Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1300 Cheng Liang
Upon hearing this, Li Jiangqian laughed and said:

"That's to be expected, after all, Luoyang has already been emptied out..."

As Li Ximing rose, he calculated with his fingers, added fuel to the fire, and the [Eastern Destiny Bottle] in his palm shimmered, clear water cascading down. He then asked:

"How powerful are you?"

"Something gained."

Li Jiangqian answered rather modestly, saying:

"I dare not delay my father's affairs."

Li Ximing extended two fingers, using the [Eastern Life Bottle] to stabilize the alchemy furnace, and together they went up to the lake, saying:
“Supernatural powers are not something that can be developed in three or five years, and the same goes for Que Wan. If there is another great battle in Dalingchuan, it may damage her immortal foundation, so there is no rush to come.”

The person in the platinum-gold robes shook his head and sighed:

"These three years, neither long nor short, have been quite eventful. The Yang family took over the Lingfeng Peak and seemed to have ambitions to conquer the East Sea. They sent several people there, which caused some friction with Chunyi Dao."

Li Jiangqian raised an eyebrow and said:
"The Xi family has remained aloof from the matter for many years. If it weren't for the arrangements made above Chunyi, the Yang family wouldn't have tolerated it for so long."

Li Ximing said helplessly:

"This news was brought by Xuan Yi... There's not a commotion outside. He came this time for two reasons: first, because you promised to help him, I gave him a spiritual resource to exchange for the He Shui item; second, there's news about the [Vast Earth Treasure Heart Jade]."

The 【Vast Earth Treasure Heart Jade】was a relic of Kong Tingyun. After the Xuan Yue family was wiped out, Kong Xiaxiang presented it to the Li family. Because it was a mysterious object, Li Jiangqian handed it over to Xuan Yi for disposal.
"This person found a cultivator in a grotto-heaven and sent him back."

“Xuanyi said…that person wasn’t very interested, he only considered it a favor, so he found something to make up for it…but he was short of money and couldn’t take out any spiritual items, so he could only look elsewhere.”

Li Ximing's expression was slightly strange, but he stopped in front of the great formation and took out a scroll from his sleeve.

The scroll was entirely white, about the length of an arm, with a golden body. Although it was not yet unrolled, the beginning of the scroll, interwoven with platinum and gold, already had purple characters:
[The True Thunder Can Change the Picture].

Li Ximing casually handed it to Li Jiangqian, shaking his head and saying:
"I heard that... this thing was obtained by Xuan Yi's grandmaster, the True Man Qu, from the ruins of a Thunder Palace called [Qu Lei Palace]."

Li Jiangqian frowned and said:

"Spiritual weapon?"

Li Ximing shook his head and said:

"It's not quite a spiritual artifact. Although it has some mystical properties, its body is extremely fragile, like a piece of white paper. If you're not careful, it will be torn to shreds. If you want to use it, you have to protect it with supernatural powers."

"As for this miraculous effect... it has only one benefit."

Li Jiangqian raised his eyebrows and looked at Li Ximing, saying:

"Store up thunder."

He said:

"This thing is as white as a sheet of paper; it is extinguished by water and fire, but it is not afraid of thunder. Not only is it not afraid, it can also contain thunder!"

"It does resemble a battle formation..."

Li Jiangqian nodded with great curiosity, and immediately understood:
"【Demon-Slaying Belly-Severing Mace】!"

"Exactly!"

Li Ximing nodded repeatedly and said:
"I reckon he'll rummage through everything but find nothing of value to give us. Most of the ancestor's things are hard to touch, and my family doesn't care much for spiritual resources these days. Using them to offset the cost of a spiritual weapon would be too much. After thinking it over, we know that we have the [Demon-Suppressing Belly-Splitting Mace], and that's the only thing that's useful!"

He smiled and said:
"Fortunately... it is indeed excellent. I've tested it, and this item can store two [punishment lightning] bolts for several months!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangqian's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in praise:

"it is good!"

