Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1275 Xuan Nei
Yinling.

Yinling is located in Luoxia, in the most fertile part of this fertile plain. It was originally a flat area called Luoye. The Tao family migrated from the east and settled here. Over the generations, they moved small hills and mounds back, and the terrain gradually became undulating.

These small hills and mounds can only be considered as creating one or two secret realms, mostly based on the three Yin elements. Ultimately, they lack the powerful spiritual energy of the earth's veins, so they are renamed Yinling.

Above the Yinling Mausoleum, white mist churned, and a jade pavilion hung high. An old man and a young man sat facing each other inside. The distant energy was constantly churning, causing Tao Jiexing to glance at it with concern. The young man said:

"A divine power has fallen... Qi soars to the heavens; it must be Gongsun Bei..."

"It can only be him."

Xuan Wei calmly picked up a chess piece from his hand, placed it on the table, and said softly:
"He will fall sooner or later... It's clear that Jiang Tou Shou led him out again. If the King of Wei is determined, he will surely die."

Tao Jiexing picked up a white piece, but stared thoughtfully at the board, unsure of how to place it. He then heard the person before him say:

"This Gongsun Bei... was once a pawn of the Compassionate Path. The Compassionate Path originally intended to take him in after he got to where he is now. However, for some reason, now that person is in charge of the Compassionate Path, he is increasingly unwilling to see him, nor is he willing to issue orders to arrange for his capture. The Compassionate Path has no way to intervene."

"Since the path of compassion wouldn't accept him, and he refused to join any of the other paths, a stalemate ensued. Sometimes life and death hang in the balance, so how could one afford to hesitate? The more the King of Wei pressed him, the more likely he was to be killed."

As he finished speaking, the last black piece fell into the game, locking down the white dragon's momentum. He casually remarked:

"It's not easy. Once you cultivate 'Xi Qi,' you should know what the consequences will be..."

Tao Jiexing said with concern:

"But his magic and that supernatural ability 'Eightfold Discussion' were all taught to him by the Han family. I wonder if it will implicate them..."

"It doesn't matter."

Xuanwei said:
"Master Han is too kind-hearted and cannot withstand requests. King Wei will not blame him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bells outside began to toll. Xuan Wei stood up, his expression somewhat complicated, and said:
"he came."

An old man and a young man stepped out of the Jade Pavilion and saw that the sky was bright with light, with thousands of purple flames, flowing with color and extremely magnificent. A young man stood in that splendid atmosphere.

This man was of imposing stature and majestic presence, but his loose black robes did not make him appear overly robust; instead, they made him appear agile and light. His golden eyes were bright, his brows were calm, and he wore only a royal axe around his waist.

Tao Jiexing gave him a long, quiet look.

This was his first formal meeting with Li Zhouwei.

He saw everything clearly back then. Guang Chan was greedy, and Qi Lanyan was filled with resentment, but no one dared to underestimate him. Even Wei Xuanyin, the Dao Master of Guanhua Tianlou, was mostly helpless and silent.

The remaining practitioners and monks, though outwardly nonchalant, were already filled with fear.

When did it begin? Tao Jiexing couldn't remember anymore; perhaps it was thanks to her cousin, Guangchan.

Tao Jiexing's gaze lingered for a moment on the royal axe at his waist, looking at the leaping qilin pattern with a complicated expression.

It looks like a ceremonial object, not a weapon.

Yet, the axe reflected a dazzling crimson light in his pupils, and the divine power "Eye of the Heart" constantly warned him—this axe had slain more than one divine power!
He stood silently behind his elders, his head bowed.

Xuan Wei stroked his beard, remaining mostly silent, seemingly unsurprised. Yet, upon seeing the scene, the emotion in his eyes dimmed.

Then a man stepped out from the light of day, a middle-aged man with a resolute expression. He gave a slight bow and said:
"But was it Master Xuanwei in person?"

Xuan Wei then shifted his gaze over, scrutinizing him carefully, before returning it to Li Zhouwei, and said softly:

"King Wei decisively defeated Luoyang... His divine might is astonishing, and we have witnessed it firsthand."

