Chapter 879: 取物

Chibu Zi heard this and, without surprise, calmly said, "Please."

Seeing Chibu Zi's calm demeanor, Fu Xuan Zhenren was seventy percent convinced, though a suspicion lingered in his mind: "The Tai Qun Spirit Mirror was left by our patriarch to protect the lineage. Its unique mystical power, stemming from the patriarch's breakthrough and subsequent demise, makes it unlike any ordinary spirit treasure. Given Chibu Zi's confidence, it's highly probable he cultivated it himself!"

Even if Chibu Zi was now a Grand Zhenren, having cultivated countless divine abilities and secret arts, deceiving the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror—a treasure personally bestowed by the Solar Lineage and deeply connected to Patriarch Chunyi's fate—would be an absolute impossibility.

This thought stirred his heart: "Could it be that he truly found a lineage left behind by our patriarch?"

Fu Xuan Zhenren raised an eyebrow and instructed, "Che Hong, please bring out the spirit treasure!"

Che Hong bowed and departed. Fu Xuan Zhenren then turned back, his gaze on Chibu Zi significantly more complicated. He gently explained, "After all, this is an artifact of our patriarch, and it's not custom to move it lightly. Che Hong will perform incense burning and ritual bathing. I must ask Grand Zhenren to wait for three days."

Chibu Zi waved a dismissive hand, raising an eyebrow. "It has been many years since I last saw you, Daoist Friend Fu Xuan. I've missed you greatly since we parted ways after the Songfang Mountain incident."

Fu Xuan Zhenren gazed at him deeply before replying, "Daoist Friend, you overlooked one occasion. Regarding the matter of Chen Taojing and his brothers, I personally came to plead their case, but Chi Wei refused to see me and sent you down the mountain to decline."

This old anecdote was clearly unpleasant, and it was no wonder Chibu Zi had faced such a cold reception. Fu Xuan Zhenren, however, did not stop, continuing, "As for Songfang Mountain, Yu Yuxie later, or even Li Chijing in the end—we offered them counsel. Qingchi's current predicament is, in short, a consequence of their own actions."

"Not so," Chibu Zi replied, disagreeing with him. "Remember Chi Tangning Si in those days? The Three Elements were incredibly powerful. Tang Shecheng and Yu Xiuxian, disciples of Tang Yuanwu, and even the younger generation like Chi Zhiyun, Ning Wan, and Si Yuanli—weren't they all candidates for the Purple Mansion realm? Tang Shecheng was even compared to me, and everyone believed the next era would still be Qingchi's golden age."

"Back then, we only thought there were too many Purple Mansions in each family and not enough spirit artifacts to go around. We didn't trust Purple Mansion cultivators from other clans, believing they would become a burden if they lived too long. Who would have thought Yu Xiuxian would be killed by Guo E, or that Tang Shecheng would perish attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion? Consider Yuanwu Peak alone: they later tried to cultivate Tang Shejun, who also met his demise. And then there was Yu Muxian, who was killed by the Li family, backed by elemental support."

He shook his head slightly, sighing, "It wasn't solely his fault. Would it truly have been better if there had been more Zhenren surnamed Yu or Li back then?"

Fu Xuan Zhenren was silent for a moment before replying, "Qingchi is, after all, that person's domain. Even if he doesn't care or intervene, their style of action bears similarities. Daoist Friend, as a seeker of the Dao, with the Lukewater Lineage sealed, I imagine it hasn't been easy for you."

Chibu Zi looked at him quietly. Within the Pure One Dao gates, he remained reticent, only saying, "Seeking the Dao, seeking the Dao—there's more than just this one path. My lifespan is still long. The True Monarch's immortal might is unfathomable. Perhaps if I wait a century or two, the True Monarch will reach a higher level, allowing their profound qi to be collected, and then a path will naturally emerge."

"If I cannot await that opportunity and become a subordinate of the great one, then I will diligently accumulate connections and spiritual resources now, seeking a path of reincarnation. That, too, offers a way forward."

