#1096 - Mysterious Box

Senior Li Tongya happened to be present when the Fangshi Market in Lake Middle Continent was raided in his youth. Later, he secretly sneaked into it and used his water control technique to retrieve a jade box from the array's core. The box was light cyan in color with dense mysterious patterns, but it was empty inside.

Although the senior did not obtain any treasures from it, he realized that the box had a special texture and could store treasures, so he carried it with him. It was passed down and later used to hold the Sword Canon.

Li Ximing didn't understand swordsmanship and had very little contact with this object, so he shouldn't have recognized it. However, when the Li family unified Wangyue in those years and unlocked the Forbidden Great Array of Lake Middle Continent, Li Xijun specially took out this jade box to observe in order to study the formations in the continent. Li Ximing happened to see it once and remembered it.

Now, seeing a Zifu cultivator cautiously and stealthily offering this thing, how could Li Ximing not be surprised? However, this was not the time to ask in detail. He made a hand seal, and the 『All Under Heaven Manifest』 technique began to operate. An invisible light of the Six Harmonies immediately condensed at his fingertips, and he carefully deduced.

Li Ximing was slightly dazed, but Yan Dushui didn't notice it. He took out a black jade tablet from his sleeve, handed it to Li Ximing, and whispered:

"Please, Fellow Daoist, stick this talisman to your forehead to see the spiritual object... This object is extremely strange. If it weren't locked here by this [Listening Soul Mulberry Wood], I'm afraid it would have scattered and disappeared long ago."

"However, when lifting this object, it may reduce some of your lifespan... I won't take any of the [Listening Soul Mulberry Wood]. I'll give it all to you as compensation!"

Li Ximing had the Immortal Mirror in his hand and could see clearly, but he still solemnly took it and used the talisman, as if he was thinking about something.

The spiritual object in front of him was extremely magical. When the spiritual consciousness of a dignified Zifu cultivator swept over, he actually saw that the wooden stake was empty and didn't notice anything. Only when the light of the Six Harmonies brushed over it did a slight abnormality appear...

The light of the Six Harmonies in his hand was Mingyang's unique Destiny Divine Power, used to measure the heavens and earth and ask about the universe. Usually, it could sense the aura of destiny filling the space between heaven and earth. If spiritual consciousness observed the heaven and earth as looking at an empty house with various objects inside, then the light of the Six Harmonies observing the heaven and earth was like being in an ocean, with various objects at the bottom as well, but the difference was not significant.

But in this cave, the spiritual consciousness felt that it was empty all around, and the light of the Six Harmonies only felt that the top of the tree stump was also empty—this was immediately different. The ocean didn't even have [water], wouldn't that be even more obvious?

'The Fallen Qi can swallow the aura. If this thing is made into a weapon, I'm afraid it would pass through someone's body before they even realized it!'

He secretly praised it, opened the jade box, and silently pushed it forward. Naturally, it was impossible to touch this spiritual object with divine powers, so he only used the [Light of the Six Harmonies] to push it little by little and gently lift it!

The divine power and mana in Li Ximing's body immediately poured out at a terrifying speed, as if he was lifting a huge mountain made of Xuan stone. The light of the Six Harmonies shook violently, but it only made the feather flutter slightly.

Seeing this flutter, Yan Dushui's eyes suddenly brightened, and his heart pounded:

"What the master said is indeed correct! This thing cannot be lifted by divine powers or detected by spiritual consciousness. Only the laws of heaven and earth, where all spirits look up to and return to, uniting heaven, earth, and man, can sense it... Fortunately, 『All Under Heaven Manifest』 is useful!"

But while he was overjoyed, Li Ximing's expression suddenly changed.

When urging this feather, his own Destiny Divine Power rapidly declined, and the light of the Six Harmonies was constantly damaged. This was truly and truly reducing his cultivation of Destiny Divine Power!

'What a terrifying speed!'

His scalp tingled for a moment, and divine power and mana poured into it like a waterfall. The feather finally fluttered and fell into the jade box. Strangely enough, the spiritual object, which weighed ten thousand pounds, became as light as a white feather once it fell into the box, without any weight.

At this moment, Li Ximing's face was already pale. The talisman on his forehead turned to ashes. He barely managed to use the light of the Six Harmonies to collect the black Qi from the cave and lock it in the box to nourish it. He meditated in place for several breaths before color returned to his face.

'That was close... If it weren't for this talisman between my eyebrows blocking a lot for me... I'm afraid I would have suffered some internal injuries.'

He made sure that there was nothing wrong with his body before sealing the jade box and handing it to Yan Dushui, saying:

"Congratulations!"

