The great flood dragon blinked and chuckled, gauging the right moment to add various spirit fruits one by one into the cauldron, murmuring to itself all the while.
"It has been three days and three nights... the intensity of flame for cooking this Human Pill is particularly important! Fortunately, I have been cooking for so many years now... and I am already well-versed in the process!"
The great flood dragon reflected, "The human race, however... is truly ruthless and cold-blooded, willing to use their younger generation for pill concoction. It is no wonder we can never surpass them! If it were not for their internal conflicts and mutual hostility, we wouldn't stand a chance to live."
Touching the sword scar under its scales that had been aching faintly for three hundred years, a deep and intense fear resurfaced in the great flood dragon's eyes. It clenched its fists slightly, emitting a few faint green glows.
"For over three hundred years now, I have cultivated from the initial stage of the Purple Mansion Realm to the peak, yet this wound has never healed... Li Jiangqun..."
As the great flood dragon muttered this name, a face with a crescent moon pattern on their forehead suddenly appeared before its eyes.
The great flood dragon's green vertical pupils suddenly contracted, and it gritted its teeth almost immediately with a fierce hiss.
"I'm glad that man is dead!"
After a pause, the great flood dragon hurriedly added the spirit fruits into the cauldron, calculated the time, and a hint of hungry anticipation flashed in its eyes. Alchemy was one of its few hobbies, and this pill would be one of its most outstanding creations.
Gently opening the cauldron, the expected scene of radiant light filling the room and the fragrance of pills rising did not happen, much to the great flood dragon's disappointment.
Frowning, it waved its hand. A pill, covered in mud-yellow color, flew out from the cauldron.
The great flood dragon's face was filled with disbelief, murmuring, "This should not be! It should be snow-white! How could it turn out like this... Could it be that the medicinal power is too strong?!"
Confused, the great flood dragon awkwardly shook its head. It took out a silver needle and gently scraped the surface of the pill, which immediately emitted a faint glow.
"Damn it!"
The great flood dragon's expression was one that was full of annoyance and regret. It could not help but wonder out loud, "How could this happen?! The medicinal strength is too weak! If this pill is sent out, Chi Wei—that old bastard— would definitely come after me!"
"After hundreds of years, how could I make such a mistake?!"
His voice was frantic, slightly crazed. The great flood dragon's vertical pupil shifted slightly, and it quickly pulled out a box of bright white liquid from its storage bag. With a flick of its claw, it began to apply it on the pill, occasionally mixing in a dozen or so herbs and returning it to the cauldron for another hour.
Opening the cauldron again, radiant light burst forth, and the room was filled with a pleasant fragrance. The great flood dragon's face was disgruntled, and it fell into deep thought.
Well, if it kills... it kills. Just make it look good on the surface! After all, if that old bastard fails his breakthrough, he's doomed anyway, and no one will be able to trouble me! I have got what I wanted, I should just let it be!
Thus, the flood dragon hastily packaged the pill and leaped out of the pool, delivering it to the green-robed cultivator.
————
In the backyard of Mount Lijing, a bluish-gray mirror floated quietly above a stone platform, enveloped in the misty moonlight. It was as serene and peaceful as it had been for the past three years.
The mirror's surface lit up faintly, with its twelve runes pulsing like breaths.
Incense sticks were offered on the altar table below, with wisps of smoke drifting away. It was evident that over the years, the Li family had not been negligent of their duties at all. The daily offerings were regularly replaced, and the incense burner was kept spotlessly clean.
"I have finally succeeded."
Lu Jiangxian had finished integrating the mirror fragments. His divine sense swept around him, and the mirror's body shimmered with divine light, bringing many insights to the front of his mind.
As his divine sense sank into the mirror, a desolate and gray world emerged before his eyes. Layers of dark mist floated high up in the sky, while the land below was riddled with holes where countless decayed gray-white building ruins lay scattered, with crescent moon-white rubble strewn about.
"A world... within the mirror."
Lu Jiangxian murmured quietly to himself. He was awestruck, and amazed by the sight before him.
This fragment of the mirror was attached to a small world spanning a thousand miles, with a majestic mountain at its center. Numerous moon-white architectural remnants formed scattered white spots on the mountain, becoming denser toward the foot of the mountain.
With a thought from Lu Jiangxian, a thick layer of Supreme Yin Moonlight emerged out of nowhere, quickly gathering at the foot of the mountain to condense into a white-haired man in a long robe that had its cuffs and collar embroidered with crescent patterns.
He moved his body about, feeling a strong sense of unfamiliarity.
A mirror of flowing water quickly condensed in front of Lu Jiangxian, reflecting a face he had not seen for decades.
