Chapter 1119: No Life Xixiang

The colors within the cave dwelling were brilliant. The man seated squarely in the center held an array diagram, his gaze lowered in contemplation. After a long while, he looked up and exhaled slowly.

Liu Changdie rarely ventured out, living a leisurely life on the island. With no further progress possible in his cultivation, his thoughts were mostly focused on his spiritual practice and array formations, truly a life of quiet cultivation. As for the frustration of being unable to advance in his cultivation, it had gradually dissipated into nothingness.

"Rather than accepting my fate... I would say reaching this point in life has already been worthwhile."

As if sensing something, he performed a quick divination. His eyes lit up, and he rose from his seat, emerging from the cave dwelling. From the west, a patch of green cloud drifted ethereally, landing in front of the island and revealing an old True Immortal.

Liu Changdie felt a bit awkward and quickly lowered his head. "Greetings, Senior!"

The old man simply nodded with a smile.

This old True Immortal Shan Bai was benevolent and charitable, a Horn Wood True Immortal in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion. Many cultivators who came and went showed him respect. With his sect located by the sea, he remained completely unaffected by the ongoing struggle between North and South.

Upon seeing Liu Changdie, Shan Bai didn't seem unfamiliar. He clasped his hands and smiled, "Fate has followed its course... Fellow Daoist has also become a Purple Mansion cultivator now! That Four Constant Wood was not given to the wrong person!"

Liu Changdie felt even more awkward. When his cultivation was not high back then, he knew from his past life's memories that a rogue cultivator on a certain island in the East Sea had saved an old man and received a treasure. So he "waited by the stump for a hare" and seized this opportunity. Who would have thought that when he took the opportunity, it should have been of Earth essence, but it turned out to be of Wood virtue. He was confused at the time, simply assuming the old man acted on a whim.

He, of course, knew now that True Immortal Shan Bai's descent from the mountain to manifest his power was intended for a specific person, and he had merely intervened. He immediately apologized profusely, "You must be laughing at me, Senior... I just hope I didn't spoil anything important for you!"

Shan Bai shook his head and smiled. "It was nothing major. I saw a descendant of an old friend and offered help, having his junior take a spiritual item back to him... hoping to help him break through to the Purple Mansion stage. But he perished when the spiritual aura surged through him. I don't know if he ever got to use it in the end. Whether you intervened or not, it wouldn't have hindered anything..."

Liu Changdie could only nod. Just as their conversation ceased, they saw misty clouds and rain from the north, and a carriage pulled by a dragon and crabs appeared, revealing a woman.

The woman was dressed in white Daoist robes; she was beautiful and charming. She gracefully landed between the islands. Liu Changdie stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, True Immortal!"

Daoist Aunt Xiang Chun returned the bow and said, "I came as instructed, Fellow Daoist is too kind."

Liu Changdie knew what she meant by "as instructed" and had known this day would come. Before his rebirth, he had never even met Li Xuanxuan. This old man had perished very, very early, seemingly in a demonic catastrophe!

'He must have averted some fatal tribulation. He has been nourished by spiritual items all these years, which is why he was fortunate enough to survive until today... But since Yuan Jiao is gone, I should protect his father fully.'

Liu Changdie led her to a seat in the pavilion. Shan Bai had been in the East Sea for many years and was quite familiar with this Daoist aunt. He greeted her casually. Liu Changdie, being polite, had someone serve tea and said, "The old man is not only a senior to King Wei but also a benefactor to Yuan Bian. It is troublesome for True Immortal to come from afar. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I wouldn't dare call it an instruction."

Xiang Chun nodded. The three True Immortals looked up together. Finally, they saw the void surging as Li Ximing emerged, riding a beam of light. He bowed to each of them and smiled, "Thank you all for your trouble!"

But Li Xuanxuan, behind him, was dumbfounded. He stared blankly as he looked around, a thousand words stuck in his chest. His illness was originally a fundamental injury that could only worsen, with no cure. Not to mention in other families, even decades ago, one would simply recuperate, live out their old age, and wait for death! But now, three True Immortals had arrived; if Li Ximing, who brought him here, was also counted, a total of four True Immortals were bustling about for his humble body! Li Xuanxuan had never considered himself anyone important. Low-level cultivators who fell in the marketplace back then were like weeds. Countless cultivators perished prematurely in battles. If not for a few promising juniors who spared him from fighting for his life, and if Li Xuanxuan hadn't had a sliver of luck, how could he be alive today? He had already lived long enough.

