'The mountain demons, having received blessings, have purged evil and heresy; now the Emperor receives the Mysterious Truth—please use it!'

The elixir immediately trembled, each crimson vein shining brightly, slowly radiating gold. The woman moved with incredible speed, using her supernatural powers to imbue it with that wisp of spiritual energy, and shouted:
"Concentrate!"

After consuming the Purple Mansion Spiritual Essence, the demon's appearance had already changed drastically. It was in excruciating abdominal pain and could not control itself from revealing its true form. Fine, jet-black scales appeared, and its serpentine mouth was wide open, revealing jagged, fine white fangs, as if it wanted to devour someone.

Li Quewan merely extended a finger, pinning him firmly to the ground. She then struck the old demon into his rising yang energy. The old demon let out a cry, his demonic body shattered, and a patch of dark light dissipated, leaving no trace. Only the Xuan Dan floated in the air, its light flickering, as if it were breathing.

Li Quewan used his supernatural powers to suppress the spiritual treasure, his expression becoming solemn, and said:
"I will nurture the spiritual treasure and refine its spirit. It will only take about half a year. After that, it will take several more years to release it for cultivation. It will also require spiritual resources and spiritual objects from the Purple Mansion to assist it. In particular, the spiritual object that is poured in at the end must be inside the spiritual treasure to resonate with it. It almost determines the upper limit of this demon under the imperial decree!"

Li Jiangqian understood her meaning and replied:

"That...Ling Cui?"

Li Quewan nodded solemnly and said:
“This thing is extremely valuable, but it is not difficult for my family to obtain. Now that my great-uncle has no use for it, we should not neglect him. I will go back and inform my great-uncle that the affairs of the family will be temporarily entrusted to my elder brother!”

……

Amidst a riot of purple light and golden glow, the Purple Jade Terrace stands tall amidst layers of celestial clouds. Despite weathering countless storms and vicissitudes, it shines with brilliance, seemingly poised for the future and possessing an aura that will endure for eternity.

On this platform, a woman in purple stood with her hands behind her back, pacing back and forth. On the other side, a woman in white, carrying a sword and riding the wind and snow, carefully examined the scroll in her hands, and after a long while answered:

"These are all feasible, except for that wisp of 'Li Sha' which is a bit lacking and needs some 'Li Huo' to compensate. Everything else can be addressed..."

A hint of envy flashed in her eyes, and she added:
"It has only been a short time since it was established, less than a hundred years... and now it is about to be re-established. This is too rare. Now there are three supernatural beings... It is necessary to have a powerful figure in charge so that the power can be put together."

Tinglan's expression was slightly complicated as she spoke:
“I think it’s more than that… The Li family’s situation is different. Now that the problem in the north has been solved, there are still enemies eyeing them from the west. They can’t rest easy if they don’t hold onto that mountain. Otherwise, instead of spending a lot of time and energy setting up a defense, it would be better to renovate the original one.”

Ning Wan said seriously:
"The problem lies on that mountain—I heard it's called 'Xiping,' a mortal mountain. It might have ley lines, but it certainly doesn't have spiritual veins. Which way should we set up this formation?"

The purple-robed immortal pondered:
"We can either cross the mountain and stand by the valley smoke, or face the mountain and stand on the west bank. We have no choice but to consider it. However, after comparing various options, the Three Yangs of the Year is the most suitable. Our Daoist classics mainly use Purple Qi, and we worship the Three Yin, but we have less Lesser Yang."

After thinking for a long time, Ning Wan said:

"I do have a method here, passed down from my ancestor, derived from the Golden Dao lineage. It is both new and excellent, designed to create the Lesser Yang Three Divisions, hence it is used as a technique and a way. Sister, please take a look."

Then she took out a gold scroll and continued:

"Jin Yi is indeed powerful. He was on good terms with Taiyang back then, and Qiu Shui Zhenren was close to my ancestor. This technique is indeed true."

The two sat down together, absorbing the essence of the creature and devising a plan around it. Time on the mountain changed constantly, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. After finally writing down several ideas, Tinglan shook her head helplessly:

"I have heard that the one currently in the lake is the eldest son of the King of Wei, the immortal Changli, Li Jiangqian. How the world changes... In less than a hundred years, the Li family once relied on the sun, but now things are different."

"Becoming friends early on is a good story."

Thanks to the various arrangements made by the True Man of Elements, Ning Wan's relationship with the Li family, though not particularly close, was deeply rooted. Needless to say, seeing Tinglan's worried expression, she asked curiously:
"Putting aside personal relationships, you've taken in two disciples, so isn't that a very solid relationship?"

Tinglan sighed and said:
"There were two good children, both cultivating in the Purple Mist, but that crushing defeat severely weakened all of us, and even my blessed land was sealed off. One of them was sent to Kuang Yu's sect, and now it's certain we'll never get him back... As for the other one..."

She shook her head bitterly:
"He was a bright child, but he was too young and naive. He was pampered all these years and became arrogant. Although this made him very compatible with the cultivation technique and allowed him to progress rapidly, now that his cultivation has improved, he has less contact with his family."

Ning Wan said strangely:
"Is the lake lacking in her presence? Or has she offended someone? With three or four supernatural powers rising up, is there any reason not to associate with them?"

The Purple-Clad Immortal said:
"Actually, none of that happened. Wenqing asked her, and she felt that the lakeside was magnificent and prosperous, but in reality, they were just giving her spiritual funds according to her quota. Nobody cared about her. She didn't know who to approach to offer her help, and instead felt like she was being opportunistic. She didn't have the face to go home..."

