As Li Ximing studied the Concealed Earth Containment Palace Method, he was almost certain it was a technique from the time of the ancient cataclysm. It bore clear traces of the Heavenborn Devil Dao diverging from the Purple-Gold Devil Dao and striking out on its own.
If only there were a Purple Mansion Realm method of the Heavenborn Devil Dao, that would be even better... thought Li Ximing.
This was no small gain. He felt as though a door had been flung open, and his heart grew clear, This shows that seeking reference methods need not be bound by distinctions of immortal or devil. As long as it is a Bright Yang devil technique... I can cultivate it and forge another divine ability.
The other Purple Mansion Realm techniques were still far beyond reach. It was no more than a faint hope in his heart, so he merely said aloud, "Though the Concealed Earth Containment Palace Method is ancient, it cannot be entirely counted as a devil technique. You simply could not see it clearly. Minggong, release him first."
The old man froze. To him, the Diverse Mansion was by definition a devil technique; never had he heard of one that did not fully qualify. But the words of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator were law itself.
Overjoyed, he kowtowed and cried out, "Many thanks, Daoist Master! I was wrongly accused for over a hundred years. Without your guidance, I would have carried this injustice to my grave!"
These were empty words for the sake of appearances, and Li Ximing did not bother to respond. Looking more closely, he saw that the other two devil cultivators indeed practiced the Blood Dharma Manual. Their murky qi surged skyward, their blood qi evidently never broken, as they shivered on the ground.
Li Ximing had only just turned his gaze on them without even speaking when one of them, whose face still bore a semblance of honesty, was already weeping.
Tears streamed as he cried plaintively, "Daoist Master, please hear me out."
He kowtowed and said, "I am Wen Yi, and this is my younger brother Wen Shan. We were both born in the Eastern Sea. Our parents cultivated the devil Dao, and we practiced devil techniques from the age of six, eating rice meat until our blood qi brimmed in abundance. It was only when we grew older and entered the Qi Cultivation Realm that we understood what those things truly were. But we never thought it was strange as we were raised in devil lands, and taught only by our parents. Only when we entered the mainland did we realize that not everyone in the world cultivated this way."
Seeing death looming before him, Wen Yi broke into a sweat, his thick brows damp, tears streaming down his face as he said, "It is not that I refuse to do good, but that I never knew there was a righteous Dao. Nor is it that I am cruel by nature. I supported my parents above and cared for my younger brother below, never thinking myself an evil man. But... in the devil lands, with no one to teach me, how was I to know it was a crime? I beg Daoist Master to see clearly and grant me a chance to repent and change."
These words made Li Minggong frown at first. The other devil cultivator, Wen Shan, was stunned as well, never expecting his elder brother to speak so. But on reflection, it was indeed true.
He quickly kowtowed in turn and said, "We only ask Daoist Master to spare us a path to live!"
Li Minggong paused, then said hesitantly, "Whether one knows guilt is one thing... whether one bears guilt is another..."
Li Ximing listened carefully, and it seemed to stir some heavy memories within him. He pondered for a few seconds, then looked again at the two men's cultivation. Both had barely reached the Foundation Establishment Realm and were of little real use. Bringing his two fingers together, he summoned forth a shimmer of golden divine light.
"Go." He drew out two threads of Bright Yang divine power, which slithered like serpents into their Diverse Mansion, locking their Immortal Foundations. Li Ximing said simply, "The Nine Gates Mountain on the western shore often lacks cultivators for refining. I will spare your lives. Go there and tend the fire veins in the mountains, supplying mana."
The two divine abilities he left within them both carried the suppressive force of the Heaven-Venerating Gate. They could scatter the brothers' spell arts at will, and shatter their Diverse Mansions at any moment, killing them instantly.
Their condition allowed them only to output mana and use spiritual sense, making them suitable to fuel flames for refining artifacts. Since the fire veins of Nine Gates Mountain were fierce, Qi Cultivation Realm cultivators struggled to manage them. The two brothers could tend the fire veins daily, saving much effort.
"Thank you, Daoist Master!"
