Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1383 Trump Card
He was speechless, his heart pounding:

'In other words… our earlier speculation was correct; Chi Buzhi possesses extraordinary abilities. The peculiar aura emanating from him and the situation in Suining share the same origin…'

'Why is that...?'

According to his judgment, this matter is definitely related to the celestial official's possession of his body back then!

'Dangjiang originally took over his body... but due to some strange reasons, it gave him the opportunity to communicate with the heavens. This man is ruthless yet perceptive. Now that Dangjiang has returned to heaven, it's not unreasonable for him to take this opportunity... to curry favor with the celestial beings...'

There are so many inferences that can be made. It seems that what Chi Buzi said to Li Qinghong back then has come true. In any case, it has now truly brought a conclusion to his mind:
'Chi Buzhi's matter... is also a matter of heaven.'

Seeing him remain silent, the fairy maiden misunderstood, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"I've also heard Dangjiang mention that Chi Buzhi... has some misunderstandings with your family. He's also someone with great potential, and it's rare for him to reach this heaven. I don't know if he'll succeed. Even if he does, if you don't like him, you can simply not go see him..."

"You've misunderstood, sir!"

Li Ximing shook his head repeatedly and solemnly said:
"I was simply shocked after experiencing Xuan Tian's abilities firsthand."

His family's feelings towards Chi Buzhi were actually quite complicated. It was precisely because of his indifference to the Qingchi Sect, coupled with the instigation of others, that everything about that old demon from back then vanished into thin air and collapsed. Now, their only enemy was an old dragon. Moreover, it was even possible that Chi Buzhi could become an ally in this matter of killing the dragon.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, and Shao Hui simply shook his head and said:
"He's an annoying, ambitious guy. But he's still a colleague, and you might even have to work with your Mingyang in the future. It's good that you have this intention, fellow Daoist..."

Shao Hui knew very little about Mingyang's affairs, only that such a thing existed. For a moment, he couldn't even recall Mingyang's name, so he could only offer this advice, saying:

"The heavens revolve in an orderly fashion, and I cannot keep you any longer. Let us not waste any more time here."

She clapped her hands gently, and a palace maid on the other side brought over a jade plate and placed it in front of her. On the jade-like plate was a layer of soft, silky substance that emitted a faint glow.

Li Ximing rose and bowed deeply before accepting the scroll of silk with both hands. Under the other party's smiling gaze, he picked it up and saw that it was covered with densely packed Xuan characters, along with faint Daoist hand gestures. The scroll was long and complex, and it looked like an extremely complicated secret manual.

He was slightly puzzled, but seeing the fairy maiden before him nod slightly, she smiled and said:
"There are several realms in the heavens...and in the mortal realm as well. One of them contains relics of your ancestors. Take this incantation back with you and practice it diligently. When you find the location, you will be able to enter and exit with ease..."

'Is this a secret realm? Or some kind of hidden paradise…'

Li Ximing wasn't surprised; on the contrary, he was more puzzled. His family was now under the watchful eyes of powerful figures across the land, and they couldn't just freely enter and exit any grotto-heavens. Once discovered, it would be tantamount to admitting their identity, which could very likely lead to their death!
He hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"I wonder what kind of place this is..."

Shao Hui had already turned around to give instructions, but upon hearing this, he turned back and casually said:
"It's a celestial array."

"Oh..."

Li Ximing first nodded habitually, then his expression froze. He moved his lips and murmured:
"A celestial array?"

Shao Hui took a jade pot from a palace maid beside him and said:
"Yes... I heard its power is quite good. Those people in the lower realm, like Lushui and Xiuyue, wouldn't dare go there. If you want to stay in that immortal array, you'd need to be a Dao Embryo at least!"

Li Ximing's lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.

Immortal Array.

He felt dizzy and disoriented listening to it.

"This is ridiculous! What Dao Embryo or whatever? According to the logic that only the Purple Mansion Grand Array can barely resist the Purple Mansion, is this immortal array some kind of Dao Embryo array? Does such a thing even exist? I've never even heard of a Golden Core level grand array… Dao Embryo?"

He said in a hoarse voice:
"This thing is too... too shocking. Even if we had it... my family wouldn't dare touch it!"

His words were based on a very simple principle—if Li Ximing were Tianxia, ​​or some other True Lord, and knew of the existence of such a thing, he would definitely send ten thousand pairs of eyes to watch this place, how could he be allowed to enter? But if he did not know of the existence of this thing, wouldn't it be even more terrifying to be guilty of possessing such a treasure?

Seeing his many doubts, Shao Hui put down the pot he was holding and said:
“You don’t need to worry. This great formation… back then, that Immortal Official Li often went in and out, and even brought friends with him. Your Xiao family also had people go in, and quite a few people know about it. As his descendants, your family is a legacy of the Taiyin, so it’s not surprising that you know about this place.”

