Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1334 Mysterious Treasury
The night was long.

The colors in the vast emptiness were dim, and all kinds of light were submerged in the darkness. Several streams of light intertwined and were rushing eastward, sweeping over the patches of land beneath their feet. Everywhere, there was chanting and peace.

The distant horizon was a golden expanse, as if some grand event was about to unfold, with golden figures standing tall in the sky, putting on high alert in all directions.

"Lotus Temple... what's wrong with them...?"

Qiao Wenliu hesitated slightly, gazing at the ground beneath his feet for a long time, and said:
“King Wei, you must be careful… Shanle Dao has always been cunning, and I’ve also heard of Jinlian Mohe. He’s a smooth-talking, shameless man, and he has a precious candle lamp that can detect our whereabouts. Although he has already gone north… this thing will most likely be left in the temple, and with Dayang Mountain watching over us, it’s not good to let us pass by…”

Li Zhouwei stood with his hands behind his back, secretly using the [Surveying the Netherworld] technique. He was fully aware of the movements in the entire area and showed no worry. He simply smiled and shook his head, watching as the distant Nanshan Mountain gradually came into view, and asked:

"The southern gateway...is it Raoshan?"

"good."

Knowing that he was confident, Qiao Wenliu immediately stopped talking and instead said:

"Raoshan is also an important town, guarded by Zhao Dezhi of Yudingmen. This man is cautious and meticulous, and is known for his steadiness. When he met the people in the cave, they all said that he was single-minded in his pursuit of the Dao, and that he was one of the few who cultivated for ten years before descending the mountain..."

"not to mention……"

He hesitated for a moment, then the King of Wei shook his head and said:

"He may not be the only one here."

Qiao Wenliu nodded quickly.

Li Zhouwei activated his [Cha You] technique, and just by catching a glimpse of this majestic mountain from afar, he could already discern its layout. There was no single Zhao Dezhi there; the supernatural beings inside were fully prepared, no less formidable than those at Yun and Pu Passes!
He sneered inwardly:

"Gu County must know what happened on the Ji River, and they also know that Yan will soon stop interfering. They have their own plans; almost half of their supernatural powers are stationed in the south, waiting for me to run into them."

Li Zhouwei didn't look at it much; his gaze casually swept over the magnificent city before leading the two eastward. Qiao Wenliu was secretly surprised; he was naturally a very perceptive person, and thought to himself:
'This is the way to the eastern gateway!'

Gu County is located in the eastern part of the Central Plains. Its western gateway, Yun and Pu, is heavily guarded, while its northern gateway is the famous Yincheng!
'The place where Emperor Zhaowu of Zhao fell.'

'Too…'

Upon realizing this, he couldn't help but glance at the King of Wei.

'The location of the Qi family at Qilan Weir.'

Needless to say, the warriors at this pass are absolutely determined to fight to the death. Facing the Yan state, they naturally wouldn't take on this hot potato. The southern gateway, Raoshan, seems undefended, but perhaps out of caution, this King of Wei took a long detour, heading straight for the eastern gateway…

'This involves traversing the entire territory of Lotus Temple; it's not a gamble that they won't cause trouble, it's treating them as if they don't exist…'

He gritted his teeth, but a deeper worry lingered in his heart:

'This is a huge gamble... The eastern gateway to Gu County is [Jiaoshan]. Although this mountain is far inferior to the other two directions, the Great Desire Path lies in the distance, and they have a strong desire to intervene. If we cannot quickly conquer the eastern gateway and are cut off by the southern supernatural powers, and given the distance to Dangyin, we could very well lose everything...'

He pondered for a long time, thinking it might be better to gamble that Raoshan's forces were few, at least the loss would be less. However, he didn't know what Wei Wang's trump cards were, so he didn't want to stop him and silently followed.

Li Zhouwei turned his head and looked down at Liu Changdie:
"Senior Yuanbian, have you completely mastered the technique?"

Liu Changdie trusted him more. He opened his tightly closed eyes, spread his hands, and saw that his palm was covered with countless tiny silver cones, like a storm, with dense lightning brewing within them, as if it were about to burst out at any moment.

