Chapter 807: Big Peacock Karma (1+1/2)

True Lord Hou Fu rarely spoke, perhaps due to his association with the Xiukui Dao Lineage, which lent him a somewhat gloomy demeanor. He also had a reputation for valuing his pride. Li Ximing had always considered him a serious and cautious individual.

The words he just uttered caught Li Ximing completely off guard, and he was already laughing to himself.

‘Oh, this is rich.’

Yet, the peacock, who appeared as a middle-aged man, narrowed his eyes. His colorful monastic robe shimmered brilliantly as he spoke in a cold voice:

“Fellow Daoist… do you take me for a fool?”

Hou Fu was likely spouting a casual lie, which the peacock utterly disbelieved. If Grand True Lord Chi Buzi of Qingchi were truly present, how could Yu Guang still be standing here? Those two Purple Mansion cultivators were far more powerful than him, yet they were acting furtively and making flimsy excuses. They must be wary of offending the Great Bestowal Copper Splendor Temple!

The peacock immediately gained confidence and sneered:

“I’ve heard that Chi Buzi is a disheveled, green-robed, golden-tasseled, green-eyed specter. His divine powers are astonishing; you two clandestine figures are no match for him. Move aside at once!”

As soon as these words were uttered, Hou Fu’s expression visibly darkened. With a slightly hoarse voice, he replied:

“A mere colorful fowl dares to yap so wildly?”

Tensions between the two were escalating, on the verge of a fight that would require Li Ximing’s intervention. He quickly stepped forward and said in a gentle tone:

“This place was jointly discovered by my fellow Daoist and me. Naturally, what is found becomes ours. How does it suddenly belong to the Peacock Dao Lineage?”

Yu Guang was instantly angered to the point of laughter, seeing through his intentions in a single glance. He roared:

“Don’t pretend to be ignorant when you clearly understand… you’re just stalling for time… I’ll see for myself!… What kind of cultivators are you!”

His sleeve suddenly swelled, and he summoned a patch of vibrant flames from the void. As they descended from above, he joined two fingers and pushed his palm upward, sending the fiercely burning flames in the sea hurtling towards Hou Fu.

‘Still couldn’t avoid a confrontation…’

Li Ximing frowned slightly:

‘I still underestimated Yu Guang’s standing in the Pure Land. And I’m unsure what level of “non-retrogression” he has attained. It seems that given Lianmin’s bold strategy of maintaining a retreat in the Pure Land, two Purple Mansion cultivators are clearly not enough to make him withdraw without a single move.’

It had been agreed earlier that Li Ximing would make a move, and since he hadn’t yet acquired the Purple Mansion spirit fire, he naturally couldn’t remain idle. Just as he was about to raise his hand, he noticed a small bag in mid-air, absorbing the precious light, begin to emit a dark sheen. While it continued to draw in the increasingly faint light, vibrant solar radiance burst forth from both sides.

This solar radiance appeared remarkably natural in the water, drifting to Hou Fu’s front and repelling the flames. The sun, being the primal manifestation, immediately suppressed the fire, causing it to dim. As the two fiercely collided, Hou Fu’s cold voice drifted out from within:

“Old scoundrel, if I truly make a move, you peacocks won’t be able to bear the consequences!”

Yu Guang merely glanced once, realizing that the pouch-like spiritual artifact in the air was truly extraordinary. His lips moved, but he couldn’t utter a sound. A bronze long staff appeared in his hand. He stepped into the air, and his figure vanished.

Li Ximing immediately felt a strong sense of alarm. The celestial light between his eyebrows darted back and forth, his face stung, and he cursed inwardly:

‘Damn it… this cowardly, colorful bald monk…’

Fortunately, the Gate of Heaven’s Veneration inherently possessed some divine power, and the celestial light between his eyebrows was exceptionally potent. After only a slight pause, he detected the bronze staff that struck in an instant. His lips buzzed, and he spat out a stream of purple fire.

Previously, when scattering auspicious clouds unnoticed, he had used the ‘Mountain-Driving Ocean-Rushing Tiger’ to avoid revealing his Bright Sun divine ability. Now, however, facing an enemy head-on, his Bright Sun ability would inevitably be exposed. Spiritual artifacts, being more identifiable, would be a greater giveaway, so Li Ximing kept his hidden and used only Bright Sun flames in response.

