Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1263 At This Moment
The sun and moon shine together over heaven and earth.

Colors coalesced, clouds surged, and white iridescence flowed between heaven and earth. The young man sat quietly on the jade platform, the bright sunlight on his body constantly receding and gathering between his two palms.

As the last bit of color from the [Lin Guang Zhao Yi Dan] in the Qi Sea sank and turned into specks of white light, a bright spot finally leaped up from the snow-capped white mist, illuminating all directions!

"Emperor Guanyuan".

Li Zhouwei exhaled a puff of white air.

'Seven hundred and twelve days... the second stage, 'Emperor's Observation,' is complete!'

Whether it's Daoist cultivation, Daoist wisdom, or cultivation talent, Li Zhouwei is among the best in the world. With ample resources, even though the 'Emperor's Origin' is incredibly rare, he only spent nearly two years to cultivate his immortal foundation!

If it weren't for the fluctuations in his supernatural powers and the injuries that hindered his cultivation, his speed would have been even faster.

'In just three more years, once this foundation for immortality is complete, supernatural powers will be within reach.'

Of course, Li Zhouwei wouldn't waste time polishing his immortal foundation. Instead, he stood up and went to the pavilion. When he arrived at the table, his gaze fell on the long-necked jade bottle on it.

He bowed, closed his eyes and focused his mind. He saw the jade bottle shake rapidly. In a short while, a bright white ribbon leaped up, circled in the air, and poured down!

It is the Qi of the talisman.

The speed at which the Li family members advanced to the perfect immortal foundation was actually quite terrifying. Each wisp of talismanic energy used for nourishment was no less than a Purple Mansion spiritual object. This white wisp remained in his sea of ​​qi, sweeping over the immortal foundation, lingering and constantly nourishing it.

Li Zhouwei steadied his breathing, calming his restless immortal foundation, and exhaled a long breath before closing his eyes to perform calculations:

'With the nourishment of this supreme substance, even if I don't cultivate, my immortal foundation will be fully formed in five years. It won't delay anything...'

Indeed, Li Zhouwei was planning to fight while simultaneously rebuilding his strength.

'If we can conquer Luoxia in five years and return to the lake in triumph, we will have just achieved the perfect foundation for immortality and can immediately attain supernatural powers!'

After he recuperated for a while, there was movement in the pavilion, and colorful light shimmered. Li Quewan entered, stepping on the crimson wind. He only gave a slight bow, and Li Zhouwei smiled and said:

"That's right, you were here even earlier than me."

Li Quewan nodded with a smile.

Her "Waiting for the Divine" has been fulfilled!

Li Quewan attained enlightenment five years later than Li Jiangqian. All told, it has taken her sixteen years to master this supernatural power. She spent just as much time elsewhere, so her success here can be described as miraculous!
She said softly:

"Reporting to the King of Wei, I took the elixir and completed the cultivation three months ago. These days I have been in seclusion studying the arts and making preparations in secret."

A hint of regret flashed in her eyes when she mentioned this, and she said:
“The Owl Sunflower’s ‘Sand-Touching Incantation’ combines the principles of transformation with the power of witchcraft, making it extremely suitable for me. It’s just a pity that the time was too short. I only had a hundred days to master this technique, but it’s still not enough to make a standout performance.”

Li Zhouwei nodded in satisfaction. Upon reaching the Purple Mansion realm, the mysteries of magic were boundless; even ordinary methods rarely allowed one to grasp the basics within three months, let alone the notoriously difficult 'Complete Elixir.' He simply said:

"You have a profound foundation and a deep understanding of change. Your advantages will become even more obvious once you reach the Purple Mansion realm. You can utilize all kinds of spiritual pills and artifacts. Who knows, your cultivation might even surpass that of your elder brother!"

Without hesitation, he raised his head and took a step forward. The sun and moon and the scenery around him swayed by, and the lake water under his feet shimmered. He had already arrived on the continent!

With just this one step, he sensed something, raised an eyebrow, and looked up. His golden gaze fell on the mountain peaks along the lake shore, and as he looked at the grand hall perched atop the mountain, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

'Not bad...it worked!'

Li Quewan also gazed at the mountain with great curiosity, but Li Zhouwei in front of him did not go there immediately. Instead, he took another step, and the scenery around him suddenly changed, turning into a mountain peak with white flowers falling and flames rolling.

Gardenia Mountain!

The immortal seated atop the jade pillar seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, a flash of golden light passing through them, and instantly a look of joy appeared on his face. He descended upon the celestial light and said:

"They've emerged from quarantine?!"

"Yes."

The man immediately looked at Li Quewan and nodded repeatedly. Li Zhouwei, with a slight smile in his eyes, sighed:

"Congratulations, Uncle."

Before him stood Li Ximing, radiant with light. The heavenly light between his brows grew ever brighter, and a circle of radiant light surrounded him, emanating a faint, colorful divine light and shadow belonging to the Purple Mansion—the 'Brightness Under Heaven' was perfectly perfected!
Li Ximing couldn't help but smile when he heard his words.

