The Mirror Legacy - Chapter 1471: Under-Neck Feathers (II)
Chapter 1471: Under-Neck Feathers (II)
The second last side hall was a scripture pavilion. Though it was lavishly decorated, the owner of the cave dwelling had clearly been rather perfunctory about it. The space was small, and the shelves were completely empty, not as if items had been removed, but as if nothing had ever been placed there at all.
With nothing gained from these two, Li Ximing finally arrived before the profound door opposite the refining hall. Filled with expectation, he pushed it open.
As expected, it was an alchemy hall!
The place was vast, adorned with patterns of Mansion Water. At the center stood a blue-gold pill furnace that rose upward like a pagoda. At each of its six corners were roaring Profound Turtle statues, each three to four times taller than a person, their mouths facing the furnace and emitting a faint glow.
The moment he stepped inside, the surroundings lit up. The lamps cast rippling lake-like light, interweaving and reflecting as they filled the entire hall with shimmering waves of waterlight.
“What a fine pill furnace!”
Li Ximing’s eyes lit up at once. He stepped forward, placing a hand on the furnace as he carefully sensed it.
As expected, it uses a Mansion Water alchemy method… thought Li Ximing.
The central furnace was called [Broad Lake]. It was not a single dharma artifact, but a composite structure formed by assembling multiple artifact components. Combined with the formation, it formed a complex embedded alchemical formation system.
The six Profound Turtles statues at the corners were also part of the whole. If Li Ximing’s guess was correct, once the furnace was activated, the statues would immediately spew Mansion Water, channeling it into the central furnace to assist the refining process.
If the owner used a Mansion Water alchemy art, then this furnace could rival a Purple Mansion Realm one. It would be somewhat inferior for ordinary fire refinement, but still far beyond the [Treasure-Elephant Furnace].
He circled it with great care, studying the structure of the [Broad Lake] alchemical formation as astonishment filled his heart.
Could this cave dwelling have belonged to more than one Purple Mansion Realm cultivator? Unless one was born with such knowledge, how could anyone achieve such mastery in both alchemy and artifact forging?
He walked down slowly, fully satisfied, restraining the urge to ignite the furnace and test it, secretly delighted.
He muttered, “Although this furnace uses Mansion Water, which likely won’t harmonize well with Pit Water, making it hard to squeeze more out of Master Dingyang, it will surely be useful in the future…”
He left the alchemy hall with a full harvest and returned to the main hall. Though the spiritual qi here was not as rich as the Realm of Sun and Moon Radiance, it was already an extravagant resource for the younger members of the clan.
Smiling, he walked up to the pool and gazed at the rippling [Feather Transformation Pool], pondering for a moment.
The [Spirit Preservation] function can condense [Wall-Sinking Water]. After a hundred years, it fills a pool and transforms into the Purple Mansion Realm spirit material [Under-Neck Feathers].
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. His figure vanished on the spot, turning into light as he entered the artifact hall. In an instant, he returned, having gathered the entire pool of [Wall-Sinking Water] used for quenching, compressing it into a sphere of water in his palm.
With a flick of his finger, Li Ximing sent the [Wall-Sinking Water] sinking down, pouring it all into the [Feather Transformation Pool].
Must I wait for it to condense on its own? Can’t I gather [Wall-Sinking Water] myself and pour it into the pool?
Sure enough, as the water level rose and gradually filled the pool, its color began to fade. The clear and transparent [Wall-Sinking Water] turned pure white upon entering. The formations within the cave dwelling began to operate rapidly, the foundation of the Profound Mansion taking shape as various mystical effects spread and influenced the water in the pool.
Based on the feedback from the formation, Li Ximing estimated that it would take only one year for this batch of [Under-Neck Feathers] to fully condense.
His face lit up with joy as he looked down at the pool beneath his feet. Filled with excitement, he said, “So this is how it’s meant to be used. Otherwise, who could wait a hundred years? How many hundreds of years does a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator even have?!
“This is the real money tree… equivalent to a Purple Mansion Realm spirit tree, endlessly producing Purple Mansion Realm spirit materials. Even a Purple Mansion Realm spirit tree might not yield one every year! This is the true power of this function, its real use!
“It cannot be created out of nothing. One must gather a considerable amount of [Wall-Sinking Water]. Over time, its price will surely rise. The key is to find a large and steady source… but turning low-grade spirit items into Purple Mansion Realm spirit materials is an incredible opportunity! As for [Wall-Sinking Water], I used to think it took up too much space in my storage pouch!”
After admiring it for a while, fully satisfied, he went over the entire cave dwelling once more. Only then did he finally leave. As the stone doors slowly closed behind him, he gazed at the words Zhen Tao Residence and fell into thought, The connection with the Chen Family of Ning State cannot be avoided. No matter what, we must station our people on Everstream Island.
After all, this Purple Mansion Realm formation was rooted in the land itself and could not be moved. Even if numerous formation masters of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage worked together, they likely could not relocate it while preserving its functions. The only option was to send people here.
Moreover, there is a baleful lake outside that isolates spiritual qi, forming a natural barrier against Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.
He moved through in a streak of light, not forgetting the [Earth Fiend’s Cold Spring] at the bottom of the baleful lake. Diving into the water, he indeed saw thick black ice forming below. The Pit Water qi produced by the [Trial of Pit] function swept across the surface like rolling gray winds, continuously transforming the [Earth Fiend’s Cold Spring] into [Nether Binding Baleful Fluid].
He realized that the foundation of the Profound Mansion of the [Profound Turtle Mansion-Stabilizing Spirit Formation] was precisely located at the [Earth Fiend’s Cold Spring]. The water vein, earth vein, and spirit vein had merged into one. Both the [Earth Fiend’s Cold Spring] and the baleful lake were products of this Profound Mansion foundation.
It wasn’t because a natural baleful lake existed here that the formation was established. Rather, the formation itself created the lake over a hundred years… this barrier devoid of spiritual energy had been planned from the start!
With the three veins fused into one, if anyone forcefully breaks the formation, the entire cave dwelling will collapse. Not only the [Cave Egret Origin Water], even the halls inside would not survive! Formation mastery is truly miraculous!
Li Ximing examined the foundation of the Profound Mansion in disbelief, silently marveling, This is the work of someone beyond the mortal realm! Even Daoist Master Zimu, the most accomplished in Jiangnan, might not be able to create something so seamless and natural!
After taking a few more glances, he swept the area with his spiritual sense, estimating that there were three or four portions of [Earth Fiend’s Cold Spring] beneath the black ice. Seeing no particular treasures, he transformed into light and traveled through the earth veins, emerging above ground shortly after.
Outside, the night wind howled; the sea was pitch black; and scattered lights flickered across the island. In high spirits, he rose into the air as a streak of light and headed back.
This time, his excuse for leaving had been to head to the southern border in search of spiritual flames. Naturally, he could not return so hastily. With plenty of time to spare, he entered the great void, circling southwest as he flew toward the southern border.
