Chapter 472: Rising Sun Sees the Rainbow

“Brother, this artifact seems unusual.”

Li Qinghong handed over the jade bottle, displayed it, then removed her spiritual power and consciousness, allowing Li Xuanfeng to infuse his own.

The bottle shimmered with golden light, emitting a bright golden mist that danced and flickered around Li Xuanfeng’s fingertips. He lowered his gaze, looked at it twice, and replied, “It’s from the ancient Wei Kingdom, perhaps an artifact of the Bright Sun. Take it home and let the juniors try it; there might be further changes.”

The two flew up on the wind. Li Xuanfeng watched the changing scenery below, crossed the great river, his thoughts already drifting to the lake, and then turned back to ask, “I heard that my elder brother is plagued by inner demons and his Dao heart is not very stable?”

Li Qinghong nodded slightly, as if she had guessed his thoughts. Indeed, she saw Li Xuanfeng perform a quick divination and then ask again, “Did Brother still have children later?”

“No,” Li Qinghong replied softly. “He had no more children, and those mortal clan brothers… they passed away earlier as well.”

Li Xuanfeng said hoarsely, “Brother… his last son died in the Grotto-heaven. I fear it caused him unbearable pain!”

The two flew in silence as the sky grew dim. Soon they reached the lakeside, where rain poured down. Mount Qingdu stood silently in the rain. Since Li Xuanfeng had never returned and left no mark on the formation, he first had Li Qinghong activate the grand formation, and they landed together.

Once they landed in the peak, Li Qinghong respectfully presented the Immortal Mirror to Li Xuanfeng. Li Xuanfeng took it with both hands, and the two walked forward together.

By the stone steps on the mountain stood a young girl in a white tunic dress, with beautiful phoenix eyes. Li Qinghong whispered, “This is Brother’s orphaned child.”

Li Xuanfeng nodded, watching Li Qinghong take the girl’s hand. He then slowly stepped onto the somewhat unfamiliar steps alone, saying softly, “I’ll go to the ancestral hall first and summon everyone.”

Li Qinghong understood that he intended to return the Immortal Mirror and declare his success. She led Li Yuexiang away, while Li Xuanfeng stepped into the ancestral hall, closing the main door tightly to seal off the inside from the outside.

He bowed to the row of ancestral tablets at the top, then used the Immortal Mirror to confirm no Purple Palace cultivators were nearby. Only then did he push open the door to the stone chamber, place the bluish-grey Immortal Mirror on the secret ritual platform, and take out the jade clasp.

In an instant, the bluish-grey Immortal Mirror at the top suddenly lit up, vibrating incessantly and emitting bursts of dazzling white light.

Moon-white mist gushed forth. The ground glowed brightly with moonlight, and several intricately patterned osmanthus trees rose, their golden-white flowers drooping, stamens like gold, and exuding a pleasant fragrance. From the dark corners, several agile and adorable toad-rabbits hopped out.

As the osmanthus fragrance wafted, Li Xuanfeng held his hands upward, and the jade clasp slowly began to glow.

He had examined this jade clasp earlier; his spiritual sense had only detected it as ordinary jade. After Yu Muxian’s death, it remained unresponsive, showing no signs of seeking a new master, nor any change in brightness or dullness.

Now, the jade clasp finally reacted, transforming into a stream of white light that flowed from top to bottom, entering the mirror and disappearing. The bluish-grey mirror surface suddenly brightened, becoming pure white and luminous.

Within the mirror’s realm.

Lu Jiangxian was seated, slowly digesting the feedback from the talisman seed. Li Yuanjiao’s cultivation was not particularly profound, but it was the first Foundation Establishment mid-stage talisman seed, significantly better than previous ones.

Lu Jiangxian had always been quite pleased and at ease with Li Yuanjiao. His choice to exchange his own life for Yu Muxian’s and the jade clasp, along with various unspoken considerations, was understood not only by Lu Jiangxian but also somewhat by Li Xuanfeng and Xiao Yongling, who were present.

“That promise to Li Tongya, that ‘Jiao’ dares not forget’… few could have done better than you…”

Lu Jiangxian was silent for a moment. Scenes from the Grotto-heaven quickly appeared in his mind, flowing like an animation, watching Li Yuanjiao encounter the three drum walls, enter the illusion, and choose cultivation techniques to memorize…

The scene froze, quickly stopping at the pattern on the stone wall from the final moment. Golden characters slowly emerged, and Lu Jiangxian’s expression gradually changed as he stared intently ahead.

“Profound Truths of Penetration.”

These four characters seemed to possess a magical power, causing various thoughts to emerge in his mind. What truly astonished him was not the essence of the golden patterns that followed, but the four characters themselves.

Lu Jiangxian had not seen these characters for over ninety years.

“Seal script…”

This script was precisely the small seal script from his previous life!

These golden characters flew out of his mind, emerged from his pupils, and floated in this realm. Lu Jiangxian sat upright in the center, watching the rotating seal characters, and his eyes gradually brightened.

He remembered.

