Chapter 808: Nine Hills’ Goodwill

After saying this, True Person Yuan Dao gestured slightly to the vermilion ceramic bowl on the small table. His slightly red pupils flickered as he spoke:

"I know Zhaojing is concerned about the Peacock matter. The Lesser Peacock Karma Fire is rare, found in only a few places in the world. Flaunting it openly isn't wise. Not only is the Grand Bestowal Temple of Bronze Splendor determined to acquire this fire, but at least five of the Seven Buddhist Paths of the North can achieve enlightenment through this karma fire. Keeping it would bring endless trouble..."

"I offer Zhaojing three options."

He shifted his cup slightly, extended a hand, and said, "Although the Lesser Peacock Karma Fire originates from Buddhist lands as karma fire, it fundamentally cannot escape its nature as a merging fire born from desire. It's not like the Greater Peacock Karma Fire, which was personally refined by a mighty cultivator. I have a good understanding of the Peacock lineage and can help you transform it into a merging fire called 'Ever-Returning Flame' (尽回成炎). It also has a connection to the Bright Yang and is one of the rare gentle merging fires. It can be used for alchemy, but not for artifact refining, nor can it be combined with water or interacting with Geng Metal.

"Although the transformation process is complex, time-consuming, and costly, and the Ever-Returning Flame's value is far less than that of the Lesser Peacock Karma Fire, there is a portion available on this mountain, which you can retrieve first... This is the first option."

Li Ximing felt a slight stir, nodded respectfully, and immediately had doubts in his mind: *'Perhaps the Nine Hills Daoist Sect can only transform the Lesser Peacock Karma Fire into the Ever-Returning Flame, but not back again... True Person Yuan Dao's words suggest he doesn't want to lose the Lesser Peacock Karma Fire...'*

As he pondered, True Person Yuan Dao continued: "Second, if you entrust the Lesser Peacock Karma Fire to my Nine Hills Daoist Sect, I will personally offer you a spiritual flame in exchange. This fire is a true fire, called 'Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire' (三候戍玄火).

"In recent ancient times, as the Solar and Bright Yang energies grew stronger and the Lunar and Declining Yin energies grew weaker, true fires became more intense and profound waters became softer. True fires often leaned towards artifact refining. However, the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire is an exception. Its corresponding true fire remnants still resonate today, preserving characteristics from ancient times, and it is extremely adept at alchemy.

"However, in combat, it's not as potent as the Ever-Returning Flame. No matter how gentle, the Ever-Returning Flame is still a merging fire, whereas the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire lacks the intensity of current true fires, making it a step weaker."

He took a sip of tea and finally said: "Third, I can also compensate you with other spiritual treasures. Our path of water and fire flourishes, unparalleled by others. I won't take advantage of you. Besides the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire, there is also a 'Lù Water' (渌水) on Nine Hills Mountain."

After True Person Yuan Dao finished speaking, Li Ximing's heart was suddenly torn: *'I don't have the "Li Fire" yet, and I'm unsure if the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire can be transformed into it... The Ever-Returning Flame can be used for alchemy and combat, and it resonates with Bright Yang. It's also a good option.'*

The spiritual fires offered by True Person Yuan Dao were simply too tempting. The Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire sounded like something only ancient sects would possess; transforming it into "Li Fire" would be a terrible waste. Li Ximing privately thought that even if he acquired this fire, he would cherish it immensely and truly wouldn't bear to transform it into "Li Fire"...

Besides his indecision over the two fires, Li Ximing harbored a more subtle concern: *'This Grand True Person is neither kin nor acquaintance; why is he so kind? My involvement in this matter was merely a brief appearance, yet I'm receiving such substantial compensation? Could it be that a significant karma is about to be formed?'*

He hesitated, realizing it belatedly: *'Alas... I often act impulsively when immediate benefits seem rich, failing to think things through like my junior brother Jun, who plans extensively. I just escaped one constraint, only to seemingly enter another thorny patch. Fortunately, Nine Hills' intentions aren't malicious, so there's still room for rectification...'*

Out of this concern, Li Ximing first rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully said: "To form a connection with Nine Hills, to offer a small contribution, and to meet the Grand True Person – Zhaojing was already deeply satisfied from the start and harbored no greed. My only thought was to remove the mark. Now, fearing the Peacock's tyrannical might, and terrified of being unable to withstand it, I dare not accept the Grand True Person's spiritual treasures. I only hope for a slight patronage to avoid its venomous beak."

