Chapter 791: Three Mysteries

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The Cape.

The coral cave was brightly lit. Seawater churned, stirring up layers of fine white sand that flowed out of the cave like a waterfall, floating in layers on the ground. A large expanse of white shells darted through the sand, creating shimmering reflections.

The Daoist, clad in white-gold robes, sat with his hands on his knees. As he breathed, bright Yang spiritual energy surged, and faint purple flames subtly emerged, circling around him.

Li Ximing successively refined three Profound Core Essence Pills, which greatly diminished and suppressed the flames within his Grand Palace, and his condition immediately improved.

He still possessed a good number of spiritual treasures and medicinal herbs, and even more spiritual water. Applying the right remedy, he concocted a batch of pills using the White Waterfall Cold Water he received at the Purple Mansion Dharma Assembly and his own Platform Cloud Flowers. He consumed them all at once, and the scorched, glazed color on his Dharma body slowly returned to normal.

More than a year passed in a flash. Estimating his injuries to be sixty to seventy percent recovered, and with the Cingxu Monastery's resources almost fully gathered, Li Ximing finally opened his eyes, illuminating the cave. He then took out a jade pendant from his sleeve and checked it, confirming there were no major issues at home.

"This single jade pendant, which I secretly gave to my grandfather after imbuing it with my divine abilities and nurturing it, has not yet been crushed... indicating that there are no major life-threatening issues at home."

Casually, he put away the formation disk within the cave. Stepping out, Li Ximing found the seawater still deep blue, but the seabed was entirely different. As far as the eye could see, it was covered in fine white sand, and he could faintly discern several white shells, at the Fetal Breath realm, bustling about on the seabed.

"How peculiar..."

Li Ximing understood at a glance. He wasn't adept at formations, nor could he seal off any divine abilities. Yet, with a Purple Mansion cultivator of the Bright Yang Dao cultivating here, the spiritual energy of the place immediately transformed. The coral cave should have continuously gushed Bright Stone day and night, but due to insufficient spiritual energy at the Cape, it only released layers of white sand.

Even so, it attracted passing demonic beasts to settle down. Judging by its appearance, it was probably on its way to becoming a small spiritual ground. Li Ximing glanced around and saw one or two excavation marks not far away, unsure if they were made by Cingxu Monastery or another faction collecting resources.

'This is rare... Bright Stone is typically used for building palaces in Jiangnan, and the larger the pieces, the better. This is the first time I've seen it collected as spiritual sand.'

Since destiny had led him here, and there was a rare patch of vibrant life beneath his feet, Li Ximing simply extended his hand, placed his fingers to his lips, and exhaled a stream of Bright Yang Purple Fire.

The purple fire hovered before him. Li Ximing then took out a jade pot. This item was merely for Qi Condensation and carried purely for drinking tea. He formed hand seals, cast spells, and activated his divine abilities to leave behind three or five inheritances, before finally sealing the purple fire within.

Li Ximing's fire control techniques were formidable. The jade pot immediately turned purplish-red, becoming extremely hot and emitting bursts of bright Yang radiance. Li Ximing casually tossed it into the cave.

The previously stagnant white sand waterfall began to flow again. Li Ximing estimated that this mouthful of purple fire, slowly dissipating, could sustain the flow for seventy to eighty years. His interest piqued, he took up his brush and wrote:

"Valley Wind"

He flicked his sleeves, and his figure vanished. Traversing a hundred miles, the next moment he reappeared above Cingxu Monastery.

He saw wind sweeping through wheat fields, a vast fertile plain, and monasteries scattered gracefully. In just over a year, Cingxu Monastery had become entirely different. The monks in yellow robes no longer seemed to fill the entire mountain, but were instead interspersed among farmers in coarse short clothes.

He descended on a beam of light, manifesting in the highest monastery. The surroundings appeared spacious. Indeed, there were fewer monks at Cingxu Monastery; they had likely shed their monastic robes to reclaim wasteland.

