Chapter 987: Determining Armor

Qi Ze.

The mountains and forests were pitch black, covered in white snow, a striking blend of black and white, creating a captivating scene. Li Ximing descended, riding a beam of light, and saw billowing demonic smoke. A man in a brown robe, his face wreathed in smiles, rose to meet him.

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"

He called out eagerly, and Li Ximing finally recognized him: it was indeed True Man Luo from Southern Xinjiang.

The demon finally wasn't wearing his Thousand-Eyed Demonic Robe. He had changed into a rather formal brown outfit. His face wasn't particularly sinister, and without the demonic robe, he actually looked quite righteous. He smiled and said,

"Your esteemed clan had a fruitful harvest in the Grotto-Heaven. Congratulations!"

Li Ximing returned his smile and replied:

"Not at all! Fellow Daoist Luo also has a new look!"

Before True Man Luo could respond, Dingyangzi, who had been strolling around a brazier in the mountains with his hands behind his back, sneered and said:

"He was beaten so badly in the Grotto-Heaven that he finally learned to restrain himself... That's good, at least he won't defile my Baiyang Mountain!"

Li Ximing had noticed True Man Luo here more than once, suggesting a deep friendship with Dingyangzi. However, True Man Luo practiced demonic arts, so Dingyangzi always had a few sarcastic remarks for him.

"Heh."

True Man Luo chuckled, invited Li Ximing to sit at the table, and said:

"I merely used a few 'hairy people.' Are those monkey-like creatures truly worth making a fuss over? As long as my own people are in charge and living comfortably, that's enough. What do outsiders from other tribes have to do with me?"

Seeing Dingyangzi sit down, True Man Luo sneered:

"Sometimes you give them too much face, and these 'hairy people' become conceited. If you're harsher, they'll be grateful instead. Did the Zhou descendants spread across the four directions by politely borrowing their way? No, they fought their way! Now, it's come to this: I use a few 'hairy people,' and I'm still called to account."

Li Ximing guessed that True Man Luo was full of resentment because he had been miserably beaten and had his treasures taken by some Northern Di in the Grotto-Heaven. So, he didn't reply, only shaking his head helplessly. Dingyangzi, however, said:

"If not for that, it wouldn't have been easy for you to enter Qi Ze."

Li Ximing subtly glanced around and noticed that Dingyangzi looked much more despondent, seemingly burdened by worries. He turned back to him and said:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing had a good harvest. It seems you've come for the spirit armor."

"Precisely!"

The refining of spirit artifacts takes a considerable amount of time, and since Li Ximing already had the materials, he naturally didn't want to delay. He immediately took out several jade boxes from his sleeve, arranged them on the table, and introduced them:

"These are two pieces of Blazing Amber and a General's Victory Stone. One represents Departing Fire, and one represents Bright Yang. They should be suitable."

Dingyangzi took them, examined them carefully, and nodded silently. Only then did Li Ximing rise and earnestly state:

"I've heard there's also a piece of Minor Celestial Departing Gold on Baiyang Mountain, an extremely valuable spirit item. My family has already gathered many spirit resources for this spirit armor, lacking only such a top-tier spirit item to serve as the primary material. I ask fellow Daoist to state your requirements, and I will acquire it in exchange."

Dingyangzi had anticipated this when he first mentioned the spirit item, so he was not surprised now. He stroked his beard slightly and said softly:

"This is only reasonable. Fellow Daoist once left three Neck Feathers with me to exchange for spirit resources. I used this item to demonstrate the Qu'si Mountain lineage, and they showed interest in exchanging for it. Combined with some of my own things, it could perfectly help me acquire the lineage..."

He became slightly more serious and replied:

"However... I also need to use that Flawless Spirit Wood to exchange for something else from Fellow Daoist Qinghu... Is Fellow Daoist willing?"

Li Ximing understood immediately. With his spirit resources having been exchanged through Dingyangzi for years, how could Dingyangzi focus only on the materials for his spirit armor? He would naturally inquire about his own needs as well. In fact, he likely already had secret buyers for these items, just waiting for Li Ximing to make an offer.

