Chapter 929: Great Departure Xi Guang

The Void was turbulent. As Li Ximing made his way back, casually cultivating by absorbing qi, he soon arrived at Tiger Barb Mountain. He found the entire mountain draped in white, partly due to the frost, but also because white mourning cloths still hung everywhere, signifying the fallen True Persons. Though the official mourning period had passed, these symbols of sorrow, reflecting the grief across the four realms, had not yet been taken down.

"It was indeed a sorrowful sight..."

The Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery had lost two Violet Palace cultivators. One was a Grand True Person with Four Divine Powers, who had surpassed the Violet stage and achieved Sword Immortal status. The other was True Person Lin from the Lin family, in the prime of his life with three divine powers, regarded as a Dao Master-level figure. The fact that both fell within a single day represented a catastrophic loss, a difference like heaven and earth, truly lamentable.

Even upon Li Ximing's arrival, the mountain still appeared dispirited. It was only after word of his presence spread that Lin Ya, a junior of Hou Fu and currently the most talented disciple of the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery, hurriedly came down to greet him. He respectfully offered, "My apologies for the wait, True Person."

Li Ximing nodded with a touch of emotion. He casually scanned the mountain twice, then smiled and asked, "When the Fei family moved to the prefecture back then, did anyone intercede on their behalf?"

At the mention of this, Lin Ya bowed and replied, "To True Person, they have all been confined to the temple. They were implicated because of Fei Qingyi, and the devotees do not look kindly upon them. A few days ago, a female cultivator, Fei Qingyi, from Azure Pond, arrived from the sea. She claimed to be from the Fei family, continuously seeking connections and even kneeling before our Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery's mountain gate. She pleaded that her cousin was ignorant and the rest of her clan innocent, hoping our Daoist lineage would handle them leniently."

"Oh?"

Li Ximing was not surprised. Whether or not her plea was sincere, the Fei family was currently in dire straits, and it was only logical for her to seek intercession. If she had remained indifferent, even those who worked with her in Azure Pond would have grown wary. However, she had always acted with clarity, understanding that seeking help elsewhere would be inappropriate and cause offense, which is why she came to the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery.

Li Ximing acknowledged this, and Lin Ya continued, "At that time, with the recent loss of our True Persons, everyone within our Daoist lineage was deeply grieved and enraged. There was no sympathy for traitors. So, we made her kneel on the mountain for three days. It was Fei Qingya who eventually came down and brought her into a grotto-mansion."

When he spoke of Fei Qingya, his tone was very flat, completely devoid of the warmth one might expect when discussing a sect's genius. Instead, it was quite cold, indicating that, given her personality, she was not very popular at the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery.

Lin Ya even frowned and said in a low voice, "Later, when she emerged from the grotto-mansion, Fei Qingya showed considerable admiration. In her speech, she was already addressing her as 'older sister'."

"How shrewd!"

Li Ximing shook his head and chuckled. He hadn't immediately considered this angle, but upon reflection, it was indeed a clever tactic. He mused, 'Fei Qingyi was born into the shadow of her clan's ancestor being slain in battle and grew up navigating the treacherous waters of the Azure Pond Black Turtle. Year after year, she struggled through difficulties, yet she managed to secure a good position, even among her enemies. Her schemes and methods were naturally incomparable to the naive Fei Qingya's... A few well-chosen words were all it took to effortlessly manipulate her! Her visit this time wasn't merely to plead for mercy; it was partly for appearances, but more importantly, to seize the opportunity to climb such an influential ladder.'

The Fei family had a poor opinion of Fei Qingyi. Fei Qingya, having lived there for several years, clearly knew her cousin had ascended to a higher position and seemingly abandoned her family, otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed her to kneel at the mountain gate for three days. Though more sensible than Fei Qingfei, Fei Qingya was ultimately naive. A few words from Fei Qingyi were enough for her to immediately begin addressing her as 'older sister'.

