Chapter 1052: The Dao of Jiuqiu

After listening to this, Li Ximing already had doubts in his heart:

"Since... all six jade boxes of the Six Sons of Chongming are within the grotto-heaven, where could this one outside have come from? Furthermore, the timeline doesn't match at all... When the Lake Continent shattered, how long ago was the Qing Song Temple grotto-heaven... How could it possibly have been left drifting outside..."

He then raised his head to look at Senior Senior Lingdu, pondering as he asked:

"I wonder what the fate of these many jade boxes was, and what was placed inside them... Furthermore, I remember that the many treasures under the prayer mats in the Chongming Hall back then, didn't they all possess divine mysteries? How were they disposed of?"

"Qingchi's was lost, Ziyan's is here, and the rest are in the hands of the various Daoist lineages—as for the things inside... actually, those with value are all empty, and those with items are merely small trinkets commemorating the Ancestral Master."

"The truly valuable item is a treasure in the main hall called the 【Silent Bell】."

Senior Senior Lingdu raised his eyebrows, his face showing a look of yearning:

"I hear this object can be large or small. When large, it is like a mountain, the pinnacle of magic treasures; when small, it is like a cup or a bell, appearing to be merely a spiritual tool or magic artifact, usable even by a Foundation Establishment cultivator! When it encounters a magic treasure's self-obscuration and turns into a mundane object, even a True Lord can easily be deceived by it..."

"It is inscribed with various profound Daoist techniques, capable of communicating with heaven and earth, and interacting with the transformation of things... In the end, it fell into the hands of that lord of the Jin Yi lineage. The lord went to great lengths to obtain this object precisely for the breakthrough of True Lord Qiushui!"

Seeing Li Ximing lost in thought, Senior Senior Lingdu did not seem surprised, only smiling:

"As for your intentions, the various Zifu cultivators of that year had all thought of them. It was precisely because they considered that things used by these lords might possess great mysteries that so many Zifu cultivators divided them up together... Otherwise, for things of Foundation Establishment level, or even mundane objects... how could they have called for so many Zifu cultivators to take action."

"It's just that... later it left them greatly disappointed. For those True Lords still in the world, the things from back then were naturally taken back by their own lineages, and the small trinkets that drifted out were of no great use; only one or two pieces were refined into spiritual embryos by others."

He poured some tea and sighed:

"True Lords will not leave any divine mysteries in the world. Most like to restrain their aura and obscure their fruit status. If things are held in the hands of minor cultivators, wouldn't it be blatantly exposing their names? Not to mention being watched and utilized by various True Lords, it is also a constant display of the state of their own fruit status—this is not a good thing."

Li Ximing nodded secretly. He had a deep understanding of this point. These figures who had formed a Golden Core and achieved the right fruit never revealed a trace, and many traces would also be wiped away... Thinking back and forth, he suddenly had a thought:

"Qing Song Temple... has it only opened this once? I vaguely remember that the likes of Guo Shentong and Chang Xiao also came out of the grotto-heaven back then..."

Chang Xiao was a long-standing heart disease for the Li clan. Seeing that the old man before him knew a lot and was polite and easy to talk to, Li Ximing took advantage of the situation to ask two questions at once. Seeing Senior Senior Lingdu sip his tea, he smiled:

"Guo Shentong, Yan Jianxiao... even Li Mei of the Sword Gate, came out of the same grotto-heaven of the Dou Xuan lineage... Back then... I was cultivating in the markets of the East Sea and heard a word or two. This grotto-heaven is called 【Chuyi Grotto-Heaven】, and the one who gained the most from it was actually not Chang Xiao."

His expression was solemn as he said:

"The first to enter it were the Miao family and Situ Tang, and there was also a formidable character called Qu Tan, who is the grand-master of True Lord Xuanyi of Jingyi Mountain today. The three of them were the first to go there!"

