Chapter 1169: Leaving the Path of Fire

The spiritual peak of the Chunyi orthodoxy, located at Jiaohai Peak, was originally a rare immortal peak, entirely like jade, splendid and glorious. However, when True Master Yuanshang achieved his breakthrough, he shattered this peak, causing the immortal realm to vanish.

Now, with the passage of time, the half of the shattered peak remaining on the island has become a mound called Jade Terrace. The other half, submerged in the sea, only shows a small white tip on the surface, resembling a tiny reef shrouded in ethereal white mist. All the palaces sank to the seabed, and this submerged part is named Remnant Jade.

Li Jiangqian had just descended, riding the Lihuo. From the Jade Terrace mound, where white mist surged, a person emerged on the wind. He was handsome and elegant, his robe adorned with wave and crescent moon patterns, and a dark silver jade belt was fastened around his waist. Upon seeing the golden eyes, he cautiously spoke:

"Which fellow Daoist might you be?"

Li Jiangqian smiled and said:

"Greetings, senior. I am Chang Li from Tingzhou, and I have come with my elder to seek guidance on the immortal path!"

The young True Master was slightly startled. Indeed, he saw divine light descending as Li Ximing stepped out from the Great Void, causing the young True Master to quickly cup his hands in greeting and say:

"So, it's someone from Tingzhou!"

Li Ximing returned a smile, his eyes brightening.

"When we last parted at Chunyi, to meet again, you present a completely new aura. Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

The Chehong before him had surprisingly achieved two Divine Abilities!

"Please, come inside!"

Chehong was clearly also pleased. He gave a polite smile and led the two inside, while dispatching someone with a low-voiced instruction:

"Go to Dushan Island, and invite Senior Ji'an here. Tell him... his path has arrived!"

The Chunyi disciple immediately departed. The three then descended onto the ethereal Jade Terrace. The pavilions were remarkably clean and refined, lacking any hint of mundane life. Disciples on all sides respectfully greeted them, and the atmosphere seemed excellent.

Li Ximing nodded subtly, understanding that the Chunyi Dao had gradually emerged from the despondency caused by Yuanshang's fall. They sat together on the high platform, and Chehong politely said:

"I have some connection with your esteemed clan. Back when I hadn't achieved my divine ability, I even crossed paths with that one from Leichi... True Master... you must be the eldest son of King Wei!"

Li Jiangqian smiled and said:

"That's right."

Chehong actually didn't know much about the current situation. He had only specifically inquired about the Lihuo from the lake back then. Having just emerged from seclusion now, he recognized Li Jiangqian at a glance. After a few polite exchanges, Li Ximing spoke solemnly:

"We have come this time because King Wei has been afflicted by a calamity, to exchange for some pill formulas and methods to avert disaster and dispel karma!"

He briefly explained the cause and effect in an urgent tone. Listening, Chehong's expression changed several times. He hesitated for a few breaths before saying:

"The Taiyin methods are too precious. They should originally be personally approved by our Chunyi Dao Master. However, your esteemed clan originates from the Ning Li, is close to my ancestor the Xi clan, and shares the same lineage. And this is an urgent matter... so I will not be constrained by formalities!"

He said solemnly:

"The secret method for averting disaster and dispelling karma for others is inherited within our orthodoxy. It is called the 'Mystical Art of Pure Command Over Night,' and usually requires the use of the Taiyin divine abilities, 'Bestowal of Profound Pearls' and 'Formation of Lapis Lazuli Chapters,' to be performed."

As soon as the name of this divine ability was mentioned, although the two Li family members maintained their composure, their hearts inevitably skipped a beat. Chehong did not notice. He first looked at their expressions, then awkwardly said:

"But our Dao Master cultivates three divine abilities, and is precisely missing these two..."

Li Ximing raised an eyebrow and said:

"Since it is for averting disaster and dispelling karma, can the 'Mystical Art of Pure Command Over Night' also be performed using the Er Zhuo (Two Blessings) orthodoxy?"

Chehong nodded:

"Of course it can. There are even some other specific orthodoxies, such as the 'Immortal Without Leaks' of Wutu (Earth), the 'Hidden from Calamity' of Muhuo (Fire), and even Lushu (Water)... Among them, there's a 'Calamity Cleansing Dew' that also addresses the symptoms... None of these are among the divine abilities of our True Masters..."