Li Ximing sat down at a stone table in the courtyard. Just then, he heard footsteps, followed by Xia Shouyu's voice of rebuke directly in front of him. The woman was very displeased and said directly:

"It's just a pill recipe, and you still haven't gotten it after half a month?! How incompetent are they to make things so difficult for you?"

"Shouyu... A clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Without resources... what can we offer in exchange?"

A commotion followed; clearly, many people had arrived. Xia Shouyu dealt with them impatiently, scoffing:

"No resources? You few schemers... Do you think I don't understand? You're just after those few pills the True Man gave me. I dare to give them... but do you little rascals dare to take them?"

The men following her were clearly all members of the Xia family, with various expressions. The leader glared, wanting to scold her, but swallowed his words out of apprehension, and replied:

"What you're saying is pointless. We don't know when the True Man will return... How could the monastery have so many resources available?"

"Pah!"

Xia Shouyu pushed the door open and entered. The curses she was about to utter suddenly caught in her throat, as she saw the courtyard filled with light. A man in white-gold Daoist robes sat by the stone table, holding a pill scripture and reading it casually. A terrifying divine light flickered between his brows.

"Thud!"

Xia Shouyu had barely stepped half a foot into the courtyard when she immediately knelt to the ground with a thud. The several people following her also changed drastically in expression, and one after another, like rolling gourds, they tumbled down.

In an instant, people were kneeling outside the courtyard, inside the courtyard, and on the steps. One person slipped on the threshold, with half their backside sticking high up, daring not to move. The entire ground was filled with figures like statues.

Evidently, neither Cingxu Monastery's island-protecting formation nor the courtyard formations existed for this True Man. Xia Shouyu was truly frightened out of her wits, and stammered:

"True Man, your immortal presence graces this place. This humble one failed to greet you from afar; please forgive my offense..."

Li Ximing sat at the head of the table, his gaze shifting from the pill scripture in his hand. He nodded noncommittally. After all, one could not be too courteous with these overseas cultivators. He merely raised an eyebrow and said:

"The pill recipes."

Pill recipes!

Xia Shouyu kowtowed, and immediately took out a jade box from her storage bag. Turning to look at the trembling group behind her, she saw that one by one, they had all become obedient. In a panic, they took out the pill recipes from their sleeves and handed them to Xia Shouyu.

She shot a fierce glare at the men, then turned back and respectfully presented everything in her hands. A thick stack of beast hide scrolls lay on top of the jade box. Xia Shouyu moved forward an inch and said reverently:

"This humble one sent out all the monastery's cultivators this past year to search everywhere. Everything visible, famous, or rumored at the Cape has been investigated, and the findings are all here."

Li Ximing picked them up one by one and read them. No one on the ground dared to move. Soon, the old Abbot Xia also rushed over. Seeing the scene, he dared not speak, and hastily knelt to the ground.

Li Ximing flipped through them. As expected, most were fabricated nonsense. Only three pill recipes seemed reliable, all pertaining to ancient spiritual resources.

"There was the Azure Proclamation Divine Mountain Pill from Qingxuan, which used Fuyuan Grand Secrecy as its main ingredient; the Unifying Heart Pill from Taiyin, which used Pure Yin Mother Medicine; and finally, the Purple Water Immortal Grace Pellet from Duwei, refined with Crimson-headed Profound Soul and Immortal Pure Qi."

It must be said, ancient cultivators truly were incredibly wealthy. None of the spiritual ingredients listed were below the Purple Mansion level. Among them, Fuyuan Grand Secrecy was a supreme treasure of Qingxuan; who would use it for alchemy?

As for the Pure Yin Mother Medicine mentioned later, he had never even heard of it. Immortal Pure Qi was a Purple Mansion spiritual item of the Pure Qi lineage, and the Crimson-headed Profound Soul was, in all likelihood, also a valuable spiritual item of Duwei...

The only one Li Ximing held any hope for was the Unifying Heart Pill. If he could substitute it with Taiyin Moon Essence and make some adjustments, it might just prove useful.

