Chapter 984: Profit Sharing

Within the frigid cave, ice and snow had crystallized.

Tianwan Zhenren stood silently in the center, her hand performing divinations, her gaze slightly lowered:"The last path… the vastness full… now I must consider this one path. If there are no other options, I can only try the intercalary method…"

The path of Han Qi was not fading; in fact, it was prevalent throughout the world. Yet, it presented more difficulties than even a decaying path. Even those obscure and extremely difficult-to-cultivate traditions, once mastered, would still grant practitioners their own unique realms…

But it was precisely this Han Qi! From ancient times, it had been commanded by Immortal Lords, serving as an auxiliary to the Grand Yin and Lesser Yin paths. In those days, few cultivators were willing to pursue it. Only ancient cultivators of the Lesser Yin or even Grand Yin paths, who felt their cultivation was insufficient when nearing the Golden Rank and had no path for reincarnation, would then turn to Han Qi… Even after achieving Golden Core, they still served the higher cultivators of the Three Yin paths…

As she knew her own affairs well, Tianwan, having cultivated for so many years, possessed considerable information. At its peak, the Han Qi path even had more than four Lesser Yin Intercalary methods, all pushing Han Qi further and further along its unique trajectory.

The higher one cultivated in this tradition, the more disheartening it became. Instead, the Lesser Yin Intercalary Han had become the orthodox path, while the proper Han Qi tradition was ironically weak. Even though this made Han Qi easier to cultivate, Tianwan couldn't help but feel disheartened every time she looked ahead.

"The matter of the cultivation path… can determine the rest of one's life…"

As she pondered, the jade pendant hidden within her white sleeve suddenly felt warm, surprising Tianwan. Her emotions became somewhat complicated, and she sneered inwardly:"So it was Zhang Yige who made a move!"

At the same time, the Grand Void vibrated, and a radiant light flew out from it, landing in the frigid cavern. It transformed into a man, who, despite only being at the Foundation Establishment cultivation level, wore a white-gold magic robe. Its splendor shimmered, utterly magnificent. A sword was tied to his waist, accompanied by jade talismans, precious pearls, a wooden flute, a ceramic bottle… All clinking and clanking together, it was truly extravagant!

It was Li Quantao!

Having obtained the secret treasure, he was truly in high spirits and utterly delighted. His face, which wasn't originally considered particularly handsome, now appeared quite dashing in his elaborate attire. He exuded confidence and was beaming with joy.

However, as soon as Li Quantao looked up, his expression froze.

Tianwan Zhenren's eyes slightly opened, watching him with an intense gaze that felt like a heavy hammer blow to his head. A feeling ranging from shock to bitter anguish surged into his nose, dizzying him with fear, and he instantly dropped to his knees.

"Greetings… Greetings, Grand Zhenren!"

Li Quantao had experience within the sect and was not ignorant. What else could it mean for a Grand Zhenren to personally stand guard before him? It certainly couldn't be because she saw his profound good fortune and came specifically to take him as a disciple, could it?

Putting him into an alchemy furnace, on the other hand, was quite possible!

For a moment, Li Quantao pressed his head tightly to the ground, trembling. His earlier triumphant expression completely vanished, leaving only the numerous treasures on his waist gently tapping against the icy surface, producing crisp sounds.

He was utterly terrified. Tianwan remained motionless, standing with her arms crossed. Then, a man in a dark blue Daoist robe with mystical patterns, smiling, silently stood beside him. A vermillion mark adorned his brow, and a 'Dark Cloud Silver Sparrow Bottle' hung from his waist. He lifted Li Quantao and simply said:

"What a lucky fellow!"

"Another Purple Mansion cultivator!"

Li Quantao immediately understood that he was most likely doomed, his heart turning icy cold. The Zhenren before him gently patted his back, and a surge of divine power instantly spread throughout his body, reaching his throat!

"Whoosh…"

The treasures he carried and the several storage bags hanging from his waist instantly detached from his body, along with his magnificent Daoist robe, floating away. In the previous instant, Li Quantao had been resplendent and full of vigor; now, he was left only in a thin undergarment and dropped to his knees in the ice and snow with a thud.

He only felt a sharp ache in his throat, whimpering twice. He couldn't help but cough, feeling on the verge of vomiting, yet nothing came out. In that instant, his heart felt utterly hollow, and a bitter sorrow welled up, but he didn't even dare to shed a tear.