"Yes...it's finally done! I have to thank Jueyin for this!"

His face lit up with even more joy, and then he realized what he had just done, slapped his thigh, and laughed:

"Minghuang, the final poem is complete!"

Li Quewan then realized what was happening, while Li Zhouwei shook his head and laughed:

"I know."

Li Ximing nodded in realization, turned around to pour tea, and smiled:
"He cultivated to the 'Eternal Radiance Stage' and took a bit of my Six Directions Light... I didn't expect to gain anything from it!"

These days, Li Ximing still sits upright on the mountain, sending his [Different Body] to watch over the furnace, secretly focusing on cultivating his supernatural powers.

The "Brightness of the World" technique was repeatedly refined in his Shengyang Mansion, slowly gaining light at a torturous pace. Even with the assistance of the "Lin Guang Zhao Yi Dan" (a type of pill), it still seemed to be progressing with great difficulty, but Li Ximing had long been used to it.

Unexpectedly, now that he has gone into seclusion, "Tianxia Ming" is pulsating, as if it has received some kind of response. The originally bumpy path of cultivation is like the creation of heaven and earth, flowing with patches of color, and the speed has more than doubled!
"The light of the six directions that was given not only had no effect on me, but it even helped me to cultivate the 'Light of the World'!"

Li Ximing was overjoyed.

Li Zhouwei's concern was naturally seen by him. Li Jiangqian was very anxious when he came to find him. Twenty years had passed and he dared not fail. But from another perspective, it had taken Li Ximing thirty-one years just to perfect his "Tianxia Ming"!

Whether it's Li Jiangqian, Li Quewan, or even Cui Jueyin now, these younger generations have achieved success one after another. He is happy in his heart, but when he looks back at his own cultivation speed, he can't help but feel anxious—even though he hasn't been cultivating for very long.

Now that he finally had the opportunity, he decisively took the elixir, secluded himself for a long time, and completed his cultivation in less than two years!
Standing in the mountains at this moment, his supernatural powers and energy were in perfect harmony. The perfection of "The World Under Heaven" made his opportunities more restrained, and he also improved his divination skills.

"The Everlasting Steps..."

Li Zhouwei first carefully observed his demeanor, then listened to him relay Cui Jueyin's words. He nodded slightly, not surprised, and smiled:

“It should be so… The so-called ‘Emperor’s View of the Origin’ refers to the system of ruler and subject, ‘the world is enlightened’, the heart of superior and inferior, without rank or honor, how can the world be enlightened? This is in line with the intention and the supernatural power. If it is not cultivated successfully, then there is a problem with the cultivation method.”

Li Ximing nodded repeatedly, still beaming with joy. However, seeing that his exit from seclusion was approaching, doubts quickly arose, and he said:
"That's unfortunate... Jiang Qian just took the elixir and went into seclusion. Even with the help of the teaching and assisting divine power [Double Fire Brightness Instrument], it's definitely not something that can be accomplished in two years!"

He said regretfully:

"It's a pity that the [Double Fire and Two Bright Instruments] have the merit of achieving enlightenment, and he needs to cultivate with it, so he can't spare the time. Otherwise, if you could take this spiritual treasure to the north, it would be just as good as adding wings to a tiger!"

"It doesn't matter."

Li Zhouwei gently shook his head:
“He’s in seclusion. He doesn’t necessarily have to come with me this time. We agreed on ten years before, and his main purpose is for the Xiao family’s affairs later. Staying in the desert to guard it is also useful. On the contrary, Que Wan must come with me to the north.”

There is no doubt that Li Zhouwei will definitely use the "Taiyin" spiritual treasure on this trip. In any case, Li Quewan must go with him!
He said quietly:
“Now Que Wan is actually safer, especially since the two of them have not yet mastered their supernatural powers. Jiang Qian is in far greater danger than Que Wan… After all, in terms of supernatural powers, when it comes to saving lives, ‘Li Huo’ is far inferior to ‘Quan Dan’.”

"From a broader perspective, Jin Yu seems intent on protecting her. Luo Xia is right under their noses, and we can't just sit idly by, both morally and logically. Jiang Qian has no one to help him, and he's my eldest son, which is of great use to Shi Xiu, so he's in danger."

Li Quewan listened attentively without saying a word, while Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully and said:

"Minghuang had planned to have him guard the lake all along..."

Li Zhouwei neither confirmed nor denied, only saying:

"Is there any news about Jiang Chun?"

Upon hearing this, the immortal before him quickly took out the black talisman from his sleeve, solemnly handed it to him, and said softly:
“He never came back… It was Yang Tianyou—she returned under the pretense of returning home in place of her husband and handed this item to me.”

Li Zhouwei gently picked it up. The talisman had extremely complex patterns and a faint dark light. Upon examination with his spiritual sense, it was completely empty, clearly indicating that it had been blessed by 'exiled Qi'!
"The Yang family has agreed to take action, and it's not Yang Ruiyi or Yang Ruizhao who are involved, but the people behind them... Perhaps they are forced to do so, or perhaps they had this intention all along, but at least they agree now."