The price was quite fair. After all, the Flawless Spirit Wood itself was quite large and more valuable, having originally been acquired with two Neck Feathers:

'In essence, my family's five spirit resources are being exchanged for the Minor Celestial Departing Gold!'

The problem was that the Minor Celestial Departing Gold wasn't a complete piece; it was a remnant from a Sword Immortal's sword ornament, making it somewhat imperfect. Li Ximing hesitated slightly, but Dingyangzi had already taken out a golden box from his sleeve and said:

"For all these years, Fellow Daoist has been refining pills for me without ever mentioning compensation. I keep that in mind and naturally won't be greedy with you. There's still more than half of this Minor Celestial Departing Gold left... If Fellow Daoist provides me with one more spirit resource, it will count as payment for the artifact crafting as well."

Li Ximing's heart instantly stirred with joy. He said:

"Excellent! Thank you, fellow Daoist!"

Dingyangzi's artifact refining was no simple matter. Even for slightly better spirit artifacts, this Purple Mansion True Man would spend years, sometimes even decades, not to mention the costs of various materials and the mental toll during the process... It was absolutely not something that could be settled with just one spirit resource.

Now that past favors had cleared the debt, and with the extra portion of Minor Celestial Departing Gold, Li Ximing still felt he owed a few favors. So he smiled and said:

"If fellow Daoist needs any more elixir refining in the future, just send someone to the lake!"

Dingyangzi smiled and nodded, then stood up decisively, raising his brows as he said:

"Then we will use Minor Celestial Departing Gold, Sky Star Red Gold, and General's Victory Stone—two Departing Fire, one Bright Yang—as the primary materials. Six-Phase Spirit Stones, Splendid Sight Gold Essence, Blazing Amber will serve as auxiliary materials, supplemented by Desert Profound Sky Iron, Bright Candle Gold, and other items..."

He calculated briefly and said in a low voice:

"Unfortunately, almost all of the primary spirit items are of the Departing Fire type, and their quality is not low. This armor will likely be formed with Departing Fire attributes, merely having an affinity for Bright Yang."

Li Ximing frowned slightly, seeing True Man Luo shake his head:

"There's nothing to be done. Bright Yang is in decline in the world, while Departing Fire is flourishing. Even collecting spirit items normally, you'll find far more Departing Fire than Bright Yang."

Li Ximing, however, secretly mused to himself:

'It's not necessarily bad. Zhou Wei already possesses a full set of Bright Yang spirit artifacts. Having more Departing Fire items makes him less susceptible to others' schemes, and Bright Yang metals and stones are hard to find, making delays even more troublesome...'

'As for the spirit resource to give him...'

Li Ximing still had two Neck Feathers in his possession. While their quantity was less than that of Blazing Amber, they were still the most suitable. Although the Wall-Sinking Water was becoming scarcer, through Kuang Yu's New Rain Market, he could almost scour the entire Zhulu region, and he could always replenish his supply every two or three months, so they could certainly be acquired again.

However, he didn't immediately produce them. Instead, he smiled and said:

"I'll arrange it for fellow Daoist once I return!"

It was important to note that the increasing number of Neck Feathers given out by the Li family was gradually attracting the attention of interested parties. Chen from Xiufu Water had specifically inquired, warning that if they continued to be so extravagant, it would certainly invite trouble.

'I still need to ask around and ideally find something else to give him in exchange.'

"No rush."

This matter could indeed wait until after the spirit armor was refined for delivery. Dingyangzi seemed very understanding, but after much deliberation, his expression suddenly turned strange, and he said:

"I almost forgot True Man Minghuang... If he were willing to come to Qi Ze and spray a mouthful of vital blood into this spirit fire, connecting with it mentally to set the rank of the White Qilin Armor... it might not be any worse than a Bright Yang spirit item..."

"Oh?"

Li Ximing's eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood:

"Excellent..."

Purple Mansion cultivators, by refining their divine abilities, already possess a certain rank. Whether casting spells, refining pills, or crafting artifacts, they often leverage this rank to achieve success. How much more so for Li Zhouwei, the White Qilin universally acknowledged throughout the land!

