Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1236 Danger
The matter of the divine command at the spirit pool of the great formation has long been problematic.

'This matter of commanding the spirit should have been handled with utmost care and nurturing before the Lingbao Temple for over a decade, without harboring any ulterior motives… Even upon departure, one must remain calm and focused, without unleashing any great magical power.'

Although Li Quewan's supernatural powers were not obvious, she had cultivated supreme techniques for many years, and her cultivation was actually quite astonishing. In addition, her lineage was profound, which made her appear relaxed and at ease, giving her the ability to go out and defend against enemies.

However, precisely because of this, the shock caused by the injury and the connection between the energy and the spiritual treasure could not be easily resolved. In Li Quewan's eyes, what was even more troublesome was another matter—the backlash of the witchcraft.

Whether the spells of witchcraft succeed or fail, they are usually very costly, not to mention the use of the weak to curse the strong. If she hadn't pinched a little of Qingji Fang's blood, she would never have been able to silence this Three Divine Powers True Man. And the price of performing the spell was that she herself would find it difficult to speak.

The magic is ancient and precious, pointing directly to the source. The sealing of the mouth is no joke. It is applied directly to the rising sun, eradicating the concept of the mouth to varying degrees. Even if the Qingji Fang made another cut on the cheek, it would only be a wound, not a lip or teeth. The magic still cannot be released and can only obediently explode in the mouth!

The same effect would occur if it happened to Li Quewan; she wouldn't be able to conjure up another mouth to cast the spell.

Therefore, when she made her move, Li Quewan had carefully considered the consequences. Compared to Qingji Fang, the price was much lighter. After all, she was only affected by the spells and incantations, while Qingji Fang's powerful magic exploded in his mouth on the spot. However, in reality, Qingji Fang's supernatural powers fought back, and the backlash was much greater than she had imagined.

'That "Xuan Tu" supernatural power has a wondrous effect in dispelling evil spirits and strange spells! Not only did it quickly expel my witchcraft... it even tried to burn me instead!'

This miscalculation caused Li Quewan to vomit blood on the spot. Even though she managed to maintain the spell until the very last moment with her superb witchcraft skills, the backlash was still beyond her expectations. This was far more difficult to deal with than the crack left by Qing Jifang's palm strike on the magic body!

'Leaving aside other matters... the backlash was too severe; the wiping of my lips and teeth was far too intense. I soon couldn't even take any more pills!'

It was from that mouthful of blood that countless cracks suddenly appeared in the already unstable Xuan Pool in the lake due to the injury. At that time, she responded to the [Ming Fu] and put it out of her mind without any hesitation. Now that she has returned, she was able to forcibly hold down this Xuan Pool from collapsing, thanks to the miraculous power of the Taiyin spiritual treasure [Shou Xuan Liu Fu].

This magical treasure contains a wondrous [Mysterious Treasury] that can protect and suppress the damaged, destroyed, and dead—whether it be a seriously injured person on the verge of death, a spiritual object about to dissipate, or even a spiritual artifact on the verge of breaking, it can maintain them all for a short time. This is how the Mysterious Pool and Li Wushao were preserved!
Despite this, the danger brought about by the divine shock of the [Divine Command] continues to increase, already resembling the withered bones in a tomb.

While Li Quewan had to exert all her efforts to suppress the spiritual treasure, she also had to use all her strength to activate the divine power, almost draining her of all her supernatural abilities. Unfortunately, she could not take any pills at this moment, and her vision was becoming increasingly blurry. The hidden injuries at her wound site were like a breach in a fragile dam, causing her aura to inevitably slip away little by little.

The only saving grace was that the [Mysterious Jade Pill] fell back into her palm, and the wonder of [Tasting the Mysterious] was activated. The [Mysterious Coffin Crimson Water] responded miraculously, finally raising her aura and causing a stalemate in the void.

Upon seeing this, Li Ximing was greatly alarmed. He quickly patted his sleeve and revealed a smooth, round jade stone:

It is indeed the 【Vast Earth Treasure Heart Jade】!
This item is a profound treasure, and it is forbidden for others to borrow it. Li Ximing first gave it to Li Zhouwei to heal his injuries, and later carried it with him, but could not take it out during the battle. Now it comes in handy.