【Thunderbolt Breaking Formation Wedge】!
This supreme treasure of Qingchi was brought by Sima Yuanli long ago and has now been handed over to Liu Changdie, a master of array formations. To put it bluntly, among the supernatural powers in Jiangnan, no one is more worthy of holding this item than him!
Li Zhouwei glanced at it, then got straight to the point and said:
"Senior Liu, I wish to quickly conquer [Jiaoshan]. I have heard that [Jiaoshan] is a sacred place of Jiaomu wood, and its formations are also the pinnacle of Jiaomu wood. Senior, you possess the profound mysteries of two metals and are also a master of formations. Do you have any insights?"

Qiao Wenliu was already startled by the thunderous object, and these words made him pause in surprise:
'This man is unremarkable in appearance, yet he's a master of array formations? There's never been a major lineage of array formations in Jiangnan throughout history; what kind of skill does this man possess…?'

'What does it mean to possess the profound mystery of two metals... Dui Geng?'

But he said:
"I've seen that Horned Wood Formation before. It hides a Free and Unfettered Metal element master, so the Fire and Metal elements aren't so afraid of it..."

Liu Changdie reacted very quickly, and after a moment's thought, said:

"I see. I think... to break this 'horn wood', taking 'fire' is the best option!"

The domineering power of "Bing Huo" is among the best in the world; which sect wouldn't be terrified of it? Qiao Wenliu nodded in agreement, and Li Zhouwei added:
"Items possessing the 'Combined Fire'... we have far too few of them. Aside from an ancient spiritual treasure imbued with a trace of 'Combined Fire,' I only possess one [Heavenly Crow Combined Fire]..."

This ancient spiritual treasure is naturally the [Divine Purple Gourd], which was originally in Li Jiangqian's possession. Li Zhouwei took it before leaving, while the [Heavenly Crow and Fire] was something that happened much earlier.

Li Zhouwei cultivated the "Emperor's Observation of the Origin," a divine power known as the "Emperor's Pivot Observation of the Dharma Realm Technique," which signifies the light spreading throughout the universe. This technique can harmonize all the bright yang methods, allowing him to dominate all cultivators, but it is not limited to this.

'After all, once the 'Emperor's Vision' is activated, it utterly abhors failure. If it only has this one effect, it can only suppress lower-level cultivators. When encountering opponents of the same level, or even stronger enemies, the 'Emperor's Vision' becomes utterly useless…'

This supernatural power is actually two-sided; it can also be internalized and used to fight powerful enemies!
When extended outwards, it is called "Emperor Ming Observes the Origin"; when held inwards, it is called "The Three Yangs Observe the Origin".

【三阳有观】 means that Mingyang is ranked among the three yangs, and has the status of leading fire and being respected. It is also the most mysterious of the three yangs, apart from the Mingyang purple fire of the "Visiting the Heavenly Gate", that commands the virtue of fire.

Li Zhouwei actually knew this a long time ago. Back when they attacked Luoyang, Li Ximing wanted to give him the [Heavenly Crow and Fire], but Li Zhouwei refused. He then told Li Ximing that it would not be too late to take it after the [Emperor's View] was refined, and that it should be done today!
He had actually taken the [Heavenly Crow and Fire] before going to Dalingchuan, but neither Su Yan, nor Tang Jiyu of Dangyin, nor even Qiao Wenliu in front of him, were as capable as him. To put it bluntly, none of them were qualified to let him hold the [Emperor's View Yuan]!
Having heard his words, Liu Changdie stroked his beard thoughtfully and said:

"Liu, however, felt...that was enough."

Seeing the two looking at him, he said:

"I possess the [Mysterious Treasury Request Certificate], which allows me to cast a spell. By using metal to draw in lightning, coupled with the [Lightning Strike Array Breaker Wedge], the intertwining of lightning and fire would be too much for even the best array to withstand..."

Qiao Wenliu's expression froze.

"【Request Letter from the Mysterious Treasury】?"

