Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1216 Proud Wood
'I've long heard that Zhong Qian is a gentleman, though not as chivalrous and carefree as Tu Long, but now that I see him, he seems to have a strong sense of gratitude. Besides... judging from today's transaction, Chang Yun wants to befriend my family... if there's no external interference, he'll most likely come too.'

Li Jiangqian was worried that supernatural powers were obscuring his plans, so he specially left a jade talisman for Zhong Qian and asked him to inform the lake as soon as he received news of Chang Yun's return. He then stayed in the middle to calculate the difference in strength between the two sides. He thought there should be no omissions in his calculations, so he thanked Zhong Qian repeatedly before returning.

As dusk fell, the setting sun blazed like fire over Wangyue Lake, casting a crimson glow over the palaces, creating a beautiful scene. Li Jiang, riding his fiery chariot, still harbored calculations in his heart:

'Zhong Qian's supernatural abilities have progressed so rapidly; the Golden Feather Sect must have provided considerable support behind the scenes. Since that's the case, he must be quite influential. If he's willing to do his best for my family, he might even be able to draw the Golden Feather Sect's attention.'

The situation within Western Shu is unclear, but Li Jiangqian does not believe that the interests of Changhuai Mountain and Jinyu Sect can necessarily be aligned:
'At least, Jin Yu prefers to cooperate with intelligent people. Even his opponents dislike those who are too stubborn and foolish, let alone allies. Qing Jifang is such a fool, outspoken and mean-spirited… Tian Huo is arrogant, and Tian Que is irritable; how can they possibly work together? Jin Yu's performance in the great battle at Baijiang back then showed us that.'

His mind raced with conflicting thoughts. He summoned fire and landed in the palace, finally letting out a sigh of relief. He glanced at the dark and gloomy palace and, with a moment of leisure, turned his gaze back to himself.

Everything is arranged, now we just await their news... Perfect timing for some cultivation.

Li Jiangqian now possesses the [Southern Bright Heart Fire], the [Double Fire Two Bright Instruments], and the trump card [Southern Emperor Mysterious Technique] in the "Great Li Book". Although he has just broken through, his skills are already top-tier among supernatural powers.

But he never forgot the wondrous technique of his own cultivation method: [Great Li White Light]!
He merely glanced at the technique, yet already understood its essence. He opened his mystic aperture and began to reflect the light, finding it perfectly aligned with his own supernatural abilities. He became completely absorbed in it, unable to extricate himself.

Li Ximing personally proved the power of this wondrous method, and its difficulty was no less than its power. Even with the speed of Li Ximing's two spiritual flames, he could only produce one Crimson Flame per year, and it became increasingly difficult thereafter, taking more than ten years to become a Golden Flame! He had even lamented to him:
"To reach the pinnacle of mastery without hitting any bottlenecks, it would take two hundred years even without eating or drinking. If you factor in other cultivation tasks, it would take at least four or five hundred years. Others might not even be able to match my speed!"

Li Jiangqian remained intoxicated for a long time before slowly opening his eyes, his face full of surprise. It was the first time he had sensed the Li Fire. He opened his hand and saw three streaks of red light shuttling back and forth in his palm!

As the Purple Mansion that wields the 'Great Li Book', cultivating the [Great Li White Light] is naturally different. Li Ximing's understanding back then was quite good. The [Great Li White Light] is [a bronze mirror illuminating the fire, thus gathering the light of separation]. This bright fire taken from the outside world is bound to be far different from the [Southern Bright Heart Fire] condensed from one's own life force—or rather, this technique was originally created for the 'Great Li Book'!

When the [Southern Bright Heart Fire] was placed in the Mysterious Aperture, this technique finally connected with his 'Great Separation Book'... He hadn't really practiced this technique much, yet he already had three Crimson Flames. Besides his own cultivation, the advancement of the [Southern Bright Heart Fire] was like an increase in the source of fire, which would also increase the number of Crimson Flames!
'For ordinary cultivators, there's an upper limit to this number. After all, the 'Great Li Book' has its limits; at most, one can only increase it by a dozen or so. But for me, it's uncertain... Once the [Southern Bright Heart Flame] becomes stronger...'

