Chapter 1176: Dismissing Yin Magic

Li Ximing listened, pondered for a moment, and said, "The Wuguang in your body was just removed. If you go out rashly, the sense of tribulation might arise again."

Li Zhouwei shook his head. "That won't be a problem. I won't move around outside or make a move. I just have a premonition I want to verify. Please wait a moment, Uncle-Grandfather."

Li Ximing felt relieved. He retracted his divine ability, returned behind the gauze curtain, and transformed into a white light amidst the rapidly receding brilliance of the Sun-Moon Radiance Realm. Li Zhouwei turned back, and the dark main hall had already appeared before him.

At that instant, he clearly sensed a thick Wuguang surge through his limbs, ascending at an increasing speed, ready to rush through his injuries.

'Crimson Breaking Bolt!'

The circle of the setting sun immediately appeared behind him, strands of desert sand-like darkness enveloped him, and with the sudden illumination of the Chongyang Regulating Star between his brows, the Wuguang visibly slowed down.

Li Zhouwei deliberately sensed it, making an assessment: 'With the cooperation of the Crimson Breaking Bolt, the Chongyang Regulating Star Disk, and the Huaijiang Map, as long as I don't engage in combat, the increase of Wuguang is still within an acceptable range. For every three hours outside, I'll only need fifteen minutes of recovery back in the Sun-Moon Radiance Realm.'

Since the Xuanhong Art was used to remove the Wuguang, every bit of expenditure consumed a portion of pure qi. Li Zhouwei wasted no time. With his next step, he had already crossed multiple layers of the Great Void, arriving at a simple cave dwelling.

The young man was engrossed in thought. Hearing the movement, he keenly raised his head, but was startled to his feet by the sight before him, his pupils widening.

One couldn't blame him; the Wei King's appearance was truly terrifying.

The dense colorful light had long faded, and the numerous cracks had turned black, making him appear even more horrifying. His pair of golden eyes had become shattered black, standing in the main hall like a ghost or deity.

Li Suining, having lived through two lives, had never seen Li Zhouwei in such a state. For a moment, he was thoroughly frightened. He hastily left his seat and bowed, saying, "This junior has disturbed Your Highness's seclusion. My sin is immense."

Li Zhouwei waved his hand and smiled. "Slaying Qi Lanyan has likely disrupted many families' plans."

Li Suining could only offer congratulations. "With this, at least one person who specifically targeted Mingyang is gone, especially during these rare peaceful times. We can all breathe a sigh of relief... and no longer have to worry about northern targeting."

Li Zhouwei paced forward and asked, "Are there still wars in Jianghuai?"

Li Suining pondered for a moment. "If there are no major changes in the future, there should still be another tribulation!"

Li Zhouwei fell into thought. Li Suining, however, didn't focus on the bigger picture, but instead said, "It's just that the wounds on your person are difficult to treat. I wonder... if there are any arrangements?"

The Wei King took the main seat and nodded. "I am indeed considering this."

He spoke concisely, mentioning the prior information, along with Pure Unity Dao's suggestion and Li Ximing's recent thoughts, allowing the young man to sort them out. Then he said gravely, "Ultimately, it's a matter of spiritual items and resources. The cost is enormous, and True Person Zhaojing has no certainty. If we falter a few times at this critical juncture, whether it's the grand formation or the grotto-heaven, who knows when they'll ever be completed."

Evidently, though the Wei King didn't mention it explicitly, the matters of the formation and grotto-heaven were clearly on his mind. The Li family wasn't unable to afford these pills now, but they had little room for error.

He paused, then calmly stated, "I have a way to suppress the Wuguang, which won't affect healing or cultivation. In my opinion, it's better to postpone for a while; my tribulation can be pushed back... The reason for this hesitation now is that I'm waiting for the rewards from the Song Imperial Court."

Li Zhouwei's considerations were extremely thorough, but Li Suining found himself in a difficult position: 'Qi Lanyan's death is like pulling out a thorn from the flesh, but this way, not only are the original arrangements disrupted, but the Song Imperial Court's rewards should also be different!'

If it were a matter of secret techniques or Daoist scriptures, Li Suining could still discuss it, but he couldn't conjure spiritual items and resources out of thin air. He was momentarily at a loss for words, seeing no good solution. For an instant, he wrestled with his inner thoughts: 'Might as well give out the Han family's secret method; it might just help.'

Li Suining paused only briefly, then cupped his hands and said, "This junior has another method to offer Your Highness!"

"Oh?"

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes, intrigued. Li Suining opened his mouth and said, "This art is called the 'Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method!'"

Li Zhouwei's expression subtly froze. 'Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method? A Pure Unity Dao Yin Method!'

This was not unfamiliar. When Li Ximing previously visited Pure Unity Dao, he had heard a True Person from there mention this method. It was a secret of the Yin Dao, not to be passed down!

An ancient method on par with the Intercalary Yang Method!

His heart trembled slightly. Upon careful consideration, this was not unexpected. The Wei King had some inexplicable thoughts and replied, "A Yin transformation art?"

