Chapter 1077: Seeking Gold

Li Ximing knew little about the pursuit of gold, but having been a Purple Mansion cultivator for many years and with Jiangnan being the world's focal point for such endeavors, he possessed some knowledge. Seeing Di Yan's appearance, he couldn't help but be astonished!

"Rumor has it that only with all five methods complete can one seek gold. Yet, with four Xi Qi and one Ming Yang, how is that not five methods...?"

The first name that came to his mind was: "True Master Yuan Xiu!"

The divine abilities of the Zi Mansion path are not inherently incompatible; it is simply extremely difficult. Divine abilities are abundant within the Ascending Yang stage, and cultivating one's own core divine abilities is already incredibly hard, let alone accommodating unrelated, divergent divine abilities. However, some traditions are closer than others. Now that Li Ximing's divine abilities were complete, it wasn't impossible for him to cultivate an additional path of Departing Fire, but doing so would mean severing his own tradition. Li Ximing had once considered this a dead end. Yet, later, when he spoke with Sima Yuanli about the late True Master Yuan Xiu, he learned that this True Master had actually attained enlightenment through four Zheng Mu and one Ji Mu!

Sima Yuanli, feeling somewhat lost at the time, told him this: "Regarding my lord's matter, I consulted with an elder. He once personally visited my lord's place of ascension and sighed, 'Heavy wood presses branches,' saying my lord adhered to the orthodox while seeking the unconventional, aiming for balance but achieving imbalance, using the 'intercalary' method."

He then realized that True Master Yuan Xiu's pursuit of the Dao was "intercalary," referring to the Ji Mu intercalary position.

"In the eyes of a Great Master, the final step of cultivating another path is not a dead end, but an intercalary method beyond the fixed karmic position. Is it possible that this True Master Di Yan, in his current pursuit of the Dao, is seeking the intercalary position of Ming Yang!"

His expression was shaken.

"In the current situation where Luoxia suppresses Ming Yang and desires Li Qianyuan's swift demise... what kind of role does the Ming Yang intercalary position play then!"

Although his heart was shaken, the Great Master before him grew increasingly silent. In the dim lamplight, he appeared particularly sinister. The dark golden light reflected in his eyes—he seemed to be hesitating about what to say.

Li Ximing's astonishment gradually subsided. He then belatedly grew doubtful, pondering quietly: "How is that possible...? How could he accommodate conflicting traditions...?"

He paused, and finally broke the silence, asking: "Is it the Ming Yang intercalary position?"

Di Yan looked at him closely, then smiled and said: "Since Your Highness knows the calamity of Xi Qi, and that Xi Qi is incompatible with Ming Yang, while in the past, seeking Ming Yang with Xi Qi was not an issue, now, 'climbing a tree to catch fish' would surely be seeking death?"

This question struck Li Ximing to the core, almost forcing all his doubts out: "Exactly... seeking Ming Yang with Xi Qi is indeed courting death, and in my opinion, adding a Huanyuan Gate to the Xi Qi divine abilities is already as dead as can be!"

Li Ximing remained silent for a long time, then asked: "That's true. Ming Yang and Xi Qi are like fire and water. How then, Great Master, did you establish this Huanyuan Gate amidst the surging Xi Qi?"

Di Yan clasped his hands behind his back: "Your Highness guessed correctly. It ordinarily couldn't be attained. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be able to stabilize my first few divine abilities. However, I borrowed from my ancestors' legacy."

Di Yan turned slightly, causing all the white ethereal brilliance in the hall to diminish and shift, like countless real swords deflecting their blades to shine to the side.

"My ancestor Yin Ni was originally a disciple from Guanlong. He practiced the Dao in a monastery but failed to achieve Qi for ten years. In anger, he joined the army and repeatedly achieved remarkable feats. At the Immortal Mansion, he obtained the 'Thirty-Six Books of Profound Radiance' from predecessors, which became his divine abilities. He once elevated his cultivation to the peak of the Purple Mansion. When he was granted the title of King Zhaoming, he roamed freely in the northern deserts. He then rewrote the 'Thirty-Six Books of Profound Radiance,' combining them with the method of seeking gold bestowed by the Emperor, and cultivated the 'Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll.' After my lord completed this scroll, he sought true gold. Using the Divine Abode, the greatest pass in the northern lands, as a furnace, and his divine abilities, magical power, soul, and true spirit as ingredients, he sought that single pill. He refined it for nine days, and the Emperor personally elevated him to enlightenment!"