The spiritual energy shone with a brownish-yellow light, as soft as mist, which fell on Li Quewan and quickly stabilized her injuries. Li Quewan also withdrew her hand, and the mysterious vibration within her body caused the light that had been dancing in the giant sword to disappear, instantly reappearing in the rising sun.

'[Minghui Daoxian]! '

The obscure talisman appeared, and the blessing of the talismanic path brought by the [Great Position Never Tired] visibly reduced the aftereffects of the witchcraft. There were slight signs of repair in the cracks on the Xuan Pool. Li Quewan finally had a chance to catch her breath. She raised her hand and tried to swallow a pill, feeling the weak magical power rising in her body.

'Thirty percent effectiveness... is enough.'

Li Ximing had no time to spare, focusing all his energy on activating the spiritual artifact. Li Jiangqian, on the other hand, cultivated the "Fire of Separation" technique, which offered no auxiliary abilities. The young master could only anxiously wait with a sullen face. It took quite a while before his sister's complexion regained some color and she was able to turn her gaze towards him.

She first nodded to Li Ximing, indicating that she was feeling much better, and then reluctantly raised her hand and waved it outwards.

Li Ximing paused, carefully dimming the radiance of the spiritual weapon in his hand. Only after confirming that Li Quewan's aura remained unchanged did he put away the [Vast Earth Treasure Heart Jade]. Li Jiangqian helped him down, closed the doors of the main hall tightly, and sighed:

“My elder and I, one with the 'Bright Yang' and the other with the 'Fire', are standing in the hall, which would damage the 'Water' spirit and would not be able to help her. The rest… can only be left to my younger sister.”

Li Ximing nodded heavily. His injuries were actually quite serious, but he was more worried about the situation in the main hall. He said:

“The arts of witchcraft often harm both the practitioner and others, and often have a backlash. It must have silenced Qingji Fang, making her unable to speak... and even the elixirs are no longer effective.”

Although the "Hidden Talisman" greatly suppressed the backlash of the witchcraft, the price could not be avoided. Li Quewan not only lost her ability to speak, but even the most basic ability to take pills was reduced to the third level. Li Ximing, being most familiar with the effects of medicine, vaguely sensed this and coughed twice, saying:
"Take good care of her!"

Li Jiangqian naturally understood that Li Quewan must not be disturbed at this moment. The [Minghui Daoxian] becomes clear when injured and becomes obscure when healing. However, if the Obscure Talisman fights again while injured, it will lose both its clarity and obscurity. This is a dangerous moment.

So he nodded solemnly, a hint of gloom in his eyes, and patted his chest to suppress the burning sensation in his body, saying:

"I never expected that... even though everything was done properly, I would still end up in such a mess."

Li Jiangqian slowly shook his head and said:
"This battle had an element of luck, and a significant one at that. My sister and Ye Hui's supernatural abilities clearly exceeded the expectations of the west, and the fact that this grand formation was built ahead of time was also crucial... The fact that Father didn't emerge from seclusion and that none of us were seriously injured is a great victory..."

Li Ximing nodded with his hands behind his back:
"Over the years, it has always been my family that has suffered misfortune. Your father has always been either fighting for Song Zhengbei or defending Zhenhu against Shu. He has always been an unexpected adversary. Finally, he has had some good luck this time."

Li Jiangqian's expression darkened slightly. He paced around the front of the hall, clearly having many thoughts in mind, and sneered:
"I think there's a reason for this stroke of luck. Fundamentally, the Dragon Clan is willing to help, and the Song Dynasty is unwilling to compromise—it's not that either side miscalculated, but given the current situation, several officials are no longer very interested in whether Father's injuries are healed or not. Rather than making pointless tests, it's better to leave everything to Changhuai..."

"Otherwise, if the Great Zhao had deployed troops in the Jianghuai region a few days ago to preemptively hold off Ye Hui and Chong Gong, how could the lake have withstood the onslaught of their army!"