Chibu Zi appeared broad-minded and unhurried, taking things in stride. Fu Xuan Zhenren secretly nodded and said, "That's the only way forward. Speaking of subordination, I've heard that a Zhenren from the North Sphere Sect is attempting to reach the Golden Core stage, intending to become a subordinate of Fenghuo. There's great hope for him. I wonder if he'll attain the Dao in this world, and how that individual plans to assist him... will we have a chance to witness his splendor?"

The two soon fell silent. Though these Zhenren had met in their youth and known each other for a long time, they were fundamentally different individuals with conflicting Daoist lineages. The few topics they could discuss were nothing more than idle chatter.

Fortunately, for Purple Mansion cultivators, three days passed in an instant. Che Hong Zhenren, now clad in white robes, approached with impeccable attire and demeanor, carrying a jade plate upon which a mirror lay in the center.

The mirror's surface was eight inches in diameter and entirely snow-white, as clear and bright as a still lake with a single ripple. Its top was adorned with auspicious cloud and moon patterns, while its back featured intricate coiled dragon and feathery silver patterns, sparkling as they intertwined.

Chibu Zi merely sat there, not even directly facing the mirror, yet a sense of dread welled up within him. His innate divine ability sent pulsing premonitions of danger from that direction.

The Tai Qun Spirit Mirror!

"It truly lives up to its name as a spirit treasure personally bestowed by the Solar Lineage and endorsed by an immortal... its power must be the pinnacle of spirit treasures."

Chibu Zi understood the terrifying power of this artifact. At least eighty or ninety percent of Pure One Dao's Patriarch Xie Qun's renown was attributed to the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror; it was no joking matter.

When Xie Qun first received this item, the revered individual personally stated that it had the potential to become a Dharma treasure if properly nurtured. Xie Qun then intertwined his fate with it, cultivating it day and night with his divine abilities. Although the patriarch later perished without reaching the Golden Core stage, the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror was forever prevented from becoming a Dharma treasure. Nevertheless, in the absence of true Dharma treasures, this spirit mirror's power was arguably the greatest within the Solar Lineage.

Fu Xuan Zhenren respectfully rose and saluted before taking the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror into his hands. Chibu Zi glimpsed it briefly and was astonished to see the spirit treasure's surface ripple like water, as if containing a hidden realm. He vaguely made out an ancient zither, an incense altar in front of it, and a hazy bamboo grove behind.

As Fu Xuan Zhenren lifted the spirit treasure, Chibu Zi cautiously stepped back. Without hesitation, four beams of divine ability light, intertwining blue-gray and rippling green-white, emanated from his hands. Fu Xuan Zhenren secretly sensed this, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

"How could this not be our lineage?" he wondered. "The Tai Qun Spirit Mirror detected no impurity or abnormality, and even more remarkably, it evinced a subtle sense of familiarity. What other lineage could it be but ours?"

The Xi clan's Lukewater lineage, including the Chou Gui Zang, originated from Patriarch Xie Qun, whose teachings were orally transmitted by immortals. After achieving profound cultivation, Patriarch Xie Qun specifically extracted this Dao and bequeathed it to later generations. When Du Qing later attained the Dao, no one in the Xi clan continued to cultivate Lukewater, thus there was no logical reason for it to have been leaked externally.

"Chibu Zi has already achieved cultivation, so he must possess the cultivation method. If he had obtained it from some previous senior, he wouldn't foolishly present himself before me. This 'opportunity' he speaks of appears to be genuine."

Fu Xuan Zhenren was filled with a mix of joy and apprehension.

This was a Daoist treasure connected to Patriarch Xie Qun!

Despite confirming that Chibu Zi possessed his own lineage's cultivation, Fu Xuan Zhenren's expression remained largely unchanged. He casually remarked, "Daoist Friend, your fortune and intentions are good; it's clear this was self-cultivated. It's just that this item..."

