Chapter 1775: Unpurple Robe (I)

Guangchan had come alone to the Pavilion of Profound Order. He stood in the great hall with his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking both embarrassed and helpless as he replied, "Lord Wei was sincerely trying to advise me... Yet I misunderstood his intentions!"

When Guangchan had left the Pavilion of Profound Order, Wei Xuanyin knew that he would inevitably obey the order to head south. Out of gratitude toward the Tao Family, he had given Guangchan a few extra words of warning, but how could the monk have been willing to listen? The latter had already been sneering inwardly, convinced that Wei Xuanyin wanted to monopolize Bright Yang's fortune for himself and was therefore trying to stop him. Only now, after returning in disgrace, did Guangchan realize that not a single word Wei Xuanyin had said was wrong.

The white-robed man swept his sleeve, and rose from the main seat with a sigh. "In the struggle between north and south, everything hinges on the game played in the open and in the shadows. We in the north play the white stones, openly overwhelming others through sheer force, while the south plays the black stones, moving through the darkness and winning through surprise.

“Li Ximing was a piece openly displayed on the board, so Yang Ruiyi will certainly find some way to protect him. If you want to kill him, you must catch him by surprise, but right now, the only means you have to do that is the Jeweled Fang Golden Land."

A peculiar look entered his eyes as he asked, "But can you truly bear to risk it? If the Jeweled Fang Golden Land appears over the lake and is restrained by others, once the dharma realm lends its aid and sufficient destiny gathers around the matter, it will inevitably reclaim the Golden Land in the end. Can you afford to make that gamble?"

Guangchan sighed repeatedly and replied, "My lord explained it clearly. It was only my petty mind that refused to heed good counsel. Gaining the destiny to slay Bright Yang would certainly be good, but if I lost the Golden Land, who can say which of us would end up killing the other in the future..."

After all, he had come asking for help, so he humbled himself and disparaged his own conduct for a while before finally revealing what he truly wanted. "Fortunately... I now understand most of Li Ximing's methods. There will be other chances to succeed."

Guangchan bowed somewhat awkwardly and said, "It's just... Could I continue serving my lord and remain in Jiangbei..."

The monk understood the situation perfectly well. The Great Mahayana Dharma Realm wanted him to remain in Jiangbei, but Dayang Mountain had suffered devastating losses this time. Many people on the mountain were already keeping a close eye on the dharma realm, so someone would inevitably have to take the blame. If Ch'i Lanyan continued pressing the issue and Chief Jiang filed another accusation before shifting the responsibility onto him, Guangchan would certainly be unable to stay.

However, the only one who could pacify Ch'i Lanyan... was naturally the master of the Pavilion of Profound Order standing before him.

Yet Wei Xuanyin remained calm and shook his head. "When the various Dao lineages met that day, Fellow Daoist Yao decided that Martial Nephew Ch'i would have full authority over all affairs in Jiangbei, while I would be responsible for containing Shu. Jieyi, why come asking me?"

With his request neatly blocked, Guangchan grew even more embarrassed. He paced anxiously for a couple of steps before Wei Xuanyin sighed and said, "Go back to Jiangbei. You still need to discuss this matter with Martial Nephew Ch'i in person. Have some courage and go see him."

Ch'i Lanyan's schemes had left Guangchan in a truly miserable state, so how could he dare face him again? He was just about to plead for mercy when he saw Wei Xuanyin's expression. He swallowed his words and fell into thoughtful contemplation instead.

Wei Xuanyin remained silent. His martial nephew had clearly resolved to hold his ground in Jiangbei. How could he possibly let such a powerful source of support as Guangchan slip away?

Lanyan simply has too few people at his disposal. All those schemes, one after another, were meant to strip Guangchan of his prestige and support within Dayang Mountain and leave him no room to make another mistake, so that he would have no choice but to obey Lanyan wholeheartedly... He was never trying to drive Guangchan away. He may even be planning to do the dharma realm a favor and bypass Dayang Mountain entirely to join forces with the dharma realm!

Wei Xuanyin had guided Ch’i Lanyan as he grew up, so how could he possibly fail to see through such a plan?

