Chapter 1093: Yuanxin

Li Zhouwei did not know how many layers of meaning lay in the "opportunity" the other spoke of. After a brief pause for thought, he seized upon the main point and asked, "How does such favor from the Heavenly Elemental Scripture manifest? What level of divine ability and mystical power must one possess to clearly perceive each individual favored by these Heavenly Elementals? I fear I might be harmed by others!"

This question was exceptionally sharp, causing Qing Yuyi to fall silent and ponder for quite some time.

Li Zhouwei appeared to be asking about the manifestation of Heavenly Elementals. However, the subtleties of such high-level distinctions were surely beyond the ken of cultivators below the True Monarch realm. Li Zhouwei was asking a rhetorical question, his primary aim being to make Qing Yuyi personally rule out the possibility of sensing Li Suining through some treasure of the Heavenly Administration lineage. He wanted the Fox Clan to admit that there was indeed a powerful figure behind them.

When his words reached the fox demon's ears, they transformed into a different message: "Was it your patron who mentioned that Li Suining and Liu Changdie are favored by the Heavenly Elementals?"

The deeper, potentially hidden meaning became even sharper: "If so, has this patron of your Fox Clan been closely watching the Li family for over a hundred years? And with your ability to hear the heavens, Qing Yuyi, what role have you played?"

Qing Yuyi knew how feared his Listening to the Awakened Stars ability was. Even in ancient times, when masters abounded, this divine ability was considered an incredibly terrifying and insidious lineage. Even if the wielder himself was fearless, which family's juniors or relatives didn't have moments of private instruction? A single lapse in caution could lead to one's weaknesses, flaws, or crucial techniques falling into another's ears.

With the current oppressive atmosphere in the world, Listening to the Awakened Stars posed an extremely formidable threat to the Li family. The excuse of secluded cultivation back then had not satisfied the White Qilin. For the Fox Clan to cooperate with the Li family, this point simply had to be addressed.

He paused, then explained, "Those favored by the Heavenly Elementals inherently possess the ability to conceal themselves. It's not simply that they can't be divined; rather, they are indistinct, outside of any calculation. No matter how powerful one's divine ability, one cannot even detect their anomaly."

"Regarding Liu Changdie, I'm not sure which family handled it, but the situation was tense at the time. The esteemed figures had one consensus: the Jade True was not yet decided, and Anhuai and Wanling couldn't be opened. However, these figures distrusted each other, and no one was comfortable placing him into anyone else's hands, nor could they eliminate him... After all, no one knew the true state of Wanling Heaven, and keeping him was very useful. So, he was pushed into the treasury."

"The 'treasury' means 'suspended and hidden, not to be used.' In the eyes of the esteemed figures, it was equivalent to locking him in a treasure vault."

His expression was not at ease as he spoke of this matter; rather than complex, it held a hint of resentment. His tone was flat: "Yet, even with such a disposal, there remained one problem."

Qing Yuyi softly said, "Currently, the Elemental Scripture has fallen into banished qi, its obscurity colluding, and it can no longer influence the present world. But that wasn't the case back then. The Elemental Scripture was still in Anhuai. How much power did it possess? What was its situation? No one knew. The Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture could use one piece to move a hundred pieces across the world. The most crucial thing was to sever Liu Changdie's connection with the Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture!"

"What those esteemed figures wanted was this key, the treasures of Dou Xuan he would unlock as he traveled the world, not truly to let the Elemental Scripture scatter its pieces everywhere."

"Thus, they needed something powerful enough to contend with the Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture, something that could completely strip Liu Changdie from it without accruing karma upon themselves."

"So Liu Changdie came to Moon-Gazing Lake! The treasure there was the most suitable, perfectly so."

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and squinted slightly. An answer naturally surfaced in his mind, yet it was rife with doubts as he listened to Qing Yuyi say, "The only thing that can contend with the Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture is another treasure—the Azure Wisdom Primordial Heart, from Mount Dali!"

Li Zhouwei felt a release of tension in his heart, pondering uncertainly. He asked, "An immortal artifact?"

"An immortal artifact!" Qing Yuyi closed his eyes slightly, a touch of coolness entering his voice. "This item can make calculators miscalculate and observers fail to perceive. It is also of ineffable value, beyond the calculations of even the Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture, let alone across a grotto-heaven... It couldn't have been intentional for him to come to the lake. Nothing could have been more suitable than this item. Liu Changdie's visit to the lake extinguished his derived light and severed his chaotic fate. Although he still possessed the ability to know the future, it had fallen to an inferior state. Not only was his connection to the Great Evolution Heavenly Elemental Scripture broken, but even the favors remaining on him vanished."

"And because he had been observed by numerous great powers, his destiny became too heavy. Without the favor to shroud him in obscurity, he appeared almost monstrous in the eyes of those with divine abilities. The Purple Mansions cultivators couldn't even discern what he was. It was only from that moment onward that he became someone whose anomaly even Purple Mansions cultivators could easily detect. He then went to Jiangnan, which is how he ran into the grand schemes of Jinyu and Qingchi. Xiao Chuting, Chi Buzi, and Zhang Qiushui were likely among the first Purple Mansions cultivators to know about him."

