Chapter 283: Golden Palace Huangyuan Technique

Lu Jiangxian merely heard of "Mahakaruna Sukha Lotus World Form," a Buddhist dharma body, indicating at least a Golden Core level immortal cultivator. He was secretly astonished, yet he knew nothing of the relationships between these World Honored Ones and Dao Embryos. Wanting to lure Mahakaruna into revealing more information, he simply scoffed with a dismissive sneer.

"Hmph!" Jialian Mahakaruna was greatly alarmed. He thought to himself, "That's right... this is an immortal. Even a World Honored One comparable to a Dao Embryo would be merely a junior in front of him... This is troublesome now..."

He immediately kowtowed repeatedly, begging loudly for mercy. Lu Jiangxian glanced at him and sneered, "This Venerable One has long been out of seclusion... What kind of dreg dares to spy?!"

Lu Jiangxian had originally intended to boast about being out of seclusion for thousands or tens of thousands of years, but then thought better of it, realizing that too much talk leads to mistakes. So he only vaguely said "long out of seclusion." Jialian Mahakaruna, head bowed, observed the array patterns on the ground. He found them ancient and weathered, murmuring, "I've never seen anything like it... it's at least a thousand years old... No wonder! No wonder!"

He then cursed inwardly, "What kind of deadly seclusion was this old monster in that he missed all the earth-shattering events? No wonder he's still here... And it's my bad luck that I had to encounter such an old monster..."

Jialian Mahakaruna offered a fawning smile, slapped himself twice on the face, and bowed as he replied, "Please, Great Immortal, do not be offended... Please, Great Immortal, do not be offended... Since the great change six hundred years ago, even World Honored Ones and Dao Embryos are rarely seen in this world. This humble monk did not intend to offend... Please, Great Immortal, forgive me!"

Lu Jiangxian, seated at the head of the hall, slowly furrowed his brow. He had only heard that five or six hundred years ago was the time of the War between Immortals and Demons. His heart stirred, and he thought, "There's definitely something wrong. Judging by the temperaments of these Violet Palace Golden Core and Mahakaruna Dharma Body cultivators, there must be something behind this War between Immortals and Demons..."

He merely shook his head, asking doubtfully, "A change? This Venerable One has been out of seclusion for a long time, but even I vaguely sensed something amiss this time..."

Jialian Mahakaruna nodded repeatedly and replied, "The Heavenly Dao went wrong. The Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations all dispersed, as I'm sure you, Great Immortal, must have sensed. Since then, we have been unrestrained, free from calamities and difficulties. We, who were imprisoned by this world for millions of years, have finally all attained great freedom and great enlightenment..."

"Great freedom... great enlightenment..." These words exploded like thunder in Lu Jiangxian's mind, stirring up a tempest. Many thoughts flashed through his head, but he kept his expression unchanged, nodding slightly, his face blurring for a moment.

"The time limit is almost up..." Lu Jiangxian felt a slight urgency. There was no time to ask for details about these matters. He simply seized the opportunity to find a solution, asking in a low voice, "Which other types of Golden Elements remain uncultivated in Jiangnan?"

Jialian Mahakaruna was momentarily stunned, completely bewildered as to why a dignified immortal would ask such a question. Yet, he still pondered and replied, "Xu State has no major cultivation lineages... In Yue State, there are the Three Sects and Seven Gates, and in Wu State, the Four Sects and Nine Clans. The Solar and Lunar cultivation methods are already lost. What's left are some thunder spells and one or two types of Water Element Golden Nature..."

Lu Jiangxian had no time to wait for him to prattle on. He merely wanted to prompt him to recall these things. The wisp of Jialian Mahakaruna's spiritual essence within the mirror was entirely at Lu Jiangxian's disposal. He immediately condensed moonlight in his hand and, while Jialian Mahakaruna was still thinking, stirred it vigorously within his mind, extracting as much information as he could.

Lu Jiangxian was not skilled in soul-grabbing techniques, and for a moment, Jialian Mahakaruna's eyes bulged, his limbs trembled, and he cried out, "Great Immortal, spare my life! Great Immortal, spare my life!"

Lu Jiangxian's spell was not meant to last long, and Jialian Mahakaruna could not endure such torment. The captured wisp of spiritual essence exploded with a pop, leaving nothing behind.

Lu Jiangxian waved his hand, dispelling the illusion. He looked at the ball of golden light in his hand, and with a thought from his divine sense, understood the divine abilities of most Violet Palace cultivators in Jiangnan. He mused, "So that's how it is... The Azure Pond Sect and Golden Feather Sect are backed by early-stage Golden Core cultivators, their cultivation methods being 'Verdant Water Noon Prime Talisman Elixir' and 'Golden One Grand Prime Supreme Azure Elixir,' respectively... The Cultivating Yue Sect, however, has mid-stage Golden Core cultivators..."

