Chapter 1675: Nanwu (I)

His reply was deftly phrased, subtly revealing his stance and drawing laughter from the other three. Sima Yuanli merely pulled Li Ximing aside and sighed. "Fellow Daoist Guo is simply frightened of it. He suffered for it in his younger days and nearly drove himself mad over this Merging Fire business. Now the mere mention of fire is enough to make him nervous!"

Li Ximing answered with a smile, "After all, Guo Shentong is quite well known."

Sima Yuanli sighed. "They share more than just a surname. His family once possessed a Purple Mansion Realm Merging Fire that brought ruin upon many of its members. He eventually sold it and exchanged it for the spirit item he needed to make his breakthrough. Only then did things gradually begin to improve..."

"It's better not to cultivate Merging Fire! As long as you don't cultivate Merging Fire..." He tapped the side of his forehead with a teasing grin. "It gets into your head, too!"

Li Ximing burst into laughter, but suddenly remembered that the most powerful flame in his possession, the [Heavenly Crow Merging Fire], was itself a form of Merging Fire. Had it not been for the Valley Wind Leading Fire technique and the talisman seed, he too would have suffered its influence. Feeling somewhat awkward, he quietly let the matter drop.

Perhaps Kuangyu was not particularly familiar with Sima Yuanli, so she merely smiled faintly. Li Ximing, however, nodded with genuine understanding and said with a smile. "Please."

Acting as the host, he led the three of them up the mountain. Once they reached the summit, Sima Yuanli began the introductions.

"Fellow Daoist Guo comes from the Eastern Sea and is a rogue cultivator. His ancestors were once members of the illustrious [Guo Family of Yongzhou]. When the Liang fell, they fled into the outer-sea, and their name gradually faded into obscurity..."

Daoist Master Nanwu nodded slightly, took over the conversation, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Qinghu, you flatter me. If we're speaking of noble lineage, how could mine compare with that of the imperial descendants? Senior Zhaojing will only laugh at me."

He let out a quiet sigh. "Our ancestor was gravely wounded in those days and dared not reveal himself. He could only flee to the outer-sea, where he passed away before long. The spiritual energy there was so sparse that within little more than a century, our family had fallen into desperate decline. We survived only by cultivating upon the island that had formed from the remains of that Daoist Master's passing...

"Before our ancestor died, he entrusted all of his treasures to another Daoist Master, asking him to watch over our family so we would not be destroyed for possessing them. That Daoist Master protected us for a hundred years, but he too was ultimately brought down by that burden, and from then on, no word of him was ever heard again... Our family only declined further until we could scarcely even hold on to our island.

"If not for the old Daoist Master of Mount Qusi passing through the outer-sea a hundred years ago and discovering me by chance, taking me out of the outer-sea, along with a bit of good fortune on my part, I would never have found the path I walk today!"

Though he sounded as though he were merely reminiscing, Li Ximing understood the true intent behind the introduction. He had first mentioned Great Liang to establish his origins, then brought up [Mount Qusi] to reveal the network supporting him, namely the Purple Mansion Realm lineage of Kuangyu from the Southern and Eastern Seas.

It also answered Li Ximing's earlier doubts. Those 'many people' who had fallen victim to the Purple Mansion Realm Merging Fire were most likely Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Forced to wield Merging Fire to save their clan from disaster, they had inevitably suffered its corrosive effects on both mind and life force. A tragic death was only to be expected.

Li Ximing lowered his hand and sighed. "It certainly wasn't easy..."

Kuangyu nodded slightly and said, "The Guo Family has been through quite an ordeal over the years. Having only recently returned from the outer-sea, they urgently need a large quantity of spirit materials, as well as a Purple Mansion Realm formation capable of protecting their clan. It also happens to match exactly what you're looking for, fellow Daoist!

"That was precisely why, the moment I received word from you, Fellow Daoist Guo was the first person who came to mind. I sought him out and discussed it with him in detail. As it turned out, he also knew Fellow Daoist Qinghu. Since they were already on their way to Helin Prefecture to inspect the formation, they simply came here along the way."

Li Ximing nodded in understanding. Without wasting another moment, Sima Yuanli reached into his sleeve and took out an object.

This time, it was a profound scroll covered in multicolored patterns, bound with a golden spirit cord. Placing it before Li Ximing, he sighed. "Over these past few days, the formation cultivators of my clan have reconstructed this formation diagram piece by piece. They also gathered clues from several formation masters of Changxiao Gate. All told, we've managed to recover about fifty to sixty percent of the complete design."

