Chapter 783: Purple Mansion

Wen Wu listened, leaned his hand on the boat's edge, thought for a moment, and then said:“Junior Sister, once you're inside the sect, this elder sister will be like your closest relative. You should be more affectionate with her. She can look after you in the sect; having an extra sister means an extra path for everything.”

“You and Que Yi won't be returning to Moon-Gazing Lake much in the future, but you must maintain your family connections; don't lose them.”

Li Quexi nodded casually. The Senior Disciple Brother smiled, taking a pair of talismans from his sleeve. One, a golden shimmer, depicted a tiger and a dragon; the other, a bright white, also had intricate designs. He said softly:“These are treasures I was bestowed by the True Lord when I met him. The golden talisman is a treasure of Geng Jin, capable of shifting forms freely and suppressing cultivators. The white talisman is a remnant of Jade True, able to protect the wearer. Though not as powerful as the golden talisman, it also possesses unique wonders.”

Seeing her listening with rapt attention, Wen Wu chuckled and said:“You also possess such a magical artifact.”

Li Quexi was momentarily stunned, but then Wen Wu explained:“The Purple Smoke Patriarch is your golden talisman; powerful, certainly. The Moon-Gazing Immortal Clan is your white talisman, also possessing profound wonders. Have you ever seen me discard a white talisman after acquiring a golden one? Even if the white talisman isn't as miraculous as the golden one, if placed here, it would still be something countless cultivators would fight over and fail to obtain.”

“It's easy to see clearly when it comes to magical artifacts, but when it concerns oneself, it often becomes muddled.”

The girl fell silent, clutching her clothes and nodding. Wen Wu continued:“Your surnames, 'Li' and 'Que,' are already envied by others. Even if you don't feel much affection, you must show proper respect and amiability. When you reach a standstill, these two names might open up opportunities for you, or if you're in grave danger, they could help you fight for a chance at survival. You never know!”

“Even if you've exhausted the use of these names, and Moon-Gazing is in crisis, they will come to you for help, and the initiative will still be in your hands. With the golden talisman in hand, whether these two names become a burden to you or not is simply a matter of your word, isn't it?”

Li Quexi listened, half understanding, half confused, and whispered:“Junior Sister doesn't understand these matters. I will need to learn from Senior Brother in the future.”

Wen Wu rested both hands on the edge of the boat. The radiance of the Purple Smoke Blessed Land was slowly appearing. The man weighed the two talismans, put them into his pocket, sighed, and shook his head:“Don't learn from me. After all these years stationed overseas, I've developed an improper bearing and have been reprimanded by Master several times. It's not good to learn from me; don't learn from me...”

“Besides...”A smile appeared on his face, and he let out a hearty laugh, saying:“You're a member of the Li family, an immortal clan that emerged from the harsh lands of Qingchi. Do you really need to learn from me? It's more like I should be learning from you.”

Li Quexi was at a loss for words and could only pretend not to hear. After a while, the spirit boat stopped amidst the vast purple mist. A group of cultivators came up to make arrangements. Wen Wu didn't spare them another glance, putting his hands behind his back and descending.

He ascended on the wind, flying directly towards the tall jade platform in the center of Purple Smoke Blessed Land. After passing several towers, he walked up to a high vantage point. A female cultivator in a white Daoist robe, holding a jade vase, was waiting to the side. On the main seat, a True Lord, clad in an autumn-yellow satin robe, was holding and examining a jade slip.

Wen Wu bowed his head, not daring to meet her gaze, and said respectfully:“Greetings, True Lord, Master. Wen Wu has returned from the lake, and the entrusted message has been delivered.”

Tinglan glanced at him and asked:“How did the Li family respond?”

Wen Wu replied respectfully:“Li Xuanxuan was in charge at the lake. The elder agreed to everything, seemingly unaware of the matter, and appeared quite surprised. After receiving the reply, he sent me off...”

“As for the symbol of Mingyang, it wasn't very prominent. There are many female cultivators at the lake, and although authority is centralized, it's not as autocratic or tyrannical as Ancient Wei. Not everyone cultivates Mingyang; instead, Jade True, Kan Water, True Fire, and Cold Qi are more prevalent, making it quite complex. Even direct descendants pursue various paths of cultivation.”

Upon hearing this, the white-robed woman beside them breathed a sigh of relief. Tinglan, leaning on the purple jade throne, chuckled:“Indeed. I've met Zhaojing, and he doesn't seem like a Mingyang cultivator, nor does he possess the might of Wei Li. Truth be told, he's more like a member of the Cui family. Perhaps his divine abilities are similar to the residual powers of Shangyao, avoiding the path of worldly engagement. Li Zhouwei is also like that... although he strongly resembles a white qilin, he lacks that malevolent aura and extreme temperament.”

The female True Lord whispered:“None of them are sufficiently ruthless. Perhaps this lineage, after intermarrying with the Cui clan, need not be concerned about.”