This stream of purple fire transformed into a blazing purple serpent, coiling and climbing up the bronze staff, causing the spiritual energy on it to crackle. Yu Guang, however, remained aggressive, his bronze staff glowing brightly as he pressed it towards Li Ximing’s face.

Thump!

Li Ximing raised his hand, channeling the divine power of the Bright Sun path into his palm. He gently deflected his opponent’s bronze staff, his Dharma body trembling slightly, and seized the opportunity to vanish into the Grand Void, feeling a burning pain in his palm.

‘Lianmin… their Dharma bodies are also quite formidable.’

Li Ximing had no intention of revealing his true form of the Gate of Heaven’s Veneration, as that would explicitly tell the peacocks that Li Ximing was the one who took the item. By only using the Bright Sun divine ability, there would still be room for subtlety later.

As expected, the monk inverted the long staff in his hand, his eyes wide, and asked suspiciously:

“Bright Sun? From the Cui family?”

The peacocks, after all, resided overseas. The most renowned Bright Sun Dao Lineage in the East Sea was undoubtedly the Cui Clan of Chongzhou Island. Not only did many Cui clans of the East Sea originate from this island, but it had also once been overseen by several Purple Mansion cultivators and had always maintained a low profile.

Now, with the Li family’s visit, the Cui family claimed their Purple Mansion cultivators were nearly extinct. Given the distance to the Peacock Sea, they might not be aware of this, so it was not surprising that they immediately suspected the Cui clan.

As Li Ximing vanished into the Grand Void, the monk did not pursue but immediately plunged into the abyssal depths below. Hou Fu, meanwhile, appeared behind the pouch-like spiritual artifact, placing both hands on it to accelerate the absorption of the precious light.

Li Ximing had no choice but to step through the Grand Void, reappearing before the monk to block with his divine power. The monk immediately grew impatient, striking down twice with his staff, forcing Li Ximing to retreat. He then lifted his sleeve and produced a round disc.

This disc appeared to be made of bronze, radiating a shimmering, colorful glow. Its surface was intricately adorned with colorful gemstones, forming a magnificent and vibrant Buddhist painting.

The painting depicted a vast, colorful ocean with a spiritual mountain towering into the clouds at its center. A gigantic peacock, its wings spanning the sky, let out a long cry while looking upward. Beneath it, a naked woman knelt, her face filled with devotion, cradling two swaddled infants—one in white and one in red. The baby in the white cloth was adorably chubby and very cute, while the red cloth held a small, pink peacock, crying with its mouth open.

The eyes of the sky-crying peacock suddenly lit up, emitting a fiery red glow. Li Ximing, already prepared, preemptively traversed the Grand Void, yet still felt a piercing pain between his eyebrows, realizing something was wrong. He quickly withdrew his flames to protect himself.

This red light came too swiftly. Although Li Ximing had reacted a step ahead, his body still sagged, and a five-colored flame climbed onto his Dharma body. Sparks erupted with a sound like shattering glass.

Crackling…

“Oh no!”

After the incident with Changxiao, Li Ximing was genuinely startled by these flames and jumped several miles away within the Grand Void. A box of spiritual water immediately appeared, and his Bright Sun divine ability swiftly covered the wound, bringing a sensation of coolness.

Only then did he have the presence of mind to inspect the injury, only to find that the flames had immediately vanished, leaving only a tiny, fingernail-sized patch of discoloration on his Dharma body.

‘Oh… that’s it… truly pathetic.’

He secretly felt a flush of shame. Compared to Changxiao’s spell, the monk’s spell was utterly laughable! One was simple and unadorned, while the other was flashy and ornate. Now, after taking a few steps and reappearing with purple flames gushing, the monk’s brow relaxed. He once again illuminated Li Ximing with his precious artifact, engaging in several more rounds of combat, then said:

“Which Dao Lineage do you belong to, True Lord!”