As Li Ximing circulated his spiritual artifact to heal his injuries, he frowned and said:

"That's true. In the south, given the tacit understanding between the Song Emperor and your father, if the Yang family were to relinquish control, it would be equivalent to gaining the support of the entire Song Dynasty for my Wangyue Lake."

Li Jiangqian only sneered:

"No, if they don't let go, then we'll have no choice but to have the Yang family personally lead the team to support Wangyue Lake—our Li family has been working hard for the Song Dynasty on Xianhu Lake, and my father has already achieved the Three Divine Powers! At this point, would the Yang family dare to show the slightest bit of disloyalty in front of the world? Even Yang Ruiyi wouldn't agree to it!"

"Since we're going to help anyway, why not let the entire Yang family temporarily relinquish power in the Song Dynasty, hasten Yang Ruiyi's seclusion, and reclaim the Underworld Palace and the Underworld Carriage? This would be the greatest weakening of my Li family, giving Western Shu a real opportunity to test us!"

His eyes were cold and deep:

"Who knows, it might even put pressure on the Song Emperor... Unfortunately, the Great Zhao is once again torn apart, and Zhi Xuanxie's side is no longer willing to cooperate."

Li Ximing understood his anger. After coughing twice, Li Jiangqian composed himself, changed the subject, and finally showed a slight smile, saying:
"In the battle just now, Qingji only sent two early-stage Purple Mansion cultivators to hold me off, but I managed to suppress them all..."

His eyes gleamed with golden light:
"One of them is quite skilled, and should be from Changhuai Mountain. I don't know which one it is, but he is using the Xuan Tu Divine Power, and he was burned by the [Guangmo Li Yan]! He was beaten into a sorry state."

As he spoke, the round, golden bead appeared in his palm. The [Double Fire Brightness] was wrapped with many golden threads, tightly binding the earthy yellow object mixed with gold.

This object was no bigger than the palm of my hand, and it seemed to depict a bird, baring its teeth and claws, looking quite majestic. Li Jiangqian murmured:

"However, his spiritual embryo was quite extraordinary, capable of controlling people's minds. But it was caught off guard and destroyed by my flames. Unable to escape, it was taken by me!"

The power of the "Double Fire and Two Bright Lights" technique is quite formidable. Once the rolling golden threads emerge, they can suppress an opponent's treasure in 90% of cases. If the enemy retreats, the treasure cannot be retrieved.

At this moment, the golden threads vanished, revealing the earthy light, and the spiritual embryo fell into his palm. Li Ximing examined it closely and praised it:

"It must be a true master from Changhuai. This item is clearly made of extraordinary materials, a spiritual embryo specially crafted for some kind of divine mystery—you can have someone deliver it to Qu Si."

He sighed softly:
"We owe quite a few favors now, and we're even more strapped for cash. Let's make up for the two spiritual gifts from Master Zhong first... After all, you know he's been doing his best!"

Li Jiangqian nodded naturally, but when this matter was mentioned, a worried look inevitably appeared on his face, and he said in a low voice:
"In that case, what about Ye Hui..."

Li Ximing remained silent, but the young man in the crimson robe spoke:
“This matter can be delayed. If we decide to give it to him, once things at home are settled, I will go there and try to resolve the matter of the Daoxuan Cave Heaven as well. Alternatively, we can find something else to compensate him… However… he will definitely not be satisfied.”

Ye Hui's attitude towards the Li family was relatively straightforward; he had previously made his intentions clear. Li Ximing said:

"Don't rush, let me discuss this with your father."

Li Jiangqian hurriedly said:
"Grand Uncle's injuries have not yet healed, and the elixir is still in the furnace. There's no need to wait here; just leave it to me!"

Li Ximing was also genuinely worried about the furnace fire in the world—it would be time to complete the pill in another month or so. Even though he had the two remaining Horned Wood Pills to heal Li Zhouwei, he simply didn't have the time to sit quietly and heal himself; he had to rush back immediately.