To him, it does not matter who stands in Bright Yang's way, as long as they carry enough weight to reduce the King of Wei's chances of attaining gold, or even kill him outright... The Buddhist cultivators certainly want the same thing, but they can only be considered half-allies. They seek Bright Yang's karma in their own Dao rather than in the hands of another, so they inevitably interfere with one another... What Lanyan wants is to pool their strength into one force.

While he was pondering, Guangchan gradually came to understand where the key to breaking his current predicament lay, and delight welled up in his heart, No wonder! No wonder there hasn’t been the slightest response from Ch’i Lanyan despite Chief Jiang having already sent word to Dayang Mountain. I thought Wei Xuanyin had suppressed the matter! So this was the reason!

Overjoyed, he thanked Wei Xuanyin repeatedly, took his leave, and hurried out. Once he was outside, he immediately vanished beyond the broad steps of the Pavilion of Profound Order. Wei Xuanyin watched him disappear into the distance, then rose from the main seat. He lifted his left hand, and slowly opened it to reveal a palm as white as jade.

A flickering speck of color leaped from his palm. Wei Xuanyin's figure gradually transformed, his shoulders narrowing as his long hair drifted around him. His eyes grew rounder and rounder, and a dark gray radiance slowly surfaced within them.

He listened intently for a long while, the light in his eyes waxing and waning. Only when the moon had risen high into the sky did he take a jade vial from his sleeve. It was about a finger tall and sealed with white jade. With a slight shake, it shattered loudly, releasing a stream of purple-white qi that surged and transformed as it coiled continuously around his fingertips.

Wei Xuanyin remained silent, staring at the qi with a deep frown. This is already the fourth portion... It is the last portion Fellow Daoist Yao left behind... I cannot afford another failure.

The substance looked unremarkable, yet its value was beyond description. It was [Flawless Culminated Yin], which could be used to cultivate the final divine ability of the [Veiled Yin] path, the Fate Divine Ability [Unpurple Robe]!

[Flawless Culminated Yin] had already disappeared from the world in the present age. To obtain even a single portion of this spiritual qi, one had to take [Yin Intercalary Harmonizing Qi], a type of spiritual qi from the [Supreme Yin] Dao, and transform it through numerous intricate changes.

Yet [Supreme Yin] had remained hidden for many years. Every portion of [Supreme Yin Moonlight] used was one portion forever gone, and the same was true of [Yin Intercalary Harmonizing Qi]. Although a fair amount had been passed down from the Origin Mansion of the south, ultimately, the supply was finite. If he failed again this time... Wei Xuanyin's path in pursuit of the Dao might be delayed for more than a decade, or even several decades!

Wei Xuanyin stared at the spiritual qi in his palm, his expression shifting uncertainly as he pondered in silence.

[Unpurple Robe], once called [Flaw Concealing Garb], was the most difficult divine ability to attain within the Veiled Yin Dao. When attained through the orthodox Dao lineage, it could conceal deficiencies, rectify defects, achieve flawlessness, and perfect the Yin Body. Its underlying imagery corresponded with the perfection of one's divine abilities, which was why it was cultivated last.

Of course, within Zong Chang's Dao lineage, it was instead called [Employ Heterodox Ministers]. It could barely be considered an alternative method of attainment and did not require [Flawless Culminated Yin]. Its underlying imagery had already fallen entirely into the Devil Dao, so cultivating it was nowhere near as difficult.

But no matter how difficult it is, there is no reason I should have failed three times!

Wei Xuanyin was a once-in-an-age genius with an extraordinarily profound Dao conduct. Although he could not compare to Patriarch Wei Guanyan, who founded the [Dao of the Observation Transformation Heavenly Tower], his many years of cultivation had already carried him beyond his late master, Tao Ping... and even Tao Ping had only failed twice when cultivating [Unpurple Robe]!

Could the passage of time have caused some change in this path? But after all these years, Bright Yang has not revived, nor has anyone attained Veiled Yin...

The mystery had crept through his heart like a shadow. In the end, Wei Xuanyin withdrew his hand. The shattered jade vial reformed in his palm as though time itself were flowing backward, sealing the spiritual qi within once more. He placed the vial on the table and remained silent.

...If any remnants were left behind in the Origin Mansion, then some of the Supreme Yang families may well have them...

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