When Li Ximing asked him to come, Li Xuanxuan had done so with the thought of reassuring his junior. Now, his eyes were red-rimmed, and his heart trembled: 'Why such effort for a humble body like mine?'

Which Purple Mansion cultivator present couldn't see through things clearly? They naturally sensed the old man's emotional turmoil. True Immortal Xiang Chun, while taking a talisman from her sleeve, showed a hint of emotion in her expression and raised an eyebrow, saying, "This letter was sent to the Dragon Palace, and He Yun read it first. He specifically went to the Thunder Pool and only then learned that the old man was also the Thunder Maiden's grand-uncle... Both publicly and privately, this is no small matter."

As soon as this was said, a glimmer of hope appeared in Li Xuanxuan's eyes. He simply said, "I haven't seen Qinghong in many years..."

Li Ximing silently turned his head. True Immortal Xiang Chun, meanwhile, began preparing Hīn Water. The talisman paper swayed, and she said softly, "The Thunder Pool involves the secrets of thunder swallowing. Firstly, it needs someone to guard it, and secondly, its true nature cannot be easily spied upon. Naturally, it cannot easily be left unguarded."

The old man nodded repeatedly, seeing Xiang Chun personally explain it to him. Shan Bai, beside them, was already secretly astonished: 'No wonder such a grand effort was made... comparable to healing another family's True Immortal. So he's such an ancestor...'

Xiang Chun moved the talisman's light. Immediately, a gentle, dark current flowed out, calming the old man's mind. He closed his eyes tightly and began to form a magical seal with his hands. Shan Bai reached out to check his pulse. The pavilion instantly fell silent.

After a good while, Xiang Chun opened her eyes under Liu Changdie's worried gaze. She exchanged a glance with Shan Bai beside her and was the first to speak. "The old man indeed has a problem of exhausted lifespan. Although he suffered some severe injuries in middle age, shortening his life by about ten years, fortunately, he recuperated well in his later years, preventing the injuries from worsening and even nurturing a good deal, allowing him to endure until today. He truly did his best."

"I observe that he has a golden pellet within him. It should be a method from the Heng Zhu lineage, used to calm the mind, focus the spirit, and dispel inner demons. Heng Zhu's methods often have miraculous effects. It has been of immense help to him over the years. Without this technique, his body would probably have collapsed long ago."

Li Ximing nodded gravely. The old man, however, wiped away tears, remembering Li Xijun. The two True Immortals fell silent. Li Ximing pondered before speaking, "Grandfather hasn't seen Senior Liu in a long time either. Why don't you two catch up first?"

Li Xuanxuan nodded silently and went down with Liu Changdie's support. Shan Bai nodded and took over the conversation, saying, "Regarding lifespan, from ancient times when the Wood Virtue declined and withered until today, it inherently has flaws. And after enduring the Calamity of Severed Nourishment, it became even more listless. Taking unorthodox paths would ordinarily be the most effective, but the old man's cultivation is too low; it's not good to put him through such a strain."

Xiang Chun said, "When I came, I received instructions that proper nourishment is suitable. The old man's cultivation is low, so I won't mention methods like annexation or refinement. Other methods like bone-cutting or blood-refining are too painful and too bloody. I hear your clan follows the righteous path, so I naturally wouldn't dare bring them out for use."

"In my opinion, the best method is to extend his lifespan. The old man cultivates Lù Water, and with his low cultivation, adding to his lifespan shouldn't be too difficult."

