Chapter 427: Seeing the Sun Ring

"Fine… fine…" Guo Hongyao's lips trembled with rage. Li Qinghong, holding her spear, which glowed with purple light, glanced around and casually responded, "Yes, it is very good."

Guo Hongyao kept repeating that single phrase. Li Qinghong had no patience for her. She immediately struck with her spear, conjuring numerous pale purple spear shadows that surged forward aggressively. Guo Hongyao merely used her jade token to block, yelling, "You've ruined my plans! Just you wait! I'll definitely kill you, you despicable servant!"

Li Qinghong suddenly found herself missing Kong Tingyun's golden mountain. She mused about when she could forge a similar spiritual artifact for herself, then glanced at Guo Hongyao.

Li Xijun and the others had already dispersed, leaving the Hooked Serpent glowering menacingly. This demonic serpent had been repeatedly subdued, failing to even take down a single Qi Refinement cultivator, losing all face. Furthermore, it had been scorned by Guo Hongyao, and its heart was already seething with hatred.

Guo Hongyao had just been caught off guard by Li Qinghong's Mystic Thunder. Her internal organs were all injured, but her spell techniques were profound, and she circulated her energy to resist. Seeing the Hooked Serpent flying ominously towards her, she began to feel fear.

Guo Hongyao freed a hand to form a spell incantation, but then Li Qinghong let out a soft cry. A series of purple lights erupted before Guo Hongyao, causing her jade token to tremble and her arm to go numb, interrupting her spell.

Guo Hongyao's heart faltered. She had never expected such a powerful figure from a mere minor aristocratic family. Forcing herself to calm down, she shouted, "This matter… it's your family's fault, you ruined my plan! How dare you blame me!"

Li Qinghong fought with increasing vigor. Her jade armor emitted waves of purple light. She softly said, "You, a person from the East Sea, are now talking about right and wrong? How amusing…"

Guo Hongyao, utterly exasperated, had no choice but to conjure a talisman to block Li Qinghong's attacks. This bought her enough time to free her hand, make a summoning gesture, recite a series of incantations, and cast a spell.

The Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token, which had previously slipped from Xu Xiao's corpse and fallen into the lake, finally flew up and drifted lightly into her hand.

The Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token landed in her hand, but Guo Hongyao felt little joy. It was as if she held a hot potato; she only dared to pinch it with two fingers, then activated the spell to summon fire.

"By decree!" The gray-red flame burst forth, only palm-sized. It was a far cry from the vast expanse Xu Xiao had summoned with a mere flick of his sleeve. Yet, it made Li Qinghong raise an eyebrow. The gray-red flame, like a gust of ash-wind from a furnace, completely swept away a swath of purple lightning in just a few moments.

Li Wushao's expression suddenly turned grim. His demonic energy, continuously pouring out, became like fuel for the flame, causing it to grow larger and larger, and his entire body ached faintly.

"What kind of spirit fire specifically counters demonic creatures…" Guo Hongyao, however, used this technique to stabilize herself, causing the air to warp around her from the flames. Her complexion, however, grew increasingly poor. The gray flame flowed back, re-condensing into the token, and her internal organs throbbed with pain; the injuries from the earlier Mystic Thunder blast became increasingly apparent.

She had no choice but to reveal her Dao foundation first. Flames enveloped her entire body, hanging from Guo Hongyao's robes like streamers. Guo Hongyao clasped her hands together and formed a sign, causing a red light to emanate from behind her head.

As soon as the red light appeared, it illuminated the surroundings, dazzling the two Li family members and making them unable to open their eyes. Their spiritual senses also became sluggish and dull, as if immersed in mercury. Guo Hongyao used the fire to force them back, then quickly ascended into the air on the wind. Her hands were already covered in blisters, and she thought to herself, "The Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token is a Purple Mansion spiritual artifact; it shortens one's lifespan and harms one's vitality. It should not be used lightly. I must leave now…"

Although she had practiced cultivation on the island since childhood and had little experience in combat, she could still discern the situation. The two had already formed a pincer movement; if she fell into their hands, even if they wouldn't dare to kill her, she would still suffer greatly.

So, she merely left them with a harsh threat: "You… you'd better not let me catch you!" With that, she rapidly flew off on the wind. After flying some distance and seeing no pursuit, she put away her spiritual artifact and gritted her teeth, saying, "If only… if only the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token hadn't been inexplicably delayed by a hundred years from falling from the Great Void, there would be no Li family at all… Damn them!"

Guo Hongyao had initially been quite pleased to come to the inner seas and find such a genius. Now, with this lightning cultivator spoiling her plans, although Guo Hongyao had obtained the spiritual artifact and would receive rewards on the island, her mood was inevitably much worse.

"I'll go back and inquire… to find out her name." She silently flew away on the wind, crossed the Salt Lake, and landed on one of Red Reef Island's subsidiary islets. She seized dozens of people to help stabilize her injuries, when one person came forward to report: "Immortaless… a few days ago, a masked male cultivator plundered several of our merchant ships…"

Guo Hongyao was in a foul mood and impatiently asked, "Explain yourself more clearly!"