This was a problem for the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery. Judging by Lin Ya's expression, Li Ximing presumed he felt deeply about it, so he didn't press the issue. He instead inquired about True Person Hou Fu's whereabouts. Lin Ya replied, "To True Person, Senior Cheng Gao of the Sword Gate failed to achieve his divine power and passed away yesterday. Our family once had some marital ties with him, so True Person [Hou Fu] went to the Sword Gate and only returned this morning. He is now at the summit of Tiger Barb Mountain."

Li Ximing was momentarily stunned, then sighed softly. Senior Cheng Gao was not very old and had once been friends with his uncle, Li Yuanjiao. He was a leading figure of the previous generation of the Sword Gate, and his chances of breaking through to the Violet Palace stage were quite good. However, many cultivators met their unexpected demise when attempting to achieve divine powers.

"What a pity! How is the Sword Gate faring?" Li Ximing acknowledged this, and the two made their way to the mountain summit. Lin Ya seemed to hesitate, then replied, "I hear the Sword Gate is in great disarray right now."

Li Ximing felt a sense of gravity, then saw Hou Fu emerging from the courtyard to greet him. Lin Ya immediately withdrew, saying no more.

Hou Fu's expression was grim, though he remained polite to Li Ximing. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, before Li Ximing could inquire further, Hou Fu somberly put down his cup and said with great weight, "I imagine Zhaojing has also heard... Cheng Gao has fallen."

Li Ximing frowned and asked, "Did he fail to achieve divine power?"

Hou Fu's tone grew colder as he replied, "Only half, you could say."

"His cultivation method was unique; he had a better chance of achieving a breakthrough in the Western Heavenly Plateau, so he attempted it in a secret grotto-mansion nearby."

"Three months ago, the conflict between the Victorious White Path and the Great Kangzhao Temple was nearing its end. The entire Great Western Plateau had largely fallen into the hands of the Victorious White Path, with only Luosuo, where the Great Kangzhao Temple was located, remaining. Those few heretical sects began battling from Luosuo, fighting all the way to Shu, collapsing nine mountain ranges in the process."

Li Ximing clearly observed that Hou Fu's gaze had turned sharp and sinister. This new Dao Master of the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery was clearly not as reserved as his predecessor; instead, he was somewhat more ruthless. Yet, his tone remained flat:

"Several Venerables of the Great Kangzhao Temple and the demon that had achieved salvation were all defeated there. The ground then shook violently, and instantly, the ley lines, spirit veins, and spiritual aura all shifted simultaneously... Especially the ley lines; even many nearby formations simultaneously malfunctioned. Cheng Gao happened to be cultivating in that area, and immediately, his divine power failed, leading to his demise."

Hearing this, Li Ximing understood, and a chill secretly ran through him. He probed, "I fear it wasn't an accident..."

Hou Fu sneered. He listened as Li Ximing frowned and asked, "I remember... the Ni family's Violet Palace cultivator and the Sword Gate's True Person were guarding Shu... Why didn't they intervene to protect him?"

Hou Fu shook his head. "They had already provided protection. With such a grand spectacle from the Victorious White Path and the Great Kangzhao Temple, one must also worry about feints. True Person Hongyan of the Ni family was guarding Long land, and it wasn't convenient for him to go to a secret location. Moreover, if True Person Cheng had gone to stabilize the ley lines... well, everyone isn't blind; that would have been a futile attempt to conceal the obvious."

Li Ximing was momentarily speechless, immediately recognizing the logic. After all, if two factions were fighting intensely, an outsider intervening to stabilize ley lines would be a transparent attempt to conceal their true intentions. So, he replied, "It is indeed troublesome. If you don't go, you can only observe passively. If you go, it's an admission of guilt. Neither of those two factions is good... This is an overt conspiracy."

Hou Fu rubbed his temples, nodded silently, and replied, "Cheng Gao was no ordinary person. He was the only Cheng family member currently married to an outsider. He was also Senior Ling Mei's disciple. Unlike True Person Jiu Wen's ambiguous stance, he was the sole decision-maker in the Cheng family who explicitly supported engaging with the world and not abandoning Shu, a valuable direct descendant."

Li Ximing frowned, musing to himself, 'The Sword Gate must have many hidden cards. But from the Cheng family's perspective, engaging with the world might not be a good choice. With Senior Tian Jiao on the mountain, if they abandoned Shu, who could possibly harm the Sword Gate? On the contrary, the more they hold on, the more weaknesses they expose...'

