Chapter 1132: 渌缺

The world was desolate and clear, with white snow falling thick and fast.

A mirror on the table shone brilliantly, its light piercing the deep, dark interior of the cave-dwelling, like shuttles of radiance.

The ground of that domain was silvery white, endless in its whiteness, illuminated by countless mystical lights. Dense, intricate patterns emerged within, forming a pentagonal shape overall. Dark profound pillars stood between the cave-dwellings, emitting an arcane glow.

As these shimmering colors advanced, they converged in the very center to form a high platform. Behind it were three profound gates, all dark in color, with five-colored bricks of dark gold, dark green, dark crimson, dark white, and dark brown. All were intricately carved with patterns, presenting a dazzling array of colors.

On the platform lay a palm-sized stone box, unopened.

Surging divine abilities permeated the steps, flowing along five etched patterns and into the profound pillars, constantly rising as if poised to burst forth from the mirror at any moment and charge into this unknown world.

The white-robed man by the table gazed quietly, unaffected in the slightest. Yet, his thoughts seemed not to be on the surging divine abilities before him, but rather deeply preoccupied:

‘The Jianyang Ring… that’s the treasure.

According to the information Lu Jiangxian had, the Jianyang Ring should have originated from the Green Pine Temple back then. A group of cultivators who entered it eventually drifted out and ultimately fell into the Six Ding Conjoined Fire Command.

This spiritual artifact, guided by destiny, eventually fell into the lake… specifically, Moon-Gazing Lake! If the fall of the Six Ding Conjoined Fire Command was pre-arranged, then only one faction could have accomplished it.

‘The Great Li Mountain.

The Six Ding Conjoined Fire Command and the Jianyang Ring… were deployed by remnants of the Yuan Mansion. If the news from Qu Si Mountain is accurate, then Mingyang's demise… also aligns with the interests of the Azure Profound Daoist lineage—at least with its ideology at the time.

Lu Jiangxian possessed the Mingyang Golden Essence and was privy to the arrangements of Mount Luoxia and the state of Mingyang's Fruit Status. He knew everything with absolute clarity. Precisely because of this, he had a different perspective from these Purple Mansions.

‘Li Qianyuan's demise has no traceable origin, yet Mount Luoxia's actions have been unremarkable and stable. Regardless of whether the Jianyang Ring was involved, Mingyang's fall was inevitable, merely a matter of time…’

‘They cared little for the predictions of that Azure Profound cultivator from many years ago. Or, perhaps, both sides were perfectly aware of each other's machinations, letting things develop naturally. Zhi Du knew Mingyang couldn't last long, and using this ring was likely to ensure that the initiative for Mingyang's Fruit Status would later remain in the hands of Azure Profound cultivators.

‘As for the Transcendent Profound Daoist lineage, its ideology—at least its superficial one—remained the same: as long as the position has an owner, anyone can take it, as long as it hastens the Emperor's demise.

‘Beneath this double-layered gamble lay Emperor Wei's arrangements.

Lu Jiangxian's thoughts deepened:

‘He also had his predictions, leaving a path for himself by placing his Golden Essence within… perhaps by deciphering the means and replacing it, or with other deeply hidden intentions. This treasure then flowed back into Azure Profound.

‘It probably passed through the hands of several high-level cultivators, who perhaps saw no anomaly and believed it could only be activated by someone profoundly adept. Only then did it fall into the hands of the Yuan Mansion, thus inaugurating this grand drama.

‘So, what role did the Azure Pond Sect play? The cultivators who went to Moon-Gazing Lake year after year were a communication line. And Li Mutian, who left Lijing Village, brought back the signal of approval from the Netherworld. The struggling Great Li Mountain might have been obeying an immortal decree, or perhaps it finally had an opportunity to seize the initiative, immediately entering the game to jointly fulfill the prophecy that Emperor Mingyang would be slain by it.’

‘That fox-kind demon being able to accompany Li Zhouwei from the lake into the sea is precisely the benefit of controlling the initiative…’

Lu Jiangxian mused in silence, his mind gradually clarifying:

‘Many things weren't personally arranged by my so-called previous life… but rather the inevitable development of the world's great trends. I merely intervened during the process of Mingyang's Heavenly Mandate descending.