Wen Wu, at the side, bowed his head and said no more. The Patriarch of Muzuo Peak, Qian Lizhi, then replied:“It's just that this disciple doesn't clearly understand. The Immortal Dao has taken such an attitude, now appearing so harmonious and amiable. Our lineage is of the Solar Orthodoxy, Lunar Immortals, and Purple Qi legacy; he naturally can't afford to offend us, so he's respectful. But now, he's also soft towards the Li family... It seems rather like being arrogant at first and then humble.”

Wen Wu listened attentively on the ground. True Lord Tinglan merely smiled faintly and said softly:“Zhaojing now deeply resents Changxiao. Do you think Ye Hui doesn't also harbor resentment? Even if Ye Hui could tolerate Zhaojing hating him after his escape, he absolutely cannot tolerate eliminating an enemy for Changxiao, allowing Changxiao to gain a great opportunity while he himself carries the blame...”

True Lord Tinglan paused meaningfully, then changed the subject, saying:“Are all of True Lord Zhugong's subordinates arranged?”

Qian Lizhi quickly nodded and said respectfully:“True Lord Zhugong has already given instructions to arrange all the cultivators nearby. She went to Xuanyue Mountain Gate this morning, and True Lord Ye Hui must have shown her around. Most matters were discussed and settled; she just returned... It's just that...”

Tinglan raised an eyebrow, seeing Qian Lizhi speak with a mix of embarrassment and distaste:“After all, these subordinates of True Lord Zhugong are cultivators from the East Sea. These Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with all the Qi Refining ones below them, are not good people. They've gone out plundering under the guise of surveying the terrain. While pillaging in the wilderness and mountains is still permitted, some of them have reached the eastern shore of Moon-Gazing Lake... making the Moon-Gazing Immortal Clan extremely nervous.”

True Lord Tinglan seemed to have anticipated this, sending the two away. On the jade platform, a girl of sixteen or seventeen, clad in a red Daoist robe, appeared, her hands clasped behind her back. True Lord Tinglan, who looked seven or eight years older than her, gave a slight bow and said:“Sister has arrived.”

True Lord Zhugong stepped forward and said:“Junior Sister, looking at Ye Hui's attitude, Kong Hai must be dead. This matter was Zhaojing's plot, disguised as Fuen and sent over. You said he was sincere, elegant, and composed, a stable character, but I disagree. If another Li Zhouwei appears in the future, things will surely go to heaven.”

“So he really died...”Tinglan pondered for a moment, then shook her head:“This matter requires deliberation. In any case, since Li Ximing is recuperating in the East Sea and Changxiao is nowhere to be found, you must also give the Li clan some face. When the time comes, I will speak about the Xuanyue matter, and Sister just needs to exercise good judgment.”

“Alright...”True Lord Zhugong nodded with a smile and replied:“The Kong clan has Kong Qiuyan, and I have a clan nephew. There's also the younger Kong Xiang, and other clan members for him to choose from. Having rendered aid in their time of crisis, and treating the Kong clan with such solemnity... offering help in times of need is truly precious.”

“This move is upright and dignified. The descendants of the Kong clan will be eternally grateful and can, on one hand, lead the mountain scouts, and on the other, curb these demonic practices.”

The wind on the jade platform grew stronger. Tinglan poured her tea. True Lord Zhugong, with a single sentence, had settled the marriages for the entire Kong clan. In her unspoken words, the fates of several Kong family members seemed vaguely discernible. Hearing Tinglan's reminder, she said:“There's also Kong Gumo on Jingyi Mountain. I heard Xuanyi favors him. Your relationship with Xuanyi has always been good, so don't go too far.”

Zhugong hesitated, put down her tea, and replied:“That indeed is a problem.”

At the cape.Flames surged fiercely within the earth veins. Water and fire clashed, creating white mist everywhere. Li Ximing sat cross-legged in the center, flames issuing from his nostrils and spreading outwards.

The longer he cultivated the Sang Yu Shen Nine Mysteries Method, the fiercer the black flames around him became, scorching his body to a fragile, resonant state, with tiny cracks spreading everywhere. Li Ximing still couldn't bear to let the fire enter the Juque Court, which would negate all his previous efforts, so he only occasionally took out the Huanyuan Spirit Water.

What startled him was that after prolonged burning by the flames of the Sang Yu Shen Nine Mysteries Method, they gradually developed resistance to the Huanyuan Spirit Water, making its effects less pronounced. Li Ximing couldn't help but ponder:“If I weren't an alchemist... precisely understanding my injuries and the nature of flames, this magic truly would be difficult to resolve. The Douxuan orthodoxy... I must be careful in the future.”

He suddenly opened his eyes, his spiritual sense swiftly piercing through the ground. He faintly heard a commotion, and a particularly effeminate voice stood out:“You, surnamed Xia! Is that place right here?”

“Reporting, sir, it is...”Li Ximing's heart finally stirred with excitement:‘Excellent! This one surnamed Xia is indeed useful. After all, she's a demon from the ends of the earth, with no background; how could she recognize too many traps? This Foundation Establishment cultivator has brought a group of subordinates!’

As soon as the excitement in his heart subsided, he immediately began to silently chant, activating the Immortal Mirror's investigative ability, scanning the surrounding void thoroughly to ensure no Purple Mansion realm cultivators were present, only then looking upwards.