"He didn't eat anything good, after all." Xuan Yi Zhenren glanced at Tianwan's expression and offered a word in Li Quantao's defense. However, his cold words only made Li Quantao more terrified, causing him to tremble on the ground, afraid to move. Then, a faint voice drifted from the air:

"Fellow Daoist Qu!"

Bright divine light shone down, instantly filling Li Quantao with a warm surge of hope. He slightly raised an eyebrow, glanced at the other person's Daoist robe, and realizing it was Li Ximing, his heart suddenly understood:

"My life is saved!"

If the ambitious Li Quantao had known before leaving the secret realm that everything he possessed would be immediately taken, leaving not even a single hair, he would surely have been overcome with sorrow and collapsed. Yet now, despite being empty-handed again, joy emerged from his despair, and he couldn't contain his emotions.

Tianwan raised her brows, her gaze sweeping from Li Ximing to Zhenren Kuang Yu, who stood quietly to the side. She wasn't particularly surprised, and having also detected the protective intent in Xuan Yi's words, she remained silent.

Seeing Tianwan's silence, Xuan Yi truly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing, please rest assured!"

As the mediator, he least wanted the two parties to clash. He merely offered a polite smile, piled the items from the storage bag like a mountain on the ground, and with a gentle flick of his index finger, selected one item.

This item was a silver-white jade slip!

Xuan Yi then smiled and said:

"Senior, please take a look… And this frigid bottle…"

A gleam of pleasant surprise flickered in Tianwan's eyes. Her mood instantly brightened, and her tone softened. She responded, took the jade slip into her hand, closed her eyes, and focused her mind, appearing to adopt an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude.

Xuan Yi secretly broke out in a cold sweat. He rolled up his sleeve and picked up the remaining jade talisman, asking:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing?"

Li Quantao had emerged with a collection of items. Everyone took a quick glance and almost immediately recognized them: the sword was a magical artifact refined from a spirit embryo, the precious pearl was a 'Wall Water Pill,' the wooden flute was merely an ancient artifact, and only the jade talisman and ceramic bottle were spirit artifacts.

Back when the Hongxue Sect was unexpectedly annihilated, most of their possessions had been on the fallen Purple Mansion cultivator, Zhenren Guan Xue. The fact that so many treasures could be found in this secret realm already spoke volumes about the Hongxue Sect's deep accumulation of resources.

Li Ximing took a closer look and saw that this jade talisman was actually a 'Capital Guard' item.

However, its aura seemed unstable, and its divine power was weak, without any particularly impressive characteristics. Kuang Yu, standing nearby, glanced at it and frowned, transmitting her thoughts telepathically:

"It's a 'Mountain Supervisor Spirit-Dotting Talisman'…"

Li Ximing, however, was already quite satisfied. He nodded and put it away.

Besides these few items, there were also large batches of cultivation techniques and spiritual materials, a chaotic and complex assortment. It was clear that the Hongxue Sect had regarded this place as a reliance for resurgence in case of unforeseen circumstances. After careful scrutiny, fortunately, there were a few spirit resources suitable for Purple Mansion cultivators.

The remaining spirit resources were divided among Xuan Yi and the others. Li Ximing took a 'Flying Profound Chaotic Stone' from the Xiu Yue path, glanced at the treasures scattered across the ground, and softly said:

"If none of you are interested in these, let him take them."

Having obtained her items, why would Tianwan care about anything else? She wouldn't spare a thought for Crimson Reef Island, and most of her disciples, being highly cultivated, wouldn't have much use for these things anyway. She simply transformed into wind and snow and drifted away.

Seeing her depart, Xuan Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Naturally pleased to be the good guy, he smiled and said:

"My apologies!"

Only then did Li Quantao dare to get up and collect his belongings. He picked up the Daoist robe but didn't dare to wear it, merely clutching it to his chest.

Xuan Yi was always friendly, so Li Ximing was naturally quite polite, inviting him to the mountain. However, the Zhenren declined with a smile:

"Fellow Daoist, do you remember Bai Yinzi? He passed away a few years ago!"

"Oh?"

Back when the True Lord departed, there was turmoil in Jiangbei. His old acquaintance, Bai Yinzi, whose fate was entangled, fell into Xuan Yi's hands with not much lifespan left. With a mindset of taking a gamble, he followed Xuan Yi. Li Ximing hadn't expected him to bring it up suddenly today, so he said:

"He did live a few more years, then…"

"More than that!"