He sighed deeply with a forlorn expression and said: "Alas, my lord's enlightenment relied too much on external 'Xuan' (mysteries). His divine essence was constricted and locked. After nine days of seeking, he failed and thus perished."

Li Ximing listened with a solemn expression and asked: "'Relied too much on external Xuan,' 'divine essence constricted and locked'?"

Di Yan closed his eyes slightly, appearing somewhat dejected: "The so-called 'external Xuan' refers to the Buddhist Lands and the Celestial Dynasty, both being examples. To use one's own body to borrow others' Xuan, without cultivating one's inherent nature and destiny, is to 'rely too much on external Xuan.' How many such cases exist in the world! Even setting aside the Buddhist Lands and the Celestial Dynasty, the so-called Eastern Merged Clouds, Sword Mountain Sky Horn, and Western Sea currents... they too borrowed external Xuan. One can borrow a path, but cannot truly seek the Dao."

The cultivators of Wei relied on official positions to gain divine abilities, a fact Li Ximing had already experienced. Di Yan also mentioned Yin Ni practicing the Dao in a monastery for ten years without achieving Qi, suggesting this person too largely relied on the Celestial Dynasty for cultivation. However, there was one point Li Ximing only vaguely understood, and he hesitated, saying: "But... the Dharma Body..."

Di Yan said indifferently: "In today's world, where can any Dharma Body achieve the Dao! Are Compassion and Mahakala in the Buddhist Lands all self-cultivated? Most simply wait for a position to become vacant and then find an opportunity to climb into it. Dharma Bodies also differ. The earliest ones were greatly virtuous and powerful, enlightened to heaven and earth. Later, after nine reincarnations, they shifted their nature to inhabit them, achieving the Dao to become Dharma Bodies. But later people... waited hesitantly for nine generations, taking over others' positions, merely as the surface of a Dharma Body."

He sobered his expression, as if with reservations, and said: "In short, relying too much on external Xuan greatly harms the path to enlightenment. Back then, the six founding kings—Xuan Ji, Zhaoming, Bai Yang, Yong Qin, Shou Yi, and Luan Fu—perished one after another, unable to achieve the Dao."

"Later, when the State of Wei was destroyed, my ancestor was lost at sea. However, the 'Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll' and the Zhaoming King's Daoist Canon survived. They contained abundant spiritual energy and resources, passed down through three generations of the royal family, only being exhausted when they reached me."

He smiled: "You see no one else cultivating Xi Qi here precisely because this path is passed down through a single lineage, cultivatable only by royal descendants. My talent is not inferior; I was one hundred and thirty-six when I reached the Purple Consult stage, and when I broke through to Great Master, I still had three hundred years of life left."

Upon hearing this, Li Ximing was struck with alarm. Back then, Jiang Boqing, cultivating the intricate path of High Sorcery, besides practicing talismans and witchcraft, reached Foundation Establishment at thirty and Purple Mansion at sixty. While reaching Foundation Establishment at thirty was not difficult for peerless geniuses—Li Zhouwei even achieved it in his early twenties—it still took forty years to progress from Foundation Establishment to Purple Mansion. Yet Di Yan did not have talismans or Qi to aid his cultivation. Even if he reached Purple Mansion at sixty, he would still need to master one divine ability after another and pass through Purple Consult easily to achieve four divine abilities within two hundred years... Now, probably only someone like Li Zhouwei, blessed by destiny and pushed forward by the entire world, would have a chance to be faster than Di Yan!