At these words, Hou Fu was slightly taken aback, while True Person Yuan Dao raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said: "You are indeed cautious. Since that's the case, I can explain it clearly to you... What you hear now, you must never repeat."

Li Ximing quickly nodded. The Grand True Person then smiled: "You guessed correctly. Something extraordinary, something very important to the Peacocks, was indeed taken from that Daoist treasury. If an item of this level were known, it would be enough to shake the Buddhist lands, alarming even the Mahas. Both Vajra and Shiva would personally come to retrieve it."

Li Ximing's heart suddenly sank, but seeing the other party speaking freely, he actually felt a sense of relief. Yuan Dao's slightly reddish eyes gazed at him as he replied: "But this matter was not done privately by my Nine Hills Daoist Sect, do you understand? Vajra strictly ordered Abbot Yu Kuan to personally enter the Buddhist lands and report it, which was already decided. This treasure cannot fall into the hands of the Peacocks, nor can its whereabouts be known to them! While the Peacocks are insignificant... their voices are very loud."

As he spoke the last sentence, Yuan Dao's expression darkened. Li Ximing nodded in understanding, and Yuan Dao softly said: "No matter how Yu Kuan reports the loss of the Peacock Daoist treasury to Vajra and Shiva afterward, the two Mahas will not truly act. Instead, they will stall and handle it lightly, actually hoping that you don't fall into the Peacock's hands, preventing them from having any chance of knowing.

"The ones you've truly offended are only a few Peacocks in that temple. Even if this secret were to be exposed overnight, it would only cause an uproar and internal strife in the Buddhist lands. No one would consider you the culprit.

"As for the spiritual fire." Yuan Dao looked at him with a smile and softly said: "Whether it's the Ever-Returning Flame or the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire, neither is unrelated to Nine Hills. Accepting either means my Nine Hills Daoist Sect has already protected you, signaling to the Buddhist lands that the Immortal Dao will not sacrifice even a single Purple Mansion cultivator over this matter."

Li Ximing's understanding suddenly broadened. He nodded repeatedly, then bowed once more to Yuan Dao and replied: "Thank you, Grand True Person! This junior..."

Yuan Dao waved his hand, casually saying: "No need to thank me. My Nine Hills cannot help with major troubles, but minor peripheral matters we can assist with. When your family truly encounters serious trouble, do not blame my sect if we fail to intervene."

This remark came abruptly, almost rudely. Li Ximing was slightly stunned, but Hou Fu, who was nearby, nodded slightly and interjected: "The Grand True Person has always been benevolent and charitable. Nine Hills Immortal Mountain has helped many people, so such matters are unavoidable... Zhaojing, however, is an honest person with a good reputation in Jiangnan. His grand-uncle... is True Person Yuansu's capable subordinate."

Yuan Dao smiled slightly and gestured to Ling Du: "Bring the fire."

Ling Du immediately descended. Yuan Dao, meanwhile, began to chat idly: "It's a long story... Back then, fellow Daoists Yuansu and Yuanxiu both visited Nine Hills. I am their peer. At that time, those two senior and junior brothers often bickered, and even had a major argument, parting on bad terms. Afterward, there were no further close interactions.

"But a few days ago, Yuanxiu came to see me, and when he spoke of Yuansu, he lowered his brows and knitted his brow, as if sitting on pins and needles. It seems... there is still affection between them."