Ning Wan smiled, a hint of doubt in her eyes, and said:
"If you ask me, she's stubborn too. What's the point of asking for sincerity? What does sincerity even mean? When a family is together, they meet a few times. If they can't keep their distance, then they're there. If they're separated for too long, then they're gone. Does she expect Zhao Jing to personally go to the Immortal Ceremonies Bureau to invite her?"

Tinglan's worry deepened. She turned around on the stage with her hands behind her back and said:
"I've explained it to my sister... I have one or two secret techniques in this place. A few days ago, Qianli's aura became very unstable, and she gradually drifted far away... Based on past judgments, I'm afraid she will perish within the next year or two!"

These words made Ning Wan raise her head, her expression one of shock:
"Qian Li? That's the Han family bloodline?"

Tinglan nodded quietly and said:
"She is my most prized disciple. Back then, the Mingyang incident destroyed her clan, the Han family. This Han family was actually a branch of the Changjun clan in the north. She has deep blood ties to them and, having received karma from Mingyang, she came under my wing to cultivate..."

"But the 'Treasure Bottle' technique is only for women, and only powerful forces possess the truly profound and powerful methods. The path she cultivates is even more special, and there is actually a little-known key point in its cultivation—one must be a virgin. When she became close to Chu Yi and joined my lineage, she was already a bit too old, and ultimately she was short of that step."

She weakly rubbed her forehead and said:

"She was also Li Quexi's master... After she was gone, among so many people who went into seclusion, only Wen Wu had any hope. The next generation suffered greatly in the decline of the sun, and their numbers dwindled... Even if we choose the tallest among the short, only Quexi could stand out."

“This is my concern… If we promote her, decades later, the King of Wei will surely become a great master. If she doesn’t know what’s good for her, it won’t look good. But if the bright light of the Ming Dynasty is about to fade, she will be implicated.”

The Golden Elixir was difficult to achieve, and the number of people the Li family had offended was increasing daily. Even in this predicament, the two did not consider the possibility of their bloodline being destroyed or their entire clan being wiped out. Their only concern was that the Northern Divine Power would come to settle old scores. Ning Wan frowned and said:
"I don't think she's that great."

Tinglan said:

"One or two out of ten chances are simply due to whether or not they are looking for that spiritual object for her."

Ning Wan said calmly:

"Then it would be better to let her behave herself and stop here."

Tinglan said helplessly:

"I'd like to, but you know the orders from the Celestial Ritual Division. The Zhenzi family, the Yang family, desperately hopes that my Purple Qi lineage will achieve great success so that they can use the abundance of Celestial Essence to enhance their own martial arts. Qian Li was originally the most promising one!"

"Now that Qianli is gone, and Quexi is often at the Immortal Ceremonies Department, the Yang family knows she is of the Li family bloodline. How could His Majesty not remember her? If I were to ask for her, the Yang family would definitely not be stingy with spiritual items and resources! If I were to keep her in check, it would only make people think more!"

Ning Wan thought for a moment and replied:
"Anyway, the chances of her breaking through are slim. Just let her go. Everyone has their own destiny. You can't go against the tide of the world and nip her in the bud when she's looking for supernatural powers, can you?"

Tinglan remained silent for a long time. The white-robed fairy also stood up and chuckled:
“In that case, I have a solution… Just keep the spiritual items and resources safe, and let her focus on her breakthrough. If she fails, all is well. If she succeeds, then you can assess the situation. If Mingyang is strong, then tell her that the spiritual items were actually given to her by the Li family.”

She blinked and said:
"She's just asking for something sincere and is too embarrassed to ask for it. Give her a way out by having the Li family help her quietly. Meanwhile, you can secretly inform Li Ximing – after all, you've helped his family get closer to the Purple Mansion level, so why would he refuse? He'll even have to do you a favor!"

"When Mingyang declines and the situation changes drastically, bring this up and let her know that it was you who painstakingly tried to mend her relationship with her family, but in reality, the Li family still ignores her, giving her a moral excuse to back down..."

Tinglan was slightly taken aback, carefully examining the white-clad fairy before her. She remained silent for a long while before finally speaking:
"You...you scared me!"

Ning Wan shook her head, a hint of melancholy flashing across her exceptionally beautiful face:
"Don't forget where I come from... These tricks are commonly used by my sect, but I no longer bother with them."

Having resolved a difficult matter, Tinglan felt much better. Seeing this unusual side of her, she was filled with curiosity and couldn't help but ask:

"I'm curious, if Mingyang really gets into trouble, would you be willing to lend a hand?"

Ning Wan picked up her teacup, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. Instead of answering her directly, she said softly:

"I'm just a scrap, what use am I? This plan is just a superficial one, and who knows if Zhao Jing will even accept this favor if you ask him in secret later."

Tinglan reacted quickly, her complexion also somewhat pale. She put down her cup and sighed:

“That makes sense. Zhao Jing isn’t a magnanimous person. One more or one less doesn’t matter, but one less is a life. Que Xi doesn’t understand. Zhao Jing… perhaps he really is making the same plans as Kong Gu Mo… so that he can take in some members of the Li family.”

Ning Wan, however, seemed very pessimistic, saying:

"He may be able to be the chief clerk, but I don't have the ability to be the Wangyue Li family."