The Mirror Legacy - Chapter 1361: Meeting (II)
Chapter 1361: Meeting (II)
Li Zhouwei nodded helplessly, while Li Ximing’s thoughts grew clearer and clearer. The latter then said softly, “The karmic entanglement between the Buddhist cultivators and our family has grown to this extent. Even the fundamental methods of the Buddhist lands were obtained from Wei’s Li. How could they not wish to eradicate us as quickly as possible? From Lord Tongya to Lord Xuanling, and later to Lord Xuanfeng, there are likely those who will go even further in hopes of converting our family into the Buddhist lands like that renowned Undefeated King of Brightness!”
The sight of the various Merciful Ones when he seemed almost mad was still vivid. If Ling Mei had not been there to hold the line, Li Ximing would likely have been injured again. Once he finished the events, his expression turned cold as he said, “The Northern Buddhists are the foremost enemy. With destiny so arranged, even I am in great danger!”
Li Zhouwei responded with deep concern, “Exactly so. I feel as though I cannot afford to wait even a single day, especially after hearing about those Mahas… Reaching the Purple Mansion Realm a day earlier may grant one more measure of leeway.”
Li Ximing took these words to heart, growing even more wary as he gradually calmed himself. For now, he said little else. He was most eager to learn about Li Zhouwei’s progress with the secret techniques, and asked with some anticipation, “Given your understanding of the Radiant Essence Scripture, the secret techniques may be difficult, but they should not be too much for you. It has been just over three years since you left the lake and settled into cultivation. How many have you refined so far?”
When Li Ximing brought this up, a bright smile appeared on Li Zhouwe’s face as he replied, “Daoist Master, my cultivation was sufficient, so I first tried all nine secret techniques one by one. Among them, the Imperial Edict has already been completed, and the Hundred Arms Arsenal and Great Fissure both have cultivation attained.”
Already attained cultivation? Completed without needing further refinement?
Li Ximing wanted to speak but held back, his expression complex, as Li Zhouwei continued, “I cultivated the Hundred Arms Arsenal and the Great Fissure on my journey from the Unison Sea, and both achieved results…”
“Ah?” Li Ximing heard only this single sentence and felt as if struck by lightning. He had incredulity written all over his face as he asked, “Cultivating the Hundred Arms Arsenal and the Great Fissure? Can those two be cultivated simultaneously?”
When Li Ximing was young and full of vigor, he had roughly sensed the difficulty before cultivating Yang Origin and even estimated that he could complete all nine techniques within a century. Yet after spending several years to finish Yang Origin, he realized that the secret techniques were mutually exclusive, and only grew harder and harder to cultivate. From then on, he abandoned any hope of completing them within a hundred years. Not only was full completion impossible, he could barely make progress on the later ones at all.
But if they could be cultivated simultaneously, why would he have struggled so much back then, cultivating them one by one and delaying each other? Cultivating them together and completing all nine at once would have yielded twice the result with half the effort.
He asked anxiously, “Since you can cultivate them simultaneously, do not go one by one. The secret techniques repel each other, so the further you go, the slower it becomes. Even with extraordinary innate ability, you will likely spend years upon years by the sixth or seventh technique. Cultivating seven or eight together at once would take far less time.”
Li Zhouwei nodded as he listened and replied, “What the Daoist Master considers is indeed correct. This junior had earlier worried that the difficulty of the subsequent methods would increase greatly once the Imperial Edict was completed, and my estimates were very conservative. Yet following your description, I first cultivated the Heavenly Lantern to increase the speed of cultivating other secret techniques, and then discovered that there is no mutual repulsion between the secret techniques. They even support each other, becoming faster the more one cultivates.”
Li Ximing froze for a moment, left speechless, before belatedly realizing, “No wonder you can cultivate them together.”
Li Zhouwei let him take a moment to steady himself, then continued, “This junior then completed the Imperial Edict and the Hundred Arms Arsenal and noticed clear differences. Among the remaining six techniques, the Imperial Edict commands the Great Fissure and Yang Origin, while the Hundred Arms Arsenal links the Heavenly Lantern, Jewel Steps, and Reversal, producing even greater synergistic effects…
“As a result, cultivation became even faster. Now that the two systems are complete, I have already achieved seven secret techniques. Only Golden Scales and Red Cicada remain untouched.”
“Seven techniques?!”
“That is correct.” Li Zhouwei said solemnly, “The Imperial Edict has immense utility. This junior estimates that if these Imperial Edict techniques were not innately possessed, the difficulty would be much higher. Calculating it carefully, starting from having none at all, it would take around ten years to reach this level of progress.”
Yet Li Ximing’s innate ability in the Bright Yang Dao was already considered quite good even within the Purple Mansion Realm, yet completing three techniques still took him more than ten years…
Li Ximing’s expression grew complicated. Li Zhouwei had been born with three secret techniques. Even if all three were treated as innate and counted as completed during cultivation along the Unison Sea route, he had still completed four more in just three to four years.
He let out a deep sigh and said, “The fate of one born and nurtured by heaven and earth! Then the remaining two techniques…”
Li Zhouwei replied thoughtfully, “This is precisely why I came to seek the Daoist Master. The remaining two techniques are entirely different. Not only are they extremely difficult to inscribe upon the Immortal Foundation, they also face considerable resistance. Although they could likely be completed given a few more years, the delay would be far too long… Therefore, I intend not to refine the remaining two and instead break through to the Purple Mansion Realm here and now!”
Li Ximing stroked his beard in thought. He quickly recovered from his shock, nodded slightly, and said quietly, “It is just that there are currently no Bright Yang Purple Mansion Realm spirit items available. Fortunately, I still have several Bright Yang Purple Mansion Realm grand pills meant to assist cultivation. They are relatively mild and can help you push your Immortal Foundation into Shenyang.”
As he finished speaking, he took out a small box from his storage pouch, placed it in his palm, and gently opened it. Inside were three snow-white pills that looked as though they were covered in scales. They were Qilin Radiance Illumination Pills.
“At the time, I used a pill refined from two Bright Yang treasured panaceas. Once I reached the Juque acupoint, I could rely only on myself. One pill should be sufficient for you, but I will leave two more with you in case of emergencies.”
This was a Purple Mansion Realm spirit pill, one vastly superior to the pill Li Ximing had used back then. Even using it would waste a considerable amount of medicinal power. Li Zhouwei frowned and tried to refuse, but Li Ximing forcibly pressed it into his hand. After all, matters concerning the Purple Mansion Realm could not afford the slightest negligence.
Li Zhouwei had no choice but to accept one pill, signaling that it was enough, before speaking seriously, “I will give the Daoist Master a stone talisman. If my breakthrough succeeds, I will crush it immediately as a signal, and you may then come to the lake…”
He took out the stone talisman, then withdrew a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Li Ximing. Li Ximing recognized the jade slip at a glance and immediately felt awkward, replying, “Oh… this this this… this thing.”
This was the detailed exposition of Yang Origin that Li Ximing had written at great length years ago, spanning over a hundred thousand characters. Looking back now, it seemed full of unnecessary verbosity.
Yet Li Zhouwei said seriously, “My cultivation insights from this period have already been written down. They are all recorded afterward and compiled into a single work. I ask that the Daoist Master keep it carefully as part of our family’s foundation.”
