Chapter 1564: Turmoil (I)
Chapter 1564: Turmoil (I)
After lowering figure after figure into the secret realm, the gathered Purple Mansion Realm cultivators withdrew their divine abilities one after another. Li Ximing put on a show of courtesy and held back, yet his spiritual sense had already slipped into the secret realm and quietly swept across it like a breeze over the hills.
It was impossible that these Purple Mansion Realm cultivators lacked methods of probing. Though this secret realm was like a game of chess, where one could not personally step onto the board, there always existed those good in calculation arts, those skilled in Fate Divine Abilities, and those wielding unique spirit artifacts. One way or another, they could still make their calculations.
But no matter how they schemed, how could it compare to searching Li Ximingβs ability to search the unseen?
Li Ximing's thoughts raced, and he peered into the main hall. Whether it was purple radiance formations or profound spirit patterns, none of it mattered. He unraveled everything thread by thread until it lay clear before him.
There were no tables or chairs inside the Southern Reach Hall, but rather, a massive bronze nine tripod cauldron nurturing a dense, murky purple glow. Its Dao lineage was unclear, but its structure and appearance closely resembled those once found in the Great Ning Palace.
Such great cauldrons would ultimately be divided among the various families, so they were not of much importance. Only the highest main seat drew attention. Gems glittered while mercury-like liquid churned on it, as if someone had passed away in meditation at that spot. A Dharma robe drifted in the air, and within its folds lay a bright, purple-glowing orb.
Likely a spirit artifact... judging by its appearance, the quality is quite good. Hard to say whether it qualifies as a spirit treasure...
The [Mountain-Charging Sea-Pacing Tiger] in his possession could only be called mid-grade as a compliment. It was naturally incomparable to this orb. As for the [Brilliant Yang King's Axe], it was special, embodying Bright Yang's nature of exalting the strong and rejecting the weak. Its power depended heavily on its wielder. By his own estimation, it fell short of the Xiukui Dao's prized top-grade [Great Kui Convergence Bronze Sword], yet it could still surpass many spirit artifacts held by the various Daoist Masters.
In ancient times, there were countless grotto heavens. Great cultivators of various Dao lineages often joined forces, using these grotto heavens as a foundation to create secret realms, just like this [Southern Reach Hall]. Setting aside whatever gains lay within the grotto heaven itself, simply taking a substantial portion of such a secret realm was already a significant harvest. At a lesser level, weaker cultivators would construct small halls and pavilions around these secret realms, though those were hardly worth mentioning...
He quietly committed it all to memory, then chose a secluded spot and locked onto several palace structures. His spiritual sense swept through them at great speed. Just as nearly everyone had been sent into the secret realm, he finally found a palace of considerable value and barely managed to send a few people inside.
This place appeared to be a pavilion used by the [Southern Reach Dao] lineage to maintain spirit materials. A small formation sealed its upper level, nourished by several Foundation Establishment Realm spirit items. Though most had dried up by now, the spirit items within the formation still emitted a faint purple glow, clearly indicating there were gains to be had.
He quietly gave instructions to several juniors and pointed out the direction. Just as he was about to withdraw his attention from the subtle mysteries at play, his gaze casually landed on a man from Golden Feather Sect.
The moment this man entered the secret realm, he immediately parted ways with his fellow disciples. Without hesitation or pretense, he locked onto a direction and rushed straight toward where the most valuable spirit items were hidden. It was Su Yan.
Li Ximing withdrew his gaze, unable to help himself, and glanced at Tianhuo, who seemed distracted nearby.
The Golden Feather Sect... Su Yan inherited the Lingyu Gate inheritance of the Chen Family. Whatever else aside, that Chen Family of Lingyu Gate undoubtedly migrated from Ning State... Whether Ning State or Wanling, both are deeply connected to this!
Seeing this scene now, how could Li Ximing not understand? Though he sighed inwardly, he could not help but admire it, They truly planned three steps ahead from a single move. Seizing the [River Mountain Sutra], taking the Lingyu Gate inheritance... the Zhang Family must have known long ago that Wanlin Heaven would inevitably come to this point. The real purpose lies within this grotto heaven secret realm!
How was it recorded back then? The Sima, Su, Xii[1], Xiao... all the great families had gathered in Jiangbei, with the Li and Jiang leading the founding of Great Ning. This included the Su surname.