But as he pondered this, a look of unease suddenly crossed his face. His gaze was fixed on the three beams of light in his hand, his heart pounding silently as they gradually connected with the talismanic energy within his body.

【Greedy Net, Mysterious Separation】!
His golden pupils widened slightly, but in an instant, the three points of crimson light in his hand suddenly became bright, yet they were hazy and unclear, reflecting three points of shadow!

The three reflections flickered for a moment, but were instantly extinguished by the golden-eyed youth. His eyes shone with surprise, and he remained stunned for several breaths before regaining his composure.

'In this way... with just five Golden Blossoms... this technique will be fully mastered for me!'

This made him squint slightly, his eyes full of smiles. Only then did he notice the jade pendant at his waist responding continuously. His expression returned to calm, and with a flick of his sleeve, the palace door creaked open.

Seeing that the person below was the old man Qu, he bowed deeply and said rather urgently:

"Your Highness... a true immortal has arrived on the lake... I have been waiting for seven days. The young master has ordered his men to search for Your Highness everywhere, leaving me here to wait..."

Li Jiangqian made a rough calculation, then, with a hint of doubt, asked:
"Whose supernatural power is this?"

Qu Bushi, his head pressed to the ground, said respectfully:

"We lowly beings have defiled ears and cannot bear to hear your name..."

When Li Jiangqian heard that the other party did not give their name or number, he knew what was going on and was secretly pleased:

'Jiuqiu is quite straightforward! It's just a pity that my sister can't move, the main hall is locked, and she can't see the people below, leaving him waiting here in vain.'

He was already in a great mood, and immediately laughed:

"Please go to Zhijing Mountain!"

He immediately stepped into the void, riding the flames and treading on fire, and appeared on the mountain. Coincidentally, a True Person also landed down in the mountains. He was wearing a tall crown and white clothes, with a handsome appearance and his body was also burning with raging divine fire. He was a fire-element cultivator!
There are many fire-element cultivators in the world, but the major forces are mainly distributed in the Four Seas, the Northern Desert, and the Jieyu Land. There are relatively few in Jiangnan. What is even more rare is that the fire on the other party is fiery and unpredictable, and he is a 'Yang Fire' cultivator.

Li Jiangqian was quite surprised, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Fellow Daoist is..."

The other party smiled slightly and replied:

"My name is Fu Chi... Fellow Daoist, you should not recognize me... However, I also cultivated in Jiangnan, and my secular name was Tantai Jin."

Li Jiangqian suddenly understood:
"So you're a fellow Daoist!"

He instantly understood Yuan Xiu's arrangement from back then, and with a sigh, he said:
"Master Yuanxiu... is truly amazing."

A hint of sadness flashed across Tantai Jin's face, clearly indicating that he still held a sense of remembrance for his master. He nodded slightly and said:
"My master... was also an old friend of my grandfather. The two were bosom buddies, but unfortunately, my grandfather did not have the fortune to develop supernatural powers... A few years ago, after I broke through to a higher level, I changed my clothes and went to the old site in the South China Sea to pay homage to my master. I went to the place where he fell, retrieved a portion of water from the South China Sea, and sent it back to Jiuqiu, placing it before my grandfather's tombstone..."

"I didn't expect to receive news from the nobles that these spiritual items are valuable, so I brought them over along the way."

The other party's words seemed convenient, but judging from Tantai Jin's clothing, this True Person might have intended to observe three years of mourning for True Person Yuanxiu in the South China Sea, and was only temporarily summoned back by this matter. Li Jiangqian simply said:

"It's really too much trouble for you, Master!"

Tantai Jin shook his head and said politely:

"This is nothing. In the future, I will need to ask the King of Wei to take good care of me in Jiangnan."

He didn't say much, but took his seat, took out a scroll, and said solemnly:
"Master Cao read the nobleman's letter, and also took some spiritual items, which he asked me to deliver."

So he replied:

"Among the metal virtues, there is one called 'Gathering Heart and Absorbing Evil Metal,' which is a 'Free and Easy Metal' substance. It not only meets all of your requirements, but it is also the gentlest metal virtue, compatible with Xi Qi."