Li Ximing nodded respectfully on the surface, but a slight doubt arose in his heart: *'If that's the case... Yuanxiu, the youngest of the Qingchi Three Yuans, doesn't have much lifespan left. How could this True Person Yuan Dao be doing? Yet, judging by his appearance... his vital energy and spirit are still at their peak, his appearance is even that of a young man, and there's no hint of old age in his tone... If it's not concealed by divine abilities, then he truly possesses remarkable longevity-cultivating skills...'*

Just as he finished pondering, Ling Du approached from the side, holding two small bowls. One appeared to be made of Geng Metal, coated with something that gave it a dull, dark appearance. The other was still a vermilion ceramic bowl. Both were only about the size of a child's fist.

Ling Du presented them to him, first opening the Geng Metal one, revealing a tiny greyish-golden, rice-grain-sized speck of light within. He introduced it, saying: "This is the Ever-Returning Flame, a merging fire. A portion is stored in the mountain. This fire harms artifacts, so it should be contained in seamless Geng Metal."

He then took out the other one, which contained a tiny bright red speck of light, also the size of a grain of rice. Presumably, Nine Hills possessed extraordinary sealing and capturing methods, for no matter how fierce the flame, once captured in this bowl, it was no more than a single grain. "This is the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire, a true fire. True fires refine metal, so this is contained in a glazed porcelain artifact created by blending and firing with harmonized water."

Li Ximing knew these two were for him to choose from. After a slight hesitation, he took the vermilion ceramic bowl and respectfully said: "This junior will honor the Grand True Person's decree, keeping this profound generosity in mind, never to forget it."

The Ever-Returning Flame and the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire were nearly identical in rarity. In terms of value, the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire was likely superior. While the Ever-Returning Flame was slightly more powerful and also capable of alchemy, its additional benefit was its resonance with Bright Yang. Li Ximing, however, considered that he possessed the Spirit Talisman Valley Wind Summoning Fire, so this resonance wasn't a significant advantage.

Moreover, the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire was a true fire, which likely conformed to the transformations of the "Intercalary Yang Art." Even if Li Ximing didn't intend to transform such a precious fire, having an alternative path was certainly not a bad thing. *'The Grand Li White Radiance requires "Li Fire" for cultivation and deployment; without it, it's impossible. Otherwise, it would be best to transform it, cultivate successfully, and then transform it back...'*

The subtle marvels of the Ever-Returning Flame and the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire could certainly not be fully summarized in a few words by Yuan Dao and the others. Their applications varied in different situations. Even if he were to regret his choice in the future, Li Ximing could only make his decision now.

"Congratulations, Zhaojing!" Hou Fu offered his congratulations, and Ling Du also nodded slightly, smiling: "The Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire is not easy to refine. Please also accept this glazed bowl; it will be convenient for you to carry, even if you don't refine it here on Nine Hills Immortal Mountain."

Li Ximing had long coveted this item; he wished he could also pick up the golden bowl, wipe it on his clothes, and put it in his pocket. He modestly said: "How could I possibly..."

In truth, Li Ximing had no real use for this item. With the Valley Wind Summoning Fire in hand, any flame that fell into his possession, even the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire, could be instantly refined. But for the sake of being low-key and acquiring something for free, why not?

He accepted the bowl, feeling content. Ling Du then gently said: "There's also the Fangyin Pool that needs to be checked... This... Grand True Person, please take a look..."

It was unclear whether he was hesitating towards Yuan Dao or Li Ximing, as inspecting someone's Dharma body was often a taboo act, possibly leaving behind certain imprints or methods. However, Li Ximing, possessing a treasure, felt no fear. He feigned a moment of hesitation before extending his hand.

Yuan Dao glanced sideways, lightly touched, and immediately withdrew his hand. The Grand True Person's eyes shifted, sweeping over Li Ximing, and he said with slight surprise: "What Ling Du mentioned about the Douxuan Daoist Sect or any traces left by a silver vase were not detected. The karmic ties of the Peacock Child-Giving Plate have also been resolved by the Seven-Abode Lotus Seeds... Zhaojing's Dharma body... apart from some minor injuries, has nothing else."

