Chapter 788: Jiuqiu

A pale white luster reappeared within the pitch-black cave. The green pool water on the ground rippled, and the young man opened his eyes once more. Everything shifted from blur to clarity. "Drip."

Chi Buzi raised his eyebrows and stood quietly in place. His eyes still held a lingering, profound sense of disbelief and joy. He looked around as if waking from a dream, then stood there with his sleeves folded.

"The intercalary position of the Mother Pin Shui..."

He stood blankly for a long time, still feeling that the few questions he had asked the True Record were far from being worth the price of two Zifu-level demonic creatures... The first sentence about the intercalation of the Clear Water and the Mother Pin Shui, and the second about cultivating the "Morning Cold Rain" to seek the Mother Pin Shui's intercalary position—what kind of treatment was this? "Even for the Wang or Xie families... or the dragon-kin of Luoxia... do they have such treatment? When the descendants of these powers hit a bottleneck in their cultivation, can they personally visit a True Lord and receive such guidance?!"

"Seeking the Mother Pin Shui through the Four Clears and One Prefecture—what an astonishing idea? Yet, in the mouth of that True Record Immortal General, it sounded as simple as idle chatter after tea... What kind of Daoist attainment is this... what kind of Daoist lineage inheritance! If another True Lord came, could they deduce such a conclusion in an instant?"

Chi Buzi's expression shifted: "Impossible... even the True Lords of the present age, that one from Xiuyue has only managed to cultivate one Yu Zhen after all these years. While this matter is indeed due to my firm heart in seeking the Dao, I fear even ordinary Golden Cores do not possess such means to turn decay into magic..."

The gap was too vast. For a moment, Chi Buzi even doubted where the world beyond the heavens actually was, and whether other realms existed. If everything were true, such a terrifying Heavenly Palace would likely find ruling this world as trivial as child's play.

Chi Buzi was naturally suspicious by nature. He rarely dwelled on such excessive fantasies, instead seeking the most plausible explanation. He mused:

"His insights into the Daoist lineage must at least be an inheritance from the Middle Ancient period..."

He cleared his thoughts, gradually grasping the key, his eyes narrowing: "It is possible that these words were taught. A Golden Core whose Daoist lineage is close to the Mare and Clear might not be unable to think of this method, but this matter is not something one can achieve just by thinking of it. One must truly produce a method for seeking gold to make it practical."

"And this method for seeking gold is not simple. Regardless of whether it is the Five Elements seeking gold or the Void-Reality seeking gold, the ancient orthodox methods are all useless. It must be a method truly tailored to me, and given that this is such a fantastical, dream-like method for seeking gold, the difficulty is even greater than verifying it myself..."

It was only because of the series of words from the True Record that he had sufficient confidence to believe it a little. The surprise and anxiety in his heart were suppressed, and he returned to calmness: "The method for seeking gold has not yet arrived, so I still harbor some doubts. I will continue to catch the demons first. Since I have nothing to cultivate for now, it is just as well to catch these demonic creatures... I will get that cultivation technique and take a look first..."

In high spirits, he rode the wind and broke out of the sea. He felt the world was vast and the sea breeze refreshing. He raised his eyebrows to look into the distance, where the stars of heaven were twinkling one by one: "One must take precautions for a rainy day. I must go to the World Navel once, visit the various Daoist lineages, leave a good impression on that Lady, and read more Mother Pin Shui Daoist scriptures."

Cape.

On the island, the scorching sun was blazing. There was not a hint of moisture on the sea surface; instead, there was a stifling heat. The sky was cloudless for ten thousand miles, a clean, deep blue that scorched the crops on the entire island until they withered.

A person sat on a large rock by the sea, wearing white-gold Daoist robes, the light of heaven shining between their eyebrows, quietly looking up into the sky.

Li Ximing had caught the demonic creature, refined it into a Suiyuan Pill, and let Xia Shouyu go into seclusion. He himself went into seclusion at the Cape. In three years, he had taken two 【Mysterious Certainty Essence-Nurturing Pills】 and practiced with single-minded devotion, having already suppressed all the flames within the Giant Que Court.