The Demon-Suppressing Belly-Slaying Mace is actually not bad. The problem is that the Li family does not have the Xuanlei Purple Mansion. The only one who can forcibly use the profound technique, Li Quewan, does not understand thunder magic. You should know that the Thunder Palace was extremely prosperous back then. They played with all kinds of thunder in countless ways and formed their own method, hence the special name "Thunder Magic".

The Demon-Suppressing Belly-Splitting Mace, once in the hands of the Li family, was like a pearl covered in dust. The Thunder-Suppressing Mace, which was used for direct combat, could not be used effectively. However, the extremely remote Thunder-Punishment still played a crucial role. Back then, when Qi Lanyan died, this Thunder-Punishment, which could generate endless pain, determined the course of the battle!
While this [Punishment Thunder] is unique, the trouble lies in the need to accumulate thunderclouds in advance. It only has an opportunity to use it when Li Zhouwei is fighting at Xianhu, and I am on home ground. Once I come from afar to attack, it loses its luster.

"In this way, one of the biggest problems with this device will be eliminated!"

Li Jiangqian smiled and said:
“When the Punishment Lightning is used in conjunction with other spells, its interference effect will be dramatically enhanced… Moreover, this artifact has a fourth divine power in my sister’s hands, making it even more powerful. If she were to keep one of those within it, we could all borrow some of its benefits.”

He paused briefly, then quickly showed a look of regret, and said:

"It's a pity... we only have the [Demon-Suppressing Belly-Splitting Mace]. If my family possessed a more precious and powerful Xuan Lei spiritual treasure, paired with this [True Thunder Transformation Diagram], it would undoubtedly represent a qualitative leap..."

Li Ximing nodded subtly and reminded him:
"There is only one problem: this thing can only be used when fighting, and once it is damaged, it is completely destroyed. There is no such thing as recognizing a master. If we are not careful and it is taken by other supernatural powers, it may even turn around and harm us."

As the two stepped out of the void, they saw a high platform standing in the center, with flames blazing on the purple-gold pillars. People were coming and going, busy at work. Batch after batch of spiritual resources were refined in various places and then sent out, hurrying up to the platform in the center. Looking around, they could not see a single idle person.

The high platform was quite spacious, with a huge cauldron in the center, as tall as one person and requiring ten people to encircle it. The cauldron was covered with mysterious patterns. Around it stood a series of mysterious pools, with flowing golden essence, clear and shimmering spiritual water, and soaring black flames like crimson flames... too many to count.

There stood a True Man with his hands behind his back, looking solemnly at the Azure Cauldron in front of him. As he made calculations with his hands, his cinnabar-like divine power flowed, and various spiritual resources were thrown down and gathered in it.

It was indeed lead.

This master was completely focused, not even having time to communicate with the two. He was fully immersed in the process, and every now and then, golden edicts would rush out from the inner formation and land in his palm, where he would make adjustments and provide guidance.

Li Ximing was filled with mixed feelings of joy and worry, and said in a low voice:
“It has always been your sister and Master Chengqian who have been handling this, while Master Kuanghong has been traveling to and from the South China Sea… There was some trouble earlier – the ley lines in the dense forest have changed, with one or two extending into the lake, causing some changes.”

"Fortunately, the trouble isn't too serious. With your sister overseeing the calculations, a few minor modifications were made, and several pure qi ingredients were added. Besides, during your three years of seclusion, your family used up four strands of Purple Mansion spiritual resources and one strand of Horned Wood spiritual item. Below the Purple Mansion, the metal essence, fire poison, and spiritual wood cold evil are constantly being replenished. The cultivators below have been burning their spiritual fires non-stop for three years, even burning through the furnace, yet it remains like a bottomless pit..."

Li Ximing paused for a moment and then sighed:

“My family has managed our business well and has had surpluses every year. However, in just three years, we have drained away 30% of all kinds of spiritual resources below the Purple Mansion level like flowing water!”