Chibu Zi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it the lineage cultivated by your esteemed sect?"

Chibu Zi's question was incisive, hitting directly at the core and leaving Fu Xuan Zhenren no room for evasion. Fu Xuan Zhenren gritted his teeth, nodded, and hesitantly affirmed, "Precisely!"

Chibu Zi lowered his gaze and remained silent. Fu Xuan Zhenren inwardly smiled bitterly, knowing his sect's lineage could not be divulged. He reluctantly began, "This opportunity..."

Chibu Zi cautiously looked up, narrowing his eyes. "My acquiring this opportunity isn't as simple as merely receiving a benefit."

He glanced at Fu Xuan Zhenren and calmly stated, "I do indeed require the Pure One Dao's assistance. I need a direct descendant from your esteemed clan to willingly help me, but the location of this opportunity absolutely cannot be revealed to your sect's Purple Mansion cultivators."

Fu Xuan Zhenren frowned, but Chibu Zi spoke quite frankly: "Your esteemed sect possesses the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror. Once the location of the opportunity is revealed and we proceed together, you will undoubtedly use the spirit treasure to besiege me. I have no desire to be injured or to perish."

Fu Xuan Zhenren seemed about to speak, but Chibu Zi continued, "I know the secrets of this hidden opportunity; its most valuable content is a Taiyin spirit item. How about this: your clan sends a direct descendant cultivator with me, and I will place a spirit treasure in your clan's keeping as collateral."

"Once this opportunity is unveiled, I will retrieve the spirit item and then use some of its contents to retrieve my spirit treasure. The direct descendant who accompanies me will also witness what is inside, making it easier to distribute the spirit items at that time."

Fu Xuan Zhenren's brows were tightly furrowed. He remained silent, seemingly unable to find any significant flaws in the proposal. After all, the Xi family had many direct descendant cultivators, and plenty whose cultivation paths had been severed, so there was little fear of him causing harm.

He deliberated for a long time, realizing that Chibu Zi feared the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror and would likely never allow a Purple Mansion cultivator from their own sect to accompany him. The so-called reputation of the righteous path held little value to someone as suspicious as Chibu Zi.

After an indeterminate period, he finally nodded slightly and said softly, "One spirit treasure isn't enough... My people will bring the sect's Pagoda Bright Heart Talisman, which is immune to the illusions of divine abilities."

Chibu Zi hesitated, then said with reluctance, "Add one more spirit artifact, but no more. This isn't some grotto-heaven secret realm, after all..."

Fu Xuan Zhenren nodded, secretly pondering, "I should first ask him for the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method* he possesses. Since he acquired it by chance, it might contain improvements over our current version. Examining it thoroughly would serve as a double safeguard!"

Before he could speak, Chibu Zi waved his hand and said, "Daoist Friend, what you say is sound, but I am not a disciple of your Pure One Dao and cannot discern the changes in the Tai Qun Spirit Mirror. While you may understand, how can I not be cautious when this opportunity rests in my hands?"

"What do you mean by that, Daoist Friend?"

Fu Xuan Zhenren frowned, clearly bewildered. Chibu Zi explained, "The opportunity only states that it requires the bloodline of a descendant who cultivates this Dao. How can we be sure that this Chou Gui Zang is indeed the version from your Pure One Dao? Who knows if your Pure One Dao has such influence? If it turns out not to be, and I bring your person there only to find it cannot be opened, returning empty-handed, your sect could immediately renege on our agreement. After all, it would only mean the death of a minor direct descendant, and you would gain a spirit treasure and a spirit artifact from me. Wouldn't that be a massive profit for you?"

"Hmph..." Only then did Fu Xuan Zhenren understand, and he drew a sharp breath. He seemed to realize, suddenly, that such a thing was even possible, feeling a chill in his heart and an overwhelming sense of emotion. He chuckled, almost scolding, "That's exactly the kind of trick only you, Chibu Zi, would pull!"