His question was clear and calm, yet neither humble nor arrogant. Seeing the bright sunlight, the person above said:

"Tao's appearance was otherworldly and she was carefree and at ease."

Xuanwei laughed and said:

"Is the King of Wei here to make the Tao family demonstrate loyalty and filial piety?"

Li Zhouwei looked directly at him and said quietly:
"Isn't Tao sitting high in Yinling, waiting for me to come?"

Xuanwei raised his hand and said:

"Then please."

He entered the pavilion with his hands behind his back, and the sunlight from the sky seemed to fall down, shimmering with white light. Li Zhouwei followed him into the pavilion, looked at the white mist covering the ground, and pondered for a moment.

'This Tao family… though not as ethereal as Wei Xuan, still possesses a reclusive air and holds extremely righteous supernatural powers… indeed, there is a great connection between the two…'

What surprised him even more was that Xuan Wei in front of him was not a 'Jueyin' cultivator!
He is a true master of the Shaoyang school!

'The Tao family is known for its generations of practitioners of the Three Yin... The current head of the family, the one who leads the Tao family, actually practices the Lesser Yang...'

This made him thoughtful, and a thought secretly arose in his mind.

Xuanwei entered the pavilion and stopped in the main hall. He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter, offering her the main seat without saying a word. Tao's attitude was already clear.

Yin Juexi, who was following behind, immediately looked much better. Li Zhouwei stepped in and sat down. Xuan Wei then gave a graceful bow and said:
"Tao Junwei, a cultivator of the Daoist lineage of the Great Dao of Profound Mystery, the Daoist of the Shuolou Daogui Xuanxie Sect, and the Daoist of the Zitai Xuanxie Sect, greets the King of Wei."

Purple Terrace Mysterious Pavilion Sect!
Li Zhouwei hesitated for a moment, then said with some surprise:

"The Purple Terrace Mysterious Pavilion Sect?"

The name is not unfamiliar. The Guanhua Tianlou Dao, which is now well-known to the Li family, was first known together with the Zitai Xuanxie Sect and was called the Guanxie Dao. The [Guanxie Tower Refining in Fire] technique that Li Ximing used to quickly create a spiritual embryo originated from this Dao!
'The Zitai Xuanxie Sect claims to be a "Lesser Yang" lineage... In that case, it's not surprising that Xuan Wei cultivates "Lesser Yang"...'

Li Zhouwei had many doubts, but Xuan Wei was not surprised and smiled:

"good."

He said loudly:

"My Dao originated from the Dao of True Lord Shuolou, specifically the [Tianwei] True Lord. It later flourished because of the [Xieqing] True Lord. Although it has declined to this day, its lineage has not been severed."

Li Zhouwei frowned:
"【Xie Qing】True Lord?"

"He is known as 'Heavenly Decree Lesser Yang Mysterious Pavilion True Lord' and 'Coffin Yang Lesser Hua Mysterious Lord'..."

Xuanwei's expression dimmed slightly, and he smiled:

"This is the Shaoyang Demon Lord that people talk about. Ancient books say that he used to refer to himself as Xie Qing, and when he was in power, he was called Kuai Xie Qing. He was quite famous back then..."

'So he also had a Taoist name... Xie Qing, yet people never mention it.'

Tao Jiexing had already served tea, and Li Zhouwei casually took it, saying:

"I am not familiar with the various meridians of Tongxuan, so I am afraid I will need your guidance, fellow Daoist."

Not bad.

To put it bluntly, Xuanwei is the only genuine Tongxuan cultivator that Li Zhouwei has met so far who is still relatively friendly, and even the only one with an orderly lineage who seems willing to discuss the three mysteries of the Golden Core and Dao Embryo with him. This opportunity is invaluable!
Back when Li Zhouwei and Li Ximing discussed this matter, they had mentioned that entering Luoyang was not just for the abundant supplies. The ancient events they were referring to were about which lineage was in the hands of which Xuan, and whether or not they could be proven was extremely important. This even made him temporarily put aside his original plans.

Xuan Wei seemed to have seen through Li Zhouwei's thoughts, and simply smiled, saying:
"The Tongxuan Dao Gui can be said to be the simplest of the three mysteries. Even if I don't say it, if the King of Wei gathers the divine powers of Luoxia and asks a few people carefully, he will know it very clearly."