"In 【Chuyi Grotto-Heaven】 there is a 【Dou Xuan Mountain】. The mountain has three tiers, and I don't know how many treasures are mixed within. Earth virtue is the most abundant, and in the 【First Tier Mountain】 at the highest point, there are even spiritual treasures..."

Li Ximing listened for a long time and suddenly remembered the 【Listening Wind Bai Shi Mountain】 from back then, his heart suddenly enlightened:

"So I had heard of this grotto-heaven long ago... Back then when Zhu Gong mentioned 【Listening Wind Bai Shi Mountain】, he said it was a treasure under the first tier of Dou Xuan, obtained by Senior Ling Mei... It is indeed Earth virtue... Could the 【Pure Corner Merit Bottle】 in the hands of True Lord Xuanyi also have been obtained from there..."

But Senior Senior Lingdu did not stop much, instead saying faintly:

"And there is a spring between these mountains, connecting to clear Qi from above. Entering it to cultivate allows one to ask for divine abilities! Even if one cannot cultivate with peace of mind, drinking the water within is also extremely good."

These words made Yan Dushui's eyes light up, while Li Ximing raised his eyebrows with a look of shock and doubt. Senior Senior Lingdu nodded heavily:

"I asked the Great True Lord; it is precisely the 【Wu Guan Inheritance】. Several people from back then had drunk the water within, especially Qu Tan. Although his strength was strong, his aptitude was poor. He was the one with the least hope among the Zifu there, and by relying on this spring, he achieved the Dao and leaped over the dragon gate..."

The old man changed the subject:

"【Chuyi Grotto-Heaven】 has opened more than once, and the same goes for Qing Song Temple. There are many talents in the world, and a batch also secretly entered back then; they were the likes of Zhang Cuotian and Guo E..."

Hearing this, Li Ximing's heart was suddenly clear:

"It really is Zhang Cuotian! The fake identity of Chen Taoping, the master of that market! This thing must have come out of the grotto-heaven... Then... where are the things inside?"

He pondered in silence, but Yan Dushui had lived overseas for a long time and knew nothing about Qing Song Temple. His whole heart was on 【Chuyi Grotto-Heaven】, and he said with some hope:

"Is there still... a chance to enter that grotto-heaven? My own juniors... I only ask for a drink from the spring!"

Senior Senior Lingdu swept a glance at him with some emotion and replied:

"It is very hard to wait for... furthermore, not everyone can rush to that place... even if one can rush there, one must have capable juniors."

He spoke politely, but Yan Dushui understood that the little lifespan he had left probably wouldn't last until then, and he had no ability to seize such an opportunity for his juniors. He sighed silently, bowed, and walked out quietly.

Li Ximing watched for a long time. Seeing that only two people were left in the mountains, he soon had the intention to take his leave, but just before leaving, he suddenly remembered one thing:

"True Lord Yuan Dao has a deep relationship with Kong Que, and back then he helped me precisely to collect that trail of karmic fire... Now... the 【Light Red Ba Fire】 in my hand was obtained from the hands of a Buddhist cultivator, wouldn't it be just right to ask about it."

So he chatted and laughed for a while, took the precious pearl from his sleeve, and for a moment golden light burned, the glaze colors were hallucinatory. Senior Senior Lingdu raised his eyebrows to look, and Li Ximing smiled:

"Is Jiuqiu interested in this object?"

Senior Senior Lingdu took it with both hands and stared at it closely. After more than ten breaths, he seemed to say with some uncertainty:

"【Light Red Ba Fire】... which guy ruined it again... without the ability and status of Kong Que, yet having the heart of Kong Que, it is truly unbearable."

Senior Senior Lingdu was indeed from a great lineage; although his identification was slower than Li Ximing's, it was also extremely formidable. Li Ximing smiled:

"I exchanged this from the hands of a Buddhist cultivator in the north, and it just so happens that I'm trying my luck in the hands of the Immortal Dao."

Senior Senior Lingdu stroked his beard for a long time without speaking, appearing very troubled:

"This object is not precious, but the spiritual resources needed to resolve it... are truly a huge expense, not to mention the need to expend so much energy..."