The two True Immortals discussed in low voices for a while. Shan Bai raised an eyebrow and said, "This method of lifespan extension is originally for lower-level cultivators to pilfer a portion of lifespan they hadn't attained, by relying on the resources of higher-level cultivators, taking one or two tenths, and thereafter having no further possibility of breakthrough. For example, for an elder of your Dao, breaking through to Foundation Establishment naturally adds a hundred years to their lifespan. Through secret techniques and spiritual resources, we can simulate True Essence for him, thereby gaining one or two tenths of that. If True Immortal is willing, use one portion of Horn Wood spiritual resource, one portion of Hīn Water or Lù Water spiritual resource, and then with our combined divine abilities and some low-level longevity-extending elixirs, we can attempt to add twenty years. If more is desired, it will depend on the old man's fortune!"

He spoke quite tactfully. Li Ximing simply clasped his hands and sighed, "Just do your best!"

He then took out the Horn Wood spiritual resource, "Late Grain Golden Branch." He also took out a jade bottle and handed it to Xiang Chun, saying solemnly, "I acquired this elixir in my early years; it has the ability to increase lifespan. Please, Fellow Daoist, take a look."

Xiang Chun took the "Heavenly One Spitting Essence Elixir." She examined it carefully, and for a moment couldn't speak. After a long time, she carefully put it away and said, somewhat incredulously, "This is an excellent elixir... It actually uses Heavenly One Pure Essence, and the ingredients are expensive. If True Immortal wishes to use this elixir... it could extend his life by at least ten years... but..."

The woman pursed her lips. "Even for a Purple Mansion cultivator, it would add ten years. This is quite unusual; it's not like Qi Condensation where a bit of spiritual resource can compensate. If Xian Yao and others knew, they would definitely try their best to acquire it... Have you considered this carefully, Fellow Daoist?"

Li Ximing sighed and said, "If I hadn't already thought it through, why would I have taken it out for others to see?"

Xiang Chun and Shan Bai exchanged a glance. After pondering for a moment, she said, "There's no rush to use it. Twenty years is a considerable amount of time. How about this... Shan Bai and I will first work on conditioning the elder's body, extending his life by these twenty years. If, within these twenty years, King Wei obtains any more good treasures or effective remedies, it won't be too late to discuss then."

"As for this elixir, I will also devise a method for you to consume it in a special way, but let's not use it hastily. If there comes a time when it's truly needed, it won't cause the old man any guilt..."

Xiang Chun clearly disapproved of such extravagance. She spoke very tactfully. Li Ximing listened, nodded silently, and said, "I'm just troubling the two of you!"

The two waved their hands repeatedly. Shan Bai sighed, "Zhao Jing isn't the first to seek me out... A few years ago, Fellow Daoist Ting Yun also brought an elder here to treat a chronic illness. Although divine abilities are precious, every family has a loved one they cannot let go of!"

"Indeed..."

Li Ximing, however, raised an eyebrow and asked, "May I ask, Senior, what was the Calamity of Severed Nourishment you just mentioned?"

Shan Bai paused. He glanced around, saw Xiang Chun's calm expression, understood the situation, and said, "That was from the First Immortal-Demon War. Between Immortals and Demons, conflicts were ceaseless, roughly three major wars. Wood Virtue cultivators mostly resided in the Demonic Dao. They suffered greatly in the first great war; True Monarch Ji Mu and True Monarch Geng Mu both perished. For a very long time, the Wood Virtue lineage was withered and did not flourish. Later, due to some doctrinal differences, of the orthodox Wood Virtue, only the Horn and Rectified Dao flourished. The fuse for this great war was the Calamity of Severed Nourishment."

"There was a Wood Virtue lineage called Bao Mu, which was not particularly prosperous at the time. Yet, a Demonic Ancestor Immortal held a prominent position, known as Zixuan. His power was immense, second only to the Three Xuans. He orchestrated the Calamity of Severed Nourishment over the Immortal Dao. He greatly violated heavenly might and withdrew from the world. The Bao Mu fruit position was greatly suppressed, and it never flourished again from then on."

Shan Bai lowered his gaze and said, "This is just something I heard through hearsay, a story for your amusement. This Calamity of Severed Nourishment, while said to be terrifying... didn't harm a single person. But it was incredibly insidious... truly unprecedented in history..."

Li Ximing listened with a deep frown and asked, "How insidious could it be?"

