Chapter 1127: Xiyang

Li Ximing bid farewell to his junior and flew back on a beam of light. He arrived at the solitary mountain, where he found the young man already waiting in the temple. He smiled and said, "Nanwu, how carefree you are."

Guo Nanwu was tasked with defending against the demon king of Baiyan Temple on nearby Fangya Island. He was quite close to Li Ximing and seemed to handle things with ease, showing no signs of weariness. He smiled and said, "Nanwu cultivates the 'Evil Extinction Quest,' a method of traversing the Yin path for the Shaoyang, making escape extremely easy. It is not under 'Female Water.' That demon cultivates 'Palace Water,' but it cannot hold me."

Li Ximing, having obtained the Azure Talisman, was in high spirits. He smiled and said, "I also made a great discovery!"

So they entered together. Daoist Mian, dressed in a robe, greeted them and sighed, "Now I truly understand the might of the Jiangnan immortal path!"

Hiding in the deserted West Sea was originally just for the sake of mystical freedom and preserving their lives, so how could they be insensitive to such matters? Li Ximing knew that all these Purple Mansion cultivators felt a sense of empathy, and even Daoist Mian, who held grudges, was deeply moved. He immediately replied, "Senior Liu has shown great kindness to my family. This was merely to remove a worry from his heart! Besides, possession of a treasure makes one a target!"

Although Baoxiang's expression was as usual, she lowered her brows and said, "Tonight in the West Sea… the formidable name of King Wei is widely spread!"

Li Ximing shook his head with a wry smile, not elaborating further. He said, "Let's speak in private for a moment."

Baoxiang raised her eyebrows and entered the inner hall with him. She heard Li Ximing laugh, "I remember you cultivate 'Kan Water.' Is your lineage still complete?"

The woman looked up with keen interest, her eyes suddenly brightening. She said, "There are few Purple Mansion lineages in the world that can claim to be complete. My path has been supplemented through generations and has quite a legacy. 'Kan Water' is also a widely known lineage, but it lacks a technique called 'Old Man by the Stream,' which is in Jiangnan… If Senior has this method, Baoxiang will be eternally grateful for the favor of enlightenment!"

"This…" How could Li Ximing not recognize the great name of this divine ability? When he was just starting out, he was so startled by this ability that he became paranoid. He shook his head with a slight awkwardness and said, "'Old Man by the Stream'… I can only direct you to Cangzhou to inquire. Whether you can obtain it depends on your own destiny… However, I do have a technique here called 'Regulating Water to Transform Mausoleums'."

He then took out a purple jade profound slip and handed it to Baoxiang. The woman read the outline and smiled, "What a marvelous method… This is… this is a technique from Douxuan!"

The technique Li Ximing possessed came from the Shanghuan Pavilion; how could it be ordinary? Although Baoxiang didn't appear overly excited, Li Ximing knew she coveted the technique greatly. Seeing that she recognized its origin, he merely smiled without speaking and said, "Firstly, you have helped us greatly along the way, and I cannot let Senior Liu owe you a favor in vain… Secondly, I also wish to exchange it for the spiritual item in your possession, the Clear Profound Coffin."

Li Ximing had naturally come for the Clear Profound Coffin. Since he had already obtained one from the Hermit Yinjin, he was reluctant to pay Yu the Hermit and decided to exchange with Baoxiang on the spot. The woman, having received such a good deal, showed no hesitation. She smiled, "Excellent!"

One was getting something for nothing, the other secretly profited from a loophole. They immediately agreed, and the exchange was made. Li Ximing said with a half-smile, "What kind of path does that Hermit Yinxin follow?"

Baoxiang paused, then replied, "Over a hundred years ago, this person came to the West Sea to cultivate. His cultivation was powerful, and many suffered at his hands… As for which lineage he belongs to—he only claims to be a rogue cultivator."

"This is…" Li Ximing smiled and shook his head, saying, "Just an idle question."

He didn't linger. He stepped out and said, "I have something that Senior Mian needs to take a look at!"

He then unfurled his sleeve, revealing the Profound Cauldron of Biting Azure Yuan. He handed it to Daoist Mian, then took out three Clear Profound Coffins. He smiled, "Please take a look!"