*'That old fool Changxiao... truly is playing these deceptive tricks!'* Li Ximing cursed inwardly. Yuan Dao continued: "However... since you're here, you might as well visit. These minor injuries can be healed along the way, and it will also advance your cultivation a bit.

"Please wait a moment in the cave dwelling, Zhaojing. The Fangyin Pool in the mountain will only thaw at midnight. When the time approaches, a disciple will be sent to guide you."

Li Ximing knew he was being dismissed. He thanked them, bowed briefly, and then quickly left. After he had exited the area, Yuan Dao asked: "How was it?"

Hou Fu pondered for a moment and replied: "His talent is decent, and he is a good-natured individual. Unfortunately, his background is too shallow; he hasn't seen many good things, so he's easily swayed and not good at refusing directly... To become a Purple Mansion cultivator, his mind is certainly not bad; among ordinary clan cultivators, he's top-tier. Among Purple Mansion cultivators, however, he's merely average. There's only one thing: the matter with Xuanyue clearly shows his stubbornness and adherence to promises. He can be befriended, and as an enemy, he poses no great harm."

Yuan Dao chuckled. He looked even younger than Hou Fu and merely said: "Stubbornness and adherence to promises might not be the case. Perhaps he values friendship, or perhaps he simply couldn't back down."

Li Ximing sat down by the stream in the maple forest. The gurgling water was pleasant to the ear. The white jade lamp stand, through which the water flowed, now contained a different spiritual object. Unfortunately, compared to his cultivation, the grade of this resource was too low to have much effect.

He took the red glazed bowl into his hand, rubbed it for a moment, and mused: *'The spiritual material of this item isn't particularly high-grade, but the crafting technique is exquisite; it seems to be a special refining method...'*

Li Ximing lightly flicked his finger. Immediately, several hazy red lights glowed at the mouth of the bowl, revealing a tiny golden-red speck. In just a breath, bright red flames eagerly gushed out from the bowl's opening, like a burst of golden flowers, first blossoming, with golden petals hanging in the air, utterly exquisite.

The flame immediately seemed to want to escape, with two streams of bright red flame flowing down, bracing against the rim of the bowl, trying to pull half of itself out. Li Ximing seized the opportunity to observe. The fire as a whole presented a bright red color, with an outer ring of blazing red, bearing layers of faint red patterns. The interior leaned towards white, with occasional golden flickers emerging.

After all, it was someone else's territory. Unsure if there were hidden observers in the forest or if the Purple Mansion formation here had any special methods, Li Ximing did not immediately refine the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire. Instead, he simply sensed it a bit and extended his hand toward the blazing red outer flame.

A piercing pain immediately shot through him. Li Ximing withdrew his hand, his fingertips slightly blanched: *'Much more profound than the Bright Yang Purple Flame... the power of the flames is incomparable. True Fire has the power to incinerate artifacts, while Bright Yang is the path of generation. Although this Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire isn't fierce, its ability to harm artifacts and Dharma bodies compared to the Bright Yang Purple Flame, which comes with innate divine ability, is like heaven and earth...'*

*'My Dharma body, among Purple Mansion cultivators who haven't refined their physical divine abilities, should be considered quite good. Yet, even I must retreat when facing the Three-Watch Dog-Xuàn Fire...'*

Suppressing the urge to refine this fire for alchemy, he closed his eyes and entered meditation. Soon, an immortal child came forward and respectfully said: "Please follow me, True Person."

Li Ximing followed, arriving immediately at the depths of the forest. Purple mist began to emerge beneath his feet. Passing through a small path shrouded in hazy purple mist, he saw a small pond, built with fine white stones, appearing empty inside.

The boy had already retreated. By the side of the pond stood a person, none other than Tantai Muming, who had been there earlier. He bowed to Li Ximing and respectfully said: "Greetings, True Person Zhaojing."

