Chapter 1672: Mountain's Might (II)

Li Zhouwei bore the destiny of Bright Yang, yet Cui Changfu's repeated emphasis on the terrifying power of Tongxuan revealed the fear he harbored toward Luoxia. Li Zhouwei's words had struck precisely at his deepest concern.

If we truly devote everything to aiding him, then on the day he falls, should those on the mountain decide to settle accounts with us, what Dragon King would remain to protect my family? Which lord could possibly keep us safe?

Even taking ten thousand steps back, suppose those on the mountain choose not to hold us accountable. If he truly shakes the foundations of Bright Yang, would the dragons simply let the matter go?!

In Cui Changfu's eyes, Li Zhouwei's decision was undoubtedly offering his family a path to survival. Although the impulse to refuse rose within him, he could not bring himself to voice it.

He could only turn his head and say sorrowfully, "Jueyin, go and bring everything here for his highness."

Cui Changfu's choice of person was a subtle one. Cui Jueyin could be considered half a member of the Li Family, and Cui Changfu had given him no instructions beforehand. By ordering him to retrieve everything at once, Cui Changfu was making it clear that the clan was to bring out all it possessed, proving that nothing had been concealed.

Cui Jueyin had listened quietly throughout the entire conversation, his expression remaining calm. He withdrew from the hall, while Cui Changfu rose from his seat and bowed deeply, his voice choking with emotion, "Thank you... my lord!"

"Sit down. There is no need to keep bowing back and forth." Li Zhouwei waved a hand and quietly examined him. "I have never blamed your Cui Family. With your family rooted in Chongzhou and the lives of a million clansmen resting upon your decisions, such matters could never be decided by one person alone.

“As for Daoist Master Yangya... I met him in the grotto heaven as well. Now that you have attained the Purple Mansion Realm, Chongzhou has a master of its own. You no longer need to remain under his control."

Cui Changfu did not know how to respond. Fortunately, Cui Jueyin soon returned. He bowed before the steps and presented three gleaming jade slips and a stone talisman.

"Your highness!"

Cui Changfu hurriedly turned toward him. Holding back one sleeve with one hand, he extended the other palm upward in an exceedingly deferential posture and began his introduction.

"This [Upper Venerating Jade Talisman] is the key to the inheritance of my Chongzhou Cui Family. It contains the [Upper Mansion Scripture of Bright Veneration], and is the foundational treasure of our family. The scripture reaches the fifth grade and contains three complete secret techniques, which cultivates [Heaven-Venerating Gate]! It was passed down by the Immortal Mansion in ancient times."

"For that very reason, this talisman is made from an exceptionally precious material. It was crafted from [Pristine Essence Treasure Jade], a Purple Mansion Realm spirit material, and is a grade one Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact of extraordinary quality. It neither decays nor deteriorates, and its divine radiance remains concealed within. Should the clan ever face destruction, a younger clansman could carry it away without attracting covetous eyes merely for possessing a precious treasure, thereby preventing the inheritance from being lost..."

Li Zhouwei glanced over it, but seemed somewhat doubtful about its purported purpose. He shook his head and replied, "Your family's understanding of its inheritance has gone somewhat astray... This is no ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact. It is a degenerated spirit embryo. Now that you have attained divine ability, it would be best if you possessed a secret technique for refining it. If not, you can still spend thirty to fifty years refining it and use it as a protective treasure."

Cui Changfu's heart jolted. He had never imagined that his family's treasure possessed such a use. Overjoyed, he repeatedly expressed his thanks, took the item into his hands, and respectfully said, "I wish to present this treasure to you!"

Li Zhouwei merely shook his head. If Li Ximing did not already possess the [Ruler of Manifested Mountains and Rivers], this item would have been fairly suitable for his family. As things stood, however, it was of little practical use to them. He pushed it back with a turn of his hand and began reading the [Upper Mansion Bright Venerating Scripture].

It is indeed [Heaven-Venerating Gate], but it differs from our family's version... It lacks some of the majesty of an emperor, and compared with the [Golden Palace Radiant Origin Manual], it also lacks the martial authority of the frontier. Instead, it carries more of the transcendent air characteristic of cultivation within an Immortal Mansion...

As for these secret techniques...

The more Li Zhouwei read, the deeper his frown grew. He sighed inwardly, yet also felt somewhat more satisfied.

Whatever else may be said, they are still three secret techniques. Keeping them in the family for the junior cultivators to study should at least add a little substance to our collection.

This inheritance could be given to the younger generation for comparison and study. If any descendants with a suitable temperament emerged in the future, cultivating this art might suit them even better.

