Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1238 Gold Matters
Qing Zhuo, standing below, looked slightly embarrassed. He didn't rise from the steps, only replying:
"After all... after all, he did contribute. Since the master has spoken, he can cause as much trouble as he wants, so let him do as he pleases—this is what should have happened."

These words made the person inside take a step forward, and he said coldly:

"It's really quite a mess... I don't expect him to achieve anything great, but since he's decided to be an adversary, even if he doesn't become Wei Xuanyin, he should at least be comparable to the likes of Qi Lanyan, then my Qing family won't be disgraced... What is this state of affairs now? If I were Li Zhouwei, I would laugh my head off and wouldn't deign to be his enemy!"

"If he didn't have Changhuai behind him... he'd just be another Guangchan!"

Qingzhuo buried his head and said:
"Being able to act as a cicada is enough; as long as it doesn't perish too soon..."

Clearly, Qingzhuo was very affectionate in calling his clan uncle at the foot of the mountain, acting as if he could handle everything. But he was also very cold-hearted. The two people inside and outside the Jade Palace were only worried that Qingji had lost in a dishonorable way and disgraced Changhuaishan!

However, those in the Jade Palace were unwilling to mention Qingji Fang, and instead spoke in a calm and indifferent tone:
"Kim Il's schemes are complex and are unfolding layer upon layer. Avoid touching anything that you can avoid... lest you get caught up in his schemes again."

Qingzhuo was in a difficult position and whispered:

"But...but the Li family...has a True Person who has reached the 'Complete Elixir' stage..."

When he mentioned this woman, a look of amazement appeared in his eyes, and he replied:

“This person is shrouded in mystery. Judging from her age, she is definitely not over a hundred, and may even be seventy or eighty... If the Li family is willing to support her, given her cultivation speed, she may be able to obtain gold.”

The people in the Jade Palace seemed to have known all along, but they hadn't expected this woman to receive such high praise from their own genius. Qing Zhuo then solemnly said:
"What's even more remarkable is... she's skilled in witchcraft, and it seems she's already quite accomplished! Although she uses bloodline to cast spells, she's far from reaching the level of Duanmu Kui or Jiang Boqing, but she's already surpassed the 'Upper Witch' Purple Mansion level of the same cultivation!"

He said softly:

"Could it be related to...that book?"

Although he didn't call out names, the people inside already understood his meaning and said calmly:

"impossible."

Qingzhuo quickly lowered his head, but heard the man chuckle and say:

"You people are ignorant and dare to associate with Duanmu Kui as soon as you see a bit of witchcraft... You're wrong. If that girl really had the 'Answering the Beggar's Questions Under the Mulberry Tree,' and she had a pinch of her magical blood, and you hadn't learned any way to defend yourself, do you know what would have happened?"

"Then Qing Jifang didn't just lose his head! He probably turned into a pig or a dog on the spot, and if you reached out to save him, he would bite you with red eyes!"

Qing Zhuo frowned in disbelief as he listened to his cold laugh:

"Duanmu Kui dared to claim he was invincible among the entire Jiangnan Daoist tradition... Who do you think his opponents were back then? Zi Pei and Zi Mu were one thing, but even the arrogant Lou Xing was defeated by him..."

"In his later years, he was caught off guard by the schemes of all sides and had no choice but to hide at Wangyue Lake, taking refuge under the guise of [Qingyi Yuanxinyi]. He seemed miserable, but if he were to truly unleash his anger, no one would dare to stop him even if he stormed Qingchi..."

The man seemed quite emotional, whether from lingering fear or relief, and said:
"Even if you gentlemen suspect that you are trying to cover it up yourself, he will push you out. That's why there is Xiao Chuting, who has been hiding his Purple Mansion cultivation for many years. Under the cover of the gentlemen, he used the 'Old Man of the Creek' whose origin is unknown to destroy the 'Emperor Ying'. He has been enjoying the benefits for more than a hundred years until today. Otherwise, why do you think he could get a compromise? Why is his progress in supernatural powers so unstoppable? His current cultivation speed is almost catching up with that of a reincarnated person."

The person inside said coldly:
"This girl must have obtained her Dao inheritance from the fox clan. As for the 'complete elixir' you mentioned, Jin Yi is definitely worried, but he doesn't want to break ties with the Li family, so he just pretends not to care. Who knows what he's doing behind the scenes? It's not like they don't have the ability to plot against this woman without making a sound or arousing suspicion!"

"Chang Yun wasn't present during that major battle, wasn't it because Jin Yi wanted to force her to go all out and see her skills and true worth? Otherwise, given their shrewdness, why wouldn't they do her a favor!"

Qingzhuo nodded thoughtfully and replied:
"Then let's..."

"Not urgent."

The person in the Xuan Palace said calmly:
"It's already a good thing that we were able to detect Jin Yi's wariness. The fact that the [Chongyang Juxing Treasure Plate] could appear means that the white Qilin definitely has a way to suppress it. The rest is not important. As for this suddenly appearing 'treasury gold'..."

"Your mention of the dragon genus is actually incorrect."

