Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1219 Golden Skill
'I am pure…'

Yuan Shang looked uneasy, staring intently at the person in front of him, his lips moving slightly.

'I am Chunyi… too ruthless as a descendant of the Sun Dao lineage, yet I have no official duties as a descendant of the Yuan family… I don’t even understand what my role is!'

He couldn't bring himself to say such a thing. After a long pause, he finally sighed and replied:

"Senior, I, Chunyi, was not involved in what happened back then."

'That's natural... If there were truly any entanglement, you wouldn't be where you are today...'

Tang Xie stared at him and said quietly:
"This is no longer a question of whether you participate in the Daoist tradition or not... Do you really think you were sent here because you don't understand the method of attaining the Dao? Even if the heavens have not been involved in the world in recent years, what kind of cultivation methods do they not have... Why do you need to explore it yourself?"

Yuan Shang was startled and looked at him in disbelief, while Tang Xie calmly hinted:
"There must be a struggle behind the Sun Daotong behind you. If you can't distinguish the various origins of the past, it will be useless even if you explain the Daotong in detail!"

That was all Tang Xi could say. After drinking his tea, he remained silent. Yuan Shang had no choice but to gather his thoughts, suppress his anxiety, and softly said:
“That year… Yuanfu had not been in seclusion for long, the royal family of Yue still had some power, and Dongli had been destroyed for some years. I was still cultivating in the sea at that time… my master was also there.”

"A cultivator suddenly appeared on Wangyue Lake, practicing the Moonflower Dao lineage. They said... his cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. He traveled south and ventured into the Yue Kingdom."

Yuan Shang hesitated for a moment, then said:
"At that time, the adults must have known the cultivator's background, which is why the three sects and various other sects sent people over..."

Tang Xie frowned and said:
"Three sects?"

Yuan Shang then remembered that he was a reclusive cultivator from a hidden grotto-heaven, and stopped to explain:
"The three sects of Jiangnan are: the Golden Feather Sect of the Upper Azure Dao, the Xiuyue Sect of the Sun Dao, and the Qingchi Sect of the Sun Dao... Back then, it was still the Demonic Sect. All three originated from Qingxuan and received Xuan'en, so they were united as the three sects."

"Among the various sects at that time, the Sun Sect included [Purple Smoke], [Sword Sect], [Owl Sunflower], and [Hengzhu]."

"The remaining [Lingyu], [Hongxue], [Xueji], [Lichi], [Wuzhu]... are basically all wiped out. Only one family is barely surviving. People today don't know this, but in fact... the closeness between these five families is no less than that between the Sun Dao lineage."

Yuan Shang revealed a hint of nostalgia and said:
"This closeness has left its mark even now... The last True Person of [Hongxue] was named [Guanxue], and the old True Person of [Xueji] was named [Guanxu]... The Yang family also has [Guanxuan]..."

Tang Xie calculated with his fingers and said:
"The people of Douxuan?"

"good."

Yuan Shang sighed:

"They are all under Dou Xuan's name, having transitioned from the Ningguo period. Their territories are mostly distributed on both sides of the river, which can actually be called the [Wanling Dao Gui]. The earliest Ziyan Temple was also the [Wanling Dao Gui]. It's just that True Lord Taixu studied the Tao of the Sun, so he changed his path. Later, he maintained some closeness with it, making it the best of the Sun Dao Gui to the Wanling Dao Gui."

"At first, these families were very harmonious, but as they crossed the river and the Wanling Upper Sect no longer suppressed them, friction arose between them, and they gradually became estranged. Some of them... became closer to the royal family of Jiangnan."

Yuki immediately understood:

'They've fallen to the forces of the Underworld.'

Yuan Shang paused slightly, then continued:

"At the time, I heard that it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who obtained the Dao of the Yuanfu... How much can a Foundation Establishment cultivator obtain? He's just another lucky guy. The cultivators of my Dao didn't participate in it. My master... was also busy with his own affairs and didn't pay attention to it."

"But in the blink of an eye for the Purple Mansion, everything has changed dramatically. It turns out that the Foundation Establishment was an avatar of 'Yi Dui Ying' who was traveling in Jiangnan to experience the mortal world. In reality, there was a Great True Person of the Purple Mansion who was in seclusion on the lake. His surname was Li, his given name was Jiang Qun, and his Daoist name was Dong Hua."

At this point, the immortal Jie Lin showed signs of unease again, and said:

"When my master heard about this, his expression changed immediately. 'If he is a Great True Person and a fellow Daoist of Qingxuan, how dare he use the character 'Dong' in his generation!'"

His expression was complicated, and he sighed:

"These are generational names that only a direct disciple of a True Lord can use! The founder of the Xiuyue Sect was the [Dongtai] True Man! If what he said is true... then who is behind him?"

"My master is busy with other matters and cannot be distracted...he..."

He felt a deep sense of melancholy:
Knowing he felt guilty, he didn't dare to ask further.

