Chapter 986: Heavy Fire (1+1/2)

The True Lord in the golden-white robe sat cross-legged in the mountains, his hands forming seals to guard his Qi Sea. Streams of Bright Yang Heavenly Light divine abilities, guided by his hand seals, surged in and sank within him.

The Heavenly Gate divine ability in his Qi Sea shone brilliantly, refining and suppressing a treasure, round as a golden core. The prolonged erosion had caused the divine ability on this treasure to flicker and continuously weaken.

After an unknown period, heavenly light finally descended. The treasure, round as a golden core, suddenly trembled. The protective lights around it dispersed, and the surrounding heavenly light immediately surged in like mad, dyeing it a Bright Yang gold!

"Finally, it's refined!" Li Ximing's heart jolted with surging joy. Indeed, various pieces of information flooded his mind.

The Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus! He suddenly opened his eyes and raised his hand. The spiritual treasure, resembling a golden core, appeared in his palm. It was entirely crimson, with circles and rings of golden threads entwining around it, forming five colorful bands. Li Fire swirled, emitting a scorching aura.

‘A Li Fire spiritual treasure! A Li Fire spiritual treasure closely related to Profound Worship!’ His heart stirred. The miraculous aspects of the Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus instantly came to mind; there were actually five of them!

The first was Li Ming. It was the Li Light of this item within the Grotto-heaven, reputed as "Li Light of Varied Radiance, Thick as the Eastern Ocean." It could obscure illusions and cover an area, with the effect of confusing and binding, and an extremely wide range—far larger than the Jade Ruler of Shichuan on Li Ximing's waist. As long as there was sufficient magic power, it could even continuously expand to cover an entire region.

Although this Li Ming had little effect on Li Zhouwei, that was because it had been broken by Jun Daowei. An ordinary True Lord falling into it would definitely have to spend a lot of effort and be greatly restricted.

The second was Chong Guang. It was also an extremely special combat method, incredibly fast and possessing a power of repulsion and annihilation. Once hit by its light, the power of light separation would activate, continuously pushing the enemy away. Chong Guang could increase its power based on the Li Fire inserted by its owner. Although only one type of Li Fire could be inserted, once inserted, Chong Guang would acquire the characteristics and power of that Li Fire, making it extremely versatile.

‘Currently, only the Red Pheasant Fiery Li Flame can be inserted, which should make it more spiritual and capable of refining various metals. If, in the future, a famous Li Fire known for its power is found, such as the Heavenly Apricot Li Rain... its power could be elevated even further!’

These two miraculous abilities were comparable to the greatest miraculous ability of a spiritual artifact, yet they were merely auxiliary functions of the Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus. Its true power was concentrated in the miraculous Profound Grasp! The five layers of golden threads encircling the Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus were forged from Daybreak Clear Pivot Gold. They were refined for a hundred years in the Golden Crow Bright Flame, making them incorruptible, unmelting, indissoluble, and imperishable. Once Profound Grasp was activated, the five layers of golden threads would descend from the sky, each transforming into a ray of light.

This light could dispel spells, lock weapons, and had infinite miraculous uses. It only feared combined water. If one's Li Fire cultivation was extremely high and they practiced related orthodoxies, they could unleash even more variations. Moreover, when one's orthodoxy was fully mastered and cultivation was extremely high, once Profound Grasp was activated, the dharma body could swap positions with these five layers of golden threads at any time, adding another layer of profundity.

Even for someone like Li Ximing, whose orthodoxy was not quite the same, the mere ability of Daybreak Clear Pivot Gold to be incorruptible, unmelting, indissoluble, and imperishable was formidable enough!

Of the remaining two miraculous abilities, one was a Taoist skill, assisting in the cultivation of Li Fire and True Fire divine abilities, considered a treasure for transmitting the Dao. The other was Radiant Multitude. Once the Radiant Multitude divine ability was cast, it would stir the spiritual essence within the Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus, unleashing radiant light to suppress unorthodox paths and dispel evil spirits.

What made Li Ximing awkward was that the Radiant Multitude divine ability's "suppression of unorthodox paths" seemed to also affect the current Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao. It was fine since he was the spiritual treasure's owner, but if he were to fight alongside fellow cultivators, activating Radiant Multitude would be troublesome.

"It's still a good divine ability..." As Li Ximing pondered this, his heart was secretly astounded:

‘No wonder True Lord Yuansu could roam freely back then with just one Xinyou Green Marsh Seal. Even mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators feared him. These ancient spiritual treasures are truly powerful... And he had integrated his fate divine ability and body divine ability... who would intentionally provoke him?’

