He departed the island amid the respectful farewells of the Cui Family members. Cui Jueyin stood upon the heavenly light, faintly sorrowful, yet Li Ximing had no time for him. He kept reading and rereading Reversal Hundred-Formations Battleground Body, gaining a deeper understanding of the secret technique.
It was as if a fragment had been taken from Reversal, with eight out of ten words omitted. Though incomplete, it resonates with the Scripture of the Body Guarding Tiger Pass, and can still be cultivated, albeit with difficulty.
If another Immortal Foundation is used... applying it to the Heaven-Venerating Gate will most likely fail.
In his heart, he had already calculated, Reversal Hundred-Formations Battleground Body cannot be applied to the Heaven-Venerating Gate, but my family’s Reversal likely works with every Immortal Foundation. With these nine secret techniques in hand, Bright Yang alone grants nine different paths to cultivate any art! Even the imperial families of old would have no more than this!
Feeling awkward for having once complained about the secret techniques being too simplistic, he smiled wryly. He withdrew a jade slip from his robe, his expression solemn as though pondering a profound divine move.
Cui Jueyin dared not speak, wondering, What is this supposed to be?
The jade slip recorded Li Ximing’s comprehension of the Yang Origin secret technique, which was nearly a hundred thousand words. Compared to before, it was no longer grinding grain or boiling pastries; it had reached the point of teaching one how to swallow without choking.
Now, reading it again, he felt ashamed, cursing himself inwardly, My family’s Dao lineage was incomplete in those years. My cultivation in Bright Yang was scarcely superior to that of rogue cultivators. If this secret technique were placed within the family, I wouldn’t have dared sign my name... Future generations would see it and wonder how Zhaojing, the Li Family’s first Daoist Master, could write a hundred thousand words of foolish repetition.
He wanted to throw it away, yet felt like it would be a pity. So he scribbled the pseudonym ‘Daoist Master Gufeng’ at the signature line before tucking it back into his sleeve. When he saw Li Ximing’s newly composed expression, as if he had resolved upon something, Cui Jueyin sighed inwardly, How unfathomable are the thoughts of a Daoist Master... My family’s aid must have given him greater confidence.
With this small interlude over, Li Ximing finally began pondering the origins of the Radiant Essence Scripture.
Nine secret techniques, yet only a fifth grade spell! The bestowed law of the Immortal Mirror... where did it truly come from?
The Radiant Essence Scripture had been bestowed upon Li Zhouwei, the Li Family’s White Qilin born once in a hundred years with extraordinary destiny. The nine secret techniques were clearly due to him, yet the scripture itself was only of the fifth grade.
Judging from the examples of Jiangqian and Quewan, cultivation arts and secret techniques seem to be granted separately... Minghuang’s fate is different, thus he received an extreme number of nine secret techniques...
He continued to speculate as he flew back. The waves upon the sea grew fiercer; schools of fish darted across the surface; and when a few demonic creatures leapt forth, they were grazed by the heavenly light beneath his feet and instantly reduced to ash.
Li Ximing was no longer the same as before. The heavenly light between his brows fluctuated, connecting with the great void. He quietly sensed the transformation of spiritual energy and began calculating, The farther to the southeast, the more violent the transformation of spiritual energy becomes...
Falling Water Rising Storm is a matter for True Monarchs. Meddling will only bring calamity. Even if one has cultivated divine abilities, not every place is fit to enter.
He roughly gauged the direction, which seemed to be near Shiqi Island. The Eastern Sea belonged to the Dragon Clans, so he had no intention of wandering around without certainty. He rode the wind back, heading inland toward Moongaze Lake.
Still, the spring at Shiqi has some marvel to it. Once matters are settled, I might take a stroll there.
The great void surged and rippled in every direction. It was Cui Jueyin’s first time seeing the legendary great void, and he observed it with great curiosity. Now that he had gained a capable subordinate and restored his Dao direction, Li Ximing was in excellent spirits. Wasting no time, he drew out Changxi’s Divine Technique of Pavilion View: Refining Within Fire and began to read.
Just by hearing the name Divine Technique of Pavilion View: Refining Within Fire, it was clear that it was not the work of contemporary cultivators. Its incantation-like, perception-driven naming style resembled the Six Chapters Seeking Immortality his family elders had once obtained from Green Pine Grotto Heaven. It was very likely a relic from that same era.
Li Ximing flipped through the text. Most of it described profound and wondrous methods such as sacrificial altars, various spirit items, Radiant Fire[1], baleful qi, and groups of cultivators assisting in refining and gradually tempering the embryo over many years.
Looking closely, he found that the cultivators of that time were described as, ‘Their qihai flickers with light, not yet Shenyang, possessing some wonders but falling short of divine abilities.’
These were merely Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators... yet the ancients spoke with such a grandiose tone.
Li Ximing grumbled inwardly. From the looks of it, twelve Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were required, alternating in groups of six. Moreover, their Immortal Foundations could not conflict with the spirit embryo. For instance, if refining a Bright Yang dharma artifact, one could not use Veiled Yin or Radiant Essence, and it was best to avoid Pit Water of the Water Virtue.
Fortunately, my family does not practice those two Daos.
Pausing for a moment, Li Ximing contemplated the mention of Pit Water. That was the only possible conflict, for his family had quite a few Pit Water cultivation techniques, all of which he had practiced. Logically, Bright Yang and Pit Water should not have a restraining relationship. With his current Dao attainments, he secretly speculated, Radiant Fire and Bright Yang follow the same path, while Radiant Fire and Pit Water oppose one another. That is likely the reason.
Casting aside the thought, he turned his mind to selecting a spirit embryo.
He had a few Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifacts in his possession. The Sun Seeker Ring was difficult to handle. It bore the inscribed names of Green Pine Temple cultivators, and thus could not be used. Aside from a few useless ones, only the Chongming Profound Insight Screen, Yang Radiant Red Sparrow Banner, and Profound Patterned Bottle were fit to serve as spirit embryos.
The Chongming Profound Insight Screen was enigmatic and almost certainly aligned with the Dao of Supreme Yang. It was one of the family’s few dharma artifacts confirmed to be from ancient techniques. Li Ximing deemed it extraordinary and had always cherished it. It also surely contained hidden mysteries.
The other ancient dharma artifact was the Profound Patterned Bottle. Though it lacked overwhelming might, it was prized by the Li Family for its marvelous versatility. Aside from the Profound Patterned Bottle, they had never seen a dharma artifact that transformed in harmony with its master’s changes. Its ingenuity seemed without limit, and was a testament to the ancients’ superb craftsmanship.
Since the Profound Patterned Bottle is a relic of the Wei’s Li lineage, it is very likely suitable as a Bright Yang dharma artifact. It is worth trying. Even if this set of dharma artifacts fails, I can still turn to the Azure Pond Sect’s Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, who have entered Dongli Grotto Heaven, and trade for a top-grade Bright Yang dharma artifact. That is not difficult.
1. Previously known as Li Fire. ☜