Now, ninety percent of his injuries had recovered. The remaining injuries on his skin were merely from his physical body being scorched during the battle. Finding a time to mend them and return to his peak would be easy.

Of the seven 【Mysterious Certainty Essence-Nurturing Pills】, he had exactly one left. Li Ximing hid it in his bosom for emergencies: "If I weren't an alchemist myself, I would still be trapped in that ghost place, lurking. In the future, I might have to fight that old, shameless, sinister thing again. This one is just right to keep. If I really get hit by that spell again, it can save the situation."

With his injuries mostly treated and Xia Shouyu having broken through to Foundation Establishment, Li Ximing planned to leave the Cape and head to the Kong Que Sea.

"The 'Gong Fire' Immortal Foundation is refined, the rain clouds disperse, cold turns to heat—it is indeed no different from the books."

Li Ximing's knowledge was not shallow now. Since the 'Bai Lixin' was 'Gong Fire' and occupied the 'Li' character, it was likely inseparable from the Luan Sparrow. The Luan Sparrow governed fire and held 'Gong Fire' in high esteem; the strength of 'Bai Lixin' should not be weak.

He calculated the time accurately. After waiting for only two breaths, he saw a bright light erupt from the temple on the island. A reddish flame soared into the sky, and vaguely, the sound of birds rose in unison, bright and pleasant.

The chirping sound drew near. A white-tinged-with-red flame flew over, manifesting as a beautiful woman with a slightly pink complexion and thin, high eyebrows. With a smile, she respectfully knelt and bowed before him, saying:

"Shouyu greets the True Person. Fortunately, I have not failed the mission. Now that I have cultivated the Dao Foundation, I have not wasted a single precious pill of the True Person..."

Li Ximing nodded with a smile, reached out to support her, and said:

"It is not entirely the merit of the pills. That you could reach Qi Refining early while cultivating in this desperate land shows you are a genius rarely seen. That you could meet me is also a profound stroke of good fortune."

Xia Shouyu nodded repeatedly, listening to Li Ximing say:

"Let us go to the temple together for a look. Once you have settled matters, we shall set off to return."

These words truly made Xia Shouyu's heart surge with excitement. She immediately bowed down and replied:

"My Lord's kindness... this humble person will engrave it in my heart and never forget it!"

One must know that the Cape was separated from the Kong Que Sea at the edge of the East Sea by layers of mortal seas. Although Xia Shouyu had reached Foundation Establishment, she did not know how many years or months it would take to cross it on her own. Moreover, once she reached the seaside, the Jiuqiu Xianshan might not pay her any mind, and the Peacocks would certainly not let her off.

Staying at the Cape was comfortable enough to become a hegemon of a region, but in terms of cultivation, one could only waste away and die. She was so far from the prosperous Inner Sea and the He Tian Sea... Moreover, the person before her was a Zifu, and she had already found a firm backer! Li Ximing had already stepped out. Master and servant arrived before the temple, only to see that the place was already filled with people kneeling. Li Ximing did not enter, but casually ordered: "Handle it all."

Xia Shouyu immediately saluted and stepped inside. One could hear "My Lord" here and "Grandmother" there, the sounds of respect shaking the sky. At times, old people wept with joy, and at others, middle-aged men begged bitterly. Soon, sounds of inexplicable pleading to stay arose. After only a quarter of an hour, the chaos had all dispersed. Xia Shouyu walked out quickly and said respectfully: "Reporting to the True Person, the affairs in the temple have all been handled. When this humble person broke through, there was a three-month drought that harmed the people. I have already left the resources bestowed by the True Person to the temple, letting them send people to purchase rice to compensate the commoners."

Xia Shouyu had clearly sensed Li Ximing's stance. This action was both a probe and a final compensation for her own temple. Li Ximing saw this and nodded slightly. The two rode the light of heaven and rose, heading toward the horizon.

