Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1209 The Mystery
The clouds drifted across the sea, the wind and rain were unpredictable, and the silver-robed immortal returned on the wind, his face full of thought, his feet shimmering with silver light. His supernatural powers were extremely rare, seemingly gold but not gold—it was Liu Changdie.

Having received news from the lake, this Yuanbian Zhenren returned from the world and traveled all the way to the island. He found the surroundings bustling with activity. Passing through palaces, he saw a young man in fine clothes waiting for him in a high hall.

The young man was remarkably intelligent, with handsome features and, unusually, a commanding presence. Tall and elegant, he stood somewhat awkwardly in the hall. The master observed him with interest and smiled, saying:

"May I ask which gentleman you are?"

His words, though somewhat mocking, startled the young man, who turned around in surprise. Guessing he was a true sage from the island, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground and said:
"This humble one greets the esteemed master!"

He looked somewhat nervous and lowered his eyes, saying:
"I am unworthy to be called a young master. I am Ding Weili, and I have been ordered by the lake to come to the East Sea for training. I have come here to pay my respects to the Fifth Prince!"

"Ding Weili..."

Liu Changdie glanced at him, estimating that based on the other person's talent and status, he should also be a person highly valued by the Li family, and smiled:
"Since you are now a subject and have come to the island, you should look for the Fifth Prince... but he has been in seclusion for many years and there is no trace of him. There is no need to wait."

The five sons of the King of Wei are either newly promoted immortals with exceptional talent or powerful masters of the court. The only one who is truly unknown is the Fifth Prince. He is practically unknown to most people. Only Liu Changdie is one of their own and is cultivating on the island, so he is someone they can truly understand.

'Fifth Prince Li Jiangnian…'

For the cultivators on the island, Li Jiangnian was in seclusion year-round, never leaving his cave. Even many guest elders had never seen him. Only this Yuanbian Zhenren knew that there was actually no one in the cave. This Fifth Prince was in seclusion under a false name, changing his identity and going out to enjoy himself every day... He only returned to rest for a few days every day, entering and leaving the formation, which was noticed by Liu Changdie.

This is actually not a big deal. As a direct descendant of the Immortal Clan and a dignified descendant of the Purple Mansion, this matter is really not worth mentioning. Liu Changdie has seen too much of this. In other families, let alone a descendant of the Purple Mansion, even a bloodline of a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder would have the power to kill people in the street and run rampant. The fact that the Fifth Prince ran away to another sea to live a carefree life can even be considered a cautious act.

The Li family's system was known for its strictness, and he should have been under someone's control. However, once at sea, the power of [Qingdu] and [Yuting] was greatly diminished. Li Jiangnian was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who practiced the transformation-oriented [Yuzhen], so who could control him? Liu Changdie was a cautious person and naturally wouldn't interfere in something that seemed insignificant to him.

With only one thing on his mind, he hesitated slightly before asking:
"These days, what sights have appeared on the lake... like wind and rain of lead and mercury..."

Ding Weili paused for a moment, then replied:
I've never seen it before...

Liu Changdie, unsure whether to feel relieved or worried, sighed, waved for him to leave, and went back into the hall. He sat in the main seat, took out several jade slips, arranged them neatly, and finally made up his mind.

'In that case… I'm afraid we'll still have to use [San Yang Sui Guang].'

Liu Changdie made a special trip to Shiqi to inquire about the [Sanyang Suiguang], but to his great surprise, the Cangtianzi, which usually accepted all kinds of Shaoyang spiritual resources and spiritual objects, actually rejected this item!
Liu Changdie was completely baffled and naturally couldn't let the matter rest easily. After repeated questioning, the cultivator specializing in "female water" finally relented and said:

"I believe that the best way to absorb 'Lesser Yang' is to use spiritual objects from later generations, such as the Li family's [Taiyanhua], which was obtained by the King of Wei from a spiritual plant derived from the sun, subtly aligning with the concept of the Three Kingdoms. It is an extremely accurate object of our time!"

"The Lesser Yang is divided into three parts, its power is vast and boundless. To this day, eight or nine out of ten spiritual creatures have followed this transformation, but few have even a fraction of the image of the ancient Lesser Yang. This [Three Yangs of Time], I don't know which ancient grotto heaven it came from, has this very meaning... It is good, of course, but it is not what I seek in my path."

The female water cultivator even went so far as to introduce this item, saying:
"The 'Three Yangs of the Year' is the light of Yin' reaching its zenith and Yang beginning its cycle. Firstly, it is extremely rare, and secondly, incredibly fragile. Once disturbed, shattered, or disordered, it falls downwards, generating a malevolent Lesser Yang energy that is difficult to eradicate, comparable to the calamity of Earth! However, this would waste a precious Lesser Yang spiritual object, and almost no one undertakes it."

Liu Changdie's cultivation was not shallow either, and he understood clearly that the [Three Yangs Time] was simply too ancient... Since the Hidden Cicada could not use it, it had finally become the most suitable foundation for the great formation.

