Chapter 1373
The Ancient God
Chapter 1373 The Ancient God
'Okay, okay…'
Li Ximing paused slightly, and Long Kangyao had already turned his head. The woman from before was now standing guard to the side with a jade plate. On the plate was a radiant pearl, which at first glance did not seem particularly remarkable.
Long Kangyao raised his head and said softly:
"This item is the [Gathering of Auspiciousness Pearl], originally a treasure of the 'Returning to Earth' path."
"Returning to the earth? How rare!"
He uttered only this one sentence, and the woman brought it up, listening to the smiling ghost-like figure formed from flames before him:
"Reporting to the True Man, this item possesses four wondrous properties. Aside from the one that enhances the cultivation of the Earth Virtue, the remaining three in the True Man's possession are extremely useful wondrous properties... Please examine it, True Man!"
Li Ximing was not as polite as this Grand Master—if we really compare them in terms of value, this vast territory and the four or five Purple Mansion Spirit Arrays are not comparable to ordinary spiritual treasures… Even if he had to give them up, it would be absolutely not unreasonable to accept some benefits from him.
So he gently took it, and their spiritual connection was established. Suddenly, the ownership changed hands, and his heart pounded.
'【Juxinzhu】…'
The ghost is right. The [Qi Tu] that nurtures cultivators is useless. There is also [Xuan Tu], used to suppress all laws on the earth, and [Fa Yang], used to collect water and fire.
Only this last dish filled him with secret horror.
This wondrous technique is called "Seize and Kill," and it is extremely unique. The magic weapon transmits the ability to "capture supernatural powers and hunt down heretics," which can suppress a certain magic power of another person for a short period of time!
This is quite unusual—it could even be considered a powerful weapon. Even if he wasn't a cultivator who had returned to the earth realm, and his power was somewhat diminished in his hands, wielding this treasure would allow him to participate in higher-level battles…
The unspoken meaning conveyed in those words made him secretly shudder:
'Long Kangyao... hasn't taken out many spiritual treasures from beginning to end. He only hoped to resolve this matter personally and didn't intend to use his powerful background... If he were truly dragged into this mess and taken out three or four powerful spiritual treasures from the cave, the fate of Chuncheng... would be uncertain!'
Unlike Li Zhouwei, Li Ximing had never personally fought against this Great Master before him, and his perception of his supernatural abilities was limited. He only knew that he had been defeated by his own King Wei in the east, and he didn't take it seriously... But if Li Suining were here, he probably wouldn't be surprised at all—Long Kangyao had single-handedly held out against the combined attacks of Shi Xiu and Mingyang until the very end, and only returned to his cave to break through after feeling utterly disheartened!
Li Ximing secretly made a note of it. After a casual glance, he realized that all three paths were incredibly powerful and mysterious, but the required supernatural powers and magical strength were terrifying. They should be characteristics of the path of returning to the earth.
As he pondered the purpose of this place, the great master before him spoke:
"During the Zhou Dynasty, a true immortal of my Longkang clan cultivated himself on Mount Taihang, and was a disciple of the 'Panyang Attendant God,' who bestowed upon him this item..."
"Later, when Emperor Wei ascended the throne, Mingyang was appointed. He had a lineage with his master. My family's immortal master took this item into the Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion and cultivated there. He lived for 511 years before passing away. This item then returned to the Immortal Mansion."
He suddenly paused and said:
“After Wei was destroyed, someone took this item and returned it to my Buzaotian. Therefore, there is a cause and effect. The moment I saw the King of Wei, I thought of this item. Now that the two sides have made peace, I will return this item to Mingyang and return it to its rightful owner.”
Long Kangyao's words were always carefully chosen, sounding dignified no matter how you looked at them. Even this item had to be presented as a return to its rightful owner. Li Ximing didn't care at all, but this ancient secret couldn't be ignored. He asked curiously:
"I am ignorant and have never heard of this servant of the gods..."
