Chapter 877: Closing the Door to the Outside World

Lake Wangyue.

The sky was dim, and on the observation platform, the blazing fire surged, its radiant flames soaring to the heavens, illuminating the surroundings. Li Ximing stepped through the light, glancing at the platform. The progress of Shichuan above was quite good, and Chu Minglian was carefully adding fuel.

Feeling pleased, he nodded inwardly, entered Zhijing Mountain, and sat down at a table. With a stir of the celestial light between his brows, he summoned the Huayang Royal Axe.

"A Bright Sun spirit artifact."

Although spirit artifacts and spirit embryos were both Purple Mansion weapons, they were incomparable. Not only were spirit artifacts superior in combat, but they were also heirloom treasures. As Li Ximing refined the Huayang Royal Axe, he discovered it was truly unique.

Compared to the Mountain-Rushing Sea-Going Tiger's monotonous three mystic abilities, the Huayang Royal Axe, in his hands, possessed a full five!

Two of these had been mentioned by Tiansanglin as the primary uses of the Huayang Royal Axe. The first was Light Severance, renowned for: "Shattering evil, punishing the disloyal, not easily lent, bringing death with every strike." This Light Severance was also the Huayang Royal Axe's sole offensive ability, imbued with the Bright Sun's power to defeat enemies. However, its descent was extremely slow, and if it missed, its power would be greatly diminished even if the same amount of divine power was used for the next attempt. According to Tiansanglin, Light Severance was derived from the Bright Sun divine ability, Crimson Cluster Severance, which likely explained its limitations.

The second was Radiance, signifying "Bright Mountains and Rivers, illuminating the populace." Once this spirit artifact was activated, it could bestow blessings upon allies. Li Ximing observed that this mystic ability was fairly standard for a Purple Mansion cultivator. When affixed to a cultivator's body, it was akin to a slightly weaker Gen Earth Spirit Infusion, but fortunately, with far fewer restrictions.

'The key is that Gen Earth doesn't conflict with Bright Sun, meaning these two enhancements can be used simultaneously, making it even easier to handle opponents.' After all, the Gen Earth Spirit Infusion couldn't defend against the Twelve Qi and Fire Virtue, which was too restrictive. It wouldn't offer much advantage against immortal cultivators. Li Ximing's subconscious imagined enemies were naturally Buddhist cultivators.

Aside from these two combat-oriented abilities, the remaining three were intriguing. Tiansanglin hadn't mentioned them, as they could only be activated by the Bright Sun divine ability. What Li Ximing valued most was the 'Authority Axe' ability.

"The strong can dominate, the weak invite disaster, capable of bearing immense responsibility, sweeping away all difficulties... This wasn't just talk. The power of the Huayang Royal Axe was indeed affected by the Bright Sun divine ability. While currently only moderately effective, its power increased with more Bright Sun divine abilities cultivated. Below the Purple Attainment level, with three divine abilities or fewer, its power was actually weakened. Once the Bright Sun reached grand accomplishment with all five abilities, this item might not be inferior to an ancient spirit artifact."

Li Ximing felt both envy and bitterness. He hadn't yet achieved Purple Attainment, and grand accomplishment in Bright Sun felt like a distant dream. He secretly felt good about placing his hopes on Li Zhouwei.

The remaining minor mystic abilities were Flame Emission and Misappropriation. Flame Emission was clearly a minor bonus. Once the Huayang Royal Axe was summoned, it could add a mouthful of Blazing Fire to Li Ximing, slightly more potent than that in the Juque Courtyard, but the effect wasn't significant.

"Combined with the 'Three Heralds Suppressing Profound Fire' emission, it's just icing on the cake."

Having familiarized himself with these, Li Ximing was undoubtedly very satisfied, but only 'Misappropriation' made him feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

"'The Authority Axe cannot be improperly transferred; once bestowed, it indicates an inability to retrieve it.'" This mystic ability, Misappropriation, had only one function: the Huayang Royal Axe could not be casually lent to others. Whether it was a magic artifact or a spirit artifact, as long as the owner assented and relaxed their mental control, it could be temporarily lent. Li Ximing's use of Kuiqi's Soaring Sun Star-Controlling Plate was an example of this. Kuiqi remained the owner of the spirit artifact; it was simply lent to Li Ximing. In this way, although Li Ximing didn't use it as proficiently and expended more magic power for certain mystic abilities, he didn't need to transfer ownership of the spirit artifact. This not only avoided the trouble of divine ability contamination but also reduced many potential hidden dangers. If Kuiqi absolutely needed to use it, he could summon the Soaring Sun Star-Controlling Plate to return through the void. If Li Ximing was unwilling to return it, the refinement time would be much longer, and Kuiqi could still track it through their connection.

However, the Huayang Royal Axe's mystic ability negated the possibility of casual lending. Once this item was transferred, it had to be actively returned by the recipient; otherwise, the spirit artifact would be lost forever.

'To think it has such a mystic ability... no wonder Tiansanglin said it couldn't be lent out...'

