Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1243 Gold Matters
The sun talisman shines brightly, hanging above the golden peak, its bright yet not overly intense colors cascading down and undulating among the white clouds.

The cave, filled with purple light, was completely silent. After an unknown amount of time, a faint sound could be heard, as if from an infinitely large void, someone was walking towards it from a very distant place. As they gradually approached, a man descended on the wind.

The man was dressed in gold, his sleeves adorned with depictions of wind, sand, and flames. A silken treasure hung from his arm. His expression was calm. He landed in the cave, and only then did the sound reach him.
"how?"

Within the hazy purple mist, true fire blazed fiercely. A middle-aged man sat cross-legged at the head of the table, his brows furrowed in crimson, like a deity. The golden-robed youth smiled and said:
"A guest is coming, so they specifically asked me to go out."

This is none other than the Celestial Master Tianhuo who has emerged from the grotto!
Master Tianqu was not surprised; his attention was more focused on the young man. He raised an eyebrow and said:

"You've finally succeeded in making the 'Heavenly Golden Armor'!"

Tianhuo remained calm.

"If this doesn't work, I'll be too embarrassed to go back to Shangqing Palace!"

Although his supernatural powers had greatly improved, there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes. He shook his head and said:
"After all, I have only opened up the spiritual aperture. After the Purple Mansion, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even if I have great supernatural powers to rely on, I can only go this far now. It is absolutely impossible for me to reach the Purple Mansion. That's why I want to try to touch 'Free and Easy Wandering'."

"The result was not much different from what my uncle had said. I am too deeply involved in the world and can no longer cultivate this path."

Tian Que's lineage was also not very bright. Although the two were direct descendants of Jin Yi, they had to obediently accept their fate when they reached the end of this path. He sighed and replied:

"Although the Daoist lineage of 'Xiaojin' has been practiced in the mountains, it is ultimately not very mature, so let it be..."

Tian Huo shook his head, no longer thinking about these things, and said:
"Any news from Su Mian's side?"

The True Fire Master stood up and said:
"The fire has been extinguished. Duan Yan was afraid that he would fake his death to escape, so he specially found a treasure to calculate. If no Golden Core cultivator intervened, he would indeed have perished. Now we should observe the strange phenomena in the South China Sea."

He turned his head:
How is Qi Qiuxin?

Tian Huo slowly shook his head and said:

"The long-standing drawback of the independent cultivation system is that it cannot find people with high moral character and spiritual wisdom to promote their talents. Instead, it finds people with high talent to temper their minds and increase their cultivation. Although we have this help, there is no problem for them to enter the Purple Palace. But when they leave the cave, whether they live or die depends on their own fate."

His expression was calm as he said:

"We've already given him what we were promised. We'll just take it back when he's gone."

Clearly, although Jin Yu had no intention of going back on his word, he didn't think highly of this member of the Qi family and didn't want to get involved. Tian Que simply said:
"I think he'll make a mistake and die at Situ Huo's hands first!"

"That's better."

Tian Huo answered casually the whole way, already hearing the black bell outside the cave ringing. He stepped outside, and as soon as he stepped out of the cave shrouded in purple mist, Zhang Duanyan was already waiting in the mountains, listening to someone announce his name from the mountain:
"The Li family of Wangyue, and the Immortal Suyun have come to pay their respects!"

'Su Yun...a fine Taoist name.'

Tian Huo concealed his true feelings, a bright smile appearing on his face. He stepped forward on the clouds and saw a woman emerge from the mountain mist. She was dressed simply in white, with almond-shaped eyes, red lips, and a dot between her eyebrows, exuding elegance.

'Li Quewan… it really is the Golden Book, the very book An Huaitian obtained. Back then, the Li family didn't even have a Purple Mansion… it was most likely given to her by the Green-Eyed Ghost. He burned many cultivation techniques, yet he himself was quite happy to give it away.'

Tian Huo glanced at him; the person before him had already politely bowed and said:
"Greetings to the two esteemed masters. Congratulations, Senior Tianhuo, on your great progress in supernatural powers, and you are on the verge of reaching the Purple Realm!"

Clearly, Li Quewan not only recognized him but also knew his specific level of supernatural power. Tian Huo smiled wryly and replied:

"There's nothing to congratulate me on! This is all I've achieved in my life. You've only just reached the Purple Mansion stage, yet you've already left the Qing family's Yao Shengzi completely bewildered. That's truly impressive. We still need to see how you descendants far surpass me!"

Tian Huo was always sharp-tongued, and even though they were both from Western Shu, he didn't hold back when mentioning someone, immediately accusing him of using medicine to induce childbirth. Li Quewan naturally chuckled inwardly, refusing to answer him. The two sides seemed very enthusiastic, heading together towards a higher cave. They found a secluded spot in the mountains and took their seats according to the order of host and guest. Zhang Duanyan poured tea and said with a smile:

"I'm sorry, the lake is so busy, but Su Yun still made a special trip. I asked her the other day if we should go to the lake ourselves, but I was afraid it would seem too pushy and cause others to misunderstand."

