Chapter 1138: Chang Li

Lihuo, occupying the true position of fire, is inexhaustible and constant. In the heavens, it radiates spiritual light; on earth, its profound fire conceals a hidden brilliance. It is a fundamental manifestation, a true pillar of fire, the radiant heat that melts metal and boils seas, and the very essence for overcoming all adversity.

His immortal foundation surged through the twelve-story tower, and boundless illusions dissipated. The world, previously dim, brightened. As layers of crimson light faded, the young man with golden eyes and crimson robes lowered his clasped hands. The myriad immortals and Buddhas from the illusion, along with the man bound by heavy golden chains, vanished. Only emptiness remained.

A pair of deep golden eyes instantly opened. The cold, decisive emotions, stable as ancient ice, which had permeated the illusion, finally receded. The gloom within the empty chamber began to dissipate.

Boom!

Two points of golden-red light flickered. The profound chamber was filled with an endless apricot-red glow. Li Jiangqian's open eyes slowly surveyed his surroundings, a subtle crimson hue now evident within their usually brilliant gold. He stood firm amidst the boundless Lihuo, a smile playing on his lips.

Purple Mansion achieved! Yet, he remained still, slowly closing his eyes as if suppressing something scorching. A faint stinging pain in his chest made him take a step back, and he drew a deep breath.

Puff!

At that instant, an apricot-red halo shot forth from between his lips, rising and then falling, spiraling incessantly. Petals of flame fluttered down like phoenix tree leaves, rustling as they fell!

He held his chest with one hand, while with the other, he raised two fingers, catching something from the apricot-red halo. He clutched it tightly, straightened up, and then, smiling, opened his hand.

An apricot-yellow flame pulsed in his palm, no bigger than a fingernail but intensely bright. A subtle mystical quality emerged from it, resonating with his very life force. In an instant, like a bursting dam, it erupted with boundless golden-red light!

The *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture* states: "Conceal the heart-fire; as the sun sets in the south, its light illuminates. Rule the world by facing south."

A flame that resonates with one's life force... also part of the Purple Mansion!

His golden eyes, now tinged with red, swept through the hazy Lihuo. He raised an eyebrow slightly, quickly discerning that something was amiss.

The surging Lihuo had peaked at the moment of his breakthrough, yet it bore no resemblance to a typical Purple Mansion breakthrough. The Lihuo throughout the entire cave dwelling was rapidly diminishing, visibly fading in color!

In just one breath, darkness re-enveloped the chamber, receding like a tide to reveal magic lamps shattered and eroded by the Lihuo. A thoughtful expression crossed the golden-eyed, crimson-robed man's face as his gaze fixed on the tightly closed mystic gate.

Boom!

Riddled with holes from the corrosive Lihuo that had poured through, the door shattered, revealing the scene outside.

The man outside the hall appeared majestic, his presence fearsome. Golden patterns on his dark robe seemed to writhe like dragons, while his light purple feathered cloak shimmered with integrated golden mystic patterns. A royal battle-axe, adorned with leaping Qilin figures, hung inverted at his waist. In his hand, he held a dark, wood-grained urn, into which the already thinning Lihuo light continuously poured, with no escape.

A pair of deep golden eyes shone from the darkness, his father's gaze fixed upon him.

Purple Mansion mid-stage!!

The person before him clearly wasn't using any divine abilities, yet a sense of deadly danger washed over Li Jiangqian, momentarily dazing him. After that moment of dread came profound shock:

Three divine abilities?! In such a short time!

Li Zhouwei's impact was so profound that Li Jiangqian momentarily froze before noticing the middle-aged man on the other side. Dressed in white and gold Daoist robes with a golden mark between his eyebrows, this man exuded an air of carefree ease, gazing steadily at him with a kind smile.

The young man instantly broke into a wide smile, flicked his robes, and took a few steps forward. He knelt on one knee, his voice clear and resonant:

"Your son has not failed your trust! I have achieved divine abilities!"

