Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1229 Seeking Evil
Above the desert, yellow sand rolls and white mist-like smoke comes from the west, spreading like cotton wool, crashing against the towering white-gold platform, scattering and drifting in all directions. The grand hall above is a blend of gold and white, majestic and imposing.

Bright lights adorned the main hall. The man in the crimson robe took his seat in the main position, set down his jade cup, and smiled:
"It would be a great trouble for Fellow Daoist Chengqian."

The immortal before him sat cross-legged, a ball of silver light floating in his left hand, upon which surged supernatural power, constantly being nurtured. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and smiled:
"This is nothing—it was all for my safety, how can it be considered a trouble? Senior Yuanbian is still running around outside... I am very ashamed."

Cheng Qian lacked both Li Quewan's shamanistic skills and the [Bi Ting Qing Yuan Bao Ding]. Even if Li Quewan refined a talisman for him to nurture, Cheng Qian still found it somewhat difficult. Although he wasn't completely distracted, he still couldn't achieve the same effortless ease as Li Quewan.

Li Jiangqian saw this and smiled slightly, but then he heard footsteps in front of the hall.

It was Liu Changdie.

He had only been waiting in the desert for seven days when the True Man, clad in a fur coat, came to the hall, travel-worn and with a thoughtful expression. Li Jiangqian had heard him estimate thirty days, but he hadn't expected him to come in only seven. He realized that there was most likely a problem with some key point in his cultivation. His heart sank immediately, and he quickly stood up and said:
"Senior, what is this?!"

He stopped in the main hall, and seeing Li Jiangqian come down the steps to greet him, he waved repeatedly and congratulated him with a smile:
"Your Highness, this is good news!"

Liu Changdie's expression was a mixture of delight and doubt as he whispered:

"I have explored all the points and connected them one by one with my supernatural powers... It is truly remarkable. The inscriptions of the noble array patterns and the entanglement of the array points' energy are extremely accurate, with the largest error not exceeding one step... I only need to use my supernatural powers to point them out one by one... I thought it would take at least thirty days, but I didn't expect it to be completed in seven days!"

"We can now set up our formation!"

He was clearly puzzled, but observing Cheng Qian beside him, he remained silent, revealing a scroll of array diagrams in his hand. Li Jiangqian liked this decisive and efficient style, and his eyes lit up as he said:
"Very well! I've dispatched men to protect you, senior!"

So, after making the arrangements, Liu Changdie burned incense and bathed, then meditated for three days to adjust his breath and spirit to their peak—although his essence and blood were damaged and his supernatural powers were not strong, he still put in his best effort.

He stepped out of the void, instantly appearing high in the sky. A fierce wind raged beneath his feet, and desert sands flew. Groups of cultivators were already standing on the platform. Liu Changdie clasped his hands together, bowed deeply to the vast, starless sky, and then activated his divine power, respectfully saying:
"The body disappears and is hidden; the treasury is established to request funds."

He made sword-like fingers with both hands, each pointing in a different direction, and the two array platforms below instantly lit up. The light of the Lesser Yang rose up, transforming into a thick stream of light that moved along his two fingers.

The light was light and natural, emitting a thick white mist. As his two fingers moved, one array platform after another lit up, and the cultivators below formed hand seals to cooperate.

When all seven array platforms lit up simultaneously, Liu Changdie's figure vanished in an instant. The thick Shaoyang light surged back, instantly illuminating the entire land with seven pillars of light that stretched straight to the sky!

"Boom!"

The desert winds suddenly intensified, and various colors of light bloomed one by one on the desert. At the center of the great formation, sand and black stones piled up, and finally the eighth Xuan Platform was raised!
The platform rose with a rumble, with golden sand cascading down from both sides like waterfalls. It rose to a height of over 220 ren before finally stopping. Above, silver light flickered and shimmered, and black robes fluttered, finally revealing the figure of the array master.

He raised his hand, and the array plate was as bright as a star. Beneath the star, there was a constantly moving radiance, as smooth as water and as precious as jade. Underneath the water, there was even a fiery fire that kept changing!

It is precisely this stimulation that has brought forth the radiant light of the sun!
Liu Changdie's robes billowed as he unleashed his full power, holding the array plate with both hands and pressing it down inch by inch until it was embedded into the gap left on the high platform.

As the last gap was filled, the earth suddenly roared, and the seven pillars of light that stretched to the sky transformed into seven golden chrysanthemums. Thousands of golden threads fell one by one, connecting with the array points on the ground. The pale white light shield, which was as unified as a colossal object, finally stood on the desert!

The [Fire Seeking Evil Spirits Formation] is complete!

This colossal object shimmered for only a moment under the scorching sun before fading away, as if all the buildings and figures on the ground had been an illusion, vanishing from the desert and leaving only billowing sand rising into the air.

Li Jiangqian felt a burning sensation in his heart, overjoyed beyond measure:
"My family's second Purple Mansion Array... is finally complete!"

