Chapter 785: 庆须

After Li Ximing finished speaking, Xia Shouyu nodded repeatedly and immediately darted into the temple. Li Ximing, meanwhile, rose on the wind, concealed his form, and circled the island. There was nothing remarkable about this island. While its spiritual energy was considered excellent for the Cape, it was only comparable to his ancestral land, Lijing Mountain, in Jiangnan. The ley lines were thick, but the island was barren, devoid of minerals, fire veins, or water veins.

"No wonder Xia Shouyu's cultivation here was already impressive, and her clothes were still patched together..." In the center stood a desolate mountain, completely devoid of spiritual energy, similar to West Screen Mountain on the lake. It was so unremarkable that it couldn't even be pinpointed in the Great Void—simply a mass of earth and stone occupying space, with two small holes dug into it. It appeared the monks of Qingxu Temple intended to remove this mountain, perhaps over generations, as part of their efforts to move mountains and fill seas.

There was nothing special inside the temple; formations were pitifully scarce, and the poverty was appalling. Only in the highest temple, there was a Daoist figure made from the precious spiritual earth material, Wondrous Life Stone. Its aura confirmed it was indeed the same Xuxiang from Xuanmiao Temple, though this rendition was less finely crafted than Xuanmiao Temple's, and this time, he stood rather than rode a donkey.

After observing all this, Li Ximing understood: "Xuxiang True Monarch is a True Monarch of the Tongxuan Dao lineage. If Xuanmiao Temple was established after receiving a portion of Xuxiang's heritage, then Qingxu Temple is, at most, a lineage founded by a disciple with only a peripheral connection, far too crude." He returned above the temple with a flash of light, hearing an extremely urgent bell chime resonate across the entire island. A crowd of monks, dressed in yellow robes with white-wrapped black shoes, came rushing down the mountain paths, as if a yellow cloud had descended upon the area.

Along the mountain paths leading to the temple, people lined up on both sides, gradually filling the space, kneeling. Yellow-robed monks pushed and shoved; some frail individuals tumbled down the mountainside, their heads bleeding. Those behind them continued to jostle for a kneeling spot on the path, while several Qi Cultivators flew about above, sternly shouting rebukes. Li Ximing glanced down; the crowd was already arranged, a sea of bowing yellow robes and heads of varying sizes. Xia Shouyu emerged, supporting an old man in a coarse cloth robe, followed by two middle-aged men. Everyone knelt before the temple, respectfully calling out: "We respectfully welcome the True Monarch's immortal presence! This humble temple at the Cape is overwhelmed with awe and gratitude..."

The old man's voice, though respectful, echoed in the air. This grand display made Li Ximing frown. He immediately transformed into a beam of light and descended, materializing before the four individuals. The True Monarch, in his white-gold robes, appeared out of thin air. The old man trembled with fright, his knees pressing more firmly into the ground. Even at this point, he found it hard to believe: "Could such a great potentate truly grace the Cape with his presence? Or perhaps it's merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator in disguise..." Yet, whether Foundation Establishment or Violet Palace, Qingxu Temple could not afford to offend them. The old man kept his head bowed. Li Ximing, not wishing to make things difficult for a Qi Cultivator, simply said, "What's with such a grand spectacle? Disperse, everyone. Just lead me inside."

Xia Shouyu immediately led the way into the temple. The paths inside were narrow, with numerous wooden beams fixed to the stone walls, blocking out natural light. However, the illumination from Dharma lamps prevented it from being pitch black. The old temple master hurried forward, his voice still trembling: "Reporting, True Monarch..." Li Ximing simply waved his hand and asked, "What lineage is this? To what origin does it trace?"

The old man and Xia Shouyu exchanged a glance. Relying on his meager memory of ancient texts, he hastily replied: "Reporting, True Monarch! This humble cultivator, Xia Sui, has the honor of being the master of Qingxu Temple. Our lineage originated in Shu Land, once subordinate to Sumeru Palace. Later, due to changes within the palace, it split into three temples: Qingxu eastward, Qingkong southward, and Qingzhen northward. These three temples became exiles and eventually reached Ju Sea."

"Later, changes occurred in the world. The rules of the Dragon Clan's Sea Herding shifted. Ju Sea was occupied by True Monarch Cai Chi and renamed Peacock Sea. The oppression grew heavier, forcing us to drift to this Cape." The Dragon Clan's Sea Herding, as mentioned by the two, was a matter of ancient times. Once, the Four Seas were the domain of the Dragon Clan. Besides vast oceans like Hetian and Zhulu, there were also smaller, more peripheral seas where various Dragon Clan members claimed territories and took turns governing, a practice known as Sea Herding. Although now only the East Sea remains under the Dragon Clan, and dragons are much fewer, waters beyond the East Sea, such as Muhai and Jiaohai, are still occupied by dragons, all referred to as Dragon Kings. However, their territories are now fixed and continuous, and few still mention the term "Sea Herding."

