Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1283 Guan Xiang
Li Zhouwei moved swiftly, emerging from the palace and heading east in the daylight. Seeing that Li Jiangqian had stayed behind, Li Quewan followed him on the wind, hesitatingly saying:
"Your Majesty... I'm afraid it will be difficult to arrange things for the Yu family."

Li Quewan had secretly observed the Yu family's secret realm—the Daoist traditions within were closely related to the profound Qi, seemingly left behind by the Great Liang!
It's important to understand that whether it's the Tao family's [Duyang Cave], the Qiao family's [Ziyang Cave], or even the wealthiest Wei family's [Shanmang Hall], they were all once the secret realms of Wei and Li. Otherwise, why would the Marquis of Yincheng of [Duyang Cave] have forcibly locked up the secret realms? It was when the Great Wei collapsed that these local aristocratic families surrendered to the Qi Emperor and seized the land for their own use. In a grand sense, it belonged to Mingyang; in a smaller sense, it even belonged to the Wei and Li family!

Of course, things in the world are always owned by the capable, and they are constantly changing. Usually, people don't care about the original owners. But the Great Wei is also a Daoist sect. Li Zhouwei, as the White Qilin, the purest Wei Li, and the one who was chosen by Mingyang, is now the most powerful person. He knocked down these secret realms one by one, and without taking anything from them, he only took what belonged to him. Naturally, no one dared to say a word against it.

As for the Yu family of Ruzhou, firstly, the secret realm was not a lineage of Mingyang Dao, and secondly, the old master Yu Xi had made contributions in the great battle and would be of great use later. In order to cooperate with Li Zhouwei's arrangements, the Yu family had quietly shaken off the secret realm. In Li Quewan's view, it was best to appease them!
Li Zhouwei naturally understood her meaning. He stepped forward with his hands behind his back and smiled:

“The Yu family will be of great use, and I will also need Yu Xi in my subsequent arrangements, so you can rest assured.”

The two rode forward through the void and saw a dark, undulating mass of water. A pool of female water appeared in the void, and there stood an old man with his hands behind his back, his face complex, and his eyes gleaming like lightning as he stared at a certain spot.

It was Yu Xi!

Where his gaze fell, a middle-aged man sat cross-legged in the blue light, his hands clasped together, his face polite, but his figure completely blocked the Tai Xu Forbidden Zone behind him without any gaps.

Xuanwei and Li Zhouwei reached an agreement and then came to deal with the Yu family's secret realm, Guanxiang Hall!
Since he was stationed here, even Yu Xi could not enter this place. Although the old man was anxious, he could not stand against both the Tao family and the Li family at the same time. So he seemed less anxious for a moment and also stayed here to guard the place.

Upon seeing Li Zhouwei appear, he was half delighted and half uneasy. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and whispered:

"Greetings, King Wei!"

Li Zhouwei smiled and said:
"Master Yu arrived quickly."

Yu Xi gave a bitter smile and said:
"My ancestral shrine is located in the secret realm, which made it uneasy. Now that the cultivators have gone to Liangchuan to guard it and repelled the Zhao people, the situation is stable. I was anxious and took the opportunity to come here."

Instead of mentioning auspicious objects or resources, he brought up the topic of an ancestral hall. Li Zhouwei stepped forward and casually said:

"It won't happen again."

These words made the old man slightly startled. He nodded silently, and seeing that the King of Wei had greeted Master Xuanwei, he didn't rush in, but instead said softly:
"Fellow Daoist Yang!"

"Hyunjae is here..."

Yang Xuancai had been waiting in Taixu for a long time, and was only looking at the ruins of the secret realm that the Yu family had lost with schadenfreude. She did not expect that the King of Wei would suddenly call her. She hurriedly came forward, her pink face full of unease, and just stood there silently.

Li Zhouwei then looked at Yu Xi. The old master seemed slightly wary, standing there thoughtfully. The King of Wei said calmly:

"I've heard that the two families have suddenly become enemies, so let me hear about it."

Yu Xi was taken aback at first, but seeing Yang Xuancai lower her head and remain silent, he immediately sneered and said:
"But it was Master Yang who first did a great deed!"