Given the difference in their social status, Jin Yu would never make a second trip. Despite the politeness, Li Quewan deftly took out the small earthenware bowl from her sleeve, gently placed it on the table, and thanked her.
"We must also thank the sect for sparing us these past five years, which allowed my senior to finally refine the pill!"

Zhang Duanyan took the small object, placed her slender fingers on the rim of the bowl, and examined it briefly. Tian Huo then replied:
"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. Judging from the time, the King of Wei's injuries, while not fully healed, have at least been contained. It just takes time to slowly wear him down. My senior also suffered from this calamity, and it was indeed difficult to deal with."

Li Quewan's heart stirred.

'Now that he's here, whatever he does, he'll most likely first show off his abilities and act as if he's figured out the big picture. In other words… it's very possible that, in the eyes of you gentlemen, this is exactly the kind of progress the Prince of Wei is making.'

Observing her expression, she lowered her head slightly, showing some hesitation, and said:

"How about we be more optimistic..."

Tianhuo just laughed and didn't bring up the topic again. He took the small bowl from Zhang Duanyan and said seriously:

“Fellow Daoist Zhaojing is quite thoughtful. This is from Jiuqiu, and it was delivered untouched. However, I am still a little curious.”

He smiled and said:
"I wonder what treasure the nobleman used to make Yuan Dao's colorful sparrow let go of its beak."

In just three or four sentences, Li Quewan realized how venomous the person before him was. He could tolerate Qingji Fang, but Yuan Dao Zhenren had been quite good to him. He could only pretend not to hear and said:
"But it is a secret of Jiuqiu."

Tian Huo neither agreed nor disagreed, and smiled:
“I won’t make things difficult for you. You can guess for yourself that he snatched this thing in his early years to prepare for a rainy day. Now that he has given up on the path of true fire, he is afraid that if we keep it in his hands, we will ask him for it back, so he simply threw it away early.”

'As expected, this fire resonates with a certain ancient realm, which is beneficial to the True Fire Dao!'

Li Quewan became even more certain that his elder brother was merely bluffing, and he couldn't afford to undermine him. So, feigning sudden realization, he exclaimed in shock:

"I see!"

Tianhuo and Zhang Duanyan exchanged a secret glance, and the young man said:
"Duan Yan, go and fetch the cultivation method."

Zhang Duanyan bowed and then vanished like smoke. Tian Huo, with a smile on his face, said:
"I heard that the great battle in the Great Void was very exciting, and that the 'Kujin' lineage was involved... Is that true?"

Li Quewan nodded:
"It's a good friend of my family member."

Tian Huo put down the jade cup in his hand, his smile unchanged, but he hesitated for a moment, as if thinking about how to start the conversation. After a long while, he said:
"Is this person considered a member of the Li family?"

Li Quewan grasped the deeper meaning in his words and immediately became wary. A wave of doubt washed over her, and she had a bad feeling, but she maintained a puzzled expression and replied:
"Senior Liu is a true friend of my family. He came from the East Sea to set up the formation for my family. He helped us in the great battle and has been very kind to King Wei and to my Li family."

Seeing that Tian Huo was not going to talk about it, but also not to say it outright, she simply took over the mantle of her elders to protect Liu Changdie, which surprised Tian Huo. He glanced at her with some surprise and secretly thought to himself:

'So it turns out he wasn't solely focused on seeking the Dao after all.'

The young man smiled, decisively abandoned his probing, stood up with his hands behind his back, and said quietly:

"The affairs of the world regarding the Golden Virtue are twofold: first, the Golden One ascends to the Azure, and second, the Observation and Understanding of Freedom. It is one thing for 'Kujin' to be a rogue cultivator, but it is worth questioning whose sect he has joined."

For the first time since Li Quewan entered the mountain, the smile vanished from the young man's face. Tian Huo's expression turned solemn as he said:
"Whether the 'Kujin' can be resolved, when it can be resolved, and even when someone will attain enlightenment, are not only major issues concerning the fundamental laws of the two paths, but also important matters involving many parties, and cannot be acted upon lightly."

"He was initially a rogue cultivator, and no one paid him any attention. They just wanted to use him to make arrangements. 'Kujin' was the safest option, but once he fell into someone else's hands, there was a risk of him interfering with the overall situation."

Li Quewan understood his meaning, hesitated for a moment, and simply followed his words, softly saying:

“My family has a shallow foundation, how could I possibly have the intention to interfere with Jin’s affairs?”

Tian Huo shook his head and said:

"He has the [Mysterious Treasury Request Certificate] in his hands, so he's no shallow person. The Dragon subordinate sent the item over, I wonder what his intentions are. We can't just ignore it—this isn't to force you, but to remind you that if my family doesn't take care of it, someone else will, and that won't be so dignified."

