Chapter 1392
Matters of Ghosts and Gods
Chapter 1392 Matters of Ghosts and Gods
On the other hand, Li Suining is not a simple Foundation Establishment cultivator. He has entered the Xuan Tao realm more than once!
'In my previous life, I ascended to the Xuan Tao realm and became a person possessing divine power. In ancient times, I would have been a divine official or servant...'
Despite his lack of divine abilities, he relied on his substantial reserves to force his way to the first level of the Purple Mansion realm. In terms of magical power, he was similar to Li Wushao, but while both lacked supernatural powers, he was slightly superior to Li Wushao and could borrow Xuan Tao to obtain a portion of the 'Divine Order'!
'I should be more powerful now than in my previous life, and I might even obtain many wondrous things. The only problem is... the timing is hard to predict.'
The secret realm was erected, but he had to slowly condense his Dharma body within it. Normally, with Li Suining's accumulated resources, it would take at least ten or twenty years... Fortunately, he succeeded twice, serving as a Spirit Official for decades each time, and dealing with the exact same Xuan Tao each time, so he could say he was very familiar with the process.
'Last time it was delayed for five years... If everything goes smoothly this time, it probably won't even take three!'
After all, Xuan Tao's quality is such that not only is there an upper limit to his strength improvement, but there is also a limit to his speed improvement. Even if Li Suining were to live another life and have several more decades, it would be impossible to reduce the time to within two years.
'Now... it's a coincidence of timing, making the best use of everything!'
He didn't think the timing was bad, but he was worried about one thing.
'The King of Wei is still in the west. If Qingji were to leave the pass now, unforeseen circumstances might arise!'
He pondered deeply, and Li Ximing, though not oblivious, did not disturb him, waiting quietly until Tian Su, as if in a dream, raised his head and asked:
"May I ask, sir...where is the King of Wei now?"
Li Ximing was prepared and not surprised. He said softly:
"Jin Yi stayed at home and did not come out. The Ni family surrendered at the mere sight of him. However, the land of Shu is treacherous. The Qing family still holds three passes and one mountain. Wu Chuan, Yi Ling, and Yu Fu are all formidable passes, and behind them is the Da Lou Mountain. Now, they should have only reached Wu Chuan."
Li Suining was familiar with these three passes. Unlike the flat terrain of the Central Plains, the Shu region had many dangerous mountains and veins, which made the Purple Mansion Spirit Array extremely powerful. These three passes and one mountain had been managed by the Wang family during the Xiao Wu period and later occupied by Chang Huai, and had long been as impregnable as an iron barrel!
It's obvious that the Qing family back then was definitely laying the groundwork for the current True Qi, and they put in a lot of effort at every stage. Any one of them is no less impressive than the formidable pass of Jianghuai, Tangdao Mountain.
"Back then, the [Tangdao Mountain] could hold off Tian Langzhi with just a few mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators. Now, if even one Grandmaster is guarding the three passes, I'm afraid even several Grandmasters wouldn't be able to break through!"
This is bound to be a protracted war. Li Suining nodded and said in a low voice:
“If I were to go into seclusion, it would certainly not exceed three years. However, if anything changes during those three years, then Qingji will emerge from seclusion…”
"He's become a Great Immortal?"
Li Ximing, of course, remembered this guy and hated him to the core. Knowing that the other was currently in seclusion attempting to break through to the Purple Realm, he asked a question with slight reluctance, only to see Li Suining shake his head strangely and say:
"He can't make it!"
Li Ximing was taken aback.
'Can't succeed? If he can't succeed, what's the point?'
With Li Zhouwei's current supernatural abilities, even if he succeeds in achieving his goal, he can only remain at the gate and not move. Moreover, he will not be able to break through and will still be at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm!
Li Suining, however, looked solemn and said:
"If he goes out, I hope King Wei... will spare his life!"
Upon hearing this, Li Ximing's expression changed slightly, clearly showing his resentment. After all, Qingji had repeatedly plotted to seize the lake, making them his enemies. However, he also knew the greater good was at stake, so he simply frowned and said:
"how you said that?"
Li Suining took a deep breath and said:
"Keeping him alive is much more useful than killing him!"
Li Ximing was not a fool. Without much thought, he frowned and said:
“I know what you mean. He is indeed mediocre, but we can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater… If we don’t get rid of him, and he holds a grudge and comes to harass us again and again, won’t that make us feel helpless!”
"With Qingjifang dead, the lake is even more unsettled!"
After listening to his words, Li Ximing pondered for a moment and said:
"The Emperor of Shu?"
Li Suining sighed silently.
'The situation here is far more complicated than it seems!'
What he was thinking about was naturally the Wuchuan Incident!
This was also the last question he asked Yao Guanyi before he died in his previous life!
'When the situation in the north collapsed, the King of Wei rushed to the desert. Having learned from this lesson, his first task was naturally to deal with the west. He crossed the desert without any hindrance and marched to the three passes...'
