Chapter 1747: The Dao Of Nine Mounds (I)

After listening for a while, doubts had already begun to arise in Li Ximing's mind, If all six jade boxes belonging to the Six Sons of Chongming were inside the grotto heaven, where did the one outside come from? More importantly, the timing does not match at all. When the island at the heart of the lake shattered, the Green Pine Temple grotto heaven had barely existed. How could one of the boxes possibly have ended up outside?

He looked up at Lingdu and considered his words before asking, "May I ask what became of those jade boxes and what they contained? Also, if I remember correctly, the many treasures once hidden beneath the meditation cushions in Chongming Hall all possessed certain mystics. How were they dealt with?

The old man replied, "The Azure Pond Sect's was lost, Purple Smoke Gate's is here, and the rest are in the hands of their respective Dao lineages. As for what was inside them, the valuable boxes were all empty. Those that did contain something held nothing more than small keepsakes commemorating the ancestral masters.

"The truly valuable item was a treasure inside the great hall called the [Unspeaking Bell]."

Lingdu raised his brows, yearning appearing on his face. "I have heard that it can grow or shrink at will. At its largest, it is as immense as a mountain and stands supreme among dharma relics. At its smallest, it resembles a cup or handbell and appears to be no more than a spirit artifact or dharma artifact that even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could use! When a dharma relic conceals its own splendor and assumes the appearance of an ordinary object, even a True Monarch can easily misjudge it...

"All manner of profound Daoist arts were inscribed within it, allowing one to commune with heaven and earth and manipulate the transformation of matter. It eventually fell into the hands of that lord from the Golden One Dao lineage. He went to such lengths to obtain it precisely to aid Daoist Master Qiushui's breakthrough!"

Lingdu did not seem surprised to see Li Ximing deep in thought. He merely smiled and said, "As for what you are thinking, all the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators back then had the same idea. It was precisely because they suspected that objects once used by those great figures might possess extraordinary mystics that so many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators joined in dividing them up. Otherwise, why would so many of them have taken action over a few Foundation Establishment Realm items and even some ordinary objects?

"Unfortunately, they were sorely disappointed. The belongings of True Monarchs who were still alive were naturally reclaimed by their Dao lineages, while the few trinkets that found their way outside proved largely useless. Only one or two were eventually refined into spirit embryos."

He poured more tea and sighed. "True Monarchs do not leave mystic traces of themselves in the world. Most prefer to restrain their auras and obscure their Fruition Attainment. If their belongings ended up in the hands of minor cultivators, would that not amount to openly invoking their names? Not only would others be able to draw the attention of True Monarchs and exploit it, but those objects would also constantly reveal the state of their owners' Fruition Attainment. That would be no good."

Li Ximing nodded inwardly; he understood this all too well. Those who had formed Golden Cores and attained true Fruition never allowed the slightest trace of themselves to show, and many of the traces they did leave behind would be erased. As he pondered this, another thought suddenly occurred to him.

Was that the only time Green Pine Temple was opened? I vaguely remember that Guo Shentong, Changxiao, and the others also emerged from a grotto heaven back then...

Changxiao had long been a source of unease for the Li Family. Seeing that the old man before him was both knowledgeable and amiable, Li Ximing seized the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone with a question.

In response, Lingdu took a sip of tea and smiled. "Guo Shentong, Yan Jianxiao, and even Li Mei of the Sword Gate all emerged from the same grotto heaven belonging to the Douxuan Dao lineage. Back then, I heard a few things about it while cultivating in a market in the Eastern Sea. That place was called the [Chuyi Grotto Heaven]. In truth, Changxiao was not actually the one who benefited the most from it."

His expression grew solemn. "The first to enter were someone from the Miao Family, Situ Tang, and another formidable figure named Qu Tan, who was the grandmaster of the present Daoist Master Xuanyi of Jingyi Mountain. Those three were the earliest to venture inside!

"Within the [Chuyi Grotto Heaven] stood [Douxuan Mountain], a mountain divided into three tiers and filled with untold treasures, most of them aligned with Earth Virtue. The [First-Tier Mountain] at its summit even contained spirit treasures..."