"What an ancient lineage... Not easy at all... Qingkong Temple..." Li Ximing understood. The name Qingkong Temple sounded quite familiar. It had once been a small sect in the State of Wu, and White Ape had even refined medicine there. He wasn't sure if it was the same lineage, but it had been destroyed during the demonic calamity. So, he said softly, "Qingkong Temple was wiped out decades ago. The north is predominantly the territory of Buddhist cultivators. Most likely, only your lineage of Sumeru Palace remains. Cherish it well."

Seeing his demeanor, the old temple master Xia actually believed much of what he said in his heart. However, facing a great potentate, a demonic figure at that, one typically couldn't trust such words. So, he could only meekly nod in agreement. Li Ximing smiled: "Come... show me around."

The two quickly led the way, but Li Ximing walked even faster, as if he knew the place better than they did, heading directly to a small pavilion. The two middle-aged men exchanged worried glances, while Xia Shouyu, startled, scrambled after him and quickly opened the pavilion door ahead of him.

As the pavilion door opened, the scrolls and scriptures stored within were fully revealed. Li Ximing did not enter. Instead, he smiled: "I've heard that the Cape has many peculiar alchemy methods, mostly derived from ancient ways, but most are unusable now. However, I am an alchemist myself. Might I perhaps examine some of them?"

Xia Shouyu heard this and felt terrified: "No need to mention it... I already knew you were an alchemist... That great King was refined by you with just a breath..." She quickly took out several alchemy texts, holding them together in her arms, and respectfully said: "The Cape is remote, and the path of alchemy does not flourish here. Our lineage has no usable alchemy formulas... These are all ancient things, and with our meager cultivation, they have long been unusable."

"They're truly poor," Li Ximing realized. Qingxu Temple didn't possess a single usable alchemy formula. Xia Shouyu was holding a large stack of ancient formulas, all for show. He took them and flipped through a couple, finding them full of fabricated recipes from later generations. He paused for a moment in silence, then said in a low voice: "Qingxu Temple, I want you to collect ancient formulas from the surrounding areas for me. Any suspicious formula, no matter how minor, collect them all."

"This..." Xia Shouyu quickly assented, but the old temple master Xia, having never witnessed the scene in the cave, hesitated when it came to the actual commitment of resources. Li Ximing started to walk away. Xia Shouyu followed closely, feeling her sleeve suddenly heavy, as if several jade bottles had appeared within.

"Consume these resources to quickly perfect your cultivation, so you can take the Suiyuan Pill." Xia Shouyu's heart filled with joy. Noticing that the old temple master and the two men beside her seemed completely oblivious, she nodded silently. They returned to the courtyard entrance, where everyone stood respectfully by his side.

The True Monarch turned back, heavenly light flickering on his brow, and smiled: "You must know that this pill is of great use to me. You have contributed much throughout, and were not lightly injured. Allow me to repay you a little." Xia Shouyu and the old temple master were overjoyed to hear this, but Xia Shouyu immediately knelt to the ground with a thud, respectfully saying: "To be able to assist the True Monarch in coming out of seclusion and for the immortal pill to appear in the world is this humble one's great fortune. How dare I ask for repayment!"

Li Ximing ignored her. With a slight flick of his golden-white sleeve, he instructed: "Inform the temple that everyone is to remain inside. For the next seven hours, they are to burn incense, offer sacrifices, recite scriptures, and chant. No one is permitted to leave the temple, start cooking fires, use wind to strike bells, gather spiritual qi, or use gold or silver artifacts." Although Xia Shouyu didn't fully understand, she still dispatched the middle-aged men to relay the orders. The two clearly seemed unaccustomed to her commanding them, appearing resentful but daring not to speak. Li Ximing observed this, pointed at her, and said in a low voice: "You, and the old temple master, both of you are to remain alone in this area and are not to leave."

Xia Shouyu and the old temple master Xia exchanged a glance and both assented. The True Monarch in white-gold robes had already vanished. A sense of dread gradually crept over the two as they settled down in the courtyard, looking at each other in silence.

An hour passed. Gusts of cold wind swept through the courtyard, whistling through the gaps in the gate, making the two feel a biting chill. After a while longer, the ground beneath their feet began to shake violently, as if malevolent energy was erupting. Xia Shouyu's vision blurred between black and gray, and dust began to fall from the roof with a rustling sound.

"Oh dear!" The old temple master, barely a Qi Cultivator, couldn't even stand steadily. He rolled on the ground, wailing: "It's over! Demons are man-eaters by nature; how could we listen to him? He was injured and inconvenienced, so now he's going to devour the entire temple... We've been harmed instead!"

"I heard from people on the neighboring island that great potentates cultivate a world within their stomachs... This kind of commotion... if it's not to move us into his stomach, then what is it? Oh dear... we'll be living in darkness inside his stomach from now on!" Although Xia Shouyu was equally terrified, she still remembered the scene on the island where he didn't consume people, giving her some reassurance. She forced a smile and said, "Grand-uncle, what are you saying? The True Monarch commands heavenly light, so surely his stomach will be bright inside, saving us the cost of lamps..."