"As for items containing Qi, they are actually quite rare in our lineage. And since your request cannot be spiritual light, only the [Night-Crossing Suspended Stone] meets your requirements!"

Liu Changdie selected materials that were common items of the time, things that ordinary people might not have, but in Jiu Qiu's hands, they were nothing special. Li Jiangqian nodded happily, but the other party smiled and said:

"It's a pity that 'Qi Jin' is now extinct and hard to find in the world, otherwise you wouldn't have needed to use 'Xiao Jin' to set up the formation."

Li Jiangqian clearly remembered that he had not mentioned the great formation to Jiu Qiu. Slightly wary, he smiled and said:

“How come you see?”

Tantai Jin was taken aback for a moment, then replied:

“These spiritual objects and resources are quite distinctive. Besides, where does True Person Zhaojing cultivate? And where is King Wei? You two fellow Daoists can’t possibly have gone to the East Sea, can they?”

Li Jiangqian understood immediately, but without changing his expression, he sighed:
"Great!"

He suddenly understood what the other person meant.

Tantai, having recently come from Jiuqiu, naturally knew of Li Quewan's achievements. Calculating the supernatural powers, the Li family now possessed four Purple Mansion cultivators! Among them, the Prince of Wei was already at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm! They were already catching up to the power of the Immortal Sects. However, Wangyue Lake… couldn't afford to support these four supernatural beings!

'With the sun and moon shining brightly in our own realm, we feel boundless spiritual energy and have never had this worry. But in the eyes of outsiders, our grand formation is not the [Heavenly Origin Dao Spiritual Formation] of Qingchi. There are already many cultivators in Wangyue Lake. At most, the lake island can support King Wei, and the dense forest can support Grand Uncle. My little sister and I are already feeling extremely constrained…'

Furthermore, the other party's lineage was profound; they had discerned something from the spirit object's requirements alone. This reminded Li Jiangqian to note this possible oversight, and he shook his head, saying:

"Though it may not be the best, it is not far off... My family intends to set up a battle line on the west bank."

Tantai Jin nodded, but the young man before him looked solemn and said:

"If any trouble arises, I hope you two fellow Daoists will lend a helping hand."

Tantai Jin had just mentioned that the Prince of Wei should take good care of him, so he naturally couldn't ignore this, and nodded, saying:

"That's natural. I've visited an old friend and will be returning to Qingchi. From now on, I should work with Senior Ning."

'So that's how it is. Although Tantai Jin is close to Sima Yuanli, she still belongs to the Qingchi lineage in terms of Daoist tradition…'

With this in mind, Li Jiangqian was no longer worried that he wouldn't save her. She took the jade box from his hand, and with a flick of her finger, she opened the lid. The [Heart-Gathering and Evil-Collecting Gold], which served as the carrier of the array plate, was about the size of a fist, with a smooth, mirror-like surface and extremely subtle fluctuations.

The [Night-Crossing Suspended Stone] is slightly inferior. Although its quality is good, it doesn't even rank in the middle range among Xi Qi. The two items combined are indeed comparable to the Spirit Fire, showing that Jiu Qiu's exchange was extremely precise.

'After all, their own spiritual fire isn't much better...'

Li Jiangqian then tentatively asked:
"The matter of the spirit fire is now settled."

Tantai Jin nodded with a smile, did not linger, bowed, and then took his leave on the wind, stepping into the void amidst the raging flames. He glanced at his feet one last time before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

'Forty years...four supernatural powers...'

He felt dazed and silently headed south. After crossing the vast plains, a magnificent mountain peak soon appeared, with towering peaks, steep cliffs, and various palaces adorning it.

Tantai Jin, somewhat uneasy, activated his supernatural powers and soon heard a voice filled with doubt coming from within the great formation:
"Which fellow Daoist has come to my Sima family?"

Tantai Jin smiled slightly and replied:
"My name is Fu Chi."

There was a brief silence in the formation, then a beam of azure light leaped out and materialized in the void. It was a middle-aged man dressed in azure robes, with a slightly pale face and a long, dark beard, staring intently at him.