Sima Yuanli's gesture was unquestionably thoughtful, preserving the dignity of both sides. Li Ximing smiled and nodded as Sima Yuanli stroked his beard and continued, "This is the [Heavenly Rite Brilliance Spirit Formation], created by Changxiao himself. When he emerged from the grotto heaven, he was laden with treasures and spared no expense. The formation plate was forged with [White Brilliance Distant Metal] as its base and [Everlasting Brightstar] as its patterning. It was then refined with two Purple Mansion Realm spirit items and numerous other spirit materials. This formation plate alone is an item that money simply cannot buy!

"Once this spirit formation is established, it may be somewhat lacking when it comes to defending against enemy cultivators and possesses few offensive capabilities. However, for assisting cultivation, gathering spiritual qi, nurturing vitality, and establishing a Dao lineage to pass on its teachings, it is second to none. It is truly a treasure of the highest order!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he revealed an object resting in his palm and smiled. "This is the formation plate!"

It was no larger than a palm, octagonal in shape, and of a seamless greenish-white hue. Countless runes as fine as ox hairs were inscribed across its surface. Though white as fresh snow, they shimmered with streaks of golden light in Sima Yuanli's hand.

"My family still has some depth to its heritage, so we managed to retrieve it safely with very little damage. At most, it has lost some of its spiritual qi. Once the new grand formation is completed, it need only be nourished within for a year or two before it fully recovers!

"The only issue is that we removed it rather hastily while breaking the formation. I know little about formations myself and have merely restrained it with an art. We'll still need someone proficient in formations, and I'll accompany them to install it properly."

Daoist Master Guo's eyes lit up at once, and he nodded inwardly. Li Ximing calmly accepted it. The instant it settled into his hand, a cool chill spread across his palm.

As expected of a Purple Mansion Realm treasure, it was exquisitely crafted despite its miniature size. Brilliant rays imbued with the aura of Purple Mansion Realm divine ability shimmered from its surface. One glance was enough to captivate the eye, and once it was in his hand, it was difficult to put down. Even if he had no use for it himself, he almost wanted to keep it as part of his own collection simply to admire it.

Beside him, Daoist Master Guo was even more transfixed. Smiling, Li Ximing looked over at him and asked, "Fellow Daoist Guo... What Dao do you cultivate?"

Daoist Master Guo quickly looked up and replied politely, "There's no need for such courtesy, senior. My name is Guo Nanwu. Simply calling me Nanwu will do... My Guo Family cultivates the [Valley Water] and [Lesser Yang] Daos, supplemented by the Dao of Fire Virtue. As for me, I attained my cultivation through the [Lesser Yang] Dao."

"That's rather uncommon!"

It was Li Ximing's first time meeting a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of the Lesser Yang Dao. Yet his mind worked quickly, and his surprise was soon overtaken by suspicion.

Lesser Yang itself isn't unusual. After all, they're a noble clan from Great Liang, which once had the famed Lesser Yang Devil Monarch. Taken together with his ancestor's flight into exile, it's highly likely that his forebears were ministers of the Liang Emperor and cultivators of the Lesser Yang Dao.

What did that imply? Great Liang's Lesser Yang Dao lineage originated from the [Purple Terrace Profound Pavilion Sect], commonly known as the Pavilion Viewing Dao. And who now presided over that Dao? Wei Xuanyin. And whom did Wei Xuanyin serve? Luoxia!

That was the advantage of understanding the intricate web of Dao lineages. Even though the possibility that the other party truly came from the [Purple Terrace Profound Pavilion Sect] was exceedingly small, Li Ximing immediately decided to probe further.

"That explains it. So it's the Lesser Yang Dao... Would that happen to be the Pavilion Viewing Dao?"

The moment those words were spoken, Sima Yuanli, who had been about to speak, merely sipped his tea in silence. Guo Nanwu, meanwhile, smiled. "We couldn't possibly claim ties to the Pavilion Viewing Dao lineage. In truth, [Valley Water] has always been my family's principal cultivation Dao. The [Lesser Yang] Dao was something our ancestors acquired through an exchange back then... Who would have thought that [Valley Water] would repeatedly fail us, while [Lesser Yang] was the one that ultimately succeeded?"

A trace of wistfulness entered his expression as he continued, "I know you're referring to the [Purple Terrace Profound Pavilion Sect]. Back then, those cultivators stood far above everyone else. But now, their orthodox Dao lineage has been completely severed. They're nothing more than errand runners for the [Dao of the Observation Transformation Heavenly Tower]."

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