Just at this moment, a hot wind blew from the mountains, and a very tall youth had already manifested his figure beside the table, his black robe dignified, a silk ribbon tied around his waist, his eyebrows and eyes smiling.

"True Lord Yuan Dao!"

Li Ximing immediately left his seat, bowed with some trepidation, and said respectfully:

"Junior pays respects to the Great True Lord!"

When Li Ximing came to this place back then, he was a fledgling. He understood that the other party's divine abilities were high but had no idea to what terrifying extent. Now that he had witnessed so many heroes and great divine ability users from the north and south, he finally understood the gold content of the person before him whose divine abilities were complete.

"This is a complete divine ability!"

"This True Lord Yuan Dao can be considered the cultivator with the highest divine abilities I have seen in my life! I'm afraid that the master of the Zhi Xuan Xie also has to be three points weaker than him!"

In addition, he had now cultivated 'Worldly Brightness', and his perception of all things was even deeper. The person before him stood before him, yet he was pulling the Qi mechanism of this entire mountain range. That red, hazy Earth virtue was draped over this young man like a robe, making Li Ximing secretly terrified in his heart:

"He is complete in both life and nature... there is hope for seeking the Dao..."

He was even more respectful than back then, but True Lord Yuan Dao did not seem to have any major changes. He smiled slightly, let him sit down, and praised:

"Your divine abilities are progressing quite fast!"

Li Ximing repeatedly said it was excessive praise, but True Lord Yuan Dao did not say much. He took the precious pearl, pinched it with three fingers as white as jade, and said faintly:

"It is the Murong family of the Compassionate Dao... no wonder you are troubled."

His pair of eyes were quite handsome, turning to look at Li Ximing, as if implying something, and he smiled:

"It is lamp fire again; outside of Li, Zhen, and Mu, it is truly not easy to handle."

How could Li Ximing not understand? For a moment he was ashamed, not knowing how to answer. In his heart, he was suddenly enlightened; this little secret he had hidden for many years, this Great True Lord before him probably knew long ago.

"The 【Run Yang Technique】 was originally obtained from the hands of Senior Tu Long. Since Senior Tu Long has close dealings with Jiuqiu, this technique was probably known to the Great True Lord long ago, so it's not surprising... I'm afraid he knew it the first time I came."

It's just that this technique is precious, and he didn't understand why, so he could never speak first. He still pretended to be stupid and nodded, hurriedly saying:

"Coming here this time is to ask the Jiuqiu lineage to take action and help me resolve the Buddhist cultivator's methods within. I will pay for the spiritual resources with equivalent items myself... Waiting for this trail of fire to be refined... I hope to exchange it for a taste of Li Fire in the hands of the Immortal Dao..."

His gaze was quite hopeful:

"I am from a small family, and it will take many years to collect the spiritual resources used for resolution, not to mention peeling the cocoon thread by thread. I don't know when it will be until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse. Jiuqiu is a great family of the Immortal Sect... proficient in this Dao..."

Yuan Dao listened for a while, picked up a cup, and said softly:

"Good... it's just that I cannot guarantee how good the quality of this Li Fire will be."

Li Ximing was slightly stunned, realizing that the other party was actually not in a hurry to take this fire, but was just doing him a favor. He repeatedly agreed. Yuan Dao turned his hand and put away the precious pearl, saying quietly:

"You just wait on the lake; this is not a one-day task. When the matter is done, True Lord Senior Senior Lingdu will contact you."

Li Ximing breathed a sigh of relief secretly. Calculating the time, a lot of time had already been delayed, and this True Lord Yuan Dao did not mean to say more, so he called Li Que Wan up, gave her good instructions, and sensibly took his leave.

Li Que Wan was not surprised. When she came to Jiuqiu, she had estimated that it was a shelter her own True Lord had found for her. She bowed to Yuan Dao and the other, and retreated obediently.