Xia Shouyu remained kneeling, vaguely seeing the crowd below still kinking their heads through the manifested light of heaven. Her heart was complex, and a piece of pitch-black ink quickly spread, the world turning completely black.

"Grand Void!"

Li Ximing, while traversing the Grand Void, said:

"You did well. I cultivate in Jiangnan and am of an Immortal Clan, also a famous righteous path. You are clever in your ways; from now on, when you arrive at the clan, you must put aside your overseas habits and temper."

Xia Shouyu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded respectfully. Li Ximing casually took out a robe embroidered with moon-lake patterns from his storage bag, along with a pair of silver boots, and threw them into her hands, ordering:

"We are going to see a guest."

Xia Shouyu's attire was pieced together and not presentable. Although this robe was not a magic garment, it was at least made of soft and expensive spirit cloth, matching the boots at her feet. Putting it on could cover things up. As soon as Xia Shouyu touched it, she loved it dearly:

"Tsk tsk tsk, this material, this spiritual energy—it's likely authentic Jiangnan goods."

She draped it over herself and silently admired it, no longer speaking to disturb him. Li Ximing, while traversing the Grand Void, secretly pondered:

"The 【Jiuqiu Xianshan】 is worth a visit. The Tantai family are good friends of Si Boxiu. The first person I visited back then was him. My family currently has a harmonious relationship with the Sima family, and he has close ties with the Inner Sea. It is the most accurate place to inquire about news. Seeing him is no harm."

He set his itinerary. After traversing the Grand Void for a short time, he broke through the Grand Void and appeared. The sea water beneath his feet was a mix of copper-green and rainbow colors, clearly having arrived at the Kong Que Sea.

Xia Shouyu did not understand the principles of the Grand Void and was so shocked by the speed that she stood frozen, unable to speak. Li Ximing, however, had a suspicious expression, looking at the peacocks shuttling back and forth in the sky, and immediately hid his figure: "What are these peacocks going crazy for... searching everywhere as if their mother died..."

He then retreated into the Grand Void again. Although he did not know where the Jiuqiu Xianshan was, he flew toward the most precipitous place in the Grand Void before returning to the world of the living. Sure enough, he saw a majestic mountain range emerging from the sea, appearing even more magnificent amidst the waves.

The entire mountain range was purplish-red, and the whole mountain was covered in maple trees rarely seen overseas, setting off wave after wave of surges in the sea breeze. Li Ximing glanced at it and appeared at the foot of the mountain.

A massive mountain gate archway is visible, standing over a hundred zhang tall and entirely white, with grand characters on the right side: 【Great Wonder Merging Truth Path】

On the left were: 【Spirit Barbarian Moon Clear Mountain】

Li Ximing glanced at it, and the center was: 【Great Qiu Nine Paths】

Just as various families recognized the Li family as the Wei-Li Daoist lineage and knew to target them with the Xi Qi various paths, every Daoist lineage would trace its roots upward as far as possible. The names of these Daoist lineages were of great use. Li Ximing recorded them first.

Immediately, a cultivator flew out from the mountain, looking surprised, and saluted respectfully:

"Greetings, True Person. This humble cultivator is Tantai Muming of the Jiuqiu Daoist lineage. I did not know an immortal carriage had arrived, and I failed to welcome you. Please enter the mountain to rest for a while."

Li Ximing had heard at both the Cape and this Kong Que Sea that the master of Jiuqiu Xianshan was hospitable and had many friends coming and going. This Tantai Muming was clearly someone who had seen the world, and his reception was very natural. The surprise in his eyes was mostly because he did not recognize Li Ximing.

Xia Shouyu behind him was still lingering in the shock left by this majestic mountain and the huge archway. Because a True Person backer stood before her, she did not feel much inferiority and stood forward as much as possible, trying to appear natural so as not to lose face for Li Ximing.

Li Ximing nodded slightly and replied:

"Is this the place of cultivation for True Person Tantai? I have long heard of his great name. I had a very pleasant conversation with Senior Yuanxiu last time and heard of the True Person's name. Passing by the Kong Que Sea this time, I had some leisure, so I came to see him."