He sat up straight and said solemnly:

"Master Tongxuan descended from the mountains into the mortal world and took in four disciples in total: Shaoyang, Guanhua, Shuolou, and..."

Xuan Wei paused, his gaze seemingly complex yet also dim:

“With Dongwu.”

His expression wasn't overly exaggerated, but Tao Jiexing shifted her gaze with some alarm, Yin Juexi lowered his head deeply, and Li Zhouwei also understood the weight of those two words.

Wu Guang, Wu Tu... Nowadays, there are very few Taoist traditions that dare to use the character "Wu". Which one could it be?
He was the patriarch of the Wu Guang Luo Xia school.

Xuanwei said quietly:

"When Tongxuan Master first taught his disciples, he did not give them Taoist names. They addressed each other by their names and titles. The Taoist names of the four masters were all chosen by themselves, so they were not uniform. Shaoyang Immortal Lord was the number one Shaoyang in the world, so he directly took the two characters Shaoyang as his Taoist name."

"His highest-ranking subordinate is Shao Da... surnamed Qu. Among Shao Da's disciples are the Shangguan brothers, Zi Tong and Zi Du, all of whom are extremely famous figures."

Yin Juexi couldn't help but nod and said:
"When Zidu brought peace to the world, who didn't know it!"

Xuanwei nodded and said:

"Shangguan Zidu was the first cultivator to take charge of Tongxuan Palace, and also the most powerful one in generations. At that time, cultivators all over the world sought the Dao from Tongxuan, and the trend of immortal cultivation began in his hands. Everyone in the world knew about him..."

He smiled, not seeming to think anything of it, and said:
"As for Shangguan Zitong... he was quite famous. Back then, he and Xu Che went to the Sitian Gate to inquire whether they could attain the Dao. Shangguan Zitong received an affirmative answer, while Xu Che returned disappointed and turned to cultivating the Dao—but unfortunately, Shangguan Zitong was too arrogant, and he perished while trying to attain the Dao..."

"People now know that those seeking gold cannot predict whether they will succeed or not, at least not to hear a definite answer that they themselves firmly believe, otherwise even someone as skilled as Qingyi could make a mistake...and it could even have extremely bad consequences..."

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly realized:

No wonder.

He remained expressionless as he listened to Xuanwei laugh:

"However, some cultivators reconsidered, wondering if Xu Che's return to the palace and desperate attempt to attain enlightenment would have been more successful. This led to that resounding admonition that echoed throughout the world..."

Yin Juexi picked up where he left off, praising:
"【Xu Chai feared the Heavenly Gate, neglected to become a Jie Lin Immortal, Zi Tong sought the Dao of Transmission, and died arrogantly before the platform】."

Li Zhouwei nodded and noted it down, but noticed another key point in his words and feelings, and his heart stirred slightly.

'Surname Qu?'

The master of Xiyang Temple who went to the Western Sea to deal with the Lesser Yang Spiritual Root was surnamed Qu!

'Guan Hua Hui Hong was His junior brother; Zi Du governed the world and revered Him as his patriarch… That matches up! [Shao Da] can be traced back to that first Shao Yang; [Xi Yang Guan] is from this lineage!'

A hint of regret flashed across Tao Jiexing's face, but Xuanwei didn't elaborate, instead lightly mentioning it, saying:

"The Guanhua and Shuolou lineages cultivate the Three Yin, and they don't have many disciples to begin with. These two take on disciples based entirely on their mood, without considering talent. Xu Che, whom I just mentioned, is a disciple of Guanhua... After the True Lord passed away, there were even fewer cultivators. After several ups and downs, they gradually died out, with most of them relying on Tongxuan Palace. When Tongxuan Palace was disbanded, the Master specially selected the two lineages, which became the Guanxie lineage."

He said softly:

"Guanxie Dao indeed started with the Three Yin. Later, the Zitai Xuanxie Sect produced the 'Heavenly Decree Lesser Yang Xuanxie True Lord,' and the world suddenly became much wider. The disciples took pride in this and cultivated the Three Yang, which brought them great glory for a time."