He weighed the convenient spirit artifact in his hand, naturally very satisfied. The Huayang Royal Axe was a level above the Mountain-Rushing Sea-Going Tiger in both mystic abilities and power. Although the Gen Tiger Evasion of the Mountain-Rushing Sea-Going Tiger played a significant role when Li Ximing was escaping, it seemed like a white elephant in daily use. He mused: "It's not just the difference in spirit artifacts; perhaps it's also the difference that I am not a Gen Earth cultivator myself."

As for the Huayang Royal Axe's abilities to be stored in celestial light, emit bright light, and so on, these were various minor mystic abilities related to divine powers, merely icing on the cake.

He stored the spirit artifact in the celestial light between his brows and meticulously nourished and refined it with his divine ability. As light and shadow intertwined outside, he finally rose and summoned Li Jiangqian.

Soon, Li Jiangqian entered the mountain, holding a jade box, and saluted: "Greetings, True Immortal!"

Li Ximing smiled and mentioned the Huayang Royal Axe, making Li Jiangqian look up in pleasant surprise and offer repeated congratulations. Li Ximing waved his hand, said little, and listened to his report.

Li Jiangqian opened the long jade box, revealing a pure black magic sword within. Li Ximing glanced at it, and upon seeing the sword's form, his expression changed slightly, and he immediately stood up. He first used his Immortal Mirror to ensure no one was present, then took the magic sword and examined it carefully, narrowing his eyes.

"It truly is extremely similar!"

Li Jiangqian nodded deeply and reported all the details from before and after, then continued: "During your absence, sir... I've already sent orders for people to investigate. Of the four magic swords, excluding Black Stream, the remaining ones—Fallen Cassia, Sea Severer, and Heart Piercer—are in the hands of Bai Yinzi, Han Li, and Song Yunbai."

"The Water Convergence sword is with a cultivator named Han Li. We don't know where he came from; his name has only been heard from your mouth, sir, and there's no other information about him. It will probably be very difficult to acquire."

"The Fire Departure sword, Heart Piercer, is in Song Yunbai's hands. This one is the easiest to obtain. Although Song Yunbai is not in Duxian, the Song family is in the territory of the Huaihun Hall. We have already obtained a portrait."

From his sleeve, he took out a scroll and unrolled it gently, revealing a meticulously drawn crimson magic sword. Its patterns were more numerous than Black Stream's, and it was slightly longer. Not only was the color wrong, but there were no accessories hanging from its end. Clearly, this Heart Piercer could be ruled out.

"Bai Yinzi's Fallen Cassia is of the Great Yin element. After parting ways with you, sir, this person appeared in the Great Desert. We sent people to inquire twice and got news from the Zhuang family that he had traveled north, towards the river."

"As for his sword... according to Zhuang Cheng, the blade was hidden in the scabbard, its form unseen, but a corner of the sword's hilt was exposed, and it was gray... Unfortunately... he said... he didn't see any hanging accessory."

Li Ximing's gaze deepened slightly, and he said quietly: "No accessory might just mean it was put away. After all, the fragments look like ordinary objects, so it's unlikely Bai Yinzi could discern their true purpose. Perhaps he just put it in his storage bag."

"This person... must be closely watched!"

"Since he passed through the Great Desert, it's highly likely the Golden Feather Sect knows about him. But his journey north means he'll enter the territory of the Hammered Gold Gate... We should definitely inquire with Golden Feather about the sword in his possession. Fortunately, it's a magic sword, so our family naturally has reason to inquire about exchanging for it."

"I sent a few people there, but dared not be too aggressive. If this hadn't been a sword, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have dared to send anyone to look..." Li Jiangqian bowed and said:

"As for the north, yesterday... a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Huaihun Hall fell, clearly indicating you've already taken action, sir. A few days ago, another Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Duxian Dao also perished. Guan Gongxiao has recalled his forces, and the demonic cultivators have established a firm foothold." He took a small letter from his sleeve and whispered: "Guan Gongxiao has requested aid again, hoping our family can offer assistance."

Li Ximing made no comment.

Back then, Ye Gui plotted for Changxiao and secretly held back, harboring ill intentions. Li Ximing eventually escaped, and although he held no goodwill towards Ye Gui, he had always instructed his family to stabilize Duxian. Ye Gui also seemed unwilling to completely fall out. He had been well-behaved in the years Li Ximing was absent, but that didn't mean he was weak. This fellow had obtained the Douxuan lineage and possessed several spirit artifacts, making him not easy to provoke.

Li Ximing still didn't know Changxiao's whereabouts and decided to show some goodwill towards Duxian. Li Jiangqian reporting this news here clearly indicated similar thoughts, so Li Ximing said: "Reply to him, tell him you have my verbal order, and instruct him to hold fast to their sect, waiting for some time."

Li Jiangqian bowed and nodded. Li Ximing raised an eyebrow and said: "Since the Venerable One has achieved Foundation Establishment, three years have passed, and Huaihun Hall doesn't have much power to resist. He plans to travel north and will depart in a year or two. Pay close attention to the matter of the swords; I only hope it's not that spirit embryo."

Li Jiangqian assented and said softly: "There's one more thing to report, True Immortal. Uncle-Grandpa Cheng Zhi... passed away some time ago."