After listening for some time, Li Ximing suddenly recalled the [Wind-Listening White Stone Mountain], and realization dawned on him, I’ve heard of this grotto heaven long ago. When Zhugong mentioned the [Wind-Listening White Stone Mountain], she said it was a treasure Senior Ling Mei had obtained from beneath Douxuan's First-Tier Mountain. It is indeed aligned with Earth Virtue... Could the [Pure Corner Merit Bottle] in Daoist Master Xuanyi's possession have come from there as well?

Lingdu did not linger on the subject and continued quietly, "There is also a spring in the mountain connected to the Pure Essence above. Cultivating within it can grant one the chance to attain divine ability! Even if one cannot cultivate there in peace, merely drinking its water offers tremendous benefits."

Yan Dushui's eyes lit up at these words, while Li Ximing raised his brows in astonishment and doubt. Lingdu nodded gravely. "I asked the Grand Daoist Master about it. It is indeed part of [Wuguan's Legacy]. All those people drank from the spring back then, especially Qu Tan. Although he was powerful, his aptitude was poor, and he had the least hope among them of reaching the Purple Mansion Realm. Yet with the aid of this spring, he achieved the Dao and leapt through the dragon gate..."

The old man then changed the subject. "The [Chuyi Grotto Heaven] opened more than once, and the same was true of Green Pine Temple. There was no shortage of talented figures in the world, and another group secretly entered back then, including Zhang Cuotian, Guo Er, and others..."

At this, everything suddenly became clear to Li Ximing as he thought, So it really was Zhang Cuotian, the false identity used by Chen Taoping, the master of that market town! This object must have come from the grotto heaven. Then where is the item that was inside it?

He fell silently into thought. Yan Dushui, however, had lived in the outer-sea for many years and knew nothing about Green Pine Temple. His thoughts were entirely occupied by the [Chuyi Grotto Heaven], and he asked hopefully, "Will there be another chance to enter that grotto heaven? For a junior of my family, I ask only for a single drink from the spring!"

Lingdu glanced at him with some sympathy and replied, "It may be a very long time before it opens again... Moreover, not everyone can reach that place... Even if one does, the junior in question must be capable enough to seize the opportunity."

Though Lingdu had spoken tactfully, Yan Dushui understood that his remaining lifespan would likely not last until then. Nor did he possess the ability to secure such an opportunity for his descendants. He sighed quietly, bowed, and departed without another word.

Li Ximing watched him leave. Now that only the two of them remained on the mountain, he soon considered taking his leave as well. Just before departing, however, something suddenly occurred to him.

Daoist Master Yuandao has close ties to the Peacock. He only helped me back then because he wished to collect that Karmic Fire. Now that the [Radiant Scarlet Drought-Demon Fire] in my possession came from a Buddhist cultivator, would this not be the perfect opportunity to ask about it?

After chatting pleasantly for a while, he took the precious pearl from his sleeve. Dazzling golden light immediately shone forth, accompanied by mesmerizing, glazed colors.

Lingdu raised his brows at the sight, and Li Ximing asked with a smile, "Would Nine Mounds be interested in this object?"

Lingdu accepted it with both hands and examined it closely. After more than ten breaths, he said with some uncertainty, "The [Radiant Scarlet Drought-Demon Fire]... Which fool ruined it this time? He lacked the Peacock's abilities and Inherent rank, yet shared its ambitions. How pathetic."

Lingdu was indeed a disciple of a great Dao lineage. Although he had identified it more slowly than Li Ximing, his discernment was still remarkably impressive.

Li Ximing smiled and explained, "I obtained this in a trade with a northern Buddhist cultivator. I thought I might as well try my luck among the Immortal Dao lineages."

Lingdu stroked his beard in silence for a long while, looking deeply troubled. "It is certainly precious, but the spirit materials needed to purify it would cost an enormous sum, to say nothing of the tremendous effort involved..."

Just then, a warm breeze swept through the mountain. An exceptionally tall young man with a smile in his eyes materialized beside the table, dressed in a dignified black robe with a silk sash around his waist.

Daoist Master Yuandao!

Li Ximing immediately rose from his seat and bowed with a trace of trepidation. "Greetings, Grand Daoist Master!"

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