Just as he was reading the pill recipes, a person below hastily approached, not daring to come too close, and merely handed up a jade slip. It was passed among the kneeling cultivators until it reached Xia Shouyu.

Xia Shouyu instantly recognized it as the pill recipe they had been bickering over earlier. It was clearly already acquired, but they had been dragging their feet, demanding she exchange a pill for it, simply intending to pocket it.

Resentment welled in her heart, but she could only respectfully present it. Li Ximing's eyes, however, lit up. With a thought, the jade slip immediately flew into his hand.

For among all these ancient pill recipes, finally one was recorded on a jade slip!

He scanned it. The jade slip was not newly engraved; it appeared to be the original. It recorded a One-Hearted Heavenly Core Pill Art, which belonged to the Mystical Fan Sect lineage.

Although the Mystical Fan Sect had a somewhat similar name to the Mystical Current Temple of Mount Xiaoshi, this lineage was not new; it had long been renowned in Jiangnan. There was a ruin of the Mystical Fan Sect in the East Sea, from which Li Encheng, known for the Wall Water Pill of the Azure Pond Sect, and Old Ancestor Chi Wei of the Chi family had both greatly benefited.

However, as he looked at the jade slip in his hand, he immediately grew suspicious. He raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Since you bought something from another family... shouldn't you have made a copy? Why did you bring back the original?"

A man behind Xia Shouyu shuffled forward a bit, and said tremblingly:

"Sir... Sir... that person also seized it... His alchemy path is shallow... The mysteries in this jade slip are vast and complex. For us humble cultivators... just a glance makes our heads spin, let alone copying it..."

Li Ximing narrowed his eyes and asked:

"Oh? And he was willing to sell it?"

At this question, the man became so nervous that his calves cramped, and he exclaimed:

"True... True Man! He himself tried to refine it according to the instructions, but the pill art has already failed, which is why he sold it!"

Li Ximing slowly straightened his posture, and solemnly extended his spiritual consciousness into the slip. Indeed, he saw a vast sea of text within.

"'At the dawn of heaven and earth, Yin and Yang were first formed. The Human Emperor established his enterprise, and the Five Virtues came into being. Three Profound [Ways] were bestowed, thus becoming the foremost Daoist Canon. Around the Three Profound, four Daos assist them. Beneath the Three Profound, there are then twelve Mansions... The Mystical Fan Sect, inheriting from Douxuan...'"

Li Ximing suddenly realized:

"The Mystical Fan Sect is already an extremely ancient lineage, and it's actually also a Douxuan lineage... This is unheard of... With such a grand background for the Douxuan lineage, it's no wonder that one or two opportunities alone could nurture figures like Chang Xiaozi, Ye Gui, and Guo Shentong..."

He now regarded this One-Hearted Heavenly Core Pill Art with even greater importance. He began to read it on the spot, and the more he read, the stranger and more regrettable it seemed. Finally, he set the jade slip down, unsure what to say.

The One-Hearted Heavenly Core Pill Art was extremely peculiar. It didn't adhere to the Purple Mansion Golden Core method of seeking pills through essence, but rather focused on seeking pills through life itself. It was incredibly complex. Li Ximing skimmed through it and found it to be extremely difficult.

"No wonder cultivators at the Cape couldn't refine it. Even for me, refining this would be extremely challenging. The Cape is full of Purple Mansion Golden Core cultivators... How could they succeed? Even if they learned all these techniques... they would end up refining away their own lives..."

As he looked at the jade slip in his hand, he began to ponder:

"If that's the case... then there's a reason why Guo Shentong and Chang Xiao were so ruthless in harming the Fated Ones. These two fellows must have gained some methods from the Douxuan lineage, perhaps also plotting for this very aspect."

"Chang Xiao was also after my family's young master this time... Unfortunately, I didn't expect him to be so decisive and ruthless. As a Purple Mansion-level force, he would instantly offend someone to the death with his sudden actions..."