Moreover, the Xinyou Green Marsh Seal belonged to an ancient feathered serpent; rumor had it that it even possessed the potential of a Dharma treasure. The Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus was likely still a bit inferior.

Before his thoughts could dissipate, his spiritual consciousness entered the Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus. He had intended to examine it thoroughly, but he paused slightly in surprise. Unexpectedly, what flooded into his mind was a vast, profound, and complex Taoist treatise!

This item actually contained a legacy known as the Southern Li Qi Absorption Method. It was an ancient, orthodox immortal Dao qi absorption method! This was not the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao, nor was it some Heavenly Embryo Sorcerer's Talisman. It was the most authentic and orthodox cultivation method and magical art legacy of the immortal Dao's Qi absorption and temperament nurturing path.

It contained tens of thousands of words, written in golden script and profound seals, infinitely profound. It expounded on the Great Dao of Li Fire, achieving communion and unity with Heaven and Earth to seek divine wonder—achieving divine wonder meant becoming a Yellow Crown, achieving it in body meant becoming a True Lord, and achieving it fully meant becoming a True Monarch Feathered Ascendant. As for embryonic breathing, Qi cultivation, Foundation Establishment, or Purple Mansion, there wasn't a single word about them in the entire text!

Li Ximing read it over and over. A sudden realization struck him: ‘Indeed, it's the orthodoxy of that Young King Sword Immortal from back then!’

That Young King Sword Immortal had made it very clear that the Yinghua Wang family practiced the Qi absorption and temperament nurturing Dao, and that the current Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao, which claimed to be the immortal Dao, was seen by them as the same path as the orthodox demonic Dao of the North, both being unorthodox and evil paths.

‘It's actually an ancient immortal cultivation method; no wonder it's recorded within a spiritual treasure!’ Li Ximing was first secretly delighted, then his heart stirred greatly!

‘I've heard the threshold for this immortal Dao is quite high. But if one of our own juniors could cultivate it, and then pair it with this spiritual treasure, wouldn't they possess the power of an ancient immortal cultivator!’

He was eager to try, but after a moment's contemplation, he suddenly realized something was amiss, frowned, and was secretly alarmed:

‘What on earth is this...’ Li Ximing, a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator, imbued with divine abilities, and having cultivated for a hundred years, could only half-understand the opening section!

‘How is anyone supposed to cultivate this?!’ No matter how low Li Ximing's cultivation base, he was still a Purple Mansion cultivator! Even if he didn't cultivate Li Fire, Bright Yang and Li Fire were inherently close. Back then, Li Jiangqian's Heavenly Li Sunset Scripture was easy for him to read and brought him considerable gains. Reading this cultivation method, its difficulty surpassed that of the Marquis Shu Golden Scroll!

"The Marquis Shu Golden Scroll was also difficult, but from a Purple Mansion cultivator's perspective, its difficulty lay more in its complexity. But this Southern Li Qi Absorption Method's difficulty lies in its profound mystery, reaching a terrifying level of obscurity!"

He was momentarily dumbfounded. He hadn't imagined that the rumored high threshold meant this. He could only awkwardly let go of the idea, his heart filled with doubt:

"How can this be? There must be some oversight here... No matter how difficult a cultivation method, it shouldn't be this hard. What kind of genius could truly walk this path?"

"In that case, it's not suitable for our own family members to cultivate. Someone who could achieve Foundation Establishment by cultivating the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao might waste their entire life on this method and achieve nothing. Even someone capable of reaching the Purple Mansion might not be able to successfully cultivate this method! In the end, it would only harm them."

Li Ximing's thoughts paused for a moment. After reviewing it carefully, he began to pay close attention. The Dual Blazing Ming Apparatus contained not only the Southern Li Qi Absorption Method, but also words left by its previous owner!

This person called himself True Lord Nan Zhao Lu of the Dou Xuan orthodoxy. Born during the Great Liang era, he cultivated the path of Li Fire and was also a Great True Lord with perfected divine abilities. More importantly, this person did not mention Wanling Heaven, but referred to himself as a cultivator from the Southern Fire Heavenly Prefecture!

‘Southern Fire Heavenly Prefecture?’ Li Ximing was not unfamiliar with this name. Most people in Yue Kingdom even knew this name. Back then, Mount Yu, the renowned city of the Green Pond Sect located in the south of Yue Kingdom, was built by the Southern Fire Heavenly Prefecture!

