Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1296 Bu Tao
The desert.

On the platform of seeking evil, wondrous changes occurred, flames rippled, and fragments of the light of the Lesser Yang intertwined and gently drifted down. The solemn-faced, armored immortal sat upright in the hall, pressing his hand on the table without speaking.

The person below, however, was much younger, with a vermilion dot between his brows, deep in thought, and asked:
"Since that's the case, may I ask Fellow Daoist Kuang Hong... what is the meaning of this 'Complete Elixir Supplements'?"

The master at the head of the table said solemnly:

"Our Qu Yi lineage says that water and fire are the means by which Yin and Yang illuminate the Five Virtues, which are beyond the reach of the changes of things. To achieve the Dao in the complete elixir, the Dao lies in seeking completeness through change. Dislike, combination, and fear cannot achieve completeness; one must subdue and unite them."

"To subjugate and merge."

The immortal with a cinnabar mark between his eyebrows pondered for a long time and said:

"The knowledge I received is not particularly profound, but I do know how to subdue the complete elixir, which fears combination and dislikes merging..."

Kuang Hong smiled and said:

"This is beyond my knowledge; I must ask Fairy Su Yun."

Cheng Qian immediately looked embarrassed and said:

"The Daoist canon is the foundation of my life. Since I have no merit, I should not ask about it."

Cheng Qian's current situation is actually somewhat awkward. Although Li Quewan is also a 'Full Core' cultivator, she has powerful spiritual treasures and witchcraft. In a battle, she may not be strong in a direct confrontation, but she usually has unexpected and wonderful methods to deal with the enemy.

He was a rogue cultivator who lacked combat skills, and his greatest use was in cultivating his nature. But Li Quewan's cultivation and supernatural abilities far surpassed his...

Therefore, he was eager to learn the Dharma, but did not know how to ask. Fortunately, Kuang Hong came from an extraordinary background, and discussing Taoist practices with him was also very beneficial.

Upon hearing his words, the man at the head of the table said:

"Whether it's the fairy or the King of Wei, neither of them are stingy. Chengqian, please go and ask!"

Chengqian only sighed, and before he could speak, a man stepped into the hall. He was tall and extremely handsome, with an ink brush and ruler at his waist and a robe in his hands. He smiled and said:

"Fellow Daoists, the refining is complete!"

The robe that the Li family obtained still bore the mark of its original owner. Although it hadn't been refined, it wasn't difficult to alter it. Kuang Hong's "Usurpation and Transformation Technique" was a transformation technique, and after casting the spell, it was delivered to Cui Jueyin of Mingyang. It was healed in just a few months.

None of the three were arrogant. Cui Jueyin was humble and polite, Cheng Qian was gentle and mild-mannered, and Kuang Hong, though of the highest birth, was sincere. They all got along fairly well. Kuang Hong simply smiled and said:

"This is good news. Take Fellow Daoist Lian over there and don't let him hesitate here."

Cui Jueyin understood his concerns and smiled as she extended her hand:
"Master Lian, please stop..."

Chengqian smiled and shook her head, but Kuang Hong lifted her up and said:
“I will not linger. The eldest young master is cultivating in the building. If the three of us in the Purple Mansion are crammed together, we will not be able to share the spiritual energy evenly, and I will disturb your cultivation.”

They rode the wind together into the void, but Cui Jueyin seemed lost in thought. Cheng Qian noticed this and asked him a question, only to see Cui Jueyin reply seriously:
"Now the three of us are in the lake, with no way out. The north is fraught with danger, and if we are not careful, we will die and our cultivation will be destroyed... Fellow Daoist Lian has achieved supernatural powers for many years and has been cultivating for a long time. With two supernatural powers right in front of you, you must not be prejudiced against any sect, lest you suffer the regret of being scattered and destroyed."

Cheng Qian was silent for a moment, then said:
"I know that... but the young master gave me a spiritual artifact back then, and I have not been able to repay it. I have not made any contributions, so it is not appropriate for me to discuss the Golden Book lineage. Now that I am going with you, I am also thinking of finding something to do."

