Chapter 1714: Variables In Seeking The Dao (II)

In truth, even if Jiangzong had already emerged from seclusion, he would still need to consult Li Minggong when handling a situation like this, so there was little difference.

Li Zhouwei nodded in understanding and said softly, "I am injured and cannot spare any attention for the family's affairs. Old elder, please provide them with your guidance."

He gently closed his eyes. Profound Dao resonances continued coursing through his spiritual sense, seemingly resonating with some distant place within the great void and further consolidating his Dao conduct.

He raised his hand. A [True Profound Heart-Cleansing Pill] appeared with a turn of his palm, which he then placed inside the teapot. With a light tap of his fingertip, he decreed, "Let the Three Yangs bring forth life and spread the radiance of spring. Let the heart temper the medicine; the qi turn pure; and the spirit be nourished."

The pot of clear tea immediately transformed. Bright Yang's life-giving energy descended and condensed into a pure white medicinal liquid within the pot.

Li Zhouwei placed it in the old man's hands. "This pot was condensed from Bright Yang's life-giving energy. It can heal bodily injuries and restore qi and blood within a single day. Old elder, distribute it among them. Have Sun Bai administer it according to the severity of their injuries. If any medicinal energy remains in excess, they should discharge it through intercourse. No one must drink more than a single mouthful, or they risk uncontrolled leakage and the loss of their vital essence."

After this great battle, particularly with the deaths of Daisi and Chilu providing him with feedback, Li Zhouwei's Dao conduct, which had long fallen just short of the next step, had finally crossed that threshold. He had surpassed the likes of Helian Wujiang and now stood second only to the Grand Daoist Masters!

I can already rival certain Purple Mansion Realm cultivators of mediocre innate ability who have spent their entire lives diligently refining their Dao conduct. I have even gained some ability to invoke phenomena through imagery and make the law follow my words! Back then, granduncle still had to seek out Sumian to treat Ding Weizeng, but I no longer have any need for that!

He could now manifest those divine ability creations imbued with the nature of Bright Yang, although none could last for more than a day. As his Dao conduct increased, not only did the power of his divine ability subtly rise, but his speed of healing and circulating qi also improved. Moreover, the speed at which he cultivated arts had increased tremendously, allowing him to faintly perceive the threshold of an even higher level.

If I advance another level and surpass the Purple Mansion Threshold; attain complete freedom in wielding my divine ability; or even reach the level of Chi Buzi and Master Changxiao, my every movement will rival an ordinary third-grade or fourth-grade art.

With careful study, I may even be able to devise third-grade arts myself. Only fifth-grade or even sixth-grade cultivation techniques will then be worth cultivating...

Although third-grade arts did not appear particularly high in rank, they represented a clear dividing line. The Purple Mansion and Golden Core Dao had evolved from the ancient practices of the Spiritual Cultivation Dao. Every cultivation technique, spell, and art had its origins, and most were ancient Dao lineages modified by later generations. Some arts had even been adopted without any alteration at all.

The very foundations of modern cultivation were built upon the wisdom of others, with each alteration designed to lower the threshold of entry. How could such cultivators possibly forge an entirely new path? Creating arts and cultivation techniques was astonishingly difficult, and devising something of the third grade was already an extraordinary achievement. Figures such as Chi Buzi and Master Changxiao were all candidates with hopes of attaining the Golden Core Realm!

After analyzing his limits, Li Zhouwei finally concluded, Only those who possess Dao conduct and comprehension comparable to Chi Buzi and Master Changxiao are qualified to cultivate the Spiritual Cultivation Dao from childhood. Even then, those who cultivate the ancient techniques will most likely attain less than they would through the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Dao.

Unfortunately, [Illuminating Sun and Moon] requires me to overcome divine abilities and defeat demonic and Buddhist cultivators, yet Mingxiang and Gongsun Bei managed to escape... No matter. A day will come when they can no longer flee.

As he pondered silently, he delivered a brief order. Li Xuanxuan naturally placed Li Zhouwei's injuries above all else and did not linger, hurrying down the mountain.

Li Zhouwei accompanied him out and reminded him, "Once I enter seclusion, station Jiangxia on the eastern shore. If an envoy from the Song court arrives, allow him to decide matters for himself without reporting to the clan."

The old man hurried down the mountain. Li Zhouwei then gently circulated his divine ability, and his eyes suddenly blazed with light. Vast mana and divine ability surged through him as billowing black flames flared to life, suppressing the Radiant Essence within his body strand by strand. Streams of Pure Essence subsequently emerged and began mending his wounds.