After observing for a long time, Li Zhouwei suddenly answered, and Li Ximing said in a low voice:
"She said the Song emperor...wants to move the capital!"

Since Li Zhouwei emerged from seclusion, he had somewhat foreseen various scenarios. Even the good news of Cui Jueyin's breakthrough only made him raise an eyebrow. However, upon hearing the words "relocation of the capital," he showed a surprised and complex expression for the first time. After a long silence, he said:
"Jingchuan or Shanji?"

Li Ximing nodded and said:
"The news hasn't spread yet, but the court sent people to Jingchuan to pay respects to their ancestors. The whole Song Dynasty is saying that it's a power struggle between two sides, and that the Song Emperor wants to seize Jianmen's autonomy. Rumors are flying everywhere, and it's very unpleasant. After receiving this news, we realized that they were making preparations in secret, and it must be Jingchuan!"

"Has courage..."

Li Zhouwei gave a thumbs-up and said:
"The salt lake has been leveled. Although Lingji is at its peak, there is no place to defend it. Once the capital is moved, the northern gate will become a marshland. This gate is not very secure, and it is even adjacent to the Yan and Qi regions. Once it is breached, the north can advance straight in and immediately besiege the city!"

"In this way, the Jianghuai region, which was once a place where one could advance or retreat at will, has immediately become a forbidden zone where not an inch of land can be ceded... If there is unrest in the north, there will be big trouble..."

A hint of complexity appeared in his eyes:
"This is using his imperial destiny to force the Yang family to their doom!"

If that were all, it wouldn't have surprised him so much, but Li Zhouwei had a good grasp of the situation and understood his predicament.

"The most troublesome thing is... it's the Yang family that's being pressured, not the underworld... these are completely different things, this is a gamble..."

If the underworld is not firm enough in its determination to help Yang Zhuo achieve enlightenment, and harbors even the slightest thought that success is not guaranteed, then one Yang family member will not be enough to stand up to in the north!
The Song emperor's intentions here are clear, just like the conversation in that small pavilion years ago:
'Unless I, Yang Zhuo, perish before I seek the Dao, no one in the Great Song Dynasty will hinder Prince Wei's pursuit of the Dao!'

Based on his actions today alone, he already deserves that title!

Li Zhouwei gazed southward into the distance, remaining silent for a long time. His five fingers slowly closed, and the black wooden talisman in his palm shattered instantly, like a piece of rotten wood!

An invisible stream of light leaped up, like a layer of gray mist, or like a swaying dark light. It first borrowed the vastness of the void and quickly disappeared by the lake. Only then did it sense the heavens and earth, seemingly connecting with a distant existence.

Li Ximing suddenly turned pale.

Of course he knew what Li Zhouwei was doing after leaving the pass. Although Li Ximing's eyesight wasn't particularly strong, he was blessed with supernatural powers and was quite experienced, so he had already observed it!
At this moment, the King of Wei appeared to be in a state of weakened supernatural power. His physical body was vaguely injured, but no magical power was leaking out, and his aura was steady, clearly indicating that his old injuries had not yet healed.

If it were someone else, they would probably think that he was still recovering from the Wu Earth injury, but both pills came from Li Ximing's hands, so if it wasn't a Wu Earth injury, it must be the Ginseng Purple Crossing!
This made him silently lower his head, sighing inwardly:

'The threshold of the Purple Realm is difficult to cross, and it even faintly involves the secrets of various Dao lineages. Failure to break through results in injuries ranging from minor to severe, so it's normal for him to be injured... But for such an important matter, he didn't even ask me for a pill or two...'

Perhaps... the odds weren't very high to begin with.

He had already begun secretly considering what kind of elixir to use to heal Li Zhouwei, thinking he would have to wait several months to prepare properly. But unexpectedly, the Prince of Wei crushed the talisman in his hand in an instant! He was stunned for a moment, then whispered to confirm:

"now?"

Li Zhouwei's golden eyes shone brightly, as if he understood his meaning, and he said softly:
“There are capable people in the north who may see through Jingchuan’s scheme. The longer we wait, the more things may go wrong.”

He felt something was amiss, but there were other reasons as well:

'If I don't act soon, my injuries will become unmanageable!'

Li Zhouwei's supernatural abilities are high, and the "Jun Dao Wei" technique has the blessing of escaping danger. Even though his blood and body are precious, his healing speed is not slow. He has cultivated the "Xuan Hong Technique" for many years, and his pure energy is surging. It can be said that he has to repair his injuries himself at all times!

While cultivating, Li Zhouwei also had to suppress the power of the [Mysterious Brilliance Technique]!

He has put in a lot of effort to maintain his injuries until today, to keep them in this state where the calamity has been averted but the old wounds from the Salt Lake have not yet healed. If it had been delayed any longer, the injuries would have slowly healed on their own over time, and he probably would have been fully healed before he even saw the world!

"We can't delay any longer, it has to be now!"