The Mirror Legacy - Chapter 1475: Fuxun (II)
Chapter 1475: Fuxun (II)
Southern border.
Mountain ranges rose and fell; dense forests spread endlessly; birds wheeled through the skies; and hordes of demons howled. Ridge upon ridge of demon mountains pressed against one another, demon kingdoms bordering demon kingdoms.
Li Ximing crossed tens of thousands of kilometers, traveling from Scarlet Pristine Sea to the Southern Sea, then from the Southern Sea to Shahuang Kingdom, circling past the Pyu Kingdom and flying all the way to the countless demon ridges bordering the Great Western Plains.
Along the way, slaughter ran rampant and blood stained the land. In the nearer regions, there were still several kingdoms ruled by Purple Mansion Realm cultivators. But deeper in, demons truly reigned, governing vast territories. The local people were emaciated like cattle and sheep, fleeing in panic, while demonic creatures, fat and well-fed, rode in tall carriages, racing past in arrogance.
There were many natives, yet none spoke the language of the Hua people[1]. Each used their own tongue, and their habits had grown close to those of demons. They did not recognize cups or chopsticks, eating only with their hands. Many practiced a form of Buddhist teachings, though they could hardly be considered monks.
With a brief glance, Li Ximing understood. Buddhist methods are indeed effective. They let people wait calmly for death, hoping for a better next life. Even these demon kingdoms favor them.
Seen this way, these natives lived miserable lives. In the north, commoners sought only death, yet at least they had land to cultivate. But here, everyone was numb across the four regions, surviving by begging scraps from demonic creatures. It was worse than the north!
Demonic creatures were not skilled in formations, so there was little to fear in these lands. Li Ximing traveled through the great void and soon arrived at Xipo Kingdom.
The kingdom was resplendent, built around a towering mountain. Unlike the pavilions and courtyards of Jiangnan, it was filled with tall towers and bell structures. Sacred trees swayed in the wind, bathed in multicolored haze, and countless exotic flowers bloomed across the land. Yet not a single human figure could be seen. Demonic creatures of all kinds moved about in garments, and the place bustled with life.
But five hundred kilometers beyond the mountain, it was hell. Smoke rose everywhere as countless demonic tribes slaughtered one another, offering blood food to the central city-state.
Here, demons enslave demons. There is no trace of the human race. This is a true demon kingdom…
Li Ximing descended on a beam of light. A pair of demon generals rode the wind out from within the magnificent tower to greet him. After a single glance, one bowed and gestured for him to wait, while the other turned and shouted into the dark entrance of the tower.
A great bell rang from within the tower. Two rows of demon generals hurried out as clouds surged in the sky and auspicious vapors gathered. From deep within the tower came a loud cry in an unknown language, a chaotic string of shouts.
“Ao—wu…”
Auspicious Qi surged and golden light blazed. A man with white-and-red pupils, his appearance both sinister and strikingly handsome, flew from the tower. He wore white bone armor and blood-red silk, giving off a terrifying aura. A pair of golden wings spread behind him as he stepped upon rising golden clouds, his gaze fixed on Li Ximing.
The demonic qi around him was immense and suffused with auspicious radiance. He held a gleaming long blade. Though only at the early Purple Mansion Realm, divine ability flowed through his eyes. Standing upon auspicious clouds, he gave off an intensely dangerous presence.
This demon was none other than the Great Saha King of the Xipo Kingdom!
To carve out a path in the depths of the southern border and establish a demon kingdom, none of these figures are weak. This is entirely different from the Eastern Sea and Southern Sea, where the Dragon Clan stands at the top. This one is not only of noble lineage, but likely formidable in combat as well!
Li Ximing glanced at him, assessing his dharma body, then cupped his hands slightly and said, “I am Zhaojing, from Moongaze Lake.”
The demonic creature was momentarily stunned, then was suddenly enlightened. When he spoke, it was in proper official speech, even carrying a Jiangnan accent. “So it is a fellow Daoist. Please!”
Li Ximing was secretly surprised. This demon clearly understood Jiangnan etiquette well. Instead of inviting him into the tower, he gestured toward a small, colorful pavilion over a pond and said with a smile, “I failed to recognize the arrival of a Daoist Master. My apologies!”
He turned in place, transforming into a white-robed scholar. Yet his sinister, handsome features remained, his pupils still red and white. Rather than a scholar, he looked more like a demonic adviser capable of bringing ruin to nations.
He invited Li Ximing to sit and said with a smile, “I am Fuxun, lord of the Xipo Kingdom… That tiger demon claimed to have a real master behind him, and indeed, it was true. Today I finally meet you in person! My divine ability must be shining bright, for fortune has followed me here. Still, I must thank you for making the trip to this remote place!”
The other cultivated Auspicious Essence, so attributing this to divine ability was not unreasonable. Li Ximing had not expected Fuxun to speak so well. The Jiangnan accent even sounded somewhat familiar, so he replied, “Your Jiangnan speech is quite refined, great king. It feels very familiar.”