The Li family has many cultivators and many spiritual fields, so their output is high and their consumption is also high. However, proportionally speaking, their annual surplus is always much higher than that of their own family. They also brought back a lot from Luoyang, so their current savings are extremely deep. Thirty percent may not seem like much, but it is enough to catch up with half of the Purple Mansion Array, enough to support countless cultivators!

Li Jiangqian had also managed a household before and knew the significance of this matter, but he didn't feel sorry for it. He simply sank his spiritual sense into the cauldron and indeed saw a bright white embryonic shape, no bigger than a chicken egg, but with a vibrant and rhythmic life force.

He turned his head and said with satisfaction:

"It's not much—you can never have too much of what you have below the Purple Mansion to help your supernatural powers."

Li Ximing was still pondering:
"Back then, we made an agreement with Xinggongtai to exchange for [Wall Sinking Water], a total of six pools. It was to exchange our family's resources for it. The first three or four pools were done quickly, but the last two pools were delayed until two years ago. We finally managed to resolve this matter... Things are different now. If we support Xinggongtai less, our resources will be consumed more slowly."

"Of these six [Neck Feathers], three were exchanged with Jin Yitong for Mingyang Spiritual Resources to continuously refine [Lin Guang Zhao Yi Dan] for you, and the remaining three are with the clan."

Li Jiangqian frowned and said:

"Even the [Wall-Sinking Water] from the Western Sea is hard to find now?"

Li Ximing said:

"Actually, it's not that bad. It's just that Xinggongtai has been suppressed by that Xifu Dongyuan Sect, and it's been getting worse and worse in recent years. The disciples don't dare to go out casually, so naturally they don't have any special skills."

He said with some concern:
"Zhentao Prefecture has always attracted attention. In recent years, without the protection of the Purple Mansion, cultivators have found it difficult to make any moves. If this continues, there may be trouble."

Li Jiangqian pondered for a moment, then said softly:

"Now is a time of great change. Why don't we send a Purple Mansion cultivator to the East Sea to make some preparations and dismantle this formation?"

The [Neck Feather] provided by Zhentao Prefecture was once a significant gain for Li Ximing, providing a continuous source of vitality to the Li family, which was penniless and had no spiritual embryos... However, as the situation changed, it became clear that Zhentao Prefecture was somewhat powerless to help.

'It's too far from the mainland. No secrets stay hidden forever. Our collection of [Wall Sinking Water] has become increasingly obvious over the years. Many Purple Mansions in the south have already suspected this, and it will likely reach the north sooner or later… The Dragon faction is untrustworthy. Sending a Purple Mansion specifically to guard that place would be putting the cart before the horse, leaving only a weakness…'

'Dismantling an array is a wasteful act; many people have no array to build and trading it to others is the most suitable course of action. But this array is unusual; there's a treasure suppressing it beneath. I have a considerable amount of spiritual resources, so I might as well dismantle the treasure at the bottom of the array and take one or two spiritual items along with it.'

Li Jiangqian was very decisive, while Li Ximing was somewhat regretful, replying:
"As the Chen family's secret realm, Dalingchuan must contain [Wall Sinking Water]. We can still make use of [Zhentao Mansion] one last time and transform these gains. It's not too late to do it later."

Li Jiangqian hesitated for a moment, then said:
"What Grand Uncle said makes sense."

He pondered silently, Li Ximing still felt the pain in his heart, racking his brains for a solution. Unexpectedly, a crimson light rushed towards them, bowed in mid-air, and revealed Li Zhouming in his red robes.

Li Zhouming was not talented and was a spoiled brat in his youth. He also had the idea that he was not capable of Foundation Establishment and was too lazy to waste resources and time. Later, he was given a lot of resources and was able to establish Foundation Establishment by chance with the blessing of his father and brothers. After that, his cultivation made no progress. Although Li Xuanxuan had the idea of ​​taking out his treasures in private to help him go further.