The old master spoke in an icy tone:
"The Yu and Yang families both reside in Ruzhou, with a tributary of the Ru River as their boundary. They were on good terms in earlier years, but suspicion arose due to the war during the reign of Emperor Zhao Chu, and resentment gradually grew over the years. When Senior Yang was alive, he tried to mend the relationship. The Yang family returned the Forbidden Water City, and the Yu family gifted the Three Pang Ridges. However, because there were cultivators in the Forbidden Water City undergoing breakthroughs at the time, the trip could not be completed. Therefore, an agreement was made with True Man Yang to redraw the boundary..."

"Senior Yang has perished, and you have attained supernatural powers, yet you have broken your promise!"

Yang Xuancai had considered the other party's explanation. When she first discovered Yu Xi's murderous intent, she was filled with confusion and couldn't understand it. But upon hearing this, her eyes widened in astonishment, and she said:
“Why go to such lengths over a city and a place! My brother broke through and perished in the [Forbidden Water City], turning into a river. I did not wish to disturb the water he transformed into, and I even went to the nobles to apologize. Why must they threaten to kill me!”

Yu Xi remained silent for a moment, then, seeing everyone looking at him, he sighed deeply:

"It's alright to talk about it now... Many years ago, when Master Tao passed away, a mountain and a pool appeared in Yinling, displaying magnificent scenery. However, the various families in Luoyang were closely connected, and the earth's veins trembled, causing changes to our family's great formation. The earth's veins leaked out and broke at [Forbidden Water City]..."

"Without this place, I cannot fill the gap in the grand formation! But if I explain it to you clearly, and let you know that the key to the Yu family's grand formation lies in [Forbidden Water City]... after I die, you must go and explore the earth veins—you are a formation master, I dare not even mention it!"

"As you all know, the secret realm of the Yu clan was seized and is undefended."

His gaze was calm, and he said...

“Fellow Daoist Yang, I am nearing the end of my life, while you have only just attained enlightenment. Four hundred years have passed, and your mastery of array formations is gradually increasing. Sooner or later, you will discover that our two families have a grudge. Since you were able to sneak in unnoticed, wouldn’t you want to see my family’s secret realm? Wouldn’t you want to make use of the many treasure lands left behind by the Great Liang that nurture spiritual resources?”

"For the first time since the end of the Liang Dynasty, the supernatural powers of my Yu clan have been severed. If I were to perish, even if you dare not openly plunder, but rely on the Chen Kingdom and gain a glimpse of the secret realm, all the wealth accumulated over generations would be yours..."

Yang Xuancai was silent for a moment, then whispered:
"Old Master, isn't it too hasty to kill so easily?"

The old man looked around and said calmly:
“I seized the secret realm of the Yu clan myself. Since I couldn’t control its lock, I had no choice but to kill all the descendants of the people who had been there, leaving no one alive. So I lived in fear every night, afraid that someone else would come and steal it, and that my whole family would be wiped out.”

The old man actually had a kind face, and was probably a respected elder in the clan, but his tone was cold, and his slightly closed eyes were completely calm.
"It would be better to get rid of you first, then take advantage of the situation to seize Ruzhou, and the [Forbidden Water City] will naturally fall into my hands."

Now that the great formation has been destroyed and the secret realm has fallen, Yu Xi's murderous intent from back then is now just a distant memory. He speaks of it now without a care in the world, appearing nonchalant and indifferent. This makes Yang Xuancai, who is standing to the side, feel a chill. She opens her mouth, but for a moment, she can't say a word.

Xuan Wei pondered in silence, then understood immediately. Li Quewan, however, seemed slightly conflicted, pausing for several breaths before Yu Xi smiled and said:
"Every word I have spoken is true. King Wei need not worry that I cannot defend Ruzhou!"

Clearly, Yu Xi spoke frankly and explained his reasons for not being shy at all—he could no longer tolerate the family business being in Yang Xuancai's hands, and he also understood that if he did not tell the whole truth, Li Zhouwei would have reservations and would not allow him to return to Ruzhou!

The young man in front of him glanced at him and smiled:

"In that case, does Master Yu have any plans for the Yu family?"

Without hesitation, Yu Xi bowed and said:
"The Yu family wished to enrich Huainan and cultivate the land along the three rivers."