He turned back and instructed, "Che Hong, please retrieve the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method*."

Che Hong Zhenren, who had been listening to the entire exchange, was now filled with anticipation. He swiftly departed. Chibu Zi calmly sipped his tea. After a brief wait, Che Hong Zhenren returned with a golden jade slip, which he opened using a secret method before presenting it to Fu Xuan Zhenren.

"Please."

Fu Xuan Zhenren was full of confidence. Chibu Zi casually took the jade slip, frowned, and read it from beginning to end. After about fifteen minutes, seemingly unable to find any discrepancies after thorough review, he finally said with palpable relief, "It is indeed excellent!"

As soon as he spoke, the two Zhenren beside him secretly exhaled in relief. Chibu Zi returned the slip and waved his hand, saying, "Please have your esteemed clan send the person up. An older individual is acceptable, but not someone who is too frail to walk. They must be able to withstand some effort."

Clearly, it was better to send an elder nearing the end of their lifespan than a cultivator whose path had been severed. Fu Xuan Zhenren gestured to Che Hong Zhenren, who soon returned with an old man. The old man bowed to the three, his voice hoarse, "Xi Jiankuan greets the three Zhenren..."

"Why him?" Fu Xuan Zhenren sounded a little pained. Che Hong whispered, "Many cultivate the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method* now, but he is the oldest. When we informed him of this, he insisted on coming, saying he didn't have many years left to live anyway and might as well contribute to the sect."

"Alas!" Fu Xuan Zhenren waved his hand and replied through a divine sense message: "Based on this man's words and his divine ability, this matter is likely true. A single trip should suffice, but it's a pity to make the old man travel for nothing..."

Chibu Zi appeared utterly unconcerned, silently sipping tea from his cup. He cast a glance at Xi Jiankuan on the ground, feeling no surprise. Shrewd as he was, he had already secretly researched and calculated the possibilities; it was highly probable it would be this very individual.

"He has only a few years left to live anyway," he thought. "When the old man passes, and you return from beyond the heavens, can you truly make a deceased Xi clan member speak? Even if you could, you would have to overturn the entire Xi family... and let's see if Tai Yi would tolerate that!"

A thought flashed through his mind. He maintained a composed expression, secretly chuckling, "The Pure One Dao... neither Fu Xuan nor Che Hong are foolish. Yet, as rule-bound traditionalists, how can they outwit me? This Taiyin spirit item cannot be spared, but the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method* is now within my grasp!"

Chibu Zi's elaborate maneuvers were all for the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method*. Even if he had to ultimately part with the spirit item brought from the heavens, it would be a small price to pay. Now, seeing the person brought before him, he lightly waved his hand, and two items appeared on the jade table.

One item was a small cauldron, shimmering with a greenish glow and enveloped in a layer of gray light. Numerous runes encircled its surface. As it settled on the table, it exuded an aura of damp, falling rain.

The Rain-Observing Precious Cauldron.

The other was a string of dark, almost black, prayer beads. Each bead resembled congealed pond water, round and glistening, appearing as though it might burst at a mere touch.

The Mo Tang.

Fu Xuan Zhenren seemed about to speak, but then glanced up at the spirit sword for ritual magic hanging at Chibu Zi's waist. He sighed, "Qingchi has been thoroughly plundered by you!"

Chibu Zi chuckled softly. Having acquired the *Chou Gui Seeking Water Method*, his mood was visibly lighter. He stated calmly, "What is rightfully mine, I will not let a single piece go. What should not be touched, I will leave entirely."

Moon-Gazing Lake.

Under the scorching sun, Zhijing Mountain shimmered brightly. This mountain was the site of Zhenren Zhaojing's breakthrough, where gardenia flowers blanketed the ground, never wilting year-round. When all the gardenias on the entire mountain bloomed simultaneously, they were as dazzling as snow.

