Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1294 A Fool
Li Ximing extended two fingers, and the flames climbed up them like glue. Obediently, the smile of the real person in the white-gold Taoist robe gradually became clear, and then the young man took out the robe in the color of the sun's crimson glow.

Li Jiangqian solemnly said:

"This belongs to the late Master Wei Li. I just saw it. It is made of bright sun as its main body and refined into peony fire. It is rare to find that it also contains a wisp of solar energy. It is quite unusual. I brought it here for Grand Uncle to see."

Li Ximing looked him up and down, then nodded involuntarily and said:
"These days, items made from the sun are extremely rare. This robe must have had a portion or two of solar spiritual energy added during its creation..."

He shook his head and laughed:
"Since your father didn't give any instructions, you can take it and use it yourself."

Li Jiangqian quickly shook his head and said:
“This junior is unworthy of such praise. The [Double Fire Two Bright Instruments] was given to me by my great-uncle, and now the [Divine Purple Gourd] also belongs to me. How can I take the robe? I just sent someone to refine the items and deliver them to my great-uncle.”

Before Li Ximing could speak, he immediately said:
"The rewards from the various Purple Mansions... are actually a time-consuming matter. I have many items of the Li Fire Realm on me, so I'll take a few to exchange for them and hear the news."

'It's not enough for him to spend time refining it; he'll still have to give it to him when he goes north, so there's no rush.'

Upon hearing this, Li Ximing sighed, deciding not to argue with him, and said:

"My heart has recovered ahead of schedule, but I need to go up north to see... I'm still worried about Senior Liu..."

Li Jiangqian smiled and shook his head, saying:

"Grand Uncle spends all his time refining elixirs, unaware of his true abilities. With the two supernatural powers of 'Kujin' (treasury and gold), plus the unique 'Kujin' spiritual treasure, even a Grand Master couldn't swallow him whole. If he did manage to force it down, his neck would have to stretch out two miles..."

Seeing him make a joke, Li Quewan chuckled and shook his head, saying only:
"Kim Il is guaranteed, so you can rest assured."

The young man stood with his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment, before Li Quewan spoke:

"In the past few months, the King of Wei brought me that book of profound strategies, which I have already read."

When she brought this up, Li Jiangqian's gaze became meaningful, while Li Ximing remained silent. The mountain fell silent. Seeing that neither of them intended to elaborate, Li Quewan continued:
"Now, we have quite a few pure Qi spiritual items in our hands, including a [Heavenly Freedom Stone] under the [Freedom Glazed Pagoda], the newly acquired [Scattered Cloud Treasure Qi]... and a portion of the [Five-Headed Lotus].

Her expression was solemn:
"The foundation of the secret realm lies in the pure Qi. The more precious the pure Qi that Xuan Tao uses, the more abundant the spiritual energy of the secret realm and the larger its territory. However, it is precisely because this pure Qi is hard to find that good secret realms are rare."

"The Five Lotus Blossoms are the extreme differentiation of Yin; otherwise, we would never have been able to find such a precious pure Qi. The Heavenly Freedom Stone was a gift from the Yuan Cultivator Master. Ultimately, only the Scattered Cloud Treasure Qi was obtained through our own efforts, which was somewhat unexpected..."

She gave a bitter smile and said:
"But the [Dispersed Cloud Treasure Qi] is really not very good. Although it is imbued with some ancient treasure qi, making it seem special, it is precisely because it is imbued with treasure qi that the effect of establishing the profound strategy is not good."

"Based on my estimation using the Xuan Tao Secret Technique, if the [Dispersing Cloud Treasure Qi] were to enter, I would at most gain the land of one or two peaks, and the spiritual energy would be no more than that of the North Bank."

Li Ximing understood her implied meaning and said:

"It's time to use the [Five Lotus Blossoms]."

【Five-Healing Lotus】is a top-tier healing elixir, and even has the wondrous effect of enhancing spiritual apertures. It would be best to keep it. Li Quewan nodded silently and hurriedly said:

"But if Grand Uncle is willing to use the [Five Lotus Blossoms], he could at least possess a city and a mountain, no less valuable than the aristocratic families of Luoyang! More importantly, the spiritual energy within would be abundant..."