Yan Dushui's eyes were slightly red, and he nodded heavily, pointing to the wooden stake on the stone platform, saying:

"[Listening Soul Mulberry Wood], please help yourself, Fellow Daoist."

Although the [Listening Soul Mulberry Wood] could be taken with divine powers, Li Ximing still cautiously probed it several times before reaching out and taking it. He looked around and memorized all kinds of runes, thinking to himself:

'This place is narrow and long, like a coffin.'

He suspected that the things floating around were good things. While collecting some black Qi into the bottle, he went to see Yan Dushui. The old man seemed tangled. He looked around with him, seemingly very reluctant, and seemed to be hesitating about something. Finally, he stepped forward.

The incense in the front hall was bright, and the incense stick was slightly shorter. The blackness in the main hall seemed to be heavier, so dark that one couldn't see one's fingers.

Li Ximing paid more attention to it and found that there was also a passage on the other side. Seeing that Yan Dushui didn't intend to take him in, he moved in his heart and seemed to be walking forward slowly, but in fact, he secretly urged the Immortal Artifact again.

"The treasure passed down by the ancestors was originally for the descendants to protect the clan... It doesn't matter who it ends up in... Being able to make friends with Jiuqiu... other families can't envy it."

But in the end, these were all polite words. Even Li Ximing, who was standing beside him, didn't have much pity at this moment, but focused his attention on the jade box in his hand. He comforted him a few words, revealing a bit of envy, and asked:

"This trip has really opened my eyes, but... this box... I wonder what it is? It can easily contain the Fallen Qi, which is said to be undetectable!"

Yan Dushui was upset and hurriedly turned back to look at him, forcing a smile:

"This thing was borrowed from Lingdu Zhenren of Jiuqiu for me, specially prepared for this matter... Not only can Fellow Daoist not see the origin of this thing, but I can't see it clearly either."

Li Ximing then nodded and didn't say much. The two of them didn't say a word and tacitly went to Jiuqiu Mountain. It wasn't until the red leaves filled the mountain that Yan Dushui said with a sigh:

"What Fellow Daoist said is also true. Generations of ancestors have tried it, but they can't take out this thing. Without this jade box, they would just enter the treasure mountain and return empty-handed, futilely leaving it in place..."

As they entered the mountain, Li Ximing noticed that Ling Du was still sitting quietly at the table, engrossed in reading a Taoist book. It seemed he hadn't moved since Li Ximing left, waiting for them to return together.

Yan Dushui respectfully bowed before the table, smiling, "Elder… Lin Yi comes to pay his respects… The items have been retrieved for you."

Li Ximing had imagined the Nine Qiu Dao lineage to be of high status, but he hadn't expected it to be this high. He was secretly astonished. Ling Du, however, was very natural, smiling and inviting them to sit down. He carefully placed the jade box, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Thank you both for your efforts."

The old man didn't open it. Instead, he took out a pottery coin from his sleeve, only about two fingers wide and as thin as a cicada's wing, placing it on top of the jade box. The upward-facing side was a glossy black, inscribed with four characters:

【Treat the Dead as Living】

Only then did he release it. The pottery coin, driven by some invisible force, flipped over on its own, revealing four characters on the other side:

【Supreme Darkness is Sacred】

Clearly, after leaving that haunted house, the jade box couldn't be opened directly. Ling Du used a special method to check if there was truly a spiritual object inside. Satisfied, he put away the item and said to Yan Dushui:

"I've inquired myself. Apart from the Chun Yuan that should be given to you, Zhiyan Peak is willing to forge a connection, providing for three descendants of your lineage. As for whether they'll develop supernatural powers, that depends on your family's fortune."

Yan Dushui nodded silently, thanking him repeatedly, remaining speechless for a long time. Ling Du then smiled at Li Ximing, saying:

"Congratulations, Zhao Jing!"

Li Ximing had gained a great deal this time. Although he had lost some cultivation, he could replenish it with elixirs. However, the table-sized [Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] was something he might never see again.

His mind had been preoccupied with the jade box, but now, reminded by Ling Du, joy arose in his heart:

'Zhou Wei… me… Jiang Qian… Que Wan… The soul lamps are completely sufficient, even just a drop in the ocean. Even if I cut off two palm-sized pieces to return to Minghui, the remaining amount will be enough to squander… I can even research some life-saving and avatar-splitting consumables…'

[Soul-Listening Mulberry Wood] was considered precious. It was said that only a few lineages within the Solar Dao had it, passed down from their ancestors, specially supplied to the Violet Palace cultivators. Back then, Chang Xi of Xuan Yue Sect used a jade seat with gold and silver patterned soul lamps, made by sensing earth energy and jade treasures. It was a large life jade, but its supernatural powers could last for a long time, without needing constant nurturing. Violet Palace cultivators themselves wouldn't find it troublesome to use.