He took one out for the moment and solemnly handed it to Li Jiangqian, saying:

"You take care of things at home. It would be best if your sister could turn the tide once she's sorted things out, but if she can't, she'll likely suffer a serious blow. Don't skimp on this pill; take it as soon as possible, following her advice..."

His gaze dimmed somewhat as he said:
"Wu Shao... is also an elder in the family. Over the years, he has repeatedly avoided calamities and has come this far. In principle, he should be blessed. We hope that he can turn bad luck into good luck."

He left in a hurry, leaving Li Jiangqian to guard the hall. The young man waited for a while, then closed his eyes and sat in meditation. After a long time, the morning sun rose again on the horizon. Only then did he notice two streaks of light approaching the void one after the other. He immediately stepped into the air and whispered:

"What's the situation in the south?!"

Both Chengqian and Liu Changdie were in excellent condition, showing little sign of a fight. The long whip at the waist of this "Complete Elixir" cultivator was not even unfolded. Upon seeing Li Jiangqian, Chengqian immediately said:

“Yu Yang’s presence wasn’t very strong, after all, Qing Ji Fang wasn’t there… It’s said that although those few masters came with great force, they didn’t intend to fight with real weapons. They also had treasures to warn them, so they quickly retreated.”

Li Jiangqian had actually anticipated that this trip would fail, but Chen Yin had gone to great lengths to help, and it wouldn't be right for his family not to send someone. Without wasting a moment, he pulled Chengqian down and whispered:

"Some trouble has arisen within the formation; we need your assistance, fellow Daoist!"

Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. At this moment, Li Jiangqian was actually grateful that Cheng Qian, who had rushed back, was a 'Full Core' cultivator. He descended on the wind, carefully opened the palace door, and said:
"please!"

Cheng Qian glanced at her, his expression changed slightly, and he cautiously stepped forward. The woman floating in mid-air suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils changing color, and stared at him for a moment before stretching out a hand, pointing her index finger downwards at the Xuan Pool.

Cheng Qian immediately understood, sat cross-legged by the pool, supported the shattered jade wall with both hands, and the 'Complete Pill' supernatural power surged in, stabilizing the Xuan Pool. Li Quewan's flowing black hair slowly settled, the silver in her eyes subsided, and she took out another pill and stuffed it into her mouth without any hesitation.

The "Hou Shen Shu" can seize the wonderful uses of pills and artifacts. Li Ximing has accumulated quite a lot of pills over the years. He left all the "Kan Shui" pills that he couldn't use himself to her, which can come in handy.

This scene, witnessed by Li Jiangqian, truly relieved him. He cherished this cousin very much, and even considered sending someone to find Shanbai to check on her. However, he was still worried about Chengqian, and even more so about the emptiness of the lake. So, he cupped his hands to Liu Changdie and said:

"Please, senior, take care of the desert."

"It doesn't matter!"

Liu Changdie took the "Kujin" spiritual treasure and cherished it dearly. He was only worried about Li Quewan's safety, otherwise he would have secretly studied it long ago. It would have been better to be quiet. He headed west in one go.

Li Jiangqian took a few steps back and sat down on the threshold of the main hall, appearing to be protecting the two. Suddenly, footsteps sounded below the hall, and Li Jiangzong hurriedly arrived at the front of the hall, bowing and saying:

"Reporting to my elder brother, a venerable master has come to pay his respects!"

"Real person?"

Li Jiangqian couldn't think of anyone who could be looking for him at this hour, and frowned as he looked at him:

"Whose side are they?"

Li Jiangzong hesitated, shook his head, and looked incredulous, then lowered his head and said:

"He actually claimed to be... a subject of the King of Wei, one of our own, surnamed Yin, named Juexi, with the Taoist name [Kuang Hong]."

We've been dealing with the physical book handover lately, and there are quite a few headaches... There are some differing opinions on aesthetics, but what's confirmed so far is that pre-sales will begin at the end of August.

The first volume is being published now.

There will be 1100 personally signed copies available at Qidian.com. More accurate information will be released then, so those interested can stay tuned. Other details will be announced by the publisher.