He made a mental note, delighted, and said:

"That would naturally be excellent. I'll just go back and ask. When fellow Daoist has a need, simply send a letter to my lake!"

Dingyangzi agreed, and after some pleasantries between the two, True Man Luo finally found a chance to interject, saying repeatedly:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing! I also saw True Man Minghuang in the Grotto-Heaven... My harvest wasn't as good as his; I only managed to collect some Kan Water. I heard... I heard... that a spirit artifact related to wood element fell into his hands... I wonder..."

Li Ximing immediately understood that he was referring to his own Auxiliary Court's Azure Verdant Profound Cauldron. He smiled and said:

"Indeed, there is one. It's very important to my family. At some point, we might need your assistance... We can discuss it further then."

He subtly rejected True Man Luo's idea of an exchange but didn't let slip the information revealed in his words. He smiled and said:

"It seems fellow Daoist has some Kan Water items!"

True Man Luo was momentarily stunned that Li Ximing had turned the tables on him. He replied:

"Indeed..."

Li Ximing waved his hand and asked:

"Do you have a few spirit resources I might be able to exchange for?"

Seeing his sincerity, True Man Luo simply raised his hand, took a box from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and said:

"There's a piece of Painted Water Mallow Stone, which is quite rare."

Li Ximing nodded.

He didn't need Kan Water items for himself, but they would be useful as gifts. The Xiao family had moved to Cangzhou in the North Sea. Li Ximing was supposed to visit, and naturally couldn't go empty-handed. He already had a piece of Cangzhou Horned Serpent Scale, but this scale was native to Cangzhou, and might be related to the Xiao family's current territory. It would be somewhat awkward, like visiting the Li family and spending a fortune to gift them a Wanling flower.

This matter had been delayed due to the Wanling Heaven incident. Now that Li Zhouwei had returned and the lake was safe, and most importantly, his finances were comfortable, he decided to visit... Furthermore, he hoped that old True Man could offer some insights into the current situation.

Although True Man Luo didn't know why Li Ximing wanted this spirit item, he remained very enthusiastic. He simply smiled and said:

"Fellow Daoist, just take it! I don't need it in my possession. You can compensate me when you acquire the wood-element spirit resources."

However, True Man Luo practiced the demonic path and was, after all, a demon. Li Ximing couldn't feel at ease. He gave him the wood-element spirit elixir that his disciples had obtained from the Nanxiang Palace, added two Nangong Xuansui Pills, and agreed to refine elixirs, effectively taking back his items.

True Man Luo, however, had other intentions. He smiled and asked Li Ximing to introduce him to Siyuan Li.

It wasn't a difficult request after all. Li Ximing understood completely, nodded in agreement, and without saying more to the two, ascended on a beam of light, traversing the void. His heart finally lightened; he had settled a matter that had been weighing on his mind. He mused:

'It's finally settled. I'll just go collect this spirit armor when it's ready...'

But as he rode the light all the way to the lake, he frowned slightly, sensing a Purple Mansion aura of the True Wood path!

"Hmm?"

Who else could it be? It must be Siyuan Li!

'Before I left, I instructed a few juniors that I would be back soon... It seems he was determined to wait for me here.'

So he descended on the light, appearing in the pavilion at the foot of the mountain. Indeed, he saw the True Man patiently standing in the courtyard, appearing calm but sighing frequently, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety.

"Fellow Daoist Qinghu!"

Li Ximing smiled as he emerged through the air. Siyuan Li immediately breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head, and looked somewhat helpless:

"Fellow Daoist Zhaojing!"

As Li Ximing led him up the mountain, he smiled and said:

"What good harvest did fellow Daoist obtain in the Grotto-Heaven? Since you've come looking for me, you must want to refine some valuable elixirs!"

At the mention of his harvest in the Grotto-Heaven, Siyuan Li was speechless, words accumulating in his heart suddenly blocked. He sighed deeply and shook his head, saying:

"Harvest or no harvest... I emerged from seclusion thinking I'd find a new world, but I never imagined Green Pond would be such a mess! This is hardly an immortal sect; it's barely a Golden Core power..."