‘Therefore… whether it was the Yang clan or Xue Yang, they were calm and expectant when they met Li Zhouwei. Emperor Mingyang would be slain by him… but this didn't mean that the descendants of Azure Profound would restore order from chaos. From beginning to end, he was simply the inevitable sword to slay the Emperor, emerging in response to the situation. Whether he succeeded or not, Zhi Du couldn't calculate it across millennia with so many True Monarchs entering the world… They merely grasped the key, leaving the initiative of the Azure Profound Daoist lineage intact.’

Lu Jiangxian's gaze grew more solemn:

My actions have had a moderate impact on the course of events… at least Guangchan has already caused the Dharma Manifestation to miscalculate, and it further proves that before genuine Qi is attained, the Yang family needs Li Zhouwei more than Mount Luoxia.

He exhaled deeply, and the falling snow in the world outside grew heavier. Clear moonlight poured down, piling up beneath the jade steps, and astonishingly, an object appeared on the bright jade table.

This object was round and luminous, like a pellet the size of a fingernail. Submerged in a jade cup, it continuously emitted soft, winding light.

Guangchan's demise was the result of a clash beyond the Purple Mansion level. The Treasure Tooth Golden Land had a connection to the present world, and Lu Jiangxian hadn't openly reined it in. Yet, Li Zhouwei's kill exposed the wavering Treasure Tooth Golden Land to his eyes for an instant.

Lu Jiangxian had cultivated the wondrous method of the Primordial Golden Core, a unique immortal art for creating Dongtian! In that instant, he had almost completely discerned the essence of the Treasure Tooth Golden Land before him.

‘The path of Buddhist cultivation… holds profound mystery!’

The Treasure Tooth Golden Land lies in its status! Ancient Buddhist cultivators seemed to have borrowed from an extremely high-level framework, employing a method similar to, yet cruder than, the wondrous Primordial Golden Core technique, thereby attesting this Golden Land with their own cultivation.

However, after attaining this Golden Land, the ancient Buddhist cultivators used their own status as a springboard, binding the Golden Land to themselves until their cultivation peaked and they perished. The Golden Land then withered, yet because of the extremely high-status object it had borrowed when it was attested, it was not completely degraded, thus transforming into emptiness.

Having become empty in this way, it should have never returned. Yet, the remains and pagodas left within the Golden Land, possessing mystical power and a certain status themselves, occasionally resonated with the outside world, re-establishing the Buddhist cultivation status, and the Golden Land would accordingly regain its brilliance.

‘It has a very faint hint of a Golden Core rank. After all, I only saw a shell; at most, I could sense this much. For more details… I might need to explore the Buddhist Daoist lineage…’

But all of this was unimportant. With the wondrous method of the Primordial Golden Core in hand, what fate could an ownerless Golden Land exposed before Lu Jiangxian possibly have?

‘It's naturally mine!’

This pearl represented the authority of the Treasure Tooth Golden Land—as long as he willed it, even if the Treasure Tooth Golden Land was currently constrained by the Dharma Manifestation of that Great Mu Dharma Realm, and colluding with whatever other Dharma Realm, it would instantly transform into Lu Jiangxian's Daoist sanctum!

‘With my status… I wonder what this Golden Land will become!’

His current cultivation allowed him to sense much, making him even more sensitive to matters involving his own status:

‘Perhaps… I might even swallow the Great Mu Dharma Realm along with it… that so-called incense master could become a small Vajra before me, and that realm master could become a presiding monk under my command, then the Dharma Realm would burst through the heavens, causing that Great Zen Heaven Acharya to leap out…’

Even if he couldn't personally hold it, through his careful study over these days, if he wished, he could even choose a master for the Treasure Tooth Golden Land through an immortal art like the wondrous method of the Primordial Golden Core!

He sneered inwardly:

‘That Great Desire Dao… needn't bother with the Treasure Tooth Golden Land anymore!’

After processing the news brought by Qu Si, he silently shifted his gaze to the stone box before him.

‘Xuantu.’

Li Ximing observed the subterranean scene, and naturally, he couldn't avoid Lu Jiangxian. The expanse of white light he saw was not something else, but rather an illusory scene created by Lu Jiangxian—this place was quite peculiar and not suitable for prolonged observation.