Xuan Yi smiled faintly, gently raising his hand. The Dark Cloud Silver Sparrow Bottle immediately appeared in his palm, and from it, a dark light leaped out, materializing before him. It was indeed Bai Yinzi!

However, he now appeared considerably younger, and his attire bore the pattern of the Dark Cloud Silver Sparrow. He bowed upon seeing Li Ximing, respectfully calling out. Li Ximing, in turn, scrutinized him with a hint of surprise and doubt.

"It's… quite like the Buddhist cultivation path…"

Xuan Yi said earnestly:

"Not at all, it's actually an orthodox immortal path, though uncommon now. He also possesses a spiritual lifespan, lasting another one to two hundred years. While it can't be called a continuation of a lineage, its marvels are no less than before. Ordinarily, he helps me guard spirit artifacts and refines the malevolent light within them, which can be considered a mutual accomplishment…"

The man smiled, still seeming to hold a slight grudge, and corrected him:

"Although the Pure Unity Path dislikes me, and that Su Mian will definitely say I'm not… The East Sea is murky after all, but this tradition is an immortal path, not some monastic one!"

Li Ximing observed closely, nodded with a smile, but felt a few more doubts arise in his mind, and asked:

"If there truly is such a miraculous method, wouldn't it be a disguised form of lifespan extension? Even a Purple Mansion cultivator, when nearing their end… would covet this spiritual lifespan…"

Xuan Yi nodded and replied:

"That's the wonder of my 'Pure Corner Merit Bottle.' It requires a more profound fate; ordinary people cannot enter it. As for Purple Mansion cultivators… their Yang Ascension has already been achieved, and my treasure cannot contain them. It's only useful for people like Bai Yinzi."

"I see!"

Li Ximing's first reaction was actually Li Xuanxuan, but the elder had received a talisman seed, so it wasn't that simple. He sighed inwardly, exchanged a few words with Xuan Yi, and then saw him off.

"This Xuan Yi… seems quite keen on forming connections…"

He pondered silently. Only Kuang Yu remained beside him, standing with her arms crossed, watching him with raised eyebrows and a hopeful smile:

"Fellow Daoist… I cultivate the Xiu Yue path…"

Li Ximing paused, staring at her blue-purple eyes, and then realized. He took out a jade box from his sleeve, gently opened it, and revealed a fist-sized, bright and scorching spirit stone.

It was precisely the Flying Profound Chaotic Stone he had just obtained!

Li Ximing smiled and replied:

"I wondered why you agreed so readily… I thought you had a use for me, but it turns out you were also picking and choosing…"

"What are you saying…"

Zhenren Kuang Yu chuckled, her eyes blinking slightly, making her even more endearing. She replied:

"It just so happens I've commissioned someone to refine a spirit artifact, so this is simply good timing—I would never take it for free!"

She was greatly tempted by this spirit resource. She fumbled in her sleeve, hesitated several times, and finally said:

"Please keep it for me… All the little things I had… have been invested in the spirit artifact. However, Zhenren Liaoluo from Qu Si Mountain still owes me spirit resources. When he comes out of the Immortal Grotto, he'll surely be loaded. I'll go claim them and then trade with you!"

Li Ximing shook his head with a smile. He still felt a desire to befriend her, especially since he had just promised to refine pills for someone. So, he took out the Flying Profound Chaotic Stone and handed it to her:

"If you're in a hurry, just take it. I don't need Xiu Yue's spirit resources, and you can slowly find some of Ming Yang's to return to me."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist…"

Kuang Yu was somewhat surprised. She took the spirit resource, admired it joyfully for a moment or two, and smiled:

"Xinyu has noted it."

Li Ximing had met Kuang Yu several times and knew her surname was Yin, but only now learned her given name was Yin Xinyu. After exchanging a few polite words, Kuang Yu, being very enthusiastic, said earnestly:

"Although I don't know about this particular spirit resource, I recognize the Mountain Supervisor Spirit-Dotting Talisman. My master once had one, and its main component was 'Shining Heart Black Amber,' which was an item belonging to the Capital Guards of the ancient Xuanyuan Path."

"The Xuanyuan Path seems to have a method for producing Shining Heart Black Amber. Cultivators greatly favored this item, often passing it down from master to disciple, adding to it generation after generation. Originally, three or six pieces would form a complete array, but after the lineage's destruction, they scattered. Occasionally, one can be found, but its utility is greatly diminished."