‘True Lord Nan Zhao of the Dou Xuan orthodoxy... This implies that the Southern Fire Heavenly Prefecture was also of the Dou Xuan orthodoxy. Later, this prefecture disappeared... It's reasonable that Lu then resided in Wanling Heaven, which also belonged to Dou Xuan.’ After all, a Great True Lord of Li Fire with perfected divine abilities could already consider himself among the world's top cultivators. They would not suffer losses anywhere, and even Wanling Heaven would welcome them.

This passage was not long, just a few sentences introducing the background. Then the tone became subdued:

"I, Profound Overseer, observe Heaven and Earth, nothing is beyond my reach, yet the state has deviated from the Dao, leading to this point. Now, I must humble my heart and follow, dwelling in the profound and distant... Yet, they call themselves a High Sect, governing the world with Heavenly Martial might, rectifying the four directions, still acting as the second Thunder Palace, but it is merely a banquet in a tomb!"

"This year, my main body seeks the Li position; if successful, Southern Fire will rise again, and there will still be a breath of life. If things go awry... then there will be no more light..."

"Whoever takes my Ming Apparatus, cultivate when Wanling Heaven falls!"

Li Ximing read it several times, secretly sighing: "Lu... he's a clear-sighted person... It seems Wanling High Sect still can't let go of the Thunder Palace's status and is unwilling to compromise. Over the years, they've been cleaning up messes around them, eliminating demons and defending the Dao, offending many people and making various families wary."

He gently raised a hand. The spiritual treasure transformed into a streak of light, rose, and settled into his Qi Sea. Only then did he notice the jade tablet in the mountains shaking, indicating something needed to be reported.

What he saw approaching was Li Jianglong, highly respectful. Beside him was Ding Weizeng, bowing down at the steps as if toppling mountains of gold and pillars of jade.

He respectfully said, "My Lord, the matter you arranged half a year ago has not yet been settled. We sent people to Shahuan Kingdom three times, but found no news of the True Lord. It's said he hasn't returned for quite some time..."

Li Ximing had a spiritual artifact jade ring in his possession. Its most suitable owner was True Lord Zhusheng of Shahuan Kingdom. He had already sent someone to inquire long ago, but unexpectedly, the True Lord could not be found.

"No matter..." He then calculated with his fingers; more than half a year had passed. He glanced at Ding Weizeng below, noticing that he had been at Foundation Establishment for an unknown period, perfected but with no further path. He secretly sighed and asked, "Any news these days? How are things on the lake?"

Li Jianglong respectfully replied:

"Reporting to True Lord, the riverbanks are still turbulent. Buildings are still continuously falling from Mount Zhuosha, which is now a ruin... There has been no news from the north for many days; it's unclear what they are waiting for. Only a few monks occasionally descend from the wilderness, and Jiangxia is guarding them."

Li Ximing pondered slightly and asked: "How is the Mushroom Forest Plain?"

This man had managed the household for a long time without any issues. He was proficient in all matters and understood what Li Ximing was asking, so he quickly replied, "The Green Pond Sect hasn't reacted at all; they've been consolidating their forces..."

"Hmm..." Li Ximing pondered for a moment, then looked down at him and asked with a smile: "How is Suihuan doing now?"

Among Li Zhouwei's many descendants, only Li Jianglong had a firstborn son. Because he was born during the North-South conflict and the cultivators' expedition, he was named Li Suihuan. Since it was Li Ximing who named him, he still remembered it to this day. At the mention, Li Jianglong immediately bowed and replied, "We've tested him; he has spiritual apertures and is cultivating embryonic breathing. He shows some talent..."

"Good!" Li Ximing had just acquired the "Chong Guang Fire Bright Scripture," which could be openly practiced and also came with spiritual energy. So he smiled and said, "Your father obtained an ancient cultivation method in the Grotto-heaven, a Li Fire method. It has its own unique merits, just like your brother's method. Since it's a fortunate coincidence, instruct him to cultivate this one!"

"Thank you, True Lord!" Li Jianglong looked surprised and delighted. Li Ximing happily made the arrangements, bestowing both good cultivation methods obtained from the Grotto-heaven. But then he saw the man kneel down again, kowtowing and saying, "My cultivation has reached its time; I was already preparing to go into seclusion to break through to the mid-stage. But after these few years of commotion, I finally have a chance to meet the True Lord... I was hoping to ask..."

Li Ximing secretly nodded. Li Jianglong had indeed spent much time on the lake over the years; otherwise, he wouldn't have named someone and then bestowed a cultivation method. Now hearing this, he smiled and said: "Do you have anyone to recommend?"

Li Jianglong replied, "Fifth Uncle is gentle and generous, handles weighty matters with ease, and is unconventional and unrestrained. Your junior is not his equal..."