Long Kangyao stopped speaking abruptly, lowered his head thoughtfully, and turned to look at the woman beside him. The woman understood and then spoke:
“Reporting to the True Immortal, ‘Panyang Attendant God’ sits below Mingyuan. He is a Divine Pill cultivator who has attained enlightenment in a short time. He is a hidden immortal. In the book, he is referred to as Wangfu Yan… He is your only disciple.”
"Later, He interfered in mortal affairs and was killed by the Heavenly Lord of the Zhou royal family. After all, He was a cultivator of divine pills..."
Li Ximing's first suspicion was actually of the immortal Mingyang depicted in the painting. He was determined to extract more information from this newly risen figure, whose lineage had been passed down from ancient times. However, judging from the other's words, this person's supernatural powers were not particularly high, and moreover, the painting contained matters from the Zhou Dynasty, suggesting that he was likely a very ancient person. Therefore, he raised his eyebrows and asked something else, expressing his doubts:
"The divine pill... could it be related to the Divine Lord?"
He asked the crucial question by accident, causing the woman to raise an eyebrow but remain silent. Long Kangyao simply raised his head and slowly said:
"Indeed! Master Zhaojing is quite astute... The so-called divine pill is one with the divine lord, and is intimate with ghosts and gods, with Douxuan having the most."
He smiled and said:
"The 'Dou Xuan' lies in the convergence of heaven and earth, in the lifting of the 'Xuan Gang', in the capture of the unruly, and in the command of all gods. The so-called ghosts and gods belong to Dou Xuan. The divine pill is the position of the ghost and god path."
“The ancients often referred to Golden Core cultivators who were bestowed with divine pills as divine lords.”
These words were like a wake-up call, making Li Ximing suddenly realize the truth:
'I see! ’
As mentioned earlier, Douxuan God Lord is the most numerous, and he is also the one of the gods and spirits. Douxuan is known as the one who controls the heavens and has many gods under his command. Now that the underworld is hidden and Douxuan is not thriving, isn't this also a reflection of the barely surviving and almost extinct divine path in the world?
If this divine path hadn't been neglected, Li Wushao wouldn't have possessed only magical power, Yu Xixin's golden slip wouldn't have been so easy to deal with, and the many wondrous or spiritual treasures related to ghosts and gods in the Li family's possession wouldn't have been lost!
'Now that I think about it, the underworld... is the demon among demons and gods, and also the demon of the underworld!'
This made his gaze intense, but he wasn't about to let the conversation go, and immediately said:
"If that's the case, then the 'Panyang Attendant God'... must have a divine lord behind him!"
He held onto this clue tightly, vaguely seeing traces of that immortal Mingyang. Long Kangyao, however, never showed any fear in front of him, nor did she find these words strange. She nodded casually, took the tea from the woman's hand, and said:
"Indeed, some call Him Mingyuan, Yangyuan... It is said that He was also the later master of the Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion, a great figure who attained enlightenment in ancient times. Although he is mostly called True Lord, I personally believe that, judging from the scene of His entry into the world during the Wei Dynasty, He can be called Divine Lord..."
His words were profound, yet not difficult to understand. Li Ximing's heart skipped a beat, and he asked:
"His Taoist name is unknown... Where is his lineage now?"
He paused, realizing his words were abrupt, and laughed somewhat awkwardly, saying:
"As the Great Master knows, my path of cultivation is completely different from that of the King of Wei. Sometimes, when I ponder this, I am often at a loss as to how to proceed. Now, after hearing these words, I cannot help but have some doubts..."
"It doesn't matter!"
Long Kangyao gave him a half-smile and said:
"If you ask other families, they really don't know. It's rare that an ancestor of mine entered Taihang to cultivate immortality and knows some secrets. He is called 'Yangming Heyuan Sisu Zhenjun'. As for the inheritance... it's hard to say."