It wasn’t something he had just learned or read through; rather, it emerged one by one from the depths of his memory. Perhaps he had studied this scripture a hundred or a thousand times before, and now, with a sudden realization, he recalled every detail.

The Profound Truths of Penetration, originally named “Liang Zhizi’s Observation of Splendor and Manifestation of Perfected Truths: Secret Immortal Arts Scripture,” was an ancient immortal art through which cultivators sought to obtain life through essence and gold through cultivation. In Lu Jiangxian’s memory, he had already cultivated it to its pinnacle.

Slowly opening his eyes now, Lu Jiangxian’s entire demeanor had become completely different. He gently extended his hand, palm upward, and the Bright Sun Golden Essence, like a cone of light, emerged.

Bright Splendor, Radiant Sun, Control of Intertwined Essence!

“So… Golden Essence is like this! Essence and life intertwine; Golden Essence and destiny are fundamentally one!”

He had countless insights in his heart, yet he couldn’t articulate them. Tears of joy fell, and he felt as if he could die content now that he had grasped the truth. He whispered, “No wonder Golden Core reincarnations are blessed with destiny… so Golden Essence, once activated, naturally forms destiny!”

This Golden Essence in his hand was now vastly different from before. It no longer remained still; instead, it affectionately circled his palm. He interlocked his index and middle fingers, gently pressed with his thumb, and the Golden Essence before him instantly burst into brilliant light.

In an instant, Lu Jiangxian’s robes transformed into resplendent golden luxurious garments. Rings of colorful light appeared behind him, and spiritual energy and flames rained down around him, circling him.

The golden, bright, and smoke-like Radiant Sun Fire of Supyang, the explosive and pulsating Six Yang Brilliance, the Golden Yang Radiant Essence flowing through the patterns on his clothes… Various spiritual artifacts of Bright Yang nature appeared beside him, vanished and decayed, then merged and sublimated.

The jade clasp had not yet reached his hand, but the joy in Lu Jiangxian’s heart was indescribable. He whispered, “The greatest gain from this journey turns out to be these Profound Truths of Penetration!”

Lu Jiangxian could almost certainly conclude that with these immortal arts, even if he allowed this Bright Yang Essence to enter the world, no one could take this Golden Essence from him, unless the true owner of the Bright Yang Fruit Position personally arrived!

Comparatively, the previous Lu Jiangxian was like a child holding a Foundation Establishment artifact he couldn’t use—perhaps only good for cracking walnuts.

Now, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator proficient in various spells, capable of wielding the myriad wonders of this Golden Essence, and even understanding many aspects of the current world by activating it!

“Alas, if I had a physical body, I could probably achieve Foundation Establishment in three months and Purple Palace in six years, just with this Golden Essence and immortal arts…”

Joy welled up in his heart, and Lu Jiangxian’s eyes brightened, “I wonder if there are more such identical ruins in this world! As long as I glimpse them, the gains will be immense!”

He suppressed the joy in his heart, secretly admonishing himself, “Be careful… always be careful. Although I can become a chess player in this realm with this Golden Essence… I’m still on Golden Core territory, so I must proceed slowly.”

As he planned, the murky light in the sky finally dispersed, casting down a streak of white light. Lu Jiangxian felt the mirror’s power slowly recovering. Although his expectations for the jade clasp had significantly lessened, a hint of joy still emerged.

“Not only are there three more talisman seeds, but the power of the Grand Yin Profound Light has also reached the Purple Palace level!”

Relying on the feedback from the world, Lu Jiangxian’s eyes slightly brightened. Although he didn’t know the exact extent of this Purple Palace level power, based on his past experience, it likely meant that a direct hit would instantly kill a Purple Palace cultivator.

“The Grand Yin Profound Light definitely cannot be used casually…”

His gaze remained fixed on the Bright Yang Golden Essence before him. With a slight thought, the Golden Essence immediately transformed, morphing into a radiant light that revealed a face.

This face appeared firm and valiant, with a high nose bridge and slightly deep-set eyes, exuding a dashing, heroic masculine aura, yet not a fierce or brutal look, but rather a captivating spiritedness.

His eyebrows were flat and gentle, and his golden eyes, hidden in the shadows of his nose bridge, added a touch of domineering ruthlessness.

“Wei Grand Ancestor, Li Qianyuan…”

The Bright Yang Essence had been passed down for an unknown number of years, yet the first face to materialize was still its original owner. It then slowly transformed into a slightly gaunt, fair-skinned youth, then quickly flickered through various faces, showing ancient cultivators who had once interacted with the Golden Essence.

Finally, it slowly settled on the face of a youthful young man.

“Chu Yi.”

“It really is Chu Yi!”

However, Lu Jiangxian stared carefully at the face twice, observing it between the eyebrows and nose bridge for a moment. The face before him gradually merged with the previous one.

He paused, then exclaimed in surprise, “Li Qianyuan!”

“Chu Yi is Li Qianyuan’s reincarnation! How could this be! How could this be! How could Luoxia Mountain…”

Lu Jiangxian’s words abruptly stopped. His hand seals changed, and the Golden Essence flickered again. He observed for a long time, realizing that Li Qianyuan had reincarnated a full nineteen times over the past thousand years.