To put it bluntly, with the great formation now destroyed and the secret realm fallen, the worries of the past century have vanished like smoke. Yu Xi felt as if he had been transported to another world, yet he also felt a sense of relief.

There's no other reason than that the Yu family's background wasn't particularly impressive. Back then, one of their disciples went up the mountain to cultivate, but he didn't achieve anything remarkable. It was only because his fellow disciples were so skilled that he gained favor with them.

His previous words came from his heart. For so many years, the Yu family had held onto this secret realm as if it were a gold-inlaid porcelain vase, living in constant fear yet unwilling to give it up, tormenting them day and night. Now that it had been shattered, he thought that the even more precious golden bowls of the neighboring families had also been broken. He felt that he had not lost out, and he felt a lightness in his steps.

Li Zhouwei nodded secretly after hearing his words and smiled:
"There must be a true man in Luoyang who returns to court to meet the emperor. What do you think of Master Yu, Fellow Daoist Tao?"

Xuanwei smiled slightly and said:
"great."

Although the Tao family had submitted to the Song dynasty, they still maintained a clear distinction between their own direct descendants and were unwilling for the Tao family to represent Luoyang. Having relinquished the position, Li Zhouwei quietly said:

"I will write a letter and have the real man take it to the Song court."

The group knew perfectly well what the Yu family lacked most. If Yu Xi had previously hesitated due to concerns about the secret realm, he no longer had any. He bowed deeply and said:
"Your Majesty, please follow me into the secret realm and allow the Yu family to present gifts to the King of Wei!"

Xuan Wei looked over, and Li Zhouwei nodded. The True Person Tao then gently stepped aside, allowing the two to enter the secret realm. Li Quewan seemed lost in thought, but noticing Yang Xuancai's slightly pale face, she glanced at Xuan Wei and quickly looked back at Li Quewan.

"Please wait a moment, fairy. King Wei saved my life, and the Yang family cannot fail to repay him!"

Before Li Quewan could say anything more, she vanished like a spring breeze, leaving Li Quewan shaking his head, somewhat amused and exasperated.

'Whether it's the Yu family or the Yang family, they were actually prepared long ago! Serving under someone else's command, instead of suffering the same fate as the Jia and Wei families, they feel uneasy!'

Several people waited outside, while Yu Xi led Li Zhouwei through the forbidden area, suddenly landing in front of the grand hall where black and yellow intertwined. The old master said in a low voice:

"【Guanxiang Hall】is unlike any other. It was originally a secret realm used by the Great Liang to suppress Luoxia. Later, it was seized by our Yu clan, who rebuilt the Yinshui. The central array is connected to several treasure lands that nurture spiritual resources. We couldn't change it, so we left it behind... Within the secret realm, the Bright Yang is scarce and the Li Fire is rare. The complete elixir is nowhere to be found. Upon careful calculation, it is only one Bright Yang, two Li Fires, and three spiritual resources."

"But there is one thing that the King of Wei will definitely need!"

He pushed open the door and entered the main hall, where the primordial and ecliptic energies swirled up and down, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere. At times, there was the gentle patter of celestial water, and at other times, an overwhelming aura of immortality, making it truly extraordinary!

Between the two energies of Xuanhuang, something was trapped, moving around like a living creature. It was pure white and radiant, exuding a warm light, which made Li Zhouwei's expression stiffen and a strange look flash in his eyes.

"【Tenichi Chunyuan】?!"

Yu Xi bowed deeply:
"Exactly."

No wonder he made such a boast!

【Tianyi Chunyuan】is the most widely circulated purple mansion spiritual water among lower cultivators. It can bring the dead back to life, heal the wounded, and cleanse the foundation of immortality. Every household uses it as a treasure to suppress their fortune, which is why it is so hard to find in the human world!
Li Zhouwei was naturally tempted, but after scanning the area with his golden eyes, he quietly said:

“Since nobles cultivate ‘female water,’ they can discard anything except this kind of treasure… Why would they take it out and present it to me?”

These words seemed to reveal Yu Xi's innermost thoughts, and his expression became extremely downcast as he said:

"The most valuable thing in the entire Guanxiang Hall is not anything else, but those precious sites left over from the Great Liang Dynasty that nurture spiritual resources. For many years, my family has relied on these things to support our cultivation in the Purple Mansion, which can be considered a way of managing our household well..."