"This is the Fangyin Pool, a wondrous place of pure Qi and Lesser Yin One. Its spiritual energy is harmonious and suitable for all paths. Within it lies a resource called 'Fangxi Marvelous Dew,' which is especially effective in healing spiritual consciousness, enhancing magical power, removing impurities, dispelling external forces, nourishing life, and warding off thunder."

Li Ximing nodded slightly, seeing Tantai Muming say: "True Person, please sit quietly by the pond and cultivate your divine abilities."

Li Ximing had originally thought of entering the pond to cultivate, but fearing potential unforeseen dangers to his Dharma body, he was quite content to sit by the pond's edge. As soon as he closed his eyes, Tantai Muming also withdrew.

He cultivated for about half an hour, feeling a coolness in his glabella, as if a drop of clear dew had fallen between his eyebrows. His mind indeed became clear, comfortable, and refreshed.

For a Purple Mansion cultivator, the Ascending Yang Mansion was already projected into the Great Void. Li Ximing saw clearly that this clear dew, upon entering his glabella, immediately dripped from within his Ascending Yang Mansion, turning into a torrential downpour, pattering within the mansion.

Li Ximing felt as if he was in the rain, and he began to ponder: "If one were to break through to the Purple Mansion here, would the Fangxi Marvelous Dew continuously fall, keeping one's spiritual consciousness clear? If it possessed such a marvelous function, then it would indeed be a rare and excellent treasure."

As he finished pondering, his divine abilities surged dramatically. Massive amounts of spiritual power poured in, as white mist had already begun to rise from the ground, nourishing every part of his Dharma body.

Li Ximing quickly circulated his divine abilities and meditated. However, the white mist was vast, and the speed at which he refined his divine abilities was far from keeping up. Ninety percent of it dissipated outside his Dharma body. Li Ximing watched, feeling a slight regret: "Such pure spiritual power... Unfortunately, refining divine abilities isn't simply a matter of having sufficient spiritual power... It's good to have enough spiritual power, but where would such a rapid refining speed come from?"

As he lamented, a light suddenly rose within his Qi Sea. The spiritual power, which permeated his entire Dharma body, surged wildly towards the Qi Sea. Amidst a storm of white mist, a brilliant light abruptly emerged: Valley Wind Summoning Fire!

The Valley Wind Summoning Fire could manipulate fire, draw in vital energy, and refine true essence and spiritual power!

Throughout Li Ximing's half-lifetime of cultivation, the Valley Wind Summoning Fire had not played a significant role. Although it was somewhat helpful for cultivation speed, it was nowhere near as formidable as Li Yuanjiao's Qi-Circulation Spirit-Swallowing ability. Only now did he realize its true potential as vast magical power surged towards him.

Yet, Li Ximing still couldn't refine the divine abilities quickly enough and could only first activate his talismanic qi. If Qi-Circulation Spirit-Swallowing were present, it might have converted all these resources into cultivation base. Li Ximing could only watch helplessly as the Valley Wind Summoning Fire swallowed all this spiritual power in one go, refining it and gathering it all into his Qi Sea.

Li Ximing glanced twice, murmuring to himself: *'It's not bad after all.'*

He then opened his eyes. Before him was still the bamboo forest. The white stone spiritual pool at his feet was now frozen with a thick layer of blue ice, reflecting a glittering light. The mist in the forest had completely disappeared.

His Dharma body was, naturally, perfectly intact, with no lingering after-effects. It had even slightly advanced, and his cultivation had improved significantly. The Valley Wind Summoning Fire had helped somewhat; combined with his original cultivation, the Heaven's Gate had been refined by about one and a half tenths.

*'That also saved three years of effort.'*

He shook his sleeves, stood up, and exited along the path. In the forest, only two cultivators were standing guard. Upon seeing him, they immediately bowed in salute. Li Ximing simply asked: "How much time has passed?"

"Reporting, True Person, we have been guarding here since your seclusion. Eight months have passed."

"Has True Person Hou Fu left the mountain?"

