#1085 - Taoism

Li Ximing stroked his beard, pondering, and asked:

"【Guanghong Xuanxu】, another path of True Qi, it seems to be closely related to Ning Country."

Tinglan carefully looked at him, as if considering how to broach the subject with him, and after a long while, she said:

"Zhao Jing... does he know the 【Dao Zhen】 sect?"

Li Ximing was secretly stunned, and replied:

"Please tell me more, Fellow Daoist..."

Tinglan's expression was slightly strange, and she replied:

"The Dao Zhen sect has a total of four branches, based in the former Xuanzhen Mountain, which is now the territory of the Xiuyue Mountain Gate... They advocate Daoist cultivation of nature and the Great Dao of cultivating the five virtues... In the era of Emperor Wei, this Dao Zhen sect mainly cultivated 『True Qi』 and 『Purple Qi』..."

She pondered for a moment and replied:

"It's just that they don't call it 『True Qi』 and 『Purple Qi』, but 『True Yang』 and 『Purple Yin』."

Li Ximing raised his eyebrows slightly, his mind instantly filled with thoughts, while Tinglan said:

"In ancient times, there was a True Lord who cultivated in Xuanzhen Mountain, surnamed Zhuang, and people at the time called him Daoist Zhuang—at that time, the people's wisdom was not yet developed, and Daoist was an extremely high title. He ascended to immortality, leaving behind a cave in the mountain, and a book in the cave, called 【Taihua Sutra】."

"This book was jointly read by his six disciples, who later fell one by one, each with their own successors, holding this book together, forming the prototype of the Dao Zhen sect."

"This Dao Zhen sect went extremely far on the path of True and Purple Qi. 【Guanghong Xuanxu】... is the spiritual atmosphere proposed by their Dao lineage. Although during the fall of Zhou, the True Qi and Purple Qi of the Dao Zhen sect diverged, and the theory of the Five Virtues basically exterminated the theory of Yin and Yang, the Taoist scriptures preserved within are still extremely mysterious and are the fundamental classics of today's True Qi and Purple Qi."

Li Ximing nodded slightly and replied:

"Dao Zhen immortals, removing their crowns and cutting their feathers..."

Li Ximing certainly knew about this. Whether it was the battle achievements that the Cui family was proud of, or the excuses used by later generations to criticize and crusade against Emperor Wei, they could not avoid the amazing actions of this emperor!

Tinglan was a little surprised at first, but quickly became relieved and shook her head:

"That's right... Emperor Wei drew his sword and left Guanlong. Anyone who cultivates immortality and forgets the mundane world, and does not save the common people, will have their crowns removed and their feathers cut. Although the Dao Zhen sect was not the only one to have their crowns removed and their feathers cut in those years, they were indeed the most famous."

"After the Dao Zhen sect was destroyed, Emperor Wei read the Taihua Sutra and was amazed by it. He rebuilt the Xuanzhen Dao and conferred the title of 【Jiangling King】 to guard the mountain. The descendants of this 【Jiangling King】... were the later True Lord Tianwu!"

Li Ximing suddenly understood after hearing her explanation:

"No wonder Da Ning is taking in the aristocratic families who fled south and intends to inherit the legal system of Great Wei... It turns out that there is such a connection... I am afraid that only you who practice the Dao lineage of Purple Qi know these things so well!"

Tinglan nodded solemnly and whispered:

"I'm thinking that even the Sima family probably doesn't know the name 【Guanghong Xuanxu】!"

"When Tianwu appeared in the world, the spiritual atmosphere was the same as it is today. The two Qi cooperated with Yin and Yang, the stars appeared in the daytime, 【Anhuai Tian】 lifted up, and 【Wanling Tian】 expanded its territory by an unknown amount... Da Ning is attracting worldwide attention because after the destruction of the Dao Zhen sect, the relevant Dao lineages are locked in the Zhaoyuan Immortal Mansion. The Sima and Su families are just aristocratic families. After searching through the classics, they could not find the name of this spiritual atmosphere, so they had to submit a memorial calling it 【Zhengping Qingwu】."

She pondered:

"My master has speculated that Da Ning should have inherited the Wei lineage and established an imperial career, so they did not use the 【Guanghong Xuanxu】, which according to the Dao Zhen sect should avoid worldly affairs and ascend to the heavens, but used the name raised by the Sima and Su families."