'We still need to find one more gold, and then add a wisp of rising qi, or a wisp of deep qi...'

He glanced at the ideas of the Sun Dao lineage, and they were indeed somewhat similar to his guess. The idea of ​​that True Person Ning Wan was to set up the great formation on the desert and then use the imagery of Xi Qi to form the formation.

Liu Changdie remained noncommittal. When Li Jiangqian sent people here, he also brought the entire west bank, and even the land veins and spiritual veins of the desert, which were clearly recorded. The spiritual energy in the Guyan area was not strong, and it was probably difficult to support a sufficiently mysterious array.

His gaze swept back and forth across the map on the table, gradually forming an idea, and a look of regret appeared on his face:
'It's a pity, but Xiping Mountain is actually a very good place for Buddhist practice.'

Indeed, the area he was most concerned about was Xiping Mountain, which Ning Wan and the other person had immediately ruled out!
'Shallow spiritual veins and earth veins... does that mean we can't establish a Purple Mansion Grand Array? There are exceptions... and this exception happens to be related to Lesser Yang.'

There exists a wondrous place in the world where spiritual veins are shallow and earth veins are invisible—the Great Western Plain! And Xi Yan, one of the demons of the Lesser Yang, resides there!
The thought had just crossed his mind when it quickly faded:

'Unfortunately, firstly, Sheng Baidao is too domineering and famous on the lake, so even borrowing its imagery would likely give others grounds for criticism; secondly… this is the imagery of Western Shaoyang, and since Cangtizi said that 'Sanyang Suiguang' is not the Shaoyang of today, it is probably not suitable for this formation.'

Despite the difficulties, Liu Changdie's determination was not deterred. He disliked conventional methods and always had to come up with unique ideas when creating formations. Now, as he pondered deeply at his desk, he gradually began to develop a plan.

Once this line of thought was clear, Liu Changdie did a quick calculation and realized that a year had passed in the blink of an eye. Feeling a little sentimental, he immediately got up and called for someone. He then saw An Siwei hurriedly entering from outside the hall.

This cultivator was once the first non-Li family member to achieve Foundation Establishment. Now that he is getting older, his Yu Zhen cultivation is profound, and he looks more and more amiable. Liu Changdie gave him many instructions and noted down several spiritual items that might be useful on the lake, asking him to send them back.

An Siwei nodded solemnly and said:
"The real person has been away for a long time... but a demon has found the island and has been waiting among the islands for a long time..."

Liu Changdie immediately took it to heart and asked:
"Is it Danping Reef?"

"Yes…"

Liu Changdie sighed:
"Let him come up!"

An Siwei politely withdrew, and only a moment later, a clanging sound was heard from below the steps. A monstrous creature with a human body and a rat's face, extremely ugly, came up. Upon seeing Liu Changdie, its face was covered in tears, and it bowed:

"Having seen the true form... this lowly demon has dared to disturb you... I deserve to die, but... but... Your Majesty..."

Liu Changdie, with mixed feelings, asked:

"How is the restoration going?"

The demon immediately stopped crying and choked out:

"The King's illness remains the same. His body has been invaded by the Lesser Yang Qi. His condition fluctuates. When he is well, he can still cultivate normally, but when he is not well, he cannot even speak! A few months ago, he fell ill again and it seemed to be extremely serious. He has taken many medicines from his colleagues, but he has not gotten better... His companions who came from the country together back then... are now few and far between!"

Liu Changdie raised his eyebrows and said:
"His injuries are indeed not yet healed!"

Fu Xun was seriously injured by Sheng Baidao. He asked Liu Changdie several times, hoping to find a Shaoyang cultivator to take a look at him. Liu Changdie was naturally unable to help. He asked Li Shi about her opinion, but she was also quite wary of it. So he was disappointed time and time again. Later, Fu Xun disappeared. When asked, he was only told that he was almost fully recovered. He thought that the other party had healed his injuries little by little over the years and had at least recovered a lot. He never expected that he would sit and eat away his money and end up in this state.

Liu Changdie was actually quite perceptive. He had received several hints from the Li family and understood that he couldn't interfere too much in Fu Xun's affairs. He could only speculate that it was a scheme between Shengbaidao and the Dragon Clan. But no matter what, Fu Xun was his benefactor, who was both a teacher and a friend. How could he sit idly by? He finally stood up and sighed:
"I... I'll go with you to take a look!"

Overjoyed, the demon wept, nodded repeatedly, stepped onto the silver light, and vanished into the void with him. Liu Changdie frowned deeply and said:
"Your king has been injured for so many years, he must have shown signs of injury by now. Does the so-called 'Lesser Yang Qi' entering the body injure his physical body or his supernatural powers?"

But this little monster couldn't say anything at all. Liu Changdie shook his head and silently walked forward in the void. Soon he stepped into the real world and saw a deep, jade-like reef island appear before him on the dark seabed.