Li Ximing had once teamed up with Kong Heng to suppress the wrathful form of Fu Xia Lianmin. At that time, Fu Xia had already fallen to the level of a Dharma Master, barely able to move his Dharma body to resist, yet he remained unharmed no matter how many offensive techniques the two employed. Now, Li Ximing was fighting with his Purple Mansion cultivation, and this peacock’s Dharma body was not weak. Reluctant to use his divine powers, he found himself at a disadvantage by relying solely on his Dharma body.

However, lacking a background like Hou Fu’s, and merely intending to hold the monk back, he deliberately stalled, saying:

“I am Gufeng, merely a rogue cultivator from the South Sea… The items below belong to us and have no connection with Lianmin. Please withdraw.”

He tried persuasion before force, threatening:

“When the Grand True Lord below emerges, Lianmin will lose yet another Dharma body!”

Ling Du was not a Grand True Lord at all and wouldn’t even show his face; Li Ximing was merely bluffing to deceive. Although the peacock had him at a disadvantage, he possessed no divine abilities himself. Annoyed by the disruption, he began to entertain a hesitant thought of retreating.

Yu Guang now paused in the air, his expression grim:

‘These two are acting furtively, and this one has been fighting for a while without daring to reveal his divine powers. If I insist on a full confrontation, wouldn’t I be forcing them to kill me? That person’s spiritual artifact, the one holding the bag, is clearly extraordinary. If it truly belongs to the Solar Dao Lineage, then it will be troublesome…’

It was known that the Great Bestowal Copper Splendor Temple had only recently lost a Lianmin. This group of people, hiding their identities, was extremely suspicious. Could they be the cultivators who killed Yu Se? That would be disastrous!

Li Ximing didn’t know if Yu Guang truly believed him or if he simply lacked the confidence to break through his obstruction. His heart skipped a beat:

‘The Peacock Sea of the Great Bestowal Copper Splendor Temple is still too comfortable… How can it compare to the treacherous Jiangnan? To neither fight nor retreat would be to squander the opportunity. We’re not revealing our divine powers, clearly not wishing to expose ourselves. If we push straight through to the bottom, perhaps we could even negotiate for a share…’

Both held their own thoughts, their judgments diverging wildly, yet the Lianmin’s inclination to retreat gradually grew.

As soon as Yu Guang ceased his attack, he dared not utter harsh words to Hou Fu, who held what appeared to be a treasure of the Solar Dao Lineage. He merely glared at Li Ximing, clasped his hands together, and said coldly:

“Fellow Daoist Gufeng, if you take an item from my Pure Land, karma will surely come. You will personally return to the earth to offer it back, and retribution will surely follow, causing you to lose your life, wealth, and treasures. This old monk has spoken; just wait!”

Li Ximing was angered to the point of laughter by the peacock’s demeanor. He shook his head and retorted unceremoniously:

“If this bald bird doesn’t leave, we’ll send you back to the Pure Land ourselves!”

Yu Guang’s gaze darkened, and he finally vanished. Li Ximing, withdrawing his spiritual energy, flew towards the shallower waters. The precious light had already diminished into a thin thread, no thicker than a finger. Hou Fu gently lifted the opening of the pouch, absorbing the remaining precious light, and nodded to Li Ximing:

“Many thanks, Zhaojing! I’ve put you through trouble!”

This bald bird was outwardly fierce but inwardly timid, deterred by Hou Fu’s Solar Dao Lineage spiritual artifact. Li Ximing hadn’t even unleashed the Gate of Heaven’s Veneration, so he wasn’t truly taking the blame. At most, he had merely attracted some suspicion, yet he had gained the Purple Mansion spirit fire, which was already a considerable harvest. How could he feel wronged? He simply cupped his hands and said:

“It is I who should be thanking Fellow Daoist Hou Fu!”

These were truly heartfelt words. Although Hou Fu’s spiritual artifact had been exposed, the solar radiance didn’t necessarily have to be deployed. After all, it had been decided that Li Ximing would make a move, and Yu Guang could have been allowed to press on, making Li Ximing bear the full brunt of the blame. Without this solar radiance and Hou Fu’s combined deterrence, Yu Guang might not have been willing to retreat.