Li Ximing immediately understood, pondering to himself:

"According to her, her master also had one. Matched sets are inherently powerful, yet she showed no desire to covet or exchange for it. Could it be that this item never actually came into her possession?"

Zhenren Kuang Yu didn't say much more. After a few words of thanks, she rode the wind and departed.

Only then did Li Ximing's smile fade. Li Quantao, who had been silently waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward, weeping as he bowed and said:

"Thank you, Zhenren, for saving my life!"

Li Ximing shook his head and told him to take all his items. Then, he lifted him with a surge of light, flying towards the lake, and softly said:

"Did you get any other benefits?"

Li Quantao was drenched in sweat and said tremblingly:

"Not even a single bit more! Although the secret realm was orderly, it had no one maintaining it. Many spiritual items and resources had already lost their spiritual energy and dropped in quality… Your junior has done his best to collect whatever was intact and was originally planning to go to the lake to see the Zhenren…"

Li Ximing remained noncommittal. However, knowing Li Quantao's nature, with two spirit artifacts in hand, whom else would he trust among the Purple Mansion cultivators? He would most likely indeed come to the lake to find him!

He landed on Zhijing Mountain, brewed some spirit tea, and, seeing Li Quantao's sweating appearance, said amiably:

"I saved your life out of goodwill; be more mindful from now on… Don't be too ostentatious after returning to the sect. I'll explain the matters of this secret realm clearly to Si Yuanli, and you won't be troubled."

"Yes…"

Li Quantao immediately knelt on the ground and began kowtowing to him. Li Ximing simply waved his hand and smiled:

"Go and see the elder. Let him know you're safe."

"Yes!"

Li Quantao understood the unspoken implications, feeling boundless gratitude in his heart. He truly regarded this elder as his own kin, repeatedly bowed in thanks, and then hurriedly retreated down the mountain.

Li Ximing then slightly raised his hand, revealing a jade talisman two fingers wide and over an inch long. Its mystical patterns flickered, imbued with the frigid power of ice and frost. It was likely left by Zhenren Guan Xue in those days.

Counting the days, there wasn't much time left for the Immortal Grotto to remain open. He sat cross-legged, divine light suffusing his hands, gradually expelling the divine power within it while quietly waiting for Li Zhouwei, feeling a little uneasy.

"What treasures he obtained isn't important… as long as he isn't too severely injured…"

He sat upright on the mountain, cultivating in silence. After an unknown period, he finally felt a tremor in the Grand Void. Powerful fluctuations instantly spread forth, and he immediately opened his eyes, looking north.

"So fast!"

The blue and white radiance within the Grand Void grew increasingly intense. Li Ximing was about to ascend on a beam of light to search for Li Zhouwei, but he suddenly stopped.

Rolling divine light had already converged on the mountain. Brilliant radiance descended from the sky, dramatically manifesting a golden-eyed youth with a smile on his face!

"Minghuang!"

Li Ximing instantly rose, first feeling a surge of joy, but upon closer inspection, a pained expression immediately appeared on his face.

Although the youth before him was smiling, faint cracks subtly appeared beneath the golden scale-like patterns on his face. The upper part of his clothing had been torn to shreds by divine power, revealing his formidable upper body.

Yet, subtle, pale white fractured marks were also visible on his body. Streams of True Solar Flame surged within the cracks, emitting a scorching aura that flowed along his muscles, imbued with destructive power, crackling as it burned.

However, the divine light and True Solar Flame intertwined, making him appear as if he had emerged from the sun itself, his smile radiating even greater brilliance.

"Grand-uncle!"

Li Zhouwei's voice was slightly hoarse, making Li Ximing's eyes turn slightly red. He simply said:

"Good… good…"

Li Zhouwei, however, was very unreserved, his eyes even brimming with mirth. The expression that had always been suppressed in his golden eyes due to implicating his family and having to act submissively finally vanished, replaced by a joyful pride. He laughed heartily:

"Grand-uncle, look!"

Then, he began taking items from his waist, his storage bags, and his tattered sleeves—a thunder-flashing purple-gold grand mace, a green square mystic cauldron adorned with flying bird patterns, and a spirit treasure mystic pill radiating blazing firelight and surrounded by illusions…

Spirit resources, spiritual items, spirit artifacts, spirit treasures…

The small jade table quickly became overloaded, so the items were piled onto the ground, clinking and clanking everywhere. With colorful lights flashing and a vibrant array of hues, Li Ximing was left dazzled and lightheaded, muttering in a daze:

"Huh?"