"The 'Kujin' monk?!"

He seemed to have discovered some incredible treasure, even stretching his hands out from behind his back as if looking at some rare and precious gem, to grasp Liu Changdie's hand, exclaiming in astonishment:

"Why bother with thunder and fire? Fellow Daoist Liu can connect to the Mysterious Treasury. If you and I team up, we won't lack any more fire-type spiritual treasures."

His words came out of nowhere, but Liu Changdie seemed to understand, and covered his face somewhat awkwardly, saying:

"Liu's supernatural powers are insufficient, and his abilities are beyond his reach..."

Information about Kukin is extremely scarce; even someone as learned as Qiao Wenliu seems to have strayed from the truth, wondering:
"So it's related to supernatural powers... I've only heard of it; anyone who can connect to the Mystic Treasury is extremely powerful..."

Seeing Li Zhouwei looking over, Liu Changdie sighed and said:

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the [Mysterious Treasury Request Letter] is no ordinary spiritual treasure. Its true purpose is extremely broad. In short, it connects to the Mysterious Treasury... This [Mysterious Treasury] was originally an item of the Great Dao of Profound Enlightenment. It is said that it was once used by immortal lords to verify the Great Dao. Later, it was gradually used by various divine pills and even by low-level cultivators. It contains all sorts of wonders, spiritual treasures, spiritual objects, and even supernatural powers..."

“High-level cultivators of the ‘Treasury’ path can borrow from it by pledging material goods… As long as they maintain it with supernatural powers, the exchange will naturally occur when the time comes.”

"There's such a thing!"

Li Zhouwei had long heard that this treasure was extremely powerful, but he never expected it to be so wondrous. For some reason, he suddenly thought of his own Sun and Moon Shining Together Heaven and Earth. However, being perceptive, he said:

"You mean... we'll use our own spiritual treasures to exchange for a few fire-related treasures?"

His eyes lit up, all his thoughts were instantly cleared, and he said:

"If Senior Liu has such abilities, then that is truly... astonishing!"

Liu Changdie smiled bitterly, sighed, and said:

"I, Liu, am aware of the wondrous nature of this treasure. Even Master Qiao... you underestimate this treasure. This treasure can not only be used to exchange for spiritual artifacts... but also, the ancients did not often use it to borrow spiritual artifacts and treasures. It was used to... exchange for supernatural powers!"

"Supernatural powers?!"

Qiao Wenliu was startled, but reacted quickly, and said speechlessly:

"Can you exchange your 'Treasury Gold' supernatural power for other supernatural powers as collateral?"

Liu Changdie pondered for a moment and said:

"Logically speaking, it is possible. In ancient times, high-level cultivators who held letters could engage in such magical duels. They could borrow a letter, fight it, and then return it. However, my cultivation level was too low, so I locked myself up early on. I tried many times, but I could not succeed. So I kept putting it off and dared not tell the King of Wei. A few days ago, I finally managed to stabilize my cultivation level... but... but."

He shook his head and said:

"What you get in return is not something you can control."

These words made both of them pause, and Liu Changdie said bitterly:

"That's why I've been reluctant to use this item for so long. If what I get in return is the 'Fire Combination' supernatural power, where metal and fire clash, and it's the most poisonous Fire Combination, I'll be injured and forced to retreat before anyone else even has to lift a finger!"

He sighed, a hint of relief finally appearing in his eyes, and said:

"Furthermore, without a certain level of cultivation, how can one use other supernatural powers smoothly? In recent years, I have had no path of cultivation and have devoted all my energy to this treasure. I have only managed to refine it to the point of being able to control it freely, so at least I won't hurt myself because of incorrect supernatural powers."

Li Zhouwei seemed to understand what Liu Changdie had said on the lake. A strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart, and he said:

"Senior Yuanbian, the higher the grade of the material used to exchange for the spiritual artifact, the more powerful the item obtained will be?"

"Exactly!"

Liu Changdie nodded and said:

"Essentially, it still relies on the nature of the 'treasury'; the item exchanged must be slightly inferior to the one exchanged for, so that the treasury can tolerate it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn..."