Hou Fu waved his hand and said in a deep voice:

“It was unexpected that Yu Guang brought the Peacock Child-Giving Plate. If not for his insufficient cultivation and the artifact’s lack of recognition for him, this situation would have been quite difficult to handle…”

“So it was the monk who was incompetent, not that the precious artifact was merely for show.”

Li Ximing nodded slightly, seizing the opportunity to ask:

“I rarely encounter Buddhist cultivators’ precious artifacts. Do they all possess sentience? How does it reach a point where ‘recognition’ is required?”

Hou Fu sneered and replied:

“Spiritual artifacts are tools, True Lords are people. Precious artifacts are also tools, but are Lianmin worthy of being considered people? In the Pure Land, they are merely servants to the Mahas. If a wealthy person acquires a carriage, the coachman isn’t necessarily more esteemed than the carriage itself. If one is a landlord, then tenants are less valuable than oxen. It’s the same principle: ‘recognition’ simply means whether the master assigns oxen to the tenant.”

His words were laced with sarcasm as he continued:

“That Peacock Child-Giving Plate is a treasure of the Peacock’s son. It should be on par with our own spiritual treasures and should originally have a different designation…”

Li Ximing frowned and said:

“Why don’t Buddhist cultivators clearly differentiate their various artifacts? Dharma Masters use precious artifacts, Lianmin also use precious artifacts, and Mahas still use precious artifacts… Isn’t that inconvenient?”

When this topic came up, Hou Fu’s sarcastic smile deepened. He put away the bulging, pouch-like spiritual artifact in his hand and replied:

“If they were to clearly differentiate them like this, and allow the Immortal and Buddhist paths to align their classifications one by one, what grand performance would the Pure Land have left to stage? Since the Human Emperor established his reign, how many spiritual treasures have been passed down in the Immortal path, and how many spiritual-treasure-level precious artifacts has the Pure Land achieved? Wouldn’t the latter be less than a tenth of the former? Then let’s compare them with Dharma Treasures. I don’t know if the Seven Paths can even gather ten Dharma-treasure-level items, but my Solar Dao Lineage alone possesses seven recognizable Dharma Treasure names! Not to mention those lost throughout the ages?”

“How could those fools of the Seven Paths ever agree to that? In the Pure Land, only the precious artifacts used by Mahas are called ‘Buddhist artifacts’. If Lianmin wish to use them, they must formally request permission!”

Li Ximing finally nodded, understanding gradually dawning on him. He paid even more attention to the Peacock Child-Giving Plate in his heart:

‘According to his explanation, spiritual-treasure-level precious artifacts are exceedingly rare and thus more esteemed. Therefore, the Peacock clan’s status is likely even higher than rumored…’

After a brief exchange, Ling Du’s aged voice suddenly echoed in their ears:

“Fellow Daoists, this matter is settled. Please hold tight to your tiger’s mouth lotus seeds, travel through the Grand Void, conceal your traces, and proceed to Jiuqiu!”

Li Ximing rejoiced inwardly. He exchanged a glance with Hou Fu, said no more, and the two immediately went their separate ways, vanishing into the Grand Void in one breath.

As soon as Li Ximing entered the Grand Void, he felt a cool sensation in the area between his thumb and forefinger. Using the Grand Void, he flew eastward in one go to the cape, then circled more than halfway around it, almost reaching the World’s Navel, before finally heading towards Jiuqiu Immortal Mountain.

By the time he reached the mountain, two days had passed. The sky was gloomy. Hou Fu was drinking tea in the courtyard in front of the mountain gate, clearly waiting for him. Upon finally seeing Li Ximing, he asked:

“Zhaojing, you are very cautious.”

‘How could I not be cautious? I was the one who made the move this time, and the Bright Sun Dao Lineage isn’t known for its stealth. We can’t come and go without a trace like Xiukui…’

He then cupped his hands and smiled:

“My apologies for keeping you waiting, Senior!”

Enough time had passed. Hou Fu did not offer him tea; instead, he swiftly gathered all the tea sets from the table, effectively cutting off Li Ximing’s chance to speak. The two then entered together.