After a while, they saw many figures outside and heard incessant screams. The two were greatly alarmed and embraced each other, weeping, yet still dared not leave the room. It wasn't until dawn began to break that they heard shouts from outside: "Temple Master! Master! Come out quickly!" The voices were cheerful, suggesting that the "stomach environment" was indeed pleasant. The two reluctantly opened the courtyard gate and saw bright daylight. Two yellow-robed monks knelt before them, their clothes covered in dust, their expressions a mix of shock and delight. They cried out, "Master! The mountain is gone!"

"What?" Xia Shouyu and the old temple master were equally stunned. They raised their eyebrows, looked at each other, and then soared on the wind. Indeed, the desolate mountain had been completely leveled. The towering peak that once obstructed their view had vanished, replaced by vast, open plains. The morning mist hung thick, revealing thousands of acres of newly flattened land.

"Splash..." Clear spring water gushed from the ground. The old temple master's legs gave out, and he plopped onto the ground. Soon after, he sprang up again, went to the newly leveled land, squeezed some soil, and cried: "Good... good... No need to dig mountains anymore..." Xia Shouyu wiped away her tears, vaguely recalling the screams she had heard earlier. She asked the two monks beside her, "Why did I hear screams earlier this morning?"

The man quickly replied: "In the middle of the night, malevolent energy filled the sky. Some bolder disciples and grand-disciples went out to look, either getting their eyes burned by the malevolent energy, or their legs broken by falling stones. One even secretly lit a fire to smoke leaves and had a hand blown off by the flint..."

"Haha." Xia Shouyu let out a cold laugh and cursed: "May they die a terrible death, those idle good-for-nothings! Thankfully, they didn't mess things up, otherwise, it wouldn't be excessive to beat them to death!"

The old temple master was still kneeling on the ground in a daze. Xia Shouyu had to push his shoulder with effort and say: "Grand-uncle... the ancient formulas! The ancient formulas! Quickly send people to collect them... We cannot delay!" This finally roused the old temple master. He nodded repeatedly, then fearfully called out: "Guards! Everyone, come!"

Once everyone had gathered, the old temple master Xia gave his instructions to everyone, then stood in the hall, feeling flustered. He then mumbled to Xia Shouyu: "I heard that Foundation Establishment sects have methods for moving mountains, but even they require array formations and months of effort. How could a great mountain be leveled in just seven hours? He is undoubtedly a great potentate, a figure from Nine Hills Mountain. If we serve him well, it will be an opportunity many would never dream of!"

Xia Shouyu had long known this "old devil" was powerful, but she hadn't realized he was powerful to this extent. She lifted her chin slightly, with a touch of pride. Yet, she still remembered the path to Foundation Establishment that Li Ximing had promised her. The woman was wary, keeping her thoughts hidden.

"He also promised a Foundation Establishment Pill... but I can't let the old man know. There are so many eager men below, and I, your aunt, toil day and night for you all. Usually, a little bit of advantage here and there is fine, but this opportunity cannot be taken from me."

Li Ximing circled the surrounding sea, traveling by light. He found that the seabed was not deep; sunlight penetrated, making the water a clear, brilliant blue, showing the transparent hue of the depths. Li Ximing journeyed through the area for a while, confirming that it was indeed barren, containing only coral and white sand. He eventually found a cave with some spiritual energy, but the demonic beasts inside were too meager for consumption, though the spiritual qi was quite pure. He simply shooed them away.

Relying on his current cultivation and the Mountain-Moving Sea-Going Tiger, his mountain-moving ability, while not as potent as Chang Xi's Gen Earth divine ability, was far from bad. Moreover, that desolate mountain was devoid of spiritual energy, unconnected to water or spiritual veins, and only linked to ley lines. It could almost be seen as a pile of earth and stone resting on the ground, making it even easier to move. "The entire Qingxu Temple... most of their talents are ordinary. Only Xia Shouyu is somewhat outstanding and usable... Her background is clean, she's poor, and quite perceptive..."

For Xia Shouyu to receive such an outstanding evaluation from Li Ximing, her talent was naturally excellent. One must consider that resources in this desolate place, the Cape, were pitifully scarce. Even as a high-ranking member of Qingxu Temple, her resources couldn't compare to those inland. To forcibly cultivate to the late Qi Cultivation stage was truly not easy.

And since he had promised Xia Shouyu the path to Foundation Establishment, if she succeeded and gained the ability to cross various seas to reach places like Hetian and Zhulu, she would certainly not remain at the Cape... How could he simply waste a Suiyuan Pill? Naturally, he would bring her back to be useful on the lake!

He had already arranged a place for Xia Shouyu. He then took out an array disk and casually set up a formation in the cave. He took out a Mysterious Core Essence Pill from his robe and mused: "While waiting for them to collect alchemy formulas, I'll suppress the flames, repair my Dharma body, and try to gather information... There's no rush to return. The Cape is far safer than Jiangnan..."

Li Ximing suddenly understood Xiao Chuting's reason for constantly traveling to the North Sea. This True Monarch was, on one hand, planning his own path, and on the other, using this method to avoid numerous overt and covert probing attempts. So, he put all thoughts aside and entered secluded cultivation.