"In other words... the rise of Guanxie Sect also depends on this Shaoyang..."

Li Zhouwei made a pointed remark, and Xuan Wei nodded in agreement:
"This is why Wei Xuanyin was sent to deal with the matter of the Sun Dao lineage back then. This is also the cause and effect recognized by the mountain!"

Li Zhouwei remained noncommittal—he remembered the matter of the Lesser Yang Spiritual Root [Small Leaf Manifestation Immortal Plant] back then, and based on the information at the time, he had drawn many inferences.

'It seems that both Xiyang and Dongwu are on Mount Luoxia, with Dongwu still in control, and his relationship with this Shaoyang Demon Lord isn't particularly good... Wei Xuanyin is just a knife he picked up casually!'

Xuanwei showed a hint of emotion and said:

"At that time, Guanxie was at its peak, and the lineage of Daoism became increasingly orderly. Those who followed Yin observed transformation, while those who followed Yang observed Xuanxie. Gradually, the lineage shifted, and my Tao family slowly gained importance and was enfeoffed in Yinling, where we cultivated the Three Yin for generations..."

"Later, the great man passed away, and the world was like a dream, gradually vanishing into nothingness. Guanxie Dao fell into a deep decline. Guanhua was better off, still having some foundation. Zitai Xuanxie, because it overlapped with the lineage of some great men, lost its backbone and its inheritance was cut off for a time."

Li Zhouwei said softly:

"If that's the case, then Guanxie must deeply resent the Sun Dao lineage?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanwei hesitated for a few moments before saying:

"It doesn't count. That person's actions were both righteous and wicked. Even back then, there were many controversies within the Guanxie Pavilion. There were those who fought for the Dao among the Three Mysteries, and those who attained the Dao. We, the cultivators who inherited the Dao lineage in later generations, no longer have time to worry about these things."

He said quietly:
"After all, the Wei and Tao families were close to Guanhua because of their shared lineage and similar path, so they took good care of us and allowed our children to enter the sect and inherit the Xuanxie lineage. That's how I, Xuanwei, Jiexing, and... Xuanchan came into being."

He raised his head and looked directly at Li Zhouwei:
"That is, Guangchan, who was killed by the King of Wei."

The King of Wei merely raised an eyebrow and nodded calmly, replying:

“That’s right. He used to cultivate the Mingyang sect, which is consistent with the Zitai Xuanxie sect. He must be your senior brother.”

Xuanwei said:
“Xuanwei has not yet found a senior brother who has been released from the Buddhist order.”

After saying this, he stood up, his lips trembling slightly, and said:
"Li Jieyi tried to cut the arrowhead but failed, so he offered himself up for release. I heard Kongshu mention that before he died, his body was broken but his robe was still intact, which meant his wish had been fulfilled. Kongshu told me... that it was King Wei who performed the Dao and made me thank King Wei."

The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and said:

“Li Jieyi was guilty of a grave sin, but he is dead after all. Xuanwei is not magnanimous enough, nor does he have the compassion of a Buddhist monk. Even if he can be at peace now, he cannot express his gratitude. He only hopes that the King of Wei can allow us to go to Baixiang and bring back his remains.”

He said coldly:

"I want all the disciples in the path to see what the consequences of surrendering are!"

Guang Chan is dead, his head as big as a small mountain, sunk in Baixiang Valley, extremely horrifying. Even passing cultivators dare not look at it for long. Even the Great Mu Dharma Realm only took some fragments back. Judging from Xuan Wei's intentions, he wants to bring the whole head back!

Caught off guard, Tao Jiexing looked up in shock upon hearing this, speechless.

Li Zhouwei pondered for a moment, and vaguely understood:
'Tao's surrender shows he's truly deeply dissatisfied with certain individuals... Bringing this head back to Yinling would be incredibly ironic... What a ruthless nature!'

He nodded with a complicated expression and said:

"This matter is not difficult; it will just take some time."

Xuanwei understood his meaning, nodded slightly, and simply lowered his head:

"This wish is not a matter of sooner or later; it is one of the conditions for the Tao family to serve the Song Dynasty!"

I've had a slight fever these past few days, so updates might be a little late. Sorry.