Passing through the maple forest, Ling Du, leaning on his staff, stood amidst red leaves. Surprisingly, there was another person in front of him, clad in a black robe with a white and green silk sash tied around his waist. He was tall, and his tied black hair hung down his back.

Perhaps hearing footsteps, this person turned his head. He appeared to be a young man with delicate features and faintly red pupils, exuding an uncanny, almost demonic aura that did not suggest benevolence.

Seeing Ling Du stand a step lower than this person, Li Ximing was ninety percent sure he could guess his identity. Hou Fu, who was behind him, also lowered his head for the first time, bowing before the other, and said in a deep voice:

“This junior, Hou Fu, greets True Lord Yuandao!”

Li Ximing quickly followed suit, bowing and saying:

“This junior, Zhaojing, pays respects to the Grand True Lord…”

Li Ximing had long heard of the renowned Grand True Lord Tantai Lingtong of the Tantai family. This True Lord Yuandao had actually cultivated the fifth divine ability, and his cultivation was even higher than Si Boxiu’s! He was already a Grand True Lord at the peak of Purple Mansion cultivation. Although his chances of reaching Golden Core were unknown, very few people in this world dared to offend him.

Even if a Maha were to arrive, they wouldn’t dare to be presumptuous in front of this Grand True Lord, but would respectfully and politely discuss profound matters with him.

After the two had bowed, this Grand True Lord’s demeanor proved quite different from his appearance. His words were gentle and polite, as calm as water, and he did not put on airs:

“Please, both of you, be seated!”

Li Ximing sat down obediently. Hou Fu also seemed uncomfortable, while only Ling Du casually poured tea for the three. True Lord Yuandao looked over with a smile:

“How is Fellow Daoist Lou Xing doing these days? I haven’t seen him in quite a while.”

This question was clearly directed at Hou Fu. Li Ximing lowered his gaze and remained silent, and indeed, Hou Fu responded in a deep voice:

“Our ancestor was stuck on the Purple Card for a century, which wore down his spirit… Although he has now achieved a breakthrough… he doesn’t have much time left. He often speaks to me of your divine abilities, Grand True Lord… and misses you greatly.”

True Lord Yuandao placed one hand on the table, accepting the small cup offered by Ling Du. Li Ximing vaguely saw a thin, elongated string of red sandalwood beads tied around his wrist. The Grand True Lord nodded, then turned to speak:

“Truly, the younger generation is formidable… I thought Hou Fu had achieved divine abilities early enough, but I didn’t expect Zhaojing to be of the first rank as well… A Purple Mansion rogue cultivator under a hundred years old, truly impressive.”

After all, the Li family’s meager Dao Lineage accumulation was insignificant before this esteemed figure, so referring to Li Ximing as a rogue cultivator was not an issue. Li Ximing would not correct him, merely replying:

“This junior merely got lucky; I am not as powerful as your divine abilities, True Lord.”

True Lord Yuandao chuckled and said casually:

“This time, I’ve troubled you. Ling Du did indeed obtain the spirit fire from that temple… Ling Du!”

Ling Du quickly took a small, vermilion ceramic bowl from his robes and carefully placed it on the table.

This small bowl was truly exquisite, smooth and clean, no larger than a child’s fist, perfectly fitting into the palm. Inside, it was pitch black, save for a tiny, greyish-red flame, faintly surrounded by a five-colored halo, flickering within, no bigger than a grain of rice.

True Lord Yuandao sipped his tea, observing that Li Ximing didn’t recognize the item, and then said:

“This is the Minor Peacock Karmic United Fire; ordinarily, it can be called the Minor Peacock Karma. Don’t be fooled by its rice-grain size in the bowl; if released, it would likely transform to the size of a mountain peak.”

“This fire transformed from the Desire-United Fire. The Desire-United Fire is the second type of flame that leaks from between the nose and teeth of a Qu Wu during coitus. It is also the essence of desire fire beyond procreative desire. When Qu Wu mate, their beaks and teeth face the sun. The first type of fire corresponds to the sun, and the second corresponds to Bright Sun, possessing a unifying effect.”

“Hence, the ancient Qu Wu were known for their public displays of lust during the day, which explains this phenomenon.”