After besieging Wuchuan for several years, just when things were starting to look up, Qingjifang came out of the pass. The Li family was betrayed by Qiu's Tian Su and Qiu Wanyi, resulting in heavy losses. Li Zhouwei then devised a plan, pretending to withdraw to lure Qingjifang out...
In his previous life, the Li family lost many men in the north and not many were brought back. Li Zhouwei's original intention was to plot against Western Shu, and he did not expect to gain much. However, he did not expect that Qingji was ambushed when he went out and fled back to Wuchuan in a sorry state. The pass was actually controlled by Qiu Wanyi and refused to open!
The dignified general of Western Shu actually cursed several times in front of the pass and was executed in an instant. Qiu Wanyi abandoned the pass and fled shortly afterward, handing over the majestic pass to the Li family!
This was the world-shaking "Wuchuan Incident"!
In his previous life, not only was the world shocked, but Li Suining was also dumbfounded, unable to fathom what kind of drama was unfolding... Amidst the astonishment, the world could only remain secretly horrified:
'Western Shu is truly afraid of Mingyang's fate!'
This did alleviate Li's anger and gave Wangyue Lake an explanation. Facing the entire Shu region, Li Zhouwei could not forever cross the desert and keep Jin Yi locked up forever. He soon demarcated the pass and returned to the lake with a full harvest.
In hindsight, it might not have been a good thing after all…
The biggest beneficiary of all this was the Shu emperor, who was trapped in the palace.
With Qing Jifang gone, the Qing clan finally replaced him with Qing Zhuo, who bowed to the emperor. This Shu emperor emerged out of nowhere, upholding righteousness and stopping licentiousness, executing Qiu Wanyi, and reforming the entire country... Western Shu was actually quite powerful, and under his rule, it underwent a dramatic transformation.
'This emperor was fond of martial arts and pursued a policy of endless war, personally leading several campaigns. Even though he was repeatedly defeated by Mingyang, greatly diminishing his prestige, he nevertheless ensured that the south would never be at peace...'
This was also one of the reasons why Li Zhouwei was so restrained in his previous life. If it weren't for the intervention of the Xiangxiong Kingdom on the Great Western Plain, the trouble would have been far greater!
Li Suining pondered for a long time and said in a deep voice:
"In my humble opinion, the changes in Western Shu and the apparent death of Qingji Fangruo seem to have given us a great explanation, allowing us to call a retreat. However, in reality, it has also eliminated a thorn in their side, which is not worth it at all!"
His eyes darkened.
"If we let this person go back, the Shu Emperor will definitely have a headache, and they will be in chaos for a while. We don't need to take his life for no reason. It would seem like the Great Daoist lineage is trying to appease the people and lower itself to do so... But what do we actually gain? Just a venting of our anger, and we even helped them get rid of a pest!"
Li Ximing was still pondering those two words, a look of apprehension on his face, and whispered:
What do you think?
Li Suining whispered:
“Let him go back—now that the north can hold out, the King of Wei will cut off his flesh and bleed him dry, he doesn’t want this worthless life!”
"What about Kim Il-sung..."
Li Ximing was naturally wary of Jin Yi's attitude, but he saw Li Suining's eyes brighten as he stood up, the words of that person from his previous life constantly echoing in his mind.
'That lord... finally bowed his head to the mountain...'
What are the consequences of bowing your head?
What does Jin Yi think? What does Yin Si think?
In the past, Kim Il would at least maintain a respectable facade by staying indoors. Now that Li Zhouwei has managed to completely resolve matters in the north and rush back, how much effort did the Yang family contribute to this?
Was the Song emperor's imperial decree to come north truly against the will of the underworld?
"They won't care... they won't care for a long time."
He whispered:
"The Qing family has already withdrawn from the game, and Jin Yihen and the others are too late to even think about it!"
Li Ximing stood up, staring at him with a surprised and complicated expression. He didn't say much, carefully considering his words, and finally said:
"I will tell the King of Wei."
This is enough.
Li Suining bowed deeply, and Li Ximing lifted him up and stepped out gently. The darkness of the void flickered before their eyes for a moment, and they appeared on the vast golden platform.
The green cauldron before them was boiling and churning, brewing an extremely profound mystery in its center, which condensed into a dazzling white mass. The middle-aged man sat cross-legged in front of the cauldron.
'True Man Chengqian…'
Li Suining bowed, and Master Chengqian, having already opened his eyes, nodded politely and said:
"No need for formalities! From now on, we are fellow Daoists!"
So he whispered to him the key points of cooperation. Although Li Suining was familiar with them, he was not impatient at all and listened to them in their entirety. Then he turned around and repeated them to Chengqian according to his own understanding.
This made the real man nod repeatedly and sigh:
"Good! That shows you have wisdom!"