"If we use the [Heavenly Freedom Stone], which is tinged with a touch of Pure Gold, it is actually suitable for creating a secret realm. Its size will not change much, but its spiritual energy will be far inferior."

Li Jiangqian pondered for a moment and said in a low voice:

What if all three are used?

Li Quewan's expression turned serious:
"Naturally, the more the better. If we use both, we won't need to rush to expand too much. There's a reason why most aristocratic families' secret realms only maintain a single city and mountain. While the spiritual energy becomes more concentrated, it can also greatly reduce Xuan Tao's burden and resist various changes in the spiritual energy. The [Scattered Cloud Treasure Qi] might even transform into a treasure peak within the secret realm... Furthermore... if one day..."

She hesitated for a moment before saying:
"If one day the spiritual atmosphere of Jiangnan is no longer [vast and ethereal], the secret realm will need maintenance again. When that time comes, Xuan Tao's burden will be lighter, thus reducing the pressure on future generations..."

"certainly…"

Li Quewan said awkwardly:

"Pure Qi is only the core of Xuan Tao's technique. If we decide to use three types of Pure Qi, the cost will increase significantly, by at least 20-30%..."

The Li family's Purple Mansion has a world where the sun and moon shine together, which doesn't require much spiritual energy. But the secret realm is different from the world where the sun and moon shine together. It's a place that ordinary cultivators can enter, and outsiders can also enter!
Li Jiangqian smiled slightly and replied:

"I remember... Suining also has a secret method to connect with Xuan Tao, right? Would that have any effect?"

Li Quewan only said:
"Speaking of this, if we had any 'Heavenly Master' spiritual objects, refining them into the Xuan Tao would be the best thing for him. Unfortunately, 'Heavenly Master' spiritual objects are extremely rare... However, the more stable the Xuan Tao is, the easier it will be for him to refine it."

After listening for a while, Li Ximing made up his mind at that moment and said:

"Since that's the case, let's not skimp on this [Five-Lotus Dew]!"

"Yes!"

The two agreed in unison. Li Quewan took out another jade slip from her sleeve and said solemnly:
"This junior has already calculated it. If so, at least five kinds of Purple Mansion spiritual items and at least twenty kinds of Purple Mansion spiritual resources are still needed. The amount of materials below the Purple Mansion level is even more enormous, and the manpower and resources required to harmonize the various spiritual resources are incalculable..."

She said:

"The specific items cannot be fully reported; it depends on observation and addition during the refining process. If there is too little lead, add it; if there is too much mercury, remove it. Water and fire must be balanced to achieve harmony between yin and yang..."

Li Ximing was somewhat troubled and said:

"That's truly a grand gesture."

Li Quewan smiled slightly and said:

"But there is good news."

The two looked at each other, and Li Quewan said:

"With the method of expelling Yin, we can use the Yin essence expelled by the Taiyin Moon Essence to harmonize the Yin. This is the most superior Taiyin spiritual resource, which is very useful and can achieve twice the result with half the effort. I only need to add Yang."

She said softly:

"If we add the [Qi Moon White Dew] left behind by Chu Yin back then, it's already extremely perfect. That is, the dosage for the Purple Mansion level can be halved!"

Li Ximing's eyes lit up, and after a quick calculation, he said:
"That's just two or three spiritual items and ten spiritual resources?"

Although the Li family obtained nine spiritual items from their spare time, four of them were taken up by the Li Fire, and the Pure Qi was also used up. The [Three Qian Yuan Mercury] had to be left for Li Quewan, so the remaining Heavenly One Pure Yuan could not be used lightly. For the time being, only the Horn Wood and the [Ming Fang Tian Stone] were useful.

Li Jiangqian nodded and said seriously:
"The Mingfangtian Stone is an object of the Three Yangs, making it most suitable. Among the harvests from Luoxia, there is also a Yang family's Horn Wood Spiritual Object, and we just obtained a He Shui Spiritual Object. Within the Li Huo, there is a [Yin Shi Li Zhi]. They are all objects of light, so I will give them to you all at once. That should be enough for your needs!"

"The item from Li Huo... King Wei has already promised it to my brother..."

Li Quewan hesitated slightly, but the young man in front of him smiled:
"You spent your precious cultivation time refining the Xuan Treasure, while I could focus on my own cultivation. I am already indebted to you, so there is no need to say more!"