For the first time, he showed a hint of refusal, gazing meaningfully at the person before him. Li Ximing met his gaze, hesitated for a long time, and finally said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Great Master!"
"It's hardly guidance!"
He shook his head. The woman beside him had already brought back the jade plate, which contained six jade boxes neatly arranged. Long Kangyao said softly:
“We are too lazy to bother with ordinary spiritual artifacts. Spiritual treasures are either of some value but not very practical, while some are too valuable to be given away easily. Nobles want practicality, so I will give you the most practical one.”
Li Ximing lowered his gaze to look, and saw that every jade box in front of him contained a spiritual aura, some blue, some white, reflecting each other, some even with a flowing light of lead and mercury. Although he couldn't quite understand it, he looked up in surprise and asked Long Kangyao:
"This is the [Six Lead Powder] of Longhutai, a treasure of the entire alchemy path. Six boxes are considered as one set. Back then, they used it to discuss metaphysics and enhance their supernatural powers. One set was left over in Buzaotian. Jin Yi came to ask about it, but I did not give it to them."
Li Ximing was overjoyed!
'Complete sets of spiritual materials are now almost extinct; finding even a single one is extremely difficult. Although these six boxes appear to be spiritual essences with special uses, judging from the materials used, they likely cost more than just six complete sets of spiritual materials!'
The Great Master before him was right. This thing was very likely only found in the Cave Heaven, and it was something that even the Golden Dao lineage had failed to take away. He was overjoyed, but was stopped by the other party.
Long Kangyao seemed too lazy to listen to such flattery, and said indifferently:
“Wen Dao is reckless, but he is after all a descendant of the True Lord. I redeemed him from the King of Wei, and I should repay him with treasures.”
These words are peculiar, yet they sound like a statement, but the hidden meaning is quite obvious. Releasing Wen Dao would be of no use to Ming Yang if he took it back based on this favor, but it would be a great thing for Long Kangyao to do, bringing him honor and showing consideration for his fellow Daoists.
'To each their own!'
Whether Li Jiafang or he redeemed him was a matter of a single sentence; there was no need for the other party to elaborate. Li Ximing understood now and sighed:
"If it weren't for the intervention of the Great Master and the influence of Bu Zaotian, this man would have surely died!"
The woman smiled and presented the jade plate. On the plate lay a wide jade bowl, inside which lay a two-foot-long fruit branch, green as jade, with three fruits hanging from it.
The Li family has become quite knowledgeable these days; Li Ximing actually recognized what was in front of him:
[Lisi Apricot Fruit]!
'The [Li Si Apricot Fruit] that Ji An obtained from that grotto in the North Sea!'
Sure enough, Long Kangyao said lazily:
"Logically, we should have extracted something from the Wen family to give to the King of Wei, but most of the things they had that were idle were taken out by this old man to boast and perform rituals, and they were spent like water. I've looked at the remaining treasures, and none of them are of any good value to you..."
He took a sip of tea and said:
"I had no choice but to pay out of my own pocket—fortunately, a few years ago when I visited Jieyu, my sworn sister planted a spiritual root. Seeing that I was in a hurry to leave, she took out a pair of jade scissors and cut one off for me. I thought that the eldest son of the King of Wei was practicing the Li Fire technique, so it was perfect!"
Li Ximing understood immediately, and felt a surge of heat rush to his heart, cursing inwardly:
'They've pruned the branches of that [Xuan Si Bao Xing] apricot tree! How extravagant! How luxurious!'
What did Ji'an say back then? The old man was utterly helpless, saying that Baoxing was personally taken away by a powerful figure, and only one prince from the Tongxin Li clan shook Baoxing three times, causing the various powerful figures to fight fiercely, resulting in rivers of blood…
Long Kangyao was too lazy to go to that grotto-heaven. He only visited Jieyudi, and the person there personally cut off a branch for him. This was not just the three small apricots on the branch, but a small section of the [Xuansi Treasure Apricot] branch!