Amidst the fluttering gardenia petals, which fell like rain, a white-robed Zhenren sat cross-legged atop a jade pillar. The divine light of the entire mountain range pulsed with his breath, and purple flames occasionally swirled around him, yet they did not harm the white flowers scattered on the ground.

After an unknown duration, the Zhenren suddenly exhaled. Immediately, a fierce wind swept through the entire mountain. The sounds of hooves, clashing armor, and rumbling war drums resonated simultaneously as golden-armored figures marched across the mountain, a dazzling spectacle of light.

Li Ximing slowly opened his eyes, the celestial light on his brow gradually receding.

"The Gate of Celestial Audience is perfected!"

With the Gate of Celestial Audience perfected, its power had increased by several folds. Its ability to dissolve and suppress was now even more potent. The Gate of Celestial Audience was already renowned for this among similar divine abilities. Now, with a single resonant barrier, it was likely that even Chi Luo would be unable to escape.

While the power of the Gate of Celestial Audience's golden armor and robes had significantly strengthened, it was overly specialized. No one would ever use Foundation Establishment cultivators to besiege and eliminate a Purple Mansion expert, so it consistently remained impractical. It would only prove beneficial in situations akin to facing Ye Gui's Southern Sorrow Water, which also manifested millions of avatars.

Aside from that, the power of the Gate of Celestial Audience's purple flames had finally progressed. However, Ming Yang, regardless, was not a Fire Virtue and still couldn't rival the Three Marquises' Profound Fire of Xu, remaining merely its complement.

None of these minor details mattered. What was crucial was that it signified Li Ximing had cultivated this divine ability to its pinnacle, fully refining and concealing it within his Ascendant Yang Mansion. He could now begin cultivating his second divine ability: the Monarch's Perilous Dance!

His spiritual consciousness sank into his Ascendant Yang Mansion, where he observed the celestial light representing the Gate of Celestial Audience. It had receded into a corner, creating more space for refining other divine abilities.

The central talisman seed rested gently and slowly in the very middle, emitting a faint, cool light. Although far less brilliant than the Gate of Celestial Audience, it possessed a stern and unshakeable majesty.

Li Ximing scanned it briefly, then withdrew from his Ascendant Yang state. He lowered his gaze to observe the jade talismans hanging outside his secluded cultivation chamber—one large and six small—indicating that one year and six months had passed. With no other warning signs, it was clear that his family had been quite peaceful throughout this period.

Reassured, he took a jade slip from his sleeve.

*The Body-Suppressing Tiger Pass Treasure Scripture*!

This *Body-Suppressing Tiger Pass Treasure Scripture* was merely a fourth-grade cultivation method. While it would be considered a direct lineage technique of an immortal sect elsewhere, it held little significance for the current Li family. Furthermore, considering the once-flourishing Wei-Li Heavenly Dynasty, its very name suggested it wasn't a crucial imperial cultivation method but rather one for generals stationed at the border.

Li Ximing had reviewed this cultivation method long ago. Consequently, *The Body-Suppressing Tiger Pass Treasure Scripture* possessed less of a grand, awe-inspiring majesty and more of a martial stance, one born from life-and-death struggles, dire predicaments, and forcing others through sheer might.

Li Ximing's current mastery of Ming Yang was considerable. Although he had never seen imperial cultivation methods, he could still deduce much. *The Body-Suppressing Tiger Pass Treasure Scripture* leaned more towards inflicting harm with brute force rather than self-protection, which made him nod in approval.

"After all, it's for the border regions," he mused. "One simply charges forward and slays. Why would a general need so many life-preserving items? A true general is one who exchanges death for death."

"Fortunately, it's a body-based divine ability, so it's not bad. With the Gate of Celestial Audience already providing suppression, it's good that this one focuses more on offensive charges."

He paused briefly and retrieved a jade box from his sleeve.

This item was the Profound Gate Scarlet Fire Qi.