It was a pity that he only had a pill art in his hand and hadn't even been able to get a closer look at the Mystical Fan Sect's lineage, let alone the even more ancient Douxuan lineage. Putting away the jade slip, Li Ximing fell into contemplation:

"The Three Profound [Ways]... Douxuan is one of them. I don't know if Tongxuan is attainable, and there's still one more whose lineage is unknown... The Green Pine lineage dominates Jiangnan; perhaps it's also one of the Profound [Ways]."

He remained silent. Xia Shouyu and the others below, who were kneeling painfully, waited anxiously until Li Ximing raised an eyebrow and instructed:

"You stay. The others may leave."

The courtyard instantly emptied as if swept by a gust of wind, leaving only Xia Shouyu kneeling. Li Ximing observed her and asked:

"What lineage do you cultivate?"

Xia Shouyu hastily replied reverently:

"This humble one cultivates the 'Fire Subduing and Cold Dispelling Art.' The immortal foundation it forms is called the White Li Heart. As for its lineage, none of my ancestors have ever cultivated it to completion, so I don't know what it is."

She immediately retrieved the cultivation technique. Li Ximing glanced at it. Indeed, it was an unranked ancient method. However, its content didn't seem particularly profound, likely only third or fourth grade. He raised an eyebrow and said:

"Rare... It's actually a Fen Fire lineage. Indeed, it's a rare lineage in Jiangnan... Good, good, good, an unexpected delight!"

Li Ximing had long intended to bring Xia Shouyu back to the lake. Each lineage had its strengths and weaknesses, and it was naturally better for her cultivated lineage to be as different as possible from that of the Li family. Even if this woman failed in her breakthrough, this 'Fire Subduing and Cold Dispelling Art' was a rare lineage.

He smiled and nodded, then began to ponder about pills:

'Unfortunately, I don't know the principles of mutual generation and restraint of the Fen Fire lineage. I only remember some descriptions about leveling dampness, dispelling rain, and transforming cold into heat. Avoiding Water Virtue and Cold Qi, and choosing Fire Virtue would be the safest.'

So he raised an eyebrow and said:

"Are there any fire-breathing, flame-wielding demonic beasts nearby? I grant you the path to Foundation Establishment; it should be given to you."

At these words, Xia Shouyu was practically overwhelmed with joy. She repeatedly kowtowed, exclaiming:

"Your Excellency's grace is something this humble one could never repay in nine lifetimes. Henceforth, if you have any commands, I shall not shrink from a myriad deaths..."

She did not utter too many flattering words, but respectfully said:

"I've only heard that the Peacock Sea to the east has many islands and many peacocks, each as large as a courtyard, swallowing metal and breathing fire, fiercely intimidating. There are also horned ox-demons in the sea, all of them fire-wielding demonic beasts."

Li Ximing recalled that the Peacock Sea also had a Purple Mansion-level force, Nine Hills Mountain, which he could reasonably visit. However, seeing how astute this woman was, he secretly began to scheme:

'Zhou Ming, in his current state... might not even succeed in Foundation Establishment... His reputation has always been poor, and he's more easily exploited. I definitely can't have him marry a direct descendant of a Purple Mansion family! This Xia Shouyu is intelligent and clever, exceptionally gifted, and has a clean background... and she's beautiful... She's perfectly suitable.'

As for Li Zhouming's own thoughts, Li Ximing was not concerned. The boy was exceptionally lustful, so there was no worry he wouldn't agree to the marriage. Thus, he said:

"Prepare well. Once you achieve the Immortal Foundation, there will be more opportunities awaiting you."

His figure dissipated like a streaking light. The sky was already dim, and the courtyard instantly grew darker. Xia Shouyu's eyes, however, gleamed brightly. She stood up and mused to herself:

'As long as I have a chance to leave this impoverished place... and not be trapped to die on this desolate island... that would be the greatest fortune imaginable!'

The original domain name has been compromised; please remember the new domain name.