"That's true... Long Kangyao is a descendant of the True Lord of the Flaming Fire, so she must have an inseparable connection with that one from Jie Yudi. Her so-called sworn sister is most likely of noble birth, like a phoenix or a dragon."
While others may be extravagant, Li Ximing was naturally envious of this treasure. Having been an alchemist for so many years, his eye for talent was sharp, and he was already secretly delighted.
"With these fruits, Jiang Qian's Three Divine Powers will be completely worry-free. Moreover... I see these branches are lush and vibrant, full of life. Whether forging spiritual weapons, pruning them for medicine, or even finding secret techniques to use, they will have excellent uses!"
'Furthermore, Jiang Qian possesses supernatural abilities, including the capacity to consume wood-based medicines. Who knows how many tricks he can pull off with this branch!'
He had never intended to refuse, and now he seemed even more delighted. He took the jade plate, flattered the other party a couple of times, and said with a smile:
"To be the adopted sister of the Great Master, she must be one of the most important people in the world."
Long Kangyao casually remarked:
"That's not the case. It's just that her mother... was a [dangerous], who also traveled to the South back then. If you calculate her age, I'm sure you remember her."
Li Ximing raised his head in a daze.
"Back then, the Qingchi Sect suffered from torrential rains year after year. Even if the True Monarch wasn't breaking through in that area, he couldn't bear to see him causing so much trouble, so he casually invited them over and resolved the rain problem there from the root... It seems to be not far from Wangyue Lake, so you should have passed by there, right? Fellow Daoist, don't you remember?"
Li Ximing's smile froze on his face, and he felt a moment of disorientation.
Fire...
[Dangerous Good]...
I came to visit the South…
It was as if a memory sealed away in ancient times had finally awakened. For some reason, the image of the scorched earth, unsuitable for planting crops, appeared in his eyes. Back then, his cultivation level was still low, and he could still feel its warmth when he held it in his hands…
At that time, the entire Li clan was thinking—what a terrifying demon it was, a creature that seemed to have stepped out of a myth. It only lightly brushed across the earth, yet it made all the people look up. They probably wouldn't be able to see the true form of this demon even in ten lifetimes.
He moved his lips and began to murmur.
"That's a terrible situation! It signifies a catastrophe where families are torn apart, and people are stranded for thousands of miles..."
Though spoken softly, these words resonated loudly in the quiet mansion, causing the revered Grandmaster Yinghuo, who sat like a god, to chuckle and shake his head.
"It's just a rumor born of Xiao Xiu's fear. After all, the Flame of Chaos is a fluctuating flame; it does possess certain symbolic meanings. Believe it or not, it exists..."
His words were light and airy.
"If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't."
The enormous beast flew south, causing the barbarians of Wushan to tremble in fear. Aunt Xiao Guiluan perished on the spot, and Li Xuanfeng's descendants fled. The one who spoke these words, Fei Luoya, drifted all the way from Wangyue Lake to Danzhou in the southern borderlands, where he disappeared without a trace, living in anonymity…
'Lingering for thousands of miles... far more than ten thousand miles?'
When Xiao Guiluan perished, everyone could only blame bad luck. Now, hearing the news of the miraculous recovery, everything felt so close. Li Ximing felt a lump in his throat and a sense of powerlessness. He couldn't even muster any anger—it was just a matter of flapping its wings and flying by, relieving the years of torrential rain. For the people, a short pain was better than a long one.
He fell into an unusual silence, even the string of top-grade spiritual fruits in his hand seemed to pale in comparison. This feeling of being gripped by the fear of struggling at the bottom in the past was not pleasant. Let alone sitting in front of a noble immortal in the cave, even if he were to find someone to confide in now, there would be few people in the Li family who could understand him...
Finally, Li Ximing cleared his mind of all distractions, and a smile appeared on his once-stiff face. The True Man Zhaojing straightened his back and said:
“I remember…of course I remember.”
(End of this chapter)