This spiritual qi needed to be collected from a Profound Gate personally established by a Ming Yang cultivator, with the gate itself requiring at least two hundred years of history. Fortunately, it didn't necessitate a vast desert. The Cui family couldn't cultivate this method in earlier years, but after constructing a Profound Gate on Chongzhou Island, they gradually became capable of practicing it.

However, the requirements were stringent. Profound Gates occupied significant space and were difficult to build in large quantities. The Cui family had few themselves, barely enough for their own use. When they gave Li Ximing a copy of the cultivation method, the Li family also had no surplus. Consequently, for many years, no one in the clan had been seen cultivating this method.

A Purple Mansion cultivator, having already forged one divine ability, found the process of casting a celestial foundation far less complex than during Foundation Establishment. During the embryonic breathing phase, six cycles of cultivation were required. Now, with no celestial foundation occupying his Dharma body, it could be condensed at will. Furthermore, drawing in qi was no longer as difficult as in childhood. At Li Ximing's speed, what once took three to five years during embryonic breathing now only required three to five days.

Once these six cycles were condensed, he could consume the spiritual qi and easily breakthrough to Qi Refinement. The transition from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment was not as straightforward, but fortunately, with his current Purple Mansion Dharma body, he could openly consume elixirs, estimating it would take only two or three years.

Following that would be Foundation Establishment, which, with the aid of divine abilities, wouldn't be difficult. While there was a chance of failure, a single dose of the custom-made Suiyuan Pill would instantly establish a celestial foundation!

The process of cultivating the Monarch's Perilous Dance's celestial foundation was also significantly easier, akin to Qi Refinement. It could almost be completed within five to ten years. Once the celestial foundation was perfected and re-established within the Ascendant Yang, he could then achieve the divine ability according to the cultivation method.

"Theoretically, forming this divine ability from the celestial foundation could take less than ten years at the fastest!"

This was undoubtedly an astonishing speed. Yet, Li Ximing rarely heard of Purple Mansion cultivators achieving a divine ability in ten years; even the fastest seemed to take twenty. The difficulty lay in the Ascendant Yang Mansion already housing one divine ability; pushing another celestial foundation would be far more challenging. If it failed, although his Purple Mansion Dharma body wouldn't suffer significant damage, that particular celestial foundation would be ruined!

"It would be equivalent to ten or even more years of effort, all for naught..."

Although each attempt to integrate a celestial foundation into the Ascendant Yang, even if unsuccessful, would leave behind subtle changes that adjusted the original divine ability's position, allowing them to adapt to each other and perhaps increasing the chances of success on a subsequent attempt, repeated failures would still be tormenting.

As Li Ximing considered this, he almost immediately formed another conclusion: "If I were to suffer a severe injury during this period, if my qi sea were punctured, even if it could be easily reformed, the celestial foundation within it would likely be destroyed by the opponent. No wonder these Purple Mansion cultivators are reluctant to engage in direct combat, preferring to resolve issues through strategic maneuvers."

"And for those like the rogue Purple Mansion cultivators in the East Sea... repeatedly cultivating celestial foundations must have taken them decades, perhaps even close to a century..."

"If cultivating one divine ability is already this difficult, what if the Ascendant Yang had two or three? Wouldn't that be impossibly hard? No wonder some Purple Mansion cultivators get stuck at a bottleneck for a century..."

He lowered his brow slightly as a name flashed through his mind: "The Path Continuation Wonder Method!"

"The person who devised this method is truly a genius!"

"No wonder everyone rushes towards it! This offers immense convenience for Purple Mansion cultivators. While one side cultivates the celestial foundation, the other nurtures a genius 'medicinal person.' When it's time for a breakthrough... refining it into a pill and consuming it is equivalent to gaining an additional opportunity to conceive a divine ability out of thin air!"

"Saving ten or twenty years of effort... who wouldn't be tempted? Who could possibly resist? Even those initially uninterested, once they hit a bottleneck and are stuck for ten, twenty, or even a hundred years, could they still remain un-tempted?!"