Li Ximing nodded secretly, and suddenly realized:

'So... it was no accident that Zhou Wei obtained the 【Sleeve Residence Evolution Supreme Art】 from the Cui family. It is said to be something from the Immortal Mansion, but it doesn't have much Ming Yang Qi. It is very likely that it originated from the Dao Zhen techniques collected!'

'Cave Heaven Secret Realm...'

Li Ximing's heart stirred.

Li Zhouwei and he had thought about this matter a long time ago, but although his family is now one of the best in Jiangnan, and their techniques are not necessarily weaker than anyone else's, when it comes to such immortal secrets, their foundation is still shallow, and they don't even have the method to walk in the Tai Xu, let alone a Cave Heaven Secret Realm.

Li Ximing originally pinned his hopes on Li Quewan, but now he is not disappointed after hearing this news, and nodded secretly:

'A spiritual atmosphere, not to mention lasting a hundred years, even if it lasts fifty years... With the help of the talisman seed, Quewan will definitely have enough time. As for the secret techniques for opening up a secret realm...'

Spiritual objects and resources can always be found, but this secret method is hard to find even for a thousand gold, and often only exists in the vaults of large forces, which is the most worrying thing, but he smiled in his heart:

'If other places don't have it, the Sun and Moon Shining Together Heaven and Earth might!'

He thought for a moment, and a bit of secret joy arose in his heart:

'The 【Sleeve Residence Evolution Supreme Art】 is the art of the Sleeve Residence. To put it bluntly, it is a small secret realm. If the spiritual atmosphere is of great help to lifting up the secret realm, it should also greatly reduce the cultivation cost of this technique...'

Li Ximing was pondering his own affairs, and thanked him:

"Such a secret... Fellow Daoist is not hiding anything, Zhao Jing is grateful!"

Tinglan shook her head and smiled:

"The blessed land has entered the world, and Quewan has also left seclusion. She has been cultivating diligently these years and has a deep blessing. She is already in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. These days, she has been clamoring to go back to the lake to take a look... It's just that Wenqing values her and immediately took her to the imperial capital. She will not be back for a few days."

"But... there is another junior..."

Tinglan waved her sleeve and opened the door of the hall. A Foundation Establishment cultivator walked quickly into the hall. He was tall and thin, but his demeanor was very upright. He bowed excitedly in front of the hall and respectfully said:

"Junior Ding Mu has seen the True Person—congratulations to the True Person for the great advancement in supernatural powers."

Tinglan smiled and said:

"He came from your lake. Although he has been a bit poor in the sect these years, he has not disappointed anyone. When he heard that I was coming to the lake, he knelt in front of the cave for several days, insisting that I bring him over, saying that he wanted to thank you for your kindness."

"So it's you..."

Li Ximing smiled with interest.

Back then, the cultivators of the Ziyan Sect came to the lake to build formations. There was a sentimental Cao Daoist who took away a widow from the shore, along with the orphan of the Ding family, to practice in Ziyan... At that time, the child was thin and small, but he never thought that he would be like this now!

"How is your mother?"

Ding Mu kowtowed and respectfully said:

"The spiritual energy on the mountain is strong, but my mother's blessings were thin, and she left early. Once Master goes into seclusion, he doesn't know when he will come out. I didn't even see her for the last time. I took care of her funeral myself and have been cultivating on the mountain for ten years now..."

Cao Daoist was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. When Ding was young, he could cherish her, but when she got old and lost her beauty, how could she get any attention? Li Ximing nodded slightly, while Tinglan smiled:

"Cao Daoist's Daoist partner is jealous. He relied on the support of the lake in his early years and is very grateful to the lake... I think he looks like this, so I simply sent him to your house to guard the lake, which can be regarded as fulfilling his wish."

Tinglan spoke lightly, but Li Ximing saw that it was probably more than just financial assistance. That Widow Ding was able to live to a ripe old age, probably had times when she was flexing her power, felt quite touched, and said softly:

"Go find Wei Zeng... He's still a member of your clan."

Ding Mu wiped away tears, kowtowed three times with loud thuds before retreating. Li Ximing sipped his tea and replied:

"Que Yi has gained favor with Kuang Yu, and her cultivation is also fast, already catching up to her younger sister."