Danping Reef is located deep in the sea, and there is even a female water force surrounding it, making it a treasure land of female water!
Liu Changdie stepped into the mountain-like black reef and followed the winding crevice forward. His inspiration grew stronger and stronger, and soon he saw the undulating, deep black palace. Large swathes of glass and jewels adorned the palace, making it extremely magnificent.

The demon palace, which should have been bustling with people, was now completely deserted and eerily quiet. The only thing that could be seen were various weapons scattered on the ground, some spears, some halberds, in utter chaos.

Liu Changdie sighed and said:
"You're scared too!"

Upon hearing this, the demon knelt down with a thud and wept:

"You've misunderstood, Your Majesty... All the demons in our homeland have been wiped out. I have been promoted all the way up by Your Majesty's favor. I am not afraid of being eaten in one bite. I am only afraid that if Your Majesty eats me, there will be no one left to hunt for food for him!"

Liu Changdie shook his head and stepped inside. He saw that the door to the cave was open with a crack, revealing a dazzling array of colors, as if countless treasures were hidden inside.

The man, however, felt a sense of foreboding rising within him. He pushed open the door and entered, finding the interior as vast as a grand palace, radiating light everywhere. In the center lay a colossal creature, neither quite a rat nor quite a sparrow, curled up in the cave, its blood-red mouth agape, emitting eerie groans.

Liu Changdie's heart sank into the ice. He raised his hand, stroked the grotesque giant claw embedded in the stone wall, and whispered:
"senior!"

Then a pair of bloodshot red eyes opened from the dark, gaping beast's body and stared straight at him. It exhaled a long breath, causing a strong wind to blow through the cave, and the giant beast had already transformed into human form.

Fu Xun was once a demon king, not necessarily handsome, but possessing a unique charm. Now, however, he lay pale-faced on the edge of the bed like a corpse. Liu Changdie felt a chill run down his spine and said:
"Senior...why have things come to this!"

Fu Xun shook his head, a hazy light of the young sun enveloping his face, and said:
"I don't know who was so clueless as to call you here... This injury is nothing serious now!"

"It's alright?"

Liu Changdie's face was grim. With just a slight glance, he could sense the various Shao Yang lights surging in the other party's body, which he found bizarre—the other party's injuries had not only not lessened in the slightest, but had even reached another level!
He said:

"How can this not be a problem!"

Fu Xun smiled and said:
"You don't know this, but I asked around a few days ago and sent people to the bottom of the sea. I wanted to ask Lord Lu Xu, but he was out. Instead, when he came back halfway, he ran into another one... who was the Tuodu Demon King of Sihai."

He showed a hint of reminiscence and said:
"This person is quite friendly. Hearing that I had suffered a Lesser Yang injury and was eager to please Lu Xu, he introduced a friend of mine who has extremely high supernatural powers. He healed my injury and said that there would be many relapses within ninety days. After ninety days, he would come again. At that time, all the Lesser Yang light would be condensed and dissolved, transformed into supernatural power, and nourished to make up for my deficiency!"

Liu Changdie had never heard him say this before, and his expression changed several times upon hearing it. He was temporarily relieved, but hearing it again only increased his suspicions. Fu Xun groaned and continued:
"For the next ninety days, just as he said, sometimes I was very well able to cultivate, and sometimes I was not so well able to, and could only sit in this cave in vain..."

Liu Changdie remained silent for a long time before saying:
"Isn't this too risky? But what about people born in the Year of the Dragon?"

Fu Xun smiled and said:

"Lu Xu is a favorite of the Dragon King, who would dare to offend him? Besides, don't forget what I cultivate—I have achieved supernatural powers, I can distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, and fortune and misfortune. This is a great opportunity!"

Fu Xun's rampage until now has been largely due to the supernatural powers granted by his unique bloodline. Without these powers, he would have died at the hands of Sheng Baidao long ago. Liu Changdie's doubts were slightly relieved, and he continued:

"You should have said so sooner, senior. At least let me meet you and offer some advice..."

The person in front of me smiled and said:
“I know the Li family doesn’t want to get involved in my affairs, otherwise, they have a Shaoyang Real Person in their family, why would they refuse to talk to me? I can understand you! Since that’s the case, why would I bother you?”

Liu Changdie was caught off guard and embarrassed, but Fu Xun didn't seem to care and said:
"That's perfect timing. Now that you're here, you can help me keep an eye on things. Today is exactly the ninetieth day!"

Liu Changdie stared into his blood-red eyes, trying to see any emotion other than joy in them. His heart, which had just calmed down, sank again little by little. Just as he was about to speak, he vaguely felt a cold wind rising up his spine.

He slowly turned around and realized that someone was already standing in front of the cave.

The man stood in the deep darkness, his eyes narrow and his robes gleaming with golden scales. His pupils were vertical lines like those of a snake or dragon, as black as ink, and he stared at him with a cold and ruthless expression.