Hearing this, Li Ximing basically dismissed the idea of using the art. The Hengzhuo sect had sealed its mountain gate, and even if he possessed immense power to bring Chi Buzi here, he couldn't possibly expect the Chunyi Dao to hand over their methods to that notorious green-eyed demon. They would probably start fighting as soon as they met.

Yet, a hint of secret joy arose in his heart. He put on a troubled expression and sighed:

"It seems we can only approach this through pill formulas and medicinal prescriptions!"

His own orthodoxy was known as the Taiyin orthodoxy, yet couldn't use its arts to help others avert disaster and karma. Chehong was clearly a bit embarrassed. He nodded repeatedly and said:

"This is easy to handle. Within our Dao, there is a 'Cold Night Lapis Lazuli Pill Scripture,' which records various Taiyin pill-making methods, astonishingly profound! Among them is a category of calamity-averting pill methods, which will surely satisfy True Master!"

Li Ximing's current alchemy had reached a bottleneck. Hearing the name of this pill scripture, his heart itched, wishing he could borrow and read the entire book. But he knew it was a fundamental method of their sect, so it was difficult to ask. He then said:

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist!"

Chehong immediately dispatched someone to retrieve the scripture. Before he could say more, they saw a blazing red streak of Lihuo light descend. It pulsed and flickered, landing directly on the Jade Terrace. The light quickly receded, revealing an old man.

The old man appeared quite ancient. He wore a red robe, wasn't tall, and had a round face, making him seem sturdy and substantial. His expression showed both joy and eagerness as he bowed to each of the three.

"Greetings, three fellow Daoists!"

After speaking, he straightened up, looked at Chehong, and smiled:

"Brother Xichang! My thanks, my thanks!"

Chehong nodded, looking puzzled. Li Jiangqian, however, narrowed his eyes:

'He's also a Lihuo cultivator at the Purple Mansion mid-stage, yet he calls this junior 'brother'!'

So he parted his lips and smiled, saying:

"Greetings, senior!"

"I dare not accept..."

The old True Master shook his head and quickly said:

"Your esteemed clan is of imperial descent, with noble status; please do not flatter me. My surname is Wu, and my Daoist name is Ji'an. I am merely a minor cultivator outside the Three Profundities. My lineage is not among the main ones, and my bloodline is not noble... I absolutely dare not accept such praise!"

Li Ximing had seen many rogue cultivators, but it was his first time seeing such a straightforward rogue True Master. So he acknowledged it, and asked with doubt:

"Old True Master, what is this about...?"

Ji'an sighed and said:

"I was originally a cultivator from the North Sea. Due to changes in the spiritual aura of heaven and earth, I resettled in the East Sea. I had long heard of your esteemed clan's Grand Lihuo Dao and wished to exchange for it... but I dared not involve myself in matters of the Three Profound, so I entrusted it to Chunyi..."

"Later, a Grotto-Heaven appeared in the North Sea, named Mianjuetian. Several friends invited me to venture in with them. I considered that I didn't have many valuable items to exchange with your esteemed clan, so I joined them. Although I gained many benefits, I also sustained injuries. I found a place to hide and recuperate... missing many important events..."

Li Ximing had already understood the situation upon seeing his appearance. So he smiled and said:

"The Grand Lishuo?"

"Exactly!"

Ji'an smiled politely, his eyes filled with hope, and said:

"The true nature of Lihuo, with two lives and two arts in one body, I have already achieved the Nine-fold Harvest, Burning to Ashes, and Smooth Conquest. All of these were obtained through near-death experiences. I only lack one trial to reach Purple Assimilation... I've been longing for the Grand Lishuo!"

Before the two Li family members could respond, Ji'an had already taken something out from his sleeve — it was a reddish-gold Daoist hairpin, about a finger long and as thick as a chopstick. Its tail was sharp, carrying a strong red malevolent aura.

He first placed it in his palm, letting the two observe it. Then, he held it between two fingers and lightly flicked it, and it astonishingly transformed on the spot into a long spear with Daoist patterns!

The spear was twelve feet long, with a nine-inch spearhead shaped with four square edges. Dark red Daoist patterns covered it, and surging Lihuo malevolent light pulsed within it, like molten magma, with shifting light and shadow.