The two landed in the formation and headed straight for the main hall, where they discovered a surge of spiritual energy and heard a woman's clear voice:
"Please come in, esteemed gentlemen!"

The hall was filled with scrolls, one after another, covering the floor with white, mysterious patterns that made it impossible to find a place to step. The white scrolls hung down from the beams, completely blocking out the hall.

The woman, holding a spirit brush, darted into the hall. Seeing the spirit robe in Cui Jueyin's hand, and then Cheng Qian, her eyes lit up. She said:
"Master Chengqian, you've come at the perfect time! I have important business with you!"

Chengqian could certainly be of use in matters concerning the secret realm, but the establishment of the secret realm by the Li family was also a secret, and it had been kept very secret beforehand, so none of them knew about it. Li Quewan was also careful, and instead of taking out his own jade slip directly, he pretended to deduce and wrote down everything.

Then he solemnly said:

"There are countless words to say here. Fellow Daoist Lian, please read them first before I discuss them with you. This matter is extremely crucial, and you must not divulge it. It will take some years..."

Her beautiful eyes were solemn:
"If it succeeds, I will definitely treat you unfairly!"

Cheng Qian was startled by her words, while Cui Jueyin turned away, avoiding looking at the runes on the ground. Li Quewan then turned and went outside with Cui Jueyin. The man lowered his eyes and said:
"Miss... the Taoist robe has been refined."

Cui Jueyin had spent most of her life in the Li family and had known Li Quewan since childhood. She was used to the old way of addressing her, and as she handed the item to her, she said softly:
"This item is called the [Heavenly Yang Profound Fire Robe]. It is an ancient Wei dynasty robe. Judging from its pattern and shape, it was made close to the time of the fall of the Great Wei dynasty. Presumably, this ancient Wei predecessor also made it in his later years."

"There are three wondrous properties here. The first is [Primary Yang], which can assist in the cultivation of 'Bright Yang' and 'Fire of the Peony' supernatural powers. This is also the greatest function of this garment, and its effect is extremely good..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Based on my estimation, and depending on the difficulty of the supernatural power, it's at least 50%, and possibly as high as 20%..."

"Secondly, it is called [Fire Gathering], which comes from the male fire. It can help cultivators to collect, refine and activate flames, and can also nourish the fire within the body and maintain the fire virtue and magic power... The only thing to note is that if you have fire injuries, you should not wear this garment."

Li Quewan's expression was slightly strange, and he nodded silently.
'Grand Uncle doesn't need it anymore…'

Cui Jueyin's expression became more serious as he said:

"The remaining divine power is called [Radiant Edict], which can borrow a ray of sunlight to enhance various fire-based spells. Although there is a delay in casting it... it is very powerful!"

Li Quewan's eyes lit up.

"This is more than just impressive; this is undoubtedly the key to this garment standing out and defeating the enemy!"

The radiance of the sun has always been powerful. Even a mere wisp of it can suppress other paths and expel evil spirits. This description, though simple, is extremely useful and has almost no limitations. Once a spell reaches a certain level, such as the [Great White Sunlight], every additional bit of power becomes crucial, let alone the radiance of the sun!

This means that the [Heavenly Yang Profound Fire Robe] is no longer just a robe that can assist in cultivation, but can play a significant role in combat.

Even if it has absolutely no ability to resist or escape, it's still an excellent treasure!

She nodded thoughtfully:

"In the end, it all revolves around the fire."

Cui Jueyin said solemnly:

"This senior must have paved the way for himself with the 'Mu Huo' and 'Ming Yang' principles, hence this garment."

Li Quewan said:

"I've heard much about the assistance of Mingyang and Lihuo, but now that I see the secret realms that have fallen from various families in Luoyang, they are mostly associated with Muhuo. Perhaps it's the preference of the realm's owner..."

