Chapter 1444
Qingtang
Chapter 1444 Qingtang
Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei did not respond. His expression gradually calmed down. He did not take his gaze away from the green pond, but stared at it quietly for a long time.
Li Ximing raised his head, as if he had noticed something.
He followed the gaze of the King of Wei and looked ahead, focusing his eyes on the blue pool of water—which was perfectly still, illuminating everything in the cave.
As he gazed, a figure slowly emerged from the reflection of the pond water, on the throne of the old dragon.
With dark eyes and black hair, he had a serene expression.
He seemed to have just arrived, or perhaps he had been waiting in this cave for a long time. Upon seeing the two of them, he straightened up and stepped down from the throne.
"Clap."
But it was the solid sound of boots hitting the ground; he was truly standing beneath the throne, before the alchemy furnace.
Sui Guan.
Just like back then, it was still Li Zhouwei and Li Ximing, and the same elusive Lushui Envoy. Sui Guan's expression did not change despite Li Zhouwei's breakthrough in strength; he still smiled at him.
Or perhaps, after that first meeting, he already considered Bai Qilin to be someone of the same caliber.
As he appeared, a rapid dripping sound rang out, like a series of fine war drums constantly resounding in one's ears.
Li Ximing lowered his brows, remaining silent. The only sound in the vast cave was the sound of his footsteps. He seemed to be admiring everything within the cave, and chuckled:
"Taking without permission".
"King Wei...you're really too kind."
It seems that the capture of this evil dragon was like having something taken away from Sui Guan without cause; it was merely a matter of "taking without permission."
Li Zhouwei raised his head and casually said:
“My family has wanted to get rid of him for a long time. You should have known long ago. He has a karmic connection with me and will die by my hand. He is taking what Mingyang has caught without asking? No, this was originally mine.”
Those blue eyes moved, and Sui Guan stared at him. This being, which was neither human nor demonic, nodded upon hearing this and said:
“That makes sense, but he… is also my cattle and sheep by the pond.”
Without waiting for Li Zhouwei's reply, he said:
"He has some skills and noble blood, but ultimately he is not like a dragon among those who hold high positions. Why did the King of Wei invite so many people? Is he trying to guard against me?"
Sui Guan laughed and said:
“Qilin, they are no match for me. You know that. If I really want to stop them right now, you... you'll have to call Dongfang Heyun for it to work.”
Mentioning Dongfang Heyun, his smile seemed to widen even further, and he said:
“I see you still keep hook snakes at home. If he sees them, he’ll panic. Don’t be fooled by his calm demeanor; he’s just pretending. He’s actually quite impatient.”
Li Zhouwei stepped forward, raising an eyebrow and saying:
"What does the real person mean?"
Sui Guan turned around and stopped by the green pond. A third of the green water had already evaporated, and the dripping sound grew fainter. He sighed and said:
"Qilin, let's talk about... Chi Buzhi's matter."
Upon hearing this, Li Ximing immediately frowned, revealing a hint of displeasure. Li Zhouwei, however, seemed to have already guessed what was going on and remained silent. The man in blue said:
"Why do you need him? This man is ambitious. Du Qing is a cautionary tale. Even he didn't have the opportunity to serve in Fushui back then. Why would you entrust the position to a complete outsider who has only recently entered the profession?"
He turned to look at Li Zhouwei and said:
“The position of Lushui is damaged, otherwise Du Qing wouldn’t be sitting so comfortably. But precisely because of this, he can’t sit still if he wants to advance further. How about this, we each take a step back. We’ll return the position of Lushui, and you can give up the position of Fushui.”
The man in blue said:
“Du Qing is in seclusion, not dead. You all know the power of the Awakening Sword. We knew that Chi Buzhi obtained the sacrificial medicine on the lake back then, so I, Sui Guan, followed him out of the cave, hoping that this matter would be resolved.”
"I've spoken to Chi Buzhi about this, but he's unwilling to discuss it with you. I suppose..."
He raised his eyebrows and smiled:
"You still can't bear to part with the Fushui River."
Li Zhouwei listened intently to every word the other person uttered, memorizing them one by one. Outwardly, however, the Qilin remained calm, even appearing somewhat bored, as if nothing the other person was saying was unusual. He sneered and said:
“This matter has nothing to do with Mingyang. It’s no use for you to tell me, Master.”
Sui Guan shook his head:
"As you know, Lord Yingze is indeed a prodigy who ranks among the best throughout history. But how difficult is it for someone to become a Celestial Lord for the position of the Sun Lord? Back then, Celestial Lord Huanxuan was the Sun Lord in the intercalary month. After the passing of the Eastern Lord, he had a great chance to take over the Sun Lord. Why did he abandon it? It was simply because he was not confident of becoming a Golden Immortal."