"After all, in the eyes of Purple Mansions cultivators, not being able to calculate you is the biggest problem."

Li Zhouwei instantly understood. "This is why... our divine abilities couldn't discern Suining's anomaly, yet Liu Changdie was well-known among the Purple Mansions cultivators of that era!"

Qing Yuyi nodded in acknowledgment, then offered a slight apology. "The timing wasn't right that day, so I didn't elaborate to the King. In truth, with the Azure Wisdom Primordial Heart located on the northern slope of Mount Dali, I know nothing of what transpires in most of the southern Moon-Gazing Lake. Apart from you, no one in the world is truly clear about it!"

"The immortal power of the Azure Wisdom Primordial Heart is so immense that even cultivators cannot traverse through it, and mystical light cannot descend. If any Xuan wielders from Great Song come to Moon-Gazing Lake and lean even slightly to the south, their cultivation will immediately be suppressed and stripped away!"

His words carried a hint of emotion, while Li Zhouwei set down his jade cup. "So this was the real reason..."

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, appearing somewhat puzzled, and asked again, "Is the Azure Wisdom Primordial Heart your own artifact, senior? Yet you can't see clearly with it?"

Qing Yuyi remained silent for a moment, then replied, "That is a treasure left by the Yuan Mansion. Even my patron cannot lay claim to it, only being confined to the lake under its protection. How much less so can a minor demon like myself?"

That single sentence brought instant clarity!

Li Zhouwei lowered his gaze and sipped his wine. *The patron behind Qing Yuyi is most likely a figure from the Yuan Mansion, but not the highest-ranking one. Perhaps their status isn't high enough, or their cultivation isn't sufficiently advanced, leading to insufficient control over this immortal artifact. There might also be some unfavorable condition that keeps them confined to the lake.*

*The patron Chi Buzi yearned for might be this very one... Which path would they belong to? Heavenly Administration? Three Yin? Mansion Water?*

It was known that when Chi Buzi went to the East Sea years ago, he met Li Qinghong once, treating her as someone from the Fox Clan to deliver a message, and he mentioned three names! *Deity of the Altar, Mansion Water, Yingsu... The latter two are understandable, but why a Deity of the State?*

He remained silent, lost in contemplation. His heart finally settled, and that strong, flickering sense of crisis finally receded: *The Yang family's words were not false; they truly don't know the exact situation on the lake, which is why they don't know my family actually cultivates four immortal paths!*

His mind immediately settled, and he remained silent for a long time, yet he did not believe Qing Yuyi's claim of complete ignorance was true: *Great powers cannot probe, Purple Mansions cultivators cannot calculate, but cultivators below the Golden Core realm can see with their own eyes! Perhaps other factions fear provoking the patron behind the Fox Clan and dare not send people brazenly, but Qing Yuyi himself couldn't be as ignorant as he claims. He must have known there was something unusual down the mountain, which is why he sent Bairong out!*

*What could it be...?*

His thoughts quietly clarified. His own Immortal Mirror constantly probed. Since Qing Yuyi knew there was an arrangement by a patron down the mountain, he would likely not come in person. *It must have been some anomaly that alerted him...*

Li Zhouwei thought it over, gradually piecing things together: *The Grand Yin Profound Light? That wolf demon in the family history... or even earlier?*

Li Zhouwei fell into deep thought, while Qing Yuyi observed him. The demon king anxiously twirled the jade cup before him and replied, "And this matter of Li... Suining is also different. Now that Wanling Heaven has fallen, plummeting into banished qi, the position of Heavenly Administration has shifted, and the favor has directly fallen upon the lake. My patron has some attainments in the Heavenly Administration path and actually witnessed some anomalies, thus gaining understanding."

"I understand!" Li Zhouwei rose, cupped his hands in a bow, and said, "Thank you, senior!"

Qing Yuyi shook his head with a wry smile. "I dare not presume myself a senior; I merely owed the King an explanation!"

He sobered his expression. "When it was determined that the King would embark on the Path of Bright Yang, there was consideration within the mountain. Seeing that the King also brought an invitation from the Dragon Clan, we knew his intentions were with the dragons. Coinciding with Dongfang You's death, we sent Bairong under the guise of forging a friendship, though the true intention was to assist in the Bright Yang endeavor!"

"At that time, it was the Dragon Lord's birthday."

Qing Yuyi's expression turned solemn. "The birthday of the North Jia Dragon Lord was not merely about borrowing his divine status. It was his birthday, but also the birthdays of the other eight Dragon Lords, and crucially, the day the Great Sage fell. With chaos in all the seas, such an opportunity arose."