Li Zhouwei casually tossed the jade talisman back into Cui Changfu's hands, who immediately pointed to another jade slip. "This one contains the fourth grade [Scripture of the Body Guarding Tiger Pass]."

Cui Jueyin immediately raised his brows. "Daoist Master Zhaojing has already taken a copy, and secured a favor for our clan in exchange!"

Cui Changfu paused in surprise, then nodded, moved his hand away, and continued, "Of the remaining two... One is the [Bright Origin Observation and Separation Scripture], which Daoist Master Yangya left behind the last time he returned to the island. He obtained it through a trade with another cultivator. It originated from the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven; however, it belongs to the [Everbright Platform], not the [Imperial Observation Origin]."

Li Zhouwei calmly accepted it and gave it a quick glance and thought, What a coincidence. Our family has a copy as well, though it only reaches the Foundation Establishment Realm. It was presented to us by the Profound Peak Gate years ago... and was likewise obtained from the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven.

He raised his brows. "It seems Yangya did not simply take from you without giving anything in return. He did leave something behind, after all... Apparently, he did not wish to owe your family too great a debt of gratitude either!"

Cui Changfu looked deeply embarrassed. "Yes... yes..."

Although the remark was blunt, it struck the heart of the matter. After glancing at Li Zhouwei's expression, he continued introducing the cultivation art.

"The various Daos of Bright Yang may differ in grade, but they ultimately share the same root and origin. Their divine abilities merely differ somewhat in nature, with some possessing greater power and others less. Only [Imperial Observation Origin] is different. [Everbright Platform] was derived by numerous sages and cultivators from the [Memorial Celebrating the Completion of the Grand Rites in the Northern Lands and Proclaiming a General Amnesty], personally written by True Monarch Shangyao. Its very foundation is therefore different."

Li Zhouwei was deeply familiar with this. The [Court Guard], one of the earliest inheritances obtained by his family, was much the same. Though it appeared to share the same root and origin as the others, the difference between them was actually as vast as heaven and earth. It could even exert the authority of a superior path over its subordinate branches.

So that is how it is. Perhaps [Court Guard] was likewise derived from certain sacred writings left by the original master of [Jade True]...

Cui Changfu stepped forward. "This final inheritance is a secret art preserved within my family. It is called the [Art of Perfecting the Sleeve Estate], and originated from an Immortal Mansion. It was left behind by the senior who piloted the treasure ship in those days. The art was originally something he had borrowed for study. When trouble broke out in the state, he returned without regard for the danger. Fearing that the cultivation art might be lost, he left it in the care of our ancestors..."

Li Zhouwei finally showed some interest. He took the jade slip in hand and examined it carefully.

"Hm?" He murmured, "[Art of Perfecting the Sleeve Estate]?"

"Precisely!" A trace of envy appeared on Cui Changfu's face as he explained, "This is an ancient cultivation art, one of the immortal paths practiced by those who [ingested qi and nurtured their nature]. It allows one to cultivate an estate within one's sleeve and use it to store treasures, eliminating the need to carry a storage pouch. Once cultivated to a profound level, one could even open one's sleeve and take living beings inside without difficulty.

"The text even states that if one cultivated it to the same level as the person who wrote the art, then with a single opening of one's sleeve, one could take in the arts and dharma light of others, even spiritual flames and spirit water, leaving nothing uncollected!"

Impressed, Li Zhouwei continued reading. Yet even after more than a dozen breaths, he still had not reached the end.

It is just like those Qi Ingestion cultivation arts... astonishingly difficult. An ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivator probably could not even finish reading the entire text. As for cultivating it to great mastery... even a Grand Daoist Master would find it exceedingly difficult!

Yet this art is immensely valuable. It belongs to the same class as the [Great Void Traversal Arts] practiced by the great cultivators of the northern grotto heavens. Such arts can only be encountered by fortune, and are priceless treasures with no market!

However, his family possessed talisman qi, so Li Zhouwei was not concerned by the art's difficulty. After spending some time committing it to memory, he nodded. "I will not take advantage of the fact that you have only just attained the Purple Mansion Realm. This is an exceptionally valuable treasure."

Cui Changfu hurriedly replied, "Your highness, that is not so. Even if this art remained with my family for another hundred or two hundred years, not a single person would be able to take even the first step in cultivating it. My family has produced so many Purple Mansion Realm ancestors, yet not one of them ever succeeded in learning it! Since we have no use for it, it can hardly be considered anything valuable!"

"Your reasoning is not without merit, but that does not diminish the value of the art itself." Li Zhouwei shook his head and continued, "When my family first rose to the Purple Mansion Realm, my granduncle likewise had little to spare, and ended up owing someone a favor. I imagine your family neither has any use for this item nor dares to use it, so I will not burden you with it any longer."