"Brother Tantai!"

Sima Yuanli, who was over two hundred years old, suddenly had tears in his eyes. He hurriedly stepped out of the void, helped the man in front of him up, and said excitedly:
"Excellent! You...you did it!"

Sima Yuanli, who had moved among various figures over the years, often feigned composure, showed genuine emotion only now. Tantai Jin, having just returned from the place where Yuan Xiu had perished, was filled with grief and couldn't help but shed tears, saying:
"Master has fallen!"

As Sima Yuanli led him inside, he covered his face, his voice trembling with emotion, and said:
"His pursuit of gold was a martyr's act; the old man's wish has been fulfilled..."

Upon reaching the formation, Sima Yuanli immediately took out his old master's last words and had the young master read them. Tantai Jin, tears streaming down his face, also noticed that the master beside him was weak and pale, and couldn't help but say:

"Yuanli... what is this...?"

Sima Yuanli was already filled with gloom, and upon hearing his words, he lowered his head and said:

"I...tried my supernatural powers again...but failed and was injured..."

Tantai Jin was startled. He used his supernatural powers to place his hand on Tantai Jin's wrist, and after a moment frowned and said:
"You're too impatient!"

"How can I not be anxious! In the conflict between the North and South, who doesn't possess the Three Divine Powers, and which important figure doesn't have a spiritual treasure! This is an era of great strife..."

Sima Yuanli's face was pale, and his eyes were even dimmer. He said:

"The old master left behind so many resources... I long ago passed the days of nurturing my supernatural powers, and I even had the medicine to condense my immortal foundation... But... I've failed three times already! I don't know how many spiritual items and resources I've invested... Even if I gave them to someone who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they would have already reached the Purple Mansion stage... I'm trying to calm myself down..."

His voice held a hint of melancholy, and he choked up as he spoke:

"I am only afraid that I will fail the old master's guidance!"

Tantai Jin said in a hoarse voice:

"But you cultivate 'True Wood'! 'True Wood', as proud and unyielding as gold! Your master is proud and ruthless, yet also cruel and heartless. He clearly surpassed the Purple Realm but hid it for so many years, letting those clowns jump around... If you had even learned one or two tenths of it..."

Sima Yuanli's expression calmed down, and he quietly said:
“When my two brothers were cultivating the Tao, the True Man praised us for being humble and without arrogance, able to yield and conceal ourselves. How could we be of the caliber of a true tree? It was our Master’s treasure that was extraordinary. That talisman was from the Wuguan Taoist lineage and combined with pure Qi spiritual objects, which is why it was able to lift me up with all its might… But you say arrogance… What kind of world is this now!”

"Two martial arts masters rose to power in the same era, making Mingyang the king. The sun was once a wisp of smoke, but only a single sword became revered. The halberd shattered like jade, and the King of Xianhu died for his cause. Qi Lanyan, a man of noble lineage, spared no effort to protect the Dao. Kong Tingyun, of humble status, dared to risk her life to save the world... What right do I have to be arrogant? Even if I were to stand against the heavens, I would only have a heart full of respect."

He sat upright in his seat, his calm demeanor tinged with a hint of detachment, and said with a self-deprecating smile:
“I don’t understand… why the old master made me cultivate ‘True Wood’? My conduct is not upright, my methods are not honorable, and the most resolute one is actually my elder brother, who even dared to defy the Purple Mansion… yet he was ordered to cultivate Water Virtue…”

The man's gaze was complex as he looked at the reflection in the jade cup and smiled:
"His plans... were incomprehensible to the cultivators back then. That year, An Huai had just passed away, and he had already reminded me to look for the traces of True Qi cultivators. Later, on the day he was about to break through, 99% of the cultivators could not have imagined that he could summon a sky full of green water to seek metal and gather wood... As for his arrangements on me, I often realized them too late, and most of the time, I was completely baffled."

Tantai Jin carefully examined his childhood friend before him and said softly:
“At least Master doesn’t trust anyone, so Yuanli… you are much luckier than Master Qiuhu.”