"Just don't stay there too long or do anything outrageous. Take a look and pick out anything you might need, then you won't have to come back so often."

Li Ximing immediately understood.

It's Li Jiangqun!

'This real person... was actually there back then... which means that Jin Yi and the Sun Dao lineage were both there, and it's even possible that some of them still know how to enter and exit...'

This relieved him, and his unease slowly turned into excitement. He nodded his thanks, a hint of anticipation rising in his heart. The woman before him, however, simply picked up the pot and said seriously:

"This thing... was specially left for you by the adults."

Li Ximing bowed again and accepted the pot with both hands. The pot had no lid and its mouth was wide open, revealing a lake of starry sky colors like a vast ocean, rippling with a yin energy and faintly surging yin energy, which was quite astonishing.

Shao Hui said solemnly:
"The lord foresaw that you were cultivating an external body, and has specially bestowed upon you a pot!"

This was Lu Jiangxian's personal motive.

Li Ximing cultivated the [Divided Spirit and Different Body] technique, which he naturally observed. Such wonders were within his area of ​​expertise, so he watched several times. He saw Li Ximing using the Yin energy to repair the body of the divided spirit and different body, ignoring everything else. He even treasured the scraps of Wood Virtue he had finally obtained...

Even he, a man who hid in the mirror and was indifferent to worldly affairs, looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, regretting his actions!
'What's the difference between this and using the [Moonlight Essence] to cultivate the Six Wheels of Fetal Breathing?'

He calculated it over and over again, then shook his head repeatedly:

'For Li Ximing to fully utilize the benefits of Taiyin, Li Quewan's three supernatural powers must be ascended. This is a genuine obstacle in his cultivation, which cannot be overcome no matter how much extra help they receive. Moreover, by then, how much time will be left to deal with these matters for him?'

He finally couldn't stand it any longer. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he took out the pot of Shao Yin Divine Power left by Shao Hui, mixed it with Tai Yin Divine Mystery, and thus refined it into the precious liquid we know today.

'With Lesser Yin as the main body, 'Xiangjuchen' (fragrant agarwood) is mixed with Greater Yin, transforming the root of Lesser Yin into 'Taichong Guan' (Greater Yin Contemplation). This takes the essence of Lesser Yin as Yang, the profound mystery of breaking down and then establishing, and thus becomes the enlightenment of Lesser Yin, without any discrepancy.'

Li Ximing didn't know what kind of wondrous object was before him, but anything from the heavens was bound to be extraordinary. He happily put it away, then listened as Shao Hui said solemnly:
"Take this pot back with you, and under no circumstances should you take it out of this world. Only take out the Divine Transformation Body. One drop every three months, it will be extremely effective!"

Li Ximing secretly memorized it, but his heart was stirred. A question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time finally had a chance to be asked, so he said:

"Heaven has bestowed upon me a great deal of Yin energy in my lake, which is of no use if it is kept in my possession. However, there are many opportunities to make connections with people in the outside world. My only concern is that I may not be able to manage its use properly, lest I give too much and arouse suspicion... I wonder if you, sir, could offer some guidance..."

These words had already been foreseen by Lu Jiangxian. Shao Hui smiled and said:
“I heard from the adults that some people outside are seeking Jueyin and have obtained Qi from you... but this is not a big deal.”

Lu Jiangxian had considered it carefully, and Shao Hui answered quickly at this moment:
"Everyone in the world knows that you possess Taiyin spiritual objects. In today's world, even the Taiyin Moon Essence is not completely extinct; it's just that it has the greatest reputation. In the past, if you took out three or five of them, as long as you didn't throw them away like they were free, there wouldn't be any major problems."

After Li Zhouwei traveled around the north, Lu Jiangxian sensed that there must be a treasure vault suppressed by the Taiyin Moon Essence in Gu County, not to mention the Longkang Clan, the Han Clan... or even a major power like Luoxia Mountain!
'After all, the Yuan Dynasty gave away far too much back then… The Xi family had quite a bit, but now it's almost all gone, not to mention the forces in the north that have been quietly accumulating resources… It's not surprising that they possess powerful elixirs from the Taiyin Dao!'

She said:

"As for other spiritual energy, taking out one or two strands to make friends with others is no big deal!"

Over the years, the Li family has accumulated considerable resources related to Taiyin (the element of Yin), and various forces have tacitly acknowledged the Taiyin artifacts they possess. Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief, nodded in agreement, and a hopeful expression appeared on his face.

"Then...cultivating the Yin..."

Upon hearing this, the woman was suddenly stunned. After a moment's thought, she said:
"That's not something I can decide... I need to go and ask!"

"I'll trouble you, fairy maid!"

So he raised his hand, wrote down some numbers, and released his hand. The jade slip transformed into a white sparrow and flew away, chirping as it left the main hall, passed over numerous mansions, and silently landed in someone's hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, the white-robed immortal murmured:

"The Taiyin can be cultivated... but without the Purple Palace, there is no way forward."