In Lu Jiangxian's judgment, this Xuantu Golden Essence before him was absolutely extraordinary in origin. Even with formation arrays concealing it, the moment he delved deeper into this place, he could sense the extremely high status of this Golden Essence!

‘If not for this array, it would be useless to place it anywhere that isolates the great void… with a touch of profoundness, spiritual essence would burst forth…’

The fluctuations of this Golden Essence were as clear as the sun and moon, yet the array established here was even more ingenious. By diverting and transforming, guiding the Five Elements, it actually used Xuantu's own status and profoundness to conceal the Golden Essence itself!

‘The sophistication of this grand array's methods is so high that it even possesses a hint of immortal aura; it is likely from the Azure Profound Daoist lineage.’

However, such a method, while clever, was not without its drawbacks. No matter how nimble the array, it could not be more nimble than the Golden Essence itself. This Golden Essence was constantly impacting the grand array, stirring up shockwaves again and again. Without a cultivator to suppress and resolve it, there was a high possibility that it would break this fragile balance and fly into the present world!

Moreover, this array was constructed by leveraging the Golden Essence's own power. Once it lost control, it would immediately lose its source of profoundness, rendering it utterly incapable of obstruction, and upon being illuminated by the Golden Essence's radiance, it would instantly melt away and vanish.

‘The entire Xinyu Archipelago would turn into turbid mud. This Xuantu Golden Essence, ethereal and divine, resembling a deity, would likely proclaim itself master and ancestor, establishing boundless evil lands, if these grand cultivators did not intervene.’

Lu Jiangxian paced two steps here, then raised his eyebrows to observe. The five stone pillars displayed varying illusory colors, each inscribed with profound characters, deeply carved and continuously arrayed from left to right:

‘The White Xiang Peak Yuan Monarch's Secret of Manifesting the Dao.’

The script contained profound mysteries in every stroke and deep insights in every phrase. Even with Lu Jiangxian's high level of cultivation, he couldn't help but pause, remaining silent for a long time.

‘As expected, it's a legacy of the State and Society tradition. This is a secret method for manifesting the Xuantu and Guitu (two earths), nourishing all cultivators, and cultivating righteousness—it must have been written by a high-level cultivator.’

This person's deep understanding of the Xuantu Daoist lineage was formidable. Although Lu Jiangxian was proficient in many paths, he had no particular research in Earth Virtue and was especially lacking in that regard, gazing upon it as one would gaze at a towering mountain.

Although he had no immediate use for it, he still diligently noted it down, nodding inwardly:

‘This place is extremely secluded, almost impossible for anyone to reach. It's a State and Society Daoist legacy, and it has a Xuantu Golden Essence… it won't be useless.’

‘Moreover… Gengjin, Gengmu, Lushui, Honghuo, and Xuantu, these five paths are similar; they are the paths of transformation and reform among the Five Virtues. Even if I cannot obtain the Lushui Golden Essence, observing the Xuantu will still be beneficial for my study.’

So he picked up his brush and examined it closely. The falling snow in the world grew more intense. After an unknown period, his slightly twitching hand paused, and his brows furrowed even deeper:

‘That's not right…’

Xuan means to express, to disperse. To spread, to illuminate. If it upholds righteousness, the king's decrees spread, and all submit. If it acts perversely, a single rebel rises, and the world boils in rebellion. Thus, it is revered as the lord of the State and Society.

‘Among them, one divine ability, "Attending the State and Society," is the most crucial—to replace the world's heart with one's own!’

White snow fell ceaselessly. The jade slip on the table emitted a warm, soft glow. The hand deliberated for a moment, then picked up a brush:

‘But it's far from just that. Since Lushui was mentioned, there are five other divine abilities associated with it, known as the "Five Aberrations," also called the "Five Aberrant Practices," which can be cultivated concurrently by Transcendent cultivators.

‘Aside from Xuantu's "Attending the State and Society," there are Gengjin's "Present Departs Past," Gengmu's "Spring Before Illness," and Honghuo's "Burning the Old House"…

‘These ancient names seem convoluted, but within the orthodox lineage of Wanling Heaven, these divine abilities have even more apparent alternate names!