Shan Bai wore a bitter expression and said, "When the Three Xuans departed, this Demonic Ancestor's cultivation was unparalleled. As the master of Bao Mu, and an exile of qi, he used the sum of his life's Daoist traditions, life, and status as collateral, and borrowed something from heaven and earth, secretly severing and hiding it."

Li Ximing asked, "What was it?"

"Lifespan." Shan Bai sighed, "The lifespan of all living beings."

Li Ximing raised an eyebrow and looked at him. Xiang Chun, meanwhile, lowered her gaze and said, "At that time, humans lived to 120, Wuxian cultivators to 400, and divine power practitioners to 800 years. Even now, traces remain; people in books still remember mortals living to a hundred, but in reality, they decline at fifty, exhaust at sixty, and die at seventy."

This caused Li Ximing to freeze on the spot. He remained silent for a long time, before finally speaking, "How... vicious!"

Shan Bai smiled bitterly, "If not vicious, how could he become one of the four great figures who founded the Demonic Dao? The Lifeless Wasteland he brought forth stands above all other doctrines. Although it is as famous as the Wu Guan Legacy, the Xuan She Demonic Relic, and the Ji Suo Evil Dao, it is the most solid and formidable true Demonic Dao! As long as the Lifeless Wasteland doesn't fall, the Bao Mu lineage cannot reclaim its old name, nor can it be freed and recognized by others!"

This old man clearly had some records regarding the Daoist traditions and seemed quite knowledgeable about the Wood Virtue at that time. He said, "Even though this Demonic Ancestor left the world after achieving Dao, the Lifeless Wasteland remained hidden under the control of his disciple, Demonic Monarch Zhe Li. And several powerful figures, out of old ties, agreed with the Demonic Ancestor's ideology. In the end, the True Monarchs fought a battle, and only a few perished."

"But that Demonic Monarch, hidden within the Lifeless Wasteland, always controlled the situation. He incited bloodshed numerous times. His presence was even felt in the final Battle of Pingming Jin... It was only when the sky itself collapsed that it was considered truly settled..."

Hearing him say "truly settled," Xiang Chun silently raised an eyebrow and said, "If it were truly settled... lifespan should have been returned as well!"

Li Ximing was startled at first, then a sense of dread rose in his heart, and he said, "So... this Demonic Monarch's name wasn't chosen randomly. In that case, Demonic Monarch Shaoyang..."

Upon hearing this, Shan Bai immediately fell silent. Xiang Chun, however, sighed and said frankly, "Demonic Monarch Shaoyang is a disciple of the Zitaixuanxie Sect, a figure of the Ji Suo Evil Dao, unrelated to the Lifeless Wasteland. Naturally, he is a Demonic Monarch under our Grand Dao of Profound Comprehension!"

As soon as this was said, Shan Bai visibly panicked. The old man touched his forehead and interrupted, "I'll go prepare the spiritual items right away!"

He hurried away. The woman beside her, however, still had a cold smile on her face. She glanced around and said indifferently, "What's there to not say? The Wu Guan Legacy is in Dou Xuan; isn't everyone still flocking to it now? The Xuan She Demonic Relic is in Qing Xuan, and it also circulates. The Three Xuans are the righteous primordial Grand Dao, embracing all rivers; even Demonic Dao is included within them, and no one has ever denied it!"

Li Ximing secretly felt a chill in his heart. 'These words are true... The Wu Guan Legacy is indeed on Mount Dou Xuan!'

Thinking carefully, he had never seen a Bao Mu cultivator, but he actually had a Bao Mu spiritual treasure in his hands—the recently acquired Heaven-Nurturing Urn! The inscription at the bottom of this urn was "My God is in the Wasteland!"

'No wonder the Tai Ji lineage doesn't seem like an orthodox path at all. What's with all the talk of absorbing vital energy and imprisoning divine abilities... So it was originally a Demonic Dao artifact.'

'At the time, Emperor Song mentioned that this path was incomplete, and there were some doctrinal improprieties. I'm afraid there will be more turmoil after this... The Immortal-Demon Wars that transformed the entire world into its current state... What exactly were they fighting for? Immortal and Demon... order... fruit positions... or Yin and Yang... Five Virtues and Twelve Qi?'