The Mirror Legacy - Chapter 1463: The Situation Stabilizes (II)
Chapter 1463: The Situation Stabilizes (II)
Moongaze Lake.
Intricately patterned purple-gold profound pillars stood shrouded in mist across the island. Cultivators moved among them, the atmosphere dense and imposing. At the center, the inner formation glowed faintly purple, while pale yellow tiles reflected flickering firelight.
The Daoist in white golden robes clasped his hands together, a look of joy appearing on his face. He struck the pill furnace heavily, and a deep gray radiance surged up, swirling around it. The elephant-head opening widened and expelled a stream of dark gray vapor.
As the smoke dispersed, the cave dwelling echoed with the sound of dripping water. Li Ximing placed a jade box in front of him, and seven pills dropped one by one, resting quietly on a soft white cushion.
“Huff…”
Seeing the seven pills, Li Ximing let out a relieved breath.
He had long known that [Pit Water] and [Bright Yang] did not align well and had been warned several times. But only upon refining pills himself did he truly feel the incompatibility between the two.
Fortunately, my skill is high, and I used True Fire instead of Bright Yang purple flames. That was the only reason I could maintain control…
He had originally expected eight or nine pills. Even with the Dao lineage conflict, preserving seven was enough to meet the required six.
In the box, each pill bore patterns of mountains and rivers, giving off a light, refreshing aura with faint sounds of flowing water. He closed the lid to prevent them from being affected by the surrounding spiritual aura.
The [Serpent Water Suspension Powder] cleared the mind and enhanced cultivation. In Li Ximing’s view, using a Purple Mansion Realm [Cangzhou Serpent Scale] for such an effect was rather wasteful. But the other Dao lineage likely had a different use for it. He summoned Li Minggong and ordered her to take people to Lacquer Marsh.
He moved swiftly and landed on Zhijing Mountain. At the mountain’s base, the purple flame fire vein rang with metallic sounds. Sweeping with his spiritual sense, he saw Li Zhouwei’s [Da Sheng] floating within the flames, shining brightly, while cultivators from the Purple Smoke Gate worked nearby to repair it.
He asked casually, “Where has Minghuang gone?”
Ding Weizeng immediately descended onto the mountain and answered respectfully, “Daoist Master, Daoist Master Minghuang has entered Mount Dali.”
Li Ximing understood at once and acknowledged before asking, “How are things along the riverbank?”
Ding Weizeng replied respectfully, “The opposite bank has been occupied by the [Great Primordial Hidden Radiance Temple]. Within three nights, countless people descended from the north, covering the entirety of White River Stream. They have spread their teachings widely and established numerous temples.”
Li Ximing shook his head and murmured, “They are always good at making things unpleasant.”
With hundreds of thousands of Buddhist cultivators migrating here, the White River Stream was effectively settled. Even if it were reclaimed one day, unless there was a massacre, it would take fifty to a hundred years to remove their influence.
Still, they insist on acting under the banner of the [Great Primordial Hidden Radiance Temple]. It is unclear which lineage they belong to or what Dao lineage they covet.
There had been no movement from the opposite bank, and for now there seemed to be no intention of advancing south. That was a good sign. As he considered it, Ding Weizeng said, “There is another matter to report. A demonic creature has arrived from the southern border… He was escorted by people from the Azure Pond Sect and called himself Yanhu.”
“So it is him.” They had originally sent out Yanhu. Li Ximing beckoned and said, “Bring him up.”
A broad-faced, black-haired man came up from below, draped in a dark robe. Upon seeing Li Ximing, he called out, “Your subordinate greets you, my lord. It has been a long time. I have missed you greatly…”
Li Ximing had no interest in small talk and only wanted good news. He waved his hand and asked, “What have you gained?”
Yanhu quickly knelt and replied respectfully, “My lord, using your name and relying on your divine ability, I crossed the mountains of the Pyu Kingdom and searched west of it, within the demon kingdoms beneath the Great Western Plains. After much inquiry, I found a demon king in Xipo Kingdom who hopes to gain some benefit from you.”
