Chapter 1799: A Fleeting Dream (I)

The colors in the sky had blended into a chaotic mass. Streaks of white Supreme Yin and frosty Cold Essence mingled within overlapping layers of somber gray, like a white porcelain salt jar shattered to pieces, leaving patches of brilliant white and ashen white scattered everywhere.

The battle had been raging for two hours.

Perhaps that pill had been exceptionally effective, or perhaps Daoist Master Yuanshang's accumulated foundations were simply too profound. The demonic entity possessed tremendous strength, and had tried to break free several times, once even hurtling headfirst into Suohai Peak on Chunyi Island and smashing the mountain in two, triggering landslides, earthquakes, and repeated tsunamis.

Yet in the end, it was contained.

Layer upon layer of dark shadows filled the horizon, forming a vast, oppressive hall that held a streak of white light captive within. The old man stood bewildered in the center, his hair hanging loose and disheveled. Heavy, pitch-black chains bound his body, weighing him down.

Whether it was Duanmu Kui in years past or Si Boxiu later on, the demonic entities they became could speak, but they were wanton and unrestrained, with neither fear of death nor any other emotion. Even when confronted by the Underworld's judiciary, they had merely laughed wildly and attacked until they were seized and dragged into the Underworld.

This demonic entity, however, merely stood silently within the great hall. Dragging the chains that covered his body, he staggered forward step by step like an old man stricken with illness, constantly looking from side to side.

His mind seemed lost amid layer upon layer of phantoms.

"My lords?"

He suddenly took three steps to the left and looked up at the sky, but he could see nothing except overlapping layers of darkness. He then staggered backward to the right, glancing frantically around as he wept, "My lords! I am innocent!"

He seemed to lose his senses and swiftly grew agitated. Dragging the heavy chains behind him, he repeatedly slammed into the walls of the great hall, making the entire structure thunder and quake as his heart-rending roars filled it.

"My lords!"

"Come out! Why will you not see me? Come out!"

"Five hundred years! It has been five hundred years... Yet I ended up the same! I am nothing more than another Guanyu, am I not? Why must you humiliate me so?"

Judging by his words, he was exactly the same as Yuanshang!

"My lords!"

His voice was so desolate and terrifying that it reverberated throughout the great hall, shaking its doors. Even the hall could not contain the light of Supreme Yin upon him, allowing his voice to seep through the cracks around the doors and resound before the steps.

"I have attained the Dao... Why will you not see me? I have attained the Dao!"

Yet no matter how he roared and struggled, the many chains held him firmly imprisoned within the great hall. As they tightened inch by inch around his body, they emitted a grating creak that set one's teeth on edge.

The demonic entity fell to his knees and raised his face toward the heavens, seemingly trying to call out a name. Yet the name dissipated the moment it left his lips, turning into overlapping wisps of gray-white qi that drifted away. He abruptly lowered his head and began vomiting violently.

"Blegh..."

To everyone's astonishment, he vomited up a snow-white magpie. The magpie had crimson feet and black eyes, and its feathers resembled a waning moon. It hopped twice, then vanished as though it had finally regained its freedom.

Next came white jade as luminous as the moon, profound books covered in runes, and spirit lotuses of deep blue and pristine white... One radiant white palace after another spilled from his mouth, yet within the infinitely vast, darkened hall, each was no larger than a fist. They shattered into fragments of white light as they smashed into the floor.

Finally, he vomited the swaying Cassia Homeland from his belly onto the floor. That dazzling profound core landed on the ground with a series of clear clinks. The demonic entity raised his head once more.

"My lords! Chunyi Dao is innocent!"

His drawn-out cry was swallowed by the surging black qi, gradually fading into nothingness.

Rumble!

The moment the profound core struck the ground, the heavy doors of the great hall finally slammed shut. The hall vanished from the sky without a trace, and all the dark clouds overhead dispersed. The moonlight was dim, the stars indistinct, and every color dissolved like smoke, as though it had all been a dream.

The upper half of the peak, broken clean through at its middle, had already sunk to the bottom of the sea, leaving only half a mountain standing upon the island. The earth veins and fire veins that should have erupted violently were nowhere to be seen, while the Baleful Qi had frozen within the mountain and solidified into pitch-black stone and metal.

Only then could the sword cultivator be seen standing all alone amid the ruins, silently gazing at the night sky.

The Daoist Masters who had gathered so actively from every corner of the land had returned to the horizon like a flock of swallows, leaving not a trace behind. The mountains and the great void were utterly deserted, with only a faint, icy wind blowing through them.