He waved his hand to stop his sister from speaking, and said solemnly:
"These things should be handed over to Sifang as soon as possible to exchange for spiritual resources that are useful for harmonizing Xuantao, so as not to waste too much time."

Li Quewan could only nod. Li Ximing thought it over carefully and still felt heartache.

"My family is now considered extremely wealthy in Jiangnan. We've taken a share of everything, from secret realms to grotto-heavens, and even swallowed up Luoxia. If we're still like this, what about other families..."

Li Quewan carefully considered the matter, put everything away, and smiled:

"This secret realm connects to the Void, so I will stand within the inner formation of the lake!"

She was also decisive and efficient, immediately moving away. Li Jiangqian also stood up and solemnly said:
"Now that all the miscellaneous matters have been dealt with, this junior will now consume the spiritual item to assist in cultivating the supernatural power 'Shunping Conquest'!"

Li Ximing watched him depart, and the mountain grew quiet. The immortal casually put away the alchemy furnace, pondered for a moment, and then took out a jade slip from his sleeve, its surface shimmering with golden patterns.

[Book of the Northern Wei Dynasty]

Is it "Emperor's View of the Origin"...or "The Ruler's Danger"?

He stroked it for a while, looking at the golden patterns, his eyes flickering with light and shadow. After a long while, he finally placed the jade slip on the table, looking somewhat thoughtful.

……

The mountains were covered in snow, and the wind howled through the forest.

Since the Xiao family left, Lixia has completely lost its voice in Jiangnan, and there are no noteworthy talents, not even comparable to Xunlin Yuan.

The departure of Xianyou Peak left an unsightly scar on this place, with the earth's veins leaking out and a chilling wind blowing. Due to the Xiao family's long-term suppression and the clipping of its wings, there is no worthwhile lineage here. Furthermore, it has been ravaged by the Great Desire Path, leaving it a desolate wasteland for thousands of miles. Fertile lands are neglected, let alone such a wicked place.

Fortunately, it was the dead of winter, and heavy snow covered the scars, making them less frightening.

The old man came from the west, walking step by step through the snow, venturing deeper into the area. His figure swayed, but his gaze was calm. He continued until he reached the very heart of the snow, where he finally stopped and whispered:

"Fellow Daoist Yang!"

His voice echoed in the heavy snow, sounding hazy and indistinct.

After a long while, a faint sound was heard. The snow seemed to have intensified, covering the sky and plunging the entire area into darkness where one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, how have you been?"

Finally, uneven marks appeared in the white snow, and a thick blackness swept in, transforming into a figure in the snow.

This person had extremely fair skin, wore a cloak, and had purple talismans fluttering around him. His whole body was shrouded in gray, but behind him was a round, radiant light that emitted a hazy purple aura and illuminated colorful arcs.

Xiao Chuting didn't turn around; he simply stood there, a smile playing on his lips, and quietly said:

"Now that I am here, I am finally qualified to speak with you face to face. Unfortunately, Xianyou Peak is no longer here and cannot entertain you, fellow Daoist."

The man in black strolled over to him and stood beside him, gazing at the heavy snowfall, his tone calm and serene:
"There's nothing to offer you, and I'm not used to your mortal things."

'you…'

The smile on Xiao Chuting's lips faded, and he turned slightly to the side, his expression complex.

"So you've been listed among the Netherworld beings. Congratulations, sir."

The man stood with his hands behind his back, his tone carrying a slight chill:

"He's just a minor official, not worth congratulating. It's you who's more deserving of congratulations."

His usually dim gaze held a rare hint of complexity:

"If you succeed, fellow Daoist, I will have to call you sir. Your future will be far brighter than that of us Yin spirits."

His tone gradually became sarcastic:

"Fellow Daoist, aren't you afraid?"

Xiao Chuting said:

"What are you afraid of?"

This Yin spirit said:

"To attain enlightenment, one need not rely on mystical nature; to seek gold, one need not seek divine intervention. If this were ancient times, we would not even be qualified to meet you. Fellow Daoist, are you not afraid that prolonged contact with me will hinder your path to enlightenment?"

The old man stepped forward and said:
"Your Excellency is a Yin spirit with abundant negative energy; how could you possibly harm me?"