The subordinate trembled and said: "This cultivator is at the peak of Qi Refinement, wields a golden hammer, practices the immortal path, yet uses many demonic artifacts… He was alone, very powerful, and single-handedly destroyed an entire immortal ship… He killed people, seized treasures, and then left on the wind."

"Useless trash!" Guo Hongyao usually couldn't be bothered with such matters. But she was seething with rage from the Li family's actions and wanted to vent her anger through killing. She commanded, "We set sail tomorrow! Let me know!"

The subordinate acknowledged and left. Guo Hongyao consumed some vital energy, feeling her internal organs gradually recover. She closed the cave dwelling's door and sat cross-legged.

She took out the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token and examined it carefully. Its black patterns were elegant and beautiful; the more she looked at it, the more exquisite it seemed, and she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "What a truly fine magical treasure! As expected of a Purple Mansion spiritual artifact; just looking at its appearance reveals its extraordinary nature."

She carefully put away the spiritual artifact and silently regulated her breathing. As she gradually entered a state of meditation, the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token fastened at her waist silently emitted a red glow, flickering ceaselessly, as if breathing.

Qingdu Mountain.

Having driven away Guo Hongyao, Li Qinghong flew back down into the mountain. Li Xijun approached, holding the storage bag and a small golden-red ring, with Hanlin already strapped to his back. When Li Qinghong unleashed the Mystic Thunder, the situation became critical, and Guo Hongyao hadn't put away the sword. Instead, she had casually tossed it into the air. Hanlin, being sentient, had then drifted over to find Li Xijun.

Li Chengliao also respectfully stepped away. Li Qinghong listened as Li Xijun recounted the events, breaking into a cold sweat. She praised, "You did well… As for your claim that this person might be fated, how certain are you? I observe that he… merely obtained that Purple Mansion spiritual treasure, and in your entire account, his mind doesn't seem to have been greatly affected."

Li Xijun pondered for a moment, then affirmed, "It should be so. I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back now, as soon as this person appeared, I felt intense hostility towards him… I never considered being frank or having a proper discussion." He thought for a moment, feeling that the events of the night were like a blinding fog. He murmured, "But Chengliao… he initially tried to calmly persuade him. If Chengliao hadn't summoned Old Man Liu, our family's lead would probably have ended there. If we're talking about the influence of fate, it seems to have had less of an impact on Chengliao… Or perhaps something else influenced Chengliao…"

The two pondered for a while. Li Qinghong whispered, "If we look at it differently, could it be that… Xu Xiao's death was also destined? Was his death meant to deliver the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token into Guo Hongyao's hands? But even if he hadn't died, he might not have been able to keep this spiritual artifact."

Li Xijun thought about the sequence of events and asked, "Aunt… did you bring back the Immortal Mirror?"

"Of course I did. Yuan Jiao was uneasy about staying overseas for so long." Li Qinghong took out the Immortal Mirror, and Li Xijun nodded: "If that's the case, then if Xu Xiao possessed a predetermined destiny, he shouldn't have died here. It's only because Aunt came with the Mirror, thus outside of fate's calculation, that the interference of destiny was disrupted, and this person was forcibly killed here."

Li Qinghong felt a slight doubt and softly said, "It's just… if that Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token is so powerful, why didn't the Purple Mansion of Red Reef Island come personally? How much time has passed since they pierced the Great Void…"

Li Xijun lowered his gaze: "According to my junior's conjecture, Guo Hongyao might be the most recent Foundation Establishment cultivator from Red Reef Island, and the situation has shifted too much, having already escaped the control of destiny."

"I do have one small doubt… why did Xu Xiao rise so rapidly, ascending by a large tier in just a year and a half? Even Chu Yi took over ten years of cultivation to reach Foundation Establishment. No matter how strong Xu Xiao was, he couldn't possibly surpass Chu Yi…"

The two exchanged silent glances. Although they had killed this person, it had also thrown their entire family into disarray. Li Qinghong took the storage bag and pulled out a pile of elixirs and talismans from overseas. "It seems the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token itself contains storage, which is why Xu Xiao possessed such wealth." She was not interested in these items. She only took out the small golden-red ring, about the thickness of a pinky finger. Its material was neither gold nor silver, and with her knowledge, she couldn't discern anything peculiar about it. It emitted a faint red glow, and inscribed on it were small characters: "Jian Yang Ring, Lu Jiangxian of Green Pine Temple."

"This is actually an item from the ancient immortal sect, Green Pine Temple. This is far too ancient; it's probably not suitable to be shown to others." Li Qinghong praised it, unable to discern the ring's grade, but it seemed to be merely a peculiar shuttle. Just as she was about to put it away, the Immortal Mirror on the table suddenly lit up, emitting a golden radiance.