With a gentle turn of his hand, he produced a jade box from his sleeve and placed it in Cui Changfu's hands, motioning for him to open it.

Cui Changfu hesitantly opened the jade box, and immediately felt a surge of Bright Yang qi wash over his face. Nestled upon a lustrous white brocade cushion were three wondrous spirit pills covered in scale-like patterns, their dazzling radiance shining directly into his eyes.

Purple Mansion Realm spirit pills! Purple Mansion Realm spirit pills of the Bright Yang Dao!

Cui Changfu truly had no idea how valuable these pills were. Yet Li Ximing's alchemical skill was extraordinary, and the waves of wondrous energy emanating from the pills filled him with longing. Both shocked and delighted, yet also somewhat apprehensive, he hurriedly said, "I could never accept something so precious!"

"Say no more!" Li Zhouwei waved a hand, then took another jade box from his sleeve and said solemnly, "The favor owed to my granduncle is worth far more than three spirit pills. I have only one condition. Of these three spirit pills, one must be given to Jueyin to aid his breakthrough to the Purple Mansion Realm."

Cui Changfu's expression grew solemn. He raised his hands in a formal salute and replied with utmost seriousness, "To tell you the truth, Jueyin currently has the greatest hope of achieving a breakthrough among the younger generation of my family. Even if your highness had not mentioned it, I would certainly have reserved two of these pills for our juniors, and one of them would have gone to Jueyin!"

Li Zhouwei nodded and handed over the jade box. "Here is another cultivation art called the [Heavenly Lustrous Gold Sutra]. It belongs to the [Geng Metal] Dao and likewise is of the fifth grade. Gathering the necessary qi may be somewhat troublesome for your family, as you will need to seek out renowned mountains and gold mines, but this is already among the simplest kinds to gather. You should be able to find suitable places if you search some of the larger islands. Cultivating a few other Dao lineages will also give your family more paths to choose from."

Li Zhouwei possessed no shortage of Purple Mansion Realm cultivation arts, but some had been obtained through exchanges with others and could not conveniently be shared, while others required qi that was so difficult to gather that even the Li Family struggled to obtain it. This art alone had originated elsewhere, required relatively accessible qi, and was already held by several other families, so it contained few closely guarded secrets. It was therefore perfectly suitable to pass on to Cui Changfu!

A Purple Mansion Realm cultivation art whose qi was easy to gather was valuable enough to serve as the defining treasure of an entire sect. Moreover, this one was not of a low grade, and could make up for the shortcomings in the Cui Family's inheritance. Cui Changfu's heart jolted as wild joy surged through him. Unable to restrain himself, he reached out and accepted it, cradling it like a priceless treasure. Yet Li Zhouwei was not finished. With a turn of his hand, he produced a jade talisman radiant with immortal light.

"This is the [Mountain-Supervising Spirit-Pointing Talisman], a spirit artifact of the [Capital Guard] Dao. It is best suited to renowned rivers and great landmasses, making it quite fitting for your Chongzhou. I will use it as payment for your family's [Art of Perfecting the Sleeve Estate] and [Bright Origin Observation and Separation Scripture]."

As his words fell, the talisman seemed to respond. Profound patterns lit up across its surface, bathing the old man's face in brilliant light.

A spirit artifact?! So this is a spirit artifact!

It was not that Chongzhou had never possessed a spirit artifact, but theirs had been lost along with the treasure ship in the mainland. Only an ordinary protective treasure had remained, and even that had disappeared during the destruction of the Dongli Sect.

Thus, Chongzhou had not seen such a treasure in many years! Once this spirit artifact was his, after refining the spirit embryo and consuming the precious pills, he would immediately be able to establish a firm foothold among early-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.

My lord is generous to such an extent! This is the bearing of an imperial descendant!

Cui Changfu had long since been overwhelmed by the succession of treasures. He clutched the cultivation art in his hands as though it was a precious relic, yet his eyes remained fixed upon the spirit artifact. His heart pounded with desire, and his lips trembled, leaving him unable to utter a single word of refusal.

Li Zhouwei did not look at him. Instead, his golden eyes rested upon Cui Jueyin with a faint trace of amusement as he sighed inwardly, After today, Jueyin will undoubtedly receive the greatest respect... His innate ability, judgment, and capabilities are all exceptional, and he has long served under my command. He has a strong chance of breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm. When the day comes that he succeeds, this spirit artifact will eventually pass into his hands...

Li Zhouwei lowered his gaze and smiled to himself.

Consider it something to remember me by.

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