To put it bluntly, the Li family poured a great deal of resources into this formation. The top-tier spiritual item, [Shenyang Suiguang], is the core of the formation plate, needless to say. Even the auxiliary materials for the formation plate alone included precious spiritual items like [Xiqi] and [Xiaojin], and the spiritual resources used were also considerable…

'Although the 'Gen Earth' formation on Huzhou was easy to build, it was ultimately something acquired from someone else. Back then, when families were struggling, they could simply modify it and use it. How could that compare to the dedication and effort put into this formation!'

He stepped down through the fire and entered the great formation. All he could see was a white-gold jade face, and he could faintly hear cheers rising and falling. When he landed on the high platform in the center, he found Liu Changdie sitting by the threshold, his face pale, obviously exhausted.

Li Jiangqian quickly helped him up, but unfortunately, his own supernatural powers were of the fire element and could not transfer the Daoist gold to him. He tried to take the pill from his sleeve, but the middle-aged man stopped him.

Fortunately, Cheng Qianxiu, who followed in, helped him regulate his breathing for a quarter of an hour. Liu Changdie's complexion visibly improved; his tired expression vanished, his eyes brightened. He was both delighted and surprised, but looked away and smiled.
"Seventh Young Master, congratulations!"

Then, the bright sunlight shimmered on the high platform, and a Taoist priest stepped in. He was full of the aura of alchemy and his face was filled with complex gratitude. Who else could it be but Li Ximing?

Li Ximing had been refining pills in his grotto-heaven. He had melted the elixir in the past few days, and what remained was simply being simmered over a low flame. Now that he had successfully simmered it into a pill embryo, things were much easier. However, after hearing Li Quewan's report, he could no longer sit still:
'This…this uncle's old friend…they truly have a friendship like that of close relatives!'

So he dispatched [Three-Holder Guardian of the Mysterious Fire] to guard the alchemy furnace for him, taking a day or two to hurry here. Upon hearing the words "Seventh Young Master," he sighed softly and said:

"These past few days I've been dizzy and overwhelmed, busy refining pills... These younger ones didn't dare disturb me. I've neglected you, Uncle. Forgive me... Forgive me!"

After all, he was a Purple Mansion cultivator. Liu Changdie had already recovered his composure and his complexion had returned to normal. However, upon hearing his words, he frowned and said:
"Since you're busy refining pills, why bother coming out to see me? What will happen if you ruin the King of Wei's plans!"

Li Jiangqian understood that his great-uncle's elixir had passed the critical stage, but fearing he might not know how to answer, he looked dejected and said forlornly:

"It doesn't make much difference whether there's one more or one less furnace. Besides, it won't be a problem to wait a day or two... It would be better if Uncle Tai heard about the wonders of the great formation before returning, so as not to miscalculate when the battle begins."

Since there were outsiders present, Liu Changdie didn't dare to ask too many questions, so he could only nod and say seriously:

"This formation is called the [Seeking Evil with Fire], which is the third Purple Mansion Formation I established, and it is also the most valuable one in recent years. Since it has been brought up, I have something to say."

Seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, Liu Changdie said:
“I am not from the Sun Dao lineage, and I cultivate this formation according to the ideas of my own lineage. Therefore, this formation has no distinction between inside and outside, and cannot separate a separate inner formation. The only key is this Xuan Platform.”

"This place can isolate the senses between the inside and outside, and the array plate is also sealed here. It is also the place where many miraculous responses occur. The spiritual energy of the entire array is supplied to this place, exclusively for the Purple Mansion to enjoy!"

Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully.

Their own [Zhao Guang Xuan Zi Ling Array] is a typical grand array of the Sun Dao lineage, divided into inner and outer sections. The inner array can create a palace for disciples to cultivate, and hide the Dao lineage and spiritual pool. However, this [Xiang Huo Qiu Xie Ling Array] does not have that many spaces. All the spiritual energy of the entire array is used to support a grand hall on this high platform!
'In this way, although there is less space for disciples to cultivate, the benefits to the Purple Mansion are significantly greater, making the spiritual energy in that area much richer.'

Seeing Li Ximing nod, he then said:
"The first one possesses the ability of [Ministerial Fire]."

Mentioning this technique, a hint of pride appeared on his face as he said:
"Concealed within is a [Mysterious Array Fire Light], which is the result of Xi Xiao's interaction and the stimulation of Shao Yang. It is only the size of a palm. Although it is called light, it is actually neither fire nor light. It moves like lightning and cannot be resisted. Once you are hit by the fire, the flames of Shao Yang will immediately engulf you, making it difficult to drive away or get rid of."

"More importantly, the light of the ministerial fire comes from the inside out. Although it does not have the power to kill the enemy in one blow, it will be very inconvenient to engage the enemy again after being hit by this technique."

Li Ximing's eyes lit up, and he nodded slightly.

"After all, the main purpose of a great formation is to protect rather than kill enemies, so this one is quite impressive."