When these words reached Li Suining's ears, he, too, was stunned. He mulled over the words and found them somewhat reasonable. Li Zhouwei then said, "You don't need to overthink it; just tell me what you know."

After all, this was the Wei King, feared by True Persons from both north and south. No matter how close Li Suining felt, it was hard to relax. After pondering for a moment, he finally said, "The Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method was anciently called the 'Seeking Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method.' It originated during the time of the Three Profound Teachings. There were eight similar paths, collectively known as the 'Eight Seekings.'"

"Two of these paths were lost very early on. The remaining six were annotated in detail, revised multiple times, and compiled into a volume by the disciples of True Monarch Yuanxia. The 'Seeking' was changed to 'Elucidating,' and ancient cultivators collectively referred to them as the 'Six Elucidations'..."

This was an ancient secret. In his previous life, the Han family, from whom Li Zhouwei borrowed secret methods, were descendants of True Monarch Yuanxia, which was why he was quite knowledgeable about these matters. Li Suining continued, "Among the Six Elucidations, they are divided into Elucidating Transformation, Elucidating Profundity, and Elucidating Elimination. Each of these has its Yin and Yang aspects, making three Yin and three Yang, corresponding to each other..."

'So it's such an ancient method... No wonder! No wonder!'

Li Zhouwei's eyes gleamed with curiosity. He smiled and asked, "What is the true name of our family's Intercalary Yang Method?"

Li Suining gave a wry smile and replied, "It is the 'Elucidating Transformation, Rushing Origin Intercalary Method'... and its counterpart is the 'Elucidating Transformation, Hesitant Origin Intercalary Method.'"

The Li clan had possessed this immortal art for over a hundred years, and only now did they know its true name. Li Zhouwei couldn't help but nod, saying sternly, "The names are very distinct. The Intercalary Yang Method involves transformation between fires, hence 'intercalary.' The Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method transforms top-tier Yin into subordinate Yin, hence 'degradation.' Pure Unity Dao calls it the Path of Transformation, which sounds pleasant, but in the eyes of ancient cultivators, such a wasteful act was unsuitable. This 'degradation'... refers to discarding or demoting... It could accordingly be called the 'Degrading Yin Method.'"

"Within this lies the Dao of evolution, the merit of transformation. This clearly indicates mastery, perfectly aligning with the Great Dao!"

Having understood their origins and functions, Li Zhouwei's cultivation allowed him to instantly grasp the positions of these two methods. Li Suining sighed with emotion, then took out a jade slip from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "Please take a look, Your Excellency!"

Li Zhouwei took it. Turning, he memorized the vast sea of incantations one by one. With a flick of his finger, the simple white jade slip shattered into dust.

He now bore a look of profound understanding. He hastily strode out of the cave dwelling, already stepping into the Great Void, then turned back and asked with a smile, "When will our family's Quan Dan return?"

Li Suining couldn't help but smile, replying solemnly, "Though the Nine Hills are remote, our divine power is not far. Traversing the Great Void, it will only take about a month."

"Good."

Li Zhouwei chuckled heartily twice. His figure had already stepped into the dark main hall. Taking another step forward, the darkness receded, and the light of the sun and moon simultaneously shone, filling all directions.

As soon as he entered the Sun-Moon Radiance Realm, the Wuguang within him immediately lost its support and subsided within seconds. Facing Li Ximing, who had risen to greet him, Li Zhouwei took a pale purple jade slip from his sleeve and said with a smile, "Uncle-Grandfather, please have a look!"

Li Ximing reached out to take it. He closed his eyes to read, and when he reopened them, he was profoundly shocked, as if in a dream, and said blankly, "Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method?"

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief: 'He went out once and brought back Pure Unity Dao's highest scripture?!'

This made Li Ximing read it twice in shock, sensing the profoundly mysterious words of the Great Dao within. After listening to Li Zhouwei's brief introduction, Li Ximing, while committing it to memory, immediately began to ponder. He said, "I've skimmed through it. Degradation isn't simple, but compared to the Intercalary Yang Method, the benefit is that in most cases, it doesn't require other spiritual resources as auxiliaries!"

"Because of this, it can only convert relatively good spiritual resources, items, and qi into relatively inferior ones. It's impossible to convert them into the same grade!"

"Wait... spiritual qi?!"

But upon closer thought, a chill of both surprise and delight rushed through his mind. He said, "With this Degrading Yin Method, we can transform the almost infinite Yin Lunar Essence... into various forms of Yin spiritual qi!"

"Precisely."

Li Zhouwei nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. Li Ximing, still delighted, also reacted, unable to help but wonder, "Too bad... it's still just short... it's not a spiritual item."

Li Zhouwei also understood his meaning.

Yin Lunar Essence was supremely precious in the outside world, but its status within the Li family was somewhat unique. As an ultimate form of Yin spiritual qi, it had its uses, yet those uses were limited.

The reason for all this came down to spiritual qi itself.

In the current age, spiritual qi was highly intertwined with qi-gathering methods; even a single rise or fall could determine the prosperity or decline of a Daoist lineage. Yet, spiritual qi itself occupied a very special position.