The brothers rose, drenched in sweat. Though they had lost their freedom, life was still far better than death. Obediently, they knelt off to the side.
Of the two remaining cultivators of the Purple Mansion and Golden Core Dao, Li Ximing's gaze fell upon the old crone before him. Her appearance was rather unsightly, but her garments were wrapped tightly about her frame and golden qi coiled around her.
In a hoarse voice she said, "My name is Jiang Huzi. I greet Daoist Master..."
Li Minggong hesitated slightly, then spoke, "Daoist Master, this one is also a cultivator of Floating Cloud Cave. But she has always remained within the sect and never stepped outside, so we have no real information about her."
Jiang Huzi's aged voice spoke softly, "I am but a talisman-drawer from Zhao State. I settled in Jiangbei and have lived here for over two hundred years. Now I am at death's door..."
She gave a small smile. Her eyes looked gentle, even carrying a trace of ease, as she revealed her yellowed teeth, "The two sects would never leave anything worthwhile for your esteemed family. Those few young ones with some innate ability were all killed outright. As for those of us left behind with some nominal status, we are nothing but the old, the weak, the sick, and the crippled..."
This elder was somewhat unusual. Not only was she surrounded by pure qi, but she also turned out to be from Zhao State, and carried herself with a certain dignity.
Li Ximing paused briefly, unwilling to harm the innocent, and said gently, "Since Daoist Mistress is a righteous cultivator of the north, then feel free to do as you will. You may remain in my family to draw talismans and stroll about the lake... or you may depart on your own."
When Jiang Huzi agreed, Li Ximing's gaze naturally shifted to the burly, broad-shouldered man. His features were handsome yet ruined. His eyes were gouged out and his collarbones were pierced through.
Li Minggong immediately understood and explained, "This is Ding Weizeng of Floating Cloud Cave. He achieved Foundation Establishment some years ago, and is not weak. His Immortal Foundation is the rare Palace Sun Tiger, belonging to the Hengzhu Dao Lineage."
The Hengzhu Dao Lineage? Li Ximing immediately frowned. Dao lineages of the Hengzhu Dao were exceedingly few in the world. There were still some to be found in the north, but in the south they were entirely concentrated under the control of the Hengzhu Dao Gate. This immortal Dao possessed the full complement of five Daos techniques, and only with such completeness did it dare to claim the name of Hengzhu.
It was impossible not to harbor doubts when a cultivator of the Hengzhu Dao Lineage had suddenly appeared, and one of considerable strength at that. Li Ximing looked him over from head to toe and asked, "How did it come to this?"
The old man Qu immediately spoke up respectfully, "Daoist Master, this man cultivated the Palace Sun Tiger, an Immortal Foundation skilled in battle. It can break through bonds, shatter cages, and cross trials by sheer force of will. At first, he too was bound like the rest of us, but he proved stubborn, refusing to yield, and repeatedly attempted to escape...
"He also had some enmity with Wenhu. So his eyes were gouged out, his collarbones nailed through, and his qihai was nearly pierced... he is close to being crippled."
Li Ximing felt his heart stir. With a flick, the iron nails in Ding Weizeng's collarbones clattered to the floor, and the many restraints on him dissolved.
The man, having lost half his life already, managed to utter a slurred greeting to the Daoist Master.
Li Zhouwei, who had been standing silently to the side for some time, finally spoke, "Daoist Master, this man is a brave warrior."
Li Zhouwei had crossed blades with Ding Weizeng before. For him to offer such praise meant the man was no ordinary figure.
Li Ximing regarded him with some fondness, but Ding Weizeng stirred his mana and forced out, "My qihai is damaged, and death is near. I only beg Daoist Master to let me return to the mountains, to die in my homeland of Jiangbei."
Li Ximing stroked his beard, giving no reply. Instead, Bright Yang divine energy flowed from his hand into the man's body, regenerating his flesh and sealing his qihai, preventing his cultivation from leaking away.
Ding Weizeng still stood in a daze as Li Minggong fed him a pill she had already taken out.
The man stood there, slightly bewildered, while Qu Buzhi, ever quick to sense the change in the wind, chuckled and said, "Weizeng, hurry and thank the master!"