Any True Person who had reached the Purple Mansion stage possessed some shrewdness. With just one glance, Daoist Mian understood. He said, "Friend, this treasure of yours is truly remarkable! Such a wondrous treasure could only be found in Jiangnan!"

The Profound Cauldron of Biting Azure Yuan came from the Dongtian Wanling Heaven of the Douxuan lineage, so it was naturally extraordinary. Li Ximing smiled as he watched him put away his divine abilities. Daoist Mian took a round disk from his sleeve.

This disk was palm-sized, shining like silver. Daoist Mian collected a wisp of the Clear Profound Coffin's aura, then took out several Foundation Establishment-level water and fire elements from his sleeve. After testing, he said, "This spiritual artifact originates from the essence of gathered wood, yet possesses the function of a complete elixir. Its creator's ingenuity is astonishing, beyond my grasp. And this Clear Profound Coffin, when paired with water and wood, lacks an 'Earth Virtue.' According to my years of cultivation, it should be a 'Nurturing Treasure Earth'."

He smiled and said, "I will spend a few days carefully calculating it to ensure no errors or omissions."

Li Ximing was startled and asked, "Treasure Earth? Does it require a spiritual resource to supplement it? Without senior's assistance, it would have ruined my important matter!"

Daoist Mian nodded and said, "This spiritual artifact is extremely powerful. Even without supplementing it with this Earth element, it should still be able to condense spiritual water miraculously… but it will have some deficiencies, a congenital lack, and be less miraculous. If you encounter opponents like the Three Witches and Two Blessings, or Complete Elixir Degraded Qi cultivators in battle, this spiritual water might be extinguished… For internal use within your clan, it would be much better."

Li Ximing secretly felt fortunate after hearing this. He sighed, "It's just this Treasure Earth spiritual resource…"

Guo Nanwu, having listened, smiled and said, "This junior has a portion of 'Queyan Earth' in his possession."

Li Ximing, not wanting to run around anymore for this spiritual resource, was instantly overjoyed. He took out a Xian'an White Flower from his person and said, "Thank you for coming all this way. This Xian'an White Flower is a Shaoyang spiritual resource, perfectly suited for you. Please use it for now."

Although both were spiritual resources, the Xian'an White Flower could be consumed or used, and it perfectly aligned with Guo Nanwu's lineage. It was undoubtedly an excellent treasure, causing the young man's eyes to curve into a smile. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Senior, for your generosity!"

With everything settled, Li Ximing felt even more satisfied. After finalizing the details with Daoist Mian, he secretly calculated: 'The items on the ocelot were distributed, but the spiritual artifact and spiritual embryo both ended up in Zhou Wei's hands. Plus, one spiritual item, the Great Eaves Bloom, and two spiritual resources, the Dao-Gazing Scales and the Xian'an White Flower, the harvest is immense, far exceeding expectations! Moreover, there's the Azure Talisman and the spiritual water!'

The sky turned purplish-gold, and the light grew dim.

Li Ximing was overjoyed collecting spiritual items and tallying his gains in the West Sea. However, the black-robed youth felt a chill in his heart. He hurried back to Wangyue Lake without delay and settled within the grand formation. Counting the days, only half a month had passed.

He did not go to see Sima Yuanli first. Instead, he immediately went to the deepest part of the formation. He revealed the precious urn in his hand, used a divine ability to place it on the table, and with lowered brows and hands clasped behind his back, he slowly loosened its mystical properties.

As soon as he loosened it slightly, the vertical lines on the urn lit up one by one, shimmering faintly. A thick grey mist swirled at the mouth of the urn. It met the pair of golden eyes in the darkness, immediately stiffened, and whispered, "This humble demon greets King Wei…"

Completely confined within the urn, the ocelot's tone seemed to calm down. Golden light flickered in the dark hall. Li Zhouwei said indifferently, "Where did the small-leaf Xian'an Immortal Plant come from?"

This question made the demon in the urn silent for a moment. Then, a hateful, grinding voice emerged, "You found my treasure so quickly. Indeed, it's truly cunning…"

Li Zhouwei did not press further. He merely watched silently, the golden glow in his eyes becoming more pronounced. The ocelot, unable to cling to its last shred of hope, whispered, "It was stolen from Shejie's Golden Land. I carried it all the way from the West Sea…"

Before he finished speaking, Li Zhouwei laughed, then said coldly, "Stolen? I won't even discuss whether Shejie's Golden Land could preserve this spiritual root. You carried it all the way from the West Sea? And just happened to find a place capable of preserving Shaoyang? What a joke!"