Lu Jiangxian was not without the means; in fact, in the eyes of outsiders, the Li family also had the ability. However, having the people on the lake cultivate Taiyin was not in their best interest!

'The matter of Taiyin... is the only condition we can negotiate with the outside world... and even the matter of Mingyang is proceeding so smoothly now because many people are still eyeing the Taiyin object in my possession!'

He had not forgotten the [Taiyin Seeking Mysterious Method]. On the contrary, as his status improved, his control over Taiyin became more thorough, and he could even vaguely sense various Taiyin beings and Taiyin cultivators hidden in the world.

'Right now, the Han family has one Taiyin and the Xi family has one Taiyin, that's fine... but there are probably quite a few more hidden in the grotto-heaven...'

The Taiyin (Great Yin) path has five auxiliary positions.

'【Crescent Moon】【Mysterious Dew】【Conquering the Lin】【Pure Encounter】【Simple New Moon】, the first three are confirmed in the Taiyin position, governing all things with the way of Taiyin, while 【Pure Encounter】【Simple New Moon】 are specifically used within the three Yin, connecting Shaoyin and Jueyin…'

'All five paths were originally hidden, but now two have been forced to manifest due to the pressure of attaining enlightenment, and their true nature has been seen through. I only have three trump cards left…'

From his perspective, everything became clear.

'First of all, Li Zhouwei's attainment of enlightenment through the Mingyang Sect is my trump card outside, my ticket to the top-level game. It's impossible for him to do nothing; nine times out of ten, he'll have to sacrifice something…'

'This person... is very likely Fu Xuan.'

This sword cultivator has the potential to achieve enlightenment, and his age is just right. When Li Zhouwei achieves enlightenment, it is highly likely that this person will also achieve enlightenment. If Lu Jiangxian were a True Lord from the outside world, he would definitely use the matter of Mingyang to force the lake to hand over the Taiyin spiritual object and reveal a trump card.

It doesn't even matter if it's Fu Xuan or not, there will definitely be such a person! Even if there isn't Fu Xuan, the Han family still has Shang Dong, who is of similar age and cultivation level. Even if it's not him, there will still be preparations in the cave!
Therefore, Lu Jiangxian still has two trump cards in his hand. From this perspective, he suddenly understood the existence of a certain cultivator in the north.

'Wei Xuanyin.'

Why was this disciple of Guanhua the only one to receive such leniency?

'Because… he is a pawn in the process of proving [Su Shuo]! [Su Shuo] can be proven using either Taiyin or Jueyin methods. Whether proving Jie Lin or Run, it only requires the use of the [Taiyin Seeking Mystery Method]. The North values ​​his talent and cultivation, and on one hand, they are eager for him to hastily enter the heretical path to prove that Taiyin is empty and lacks talent… If he didn't have that kind of will, he should have prepared for his future long ago…'

"But he's not a fool; he clearly understands the hierarchy of the Daoist traditions. He's extremely stubborn, determined to secure the position of master while upholding his unconventional ambitions… And it's very likely that the North sees this as a good opportunity, whether out of personal connections or because some powerful figure believes he's a once-in-a-millennium talent with a real chance of success. That's why things have become complicated, with constant disputes and endless power struggles on the mountain."

From Lu Jiangxian's perspective, the energy given on the lake was sent to the north, which may have had a more complicated effect. The future of this successor of Guanhua is still bleak and hopeless.

Looking at the lake now, Lu Jiangxian is preventing Taiyin cultivators from being on the lake, which is actually protecting a talisman seed.

Li Jiangchun.

'Taiyin is the first of the three Yin, and the position of 【Chun Gou】 is the response of Shaoyin. It is Taiyin's authority to interfere with Shaoyin, and it is also the path for Shaoyin to seek Taiyin…'

'With this place preserved, even if Mingyang fails, Li Jiangchun can be protected—he will serve as my bargaining chip with the outside world. I can cooperate to shake Taiyin and cut off this last route, but this opportunity must be reserved for Li Jiangchun…'

In order to shake Taiyin and bring down Donghuatian, Li Jiangchun is a key pawn. In fact, because of the difference in their cultivation levels, he can even buy Lu Jiangxian more breathing time.

"The same logic applies to 'Chun Gou'. If there are other Taiyin Zifu on the lake, they could easily eliminate the more threatening Li Jiangchun, forcing me to settle for second best... After all, they only need proof, not necessarily the successful proof!"

He sighed inwardly and silently calculated.

'The path of the Moon must never be continued.'

As long as this trump card remains, and as long as the danger brought by the Mingyang matter is not catastrophic and results in total defeat, Lu Jiangxian will have another way out. She will not have to put all her chips on Jin Yi's judgment of the "complete elixir," and will still have the opportunity to gamble on the golden elixir again!
(End of this chapter)