"As the saying goes, one person's pursuit of the Dao can exhaust six generations. My ancestor's pursuit of the Dao resulted in the depletion of all the wealth accumulated over the years, leaving him severely weakened and in dire need of recovery. I was extremely concerned about the attack on Guanxiang Hall at the time, fearing that these monks would not only steal the treasures but also destroy my family's precious land!"

"It wasn't appropriate to say much outside just now, but I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the King of Wei—the Yu family has a lot of spiritual resources, but truly rare spiritual treasures and spiritual objects are few and far between. These are all we have right here!"

He whispered:

"We can only offer the ancestral heirloom to the King of Wei!"

Yu Xi presented the bottle with both hands, and a point of white light shone from his palms, transforming into a small white bottle the size of a fingertip, surrounded by brightly colored clouds. He solemnly said:

"I still possess a spiritual artifact called 'Pure Qi' [Dispersing Cloud Treasure Qi]..."

Yu Xi had already lowered his stance to an extremely low level, causing Li Zhouwei to remain silent for a moment—[Cha You] was operating very clearly, and the entire secret realm ruins indeed had nothing remarkable about them, except for a portion of 'Female Water' spiritual water hidden under another side hall, and all that was left were some spiritual resources…

'After all, it's meant to be passed down through generations, so keeping this one copy isn't excessive, nor does it constitute deception…'

Since leaving this place, Yu Xi hasn't had a chance to return to the secret realm, and he doesn't have many spiritual items left. Once he gives them away, aside from some Purple Mansion spiritual items that the Great Liang Dynasty used to build the Xuan Treasure of the secret realm, which he could salvage from the ruins, plus the ones that were snatched away by the monk a few days ago, the rest can be counted on one hand! Although a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and the Yu family's spiritual resources could still make them proud in a region, they are really strapped for cash compared to the previous families, and they can't even compare to the Qiao family, which doesn't have Purple Mansion spiritual resources...

'Among the resources provided, both the [Heavenly One Pure Essence] and the [Scattered Cloud Precious Qi] are valuable and useful to most Daoist lineages…'

The Yu family had no successor, and Yu Xi had practically exhausted all his resources to serve them. Li Zhouwei saw this, simply flipping his hand to take out a portion of [White Partridge Yuan Spring], collecting this precious female fluid, then putting away the pure qi, and softly saying:

“I have seen Master Yu guard Boye and offer Guan Xiang, and I will not let the Yu family suffer any losses.”

He looked around, then stepped into the air and laughed:
"Such a place may not be impossible to find again."

Yu Xi was first stunned, his face showing shock. Suddenly he felt disbelief, and was both happy and worried. He chased after him and was about to speak when he saw a rumbling sound in the void. A pitch-black color surged out and a Netherworld figure rode the sky!

The old man immediately shut up, and Li Quewan's eyes lit up:
'The Yang family has sent people!'

In an instant, the sky darkened, the spiritual energy was cut off, and Yu Xi and the others, clearly seeing the exiled Qi for the first time, had slightly changed expressions. They watched as the dark ruts of the carriage glided across the sky, the blue curtain swayed, and laughter drifted through the air.
"King Wei is brave and valiant; even in the distant Qi and Lu regions, his fame is heard of three times a day!"

This man was unremarkable in appearance, yet he was exiled and carried a talisman, possessing the four supernatural powers, making him extremely imposing. He was none other than Yang Ruiyi!

He stepped over the purple-red cliff, testing his supernatural powers for the first time, full of vigor and high spirits, without the slightest injury. Clearly, he had achieved great results in the great battle in the east. Most of the cultivators in the Northern Zhao were only restraining him and did not have the intention to truly fight him. Naturally, he was suppressed.

With Luoyang pacified, if there was any concern, it was the fear that Yang Ruiyi might not be able to stabilize the east and would delay in providing assistance, leaving the Li family trapped and unable to extricate themselves. Only now did Li Zhouwei finally put aside his last worry and smiled:

"So it's the Great General!"

It's so laggy today, a bit slow. Happy holidays everyone!