Cui Jueyin hesitated for a moment, then said:
“My Cui family… has some inheritances from our ancestors, as well as some secrets passed down orally. In the past, Mingyang was not close to Lihuo. Lihuo is closest to the sun, or rather… among the three yangs, Bing, Hong, and Lihuo originally followed the sun.”

Li Que nodded thoughtfully.

"【The Art of Separating the Sun】..."

She pondered for a while before snapping out of her reverie, looking at the spirit robe in her hand, and said:
"Please, Master Cui, take this and use it first."

Cui Jueyin exclaimed in surprise:
"How does this work!"

Li Quewan shook his head:
“My elder brother is already in seclusion and it is not good to disturb him. Moreover, this item maintains the power of the Fire Virtue and has nothing to do with daily cultivation, but it has the effect of increasing the Bright Yang Divine Power. My great-uncle has just completed both of the Divine Powers and is currently refining his immortal foundation, so he cannot use it for the time being.”

Cui Jueyin didn't stand on ceremony. After hearing her words, he immediately nodded and said:
"Senior Zhaojing bestowed upon me elixirs. Since that's the case, I'll make use of this garment and quickly refine the 'Eternal Brightness Steps' to enhance my supernatural powers."

Li Quewan said softly:

"Let's go right there in the dense forest. The spiritual energy there has just been formed. You can use the Mystic Hall there, and it will be twice as effective. Besides..."

She smiled slightly:
"My uncle is also there. I heard from my brother that... Master Cui found a seed for alchemy. He sent people to investigate it a few days ago. The Qiao family moved first and then arrived in Jianghuai. They are the ones who came to pay their respects."

Cui Jueyin immediately understood, bowed, and left on the wind. Li Quewan then turned back into the hall, where the immortal was sitting blankly to the side, as if waking from a dream. He looked up in shock and said:

"The King of Wei wants to... establish a secret realm?!"

Li Quewan nodded with a smile, while Cheng Qian opened his mouth at first, then let out a long sigh:
"Indeed... establishing a secret realm is not a difficult task for the King of Wei."

He said:

"It just so happens that I have acquired two new Xuan Palaces, both of which can be put to use. Before I crossed the mountain peak, I had a main hall. My master said that it was extremely magnificent and was once a powerful force in the East Sea. Unfortunately... it was taken away by Zhu Kui."

Li Jiaben was not familiar with the Northern True Men, but when Li Zhouwei conquered Luoxia, she had been stationed at Liangchuan Mountain and listened to the Luoxia True Men tell her that there were two Great True Men further north, one was Chi Guang and the other was Zhu Kui.

'The relics of the Taoist master Kui Qi, as observed at the Great Owl Temple, seem to be in his possession as well.'

Thinking of this, she asked:
"What lineage does this person belong to? What is his background?"

Cheng Qian sighed and said:

"This person doesn't belong to any high-ranking lineage; he merely possesses some Daoist wisdom and has received some inheritance. However, his methods are despicable. He cultivates 'Profound Qi,' but failing to cross the Purple Gate, he supplemented it with 'Fierce Qi.' He's not as shameful as the Tuoba family, skilled in creating incarnations, and relies on harming others to cultivate..."

“He doesn’t dare to offend those big shots. He often uses his power to intimidate people or takes advantage of chaos to profit. He harmed my master back then. He’s a troublemaker.”

Chengqian, who was usually reserved, couldn't stop talking about this person, which showed how much he loathed and hated him.

Li Quewan nodded in understanding, said no more, and asked:
"Can you understand these profound and subtle methods?"

Chengqian shook her head and chuckled, her eyes filled with admiration.
“Su Yun Zhenren is incredibly talented. Since it has been written so clearly, if I still cannot understand it, then there is no need for me to cultivate this supernatural power.”

She smiled, touched the jade slip in her sleeve, and secretly calculated in her mind.

'All the calculations are in this jade slip. Except for a few points that need to be fixed, you just need to follow the steps. If I were to do it myself, it would still take me five to ten years.'