Li Ximing did not mention his own name, but Tantai Muming was very pleasantly surprised and nodded: "So it is a friend of True Person Yuanxiu. I have truly been negligent... Please, True Person, sit in the pavilion while I go to invite my elder."

Although Li Ximing said they were very familiar, Tantai Muming still maintained vigilance and did not rashly let him enter the mountain. He sent someone to invite him and apologized: "A few days ago, the 【Great Bestowal Copper Color Temple】 in the north suddenly came to cause trouble. Our sect's Great True Person was invited to the Great Bestowal Copper Mountain to discuss important matters with the peacocks and cannot return in time."

"However... True Person Lingdu of our sect is currently discussing the Dao with True Person Houfu in the sect, and it has already been three months. I will ask someone to inquire."

Li Ximing's eyes lit up: "True Person Houfu is also here!"

True Person Houfu was a True Person of the Great Xiukui Temple. The Great Xiukui Temple acted quite righteously and had no grievances with the Li clan. He had even come to congratulate Li Ximing back then. With him here, Li Ximing felt even more secure.

After only a few breaths, he indeed saw two True Persons stepping through the air.

The leader was old and frail, holding a wooden staff; it should be Lingdu. The one behind was dressed in a shaman's robe, tall and thin; it was Houfu, whom he had met before. When the two arrived, Lingdu was slightly puzzled and said:

"Greetings, Your Excellency..."

Li Ximing responded with a smile, but Houfu recognized him. He stepped forward, pulled out a not-very-obvious smile, and said:

"Senior Lingdu, this is the True Person from Jiangnan, Zhaojing."

True Person Houfu does not often move about in Jiangnan, but whenever he does, it is always with gongs and drums, spirit colts pulling his carriage; he is a man who loves a grand display. The Li family had even offered him congratulations in the past, so Li Ximing hurriedly bowed and smiled:

"I have met Senior Houfu! I never expected to see you here; this is truly a pleasant surprise!"

Houfu is actually only a cultivator of the same generation as Li Ximing. When Li Ximing raised him up, the smile on his face grew slightly broader, and he replied:

"You flatter me... Zhaojing is truly formidable!"

Li Ximing understood clearly; Houfu saw that his condition was good and was implicitly referring to his safe retreat from the hands of a great True Person like Senior Chang Xiao. But he knew his own situation best; being in this state right now was due to too much luck... He smiled and deflected the comment. The old man Lingdu was quite surprised; he looked him up and down and praised: "So it is the Imperial descendant Zhaojing. I am Cao Xiyan of the Jiuqiu Immortal Path, titled Lingdu. I have met the True Person."

"I am no Imperial descendant... that is merely a rumor in Jiangnan."

Li Ximing hurriedly declined. Lingdu wore a smile on his face, clearly not quite believing it, and lifting his sleeves, he welcomed him:

"Zhaojing, please..."

The three of them rode the wind inside. In the mountains, cool breezes blew and maple leaves drifted. Under the largest maple tree at the highest point, a bronze-colored chessboard was set up. The black and white pieces were locked in fierce combat, entangled endlessly, clearly in the midst of a heated game.

Li Ximing felt a bit guilty and glanced at it: '... I've lived this long and haven't even touched a chess piece... please don't ask me to play.'

Fortunately, Lingdu immediately moved the chessboard away. Houfu stood with his hands behind his back behind him and laughed: "Zhaojing... Tinglan has been searching for you for the past two years! Just now I asked the old senior; this girl not only asked me about the Great Xiukui Temple but even asked about the Jiuqiu Immortal Mountains, all because she was in such a rush to find you!"

Characters appearing in this chapter

————

Li Ximing 【Early Zifu】 【Zifu Alchemist】

Lingdu 【Mid Zifu】 【Tantai Jiuqiu Orthodoxy】

Houfu 【Early Zifu】 【Great Xiukui Temple】

Chi Buzi 【Late Zifu】 【Great True Person】 【Lu Buzi】

Xia Shouyu "Bai Lixin"