He saw a swarm of demons, large and small—shrimp, snakes, turtles, crabs, some human-shaped, others not—a vast, dark mass, surrounding an effeminate man holding a folding fan and riding a giant turtle, slowly approaching from the sky.

Xia Shouyu was utterly miserable, hung in mid-air by several demons. Both her calves had been bitten clean off, exposing white bone stubs. The woman's hair was disheveled, her body covered in blood, yet she still had to force a fawning smile onto her face.

Suppressing the urge to fly out, Li Ximing quietly observed. Seeing the effeminate man glance at the hot spring, and being a Foundation Establishment demon after all, surprise immediately appeared in his eyes. He commanded:“You! You! Go down and check immediately.”

Two demons eagerly plunged into the water. Xia Shouyu wailed mournfully:“Sir! If the seal below can be broken, please spare my life...”

Li Ximing had already largely guessed the situation from this scene. The demon clearly didn't believe the woman's words; who knows how many excuses she had tried, and only after being tormented to this extent did they dare to believe her. Seeing her still shouting, he inwardly cursed:‘No sense of proportion. I'm a True Lord, not a True Monarch. Missing limbs for you is just a wave of my hand, but if this woman drops dead here, then I can only erect a tombstone for you...’

As Xia Shouyu shouted from above, two small demons swiftly approached. Although Li Ximing hadn't communicated with her beforehand, his heart stirred, and he made the previous white bone skeleton and the storage bag on the ground appear.

Since Li Ximing intended to fish, he naturally couldn't let these little demons simply pick up the items. He released some flames, and the two small demons, unable to endure the heat, scrambled out, exclaiming:“Great King! It's truly as this person said!”

The demon immediately rejoiced, swiftly dismounting from the giant turtle. Living in this remote corner of the world, his pockets jingled with poverty, and the spells he knew could be counted on one hand, let alone any magical artifacts. Hearing that there was likely something good within the flames, he quickly went in, not forgetting to "whoosh" down and grab Xia Shouyu.

Xia Shouyu's face was ashen. The demon, impatient, said:“Quickly lead the way! If I have to search your soul to find it, I'll worry for your life!”

‘Pretending to be my mother, are you? If you could soul-search, would you need to capture me?’Xia Shouyu had long been a little wary. The being before her was a local spirit. She had deliberately leaked some information previously. This demon's soul-searching would kill a person before a clue was found; otherwise, why would Xia Shouyu need to put herself in danger?

Now in the flames, seeing the withered bones at a glance, the effeminate man was overjoyed, yet still had doubts in his heart, and commanded:“You, go fetch it for me!”

Xia Shouyu cursed inwardly. With her calves gone, and the flames fierce here, it was hard to use wind to fly. Halfway through, she plopped onto the ground, looked up, and stared blankly at the skeleton:‘Old geezer, aren't you going to make a move? This old geezer can't possibly be unable to defeat this fellow, can he?’

Li Ximing clearly understood the unspoken frustration in her eyes. This demon was already a fish in a barrel. He was still observing whether the demons outside had gone to eat wild humans. Presently, he stood up somewhat awkwardly, adjusted his state, and wickedly chuckled:“Hehehe... Little friend, how did you get yourself into such a state?”

Seeing the skeletal frame stand up, the effeminate man looked as if he had seen a ghost. He frantically channeled his immortal foundation with all his might, pulling a talisman from his sleeve, but only felt a flash of white before his eyes, firelight shimmering, and heavenly light shining down. He shrieked in agony:“Aiyoh!”

In an instant, the man disintegrated on the spot, transforming into a glowing blue segmented sea worm, which plopped onto the flames, struggling painfully. How could he not realize he had encountered a truly formidable figure? His true form had no mouth, but his wriggling abdomen seemed to have a baby thumping inside, emitting frantic pleas for mercy:“Little demon... vile demon did not recognize the True Lord's presence, offended the True Lord... please... please...”

It wasn't surprising that this demon was foolish; the conditions were simply too harsh. Even in a near-shore area, no direct descendant of an immortal sect would imagine a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator hiding in a cave waiting for them to stumble upon it.

Li Ximing didn't even spare the demon a glance. He lifted the woman, blew a breath as before, and with a whoosh, two tender, white calves sprouted like spring onions. Xia Shouyu stood firm, still not fully reacting, and stammered blankly:“You... You...”

Xia Shouyu knew that this demon couldn't cause any trouble in front of him, but this was a Foundation Establishment demon, after all! It was one thing for her Qi Refining realm to be as fragile as tofu before him, but even a Foundation Establishment cultivator was more powerless than a baby chick in his presence—at least grabbing a chick required extending a hand.

‘Divine ability... so this is divine ability...’The sea worm before her wriggled on the ground like a lump of flesh. Xia Shouyu's satisfying feeling of vengeance quickly faded, replaced by a terrified awe in the face of a terrifying being that could incinerate her with a single breath. The woman dropped to her knees with a thud, trembling as she said:“Congrat... congratulations, True Lord!”