'High-grade spiritual qi's standing is comparable to spiritual items, sometimes even considered spiritual items. Low-grade spiritual qi is worthless, yet it can emerge from spiritual energy out of thin air. Lower-level cultivators gather qi for years, yet cannot distinguish it... Even when they attain divine abilities, they can only judge the worth of spiritual qi, but still have little understanding of spiritual qi itself.'

But at Li Zhouwei's level of cultivation, observing this matter was like seeing fire through a cave.

"All extraordinary things in the mundane world cannot escape the concept of 'nature and destiny.' 'Nature' lies in essence, 'destiny' in status. Therefore, they are called spiritual items. Upon closer division, what cultivators refer to as spiritual qi, spiritual resources, and spiritual items all possess 'nature and destiny.'"

"Spiritual items and spiritual resources largely have complete 'nature and destiny,' varying only in quantity. Hence, they can be directly used in alchemy and artifact refining. As for qi-gathering, whether it's observing pines and stepping on snow, or desert blood-sand, what is actually gathered is 'status' and various 'imageries.' Spiritual qi itself... should carry status and imagery."

Li Ximing had studied the 'Heart and Mind Unity Alchemy Method' and was not unfamiliar with the concept of 'nature and destiny.' Hearing Li Zhouwei's words, and comparing them to the Yin Lunar Essence in his memory, he frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Li Zhouwei continued:

"However, lower-level cultivators cannot simply gather 'status' in emptiness. For all these years, our family has only seen one substance that merely contains status without being a spiritual item: the Yin qi within this Sun-Moon Radiance Realm!"

"Even after ten years of qi-gathering, even if one only gathered spiritual qi, something would still be cultivated. Therefore, the spiritual qi gathered by these cultivators year after year actually contains a part of 'Dharma nature,' meaning the part that can be consumed for cultivation serves as the carrier of 'status'... And certain spiritual qi, due to different qi-gathering techniques, has a more abundant 'Dharma nature' and can even be used through special means to nourish oneself and refine pills!"

"In my junior years, the Golden Yang Brilliant Essence was extremely difficult to gather. Once gathered, it settled in a box like a liquid; it was a type of spiritual qi with exceptionally high 'Dharma nature'."

"This is why some spiritual qi is called Yin Intercalary Yi Qi, some is called Blazing Bright Li Essence, and some is called Golden Yang Brilliant Essence. Essence, Primal, Qi... these were already secret classifications by ancient cultivators!"

Li Zhouwei had explained it to this extent. How could Li Ximing not understand? He suddenly enlightened:

"Yin Intercalary Yi Qi..."

The sovereign medicine required for the Green-Tier Flawless Pill, which he obtained from Pure Unity Dao, was precisely a type of spiritual qi!

Li Ximing's profound alchemy cultivation finally resolved his last trace of doubt: "The reason Yin Intercalary Yi Qi can serve as the sovereign medicine is that its 'nature' is more abundant, to the extent that it can replace spiritual resources. And on the other hand, the reason I found the Green-Tier Flawless Pill simple is that this elixir formula inherently intended for Yin Intercalary Yi Qi to provide 'status,' with numerous spiritual items providing 'spiritual vitality'!"

Li Zhouwei's gaze was sharp, and he continued without hesitation, "And we have Yin Lunar Essence in our possession."

Excitement gleamed in Li Ximing's eyes, and the Wei King's voice trembled slightly. "Yin Lunar Essence is already the most supreme Yin spiritual qi in the mortal realm, meaning all Yin spiritual qi is effectively in our hands—so... does this mean we possess a massive amount of Yin Intercalary Yi Qi that, in terms of 'nature and destiny,' approaches spiritual resources?"

"Or rather,"

Li Zhouwei narrowed his eyes, "there's a type of spiritual qi with even more spiritual vitality than Yin Intercalary Yi Qi, to the extent that it can be equivalent to spiritual resources... waiting for us to discover it."

"Massive amounts of Yin spiritual resources?!"

Li Ximing took a deep breath. Li Zhouwei chuckled, "Since this type of spiritual qi is already equivalent to spiritual resources in terms of 'nature and destiny,' why can't we directly treat it as spiritual resources and then use the Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method to transform it into—other spiritual resources?"

"I know this is an extremely difficult task... but Que Wan is about to make a breakthrough. Without this Elucidating Profundity, Bestowing Luminance and Degradation Method, she would be helpless against Yin. But now that we have the method, Quan Dan is most adept at such transformations of material properties!"

This bold idea made Li Ximing silently take a breath. Li Zhouwei, however, did not stop, his voice gradually lowering:

"Even if we can't find spiritual qi that rivals spiritual resources in 'nature and destiny'... or if such spiritual qi simply doesn't exist, Uncle-Grandfather, do you remember? We have five portions of 'Final Termination and Submerged Primal,' whose 'nature and destiny' are comparable to top-tier Yin spiritual items, far surpassing the preciousness of Yin Lunar Essence qi..."