"As a disciple of the Lord of the Mysterious Realm, he would rather go into seclusion to cultivate lightning and elevate divine lightning to a level that no one in history can match, and then travel beyond the heavens than follow the path taken by the Lord of the East!"
He was still facing the green pond, but the water was almost completely dry. Sui Guan said:
“It sounds nice to say that the lord has gone missing, but everyone knows that he has perished. Now that the lord is willing to assist in the exploration of Taiyin, why can’t we give up the Fushui? As long as we give it up, Du Qing will definitely stand on the lord’s side.”
Having said this, Sui Guan finally took his hands out from behind his back, crossed them to his chest, and revealed his true intentions, saying:
“As long as Du Qing is willing to stand on the side of the adults, the Qilin cannot be said to be unrelated to Mingyang... To put it another way, if Chi Buzhi can obtain the Fushui, he is only standing on the opposite side of Du Qing. But if he obtains the Lushui, Du Qing will have two True Lords standing behind the Qilin when he ascends to the mansion... Moreover, with Du Qing's abilities, if he can obtain the Fushui, it will be a great help.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei immediately understood and found it quite interesting:
'These words... aren't just advice for the people behind me, they're now advice for me...' Indeed, in his eyes, since the people behind me are supporting my advancement to Mingyang, they naturally value my attitude... and I'm only willing to fight for him for the sake of my own future.'
Seeing Li Zhouwei's thoughtful expression, Sui Guan smiled and said:
"Qilin can weigh the pros and cons here; I have said all I have to say."
"Tick-tock..."
The last drop of water disappeared, and the Sui Temple vanished like a phantom. Li Zhouwei stood there, staring at what lay before him.
That vast green pond has disappeared, replaced by a huge, empty, dried-up pit.
The Qilin was deep in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Zhouwei finally raised his head. The person beside him hadn't disturbed him at all. Seeing him turn around, Li Ximing calmly said:
"There's still half a batch of unfinished elixir in this furnace. I wonder... what should I do with it?"
Li Zhouwei glanced at it and realized it was indeed a good item, being carefully nurtured. He then said:
"It can be considered valuable, but it was made using blood essence."
Li Ximing nodded and said:
"According to my estimation, there are not only numerous rare and precious materials inside, but also tens of thousands of lives. However, this old dragon has spent his whole life refining blood pills, and has cleansed away all the negative energy and resentment. I think we should follow the family's old custom and sell it to someone else."
The Li family has naturally acquired quite a few valuable items over the years, most of which they don't use themselves but rather exchange for what they need. However, this is the first time they've encountered something this precious. Li Ximing said:
"Such a treasure would be a great opportunity for any demon to obtain. I only need to slightly manipulate it to transform it into spiritual essence and preserve it. Giving it to Senior Bai Rong would be the best option... But after all, there are ten thousand lives at stake. As an old friend of our ancestor, giving it to him would be disregarding our ancestor's feelings, and I also have reservations about it myself... I should find another place..."
Li Zhouwei said:
“That’s not difficult. Wasn’t there a subordinate just now? Now that Canlu Fu is gone, he should be in charge of the Southern Frontier, and only he can afford it… Let him make the exchange. He’s a man of integrity, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll even use this thing. Let him have it and then pass it on to other demons. We can collect the spiritual items, and we can also ask about Dali Mountain while we’re at it.”
"it is good!"
Li Ximing immediately understood. He first extended two fingers and gently flicked them under the furnace fire. The real fire did not struggle at all and obediently lay in his hand.
He then used fire to seal the alchemy furnace and put it in his hand. Only then did Li Ximing notice the extraordinary nature of the furnace before him, and sighed:
"This is a really good treasure."
There are very few first-level alchemy furnaces in the world, and Li Ximing is not someone who often plans for himself. He also has the Lingbao alchemy furnace of the Great Owl Sunflower Temple that he can borrow. Over the years, he has not searched for one properly. Although the furnace in front of him is not as good as the [Owl Profound Crossing Scenery Furnace] of the Great Owl Sunflower Temple, it is still a Lingbao!
'It seems this demon's life savings... are all here!'
But there was no joy in his eyes; he said in a low voice:
"Unfortunately, this furnace is where my ancestors were buried. I cannot use it to refine pills. I should take it back to the mountain, offer sacrifices to my ancestors, and then inquire in all directions to find a suitable furnace."
The green pond had long since dried up, and the spirit treasure furnace and its blazing true fire had been extinguished. There were few treasures left in this place; apart from a few stored spiritual resources, there was nothing else.
'This old monster is ready to run away at any moment...'
After all, he was a great demon who had mastered the Five Arts of Green Water. No matter where he kept his spiritual objects, it was safer to keep them on his person. He didn't need any spiritual resources or objects, and this mountain and this formation were a rare and good place!