Li Zhouwei's heart skipped a beat. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an object—a neatly bound scroll.

[Huaijiang Map]

This item is naturally powerful and ranks among the treasures in Li Zhouwei's possession. However, it shares a characteristic with the [Qianyang Bracelet]: its effect is singular and not complex. Now that the [Diguan Yuan] has been completed, the wonders of this item are somewhat repeated.

However, this does not mean that the [Huaijiang Map] is not powerful. Holding this item can at least suppress the opponent with one spiritual treasure, and it is by no means too little. Rather, it is a wonderful feature of this item that Li Zhouwei valued.

[Written personally by the Supreme Lord of Yao]!
He smiled and said:
"When the battle starts later, take this and try it out. See what good stuff you can get by pledging it. I don't need it to be 'fire-elemental'; fire and metal elements would be best. If that doesn't work, as long as the quality is good enough, it will always be of great use!"

……

Jiaoshan.

Jiaoshan is located in the east of Gu County, overlooking Qi and Lu. Many years ago, a high-ranking Taoist named Jiaomu attained enlightenment here, hence the flourishing forests, with their verdant green reaching the sky.

But atop this high mountain stood two people.

A man in flowing white robes, appearing quite old, stroked his beard with a smile, gazing at the swirling blossoms covering the mountainside, seemingly extremely pleased. He couldn't help but stride forward with his hands behind his back, laughing as he said:
"Young friend Lü, what do you think of my flowers and plants?"

The man opposite him was much younger, with a long, flowing beard, simple cloth shoes, and a gentle, middle-aged appearance. However, there seemed to be some worry between his brows. The beautiful scenery before him could not attract him, and he simply said:
"great!"

The old man glanced at him, led him through the sea of ​​flowers, and sat him down in the main hall, saying:
"Young friend Lü seems to be troubled!"

The middle-aged man shook his head and said with a wry smile:

"In the end, I have disgraced my clan. Although losing to him is not a disgrace, there are bound to be some ignorant people in the county who think that just because I am from the Lü family, I should be respectable and invincible, and therefore they look down on me..."

This man possessed extraordinary golden virtue and supernatural abilities, and had an outstanding demeanor. He was none other than Lü Fu, the descendant of the two Lü brothers whom Li Zhouwei had captured alive in Luoyang!
He suffered a serious injury back then and went to the cave to heal, but not long after, he seemed unable to bear the gossip there and went out again.

These words made the old man's eyes gleam, and he shook his head regretfully, saying:

"Dignity? Who cares about our dignity when it comes to matters that affect the interests of important people? You and I are sitting high above, do we care about the dignity of those below who are gathering qi? All the supernatural powers have understood it... it's just that those minor cultivators in those grotto-heavens don't know how to count and gossip behind our backs."

"Although I am valuable, everyone in the cave has some connection to supernatural powers. I won't do anything to them because of a few idle words. I can't control them. Let them chew on me if they want!"

The worry between his brows deepened, and he sighed deeply, saying:
"I've heard that fighting has broken out again in the west. Unlike them, I've already witnessed the might of that King of Wei. Fellow Daoist Pang is indeed intelligent, but he cannot go against the will of Heaven."

His words, however, carried a profound meaning. It was unclear whether he was referring to the vastness of destiny, the unstoppable course of events in the world, or some 'heaven' high above. The old master, however, heard it clearly, sipped his tea in silence, and listened to the younger generation speak:
"I'm not going to get involved with them; I'm just going to stay with the old folks for a while..."

The old man shook his head:

"It was inevitable sooner or later."

Lü Fu also took a sip of tea and gave a self-deprecating smile:
"I'm not ashamed, but that doesn't mean I should lean in and listen. Let them suffer first, so they won't say I'm cowardly. The cave is noisy, it's better for me to stay far away..."

He was in a much better mood and smiled:

"The King of Wei is in the west, and I am in the east. Does he expect me to travel a thousand miles to be caught and put into his earthenware jar again?"