Hou Fu, however, didn't delve into these thoughts. In reality, the Sword Gate's troubles extended far beyond what he had just described. Another Sword Gate genius, Gu Pang, was also in secluded cultivation with Cheng Gao. Having entered seclusion even earlier, he was likely already in a state of profound meditation, less affected by these events. But who knew if such an incident would happen again? These were matters not to be discussed with Li Ximing, an outsider. Hou Fu could only lament inwardly, then said in a low voice:

"There's something even more troublesome. The Great Kangzhao Temple has been completely defeated, and the North shows no intention of sending any reinforcements. The entire Great Western Plateau has been unified by the Victorious White Path, and even the Great Zhao Palace has fallen back into their hands."

"I heard True Person Hongyan say that the Victorious White Path is rebuilding the Esoteric Sect. They are performing sacrifices to the divine mountains and lakes, raising wind horse banners and colorful prayer flags, and re-establishing the Zhangzhung Kingdom."

Hou Fu's expression was complex. "The Zhangzhung Kingdom was that person's dominion. Now, the implication is quite clear."

Clearly, "that person" he referred to was Xi Yan, one-third of Shaoyang. A True Monarch-level figure, when their whereabouts were unknown, could naturally be addressed casually. But now that they had most likely revealed themselves, who would dare call them a demon? Hou Fu, belonging to a Solar Daoist lineage, could only refer to them as "that person." He surmised that those in the world who knew the inside story were already respectfully calling them True Monarch.

'The Victorious White Path is flourishing. Fu Xun is probably feeling uneasy, making the need for this elixir even more urgent...'

Li Ximing's thoughts flashed. Hou Fu then said softly, "Xi Yan is his Daoist name. His revered title is True Monarch Xi Yongzhong Sheng Baiyan. He is also the Western Shaoyang and Right Shaoyang in the imagery of Daoist magic. Zhaojing, if you receive any news or see any related items in the future, please be careful."

This statement made Li Ximing's heart pound. After thanking him, he finally found an opportunity and softly said, "I also came for something else this time..."

"Oh?" Hou Fu took a sip of tea and asked with slight surprise. He listened as Li Ximing chuckled, "A few days ago, a friend entrusted me to refine an exceptionally profound spirit elixir. The difficulty is unprecedented in my life, and I'm still a bit apprehensive. When I refined elixirs for Fellow Daoist Ting Lan back then, I witnessed your esteemed lineage's treasure."

"The Owl Profound Crossing-Scenery Cauldron?" Hou Fu suddenly realized, smiled, and said seriously, "Are you planning to refine the elixir here at Tiger Barb Mountain?"

Li Ximing had actually considered this long ago. According to his original judgment, Fu Xun would never allow him to take these two extremely precious spiritual items into another immortal Daoist lineage; he would have had to borrow the Violet Palace spirit artifact. But with Liu Changdie now involved, the trust between the two parties had greatly increased, making it no problem to bring the items here. So he smiled and replied, "Exactly."

"So that's it!" Hou Fu also shared the same concern. As long as the item did not leave the mountain gate, there was no need for much consideration; Li Ximing could use it freely. After all, it was a matter of extending a favor, so he smiled and said, "That's no problem at all. The Owl Profound Crossing-Scenery Cauldron is kept in the Kuai Du Hall. Zhaojing, whenever you need to use it, just arrive at the mountain gate, give a greeting, and you can enter directly!"

Hou Fu spoke very casually. Li Ximing felt relieved, understanding that the other party was being courteous, and smiled, "Thank you, Senior! By custom, after the task is complete, Senior should receive an elixir. However, this elixir is special; only one will be produced. So I will remember this favor. If you ever need any elixirs refined, please do not hesitate to ask me!"

After the Tang Dao Mountain incident, the Heng Zhu lineage and the other Solar Daoist lineages had somewhat eased their tensions. However, the Violet Palace cultivators of the Heng Zhu lineage had not appeared since then, and how Heng Xing viewed this remained a troublesome matter. Hou Fu had naturally heard of Li Ximing's superb alchemy skills, and his heart stirred. He smiled and agreed.