Di Yan saw the astonishment in Li Ximing's eyes, smiled faintly, and replied: "After passing Purple Consult, I spent thirty years cultivating the Dao and refining divine abilities, stabilizing my position as a Great Master. Then, for the choice of my final divine ability, I pondered for twenty years. The last path in the Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll is precisely Ming Yang."

He began to pace, speaking softly: "If I were to continue on the path of Xi Qi, I would naturally achieve the aura of perfected divine abilities. However, the Xi Qi tradition I possess is a Grand Dao modified by the Celestial Dynasty and is now entirely different from the current one. If I were to 'add a dog's tail to a sable coat,' my divine abilities might be completed, but the pursuit of gold would be hopeless."

Li Ximing's expression showed a hint of doubt, and he whispered: "But the Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll *can* lead to the Dao—your ancestors relied too much on external Xuan and could not succeed. But Great Master, you are different; you cultivate your own nature, so there is great hope?"

Di Yan, however, shook his head and smiled: "Your Highness is mistaken. There is no 'great hope.' It is still courting death."

Di Yan's smile grew colder, and he replied: "The matter of seeking the intercalary Ming Yang is certainly unattainable. Not only can it not be attained, but my death is also drawing near!"

Li Ximing stared at him blankly, only to see Di Yan smile and begin to pace, his voice faint: "Your Highness guessed correctly on one point: the Emperor has not truly perished, at least not yet. The Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll and the Brilliant Gold Gathering Method he personally left behind still hold power before the Ming Yang karmic position. But Your Highness should also have considered that while Ming Yang has indeed not truly changed, Xi Qi has! Although the old tradition can still be cultivated, it is no longer compatible with Ming Yang!"

"Once the Huanyuan Gate is completed, the four Xi Qi divine abilities within my body will instantly be overturned. Their colors will retract, blue and white merging. As time passes, shadows will soon emerge from the darkness, damaging and shattering the Ascending Yang!"

Li Ximing's doubts were suddenly confirmed, and clarity dawned in his mind: "This is what makes sense! This is the expected outcome... Even with my limited cultivation, I understand how demanding it is to cultivate an additional divine ability. How could one possibly cultivate divine abilities that conflict with the current world's traditions! If Ming Yang is completed, it would be a miracle if he could hold on for even half a year without perishing!"

Sure enough, Di Yan's gaze rested on the bronze lamp beside him. He lightly adjusted the wick and said softly: "With these thirty-two generations of Night Profound Bronze Lamps, a chamber is created, blending the male fire and morning sun, echoing the Three Suns. By utilizing the subtle master-servant relationship remaining from the other two suns, I can suppress the four Xi Qi and one Yang within my body."

Li Ximing scanned the vast hall of paulownia trees again, and raised an eyebrow, saying: "So, Great Master, you had already prepared."

"It was not my preparation." Di Yan lowered his gaze and turned his head, his expression calm, and said: "When Ming Yang fell, my ancestor Yin Quan had already passed Purple Consult. Initially, he was somewhat alright, still able to wander overseas. But later, as Emperor Qi's actions became increasingly ruthless, he gradually had premonitions of his divine abilities disintegrating. While suppressing them with the Three Suns Formation, he meticulously researched. Before he died, he left behind a formation diagram, which my grandfather and father perfected and built. Combining it with numerous secret methods from the Brilliant Ming Mansion Dao Scroll, we finally have today's Three Yang Suppressing Xi Hall and the thirty-two generations of Night Profound Bronze Lamps."

Li Ximing listened in silence for a long time, realizing that Mount Quyi's plotting of this matter was not a recent development, but centuries, even millennia, in the making. He then said in a deep voice: "Great Master... how can the King of Wei be of use to you?"

Di Yan's eyes suddenly opened, his expression grave: "I want the King of Wei to succeed—I am the only one who truly cares about the King of Wei's success." His pupils, agitated by emotion, showed patterns like rings of flames, displaying fractured black lines: "My words that the King of Wei can only trust me are no falsehood. Everyone in the world wants to shake Ming Yang, and some wish to hold back Luoxia. But none of them care whether the King of Wei succeeds. For them, it would be better if the King of Wei did not succeed! The Dragon Lineage might speak with conviction, but they merely ride the tide, attempting to win big with little. Even if they fail, the Dragon Lineage would only lose a slight advantage and opportunity! Only I."