Li Zhouming's foundation-building was somewhat of a fluke, let alone his future cultivation. Whenever this happened, he would speak righteously and sternly, using phrases like "It would be a waste of resources if I were not the true master's grandson." Li Xuanxuan was both amused and exasperated, knowing that he was not very talented, and eventually gave up.

Now that the younger generation in his family has achieved the Purple Mansion realm, and even his wife has long since broken through to the late stage, he remains carefree, clinging to the early Foundation Establishment stage. Upon seeing the two True Immortals, he was quite excited and said:
"Grandfather! Grandfather... your grandson searched the dense forest but found nothing... oh dear... I've finally found you, sir..."

Li Ximing's eyes were smiling, but he was used to scolding him, so he casually said:

"You've been at the Foundation Establishment stage for so long, and you still don't know your limits."

Li Zhouming was embarrassed, but he suppressed his emotions and bowed, saying:
"Two esteemed gentlemen, someone from beyond the lake has arrived! It is...it is...the Duke of Li!"

Upon hearing these three words, Li Ximing was taken aback at first, but then quickly realized what he meant. His eyes lit up with joy, and he excitedly took a step forward, staring at him as he said:

"You mean... Jiangliang?!"

"... "

Being a Purple Mansion cultivator, this change in emotion left Li Zhouming breathless. He hurriedly said:

"However... he didn't go inside; he only stopped at a small peak at the eastern border..."

As Yang Zhuo's most trusted minister, Li Jiangliang held two positions: the Privy Councilor of Fengwu Hall and the Envoy of Fengzhen Guangyun. In the Song Dynasty's official system, this was already an extremely prestigious position. He was also the Duke of Lizhou and the Chief of the Purple Gold Hall. He had almost reached the point where there was no more title to be bestowed. The Duke of Lizhou that people talked about was him!
He had bid farewell to the lake years ago and returned to the capital to cultivate in seclusion and break through to the Purple Mansion realm. Now he has suddenly reappeared—what could be better? Li Ximing immediately laughed heartily, exclaiming with delight:
"So the supernatural power has been achieved!"

'No wonder you don't come to the lake anymore…'

Li Jiangqian raised an eyebrow, nodded with a half-smile, and said:
"Of my younger brothers, I thought he was the most promising, and sure enough, he was the first to achieve success... There's been no news from Jiangnan, so it seems he headed straight for the lake as soon as he came out of seclusion. Good, good..."

The golden-eyed youth stepped forward and smiled:

"It's been many years, let's catch up!"

An old man and a young man took Li Zhouming with them, using their supernatural powers to travel through the mountains. In an instant, they crossed the dense forest and mountains. They saw their vehicle in the distance and landed on the mountain. Sure enough, there was a person standing with his hands behind his back.

This man possessed an extraordinary bearing, clad in a blue-purple robe, with blazing flames flickering behind him, and a bright light shining from within his heart. Sparks of light spontaneously appeared around him, landing on the hem of his robe and the tips of his hair.

It is the "Great Separation Book"!
Among Li Zhouwei's sons, only Li Jiangliang practiced the same cultivation method as his elder brother, the "Heavenly Separation and Sunset Scripture." Now, having achieved supernatural powers, his body is also ablaze with righteous fire, radiating pure light. Unlike his brother, his supernatural powers are faintly mixed with bright white true yang light, making him appear even more righteous, awe-inspiring, and inviolable.

Standing beside him was a woman dressed in dark blue, with a pretty face. She was a step behind him, a smile on her lips, and appeared very respectful.

Li Jiangqian arrived amidst the flames, his bright, slightly narrower golden eyes filled with joy. He took his younger brother's hand, patted his shoulder, and smiled:
"Great!"

Having survived this brush with death and dispelled all illusions, Li Jiangliang also had endless emotions. His golden eyes revealed genuine feelings. He bowed respectfully and said in a slightly hoarse voice:

"Greetings, Great-Uncle and Elder Brother!"