The Golden Essence in his hand slowly reverted to its original light-cone form, silently floating in Lu Jiangxian’s palm. He sat back on the stone stool, his face grim, and murmured, “Luoxia Mountain, how ruthless Luoxia Mountain is!”

Lu Jiangxian had long ago determined that the Bright Yang Fruit Position had an owner, but he never knew that this person was still Li Qianyuan.

Now, it occurred to him that Li Qianyuan, as potentially the first emperor to attain the Bright Yang Essence, had created an unprecedented centralized feudal Great Wei. From Lu Jiangxian’s current perspective and understanding of his actions, as long as Li Qianyuan was alive, no one else could touch the Bright Yang Fruit Position.

However, the True Monarchs of Luoxia Mountain desired the Bright Yang. Yet, Golden Core cultivators in this world were almost immortal, capable of continuous reincarnation. Only by repeatedly causing Li Qianyuan’s reincarnations to die, and repeatedly allowing him to rise from the mortal world, could they gradually wear down his destiny and divine abilities, thereby creating a chance to ascend to the Fruit Position!

And Li Qianyuan, for some unknown reason, had forgotten his memories. He never recalled his past during his many reincarnations, thus falling into Luoxia Mountain’s hands again and again…

“Everyone thought Chu Yi was blessed by destiny and invincible… Everyone envied his carefree life among mortals and his return north to Luoxia, believing a True Monarch was simply playing in the world…”

Lu Jiangxian gently closed his eyes. “Who knew… who knew… behind it all, Wu, Yue, and Zhao were merely pawns on a chessboard, repeatedly defiling the Bright Yang Fruit Position… I’m afraid multiple True Monarchs were watching from the Great Void every single time…”

“No wonder… Chu Yi was so divinely blessed and invincible, and even the few lucky individuals whose destinies were affected by the descent of the Bright Yang were so powerful! It was precisely to wear down his destiny and divine abilities to the greatest extent possible!”

“How ruthless Luoxia Mountain is!”

Lu Jiangxian gently exhaled, quickly thinking of the fall of the East Fire Grotto-heaven.

“Once their control over the Bright Yang Fruit Position reached a certain level, they would first cause the Cui family’s East Fire Grotto-heaven to fall, leading to a large number of Bright Yang orthodoxies emerging both within and outside the seas… Why deliberately allow these inheritances to spread outside…”

Looking at the point of Golden Essence floating in his hand, Lu Jiangxian slightly lowered his head. Although he had gained some profound insights into Golden Essence and destiny through immortal arts, he still didn’t fully understand the Fruit Position and could only speculate: “Ostensibly, it was compensation to various sects… But judging by their consistent actions of sealing cultivation techniques and my previous conjectures… this matter is certainly not simple! This means… Luoxia Mountain desires to see Bright Yang cultivators emerge both within and outside the seas, likely because it benefits their plan…”

The next moment, Lu Jiangxian suddenly recalled the five True Monarchs surrounding Qing Song Monastery, feeling suppressed. He softly exhaled, suppressed his unease, and comforted himself, “I have already chosen Bright Yang, and I hold the Bright Yang Golden Essence… I have come this far.”

He gently waved his hand and retrieved an item from the table.

This item was precisely the fifth-grade Purple Palace cultivation method he had spent years writing, drawing upon this Golden Essence and various other cultivation techniques. Now that he had obtained the immortal arts, a careful re-evaluation revealed no major issues; it was very complete, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was a golden jade slip, intricately patterned, with small characters engraved upon it:

“The Scripture of Bright Splendor and Radiant Origin.”

Having tidied everything, a bold idea arose in Lu Jiangxian’s mind. He swept his gaze downwards, and his divine sense pierced forth, swiftly scanning the entire Moon-Gazing Lake.

He paused among the various direct descendants of the Li family but still couldn’t find what he was looking for. He continued his search until he reached the small town, where he saw a spirited young man standing in a courtyard, looking kindly at those around him.

This young man had thick eyebrows, a generous and dignified demeanor, wore a brocade robe, and smiled very gently—it was Li Chengliao!

Li Chengliao had handled the Xu Xiao incident with admirable prudence, earning the appreciation of many elders. Recently, he had been enjoying great success, married a new wife, and had a breakthrough in his Qi Condensation cultivation, truly a peak moment in his life.

However, Lu Jiangxian’s divine sense did not linger on him; it gently swept past, settling instead on someone beside him.

Sitting beside him was a gentle woman with a sweet smile. Although her beauty didn’t compare to Liu Lingzhen’s, her every movement was natural and graceful, her eyes bright. She was gently covering her lower abdomen. With a stir of his divine sense, Lu Jiangxian already sensed the fetus within her womb.

He gently formed a hand seal, and the Golden Essence flowed, connecting in an extremely subtle way from the Great Void. Lu Jiangxian whispered, “Since Bright Yang has descended, scattering destiny and giving rise to many Children of Destiny, why shouldn’t it be my Li family’s turn!”