He calmed down and finally said:
"Most things in the world cannot escape Shangqing's discerning eye. The so-called Jinde matter is nothing more than a private matter handled behind closed doors by the Shangqing and Yinghua families. Don't think that just because Xiaojin is truly reclusive, he doesn't care about anything—after Liu Changdie appeared and confirmed the 'Kujin' lineage, didn't the Xiaojin Wang family immediately say they wanted to obtain the sword intent and send a junior to investigate? They even went to Wangyue Lake. These are all things that have been foreshadowed for a long time!"

“If the Dragon Clan doesn’t give us that thing, we won’t bother with this useless piece. Now that the ‘Kujin’ has obtained the ‘Mysterious Treasury Request Certificate,’ their path to enlightenment may be continued, which does pose a threat to you, sir. But we should wait for them to express their opinion before we can deal with them.”

His voice paused slightly before he said:
"Wait and see. If Jin Yi and Xiao Jin don't express their opinions, then we will take action. At that time, whether they are killed or tortured will be just a matter of saying a word."

……

The sun and moon shine together over heaven and earth.

A sudden inspiration struck, and brilliance shimmered. The golden furnace, placed amidst the ethereal smoke and clouds, radiated a lustrous, jade-white light, while flames of red and gold danced slowly at its base, emitting a mysterious glow.

The Taoist master in the platinum robe sat upright in front of the furnace, his slightly pale face filled with solemnity. His hands were pressed tightly against the edge of the furnace, and his face was covered in sweat, clearly indicating that he had reached his limit.

The difficulty of this Taiyin Pill far exceeded Li Ximing's imagination—you must know that Li Ximing formed the pill in this world where the sun and moon shine together, which coincided with the characteristics of Taiyin being stored. In this respect, there is no place in the world that can provide greater blessing than this place!

Even though he had made all the preparations and had the blessing of the [Eastern Destiny Bottle], the various obstacles along the way still made his journey difficult. Now that he was injured, it was even more difficult.

But Li Ximing had his own solution.

While barely maintaining the flames, the immortal reached into a jade cabinet and pulled out a small bottle, which flew to the furnace opening. The moonlight-like color immediately poured down.

【Taiyin Yuehua】.

At such a crucial moment, nourished by top-tier spiritual energy, the restless alchemy furnace instantly calmed down, all the pent-up spiritual energy dissolved, all the difficulties blocking its path vanished, and all the illusory yin energy gathered and condensed. Li Ximing raised his palms and slapped them onto the furnace:
"Buzz!"

The furnace lid suddenly popped open, but there was no unusual smell or mystery. Only soft moonlight shone from the furnace opening. Li Ximing took a step forward and raised his eyebrows to look.

The furnace was pitch black, with only a small elixir at the bottom emitting light. It was no bigger than a fingernail, perfectly round, and its material was indistinguishable. It emitted a hazy light and was surrounded by a faint white mist, forming a stark contrast with the pitch-black furnace, like a bright moon in the night.

'Finally done!'

Li Ximing let out a deep breath, carefully took out the jade box, poured out the prepared water from the mansion inside, completely enveloping the pill, and carefully nurtured it for eighty-one days before activating his magic power to gently scoop up the bright moon in the water.

Only then did Li Ximing catch a whiff of the osmanthus fragrance that made his blood boil. He dared not smell it for long and quickly put it in a jade box. He first informed Li Jiangqian and the others with a jade talisman before excitedly going down from the pavilion to the courtyard below.

The place was dimly lit, and the small courtyard seemed to contain countless desert winds. Blood-red sand covered the ground, and the young man sat cross-legged in the center with his eyes closed. He was surrounded by a golden aura, with a swaying ring of the setting sun behind him and a bright sun shining between his brows.

Although this King of Wei was beset by misfortune, he did not resemble a wounded or sick person at all. Accompanied by a constantly shifting radiance, he appeared imposing and menacing. Li Ximing was only slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized what was going on:

His "Red-Broken Arrow" is now complete!

Li Ximing guessed correctly. Li Zhouwei had said some time ago that it would take another three or four years for the "Red Arrowhead" supernatural power to be perfected, which was a conservative estimate. In fact, the time it took to achieve it was even faster than he thought!

Almost the instant Li Ximing's gaze fell on his face, Li Zhouwei opened his eyes at the same time, his gray-white eyes sweeping over under the rolling setting sun.

But in the eyes of this King of Wei, his uncle was pale and his lips were crimson, like a patient in the dead of winter, displaying a pitiful state of exhaustion of supernatural powers and recurring injuries. Only his eyes shone brightly with joy, and he said:
"Minghuang, the elixir is complete!"

"Uncle..."

Li Zhouwei stood up, a glint of anger flashing in his greyish-white eyes, and frowned as he said:

"Who left these wounds? This kind of turmoil is going to damage the foundation!"

Li Ximing was so focused on refining this pill that he didn't pay any attention to the changes in time. These words startled him, and after a quick calculation, he suddenly understood:
'I thought it would be done in a month or two, but counting the days… with all the moonlight and gentle care, it's already been over half a year! My injury has been left untreated for half a year!'