"In the midst of their hesitation... they have already made their move."

Tang Xi, who had been listening casually, suddenly looked up sharply and raised an eyebrow, saying:
"them?"

"Jin Yi and Qing Chi are the leaders, with many Wanlingdao Orbit Gates as their assistants."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xie succinctly outlined the four directions:
'The sun traitor, the underworld, Shangqing… given Luoxia's current control over the world, this radiant light's role is far from honorable.'

Tang Xie was secretly astonished by the amount contained within, his bronze pupils shifting slightly as he whispered:

"It's not easy, is it?"

"Of course it's not easy..."

Yuan Shang said softly:
"I've heard that Taixu has set up an array, plunging the world into darkness. I've even heard them say... that it has caused the [Taiyin Profound Light] to appear, indicating some kind of backup plan, and that a certain True Monarch has been injured!"

Tang Xie's gaze grew increasingly meaningful, causing Yuan Shang's expression to darken. He scanned the room, his emotions growing more complex, and said softly:

"What you mean, senior?"

Tang Xie nodded and said:

"Since Heaven has accepted you, it must be that Chunyi Dao has not colluded with the corrupt. But you must know... once you reach the Jielin stage, you no longer represent Chunyi. Everything that the Sun Dao lineage and Yuanfu have experienced is your background."

Yuan Shang was perfectly aware of this at that moment! A deep sense of melancholy filled his heart.

"What you say is true, senior... I was too narrow-minded... I was still thinking about Chunyi... It turns out it's just a minor dispute between Jiangnan..."

He felt a sudden pang of melancholy.
'If that's the case, according to this senior's speculation, which of Taiqing and Taiyuan could possibly have a good ending? Even Taiyue would be terrified! Over the years... His only commendable achievement has been nurturing Shangyuan Zhenjun...'

Although the two had a pleasant conversation, one was an ancient person who came with trepidation, while the other was Jie Lin who had suddenly attained enlightenment. Their emotions were quite different!

As a Yuan Dynasty merchant, he had survived a life-threatening situation and even ascended to immortality. He was filled with boundless joy and gratitude, regarding the heavens as his support and the source of his lineage. He had no doubts, but Tang Xie's words were like a wake-up call, making him gradually consider the deeper meaning of the heavens.

As this Jielin gradually withdrew from the joy and serenity of enlightenment, his mindset underwent a complete transformation. He couldn't help but rethink, slowly picking up the thoughts he had previously let go of:

"Taiyin is clearly in power now, and my attainment of Dao was a result of Taiyin's scheme... As for Li Ximing, who was at Wangyue Lake and delivered that Xuan Dan to me, it's hard to say... but Chi Buzi, mentioned by the Immortal Official of Dangjiang... is most likely a spy."

'He is also a member of the Sun Dao lineage… For what? To seize "Lvshui"? …All of this is not without trace… The arrangements made by Heaven are not limited to this one place…'

After hearing so much, the immortal Jielin's thoughts were gradually drawn to the sight of Tang Xie before him, and he said softly:
"In other words, the adults have all witnessed the discord within the Chongming Hall, but it's not time for a reckoning yet..."

'This child is teachable!'

Yu Xi secretly praised him and said softly:

"You're pregnant!"

He reminded:

"You probably don't understand the meaning of Jie Lin yet. If there is a great battle in the future, you will definitely participate. Although that fellow Daoist Zhengao is powerful, at most he will sit in the 'Taiyin' position. You will be his right-hand man!"

Yuan Shang was startled, suddenly recalling Zhengao's words from that time, and silently declined:
"My meager efforts..."

Tang Xie whispered:
"To put it bluntly, a pure lineage isn't necessarily clean. What you need to do is think about how to extricate your lineage from this situation and how to make a contribution, instead of wasting time here pondering what mistakes your lineage has made!"

Yuan Shang pursed his lips, stood up, bowed deeply, and said:
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

Seeing that he seemed to be deep in thought, Tang Xie nodded secretly. Although the matter of Yuan Shang had been resolved, he still had doubts in his heart. He felt a wave of illusion rising in his heart, and he vaguely saw his pitiful cave again.

'not good…'

He suddenly realized that his time here was running out, and feeling both reluctant and anxious, he immediately waved his hand and said:

"But I have something to ask you."

"Senior, please speak!"

Tang Xie was clearly much more anxious, and the bronze beard on his face trembled as he asked, confirming:
"Is the Shangqing Daoist lineage you mentioned the same one as that Taiyuan Zhenjun?"

Yuan Shang nodded slightly, and Tang Xie's expression immediately darkened, as if he were preoccupied with something, and he said softly:
"It really is Him! I heard he later worshipped Qingxuan, and He got involved too... Trouble..."

Given this, he could almost certainly conclude that this Taiyuan Zhenjun also stood on the opposite side of Heaven:
'His position of power... was probably seized from his followers within the Sun Lineage!'