"The Dragon Clan is untrustworthy and unrighteous. Although they agreed, how they would ultimately arrange things was uncertain... But at least the Qianyang Bracelet was produced, indicating their stance."

"As expected..." Having clarified Qing Yuyi's position, Li Zhouwei felt two parts more trust and began to scheme internally: *Since Chi Buzi was quietly possessed and wants to conspire with my family, he will inevitably use the pretext of conspiring with the Fox Clan. He is on the Pure Path, and his repeated attempts have already betrayed the Dragon Clan's stance. I must help him.*

So he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does the Demon King know... Chi Buzi?"

Qing Yuyi stiffened, then immediately adopted a serious, attentive posture and said, "How could I not know..."

Li Zhouwei focused. "I perceive that he intends to align himself with your patron."

Qing Yuyi was slightly taken aback, but had little time for reflection. As if engraving the words in his mind, he nodded gravely. "I understand!"

Li Zhouwei discerned a subtle implication and silently lowered his gaze. Qing Yuyi, however, rose and softly asked, "Suining cultivates... the Divine Order Arrangement?"

Li Zhouwei nodded, but saw a flicker of regret cross Qing Yuyi's face. He said in a low voice, "If only it had been two hundred years earlier... if only two hundred years earlier... things would have been much calmer!"

His expression was bitter as he replied, "My Fox Clan is aware of this path. It is the Heavenly Administration Arranging Divine Scroll, a treasure from Wanling Heaven. To have emerged now is fortunate; it must have conveniently fallen into the King's hands then. Good... it saves it from being buried."

Li Zhouwei's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred. He asked, "Was it compiled by cultivators of Wanling Heaven, or did it inherit from ancient cultivation methods?"

Qing Yuyi smiled. "Such a cultivation method could naturally not have been written by cultivators of Wanling Heaven. This item originates from the Heavenly Administration Arranging Scripture of the ancient Dou Xuan Taiyuan Court. Its compilation likely dates back to the Wei era, making it an exceedingly profound cultivation method!"

Li Zhouwei reacted swiftly, seizing the opportunity. He knew that this item hadn't come from Wanling Heaven but from the Upper Circle Pavilion! Clarifying these two points would be greatly beneficial in determining when the Immortal Mirror was damaged!

His immediate plan had fallen through, but he wasn't disappointed. "Senior, what are your insights?"

Qing Yuyi replied, "This path originates from the method of ascending to immortality within the grotto-heavens of Taiyuan Court. However, what we have now is not the original, but a cultivation method derived by later generations who observed that ascension method..."

The demon king smiled faintly, causing the white mist beside him to continuously drift. "I see you brought him today to exchange for the Method of Constructing the Grand Void!"

The "Method of Constructing the Grand Void" he spoke of was none other than the technique for creating grotto-heavens and secret realms!

The fox demon smiled, his eyes showing a hint of complexity. "Exchanging it for the Heavenly Administration Arranging Divine Scroll would perfectly supplement my clan's lineage!"

Li Zhouwei nodded slightly.

Li Zhouwei had not been unaware of this matter; even Li Ximing had visited the Upper Circle Pavilion to investigate. The immortal merits required for the methods of constructing grotto-heavens and secret realms were astonishingly expensive!

The most expensive among them, called the "Liang Zhizi's Heaven and Earth Secrets," demanded a staggering 1,716,800 immortal merits! Even if one were to repeatedly slaughter all seven prime ministers of Great Zhao seventy or eighty times, it might not be enough to exchange for it!

Even the cheapest among them, the "Empty Chamber in Void Refinement Method," still required over 1,100 immortal merits, more than five times that of the Heavenly Administration Arranging Divine Scroll. This would necessitate subduing all the demon cults in Jiangbei.

Precisely for this reason, Li Zhouwei understood the immense value of the Grand Void Construction Methods. Hearing this, he was somewhat surprised. He paused slightly, then replied, "Isn't that too precious?"

Qing Yuyi shook his head and sighed. "Not at all... I only fear the King might not deem this method in my possession worthy! I originally didn't wish to embarrass myself, but precisely because this method was personally passed down by my patron and is quite related to the Heavenly Administration, I brought it up..."

His gaze lowered, and he sighed inwardly: *Is it an exchange... or a repayment? It's hard to tell anymore!*

Li Zhouwei, however, lowered his brows, engaged in deeper thought: *This is actually an excellent development. These Grand Void Construction Methods were limited in number in ancient times, and in the eyes of those powerful figures, the lineages were clearly defined, unlike the countless later cultivation methods of Purple Mansions and Golden Core paths...*

*Moreover, this grotto-heaven needs to be suspended and displayed, sometimes opened and closed, and connected to the current world. It would be best to place it under the Fox Clan's name, which would add a layer of caution...*

Li Zhouwei thus did not stand on ceremony and simply said, "My family also needs this item, so I thank the patron for this generous gift!"

Qing Yuyi chuckled softly, then stood up, smiling warmly. "I'll have someone deliver it!"