Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1338 Qi Ku's Scheme
Li Quewan hadn't expected that after only two sentences, the old man would kneel down again. Hearing this, she hurriedly helped him up, saying:

"I wouldn't dare! Senior..."

But her heart sank.

The Xiao family's current situation is undeniably awkward.

'The news I received from the King of Wei is that the True Lord of Cangzhou is no good and has no intention of helping the Xiao family at all…'

Of course, as a True Lord, perhaps this one doesn't intend to harm the Xiao family. However, there is one point to note: this True Lord never reveals his whereabouts, has no lineage or disciples, and the only person in the world who has ever seen his Purple Mansion is probably Xiao Chuting from back then... Otherwise, there would probably be quite a few immortals who follow his lead.

'That's true, but if one is left without a mother for too long, trouble is bound to happen sooner or later... What this old man is seeking is a protective talisman...'

Furthermore, this is probably not Master Xiao's intention.

There's no other reason than that, given Xiao Chuting's abilities, if he truly had any plans for the Xiao family, they would be foolproof. If he needed the Li family's help, he should have made preparations long ago, so that both sides could have some preparations, instead of leaving it until now, when his supernatural powers have dissipated, and having an old man at the Foundation Establishment stage come to ask the Li family for advice...

Upon realizing this, she couldn't help but say:

"Senior...Master Xiao...didn't you leave any arrangements before you passed away?"

Xiao Yuansi froze on the mountainside for a moment. The old man seemed to have been chilled by the cold wind and began to shiver, saying:

"A real person...a real person..."

Li Quewan hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"How many Foundation Establishment cultivators are there in Cangzhou now? Are there any Purple Mansion seed cultivators left? Where are they all cultivating?"

Xiao Yuansi lowered his head in shame:

"Foundation Establishment... there are fewer than ten people who can be considered to have reached the Purple Mansion realm, except for Yu Shan... who has Xiao Muyun... who is Qing Xiao's biological son, whose cultivation is relatively high and who is also relatively young..."

Li Quewan frowned and asked:

"Why did it have to come to this!"

This is not the standard of the dignified Purple Mansion Immortal Clan! Not to mention now, back when Xiao Chuting still claimed to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Xiao family was not even this powerful!

Xiao Yuansi wept and said:
“You may not know this, but in this world, apart from the seas, there are very few prosperous places. Although Cangzhou is better, it is often called dangerous, and there is a reason for that. That place is full of miasma and has many dangerous waters, which often shorten lifespan and kill people.”

"It was alright at first, but the ancestor said... after him, no one was allowed to cultivate the Kan Water. As a result, the number of cultivators in the clan who cultivated the Kan Water decreased more and more. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who survived are all skilled in combat, not capable of seeking the Dao..."

Li Quewan frowned even more as he listened, realizing that this was a special arrangement by the old master, and said softly:
"Since that's the case, the Yu Shan lineage being sent to the North Sea instead of Cangzhou, and existing on the island, is probably a special favor from the old master. It seems unfair now..."

Xiao Yuansi shook his head and remained silent. Li Quewan roughly understood the situation and comforted him:
"My lord, there is no need to panic... My clan also has cultivators from the Kanshui River. Let's send a few to Cangzhou to take a look and reassure people."

"Given the bond between Xiao and Li, the marriage will certainly not disappoint the elder. However, this is a matter of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone. I will wait for my great-uncle to return and go overseas to handle this matter for you."

With this turn of events, at least the Li family had gone to Beihai, which brought Xiao Yuansi some relief. She covered her face and wept for a long while before finally speaking:
"King Wei provided invaluable assistance within the grotto-heaven, and our relationship is now settled. I dare not claim any favor for what happened back then... but this old man is in my way, and I must trouble the immortals. If anyone objects or finds it an obstacle, please have the True Immortal remove me... Each family has its own destiny... The Old True Immortal should have his own arrangements..."

Li Quewan sighed, poured him a full cup of tea, and said respectfully:

"I'm sorry to trouble you, sir... The world is ruthless, but Xiao is the biological mother of my Li family, and you are my great-uncle's teacher. How can this connection be erased?"