As a person who also serves as a deity, entrusting his life to Xuan Tao, he naturally cannot possess a physical body, just like many other divine beings. Li Suining must consume various spiritual medicines, throw himself into the cauldron, and transform his human body into a divine body.
In terms of the "Refining Chamber in the Void Secret Method," this is called "transcending the mundane." To put it more directly, it means that Li Suining was refined into the Xuan Tao, and his life was still intact. It did not affect Tian Su. In fact, because both are the Dao of Xuan, his existence could even support the secret realm, which was of great benefit.
'The only limitation is that I can never leave the secret realm too far in my lifetime…'
This was not a flaw for him. Since his rebirth, Li Suining had never thought about the Purple Mansion or leaving Wangyue Lake. For someone like him, a variable who dared to go against the North, leaving the lake would be tantamount to death.
'They certainly won't touch Mingyang, but they'll definitely not hesitate to attack me, this variable!'
In his view, this was actually an advantage:
'My life is entrusted to this secret realm; it's extremely difficult for me to perish. Not only can I defend myself against enemies, but even if someone wanted to take me off the lake, it would be absolutely impossible!'
Without the slightest hesitation, he took the jade cup from the other party's hand. Inside was a clear, bluish liquid, which was the essence of the whole pill blended together. Li Quewan had painstakingly researched this formula for several years, and now he had brought it back, as usual, and attached it to the jade slip.
Li Suining cast aside worldly ties, even tossing his storage bag aside, and drank it down in one gulp. He felt a sharp pain from his throat to his stomach, then knelt before the cauldron and commanded:
“I abandoned the embryo of morality and entered the vessel of heavenly virtue, relying on it for ears and feet, and working diligently and conscientiously to become a member of the immortals and gods.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he threw himself into the cauldron, transforming into a thin mist of bluish-red liquid, which rolled down into the cauldron and disappeared without a trace.
Even knowing that the risk was not great, Li Ximing still couldn't help but take a step forward when he saw this. He felt that the other party had completely disappeared under his supernatural power and spiritual sense. He reached out to touch the jade pendant in his sleeve, which also shattered into pieces with a crash.
It was as if they had truly perished.
He couldn't help but communicate with [Cha You], and only then did he discover a faint aura within the cauldron. Indeed, his life was not in danger. Only then, with a pounding heart, did he turn around and say:
"The matter of ghosts and spirits is truly terrifying!"
Cheng Qian looked at everything before her, slightly lost in thought, and finally sighed softly, saying:
“Yes… Nowadays, ghosts and gods are not popular, and they are even more unfamiliar and seem bizarre. My master was involved with the ‘Duwei’, which is also a category of ghosts and gods. When he mastered supernatural powers, he suddenly became a completely different person when he entered meditation. He suddenly started cursing, cursing things like ‘Xiong Wujin’ and ‘Luo Zizhu’, and saying that Ningxiang was untrustworthy and Wang Fan should be killed… I was very frightened at the time, and I couldn’t recognize a single name.”
He paused, his gaze somewhat unfocused, and said:
"Later, when Master came out of seclusion, he couldn't remember anything, only coughing up large amounts of blood. We thought it was just an accident, but who knew there would be a second time. He was even more seriously injured, vomiting out gold and mercury, even his heart and lungs. If it weren't for the power of the Earth element, he wouldn't have been able to stay on his feet..."
“I discussed it with him carefully and guessed that there was a problem with his supernatural powers. If it happened a third time, it would be fatal. So I hurriedly asked Master Ye Hui to lock his other supernatural powers in advance and trap him with spiritual artifacts and arrays. When he entered meditation, his old illness relapsed. I forced him to drink three mouthfuls of Xuan Tu, which cured his stubborn illness. He stopped talking nonsense from then on. But that time he struggled and bit off one of my fingers.”
"When he woke up, we asked him again, and he still said he didn't remember... Sigh! Only Master Ye Hui thought about it and said that when it comes to matters of state, there must be great people who also take this path and die without dying. No wonder the people of the underworld wanted to watch Master die."
It should be noted that Xian Yao was a True Person at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm, yet he was as fragile as a mortal when it came to these so-called matters of ghosts and gods. Li Ximing was horrified upon hearing this, and after a long silence, he finally said:
"These names must not be mentioned elsewhere!"
"I understand, this is the first time I've brought this up."
Cheng Qian shook his head with a wry smile and sighed. He didn't have time for idle chatter. He just used his supernatural powers to form hand seals to assist Li Suining. Li Ximing watched for a while but couldn't understand it. So he rode the wind and went out, heading towards the desert.
'Now that things in the desert should be settled, let's find Senior Liu and give him a heads-up. First, let's see how much of the formation can still be restored, and if there are any new paths we can take... Second...'
He did not ignore the younger generation's reminder:
"Please ask him to come back and take a look at the lake. I need to personally go to Shu to deliver this message to the King of Wei. It's better to be quick than delayed; we absolutely cannot afford any unforeseen changes."