Seeing the look of anger on his face, the ocelot's voice grew more urgent. It whispered, "That place wasn't found… A fellow Daoist set it up for me."

At these words, the smile on Li Zhouwei's face faded. He listened as the ocelot urgently explained, "This small-leaf Xian'an Immortal Plant wasn't originally so short. When I was suppressed and unable to move in the Golden Land, this immortal plant was as tall as a man… Shejie received it as a reward from the Liang Emperor during a Daoist debate at the Liang Imperial Palace."

Li Zhouwei frowned, "Since you said you were confined in the Golden Land, unable to move, how do you know so much?"

The ocelot, seeing him so sharp and suspicious, felt more sorrow than anger, fearing for its life. It said, "King Wei might not know, but the Great Liang dynasty was often plagued by three issues. First, the calamity of rivers; second, the division between barbarians and Han; and third, the debate between immortals and Buddhists. At that time, many Buddhist and Daoist cultivators were outside the passes, so the Liang Emperor invited high-ranking cultivators and eminent monks from across the land to conduct debates on the principles of immortals and Buddhists… There were nine such debates in total, and Buddhist cultivators only won three times. Shejie was one of them… He… he disliked deluding people with techniques, preferring genuine sincerity and heartfelt conviction…"

Only then did Li Zhouwei slightly put aside his suspicions. He said, "No wonder such a figure took so long to subdue a minor demon like you."

The ocelot, trapped inside, continued: "Later, the void collapsed, and the Golden Land reverted to emptiness. I took this spiritual root and also seized several Buddhist artifacts he had refined in the Golden Land. Then I fled in a hurry, escaping all the way from the East Sea to the West Sea. Only then did I settle down to rest. Who knew that when I unbound the divine ability and looked, this small-leaf Xian'an Immortal Plant had withered, its flowers and leaves sparse, almost devoid of life!"

"I don't understand Daoist magic and couldn't save it, so I just let it be. I sold those Buddhist artifacts for spiritual resources to cultivate and heal my injuries, but then I encountered a high-level cultivator practicing in the West Sea…"

"A high-level cultivator?" Li Zhouwei's gaze sharpened. He listened as the ocelot said, "His surname is Qu, and he called himself Daoist Qu. He had the face of a middle-aged man, and his divine abilities were dazzling and terrifying. This humble demon had never seen anyone with such brilliant divine abilities; I was so scared I prostrated myself. Yet he claimed to be a junior cultivator of Xiyang Temple…"

"I said: 'This humble demon is ignorant and doesn't recognize any immortal temples.'"

"Then Daoist Qu said: 'My Ancestral Master is not within the Five Elements; he emerged from Yin and Yang. He is the first Shaoyang, the foremost disciple of Tongxuan, the clan that Shangqing clings to year after year, and the Immortal Lord worshipped by the Great Liang dynasty through generations.'"

"'His disciple Guan Hua is magnificent. His junior brother Zidu rules the world, respecting Him as Ancestral Master. Dongwu and Qingyi bow to Him. Changtang and Wuguan cultivate with Him. Xuxiang built high towers, repeatedly sought His advice, and earnestly invited an immortal mountain to be His traveling palace.'"

Li Zhouwei suddenly raised his eyebrows, his growing unease finally solidifying. "A Tongxuan immortal cultivator!"

At these words, the ocelot's voice visibly trembled, whether from fear or excitement. It said with alarm, "When I heard those words, I became dizzy and blurted out a reply. I felt that the person before me was an envoy of the immortals. I kowtowed repeatedly and said: 'Oh dear… honored sir, just take my head if you wish, there's no need to scare me!'"

"But he said: 'Since I have met you, this humble demon, and you have obtained my Shaoyang Treasure Tree—the only one of its kind in the world—it is Senior Shejie's destiny. He was originally also a senior from my Xiyang Temple, who entered the world to become a Buddhist. Now, I will protect it to ensure it does not become nothingness.'"

Li Zhouwei's expression became solemn. Even though he still had doubts about this person's words, he knew that such a speech could never be fabricated by a mere Purple Mansion demon.

