Chapter 1797: Taking Pill (I)

Their ancestor Yuanshang had actually been nearing the end of his lifespan for many years. It was only through the protection of this spirit treasure, the life-sustaining nourishment of secret techniques and spirit materials, and a measure of leniency from the Underworld's judiciary that he had managed to cling to life.

Daoist Master Chehong understood the intricacies behind this better than anyone. Over the years, they had been driven step by step into their present predicament. Even the attempt to seek the Golden Core Realm today was, in truth, a desperate act forced upon them when there was no longer any room to retreat!

The Grand Daoist Master spent three years bringing his condition to its absolute peak and calming his heart and qi. If he misses this opportunity, he will not have another three years to pursue the Dao!

Daoist Master Chehong continued pleading desperately, but Yuanshang instantly composed himself. Standing with his hands clasped behind his back, he said in a distant voice, "I know just how much filth lay behind the affairs of Ning's Li. It is truly laughable. The last time the entire Supreme Yang Dao lineage joined forces, the last time they stood united, was to scheme against Li Jiangqun and seize his treasures...

"It is hardly surprising that Supreme Yang has lost its radiance today!"

Li Ximing hesitated to speak, while Yuanshang stood distractedly within the cave dwelling and murmured, "He was the cause of both their rise and their ruin. Xuyu's and Tiaoxiao's[1] Dao lineages were both destroyed; Yuanxiu went his own way; Yuanwu's ambitious profound core was destroyed; and Jinzhou was murdered. Had the one in the north not intervened to protect him, there would be no True Monarch Shangyuan today..."

He walked forward unsteadily. "Chi Wei gained the greatest benefits and seemed immensely pleased with himself, but that was not truly the case. Taking advantage of his youthful arrogance to shave more than a hundred years off his lifespan was not done in vain. In the end, he also came to understand that the Golden Core Realm was beyond his reach...

"The more I think about it, the only one who truly emerged unscathed back then was... Qiushui."

A hint of helplessness appeared on the old man's face. "She... was spared because of True Monarch Taiyuan..."

Upon reaching this point, he seemed unable to bear the weight of the past. After coughing twice, he unexpectedly began to sneer. "But... but I do not believe it... She was so close to Ning Tiaoxiao back then, and her feelings were so sincere. No false display of affection could have deceived her... She must have suffered too!"

His coughing suddenly grew violent, leaving him almost unable to straighten his back. Chehong stepped forward and supported him with a pained expression, only to see the old man smile again. "At the time, I thought our Chunyi Dao Gate had simply observed the rules and refrained from taking part. Looking back now, it seems we were being preserved for another purpose!"

As these words rang out, the entire illusory realm began to quake violently. The osmanthus trees standing throughout the courtyard thrashed wildly, their snow-white blossoms fluttering down and gathering in rolling drifts upon the ground!

Rumble!

Amid the trembling of the great void, Chehong's choked voice rang out once more.

"Ancestor!"

Li Ximing also sensed that something was wrong. The great void was now trembling violently, as though mountains were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart. Currents of Supreme Yin spiritual energy streamed past him, filling him with alarm.

This Grand Daoist Master... is about to lose control of his cultivation!

He immediately stepped forward and urged, "Senior!"

His words proved more effective than Chehong's. Daoist Master Yuanshang abruptly turned his head and stared fixedly at him!

That aged face was now covered in fine, densely packed white markings. Curved like crescent moons and linked end to end, they extended from his eyelids down to his jaw, then continued along his neck and beneath his feathered robe. Every mark shone with brilliant moonlight.

His pupils had turned ashen white, and every inch of his face trembled. Invisible radiance mingled with liquid, and trickled through his wrinkles with a faint, delicate sound. The fissure between his brows was so deep that bone could be seen, resembling a third eye!

A vast, suffocating pressure surged toward Li Ximing. It was unlike any pressure he had ever felt before, imbued with a lofty power that held dominion over life and death.

This is a fundamental transformation... His divine ability is about to resonate with his very life!

Li Ximing had not expected this moment to arrive so quickly. His scalp tingled as he swiftly drew the jade box he had prepared from his sleeve, shattered it with his divine ability, and held the great pill in both hands.

He said quietly, "During my travels, I happened to obtain a pill. I do not know whether it might be of benefit to you, my lord!"

Those ashen-white eyes fell to land upon the pill between Li Ximing’s hands. In an instant, every trace of iridescent light permeating the illusory realm fell still, and the dense Supreme Yin qi began to recede.

Chehong's gaze froze for a moment before intense joy burst forth in his eyes. "My lord! Please wait, my lord!"

This is...

The pill was milky white, adorned with silver patterns of a clear moon and laurel branches. Fine strands of silvery-white radiance shimmered across its surface, causing Chehong's pupils to widen in astonishment.

Though he knew nothing of alchemy, he understood Supreme Yin!

This is a great pill refined from a Supreme Yin spirit item of the highest grade! It is likely comparable to a pill made from provisions on the level of Chi Buzi's [Profound Bearer Supreme Yin White Laurel Branch]...

Without the slightest hesitation, he cried out urgently, "Zhaojing, this pill is precisely what our Dao urgently needs. Please part with it, and we will reward you handsomely!"

Li Ximing had refined this pill years ago through a fortuitous coincidence. It could extend one's lifespan, aid in achieving breakthroughs during seclusion, and generate a stream of pure, frigid lunar qi within the mouth to nourish the dharma body. For Yuanshang, who was preparing to seek the Golden Core Realm, it could not have been more suitable!

Yet the illusory realm remained utterly silent. Yuanshang's body began to tremble, his face trembling incessantly. His eyes had already turned pure white, and two crystalline tears could faintly be seen sliding from their corners. They fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Crack.

"Retribution..."

The old man took a step forward, staring at the pill as tears streamed endlessly down his face. His voice was warped and shrill, almost a roar as his voice boomed. "Retribution has truly come..."

Li Ximing froze where he stood. The old man had already stepped forward and reached out to seize the pill, two trails of pure white tears suddenly coursing down his cheeks.

"Hahahahaha!" He let out a shrill, frenzied laugh, his voice and expression both fierce. "I will take it! I will take it, then!"

Invisible radiance rippled through the air with his cry. The jade table and chairs before him, along with the entire silver-lustrous illusory realm, melted away like snow upon burning coals. All the illusory trappings of splendor vanished, revealing the cave dwelling's gleaming silver walls.

Every formation pattern within the cave dwelling lit up under the surging power of his divine ability mana, only to explode into countless motes of light an instant later and collapse completely, plunging the surroundings into utter darkness.

Amid the gloomy darkness, a single speck of light suddenly appeared.

Rumble!

Suohai Peak, the highest and most renowned peak of the Chunyi Dao Gate, immediately began to quake. From the rocks to the palaces, everything was enveloped in dreamlike moonlight.

Heavy clouds shrouded the horizon, accompanied by a cold, piercing laugh that resounded across the sky. "My apologies for keeping you all waiting!"

It was unclear whom these words were addressed to. One divine ability after another gathered within the great void, yet all remained silent. Only boundless dark clouds blanketed the sky, completely obscuring the moon in the endless night.

"Fellow Xii, you are far too courteous!"

The voice was high and thin, laden with a deep gloom. As it drifted through the night sky, Yuanshang turned his head slightly.

The old man no longer showed any trace of humility. His expression turned cold and stern as he laughed. "I only fear that you could wait no longer!"

1. Referring to Daoist Master Zipei and Daoist Master Yuansu. ☜

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