Ji'an glanced over, caught sight of the astonished look in Li Ximing's eyes, and smiled:

"This is the Scarlet Gold Hundred Revolutions Spear!"

Li Jiangqian quietly turned his head. A slight smile appeared on his face as he said:

"Old True Master, you truly came prepared."

Seeing no sign of excitement from him, Ji'an grew anxious and spoke slowly:

"This item comes directly from Mianjuetian. It is an artifact of the ancient Douxuan orthodoxy — Fellow Daoist should know that the Southern Fire Heavenly Mansion is also a Douxuan artifact, which sufficiently proves Douxuan's mastery of Lihuo... This item has a long heritage and is certainly not ordinary!"

Li Ximing said:

"Fellow Daoist, do you mean — this is a spiritual treasure?"

Ji'an paused, realizing that the two before him had seen valuable items. He said awkwardly:

"That's not quite it. Mianjuetian closed even later than Wanlingtian... Although its quality is extremely high, it cannot be considered a creation from before the Celestial Change. It certainly cannot be compared to the spiritual treasures of the Three Profound direct lineages, much less items like the Pure Ya Brilliant Branch that suppress an orthodoxy..."

Li Ximing observed it for a moment and made a rough assessment:

'Its quality is similar to the Demon-Slaying Abdominal Mace, but being perfectly aligned with the Lihuo orthodoxy, it can fully unleash its marvelous power. It is at least on the level of the Huayang King's Axe, below the Huaijiang Map.'

The power of most spiritual artifacts is strongly related to whether they align with one's orthodoxy. Li Ximing's now unused Mountain-Driving Sea-Crossing Tiger could barely be considered a mid-grade spiritual artifact, but unfortunately, it didn't align with his orthodoxy. Even powerful items like the Demon-Slaying Abdominal Mace, without cultivating Profound Thunder, were only barely usable.

'It's time to find an opportunity to exchange it.'

While he was thinking about this, Li Jiangqian glanced at the spiritual artifact before them, and deliberately held back his thoughts, saying:

"I've heard of a Grotto-Heaven that fell in the North Sea; so it was Mianjuetian. What kind of orthodoxy was it, and why did it fall?"

Ji'an took a slight breath and deliberated before saying:

"I don't quite understand the intricacies of this matter. I only heard about something called Tiansu, or the Wanling orthodoxy. In short, it involves using these Douxuan legacies to open another Grotto-Heaven... But this time it was different; there were still many cultivators in this Grotto-Heaven. Some were chosen by prodigies and left, others found places to settle. As for the orthodoxy — it's called the Xuansi orthodoxy."

He quickly raised his head and changed the subject, saying sincerely:

"I wish to exchange this item for the Grand Lishuo cultivation method and spiritual energy. I hope your esteemed clan will complete my orthodoxy!"

Li Jiangqian shook his head and smiled:

"Senior, perhaps you do not know, this cultivation method of mine is ancient and not ordinary. It is sufficient to be a treasure that suppresses an Immortal Sect. Once cultivated, with a surge of heart fire, it can rival the Purple Mansion, something ordinary cultivation methods cannot compare to!"

'No wonder I found his aura extraordinary!'

Li Jiangqian did not directly state that his cultivation method was of the sixth grade, but rather hinted at it. Ji'an's expression changed dramatically. His internal judgment was confirmed. He looked up, not startled but pleased, and said:

"That's even better!"

He was very decisive, reluctantly parting with it, and said with some pain in his heart:

"Since Your Highness has mentioned Lihuo, I still have a fire nurtured within my mountain gate, which I shall retrieve for Your Highness!"

Hearing this, Li Ximing's heart already stirred. Li Jiangqian, however, had an unreadable expression and sighed:

"I understand the elder's intention. But my clan is located between the North and South, and this is a fundamental method of my clan. If it were casually shown to others, I fear it might one day impede me!"

'He was very clear about it in his heart.'

For Ji'an, going to Mianjuetian, to put it nicely, was to seek spiritual items for exchange. But in reality, he most likely received this surprising news and went to look for the orthodoxy. Failing to obtain it, he then sought the next best thing. That's why he didn't make a fuss to the Li family before this — if he could find it in the Grotto-Heaven, why would he need the Li family?

But this also implied one thing: the Grand Lishuo orthodoxy was so rare that it wasn't even found in a Grotto-Heaven!

'After all, it's also called 'Narrative of Gazing at the Sun,' touching upon a hint of the sun!'