This level of Daoist discourse not only deeply shook Li Ximing but also left Hou Fu, who was beside him, staring at the bowl with full concentration, completely engrossed. However, the Grand True Lord paused, lightly flicked his finger, and a chorus of chimes resonated across the entire immortal mountain.

Ling Du explained from the side:

“When the True Lord discusses profound matters involving ancient True Monarchs and Demon Monarchs, he first needs to instruct disciples to take precautions, lest the United Fire respond and descend, burning the forests.”

True Lord Yuandao paused briefly, then continued:

“This fire was obtained by the Great Peacock and passed to its eldest son. This eldest son entered the Buddhist path—his name is not to be mentioned—and cultivated this fire into the Great Peacock Karma. From his lineage, the Minor Peacock Karma was born, which is this very flame.”

Li Ximing felt as if he was listening to a mythical tale. The divine powers of these ancient cultivators were truly terrifying; even just hearing about them filled him with awe. He swallowed, and True Lord Yuandao continued:

“The Minor Peacock Karma can be considered a United Fire, and in the hands of Buddhist cultivators, it also functions as a karmic fire. It is a rare flame whose power is quite formidable among Purple Mansion spirit fires, ranking at least in the upper-middle tier.”

Li Ximing felt a mix of pleasant surprise and regret.

He had, in fact, considered early on that the spirit fire he obtained might not be the specific Li Fire he desired. After all, there were countless types of flames in the world; it was entirely impossible for a single inheritance to yield the exact flame one wished for. Yet, he still resolutely participated, and the “Intercalary Yang Method” was an indispensable factor.

The “Intercalary Yang Method” was originally Tu Long Jian’s fortuitous encounter. It allowed flames to transform between several paths, primarily involving the Li, Zhen, and Mu paths. Earlier, Ling Du had already excluded Mu Fire and Hong Fire, making Li Ximing’s chance of transforming it into Li Fire very high.

However, the “Intercalary Yang Method” did not cover all the flames of the Li, Zhen, and Mu paths, and there was also the possibility of United Fire. Li Ximing was also prepared for it not being convertible. He was not greedy—any Purple Mansion spirit fire in hand was a good thing.

Although it was a United Fire, its power, according to the Grand True Lord, was by no means weak. Li Ximing still felt it was a worthwhile acquisition, and joy filled his heart. Yet, other doubts arose:

‘I merely deflected some suspicion; do I truly deserve such a reward of flames? This United Fire might as well have the word “Peacock” written all over it! If I actually use it in combat, wouldn’t I be firmly taking the blame for something?’

If not for True Lord Yuandao’s explanation, Li Ximing would have politely accepted it. But with the Grand True Lord sitting right in front of him and speaking so clearly, Li Ximing could only say respectfully:

“For a flame of such power, this junior feels unworthy to receive it. Please, Grand True Lord, take it back!”

True Lord Yuandao heard this, slightly raised an eyebrow, and shook his head, saying:

“No need to be so polite. You are also considered a force under the Yuan Mansion’s jurisdiction. My Taiqiu Dao Lineage has a deep relationship with the Yuan Mansion, so providing some care is reasonable. It’s just a spiritual fire.”

Li Ximing’s heart lurched:

‘So it’s a Dao Lineage with a deep relationship with the Yuan Mansion… If they are on the same level, wouldn’t this True Lord Tantai be a figure of the same caliber as True Lord Donghua back then?… That might be an exaggeration… But if they are one level below, they are still a Dao Lineage on par with the Three Sects… No wonder they are so formidable! The Tantai family truly has a grand background!’

He quickly bowed again, saying:

“Reporting, Senior! One should receive according to one’s merits… This junior dares not be greedy. Furthermore, this Minor Peacock Karma is a treasure of the Peacock clan. For this junior to hold it is like holding a hot potato… I absolutely dare not use it!”

True Lord Yuandao did not rise, waiting for him to complete his first bow. Only then did he reach out to help him up, stopping any further movements, and said softly:

“Zhaojing, you are too polite. For now, set your mind at ease. Since I have told you about this matter, I certainly have no intention of harming you.”