He heard his father chuckle, seemingly in a good mood. His voice was deep yet joyful:

"Congratulations!"

The congratulation dispelled the awkwardness of years apart, and a smile appeared on Li Jiangqian's face. His thoughts were quick, and he had already understood, so he said:

"Thank you, True Ones, for waiting... and for concealing my aura for me!"

Li Ximing, who had just rushed back upon receiving the news, contrasted sharply with Li Zhouwei's reservedness; his joy was unconcealed as he said gently:

"Please stand up and speak."

The newly ascended True One stood up, a spirited and ambitious air about him. He said:

"This junior has achieved the Great Lihuo Scripture. With the heart-fire concealed and resonating with my life force, I have gained a unique flame!"

"Oh?"

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow, watching as Li Jiangqian opened his palm. An apricot-yellow flame surged forth, ancient and profound, its edges surrounded by an amber-like Lihuo halo, its colors brilliant.

"The Purple Mansion Spirit Fire: Southern Brightness Heart Fire!"

"Hmm?"

Li Zhouwei's gaze shifted. He stared at the flame for a moment, then extended his hand and gently pinched it, extracting a wisp of the spiritual flame.

This flame, so docile in Li Jiangqian's hand, surged violently in Li Zhouwei's, becoming restless and agitated, emanating an aura of destruction. Yet, a subtle flicker of the scale patterns in the young man's palm extinguished the flame, leaving only a faint whitish mark on his skin.

Li Jiangqian, knowing full well the immense power of his Lihuo, watched with twitching eyelids. Li Zhouwei, meanwhile, praised him:

"It actually possesses a hint of solar power. Very good."

Li Ximing was an expert in fire! His keen gaze instantly recognized the unusual nature of this flame, and he nodded in approval:

"Truly worthy of a Sixth-Rank cultivation method! To be born with a Purple Mansion Spirit Fire accompanying it—even without other mystical aspects, this alone is enough to firmly establish one's place among those with divine abilities!"

"Precisely!"

Although Li Jiangqian had achieved the Purple Mansion, his demeanor remained unchanged. He slightly lowered his gaze and said respectfully:

"Reporting, True One, this flame originates from the divine ability 'Great Lihuo Scripture.' The 'Great' signifies vastness, boundless and limitless, referring to the primary manifestation. 'Lihuo' is the essence of correctness, the very foundation of Lihuo. The 'Scripture' here isn't a physical book, but a record; it signifies recording my Daoist dharma with the vastness of its manifestation and the correctness of Lihuo's nature!"

"Precisely for this reason, this Great Lihuo Scripture divine ability is also known as 'Gazes-upon-Sun Revelation'! However, the *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture* emphasizes correctness and diligently cultivating Lihuo, hence it takes the former as its name."

Li Jiangqian paused, then continued:

"'Lihuo' resides in the heart, and this flame emerged from the resonance with my life force, hence it is called Heart Fire. Its power is considerable, possessing the ability to incinerate and a hint of the sun's demon-purging might. Moreover, because it resonates with my life force, it gained an added subtlety of Mingyang!"

Li Zhouwei already knew about Lihuo's ability to resonate with life force. Li Ximing, however, frowned as he listened and murmured:

"When you achieved Foundation Establishment back then, you mentioned that this technique had the wonder of connecting to the 'Primary Manifestation.' I thought it was just a minor marvel, but I never expected it to become even more evident after you achieved divine abilities. It is often said that Lihuo is closely related to Mingyang, but I never thought it would also have some connection to the sun..."

Li Zhouwei shook his head and said:

"The 'Primary Manifestation' isn't called that for nothing. Which fire virtue doesn't align with the sun? Even defiant flames like Binghuo have a lineage of solar-related spiritual flames, let alone Lihuo!"

Li Jiangqian nodded thoughtfully and continued:

"Aside from this flame, the most mystical aspect... is the Heart Mansion."