'What are Changtang and Zidu? I've never heard of them. But Qingyi and Wuguan? They are either Immortal Monarchs or Demon Ancestors! But judging by this person's words, they are probably not figures from the "mountain." Shangqing… that's the Golden Feather Sect… The clan Shangqing clings to year after year… This means this venerable figure is very likely surnamed Zhang! I once couldn't find evidence that True Monarch Taiyuan's dharma originated from Tongxuan… Perhaps it's related to this venerable figure…'

He remained silent, so the ocelot continued: "He then chose a mountain and set up that wondrous place, bringing this precious tree back to life. Although I am ignorant, I knew his method was powerful. I wanted to establish a Purple Mansion grand formation to protect it, but I was afraid of disturbing it…"

"He also told me: 'The small-leaf Xian'an Immortal Plant is a Shaoyang spiritual root, once planted in a palace and cultivated by emperors. First, wait a hundred years for it to grow roots. Then another hundred years for its leaves to flourish. Then another hundred years, it will bloom once every fifty years. After another hundred years, it will bear three flowers. And another hundred years, it will be able to produce four flowers every twenty years…'"

It wailed, "Heaven pity me, I used many spiritual resources to nourish it, and in less than five hundred years, it was able to produce four flowers! I only managed to get a total of a dozen or so flowers, and half of them were used to nourish this spiritual root…"

"No wonder your pockets are empty." Li Zhouwei's expression tightened. 'Calculating this way, it was only nurtured for nearly five hundred years, producing one flower every five years… It's not as good as the Neck Plume, which has the advantage of not requiring strenuous collection of Wall-Sinking Water, and its yield can also be used for alchemy and consumption… But it's far inferior to the spiritual flower that the Golden Feather Sect seized from Donghuo…'

Li Zhouwei didn't wait for the demon to complain. He slapped it, sealing it back. He then picked up the spiritual treasure, looked at it with lowered brows, and remained silent for a long time. 'Xiyang Temple… Is it a scheme?'

To say that a figure from several centuries ago could span such a long time and scheme to draw a Li family member, who possessed a talisman seed, into a trap, Li Zhouwei absolutely did not believe it. However, he also did not believe that everything before him was without any human interference. 'This Daoist Qu doesn't seem like a schemer, but future generations could use his initial moves as part of a larger scheme… The arrangements on the ocelot are by no means simple… That Hermit Yinxin was perhaps marked early on, and they just needed an excuse.'

'But he cultivates Earth Virtue, and his background is not shallow. Gen Earth is clearly on the mountain. Besides Tongxuan… what other lineage is there in the world?'

The youth remained silent for a long time, quietly gazing at the flowing purple light in the hall, lost in thought. 'Suining's meaning is that even if we don't cut down this spiritual root now, the spiritual energy will become anomalous in the future, rendering this item useless. But if the two parties cooperate, this place will be taken care of by Yinxin… Wouldn't that mean he sabotaged this place?'

Recalling the other party's eager departure, his heart solidified: 'Could it be Yinxin who truly wanted to eradicate this spiritual root and destroy this place? But if he truly originated from Tongxuan, why would he need to wait until today? He could simply destroy this place openly; why use my hand?'

"Shaoyang… Shaoyang…" His eyes were deep-set, and he gradually grasped the core of the problem. 'The key lies with Great Liang and Shaoyang… Everyone believes it was a conflict between Tongxuan and Qingxuan, with Taiyang executing Shaoyang, burying a hidden danger that led to the Liang Emperor's inability to stand alone before the Dragon Clan, ultimately causing the collapse of Great Liang… But is that truly the case?'

'But Great Liang was a Heavenly Dynasty! The second Heavenly Dynasty after Great Wei… Qingyu had hinted that Great Zhao's current predicament was also due to its ambition to be a Heavenly Dynasty. However, Wei, Liang, and Zhao each had shorter lifespans than the last, which suggests that the instigator's precautions were becoming increasingly stringent…'

"When Taiyang executed Shaoyang, was Mount Luoxia filled with sorrow or joy? How many voices were there on Mount Luoxia?"

The golden light in his eyes gradually receded. He deeply memorized everything. Sitting in the main seat, he gazed at the spiritual treasure in his hand, silent.