Fuxun shook his head with a smile. “A friend of mine is from Jiangnan. He recently came to assist me with some matters and taught me a bit of the Jiangnan tongue along the way.”
“Oh?”
Li Ximing’s interest was immediately piqued, but Fuxun cut him off first with a smile, “Since you have come, why not state your purpose?”
Between them, there was naturally only talk of interests. Li Ximing did not stand on ceremony and said seriously, “Please reveal the outline of your alchemy art. Let me examine it carefully. Only if I am certain the pill can be refined will there be reason for us to continue this discussion.”
“Very well!”
The scholar-like demon gave a laugh and produced a wooden slip from his sleeve. Before Li Ximing even took it, he was already somewhat surprised and asked, “Soul-Tuning Mulberry Wood?”
The wooden slip in the demon’s hand was indeed made of Soul-Tuning Mulberry Wood, and it appeared quite ancient. The old demon was not surprised at the question. Holding the slip, he smiled and said, “I hear that Yue State is the domain of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. I wonder, where do you rank in alchemy?”
Li Ximing raised a brow. If one were to speak frankly, among the alchemists of Jiangnan, he was only uncertain about Xiao Chuting and Hengxing. Everyone else was either beneath him or long left behind.
Still, he said modestly, “Setting aside the very top, I would place myself third.”
Fuxun’s eyes lit up, though he felt Li Ximing was capable of more. He said, “Please!”
Li Ximing’s spiritual sense stirred. As expected, the latter half of the wooden slip was sealed. He read it carefully, lowering his gaze without speaking.
[Aspiration Ascension Profound Pill]!
He had never seen this method of refining a pill; it was clearly extremely ancient. It was a method for achieving a profound pill. It did not seek to produce as many pills as possible from a single batch, but instead aimed to condense all the medicinal potency into one, embracing the concept of unity. If successful, it produced a single pill. If it failed, nothing remained at all.
Modern alchemy had already reached extraordinary heights. For cultivators like Li Ximing, six or more pills per batch was common. Even in poor conditions, one or two could still be produced. There had never been a case where nothing remained at all.
The main ingredient of this pill was even more unusual. It required the heart of a Purple Mansion Realm [Profound Vault Golden-Winged Bat], combined with a Purple Mansion Realm Auspicious Essence spirit item known as [Undeclining Golden Cloud]… The difficulty was even higher than Tinglan’s [Heavenly Quintessence-Expelling Pill] from back then.
Li Ximing examined the ingredients, hesitant to speak. He thought, This demonic creature… what a deep foundation!
Seeing his expression, Fuxun grew somewhat anxious. He clearly understood how demanding the requirements were. Li Ximing shook his head and said, “This pill of yours truly puts one in an awkward position!”
The [Profound Vault Golden-Winged Bat] had long gone extinct. Even in ancient times, it was a noble Purple Mansion Realm lineage, second only to the Dragon Clan. It was on the same level as the [Surging Radiant Noonfire Yang Luan][2] Wupian[3] that Li Zhouwei once encountered. Refining this pill was essentially equivalent to tearing out Wupian’s heart and combining it with the [Undeclining Golden Cloud], which could withstand Inferior Water and discern good from evil.
In other words, if the refinement failed, it would not merely consume some spirit materials. It would mean wasting two extraordinary Purple Mansion spirit items. Even for Li Ximing, if someone squandered such treasures, he would cough up blood in anger on the spot.
Fuxun looked embarrassed. He too could not afford such a loss and dared not make any guarantees. He could only sigh silently.
No wonder no one has been willing to refine this for him all this time!
Li Ximing cursed inwardly. After some estimation, he hesitated slightly.
It is not impossible. If I can borrow Xiukui’s spirit furnace… it might succeed… but the probability is only seventy to eighty percent…
But in truth, the matter was too troublesome. He decided to first see what was being offered and said, “I have come to the southern border for a reason. I require a Purple Mansion Realm spiritual flame.”
Understanding how precious spiritual flames were, he quickly added, “Even a clue would suffice.”
Fuxun’s red-and-white pupils landed on him. One hand rested on the table while the other tapped the armrest, as if weighing his sincerity. Soon, he replied, “To be frank, west of my Xipo Kingdom lies the Baijia Kingdom. Its ruler is a vermilion bird, and she possesses a fire called White Karmic Fire. If you are interested, kill the bird and take her flame!”
Li Ximing immediately shook his head. He was no fool. There was no way he would get entangled in the conflicts between these demon kingdoms. He simply said, “I have no intention of killing a demon king or disrupting the current balance. I only seek an exchange.”
“Then that will be difficult!” Fuxun sighed repeatedly, but after looking at him, he was unwilling to let this opportunity pass. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Give me a clear answer. If you take action, what are your chances of success?”
1. Referring to the Chinese. ☜
2. The 鸾 (luan) is a mythical phoenix-like bird in Chinese lore, often associated with auspicious omens, nobility, and paired with the phoenix as a symbol of harmony and high lineage. ☜
3. The luan that first appeared in Chapter 944. ☜