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He was in a good mood, but Yan Dushui was melancholic and didn't speak. Li Ximing used the same trick again, asking about the Xuan box. Ling Du smiled and shook his head, his expression gradually becoming solemn as he replied:

"If we were to truly assess this item… it should belong to True Lord Tai Xu."

Li Ximing was stunned, and even Yan Dushui looked up, an expression of disbelief on his face, asking:

"It's that valuable!"

Ling Du sighed softly, answering:

"Back then… True Lord Tai Xu had not yet attained Dao, and was cultivating in the Mirage Cave Heaven… which was then commonly known as the Green Pine Mirage Realm. After all, the Green Pine lineage had three rises and three falls, with many continuations. A Green Pine Temple could refer to any number of places."

"Legend has it that there were many seats within, and the immortal left behind jade boxes for the disciples, corresponding to Xiu Yue, Chang Huai, Heng Zhu, Sword Gate, Ziyan, and Qing Chi respectively."

"This item is one of them, the one that belonged to True Lord Tai Xu."

He looked deeply at Li Ximing, saying:

"Your family has also been inside before, you should have seen it."

'Green Pine Island!'

Li Ximing's heart trembled even more:

'If that's the case, which one does this one in my hand belong to!'

Li Ximing pondered, nodding silently. Ling Du continued:

"When the True Lords opened this realm, there were six of them. Chang Huai and Heng Zhu were empty, Qing Chi and Ziyan were lost, Sword Gate was retrieved, and Xiu Yue's returned to Xiu Kui…"

He specifically mentioned Xiu Kui, pausing slightly. Seeing that Li Ximing wasn't surprised, he understood that he also knew about Xiu Kui's past. He stroked his beard and said:

"The lost one was in the hands of a cultivator. He originally had the Fire Virtue destiny, and was exceptionally talented. Our Great True Person thought highly of him, took good care of him, and offered much guidance. He acted as a matchmaker, returning the Ziyan one. Great True Person Zi Mu accepted the items inside, and this jade box was entrusted to our Dao for safekeeping."

Hearing this, Li Ximing was startled and momentarily speechless.

The Li family had participated in the jade box incident back then! The True Person he mentioned was most likely Tu Long Jian, who was now hiding overseas, preserving himself!

'It's Senior Jun Jian!'

'Senior Jun Jian actually has deep connections with the Nine Qiu Dao lineage! Not only that, but he was even guided by this Yuan Dao Great True Person, which is why he avoided Jiangnan early on and went to the North Sea!'

All the clues connected, causing him to fall silent, his heart shaken:

'When did this happen… Does this mean that he was a pawn placed by the Nine Qiu Dao lineage long ago! Why was he able to escape when the True Lords sealed Tai Xu together? It must have been this Great True Person who secretly helped him! Only someone with his supernatural powers and Dao conduct could have silently rescued the senior from under the noses of the True Lords!'

'And is this Great True Person's motive for this jade box?'

He hesitated, his first reaction being to suspect whether the Nine Qiu Dao lineage's goodwill towards him came from this Dragon-Slaying Senior! But when he lowered his eyes to look at Ling Du, he saw that he was completely unaware, and didn't give him any meaningful glances because he had mentioned Tu Long Jian.

The old man naturally continued the conversation:

"This item can't be said to be very precious, it was originally an ordinary object, but after experiencing the Dao attainments of the True Lords, and the meaning of this box being passed down from master to disciple, it has drawn in a trace of the aura of the Venerable, and has since transcended the mundane. It can naturally accommodate those rare treasures without any problem."

He seemed somewhat sentimental, shaking his head, saying:

"The Violet Palace has already achieved supernatural powers. Most of the things that are allowed to circulate in this world cannot escape the eyes of supernatural powers. When it reaches the point where the Violet Palace can't discern the materials or guess the origins, nine times out of ten it's related to the True Lord, and ninety-nine percent of them are items that these True Lords have used…"

He was somewhat sentimental:

"These items haven't caught the eyes of the Great Ones, and won't have any specific mysteries. In the hands of minor cultivators, they're useless, at most they're a little sturdier. Even in the hands of a Great True Person with astonishing Dao conduct, it's just a trace of transcendent Qi."

After listening to such secrets, Yan Dushui's mood had eased a lot, and he couldn't help but ask:

"What if it catches the eye and has mysteries?"

Ling Du turned to look at him, smiling:

"You can't run away, and by then your life will be gone. Wouldn't you kneel down and kowtow? Think about whether you have the life to possess it, do you still want to pick it up!"

Main Characters of this Chapter

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Li Ximing [Early Violet Palace]

Ling Du [Mid Violet Palace]