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow. The crimson-robed young man smiled, and flames surged within his chest, his skin rippling like water and glowing crimson. His heart and lungs were gone, and in their place, within the empty cavity, sat a small mansion. It featured staggered sections, white bricks, red tiles, and radiated brilliant mystic light.

"Ordinary cultivators absorb fire, usually between the Juque and Qihai acupoints. A few more powerful ones use the Shengyang region. However, my divine ability has transformed my five internal organs and six viscera, leaving only this Heart Mansion to absorb fire."

"The Heart Mansion can directly consume Lihuo spiritual items and spiritual wood with excellent results. It can also house spiritual artifacts, trapping them within... though it is far inferior to the 'Venerating Heaven Gate' technique, which primarily focuses on spiritual artifacts, it is still a good method."

"And the flames within the Heart Mansion, after years of nurturing, become increasingly docile, harmonizing with each other and becoming easier to control... One can also gather similar flames and refine them together within the mansion..."

A touch of bitterness appeared on his face as he merely said:

"But this... after all, it can't compare to Grand-Uncle's 'Valley Wind Fire Guidance' technique."

When Li Jiangqian mentioned this, Li Ximing simply smiled and said:

"You don't need to provoke me; I'm already on the verge of envying you!"

Hearing this, Li Jiangqian sensed something, his heart stirred, and he continued:

"Precisely because of the sun's blessing, the Great Lihuo Scripture excels in Lihuo light. The *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture* speaks of 'devouring flames' and 'gathering Lihuo light'; my Heart Mansion can also refine Lihuo light!"

"Aside from these few aspects, the Great Lihuo Scripture also has great utility in movement. Whether traversing the mundane world or walking through the Great Void, it provides enhancements. If one can cultivate some Great Void travel methods, one will certainly be able to move freely within the Great Void!"

"Other minor marvels, such as constant Lihuo companionship and the ability to devour wood and melt metal, are not worth mentioning."

Li Ximing, who had cultivated the Great Lihuo White Radiant Light, had long been observing the Heart Mansion of this divine ability. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. Now, hearing Li Jiangqian's explanation, he instantly noticed some clues and sighed:

"No wonder the Great Lihuo White Radiant Light and the *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture* are paired together; they complement each other perfectly..."

Li Zhouwei listened for a while, then said with regret:

"If Grand-Uncle had cultivated the *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture*, his divine abilities today would certainly be no less than those of Lou Yingge or Murong Yan!"

The man in the white and gold Daoist robes showed no regret. Instead, he smiled and said:

"If I had truly cultivated the *Heavenly Lihuo Sun Decline Scripture* without Lihuo spiritual items, I might not even have achieved divine abilities!"

He turned to look at Li Jiangqian, sighed leisurely, and said:

"You, too, have achieved divine abilities today, and the family can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"

Li Zhouwei then gestured, retrieving an object from the Great Void.

The object was perfectly round, like a golden core, encircled by countless golden threads. Spiritual flames danced, weaving and swirling with variegated, dazzling colors. The Lihuo light surging up and down resembled delicate golden patterns, making it exceptionally alluring.

The Lihuo Spirit Treasure: Dual Illuminator of Profound Fire!

This item had been suspended for many years, used to assist Li Jiangqian's breakthrough. Now that his divine ability was complete, it finally no longer needed to be confined!

Li Jiangqian's eyes lit up as he glanced at it. Yet, this Lihuo spirit treasure, considered a great treasure throughout Jiangnan, seemed nothing more than an ordinary item in Li Zhouwei's eyes. With a casual toss, he sent the Dual Illuminator of Profound Fire into Li Jiangqian's arms and smiled:

"Since you've achieved divine abilities, take it and use it!"

Li Jiangqian had actually received Li Ximing's promise for this item previously, and at that time, he was overwhelmed with gratitude, shedding tears. But he knew his father wasn't one for such theatrics. Now, overcome with joy, he chuckled, unceremoniously tucked the item into his robes, and praised:

"Father, your wisdom, your great kindness..."