Tinglan silently acknowledged this, then bowed and took her leave. Li Ximing escorted her out, and said solemnly:

"Please wait a moment, Tinglan, I will go and start the furnace to refine pills! When the time comes, I will have someone send them over."

Tinglan thanked him. Li Ximing then returned in a streak of light, landing back on the isle. He put away his smile and hurriedly entered the isle. The main hall was extremely quiet. Li Jiangzong and the others were already waiting on the side.

Li Ximing sat down in the main seat, quickly scanned the room, his gaze landing first on the white-robed youth on the side. His eyes lit up and he asked:

"Jiangchun... You've come out of seclusion!"

The white-robed youth, carrying a sword, smiled slightly, bowed and said:

"Reporting to the Real Person, Jiangchun is fortunate not to have failed his mission, and has already established his Immortal Foundation last year!"

Li Jiangchun's seclusion time was close to Li Ximing's. Li Ximing paid special attention to him. The family had prepared the Suiyuan Pill refined from 'Lesser Yin' spiritual objects early on. His talent was extremely high, so achieving Foundation Establishment now was not surprising, but it was still a great joy. Li Ximing nodded and looked at him with a smile:

"I wonder... how many wondrous abilities do you possess?"

Compared to his brothers, Li Jiangchun was deeply favored and was familiar with both Real Persons. He was not at all intimidated, and said with a smile as he bowed:

"'Fragrant Stillness Abyss', uses the harmony of cold and heat to drive water and fire, senses the good and the bad, examines the Azure Spirit, connects to the Yin of the Purple Qi above, absorbs the Taiqing, and below raises the harmony of the Cold Qi, nurturing the Weak Water..."

He raised his hand, holding his palm flat, and saw wisps of white light, like tassels, swirling in his jade-white palm. It looked unremarkable, but it brought a wave of refreshing air that made people turn their heads.

Li Jiangchun said softly:

"'Fragrant Stillness Abyss' is located in the cold and hot, and is close to the Cold Qi and the Abyss Water. It can control the Purple Qi as easily as hands and feet, and also has the ability to regulate the injuries of others. The so-called absorbing Taiqing means taking Minor Yin and Qing Qi harmonizing medicines, like taking pure Yin magic power, freely and without fear of problems. When the Immortal Foundation is running, it can transform the Abyss Water into a wondrous healing power."

Li Ximing listened and nodded slightly, his eyes lighting up:

'The name 'Lesser Yin' is not well-known, and it is rare in the world, but it is a harmonizing path that all families like!'

'Moreover, this Lesser Yin, Qing Qi... is perfect for him to use!'

He was already happy in his heart, but considering that there were many people present, he didn't mention it much, suppressing his curiosity and replied:

"Not bad. When I traveled in the East Sea in the past, I saw a [Fang Yin Pool] in the Nine Qiu Dao Lineage, which contained a [Fang Xi Wonderful Dew] from the Lesser Yin path, which is also a treasure that heals the spiritual consciousness, improves magic power, and enhances supernatural powers without endangering the foundation... I think... it is also due to the Lesser Yin's wondrousness!"

He smiled and said:

"I'll give up some face and get one back for you!"

"Thank you, Real Person!"

Li Jiangchun bowed repeatedly, and said solemnly:

"The Lesser Yin path is uniquely afraid of Vigorous Fire and Assembled Wood. The three thunders hinder each other, and they are inherently incompatible. As for the Twelve Qi Dao Lineages, many are compatible."

Li Ximing nodded thoughtfully and asked:

"That 《Lesser Yin Profound Sovereign Water Fire Record》... How is the cultivation going?"

Li Ximing had read the [Lesser Yin Profound Sovereign Water Fire Record]. The difficulty was extremely high, even faintly above the [Great Departure White Radiant Light]. Letting him cultivate it was firstly to build a good foundation, and secondly to broaden his Dao practice, laying the foundation for breaking through supernatural powers.

Li Jiangchun listened to this and said respectfully:

"This junior cultivates day and night. In addition to practicing swordsmanship, I practice this technique a lot. Now the foundation has been established, and a Profound Position is born in my body, accommodating water and fire..."

Li Ximing himself had read this technique and understood that he had reached the time when he needed spiritual objects to assist him, and asked:

"What kind of spiritual objects do you need?"