This battle had also brought an unexpected discovery, [Boundless Essence] truly can neutralize [Radiant Essence], and it has aided me considerably... Perhaps this is because Great Qi, which represented [Radiant Essence], was destroyed by Great Liang, while [Boundless Essence] belongs to Great Liang's Dao lineage...

He frowned slightly and pondered, It now appears that the [Armor Cycle Soul-Refining Halberd Art] is anything but ordinary in origin. It is likely a secret inheritance of the Tuoba Family. If it is so valuable, why did it fall into the hands of my lord, who was merely a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator at the time... And why does it just happen to be a wondrous art capable of suppressing [Radiant Essence]...

Li Zhouwei naturally did not believe in coincidences. Since it had been obtained in the Eastern Sea, the dragons were the most obvious suspects. Yet he had only recently been born at the time, and the only one capable of reacting so swiftly... was more likely the Underworld's judiciary.

However, these matters were no longer particularly important. With the aid of the [Black Soul Mara Dharma Body], the power of [Sovereign In Peril] responding in concert with his talisman qi, and the added effects of the [Profound Vast Art], Li Zhouwei could certainly complete his recovery in less than a year. If he also used the spirit material Yang Ruiyi had given him, he could probably recover completely within half a year or so.

There was even less need to worry about the [Yuan'e] he wore. It had been fashioned from the [Qilin Crow Spirit Husk] and inherently possessed wondrous escape properties, though the Radiant Platform had locked him down and prevented them from taking effect. It could also heal and restore itself, so he merely had to toss it into Zhijing Mountain's baleful spring.

Although he had not specifically cultivated [Sovereign In Peril] during the past two years, every perilous situation he overcame deepened his connection with the White Qilin's fate. Now, along with the growth of his Dao conduct and talisman qi, it had already approached perfection!

"Give me roughly a year, and not only can I heal all these injuries, but I can also begin cultivating the [Severed Crimson Arrowhead]!"

This battle had filled him with an intense sense of danger, and Li Zhouwei came to a grim realization, With Luoxia standing by and merely watching, the pressure from the north is growing ever greater. This ferocious encirclement may have been nothing more than a test. If I cannot achieve a breakthrough in my divine ability within a short time, blood will undoubtedly flow like rivers across the lake!

Although the mystic of [Illuminating Sun and Moon] was extraordinarily profound, killing his opponents, suppressing them, and being suppressed by them would each produce entirely different results. As a matter of fact, Li Zhouwei had gained little advantage against Mingxiang and Gongsun Bei in this battle.

His cultivation would certainly continue rising until his divine ability eventually reached perfection, but there was an enormous difference between having the Buddhist cultivators accurately gauge his cultivation and suppress him into fleeing during every war between north and south, and securing tangible gains in every battle. The resulting difference in his Dao conduct would ultimately be as vast as that between heaven and earth!

With Luoxia standing aside, the Buddhist cultivators in the north will undoubtedly do everything possible to deny me time to recover and improve my cultivation... This battle has made one thing clear. They will never hesitate to overestimate my strength... I must make their calculations fail before I can secure any gains.

If so, according to the estimates of the Song Emperor, or rather, the northern Buddhist cultivators, I should require five to ten years to recover. If I can break through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm within those five to ten years, I will undoubtedly gain the advantage in the next battle. Only by winning and slaying my enemies can I advance [Illuminating Sun and Moon] further, quietly accumulate sufficient Dao conduct... and improve my chances of attaining the Golden Core Realm.

Both Jiangqian and Quewan possess talisman seeds, making the timing of their breakthroughs difficult to predict. If they both succeed, they can extend our breathing room. If granduncle can advance another level and reach the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, or if some promising junior can attain the Purple Mansion Realm, any of these could become an unexpected variable.

He lightly flicked his finger, drawing a golden storage pouch from between the pillars. In the next instant, spirit paddy poured from it like a waterfall and vanished into the blazing demonic flames around him, continuously nourishing his dharma body.

Li Zhouwei lowered his eyes slightly as another possibility occurred to him. Luoxia may be standing aside and refusing to participate, but that itself is another form of participation. It forces my cultivation ever higher while indirectly shortening the time I have to prepare... Unless I become a Grand Daoist Master, I cannot make the north fear me. Yet once I do, I may have to face an Eighth or even Ninth Incarnation Maha, or perhaps Changxiao and Wei Xuanyin who have perfected their divine abilities! They are determined to force me to attain perfection and ascend to my destined position.

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