"That fellow?" At the mention of Li Zhouming, Li Ximing shook his head and laughed: "He's been restrained by Ribbon Fish in recent years. But how can he manage anyone? Don't put your Fifth Uncle in a difficult position."

This sentence made Li Jianglong break out in a cold sweat and lower his head, repeatedly saying he wouldn't dare. Fortunately, the True Lord seemed completely unconcerned, merely taking a sip of tea and pondering, "The wilderness is quite important now; Jiangxia cannot be moved, Little Cui has returned to the island, and Weizeng is not skilled in internal affairs. There's no one left who is both adept in civil and martial matters and commands widespread respect..."

"Aside from you brothers, the Jiangque generation is flourishing in yin and declining in yang, with only Jiangzong showing promise. Don't entrust him with heavy responsibilities yet; just let him take on a position, act on behalf for a while, and teach him everything about the Ming Palace. This can be considered a test for him."

"Your junior obeys!"

Li Ximing's casual remark was enough to cause drastic political changes on the lake, even involving the re-handover of power between the two main factions. Yet, he seemed to have no hesitation, and there was still a smile on his face: "Don't mind that his cultivation isn't high right now; it's good that we have him."

Li Jianglong nodded repeatedly and quickly withdrew. Only then did Li Ximing's smile fade. With the Purple-Gold Thunder Mace already suppressed in his Qi Sea, he quietly stared at the falling gardenia flowers:

‘The Li Fire spiritual materials and complete elixir spiritual materials are sufficient. But I haven't yet distinguished a singular Water-attributed spiritual material... At this gathering of cultivators, many will surely be looking for artifact refiners, so I should be able to acquire enough spiritual armor... I need to go to Qize once. Zhouwei has been accumulating Buddhist ritual treasures, and their quantity is increasing, so I can try asking Lotus Temple.’

‘As for now... I have quite a few spiritual artifacts on me; I need to adjust them, perhaps exchange some for more useful ones. Spiritual artifacts value quality over quantity, and to think I'd have such a day!’

This made him chuckle. Just Li Ximing alone, for control and delay, he had Shichuan; for travel, he had the Mountain-Moving Sea-Crossing Tiger; for attacking enemies, he had True Fire, Li Fire, and Combined Fire. The newly acquired Spirit-Commanding Mountain Talisman was likely also a protective, miraculous spiritual artifact. He already had an impressive number.

"These treasures on me are more valuable than my own life. If I go out one day... who knows, several Purple Mansion cultivators might come to ambush me..."

As he was pondering, he heard a clear, bright voice echoing in the mountains: "Is Fellow Daoist in the mountain? Kuang Yu has come to pay a visit!"

Li Ximing immediately recognized her voice. He knew she was here to repay the favor concerning the Flying Profound Scattered Rocks. He simply rose to greet her, saying, "It's truly an honor..."

"You're too kind." True Lord Kuang Yu, still in her light blue robe, landed in the mountains with a smile and replied, "On my way back, I rushed to find Fellow Daoist Liaoluo. He's quite lucky; after adventuring in the Grotto-heaven for a while, he didn't suffer many injuries and even gained quite a few benefits."

So she generously sat down at the stone table in the mountains. She took out a white jade box from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and smiled: "He kept saying he ran into your family's True Lord Minghuang, who was with Yangya. Fearing misunderstanding, he retreated early... Hearing you needed Bright Yang, he gave me a Victory Stone, which is also a spiritual resource..."

Kuang Yu paused, then raised an eyebrow and said, "It's perfect for refining spiritual armor!"

Li Ximing was startled at first, then quickly understood. He had promised Dingyangzi that he would often inquire on his behalf when refining artifacts, so it must have spread from a certain True Lord. He secretly mused: ‘She, Xuan Yi, and Liaoluo must be in the same circle, or even from similar orthodoxies, distinct from the Solar orthodoxy but still close to the Sun...’

His mind settled, he opened the jade box. Inside was merely a thin jade slip, radiating brilliant light. Indeed, a rich Bright Yang aura wafted out. He put away the item and thanked her, "Fellow Daoist Kuang Yu has also resolved a difficult matter for me..."

Kuang Yu smiled and said, "It's no trouble. There's no point in endless thanks when it's mutually beneficial."

Her generous conduct made Li Ximing quite fond of her. Remembering the spiritual artifact jade ring, he secretly pondered, then asked, "Does Fellow Daoist know Fellow Daoist Zhusheng of the Jade True Path?"