Li Ximing tightened his grip on the jade cup, finally let out a sigh, and said quietly: "I know."

Given Li Jiangqian's control over the Li clan, he naturally knew Li Ximing had met Li Cheng Zhi. He immediately lowered his head, changed the subject, and continued: "Fortunately... Uncle Zhou Ming, after settling your affairs, also took the elixir prepared by the family and successfully broke through to the eighth layer of Qi Condensation. We are now preparing to have him take that Talisman Elixir to break through to the ninth layer of Qi Condensation, allowing him to attempt Foundation Establishment."

"Good." Li Ximing nodded in acknowledgement and asked: "How are the family's sacrificial rites? You haven't sought a Talisman, have you?"

"I have not." Li Jiangqian bowed and said: "Now that the Purple Mansion Grand Formation has been established, we perform incense sacrifices and have obtained three Talisman Elixirs. As for the Talisman Seeds... most of the children in the family haven't grown up yet. After all, there are many cultivators in the Jiangque direct lineage, and their fertility isn't very good... None of my younger brothers are married yet, and only Jiang Zong has had a child, who is less than a year old."

Li Jiangqian handed over the three elixirs and smiled: "Earlier, I considered receiving a Talisman to help the family, but was troubled by the lack of a grand formation for concealment... Now there's no rush. After all, I'm only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and my cultivation speed is still fast. I could either receive a Talisman after breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm and use the Talisman Qi to enhance my divine abilities... or at least seek a Talisman Qi during the mid or late Foundation Establishment stages."

"Therefore, this time, the elder master presided over it, and I did not participate in the ceremony."

Li Ximing nodded and sighed: "Indeed. People often struggle with the difficulties of cultivation in the late stages of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, spending vast amounts of time, only to realize after reaching Purple Mansion that it's the divine abilities that are truly difficult to advance... No matter how potent the elixirs, they only add a mere one or two percent..."

Speaking of this, Li Jiangqian reminded him: "Since you, True Immortal, have already broken through to Purple Mansion, Talisman Elixirs can be consumed again... The 'Sacrificial Rite' states that this elixir can break through bottlenecks and advance cultivation, so it should also be effective for divine abilities."

Li Ximing pondered and replied: "I've considered this as well and am currently contemplating it. Since you've brought it up, feel free to elaborate."

"Although I've traveled overseas for a while, I've consumed quite a few spiritual elixirs. My 'Heaven-Worshiping Gate' divine ability has already reached minor accomplishment, and I still have two spiritual elixirs on hand. With such accumulation, grand accomplishment is not far off... I was originally thinking it would only take five or six years, so it might be better to save them... for my next divine ability."

Li Jiangqian naturally understood and bowed, saying: "Once the Venerable One travels north and returns to the mountains, there will inevitably be contention north of the river. By then, during the many great battles, not only will there be True Immortals of the immortal path, but Buddhist cultivators from the north will likely interfere as well... At that time, it probably won't be so simple..."

Li Ximing rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke: "Indeed... My urgency in searching for spirit artifacts everywhere is precisely for this reason. Not only True Immortals within the realm, but I expect cultivators from both within and beyond the seas will come to observe. Even if the Fated Child cannot be divided, individuals like Fei Qingya are like excellent spiritual medicine in their eyes. Moreover, the Venerable One is generous, whether it's Fei Tongcai or Bai Yinzi, after so many years, surely they wouldn't have gained nothing? Not to mention fishing in troubled waters during chaos..."

His expression was composed, his tone firm, and he said calmly: "Now that we have clues, everything else can be set aside, but the fragments must not be lost. We absolutely cannot gamble. I will write a letter to Ning Wan while immediately entering seclusion to consume the elixir and use the Talisman Elixir to cultivate my divine ability to grand accomplishment."

"No matter when the True Monarch goes north, the return date is six years and six months. It's only when his return is confirmed that these people will make their move. There's plenty of time!"

Li Jiangqian nodded. The True Immortal, with his hands clasped behind his back, said: "Fortunately, with the Eastern Fire Grotto-Heaven existing, there are quite a few Bright Sun spiritual objects and artifacts in the world. They are even much easier to acquire than those of other lineages. Once this matter is concluded, we must continue to inquire about news of spirit artifacts!"

"For now, you only need to focus on investigating Bai Yinzi to the best of your ability!"

He sent Li Jiangqian away, wrote the letter to Ning Wan, sealed the grand formation, then took out the Talisman Elixir, wrapped it with his divine ability, and consumed it.

Since breaking through to Purple Mansion, Li Ximing had consumed spiritual elixirs more than once. Even the best elixirs would only cause his divine abilities to stir slightly, moving inch by inch like a scrawny donkey pulling a heavy millstone. But upon consuming the Talisman Elixir, his divine abilities seemed to connect with some aura and immediately became restless.

"Boom!"

Although the spiritual energy provided by the Talisman Elixir was now negligible for a Purple Mansion cultivator, it seemed to unlock something crucial. His divine abilities began to operate spontaneously. Li Ximing was overjoyed and immediately took a Unicorn Radiance Elixir, using its magical power to assist his divine abilities and unleash infinite light.