Li Jiangchun bowed and said:

"The Lesser Yin's wondrousness absorbs water and fire. Among the Fire Virtues, the Weng and True Fires are both under command, and although they are far from being perfect, they can barely be used. However, it is uniquely afraid of Vigorous Fire. Among the Water Virtues, it loves Abyss Water the most. Wherever the wondrousness reaches, even Kan and Pin Water will obediently submit, only incompatible with Lu Water. It can't be said to be restrained, but the wondrousness is mutually competitive and cannot be easily compatible."

"The Old Master often asks me and has prepared the [Collected Journey Weak Water] of Abyss Water and the True Fire [Long Journey Origin Fire] for me early on, constantly nurturing them in the Profound Position to assist in cultivation."

Li Ximing smiled as he listened, and replied:

"Grandfather is old and has greater knowledge, understanding that Abyss Water and True Fire correspond to each other, enough for you juniors to learn carefully!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Li Ximing actually had more plans in his heart.

'If there is a chance, and the family is well-off, perhaps I can find a spiritual water and a spiritual fire for him.'

Li Jiangchun definitely couldn't refine objects from the Purple Mansion, but if the family really had this condition, Li Ximing could take action and seal them into his apertures, which would definitely be of great benefit to him.

However, this matter was not yet settled, and it would seem too biased to mention it in front of all the brothers, so Li Ximing kept it in his heart and asked:

"Jiangqian's side... is there any news?"

Li Jiangchun's eyes lit up and he replied:

"Last year, Eldest Brother came out of seclusion once. I heard that his Dao practice has improved again. The flames on his body are raging and his power is extremely heavy. He originally wanted to pay his respects to the Real Person, but was unable to meet him, so he returned to the mountain to cultivate again."

Li Jiangchun's words were euphemistic, not mentioning secret techniques. Li Ximing nodded with satisfaction and looked at Li Minggong, saying:

"Have him come to see me."

The woman went down the line. Li Ximing asked about everyone's cultivation one by one, giving them more encouragement. He rode the light and landed on Zhi Jing Mountain, simply opening the jade box and taking out the [Three Branches Autumn Heart Leaf].

The true Qi spiritual object's veins were flashing with spiritual light. It was missing a corner, so it should be refined quickly. After so many years, its spirituality had weakened a lot. Li Ximing adjusted it with Pin Water and Purple Qi, placed it in the furnace, and planned to form pills with the Heavenly Heart Single-Mindedness method.

Li Ximing's pill Dao was profound now. As soon as he patted the pill furnace, he secretly sensed something:

"With the completion of 'Heaven Under Brightness', there is the blessing of Life Supernatural Power, making pill refining more comfortable... Especially this [Heavenly Heart Single-Mindedness] method, interacting with Life Supernatural Power, greatly increases the speed of pill refining..."

He hadn't touched the pill furnace for a long time, and his heart was very happy. His movements were flowing smoothly, and he closed his eyes. For nine cycles of the sun and moon, he saw the mouth of the furnace vibrate, fragrant everywhere. Six emerald green pills with purple hues spewed out from within. Li Ximing slowly exhaled and calmly collected them.

'Refining pills is much easier than cultivation!'

The [Three Branches Autumn Heart Leaf] was missing a corner after all, and the medicinal properties had been lost, so refining six pills was already not easy. He took out two pills, carefully sealed them, called someone up, and instructed:

"Send these two... to Purple Smoke Gate."

He looked at the remaining four pills in his palm, pondered carefully for a while, took out cloth, carefully wrote the effects and ingredients, and added a few strokes [Hearing that the senior was injured while seizing treasure, I am very worried... This thing is of great benefit to the injury... If there is a need, please feel free to order... ] and so on, sealed two pills, and said:

"Send it to Tu Jun Gate!"

The man quickly agreed, and said cautiously:

"Real Person... The eldest son saw the firelight soaring into the sky on the mountain, and dared not offend, and has been waiting at the foot of the mountain for nine days and nine nights..."

Main characters in this chapter

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Li Ximing [Early Stage of Purple Mansion]

Ting ○ Lan [Early Stage of Purple Mansion]

Li Jiangchun 'Fragrant Stillness Abyss' [Early Stage of Foundation Establishment]