With Chengqian, Li Quewan could delegate these tedious tasks to him and mediate between them. Except for the most crucial steps that required her to oversee and take two or three years, she could spend the rest of her time cultivating her magic and improving her supernatural powers!
'But... I'm sorry to have troubled you, Fellow Daoist Lian...'

She then spoke softly:
"This trip may take up some years of your life, but if there is any compensation you would like to offer, please feel free to ask."

Chengqian had been waiting for these words, and whispered:

"This is my duty. I am already at ease with continuing the lineage and relying on my cultivation on the lake. I have no other desires."

'The lineage of Taoism…'

Li Quewan inherited the lineage and title of the Golden Dao lineage, so he couldn't easily promise it to others. However, lower-level lineages were not difficult for the Li family to find. The Great Owl Temple had a copy of "Secret White Mercury," and the True Person of the Mercury Platform still relied on the Li family. The Shanghuan Pavilion was also full of such things.

But Chengqian was only doing her duty, and it was naturally the Li family's duty to continue his lineage. This was a tacit understanding that had been reached long ago. Although Chengqian didn't ask for much, she couldn't ignore it. After thinking for a moment, she began to ponder:
"Complete-grade spiritual artifacts are even harder to find, and good ones are even rarer. I have to refine them myself. If I have the chance, I might try to find one for him among the Three Witches and Two Sages."

……

Jianghuai region.

Heading south from Xiangdi, crossing the Tangdao Mountain, a natural barrier between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, one can see lush green grass and distant mountain ranges shrouded in murky mist, resembling a colossal creature.

Qiao Yue rode the wind and stopped at the horizon, while everyone around him remained silent, gazing at him in silence.

Qiao Shi spent most of his time cultivating himself in the north, experiencing both rises and falls. He did venture into the south—Qiao Shi served as a general in the Wei Dynasty. During the Wei-Chu conflict, the Jianghuai region was largely controlled by Wei, and Qiao Shi even guarded the riverbanks.

He went south again, but was already a wanderer.

All the families in Luoyang received rewards in this great battle. The Qiao family lost its secret realm and its great formation, and its losses were no less than those of the other families. The Jia and Yu families, who made similar sacrifices, even received secret realms as a reward! The Qiao family, however, only received the phrase "to enrich the Jianghuai region."

Among the various families in Luoxia, the direct descendants of the Qiao and Ju families were the first to be relocated. While the other families were still meeting with the emperor and dividing up the land, the two families were swept out like a pile of garbage. The Ju family lost its great formation, while the Qiao family still had the ruins of the secret realm to clean up. All of them were handed over to Chen Wenyao, who was stationed there!
This official said he would send them all to the south, but if there were any shortages, how could Qiao dare to say a word against it!
The Qiao clan members understood this clearly and actually harbored considerable resentment and dissatisfaction.

'It's simply because I lack the support of the Purple Mansion!'

Only Qiao Yue's heart was clear:

"Without the Purple Mansion, that's enough."

Without the Purple Mansion, the Qiao clan is of little value to either the Li clan or the Song Dynasty. To be able to withdraw unscathed from such a situation while holding such great benefits is already a testament to Xiuwu's brilliance.

'Even if not a single piece of the ancient secret realm's ruins is returned to my Qiao clan… that's still a way to avert disaster!'

His gaze shifted, landing on the man beside him. Ju Liangwang seemed even more at ease, gazing at the distant scenery without uttering a word. Qiao Yue sighed inwardly and asked:
"Senior Ju..."

Ju Liangwang smiled and said:

"Fellow Daoist Qiao, from now on... our two families will be neighbors!"

The fiefdoms of the Ju and Qiao clans were both located in the Baijiang area, bordering the Zhuosha Mausoleum. To the south, one could see the eastern bank of the Li clan's territory. Beyond the river lay wilderness. Qiao Yue exchanged only a glance with him and nodded naturally, saying:
"We should... pay our respects at the mountain gate together."