His tone was as hard as iron, his gaze icy: "Only if the King of Wei succeeds, and Ming Yang rises again, suppressing Xi Qi, will my divine abilities naturally transform from a minor path into a glorious righteous one. Only then can I walk freely from this place, descend the sixteen profound steps, seek gold and truth, and make an all-out effort! Otherwise, I'd merely be a withered bone in a tomb, waiting for death!"

Li Ximing met his gaze. The last trace of suspicion in his heart emerged. Seeing Di Yan's sincerity, which didn't seem like an act, he finally broke his silence and said in a deep voice: "Great Master, your talent is exceptional. You are among the very best figures across all lands. Even if you cultivated Xi Qi normally, how could you be lacking!" His eyes were sharp, seemingly filled with sorrow, as he said: "How does the current King of Wei compare to Li Xunquan? How does he compare to Li Xuan? How does he compare to Donghuo? Li Xunquan raised an army and almost destroyed Great Qi. Donghuo Cui Mu once feigned True Monarch status, intimidating northern cultivators. Even Li Xuan—he had the land of Long Wei as his supreme domain, never needing to be subservient to others! Currently, the Northern Buddhist Sect is rampant, moving freely. The Great Song is glorious, claiming Ming Yang. Luoxia Mu has appeared, about to depose the Emperor. If the King of Wei fails, Mount Quyi's efforts of several generations will surely come to naught. True Master, why undertake such a risky move! Why place the possibility of seeking gold into others' hands? Isn't cultivating Xi Qi good? Isn't cultivating through reincarnation good?"

His tone was crisp and decisive, directly piercing Di Yan: "How could a Great Master capable of completing all five methods tie himself in knots?"

Di Yan before him simply let out a laugh, without a moment's thought. His voice was low, yet he spoke steadily and blurted out: "Because of the Gold-Seeking Method."

Li Ximing had prepared for all sorts of responses, but he hadn't expected those words to come from the other's mouth. He stared at him: "The Gold-Seeking Method?"

"The most important thing is the method for seeking gold." Di Yan's bronze-colored eyes blinked, his expression solemn, profoundly serious, almost sacred. His lips hummed, and his voice was low: "The Emperor specifically bestowed the Brilliant Gold Gathering Method. Thus, there is the Grand Dao where four Xi Qi elevate the Huanyuan Gate to ascension. It is the method for seeking gold, the secret of true gold, and a Grand Dao Immortal Scripture. It is only with the Brilliant Gold Gathering Method that seeking the intercalary Ming Yang truly becomes possible!"

As Di Yan's emotions fluctuated, the candle flames throughout the grand hall flickered. Xi Qi and Male Fire, almost solidified, flowed like a torrent, attempting to break free from their restraints, and drawing forth the Three Suns' radiance in the sky to suppress the area.

Di Yan, however, was unfazed. He took a step forward, stared straight at Li Ximing, and said indifferently: "Does Your Highness believe the Three Yang Suppressing Xi Hall and the thirty-two generations of Night Profound Bronze Lamps were easy to build? Without the Brilliant Gold Gathering Method, Mount Quyi could spend another thousand years and still not create such a grand formation. Without the Brilliant Gold Gathering Method, even if I stayed here, my divine abilities would suddenly disintegrate! But as long as this Gold-Seeking Method exists, and I take the Great Pill of Three Yangs Merging to suppress my divine abilities, stepping out and seeking gold despite the risk of damaging and shattering Ascending Yang, is still more likely to succeed in achieving the karmic position than if I were to solely use the five Xi Qi divine abilities!"

His expression was grim. The intense fluctuations of divine abilities emanating from him made the entire grand hall feel like a human purgatory. After an unknown period, Di Yan slightly parted his lips, his expression grave: "I have no choice. The King of Wei, Your Highness, has even less choice."