Logically, the value Ji'an offered was certainly not low. But this matter was fundamentally not a fair trade. As long as the Li clan was willing to press their advantage, this cultivation method directly corresponded to his future path, making it a rare commodity. He could be dispatched to do anything, and its value was completely immeasurable!

Ji'an also understood this point. Li Jiangqian merely paused, and the old man's face immediately showed a few more hints of a smile, saying:

"The Chunyi Dao can guarantee for me, I will absolutely not harm Your Highness! I will absolutely not spread it or pass it on to future generations!"

"And... and... I heard that True Master Zhaojing possesses the Liguang Art, which is extremely powerful. And King Wei has the Sense-Attunement Art, which is also of Lihuo's true nature. My orthodoxy is incomplete, and I also have a strong desire to exchange for these... If you could also include the various major and minor arts and inheritances, I would certainly not be stingy."

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Jiangqian raised an eyebrow, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

'Good reaction, at least it's more respectable.'

Was Ji'an truly asking for arts? He was already very old and aiming to cultivate his fourth divine ability in Purple Assimilation. The arts he should have cultivated were long complete, and for those he hadn't, it was already too late. Moreover, he said he wouldn't pass them on to descendants, so what use would they be if exchanged? — It was merely a signal to include more items, useful or not, to give it a proper name, so the Li family wouldn't appear greedy, nor would he appear incompetent, preserving dignity for both sides.

Although the old True Master's demeanor was humble, he had journeyed as a rogue cultivator until now and cultivated the true nature of Lihuo. His abilities and divine powers were actually very high. The Li family could not easily offend him. Li Jiangqian feigned hesitation, sighing and shaking his head, while Li Ximing, understanding, gritted his teeth and said:

"In that case... as long as fellow Daoist can produce items of equivalent value, I will make the decision and give them to you!"

Ji'an's eyes lit up, feeling no loss whatsoever, and praised:

"As expected of imperial descent... such a complete Daoist favor, I shall never forget!"

He hastily took out a box from his sleeve and carefully opened it. Inside the splendid, glittering jade box lay a fingernail-sized, red, apricot-like fruit, resembling a pulsating flame. It was delicate and enticing, surrounded by rings of colorful halos.

As soon as this item appeared, a profound shift occurred in Li Jiangqian's inner emotions. The talismans within his body surprisingly reacted. A subtle yet profound hunger welled up in his heart, lingering in his mind. The flame of life-sense in his heart-palace continuously pulsed, as if about to surge forth at any moment!

'What a wondrous item!'

This hunger from his life-force caused the expression in his eyes to fluctuate. Ji'an, meanwhile, showed deep heartache and said:

"This item is called the Lisi Apricot Fruit. I suffered severe injuries in the Grotto-Heaven precisely to obtain it!"

"Within that Grotto-Heaven, a Xuansi Treasure Apricot was planted. It was like establishing a Lihuo origin, its burning power changing the very color of the Grotto-Heaven. The apricot fruits on the tree... the large ones were those that had remained since ancient times, while the small ones were newly grown later. There were a total of three large, eighteen medium, and thirty-six small ones... The largest one was the size of a fist!"

Li Jiangqian's eyes fixed on him, and he asked:

"Who took it away?"

Ji'an said helplessly:

"Someone from Jieyudi came. The Xuansi Treasure Apricot was personally taken away by a great figure. But before leaving, to show fairness, a prince who was part of the Tongxinqin faction shook the treasure apricot three times. Nine two-finger-wide ones and twenty-two finger-sized ones fell, leading to a fierce battle that darkened the sky and dyed the ground with blood!"

"My ability was limited, but I was close and seized the opportunity, taking three small ones. However, I had to hand over one during the pursuit, escaping the Grotto-Heaven with two. Fearing interception upon returning to the East Sea, I found a place to enter seclusion."

He let out a long, faint sigh:

"My breakthrough to Purple Assimilation relies on this one spiritual apricot! Now that I've taken one out, firstly, it's to compensate for the completeness of the orthodoxy, and secondly..."

As he spoke, he surprisingly rose from his seat and bowed, startling Li Ximing, who repeatedly avoided him. The old man said sincerely and humbly:

"Lihuo is neither pills nor artifacts; please, True Master Zhaojing, help me refine this into a pill!"