Kuang Yu nodded with some doubt and replied: "Naturally, I do..." She hesitated slightly, then explained, "To be clear with Fellow Daoist, the Three Primordials of Green Pond were active in the South Sea years ago. All three were capable individuals and formed many connections. My great-grandfather, Mount Qu'e, and even Mount Jingyi before it separated from the South Sea, all had dealings with True Lord Yuansu."

"Xuan Yi and True Lord Qiuhu... they met early in childhood and were very familiar. I was studying at Hengzhu, so I didn't see them much."

"As for True Lord Zhusheng, he is closer to True Lord Yuanxiu. If Fellow Daoist has any needs, it would be more effective to ask that newly promoted True Lord Qinghu."

"So that's how it is!" Li Ximing nodded to himself, silently processing the information, and replied, "Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist!"

Kuang Yu smiled and said: "The old True Lord of Mount Qu'e is still alive; he is skilled in artifact refining. If Fellow Daoist has any further needs, I can introduce Fellow Daoist Liaoluo..."

Her eyes bright, she slightly raised her head, revealing the elegant contour of her profile. Though her voice was soft and gentle, her serious tone was still discernible: "The sun has lost its brilliance, but you and I are essentially in the same boat. Tianwan favors the immortal Dao and doesn't harbor many harmful intentions. But there are still Changxiao, Baoqing, Jinghai... It's hard to say much about the future, but we must always be prepared."

"More interactions with them are always beneficial."

Li Ximing paused slightly, then nodded quite solemnly. He secretly sighed: ‘She knows quite a lot... After all, she's been with Hengzhu for so many years. Both logically and emotionally, Hengxing would eventually give her some guidance...’

He met Kuang Yu's smiling eyes, poured tea, and raised his cup, saying: "I will certainly pay a visit!"

Beihai.

Dark colors shifted, and the void trembled. Gray streaks of light traveled through the deep, vast void. Within the somber hues, faint specks of illusory color subtly emerged, as if countless vast and terrifying shadows were submerged within, revealing a scale or a claw.

On the surface of the sea, winds and waves raged. A pure young woman stood quietly in the rain. Beside her, the Dragon King, with his massive body and icy expression, remained silent.

"Boom!" Thunder ripped through the night sky, making the world momentarily bright. It illuminated the red-haired, gold-robed man standing nearby, whose expression was inscrutable. He said faintly: "Wanling Heaven has fallen."

In his hand, he held a mirror. Its blue-over-white colors, like a sliver of new moon, flickered in the vast void, sometimes blurry, sometimes clear. One could vaguely discern countless ruins and scattered bone fragments within.

The Beihai Dragon King, beside Daoist Nun Xiangchun, had a calm expression and a hoarse voice: "It is indeed completely empty... Dou Xuan has no honor left to speak of; they don't hide it at all... It's also a demonstration of power—the dignified Wanling High Sect, casually fallen so that even a stray dog by the roadside can scavenge its flesh!"

On the other side, Dongfang Changmu's expression gradually turned cold as he replied, "It's as expected. Heavenly Martial is so blatant... it's not very dignified. What more can be said of the Wanling Sect? The Dou Xuan orthodoxy is scattered across the world, each with its own mountain, and how many of them have truly gathered together?"

Xiangchun, standing nearby, slightly lowered her head, listening as Dongfang Lieyun asked: "Who acquired Lin Hengjiang's orthodoxy?"

Dongfang Changmu shook his head with some doubt and replied: "I haven't noticed. Perhaps someone concealed it."

This small interlude did not draw their attention. The thunder in Heaven and Earth grew stronger. Dongfang Changmu whispered, "All the families' plans are nearing completion. Bailin is precisely in the netherworld, entangled in a three-way conflict..."

"The Yang family has gained the Netherworld's support and is determined to secure the True Qi position. The North-South conflict has also almost cleared all obstacles in Yue Kingdom. Yang Jinxin now only lacks one final push..."

His eyes were full of gloom and anticipation, even trembling with excitement. On the other side, Dongfang Lieyun's expression also fluctuated; he slowly closed his eyes: "The entire Yue Kingdom is now like dry tinder in summer, with layer upon layer of oil added. It only needs a spark... to instantly ignite a storm—a storm that will overturn the southern order."

Dongfang Lieyun raised his eyebrows, suddenly opened his eyes, and stared intently at Dongfang Changmu opposite him. In that instant, the estrangement between the dragon lineages seemed to vanish, replaced only by surging ambition and an insistent restlessness in their hearts:

"Success or failure is but a single step away..."

Dongfang Changmu's eyes were bright as he replied coldly, "He is an immortal; there can be no mistake."