This light was bright and clear, like the sun illuminating the earth, with ten thousand rays of colorful light, a brilliant sun over the vast desert. It was utterly different from the Immortal Mirror's usual cold, moonlight-like glow. The tables and chairs in the cave dwelling began to tremble, and an aroma of gardenias permeated the surroundings.

"This!" Li Qinghong cried out, quickly clasped her hands together, and activated the magical mirror. But she saw the Jian Yang Ring trembling incessantly, as if weeping tears, yet also roaring with joy. A great force broke free from Li Xijun's arm, leaped up, and also emitted ten thousand rays of colorful light.

Immediately, the cave dwelling became scorching hot. Yellow sand showered down everywhere, and faintly, the chirping of orioles, the calls of deer, and the jingling of camel bells could be heard.

"Clang!" As soon as this golden light appeared, all the plants on Qingdu Mountain burst forth, birds mated, and all things came to life with vitality. Inside the underground cave dwelling, the golden light intensified, and Li Ximing, who was drenched in sweat in the quiet room, suddenly showed a relaxed expression, and his aura soared.

Seeing the golden light rapidly spread, the Jian Yang Ring on the table gently rolled. This invisible force then quickly receded and vanished.

Within the Mirror's World.

Lu Jiangxian returned along with Li Qinghong. Lu Jiangxian's divine sense encompassed a vast area; when he saw the Li family, Guo Hongyao had just landed. He scanned the surroundings and found no trace of a Purple Mansion cultivator. Meanwhile, an arrogant Xu Xiao was enveloped in a faint golden light. It appeared as clear as water and was continuously weakening. In contrast, the Six Ding Conjoining Fire Token subtly pulsed, appearing more like a sentient being than an artifact.

With a single glance, Lu Jiangxian understood: "There's something wrong with this spiritual artifact… it likely possesses some eerie method. Xu Xiao… was merely its target for consumption. Perhaps he originally had a predetermined destiny, but after this journey, he's already been almost entirely depleted by this sinister artifact!"

With this observation, Lu Jiangxian clearly understood. This Purple Mansion spiritual artifact, or its master, likely forcibly accelerated Xu Xiao's cultivation, using spiritual elixirs to drastically raise his power, and then used some method to drain him. Now that he had been taken by Guo Hongyao, this woman would probably not meet a good end either.

"The Purple Mansion spiritual artifact can already traverse the Great Void. If it truly wanted to return to Red Reef Island, it would have already done so. It's wandering about specifically to avoid other Purple Mansion cultivators!" This spiritual artifact could affect one's mind. Guo Hongyao, carrying it all the way back, would likely die en route. Lu Jiangxian merely glanced, uncaring, and instead took the opportunity to closely observe the changes in Xu Xiao's body before he fully died.

"It's a pity it's hard for him to touch me. Otherwise, by examining his memories, I should be able to gain a lot of information, at least the cultivation methods of the Conjoining Fire lineage." The Purple Mansion chapter of the "Golden Palace Blazing Yuan Art" he held was already mostly written. However, since he hadn't personally cultivated it, his understanding of this path was inferior to the original work. The Purple Mansion chapter didn't seem particularly profound; it was barely passable.

Lu Jiangxian paused. Outside, Li Xijun approached, holding the golden-red ring. Lu Jiangxian's divine sense swept over it, clearly reading the small characters inside the ring, and he was instantly stunned: "Lu Jiangxian of Green Pine Temple!"

"I… I am from Green Pine Temple?! This!" The world within Lu Jiangxian's mirror was finally no longer layered in gloom; ten thousand rays of colorful light permeated it. He stared blankly at the golden light in the sky, pondering the artifact's name.

"Jian Yang Ring?" As the golden light of the Jian Yang Ring soared in, fragments of memory appeared in Lu Jiangxian's mind. They were vague and enveloped in a misty darkness, vaguely showing tall mountains covered in green pines and boundless fertile plains.

"The ruins of Green Pine Temple are clearly at sea… located on an island, so why is this a plain…" A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but it was quickly overshadowed by subsequent blurred memories.

"Green Pine Daoist Temple… Yingze…" He paused for a breath, but these memories rapidly vanished from his mind like smoke, seemingly forcibly erased by some power. Lu Jiangxian cursed softly, his face feeling hot.

Yet, the golden light in the sky grew increasingly dazzling, turning into a pure white expanse. His spiritual body was actually pierced by the golden light before him, making him unable to open his eyes. The Jian Yang Ring emitted a joyous excitement, like a three-to-five-year-old child, and threw out a piece of golden light.

This wisp of golden light drifted, like a flying bird landing in his palm. Around him, faint melodious sounds, the chirping of orioles, and the calls of deer could be heard.

The golden light was strange, slowly emerging as if from a small hole, radiating outwards in a conical shape. The tip was already so bright it had turned white. Lu Jiangxian looked closely and saw that the white part was connected to the Great Void, continuously undulating.

Lu Jiangxian stared at this wisp of golden light, too shocked to speak, and mumbled blankly, "Bright Yang Golden Nature?!"