Only then did Lu Jiangxian understand why these three sects were considered 'the Three Sects': it was because all three were Golden Core lineages. Although these Golden Core Dharma Body cultivators did not concern themselves with worldly lineages, their presence ensured that sects like the Azure Pond Sect and Lotus Temple remained formidable.

"Difficult... so difficult..." Lu Jiangxian couldn't help but marvel. To have grown up amidst a colossal power like the Azure Pond Sect, to have laid dormant for a century before breaking through to the Violet Palace, then to become independent and yet make peace with the Azure Pond Sect—Xiao Chuting, though silent and without a grand reputation, possessed first-rate character and talent.

While marveling at Xiao Chuting's masterful methods, Lu Jiangxian was also deeply concerned about the dire situation in Jiangnan. He murmured, "I thought it would be enough to let the Li family develop on its own, but in Jiangnan, as soon as a Violet Palace cultivator appears, five pathways to related immortal foundations are immediately blocked. A Violet Palace cultivator lives for a full five hundred years... If I can't find a path for the Li family in time, who knows how much time will be wasted."

Lu Jiangxian sorted through the memories for a while, finding mostly Buddhist cultivation methods, which were quite unorthodox and eerie, and which Lu Jiangxian naturally refused to use. Flipping to the very end, he finally found a cultivation technique.

"'Golden Hall Resplendent Prime Art,' a fourth-grade cultivation method. The immortal foundation it forms is called 'Huangyuan Gate'."

"This cultivation method is a fourth-grade technique. Although the required spiritual energy of heaven and earth is somewhat difficult to gather, it comes with a complementary energy-gathering method. The immortal foundation it forms was also forged by a former Northern Immortal Sect, and it has no existing lineage in Jiangnan, making it perfectly suitable! There's just one thing..."

Lu Jiangxian sighed softly, a little helpless, and thought, "This cultivation method only goes up to the Foundation Establishment level. It doesn't have sections for the Violet Palace. Once one cultivates to the peak of Foundation Establishment, it abruptly stops, with no further path for advancement."

With a light shake of his sleeve, a shimmering golden booklet condensed in his hand. Lu Jiangxian took up a brush and transcribed the "Golden Hall Resplendent Prime Art." He flipped through it a few times, then looked at the booklet in his hand, placing it alongside the book of sorcery. He muttered, "When the Xiyue generation grants it, no matter what, it's better than those third-grade cultivation methods or methods that already have Violet Palace cultivators. Li Tongya has already been targeted by a certain Violet Palace cultivator, so cultivating the 'River and Qi Art' is no longer advisable."

Lu Jiangxian knew perfectly well that once a Li family cultivator who had received his 'seed' achieved an immortal foundation and died, no matter how far away they were, their entire cultivation would be instantly absorbed by Lu Jiangxian. This had been verified by Li Chijin years ago and had directly led to Chi Wei's failed breakthrough...

"This means that whoever targets Li Tongya will sooner or later fail, unable to condense divine abilities for that Violet Palace cultivator, and will have to find another 'vast sea' to feed on. If Li family disciples continuously cultivate this method, they will merely die young, one after another. After at most three or five such deaths, a Violet Palace cultivator will surely grow suspicious, which would be troublesome."

Lu Jiangxian had been motionless for a long time. Having completed so many tasks in one go and arranged the path forward, he suddenly felt exhausted. He was originally a rather good-for-nothing and lazy person. He placed the "Golden Hall Resplendent Prime Art" in front of him to prevent forgetting it, then sank back into slumber.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the disciple had been waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Seeing cold sweat continuously pouring from Jialian Mahakaruna's face and his body trembling intermittently, clearly possessed, the disciple immediately pulled a long face, lamenting inwardly, "It's over, it's over... That immortal cultivator is probably more than just Golden Core. Now even Master will lose his life..."

He had been adopted by Jialian Mahakaruna since childhood. Although Mahakaruna was short-tempered and often resorted to fists and feet, he had taught him many things and personally enlightened him. This kindness was all remembered in his heart. For a moment, he was filled with both grief and indignation, as well as self-reproach, crying out to the heavens. Yet, unexpectedly, Jialian Mahakaruna, seated at the head, opened his eyes with a blank expression, frowning as if emerging from another world, and said, "Kid, I told you to escort Lord Murong, why are you back?!"

Ji Yueren