Li Ximing already had a good impression of him, and Hou Fu had agreed so readily. After a brief pause, Li Ximing reminded him, "Fei Qingya was brought back by Senior Kui Qi. How is she doing now? Back then, I saw her as docile and open to advice; she should be nurtured well."

Hou Fu gave a helpless smile and replied, "Thank you, Zhaojing!"

Li Ximing understood, and smiled, bowing his head. Hou Fu had no leisure time at the moment, so Li Ximing quickly left Tiger Barb Mountain and entered the Void. As he departed, riding the wind, he cast a quick glance.

Although there was still snow falling on the entire mountaintop, it no longer resembled the cultivated land of the Foundation Establishment stage. The tea trees covering the ground were left untrimmed, having long grown wildly into dense, unruly thickets.

'With the fall of two True Persons, the Grand Owl Sunflower Monastery has also become low-key...'

So he rode a beam of light all the way back, and before long, he emerged from Zhijing Mountain.

The weather was getting colder, yet Zhijing Mountain remained warm as spring. The gardenias covering the mountain had never withered. The table was clean, clearly having just been tidied. Li Ximing landed silently and immediately dispatched someone to find Li Zhouwei.

Without wasting any time, he took a jade slip from his sleeve.

"The Great Li White Splendor Light!" A sixth-grade spell was already the highest-tier method a Violet Palace cultivator could obtain! Although Li Ximing had been in the Violet Palace stage for many years and the Li family had two Violet Palace cultivators, if he had relied solely on his own collection, the most proficient spell he currently possessed would only be the fourth-grade "Supreme Radiance Suppressing Light."

He read it with a slight apprehension. After much contemplation, he gradually understood its principles.

The first step to cultivating this spell was to calculate, based on the incantations and critical points within the spell, how to find nine profound orifices above and below the Sea of Qi. These then had to be constantly nurtured. Among these nine profound orifices, one had to locate the spell-casting profound orifice, Li Xi, and place the Li Fire within it.

These so-called profound orifices were not actual acupuncture points, but rather virtual points established through arcane calculations. This step demanded extremely high cultivation. For an ordinary person, let alone a Violet Palace spirit fire, just completing this first step of cultivation would take many years. Moreover, one would then have to nurture these profound orifices, allowing them to gradually take shape and eventually become nine true acupuncture points.

Of course, for Violet Palace cultivators initiating this practice, there was no need for nurturing. "The Great Li White Splendor Light" simply stated: "Divine powers easily calculate; calculation leads to self-activation."

'With divine powers, what is there to fear? Just carve one out on your Dharma body.' It was even easier for Li Ximing. He didn't even need to calculate. He summoned the Red Pheasant Rushing Li Flame, which circled his Sea of Qi. He then asked Apricot Sparrow which position felt comfortable. With a simple reverse push, it aligned with the critical points described in the text, and he located it.

With a thought, he immediately delineated nine profound orifices in his Sea of Qi. The Red Pheasant Rushing Li Flame settled into Li Xi, and he instantly felt his Sea of Qi tremble slightly. Divine power surged forth from the other eight orifices, converging and radiating from Li Xi, transforming into a point of reddish phantasmal light.

This light was a point of crimson splendor, signifying his formal commencement of this spell's cultivation. As his cultivation of the spell's Dao advanced, it would grow increasingly potent. Ten points could transform into one part of golden splendor, marking minor completion. Ten parts could then transform into a ray of white splendor, marking major completion!

Regardless of its specific hue, this light could be summoned from the Sea of Qi during combat to harm enemies. Combined with Li Fire, it could summon various forms of Great Li Splendor Light, possessing myriad wondrous effects. The more profound one's Li Fire Dao cultivation and fire-control techniques, the more powerful this light would become!

It didn't even need to reach major completion. As long as it reached a certain level, the Great Li Splendor Light could assist him in refining his magic power, help him suppress his Sea of Qi, emerge from the Sea of Qi to circulate through his limbs and bones, and interfere with divine powers entering his Dharma body, thereby protecting his life!