He smiled and said:
"Besides... even the lord doesn't believe I can succeed, otherwise it would be you coming to Beihai, not me returning to Jiangnan."

Yang Gongcao did not rush to deny it, but turned to look at him and said softly:

"I, Yang, am clear about my gratitude and grievances. Since Fellow Daoist Xiao helped me with Duanmu Kui's matter back then, I repaid him in my human form. Later, when I entered the Netherworld, I lost contact with you. Now that I see you again, it is only because a few strands of earthly ties have not been severed."

Xiao Chuting smiled and said:
"Since this is a severing of worldly ties, there are a couple of questions I would like to ask you, sir.

The official gave him a cold glance—this Yin spirit's eyes always seemed icy and dark, devoid of any emotion:
"If it involves the True Lord, then there's no need to ask."

He said:

“You are the one who is about to attain enlightenment, so you are fearless. But I do not have such a great destiny to interfere with the plans of the True Lord.”

"I will not ask the True Lord!"

Xiao Chuting's smile gradually faded:
"I asked the Dragon King."

These four words, like lightning, cleaved through the mist in the sky and earth, seemingly connecting to something, but were suppressed by the endless darkness. Yang Gongcao remained calm and silent.

The old man's eyes brightened, and his tone suddenly quickened as he said:
"Back then, Dongfang Riju transferred the vastness to the throne. He later perished, and the throne changed hands, eventually ending up in the hands of the current ruler. Yet, I searched through all the ancient texts and couldn't find a single word about it. After all, it's a story about the Golden Core stage..."

“But there must have been traces of him seizing the position.”

"I searched and searched, but all I found was this saying passed down from my Xiao family ancestors: 'The dragon roams the water, the monstrous creature seizes the abyss, the mansion is imprisoned within the pit, and it is in harmony with the lord.'"

"Since ancient times, fewer and fewer people have attained enlightenment through the Fu River, and there must be a reason for this! The Kan River, which generates water and becomes increasingly powerful, must also be related to the dragon."

“Once I leave Jiangnan, I will go to the North. I will be free from all constraints, so you need not worry, sir. I only have one question!”

"The conquest of Heshui... could it be related to the downfall of Dongfang Tianye back then?"

His voice was deep and powerful. The question seemed abrupt, yet it silenced the clerk. But whether he asked or answered, the old man before him understood everything from his attitude.

"More than once."

Xiao Chuting laughed:

"That's right. Back then, this He Shui Dragon Lord was able to seize the position of He Shui Lord by learning from his elder brother!"

"How did the Dragon Lord ascend to the throne? He must have made great achievements, and these achievements cannot be small. He could only have continued to push the Fu River into the Kan River, making the throne more and more like the He River... This matter must have occurred at the end of the Qi Dynasty and the beginning of the Liang Dynasty."

The clerk seemed intrigued and looked at him with a smile:
“How come you see?”

"Emperor Liang killed the dragon and subdued the phoenix and unicorn, controlled the waters and established the country. During the Liang Dynasty, floods were very severe."

Xiao Chuting said quietly

"The floods are caused by the water in the embankment becoming increasingly turbulent! Isn't that right?"

The figure in the darkness remained silent, offering no answer. The old man laughed:
“The desolate creature seizes the abyss.”

"It is to seize, not to receive... It is unlikely that one person alone could accomplish this. Since it is to seize, there must be a demon of Kan Water. There is someone above Kan Water, perhaps a leap position? Working together with the Dragon Lord of He Shui, the leap position is used to prove or change the Dao to push the vast sea deeper into Kan Water... thus achieving the Dao."

"This is why, after the fall of Dongfang Riju, the various dragon princes fought endlessly, causing chaos throughout the world! They want to push the warlord to carry out a coup so that he can attain enlightenment and the Dragon Lord can take over! This is also why the lord of Cangzhou has become weaker and weaker with each passing year!"

"At this moment... if this Lord Kan Shui Runwei were still alive, he would surely be waiting for me to attain enlightenment, waiting for me to open the [Da Lingchuan], hoping to eliminate Lord Kan and get a share of the spoils from me..."

His smile vanished, and his gaze turned icy.

"I may have to face more than just those two."

Sorry, today's plot is quite important, so I'm writing a bit late.