For a moment, only the two True Lords, Yuan Dao and Senior Senior Lingdu, remained in the mountains, and this complete divine ability master of Jiuqiu had a bit more praise in his expression, saying:

"This girl's Dao practice is rare. I see she still has Witchcraft on her body. Even Qiushui back then was only so-so... Not bad."

His words actually referred to Li Que Wan who had just come up. Senior Senior Lingdu showed some surprise, as if he rarely heard True Lord Yuan Dao have such high praise, and replied:

"I think it's a pity... there is already a Qiushui in front..."

True Lord Yuan Dao smiled slightly, shook his head, and said:

"You have to say... fortunately there is a Qiushui in front. She is not old, and only now has she gone to seek divine abilities. Otherwise, with the intention of the lords of the Jin Yi lineage to be determined to obtain the Complete Dan, she would definitely have to break—back then, Great True Lord Miao Qi of the West Sea... was neither material for achieving the Dao, nor did she have the heart to achieve the Dao, yet merely because she stepped over the Can Zifu, she lost her life..."

"I see that apart from Li Zhouwei who descended from Mingyang, only her talent is worth mentioning in the Li clan. Senior Xuan An is willing to let her cultivate the Complete Dan because he calculated that it is already too late to interfere with Qiushui, and she can even borrow Qiushui's light to lean towards the Jin Yi Shang Qing lineage."

Senior Senior Lingdu gradually had a thoughtful look, understood, and said:

"So she is still a girl."

True Lord Yuan Dao smiled without a word, sipped his tea, and then said:

"As for Tu Long's matter, I'm afraid he already knows. He knows what is good for him and does not speak out to ask, but I'm afraid he has already guessed it eight or nine out of ten in his heart."

Senior Senior Lingdu lowered his eyebrows:

"The Great True Lord helps him like this... how can he not guess it."

True Lord Yuan Dao stood up with his hands behind his back and replied:

"Master handed Jiuqiu to me. I sometimes worry that I haven't done enough, and sometimes worry that I have done too much. Since it is the layout of the Fox clan and the legacy of the Yuan Mansion, it is originally a very close relationship. If it were not for the pressure of the world situation, I should have warmly welcomed a few of his clan's juniors in to sort out the Daoist lineage for his clan..."

His deep eyes looked into the distance:

"Now that there is the favor of Tu Long, naturally I have to help a little. I shouldn't have given him hints, but the descendants of Mingyang are suspicious. If there is no reason, in the end, if you help him, he will not be willing to accept it. It's just that you must never mention the name of Tu Long. We will pay back his favor by the way, and don't let him get too deep into the Mingyang situation..."

Senior Senior Lingdu appeared both worried and emotional. He hurriedly stood up from beside the table, stood beside him, and whispered:

"But... but when the Mingyang matter is over and the Donghua Heaven falls, Senior Xuan An's matter will be difficult to handle... This Li Que Wan... does the Great True Lord want to stretch out his sleeve... and protect her?"

Yuan Dao tapped the table lightly:

"If I succeed, and Senior Xuan An discusses it with the lord of the Jin Yi lineage, protecting her should be no problem."

Senior Senior Lingdu breathed a heavy sigh and replied:

"I think... no matter what, Jun Jian will find it difficult to stand by and watch, not to mention... there is still one on the mountain."

The "no matter what" in Senior Senior Lingdu's mouth actually refers to the situation after Yuan Dao fails. It's just that it's unlucky to say it in a hurry. Great divine ability users often avoid such words, so he spoke euphemistically, but Yuan Dao understood very well.

This great divine ability user who had always been calm actually seemed a little worried, and said faintly:

"There is no one in this world who is innocent. Everyone is born with something to let down. Tu Long is a righteous character. Wanting me not to let anyone down is definitely not a good thing. It was fine when his cultivation was low, but now he is also a person of status in this world, and he still holds a clear heart. I am afraid he will ruin his own Great Dao."

Senior Senior Lingdu was silent for a long time and replied:

"Whether it is ruined or fulfilled, it is hard to say." ===== CHAPTER 1053 =====