Xiao Yuansi wiped away his tears and agreed. He hurriedly retreated down the mountain, his hands clenched in his sleeves, trembling slightly, seemingly lost in thought. Li Quewan escorted him all the way to his cave and then returned to the mountain, only then hearing the commotion in the prefecture.

She turned to the side and asked:
"What's the matter again?"

Qiao Yue laughed:

"Reporting to the Master, it is because the King of Wei pacified Dangyin and captured the two supernatural beings alive that someone from the north returned to relieve the garrison. The news has just reached the lake. It is said that the King of Wei's casual action has resulted in a lifetime of achievements for others. And since the young master has returned to the lake, there must be a celebration."

Li Quewan smiled, a hint of helplessness mixed with her unease, and said:
"They're nowhere to be seen when it comes to important matters, but they can always find a reason to celebrate happy occasions. Issue the order: Master Xiao has just passed away, which is a sad event. There's no need to celebrate. Everyone should go back to their cultivation."

……

The sky and earth were bright.

The light of the sun and moon intertwined, and the falling snow came from the sky, piling up on the high platform. A man in white stood with his hands behind his back, holding a jade slip in his hand, gently tapping it.

'The Lesser Yin Secret Method…'

'This was a headache to begin with, but thankfully we have the notes of Master Yichuan. Now we have seven paths, and by combining them with the five, nine shouldn't be too difficult.'

Without the Golden Nature in hand, this secret technique naturally cannot compare with the Nine Paths of Mingyang, but it is no worse than the goods from the outside world. It is just that it has been handed over to the Li family, so they can practice it more when they have the opportunity, but if time is tight, then so be it.

What could awaken him was not something of the Lesser Yin nature—it was naturally a fragment of Gujun!
'Rare indeed… It's been so many years since I've seen a fragment of the original body… The last time was back in the Mi Fan Dao lineage, when Li Zhouwei had just achieved the first level of divine power. Now, he's climbed all the way to the Great True Person level, and only now am I seeing the next one!'

His perception was naturally far superior to Li Zhouwei's. Even across millions of miles, he could still clearly sense the shape and size of the fragment, and when compared, they matched remarkably well.

'If I get this piece... excluding the circle in the very center, it will fill about 80-90% of the space, at most one large piece or two small pieces... then I can collect all the remaining fragments except for the last step...'

He was eager to try, but also felt somewhat disappointed. However, looking around, he was pleasantly surprised.

[Please present this letter if you wish to use the Xuanku vault!]
When this item fell into the Li family's hands, Lu Jiangxian had taken notice of it. However, Liu Changdie's cultivation was still shallow and his supernatural abilities were lacking. He had no ability to connect with the Xuan Treasury and only tried it once or twice, but it was just a superficial attempt.

Now, he has brazenly opened the passage, descended the spiritual treasure, and replaced the [Huaijiang Map] with it. Such a major move has finally revealed itself to him, even though the Xuanku, which has been passed down from Douxuan to this day and relies on the Great Dao of Treasury Gold, has been completely exposed!
He raised his head, his gaze passing through the sun and moon before him, and stared with great interest at the enormous golden object lying in the distance.

'It's quite like a hidden paradise!'

In that instant, his gaze pierced through numerous obstacles. Even though Qiku Baosuo blocked him tightly, his all-pervasive divine sense still soared, allowing him to immerse himself in the golden light.

Before me stretched an endless river.

Then one saw the blazing flames, like lotus blossoms, the flowing spiritual water, like a winding dragon, and all sorts of treasures dazzling the eye: gold, silver, copper, iron, clubs, swords, spears, overlapping mysterious patterns, intoxicating colors, piles of gold and stone, tumbling pearls and jade, drifting down like mud and sand, engulfed in the rolling treasures!

Lu Jiangxian raised her head, and in that single glance, as she gazed at the bright, lotus-like colors drifting across the sky, her heart trembled slightly.