“That demon king cultivates [Auspicious Essence] and calls himself the Great Saha King. He possesses two Purple Mansion Realm spirit materials and one portion of Purple Mansion Realm spirit water, but he needs pills… and wishes to have you refine them.”
Li Ximing frowned in disappointment. It was clear the other party did not trust a mere Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator and would not even reveal the names of the materials.
Seeing his expression, Yanhu lowered his voice and said, “He said the pill is extremely difficult to refine, yielding only one per batch. But he heard you are a [Bright Yang] cultivator, which would aid in its refinement, so he came to inquire.”
Li Ximing knew nothing of that region and had never seen the pill formula, so he could not judge its difficulty. He frowned and asked, “Only this one?”
After he spoke, Yanhu said quietly, “To the east of the Pyu Kingdom, there is an old demon king, the lord of Mount Bifu, named Cen Lufu. He is extremely powerful and skilled in alchemy. In recent years, he has made many connections, and many demonic creatures in the southern border seek him out. They do not have much need for pill refinement.”
Li Ximing flicked aside the cup in his hand as if displeased. His gaze turned cold, but he said nothing.
“But beyond the Pyu Kingdom lies the region beneath the Great Western Plains. There is a Purple Mansion Realm Dharma Protector in the [Victory White Hall], one of the Five Bright Ones, and a devil cultivator who is highly skilled in alchemy and acts fairly. Most demon kings there seek him out. Only the Great Saha King is at odds with him… which is why…”
Li Ximing could only shake his head. He was still injured. How could he travel thousands of kilometers into the depths of the southern border? Moreover, he did not know the extent of the enmity between that demon king and [Victory White Hall], or whether it involved the pill itself. He had no desire to offend others without cause.
Li Ximing then said, “Tell him I have urgent matters and cannot move. If he insists on refining the pill, either he comes here or waits a few years. Leave this demon king aside for now and continue your inquiries deeper within.”
“Yes!” Yanhu replied respectfully and continued, “As for the matter of spiritual flames you instructed, I have gathered some information. There are two confirmed sources. One is the ruler of the Pyu Kingdom, an immortal cultivator. The other is a demon king by the Southern Sea. Both treasure their spiritual flames and have never shown any intention to trade them.”
Li Ximing shook his head and asked, “What level of cultivation?”
The question startled Yanhu. He quickly dropped to his knees and answered, “I do not know… I do not know!”
His mind raced, and he hurriedly added, “I also heard that the lord of Southern Shun Raksha and the lord of Great Konghai Temple both possess spiritual flames! In the past, a great demonic beast of Fire Virtue failed its breakthrough near the Pyu Kingdom and perished, releasing several spiritual flames. Someone must have secretly kept some of them!”
The Southern Shun Raksha was most likely Jiao Zhongzi. As for the Great Konghai Temple, it had to be in the hands of that old Maha, making it equally difficult to obtain. Li Ximing nodded, as he understood the picture now, and said quietly, “Continue investigating.”
The demonic creature hurriedly withdrew. Li Ximing could not help but feel a headache coming on. He muttered, “Not everyone is as generous as the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. This one offers to give, that one offers to send, but most guard their treasures tightly… It seems I will have to make that trip myself.”
He immediately set his itinerary and thought to himself, First, I will go to Qunyi and open that hidden cave dwelling to see what can be gained. Then I will head toward Pyu Kingdom and look into the matter of spiritual flames.
With a single step, he returned to the formation. Closing his eyes, he entered the Realm of Sun and Moon Radiance and felt the overwhelming surge of dense spiritual qi. He slipped a pure white pill marked with qilin patterns from his sleeve.
“The situation has changed. It seems I cannot afford to hold back. I will take this [Qilin Radiance Illumination Pill], which excels at healing the dharma body, recover from my injuries, and set out as soon as possible!”