Daoist Master Fuxuan, Xii Lingjiao, stood motionless like a statue.

Only then did the faint patter of footsteps sound behind him. A young man approached, his face streaming with tears, and bowed. "The Grand Daoist Master... has passed away!"

Rumble!

His words seemed to awaken the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Muffled thunder rolled across the sky, and fine snow soon began falling. Xii Lingjiao turned his head to look at him. "Chehong....Master took the medicine."

The young man merely covered his face and wept. "Martial Uncle! He did! It was a profound medicine from Daoist Master Zhaojing!"

Xii Lingjiao took a stumbling step forward, and immediately closed his eyes as tears ran from their corners. "Then it truly worked."

Rumble!

The winter thunder grew ever louder, and the blizzard began blanketing the ground. Every inch of the ruined courtyards and pavilions disappeared beneath the great, feathery flakes of snow. The cultivators of Chunyi Dao Gate slowly began moving across the snow. They exchanged silent glances and merely lowered their eyes as they cleared away the ruins.

Xii Lingjiao stood in the wind. Before long, a streak of heavenly light came sweeping toward him. The Daoist Master in white-golden Daoist robes was unexpectedly the first to return.

With a complicated expression, he cupped his hands toward Xii Lingjiao from afar. "Please accept my condolences, fellow Daoist."

Xii Lingjiao quietly looked at him for a moment before replying, "My thanks, Zhaojing! Without that pill, Master's final wish to attain the Dao... could never have been fulfilled."

Li Ximing looked as though he wished to speak, but stopped himself, his brow heavy with concern. The others might have fled far away and merely watched from a distance with perception technique or listened in casually, but Li Ximing possessed the Immortal Mirror.

He had seen everything with perfect clarity. The scene within that great hall had chilled him to the bone.

He said with a complicated expression, "The Grand Daoist Master's... Dao conduct was truly profound. Even after becoming a golden abomination, he remained exactly as he had been in life..."

Xii Lingjiao's steps faltered slightly. He turned his head, seemingly trying to determine whether Li Ximing truly did not understand or was deliberately making light of him. Only after a long silence did he reply, "It was the [Yuanxia Congealed Jade Dao Scripture], the Fundamental Dharma of our Dao and the source of the Dao arts within the [Congealed Jade Scripture]. By pursuing the Golden Core Realm through this Dao, one may advance and become a True Immortal of Supreme Yin who has attained the Dao. Even in failure, there remains a one-in-ten-thousand chance of becoming a Congealed Jade Vassal under Supreme Yin."

He gently closed his eyes and continued, "The golden abomination he became possessed his memories, but it was not him. If you insist upon a comparison, Zhaojing... it belonged to the same category as the envoys of the Underworld's judiciary, though it was of a far higher order..."

Li Ximing was deeply shaken by what he heard and froze for a moment. If that was the case... Why would the Underworld's judiciary still seize him?

Xii Lingjiao seemed to understand what he was thinking. Grief filled his heart, and his voice was icy as he said, "The Underworld is governed by the most exalted of immortals. Since it intervened, that means Master failed even in his fallback. He truly failed and became a demonic entity, which is why they seized him."

He spoke naturally enough, yet the hand held behind his back was tense. Chehong, standing nearby, had gone slightly pale, and his jaw tightened. Li Ximing felt his scalp tingle, and could find no reply. Silence descended for a time, broken only by the soft rustling of snow settling upon the ground.

Xii Lingjiao turned slightly. The sword cultivator seemed to struggle with himself for a long while, his expression complicated. After several breaths of hesitation, he finally asked, "Zhaojing, you are of Ning's Li lineage... Have you heard anything? Do you understand what master meant by 'retribution'... just before his passing?"

How could Li Ximing possibly know? He was still wrestling with doubts of his own. He shook his head gravely and replied, "The Grand Daoist Master must have had some deeper meaning in mind. It is beyond our ability to fathom..."

Fuxuan lowered his eyes. "Chehong told me about your matter, Zhaojing. Since we promised to exchange the item with you, we will not go back on our word... Chehong!"

The young man immediately stepped forward and led Li Ximing away, leaving Fuxuan standing there alone in utter silence.

Li Ximing bowed to him, his heart still cold. The Immortal Artifact in his possession belonged to the Origin Mansion, though he dared not reveal it. Chunyi Dao Gate were loyal supporters of the Origin Mansion, yet they had now suffered such an injustice. Li Ximing could not help but feel deeply disheartened!