'【Tianxing Liyu】…'

From the lowest grade of [Minor Pure Spiritual Energy] to the top-grade [Heavenly Departure Apricot Rain], this mystical treasury seems to contain everything, with all kinds of treasures, passing by rapidly from top to bottom and left to right, making one feel as if they are in an endless sea of ​​treasures and stars!
'This is Douxuan's [Mysterious Treasury]...'

This [Mysterious Treasury] is essentially a grotto-heaven, but it is closely related to one's rank and even structured between two Dao Fruits. Externally, it is very likely that this grotto-heaven is located within Qi Jin and around Ku Jin!
'Only this possibility could explain why, despite clearly identifying the destination, I couldn't enter. This is part of the Qi-Ku Two Golden Lock... and also one of the methods used by the ancient Douxuan Grand Cultivator to utilize the Qi-Ku Two Paths.'

Liu Changdie's comprehension results were largely correct. Indeed, there were many kinds of items in the [Mysterious Treasury]. In fact, Lu Jiangxian was so dazzled that he even saw [Mysterious Treasury Request Letters] – a total of eighteen of them, scattered in various places.

Lu Jiangxian did a quick calculation and immediately knew where this thing came from.

'【Mysterious Treasury Request Letter】is so rare now, it's likely that most of them are the result of the sins committed by ancient cultivators…'

Once activated, the letter and the pledged treasures will be sent into the Mysterious Treasury. As collateral, there are definitely a considerable number of ancient cultivators who have been seeking a certain spiritual treasure or object for many years, and are willing to renege on their promises and exchange it for something else. They use some extremely sophisticated or targeted methods to suppress and collect it, making it impossible for the Mysterious Treasury to take it back!

Since the Mysterious Treasury has nowhere to be detected, it naturally won't return the pledged items. Those ancient cultivators, having obtained their wish, have left their Mysterious Treasury Request Tokens inside, unable to retrieve them…

'A full eighteen of them, meaning there were eighteen such instances... It's not surprising, considering the [Mysterious Treasury Request Token] was crafted by an ancient cultivator; it's not impossible that it was specifically crafted to exchange for something that would never be returned...'

To Lu Jiangxian's dismay, the conditions for using this [Mysterious Treasury] were extremely demanding. The most dangerous aspect was the Purple Gold Path. Unless one was a cultivator who had cultivated their inner energy, it basically required a Grand True Person of the Treasury Path, or even someone with perfected supernatural powers, to be able to control it freely...

'Other cultivators at the Purple-Gold level... if they want to use it freely at a low cultivation level, they must nurture their life force and maintain their purity. From the moment they enter the Dao, they must begin to refine themselves by exchanging their lives with the Xuan Treasury, gradually gaining its trust. Without one or two hundred years of refinement, how can they even touch something at the Purple Mansion level!'

"For someone with Liu Changdie's supernatural powers and cultivation, who is also a member of the Purple Gold Daoist lineage, and who became a monk halfway through his training, trying to obtain it through this exchange would be virtually impossible. Liu Changdie mistakenly believes that because his life is innocent, he can easily obtain it through his supernatural powers and cultivation, but this is not the case."

'The most fundamental reason is that Liu Changdie was once Tian Suzi!'

Who was Tian Suzi?

Indeed, Liu Changdie is not prominent now, and is even used by others. However, the one who bestowed the Heavenly Essence was the [Great Evolution Heavenly Essence Book], which directly points to Qing Yi, who ascended to the position of Heavenly Lord back then, and can be said to be the most well-known immortal lord in Douxuan!
'Given Tian Su's status within Dou Xuan, Liu Changdie is practically a son to the Dou Xuan lineage, which explains his rapid mastery over several years. The fact that it took him so long to achieve even this little progress truly shows his lack of Dao wisdom!'

This made Lu Jiangxian truly ashamed:
'But Heaven's essence is at stake; how could the Xuan Treasury possibly accept it, how dare it accept it? ...He envied the cultivators who cultivated their inner peace and tranquility, unaware that... he himself was the very son of Dou Xuan!'

He strolled through it, going against the current, his eyes filled with admiration as he watched the endless shooting stars streak across the sky. After an unknown amount of time, he leaped to the center of this sea of ​​supreme treasures.