Tianhuo merely smiled without speaking, and Li Ximing found himself feeling a trace of regret on his behalf.
So the Golden Feather Sect's original plan was centered on my family. Something must have gone wrong along the way, and after years of setbacks, they finally produced Su Yan. But too much time has passed... according to their plan, it should have been a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had obtained the [River Mountain Sutra] entering with them now!
As he continued to ponder, clashes had broken out throughout the secret realm. A surge of white qi swept in from the west, shifting through countless transformations. Li Ximing clearly noticed Tiangui's expression darken as he turned coldly toward it. The white qi had come to a stop before them and transformed into a human figure.
This man stood upon a stream of black radiance, his Daoist robe plain and unadorned. His features were refined and clear. He held a dull gray orb in his hand, his body brimming with divine abilities. He was, in fact, a mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
He broke into a grin. "Fellow Daoists, it has been a long time. Your divine abilities have truly advanced greatly!"
Tianhuo had shown no obvious breakthrough in his divine abilities for decades, while this Daoist Master had already been at the mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm for quite some time. The remark carried an unmistakable edge of mockery, drawing a cold laugh from Tianhuo.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Qing... Living quite freely these days, I see. Your thoughts must have become clear and unimpeded. No wonder you broke through."
The surname Qing marked him as a Daoist Master from Mount Changhuai. As expected, the man sneered, then turned to look at Li Ximing. "I am Qing Jifang of the Changhuai Dao lineage, Dao title Ziwu. You must be Zhaojing!"
Li Ximing did not have a favorable impression of him at all. Whether it was the rumors or the encounter his elders once had with him at the time of Yuansu's death, none of it made him likable.
Still, Mount Changhuai held great power, so Li Ximing replied calmly, "I've long heard of your name!"
Qing Jifang merely smiled, his expression unreadable as he said casually, "I've heard of Fellow Daoist Li as well. Why don't I see your family's White Qilin?"
His gaze did not linger on Li Ximing's face, but his tone was filled with amusement. Li Ximing knew this man was arrogant and likely held him in contempt, probably only regarding Li Zhouwei as someone worth noting.
He sneered inwardly before answering, "Minghuang is currently in seclusion and has no time to entertain anyone... I have heard that Wu State has been in turmoil lately, yet you seem quite at ease, Fellow Daoist."
Qing Jifang let out a cold laugh. A young man at his side quickly stepped forward, dressed in green-gray robes, looking somewhat troubled as he tried to smooth things over. "It's just a minor disturbance, nothing worth mentioning."
He had a faint smile on his face as he said, "I am Qing Zhuo, Dao title Guanlan. A pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist..."
Li Ximing nodded, but Qing Jifang interjected again with a smile, "I've heard you have close ties with the Supreme Yang Dao lineage, which is quite a connection. Yet you've visited various sects and factions while passing over Mount Changhuai entirely, instead making frequent trips to Reverent Yang Mountain. I wonder what the reasoning behind that is."
Lacquer Marsh was nominally under Mount Changhuai's control, and Reverent Yang Mountain was well known for its ties to the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. If Qing Jifang pressed the matter, it would indeed become troublesome.
Li Ximing, however, had no interest in engaging further and simply replied, "It was an old arrangement made by the Daoist Master of Xiukui Dao. I was refining pills on that person's behalf, and it was him who came to find me at the lake. If there has been any offense, you may inquire at the Great Xiukui Temple."
The Great Xiukui Temple was currently closed, making any inquiry impossible and difficult to verify. Just as Li Ximing finished speaking, Tianhuo suddenly laughed. "Qing Jifang, what does this have to do with you? I've also been to Reverent Yang Mountain. I've even visited the Sword Immortal of Duoling. What of it?"
The Daoist Master from Changhuai glanced at Li Ximing, then turned away indifferently. "Tianhuo, I won't waste words with you. We'll settle this in the Northern Garden Hall. Just a reminder, so you don't end up courting your own suffering."
The two sides parted on poor terms and went their separate ways. Li Ximing remained outwardly composed, though his mood darkened.
Without showing it, he shifted the topic and said, "Why don't I see Fellow Daoist Qinghu?"
1. Family of characters like Xii Chang, Xii Jiankuan, etc. ☜