“Bifu Mountain is a unique and excellent place in this area. Its spiritual energy veins are no less than those of Liangchuan Mountain to the north. Although our own Wangyue Lake is vast, it does not have such a mountain. It is just too far away, with countless demons and wolves surrounding it, making it difficult to occupy. Ordinary immortals are even less willing to come here.”
Li Zhouwei said:
"Now that the Shu region is pacified, there is no shortage of places for cultivation. Let's take a look first, and once we have it in hand, someone will surely take it."
As Li Ximing nodded, he thought of Huoyang, the ruler of the Chola kingdom in Varanasi, and pondered to himself:
'She used to have Fu Xun to take care of her, but now that Fu Xun has fled and perished, she's in dire straits in Brahma. Moving here is a good option, and her family is well-off, unlike the likes of Nara Zhenren, so she won't have to worry about getting anything in return.'
The two packed their things, locked the great formation, and went out. Li Zhouwei rode the wind out and saw several people standing in front of the mountain. Some were extremely burly, while others had horns and wings. Each of them carried a foul aura. Upon seeing the two, they bowed hesitantly.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
The clerk standing inside appeared even more outstanding, and respectfully said:
"My lord, the blood pool has been completely destroyed, and all the demons in the mountain have been imprisoned below. We request that Prince Wei make the necessary arrangements!"
Clearly, according to the rules of Southern Xinjiang, Li Zhouwei, a noble demon, rightfully became the master of Southern Xinjiang after eliminating Shen Lufu.
Li Zhouwei glanced down and saw over ten thousand lesser demons below, densely packed like clouds, their colors vibrant and varied. He then extended two fingers, pinched out a celestial light, and flicked it gently:
"Splash..."
With this single strike, a shower of golden light fell from the sky, transforming into a golden sea upon landing. This sea transformed into hundreds and thousands of golden-armored figures, each wielding light and riding the clouds. They captured thousands of lesser demons, and Li Zhouwei raised his hand, grabbing them in the air, whereupon they all fell into his palm like ants.
It was the "carrying" technique from the "Mysterious Walking Method." Although Li Zhouwei hadn't practiced it seriously, his skill level was still there. He had pondered it before, so carrying some minor demons was naturally not difficult.
The walking technique is, after all, an ancient cultivation method, and it truly has a divine quality. These little demons and golden-armored soldiers, each with a different expression, are all neatly arranged in the palm of one's hand, and one can vaguely hear the noise.
With several thousand fewer demons below, a sliver of clear light finally appeared. Li Zhouwei collected the ones with the heaviest turbid energy, intending to send them to the lake to build palaces, before raising his eyebrows and saying:
"The rest of these people, you can go yourselves. You won't be coming to the Southern Frontier often in the future. But remember this: there is no need for blood sacrifices anymore. If I catch you, don't say it's because you killed someone without warning."
These demon kings, however, had all anticipated this, and readily agreed. Several who considered themselves guilty of grave sins didn't dare raise their heads, while the rest exchanged glances, secretly regretting their actions.
'Indeed! It seems that as long as this Qilin is alive, we can't eat this good stuff!'
The more remarkable a person is, the more seriously they take these words. Otherwise, Changxi wouldn't have remained unchanged for a century because of Shangyuan's words, and Li Zhouwei wouldn't have intimidated the demons before saying:
"Since you are not allowed to offer blood sacrifices, we will not make things difficult for you in terms of offerings. If you need anything, someone from Shu will come to serve you."
After all, these are powerful demons at the Purple Mansion level. Since blood sacrifices are forbidden and they still demand offerings, they will definitely go elsewhere to commit murder. The Li family cannot supervise them at all times, so they can only relax their vigilance.
Having settled things here, Li Ximing picked up the alchemy furnace and went to find his clerk. Li Zhouwei had already taken off on the wind, and Liao Luo had arrived with Ji An, saying solemnly:
"I have other matters to attend to and will not be able to escort King Wei back to the lake. Kuang Hong is currently in seclusion and cannot witness this in person. Kuang Yu also has a great grudge against this old dragon and will go to the lake to see it. He only hopes to bring back some blood, flesh, scales, and feathers to offer as a sacrifice to his ancestors."
Li Zhouwei naturally agreed, taking out the old dragon's two treasures and giving one to each of them. He watched them leave, leaving only Fu Xuan holding the Xuan Urn standing in the sky. This Pure Dao Master had waited quietly for a long time without showing the slightest impatience. Now, seeing Li Zhouwei, he said softly:
"I will escort the King of Wei back to the lake."
A complex emotion flickered in his eyes as he murmured:
"Speaking of which, we cultivators of the Pure Dao should also go and see the lake, which is also the place where our Dao ancestors cultivated."