As soon as Li Ximing asked, the other party immediately replied: "Reporting, True Person, True Person Hou Fu has been lecturing and imparting knowledge on the mountain these past few months, once a month. He has not left and should still be on the mountain now."

*'What a master of human relations...'*

Li Ximing's mood greatly improved, and he headed towards the mountaintop. Sure enough, he saw Hou Fu and Ling Du from afar, conversing profoundly in the forest, with the chessboard still laid out before them. This time, it seemed like a new game had just begun, with only a few pieces placed.

As long as the two were playing, Li Ximing wasn't worried about them inviting him to a game. He walked over openly. Indeed, both raised their eyebrows to look, and Ling Du smiled: "Congratulations, Zhaojing!"

Li Ximing politely returned the greeting and asked: "Where is the Grand True Person? I still need to thank him!"

Ling Du shook his head and replied: "He has already gone to visit a friend; it will be difficult for him to return within three to five years."

Li Ximing's face was filled with regret. After exchanging a few polite words, he felt a slight relief in his heart. He sat down by the side, glanced at Hou Fu, and whispered: "When will Senior Hou Fu return to Jiangnan?"

Hou Fu was surprised and said: "Perhaps in a few months."

Li Ximing seized the opportunity to speak, smiling: "I actually have a favor to ask of you, Senior... I have taken a Foundation Establishment cultivator as my disciple overseas and am about to bring her back to Jiangnan. However, I also have many affairs overseas and am stretched thin. I kindly ask for your assistance."

For a Purple Mansion cultivator, a trip to Jiangnan wouldn't take much time. Both of them, of course, understood why he wasn't going back personally. Hou Fu simply nodded: "Is it Xia Shouyu? She has indeed often come to hear my sermons these past few months. Earlier, I thought she was a disciple seeking the Dao from Nine Hills. Although her cultivation is shallow, her devotion to the Dao is commendable."

Li Ximing nodded, saying with a slight trace of regret: "I carefully selected her, but her background is a bit humble... and she's not surnamed Li. I'm worried she won't have the prestige or status to suppress others when she returns... it's quite troublesome! I'm still thinking about finding her a suitable background."

He looked over at Ling Du, who was a wily old expert, and Ling Du leisurely said: "That's easy enough. Give her an impressive identity. Since she's far overseas, it doesn't matter if it's real or fake. If you don't mind, fellow Daoist, you could give her the identity of a relative of a Nine Hills cultivator, to establish her background..."

Li Ximing had originally hoped to secure an outer disciple's identity for her, but he hadn't expected Ling Du to be so unwilling to get involved in any karma, or to let his own sect get involved at all. He replied: "That's a good idea..."

Ling Du sighed deeply and replied: "There was a disciple in the mountain who died while breaking through to the Purple Mansion, cutting off his lineage. Let's recognize her as his granddaughter, and have her call him 'maternal grandfather'... Stick a few incense sticks on his spirit tablet, and it will be settled."

Ling Du pulled out a deceased person's name. Li Ximing didn't mind; it was just a matter of establishing a nominal relationship. He smiled: "Excellent! You've truly gone to great trouble, Senior Ling Du!"

Before long, Tantai Muming quickly came up, leading Xia Shouyu. The woman appeared uneasy; she had no standing to speak in this place. Ling Du merely glanced at her, and the old True Person said: "Muming!"

Tantai Muming quickly stepped forward, and the two whispered to each other. Tantai Muming, whether he knew the full truth or not, returned with a completely changed expression, joyfully saying: "So she's the long-lost granddaughter of Senior Brother Yu Dui! I'll take her down to acknowledge her ancestors now!"

Xia Shouyu reacted even faster, her eyes immediately reddening. She nodded heavily. Tantai Muming led her out, speaking comforting words along the way, appearing exceptionally concerned.

Li Ximing watched the two depart. Ling Du, meanwhile, sighed meaningfully: "Zhaojing... one type cannot be uplifted by endless blessings, while another can ascend to the heavens with a mere wisp of wind. It's truly hard to describe..."