"What happened?"

Li Ximing seemed to recall something and asked earnestly, only to see Siyuan Li raise his brows and give a bitter smile:

"Zhaojing! Yang Zhuo has rebelled! Mushroom Forest Plain has rebelled!"

Li Ximing was momentarily stunned. It took him a moment to grasp it, and he asked, bewildered:

"Huh?"

"Yang Zhuo?"

"Rebelled? Against whom?"

Siyuan Li sat down beside him at the table, his expression showing a sense of grievance, and sighed:

"Green Pond... He slaughtered the Green Pond cultivators in Mushroom Forest Plain's market, enumerated their crimes, and has now bypassed Mushroom Forest Plain, reaching the territory of Spring House... He's raised a banner, claiming to 'eliminate demons and defend the Dao.'"

"Eliminate demons and defend the Dao..."

As Li Ximing listened, a sudden sense of absurdity rose within him, yet he didn't know how to respond—or even whether to call it absurd or fitting.

Green Pond was no longer what it once was. The numerous upheavals north of the river had brutally torn away all its embellishments. Ning Wan, moreover, had accumulated immense infamy, to the extent that even Green Pond's own people no longer believed in its title as an immortal sect, firmly nailing the name 'demonic sect' to its mountain gate. To speak of 'eliminating demons and defending the Dao' now presented no problem whatsoever.

But a Foundation Establishment cultivator... dragging along a few subordinates who weren't even Foundation Establishment, claiming to overthrow Green Pond... In whose Yue Kingdom cultivator's ears would that not elicit laughter?

Even with Green Pond's current decline, mobilizing thirty or forty Foundation Establishment cultivators would be no problem. And even if those thirty or forty Foundation Establishment cultivators failed to encircle and kill, it would be a mere glance from a Purple Mansion True Man.

Yet, this very thing had happened, even leading to two Purple Mansion cultivators sitting opposite each other in the mountains, silently, for a moment, speechless.

"His surname is Yang... not just Yang, but he's even blessed by heavenly mandate..."

Li Ximing also felt his heart pound. He offered a reminder, and Siyuan Li merely lowered his head in frustration, sighing:

"It must be the True Qi of Heavenly Martial Arts!"

How could Siyuan Li not know? If he weren't surnamed Yang, if he weren't blessed with true qi, Yang Zhuo and that rabble would have died thousands of times over just for occupying Mushroom Forest Plain!

'Eliminating demons and defending the Dao... What a fine "eliminating demons and defending the Dao"! Whose fault is it that Green Pond is in this state today? Now they claim to be eliminating demons and defending the Dao... Where were they during the demon calamity back then? Where were they during the North-South conflict? And where were they during the Turbid Killing Mound incident?'

'If they truly had the courage to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, why didn't they overturn the position of Lushuizi? It truly is a rotten signboard, usually tossed under the table as a footrest, but now that the bird is gone and the good bow is put away, it can be brought out and used!'

The True Man's face gradually turned grim. He placed his cup on the table and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Those exalted figures in the heavens are going to push Green Pond, and the Yue Kingdom... out to the Yang family! How can this be! This is an immortal sect! How could it fall to such a state!"

Li Ximing looked at him, lowering his gaze, poured him some tea, and replied:

"So what? Hasn't it always been this way... You and I are Purple Mansion cultivators; we have the right to choose sides, the right to be pawns... Today, those who are offering their necks to the blade are the ones who haven't yet jumped off Green Pond's ship."

"As for fellow Daoist... that might not be the case."

Siyuan Li raised his brows to look at him, and the indignation and anger on his face suddenly dissipated. He simply nodded quietly, while Li Ximing raised his own brows, his gaze bright and smiling:

"No one from the Si family holds a key position. In the prestigious Green Pond, the one governing the sect is a guest elder surnamed Qin."

"To say fellow Daoist is entirely unprepared today would be to underestimate me."