So he shook his head bitterly:

"I know it myself... It's that Shan Yin's method. After all, he's a Great Master. Even with secret techniques to share the burden, it's still quite serious."

The joy in his eyes faded slightly. He sighed and continued:
"But what can I do? The pill has been refined to this point. If I don't succeed, all my previous efforts will be wasted. They will take away my true fire. Even if I am injured, I cannot stop. It is already a stroke of luck that I was able to succeed with the help of the moon's essence. If I hadn't had this, it wouldn't have been that the pill couldn't be made, but that I would have exhausted all my efforts and suffered great damage to my supernatural powers and magic! I am already doing well now. I want to succeed with the pill and also want to go out and fight. How can I have both at the same time?"

He didn't want to talk about it anymore, and just smiled and said:
"The pill is ready. You can take it anytime!"

'Single Inch.'

Li Zhouwei's expression darkened slightly, but he finally nodded and said:

“My ‘Crimson Arrow’ technique has been perfected, surpassing even its former glory, and my cultivation has long since surpassed the Purple Realm. However, my ‘Emperor’s Observation’ technique is still lacking, falling short by a single point. Let them roam freely for a few more years. I will avenge my uncle.”

Li Ximing sighed and said:
I just hope everything goes well for you!

Li Zhouwei, however, was thinking about Li Ximing and shook his head, saying:

"Uncle, you have achieved supernatural powers for more than 20 years, but due to years of alchemy and fighting, you have not had much time to cultivate. Now that Jiangqian has come out to manage affairs, please focus on cultivating for a few years while waiting for your injuries to heal. Consider it as a chance to come into contact with the third supernatural power as soon as possible and achieve it sooner."

Li Ximing knew his own situation well. Compared to Si Yuanli and others who were recklessly improving their cultivation, Li Ximing's progress over the past twenty years had been remarkably slow. He didn't say anything more, only smiled bitterly:
"That's a matter for later, but there's something I need to discuss with you right now."

So he began to recount Ye Hui's words and actions, and also mentioned the term "Yin Run Yi Qi." Li Zhouwei listened to everything, seemed to understand, and secretly memorized it, saying:

"【Yin Run Yi Qi】is not difficult to obtain, and it is not even considered a top-tier spiritual energy in Taiyin. Compared to it, my family's 【Xuan Qing Yue Cui】is actually more outstanding. However, given Que Wan's current condition, it is not easy to help him with this. It is not something that can be resolved in the next few years."

"After all... to resolve the calamity, I still need her Taiyin Spiritual Treasure to help me. Fortunately, as long as I am in this world, I will not be bound by the calamity and can cultivate for the time being. I can afford to wait for everything."

Li Zhouwei didn't seem anxious, but the mention of Li Quewan made Li Ximing uneasy again.

“The lake is empty, and only Jiang Qian can free up his hands, so it’s not good to leave the lake to the outside world. I just activated the jade talisman, but he couldn’t spare a moment to come in. I’m afraid there’s some trouble. I should go out again before healing.”

Li Zhouwei had no choice but to nod, and said seriously:
"Since Uncle has gone out, we must inquire about the [Traveling Emperor's Inauspicious Star]!"

Now that Li Zhouwei had come into contact with the Purple Ginseng, Li Ximing was even more eager than Li Zhouwei himself for this 'Emperor's View of the Origin' spiritual energy! How could he forget it? Naturally, he agreed, while drawing out the Six Directions Light to stabilize his injuries, and then rode the light down from the cave, revealing his figure on the lake island.

He stepped out of the main hall and crossed several pavilions of the inner formation in one step, appearing in front of the main hall in the center. A figure was standing in front of the hall, a young man with a tall and straight posture, it was Li Jiangqian!

The young man spotted him immediately, his gaze a mixture of joy and worry, but Li Ximing couldn't care less and asked with concern:

How is your sister?

Li Jiangqian turned slightly to the side and pointed to the palace gate. Li Ximing immediately understood and used his Chayou technique. He saw that the inside was rich in color and flashed with red and silver light. The Xuan Pool came into view. Although it still had a large number of glass-like patterns, it looked much more stable!
Li Wushao, sitting upright in the center, looked much better. The True Man Chengqian remained seated by the pool, his hands pressing against the edge, channeling his supernatural powers to stabilize the state of the Mysterious Pool.

Li Quewan stood in the air, her pretty face solemn, holding the crimson silver imperial edict pill in the center with both hands, gathering a massive amount of divine power, her aura had already climbed to its peak!

Li Jiangqian then solemnly used his supernatural powers to transmit the message:

"Grand Uncle, there were still some days before it was refined into a spiritual treasure, but Senior Wushao was shaken and could not be delayed any longer. The two True Immortals urgently pushed the divine essence to its peak, and [Divine Edict] has reached the most crucial step..."

"Life or death depends on this step! If you can cross it, there will be no more danger. You can nurture the spiritual treasure with you for three years and it will become miraculous!"

Li Ximing's heart also sank:

'No wonder he didn't come in to see me!'