This is the place surrounded by all treasures, a string of yellow light.

This light presents a primordial scene, vast and ancient, with a circular surface that constantly revolves around it, like a water surface that can never be filled. It occasionally breaks open due to violent fluctuations, revealing a hollow opening that allows one to see the golden core at the very center.

The countless treasures, like millions of shooting stars, were revolving around this primordial light!
Lu Jiangxian finally stopped, her eyes revealing unconcealed surprise.

'Metal element…'

'Two gold coins…'

He could see clearly that the one inside was called "Hidden Treasure of the Dao," and the one wrapped around it like a screen was called "Autumn Glow from the Chest," which was the famous one of the day...

'Qi and Ku are both gold!'

These two golden rays, one inside and one outside, exuded boundless antiquity and ancient simplicity, causing Lu Jiangxian's gaze to stiffen slightly, filled with an increasingly profound understanding:

'This is the golden essence personally left behind by those two... powerful beings who ventured out into the world back then!'

He gazed at the golden figure before him, his brow furrowing for a moment. He then turned to look at the sea of ​​flowing light behind him, slowly falling into deep thought. After an unknown amount of time, he finally raised his head, as if he had suddenly realized something, and a profound shock surged through him.

'The [Mysterious Treasury]...is...a...contingency plan they left behind...'

'For outsiders to unlock the Qi Ku lock, there are essentially two methods—the treasury is weak while the Qi is strong, or the Qi is weak while the treasury is strong. That is… either the treasury's funds decline to the point where others can squeeze into the warehouse, or the treasury's funds overflow, allowing others to take advantage of it…'

These countless treasures, flowing from low to high and scattered beyond the two golden paths, are meant to resist the turbulence of the Qi and Ku paths!

'Their golden nature is linked to their respective positions. Once the treasury's gold weakens and the other gold strengthens, all the treasures in the sky will be attracted to the other gold, gradually filling the treasury and maintaining balance. If the treasury's gold is strong and the other gold is weak, this place contains everything, and the overflowing treasury's gold will have its own destination, transforming into various essences to nourish and fill the space…'

'Regardless, the Xuanku (mysterious treasury) must be kept in balance, serving as a buffer against fluctuations in the metal element, thus ensuring that the Qiku (equivalent metal) remains locked and unaffected by the violent upheavals caused by others impacting the treasury's metal and the Qiku's metal...'

Lu Jiangxian remained lost in thought for a long time, speechless and unable to express her feelings:
"No wonder no one can solve it..."

He stared for a long time, and another strange thought slowly rose in his mind:
"not only that…"

"On the day someone unlocks the shackles, the Xuanku collapses, and the first thing to appear between Kuchi and the other two is their newly separated golden nature..."

"With their accumulated merits over thousands of years, and being the original owners, these two golden elements naturally took their places. Who could possibly take their place? How domineering!"

But upon reaching this point, he suddenly frowned, his gaze turning deep as he looked at the two shimmering golden rays:
"But these two golden elements are so pure, without a trace of impurity...that's the contradiction..."

When Tianwu went out, the armor he left behind had thoughts. After hundreds of years of cultivation, his soul was perfected, so reincarnation was naturally easy. The two pure metal elements had not been tainted by human bodies or thoughts, and their master was far away in the heavens. It was actually very difficult for them to each occupy the main position in the instant of collapse.

From Lu Jiangxian's perspective, after a little thought, she could actually see through the thoughts of those two:

'If I return, I will already be within the Heavenly Realm, separated from the Qi Treasury. You will not be allowed to seize this Dao Fruit. But if I perish outside the Heavenly Realm, my six senses will be without a master. Why should I presume to occupy the master's position with a mere thought? Let the descendants take it themselves, and let the Golden Nature be the reward…'

He gazed at the two pure yet exquisitely refined golden elements before him for a long time, a complex feeling stirring within him:
"A cultivator of the Douxuan realm may be domineering... but ultimately, he is a true cultivator striving for transcendence. His unwavering Dao heart, refusing to settle for second best and seeking truth from falsehood, is ultimately complete..."

(End of this chapter)