Clearly, this technique is far superior to the purple light of the lake island. Although the brilliance of the [Zhao Guang Xuan Zi Ling Array] can reach the level of the Purple Mansion, in the eyes of the Li family now, it is at most a divine artifact comparable to a spiritual weapon. However, the current [Xiang Huo], with its effect that is neither fire nor light and cannot be resisted, is something that ordinary spiritual weapons cannot achieve.

Liu Changdie smiled and shook his head, saying:
"But that's not all. I, Liu, am not willing to be a commoner when setting up an array. This second [Seal] is one of them. Once a cultivator is hit by this [Seal Fire], the second divine mechanism will respond and resonate with the same spiritual object in this array plate, causing the flow of their supernatural powers and magic to suddenly stop. The closer to this great array, the better the effect!"

Because Cheng Qian was present, Liu Changdie did not mention "Canyang Suiguang," but the two members of the Li family present immediately understood. Li Jiangqian, unusually, nodded in approval and said:

"With these two skills, the fighting ability is already quite formidable."

Liu Changdie stroked his beard and said:

“I am not proficient in ‘Lesser Yang’, and this is all I have done. I could never have more. The key lies within the great formation. I have also seen the great formation in the noble Huzhou. Although it has the effect of nurturing a treasure land, the ‘Gen Earth’ was contaminated by the Purple Qi halfway through, so the effect was not good. Therefore, I added a formation eye for Your Highness in this formation, which can gather the evil energy of the desert ley lines for cultivation!”

When the topic turned to formations, the middle-aged man's brows radiated confidence as he smiled and said:
“I put a lot of thought into this. ‘Li Huo’ is not good at nurturing. A single Li Huo formation is often focused on attack. Even if you find a Li Huo formation, it won’t be much better than my Xi Qi and Shao Yang combination in terms of assisting cultivation. It’s just a pity that there is one thing.”

A hint of regret crossed his face as he said:
"Given all these connections, and given that it is situated in the vast desert, it necessitates the use of Qi as a medium, which may not be suitable as a place for the cultivation of the King of Wei and the Seventh Prince..."

"That's okay."

Li Ximing shook his head with his hands behind his back.

Since the beginning of the time when the sun and moon shone together in the heavens and earth, the foundation of the Li family's cultivation in the Purple Mansion has not been on the lake. The spiritual energy of that place is inexhaustible and its richness is rarely seen in the world. In fact, strictly speaking, the direct descendants of the Li family who received the talisman do not need to rely on the lake.

But this cannot be seen by others. It is even more unreasonable for the four of them to stay together in the continent. Li Jiangqian has such a place for cultivation, so that he can guard the west in the future.

'not to mention…'

Li Ximing glanced at Cheng Qian beside him with a slightly complicated expression:

The lake will likely be even more bustling in the future.

Liu Changdie, unaware of his thoughts, nodded in response and smiled:

"But that's not all. I can't even mention the minor wonders. There's also the ability to [Gather Yang], which has a sensing effect. I refined it by sensing [Free Gold] with [Treasury Gold]. This Xuan Platform can nurture and store things with the virtue of gold, which is quite helpful for the art of weapon refining. If there are any techniques that need to be cultivated and refined within the body, you can also come to this high platform."

"There is only one problem: this wondrous thing cannot be done at will. Therefore, cultivators who have suffered injuries from the Golden Fiend cannot enter this platform. If they do, their injuries may not heal for a long time and may even become more serious!"

Although the disadvantage was almost negligible, Liu Changdie still solemnly reminded him. Li Ximing was quite familiar with it—back then, Li Zhouwei was able to kill Qi Lanyan, and this "Xiaojin" method played a significant role!
He had just memorized those words when Li Jiangqian's eyes deepened as he pondered silently:
'It's not all bad. This is clearly a good place to suppress cultivators. As long as they suffer physical injuries, they can be imprisoned here. It doesn't even require much supernatural power to suppress them; the person will simply weaken day by day.'

Moreover, there is a miraculous technique that Liu Changdie mentioned long ago: using the [Shenyang Suiguang] to secretly attack the person breaking the formation. It was hidden as a trump card, but Chengqian will not go into details here.

Having said that, the three of them had already reached the foot of the high platform, where gold and stone were piled up and long corridors intersected. The sunlight above shimmered brightly. Looking at the golden plaque hanging in mid-air, Liu Changdie said:
"Now that the grand formation is complete, a plaque should be inscribed."

Li Ximing smiled and shook his head, then looked at Li Jiangqian and said:

"Senior Liu has considered your needs a great deal. This will be your jurisdiction from now on, so it is up to you to make the inscription."

The young man took a step forward, his golden eyes gazing at the black plaque adorned with interwoven white and gold. He did not refuse, but raised his hand, and the characters, sharp and elegant, appeared one by one. The young man smiled and said:

"I have no particular thoughts on this. I simply follow the established order. The formation is built upon the desert, and the Xuan Platform is constructed in accordance with the formation. Since it is the [Fire Seeking Evil Spirits Formation], let's call it the [Evil Seeking Platform]!"