The woman sensed the strong warning in his words and frowned, saying:

"So, what does the senior mean?"

Tianhuo Youyou Didao:

“This matter is very easy, and I will not let the King of Wei hurt our friendship. I have a copy of the ‘Qi Jin’ method here. Please take it back with you. Whether you cultivate it or not is entirely up to your nobleman. The consequences will be borne by that Fellow Daoist Liu himself.”

"Qi Jin!"

Li Quewan clearly knew about the [Kuqi Lock]! Liu Changdie was just a Kujin cultivator, and he had only cultivated the 'Qijin' supernatural power. What kind of end could he possibly have? With two supernatural powers locked together, even a True Monarch himself probably couldn't prevent him from cultivating the next supernatural power!

'Thorough indeed!'

Seeing the shock in her eyes, the young man's expression became more solemn than ever before, and he said:
"Let me make this clear to you, this technique is not meant to harm him at all, but to prove my innocence. If he gets killed, don't blame me, Jin Yi!"

The emotions in Li Quewan's eyes froze for a moment. After a long silence, the woman said:
"I'm afraid we won't be able to wait until he cultivates more supernatural powers..."

Tianhuo laughed:

"If he were to cultivate one or two more paths, Qing Yunyang and Wang Jinglue might come to the lake—of course, Master Jinglue would probably be too busy to come, so it would be Wang Xun who would come."

Li Quewan felt a chill run through her heart.

This Qing Yunyang is unknown, but he must be an important figure in the Qing family. Wang Jinglue is no stranger to him; he has heard of his name before—he is the father of Wang Xun!
'So the Qing clan also cared…that's why the Dragon Clan's [Mysterious Treasury Request Letter] was delayed for so long, only being delivered just before the great battle. If it had been delivered earlier and the Qing clan had known, the person who came from the desert would have been an extremely terrifying figure! They would have definitely killed him and destroyed my family's great formation as well…'

"So that's how it is. The Dragon clan wants to make a move, but doesn't want to offend my family, hence their roundabout approach!"

Upon hearing this, Li Quewan realized the deeper meaning behind the person before him, and finally rose and bowed deeply.
"On behalf of Senior Liu, I thank Jin Yi."

Tian Huo chuckled and said:
"Don't worry, as long as he repairs that Qi Jin, I guarantee no one will be able to make things difficult for him anymore, but..."

He changed the subject and said:
"If he's willing to accept this favor, I also have a favor to ask of him."

Li Quewan raised her eyebrows, saw him, and smiled:
“The day my father attains enlightenment is drawing near. As his children, we have a filial duty and hope that he can see the auspicious signs of the treasury and the lock, and that he can take a day to meet with my father.”

The young man said solemnly:

"It can only benefit him, not harm him."

'So there was this other consideration... Kim Il really did have a plan!'

Li Quewan sighed inwardly and replied:

"I will definitely pass on the message."

She composed herself and raised her head:
"However, there is one thing I don't understand. Please answer it, senior."

Tian Huo glanced at him quietly and said with a smile:
"please say."

Li Quewan stared intently at him and said softly:
"It is often said that there are three kinds of gold in the world. Since this is a matter of the virtue of gold, shouldn't there be another family involved?"

Tian Huo was taken aback by her question about this matter, and then carefully replied:
"This is one of the secrets, but it's not really a secret to adults. Since you asked, I'll mention it."

"The earliest Three Golds of the Sea were actually three people: my family's [Yanhua Shangqing], [Guanjie Xiaojin], and [Taijun Zhifeng]... which is the Sword Sect."

'【Yanhua Shangqing】...【Yanhua】,'

Mentioning the fallen True Monarch of the Sword Sect, Tian Huo's expression remained unchanged, still smiling, as he said:
"Shortly after the death of the master of the Sword Gate, my master went further and changed to the position of Dui. However, he attracted great attention from the position of Geng. He formed his own path with the supreme method, changed the name of Dui, and carried out the affairs of metal. He used the past self and the self of reform to allude to the position of Geng. In fact, the path of Geng metal still refers to my master!"

"This is the result of my master's enlightenment, and it is also why my path has two tracks. If we must give them names, the three golds are [Contemplation and Understanding Gold], [Evolution of Splendor and Cyan], and [World-Piercing Gold One]!"

Even though Li Quewan knew nothing about Jin De, he was still shocked by the words he spoke and broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding:

'What kind of supernatural power is this! What kind of skill is this!'

It should be known that throughout history, all those who have tried to attain the second position have perished. Even the Great Sage, known as the number one demon emperor in the world, has failed here. Even if Taiyuan only alludes to and attracts Gengwei, it is by no means a simple matter for the world to subconsciously call him the Three Golden Proofs!
'Is such a person really just a Golden Core cultivator...? He's probably not far from reaching the Dao Embryo stage!'