‘They are "Heart of the World," "World's Revolution," "World's Change," and "World's Blaze" respectively!’

‘Earth, Metal, Wood, Fire—only water is missing. It should be Lushui.’

Lu Jiangxian put down his brush, and doubt emerged before his eyes.

‘But the last path is precisely not water… instead, it's Mingyang's "World's Radiance"!’

With several immortal arts at his disposal, his understanding of the Dao was at a commanding height. Upon examining it this way, he indeed grasped some perplexing issues, remaining silent for a long time as the characters on the jade slip constantly shifted with light and shadow:

‘Why is there no water among the Five Aberrations? Various ancient texts only express confusion, with not a single word of explanation. Only a certain ancient cultivator from the Liang Dynasty, Zhou Rao, stated: "Water is said to flow downwards, thus it does not contend. It prefers humility and dislikes height, hence it has no aberration."’

This was also Lu Jiangxian's original understanding, but now, having seen the true form of the Xuantu Golden Essence, he immediately realized that these words only touched the surface and not the core, ultimately falling short.

‘The Five Aberrations are ultimately the Five Virtues, not Transcendent cultivation. They have both positive and negative aspects; outwardly perverse, inwardly transformative. The Five Aberrations should include water, representing the people as water and the ruler as a boat, meaning that if the water flows smoothly, there is prosperity, but if the water rages, the boat capsizes. Logically, it should be Lushui's "Like Heavy Turbidity"… This divine ability could bewitch people's minds, which was the source of the demonic calamity in Jiangnan back then.

‘According to Daoist principles, Lushui's "Like Heavy Turbidity" should be that missing divine ability, which could well be called "World's Overturn"! ’

However, Lu Jiangxian had long since collected all the Lushui divine abilities, and Chi Buzi even cultivated this path. He saw clearly that "Like Heavy Turbidity" always fell short by a fraction… it had lost its essence compared to "World's Radiance" and "Heart of the World"!

‘The calculations based on Daoist principles conflict with current legal principles… If my deductions aren't flawed, then it's highly probable that there's an issue with Lushui's Fruit Status here… it's the root of the problem that Du Qing has been tirelessly suppressing, confined to his home, namely the so-called 'Dragon Nature'!’

His eyes gleamed, and he rose to his feet:

‘Otherwise, with his orthodox method of ascending to immortality from the Azure Profound Sun Daoist lineage, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state!’

Lu Jiangxian gradually became certain, his confidence nearing sixty percent:

‘Indeed… Lushui's essence lies in the rise and fall of clear and turbid, being the pool and pond among the five waters, born from the earth's springs and descended from the heavens, water that doesn't connect with external bodies of water… it has been repaired to perfection, so perfect that it seems naturally so. But is that necessarily good? If the Feathered Serpent from back then held such a Lushui Fruit Status, why would it need to go to the sea?’

‘Pond water—it cannot stir up waves, which means it has lost the ability of "water capsizing its ruler"! "World's Overturn" could then become "Like Heavy Turbidity." These two transformations are mutually interdependent, yet they reveal Lushui's deficiency!

‘The Verdant Chi's Lushui-Merging Transformation, which exhausted its lifelong Dao Fruit… was by no means as simple as hastily consuming it. Even its descendants could preside over the grand matter of the mansion's waters losing their vastness. How could it not? The Lushui merging was not a symbiotic co-fusion. It's likely that all five waters, except for Yin Water… were afflicted by dragon-kind, and Lushui was the earliest one!’

His gaze was now exceptionally bright, staring intently at the jade slip before him:

‘But… why was it replaced by "World's Radiance"? Why was it Mingyang, who is completely unrelated? If there was a grand scheme, Emperor Wei and the Verdant Chi were not even from the same era!’

‘Li Qianyuan, this Emperor Mingyang… being so close to the dragon-kind, does that signify something?’

He unveiled this layer of mystery, only to perceive deeper underlying schemes, and an endless stream of emotions welled up in his heart:

‘These individuals… how incredibly skilled they are! Their schemes… how incredibly profound…’

‘If… if I had a Lushui Golden Essence in my possession… I would surely be able to