This would be a shocking event for any cultivator today, but Tang Xie was not surprised at all—he was used to seeing people fight for cultivation levels and positions, and besides, he had heard of this person long ago:

'Zhang Yuanyu…that’s not surprising…'

Yuan Shang was puzzled that Tai Yuan was asked first, instead of asking about so many True Lords.

"While I've heard that this lord is highly skilled, and that his cultivation... is not as advanced as Xiu Yue's, among all the lords, Chang Huai is considered the strongest, having already reached the late Golden Core stage..."

Although he attained enlightenment, he lost all his supernatural powers. He didn't know anything about cultivation methods, or even the specifics of cultivating the Golden Core. All he knew was that this True Lord Taiyi had extremely high cultivation and might be a great threat to the heavens.

Tang Xie shook his head noncommittally and said:

“Taiyi Qingchanghuai… I know Him. Among all the True Lords of the Sun Dao lineage, only His name has ever reached me… At that time, He showed signs of a breakthrough, and fearing that He might be plotting to seize the precious land, He specifically came to ask me…”

His expression was grave, and he shook his head, saying:

"This True Lord's cultivation and insight are indeed unparalleled, but his path of cultivation... is complicated. From the perspective of my Lingbao lineage, his path of cultivation has been severed... the late stage of Golden Core is meaningless."

Yuan Shang was utterly shocked by the blatant and undisguised words uttered by him. But upon reflection, he realized the man before him was also a True Lord, so it wasn't surprising. He murmured to himself:

"What does this mean...it's meaningless..."

A hint of arrogance rose in Yu Xi's eyes, and he quietly said:

"As the saying goes, 'Supernatural powers leave traces, but the path to enlightenment is without steps.' The cultivation of the Golden Core is not like that of the Purple Mansion, where there are traces to follow. In other words, the path to each level is different and cannot be compared with each other."

As an ancient cultivator who had seen immortals, even in his current state of decline, he still retained his discerning eye and arrogance. In ancient times, he would have dared to offer his opinions on ordinary True Monarchs! It's just that once he reached the heavens, he silently concealed this arrogance.

He immediately considered his words carefully and said calmly:

“You need to know… Zhang Yuanyu is not as simple as just being in the ‘Dui Jin’ position. He has twice tricked all the immortals in the world, and his achievements in the Geng and Dui paths are already enough to make him look down on the ancients. He is now standing in this position because of the long past of ruling and transforming the Geng and Dui paths.”

"You've only been enlightened for a short time, so it's difficult for me to explain the differences to you. But you should know one thing..."

His expression was stern, and he said softly:

“I know the past but not the present, and I don’t know which incarnation this is… But at least one thing is certain… Zhang Yuanyu achieved all the accomplishments and cultivation that Taiyi has attained in his current life. Their situations are even 80% similar, yet he dared to discard them all like worn-out shoes!”

"For Taiyi to reach Zhang Yuanyu's position, He must first reincarnate, then carry out a flawless plan for two thousand years, and besides two or more True Lords, He also needs a powerful figure willing to mentor Him..."

"That's almost impossible."

Tang Xie's gaze was deep and mysterious:

"This is both a plan and a unique opportune moment. Even if Taiyi is capable, there will never be such a world again... If these two were to fight, Taiyi would definitely lose. Late stage of Golden Core? His rapid advancement in cultivation is just due to favorable timing, but he cannot be a Dao Embryo, nor does he dare to be one in the future, so it means nothing."

He said seriously:

"No one can suppress Taiyuan alone, unless they come with a Dao Embryo or a Celestial Artifact!"

The divine lord before him was praising the Taiyuan True Lord outside the grotto-heaven to the extreme. Yuan Shang had never heard such idle talk from a True Lord of that caliber! For a moment, he was speechless, but Tang Xie, still feeling it wasn't intense enough, said softly:

"Furthermore, do you think He can't overcome the hurdle of the mid-stage Golden Core? Not at all. All the Dao fruits He has obtained in the past demonstrate another fact—as long as He doesn't perish, there's a 90% chance that the next Dao Embryo will be Him!"

He sneered:

"In this situation... leaving two steps to buffer the situation, in my opinion, is very likely His retreat when facing Luo Xia and You Ming."

After he finished speaking, he could already vaguely sense that the lifting force was slowly weakening, and his figure was gradually approaching nothingness. This Divine Pill cultivator had already made a judgment in his heart, but he swallowed the rest of his words:
'In other words, if the heavens rashly intervene, and the Underworld forces unite to defend against the enemy, taking a step back together could very well facilitate this True Lord's attainment of enlightenment... and even aid the enemy...'

At this moment, he had a general understanding of the predicament faced by the Heavenly Lord in seclusion, with Zhengao overseeing it, and he sighed inwardly:

'Once revealed to the world, the entire world becomes its enemy… but only in this way… can one be worthy of the heavens' hesitation!'