It seems they truly believe that Daoist Master Yuanshang died after becoming some sort of Vassal of Supreme Yin...

"Buzz..."

The sound of the grand formation activating reverberated in his ears. Li Ximing looked up as if awakening from a dream and discovered that they had already entered the inner formation of Chunyi Dao Gate. White bricks paved the ground; rows of cassia trees grew throughout the grounds; and a small, pure-white pavilion stood before him.

Chehong composed himself, though his voice remained somewhat hoarse. "With Suohai Peak collapsed, there are not many places left where we can receive honored guests. Please come inside and take a seat."

Li Ximing hurriedly bowed and nodded.

The pavilion's interior was plain, with few decorative patterns and only several jade tables. Once the two Daoist Masters had taken their seats, Chehong asked, "Daoist Master... Is there anything you urgently require?"

Li Ximing pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you have any spirit items of [Whole Pill]?"

Li Ximing had received word from Liu Changdie some time ago. He had located a [Whole Pill] spirit item for his family at Shiqi Island called [Vermilion Temple Golden Court Sand].

Unfortunately, Zang Tiaozi, who possessed this spirit item, refused to budge and would only exchange it for the [Unified Qi White Cosmos Stone] in Liu Changdie's possession, so they had never managed to obtain it. Li Ximing had also made a point of asking what other items this Daoist Master required, but when he saw the list, every item on it was something he had never even heard of. His prospects of securing the sand seemed exceedingly slim.

Chehong raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, then shook his head. "Back then..."

The moment those two words left his mouth, Li Ximing knew the item must have been traded with Qiushui long ago. Sure enough, that proved to be the case. The Golden Feather Sect possessed truly formidable wealth and connections, and Daoist Master Yuanshang had been well acquainted with Qiushui. How could he possibly have refused her?

However, Li Quewan had also brought him good news when she came to observe the ceremony. Her speed in cultivating secret techniques was nothing short of astonishing. She had already mastered [Seated Radiance], and it would not take much longer to complete the final [Plain Elixir]. She would soon enter seclusion!

In other words, his most pressing concern at present... was still Li Quewan's spirit item!

After considering the matter from every angle, he simply took Liu Changdie's letter from his sleeve. He compiled the various spirit items Zang Tiaozi required into a list and handed it to the Daoist Master. "I need one of these items to make an exchange with another Daoist Master..."

Unexpectedly, Chehong took the list, glanced over it, and frowned slightly. "This must be Senior Zang Tiaozi!"

Li Ximing was somewhat surprised, but there were only so many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators in the world, so it was perfectly reasonable for Chehong to know Zang Tiaozi. He cupped his hands and nodded, whereupon Chehong clasped his hands and said, "This will be easy. Senior Zang Tiaozi is a close friend of my Martial Uncle, and the Grand Daoist Master once saved his life. Leave this matter to me. If all goes smoothly, I can secure it for you within a few days, fellow Daoist."

Zang Tiaozi had no particular use for the [Vermilion Temple Golden Court Sand]. He was merely hoarding a rare commodity in hopes of exchanging it for a spirit item that suited his needs.

Li Ximing was immediately overjoyed. "Excellent!"

Chehong was clearly still immersed in the grief of his Grand Daoist Master's passing. There was no hint of a smile on his face, nor did he exchange any unnecessary pleasantries.

After speaking briefly with Li Ximing and hesitating for a while, he said, "Zhaojing, you are also highly accomplished in alchemy, so I will not waste your time with empty talk. The spirit item used to make that profound pill possessed an exceptionally high inherent rank and should have been worth more than the [Vermilion Temple Golden Court Sand].

“However, a single spirit item could have produced more than just that one pill... Time was pressing then, so I did not examine it closely, nor do I know how potent it was... To ensure you do not suffer a loss, I will make up the difference with [Night Yaksha Spirit Grass] produced on our island and have it delivered to the lake when the time comes!"

Li Ximing naturally had no objections. He returned the bow and, unwilling to disturb them any longer, withdrew from their inner formation and bade them farewell. As he rose into the air above Chunyi Island, he could still see Fuxuan silently gazing at the snow filling the sky.

Xii Lingjiao held his sword in his arms and stood silently in the snow. He took a box from his sleeve, caught a handful of the thickly falling snow within it, and gazed into the distance.

The ceaseless snow accumulated upon the broken, crumbling mountain. After an unknown length of time, the sword cultivator finally murmured, "Master... how bitterly you kept me in the dark..."