"Alright! No need for formalities among family."

Li Zhouwei chuckled, cutting him off, and said seriously:

"Whether it's the Dual Illuminator of Profound Fire or the Great Lihuo White Radiant Light, both require Lihuo to fill them. But your Southern Brightness Heart Fire is rare; it would be a waste to use it for that. Your Grand-Uncle has already made arrangements; there should be a Lihuo source available for you then."

Li Jiangqian's eyes grew even brighter, and he was secretly delighted. He turned to Li Ximing, bowed respectfully, and shook his head, saying:

"This junior has this Lihuo, which is enough. Grand-Uncle has divine abilities and wields various spiritual flames; when combined, they undergo a great qualitative change... Besides, spiritual flames are so precious..."

Li Ximing shook his head slightly and said:

"You don't need to be modest. Although I have the ability to harmonize various flames, now that I have these three, I dare not add any more! For a Mingyang cultivator, without any extraordinary cultivation achievements or fated divine abilities, to harmonize three flames in a mere century of cultivation is already astonishing. If I continue to accept spiritual flames indiscriminately, wouldn't that clearly indicate a problem?"

Only then did Li Jiangqian nod and express repeated thanks. Li Zhouwei did not intervene. After listening for a while, he handed Li Jiangqian a jade slip and pointed to the Heaven-Nurturing Urn in his hand:

"This Heaven-Nurturing Urn, combined with the 'Collecting Pillars, Concealing Mysteries, Summoning Method,' collected your breakthrough phenomena and contained them within its mystical properties. However, it hasn't had time to dissolve them yet. Since these are precisely the phenomena from your own cultivation, take some time to refine them."

A smile appeared on his face as he continued:

"A Purple Mansion breakthrough is enough to alter a region's spiritual ley lines. All these vast phenomena have been collected within it, though it cost this king an immense amount of magical power. Even if more than half was lost, if you refine it properly, one or two portions of Lihuo spiritual resources are guaranteed."

The golden eyes of the King of Wei flickered slightly. He glanced at Li Jiangqian and said with interest:

"That thing you've been longing for is also inside!"

Although Li Jiangqian had some premonition, he was still somewhat incredulous at that moment. He took the spiritual treasure, connected his spiritual consciousness, and the burning True Wood divine ability from deep within it shone into his eyes!

It was a Purple Mansion demonic creature!

His heart trembled with a mix of shock and delight:

"The Green Scroll... it actually became this way!"

The surprise and excitement in his eyes were genuine. He simply took a deep breath, glanced at his father, then looked at Li Ximing, and without much further talk, said thoughtfully:

"This junior has received great kindness... I will say no more. If I can swiftly achieve divine abilities, it will certainly be of great help to both the North and South... However..."

Li Zhouwei understood his meaning and said:

"There's no rush for this matter. Your breakthrough in just ten years is already astonishing enough; how could you refine divine abilities all at once? Fortunately, achieving divine abilities already allows you to guide the scroll qi. Since you received the Green Scroll, there's no rush to raise your cultivation."

Li Zhouwei had, back then, deliberately left untouched the essence bestowed by the Green Scroll. Li Jiangqian was initially hesitant, but hearing this, his eyes lit up. He was quite satisfied and nodded repeatedly.

Li Ximing then exchanged a glance with Li Zhouwei and said:

"Since you have achieved divine abilities, it's time to teach you some techniques..."

He smiled and said with keen interest:

"However... you should have a Daoist title."

This statement truly made Li Jiangqian fall into silent contemplation. He considered it carefully, his golden eyes flickering, and then smiled:

"Grand-Uncle illuminates the heavens, and Father King is like the rising sun. This junior cultivates Lihuo, serving by their side, wishing only for Mingyang to manifest again and never decline..."

"The character for 'long day' is 'Chang' (昶). So, how about the Daoist title 'Changli' (昶离)!"