A strong sense of loss and pain resurfaced in him. The face was still essentially the same, but the eye sockets were deeper and more sunken, and there was a shallow scar on the left cheek.
"Who am I..?" Lu Jiangxian questioned himself.
A feeling of weightlessness suddenly rushed into his mind, and Lu Jiangxian's divine sense swept across the land like a storm.
He walked along the jade stone path up the mountain, not knowing how long it took before he reached the highest platform.
In the center of the platform stood a giant tree with white leaves, its roots intertwined. Beneath it, there was only a stone table and a stone chair... and a lone figure was kneeling in its center.
The person was dressed in all white, wearing silk jade boots and a jade crown, and his handsome face was marked by a crescent on his forehead. He looked up at Lu Jiangxian.
"Master."
His voice was gentle.
Lu Jiangxian's mind went blank, his heart inexplicably complex, but he found himself responding unconsciously.
"Jiangqun."
The young man in white smiled slightly. As Lu Jiangxian was filled with thoughts and about to speak, the young man dispersed like flying sand with the wind, leaving only a pale white halo lingering in his place where he kneeled mere seconds ago.
Lu Jiangxian stared blankly for a moment, tears streaming down his face. He reached out with his hazy, jade-like arm. He grasped the halo—and suddenly, his vision brightened, sinking into a shallow dream.
————
"Li Jiangqun!"
Just like several times before, Lu Jiangxian sank into Li Jiangqun's memories, standing upright in a vast, boundless hall. Beside him, pale misty white moonlight enveloped the area completely.
Huge white jade pillars that were engraved with intricate patterns stood tall on both sides of him, supporting the overly large hall.
His gaze was fixed on the complicated patterns on the jade tiles on the floor as if trying to discern a flower from them.
"Do you acknowledge your guilt?"
A domineering voice came out of nowhere and reverberated through the emptiness of the hall.
"I acknowledge my guilt!"
Li Jiangqun gently kneeled, slightly lifting his head. Only then did Lu Jiangxian see the person sitting on a chair.
He looked grand sitting on a chair that was carved out of white jade with an intricate dragon and phoenix design, and he was seated at the upper end of the hall. Li Jiangqun observed his long flowy white hair, far extending beyond the seat and snaking across the floor. And that face... that face was all too familiar—it was Lu Jiangxian himself!
However, the one at the seat of honor looked much more mature; he died suddenly at just over twenty years old, but that version of himself now appeared to be in his thirties or forties. He had an indifferent expression, and he was quietly taking in the sight of Li Jiangqun.
"I will punish you by sending you to the south bank, along with your clansmen! Return only after breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm!"
"I accept the punishment!" Li Jiangqun respectfully responded, only to see Lu Jiangxian frown slightly.
"Emotions do not establish facts... you are too trusting of others and too committed to your promises. This leak incident is a small lesson... if you do not change, you might end up killed by those so-called friends of yours!" he said.
Though his tone was stern, there was a certain warmth to his words.
"I understand!" Li Jiangqun nodded, his eyes clear and bright.
He looked up at Lu Jiangxian with a smile and said, "To me, it's all the same... if I cannot be loyal to my friends, how can I make my master feel at ease? If I can deceive friends, then deceiving the master is no different. If I were to be hypocritical, showing one face to some and another face to others, the master would not have entrusted me with such matters!"
Lu Jiangxian shook his head slightly.
"Qun'er, this world is never simply black and white. The murderer with a pledge of loyalty, the smooth-talking merchant with unchanging affection, the high and mighty immortal cultivators with a penchant for slaughter, and the lowly civilians with noble friendships... You see things too purely! Although such a viewpoint makes cultivation progress faster, it's indeed too dangerous."
Li Jiangqun was stunned for a moment, nodding without knowing if he truly understood these words. The original Lu Jiangxian, however, observed the version of himself at the seat of honor carefully, trying to find something familiar in him.
That version of himself seemed somewhat melancholic, appearing especially aloof against the backdrop of the vast, boundless hall.
"I have established the Moonlight Origin Mansion for so many years, yet look at the people below... none show the unity expected of a single mansion, busy with their own intrigues. My nature is indolent, ill-suited to be the master of this mansion... but I had no choice," he muttered.
"Master, your prowess in both formations and cultivation is admired worldwide, and with the mirror, there are few who can stand against you! No one dares to think this way!" Li Jiangqun said in exasperation, bowing hastily.
His words were futile, however, and the world in Lu Jiangxian's eyes became increasingly blurred, signaling the end of this memory.
Everything slowly faded... and Lu Jiangxian stood alone, surrounded by a gray and desolate world.
His mind was in chaos.
Were his more than twenty years of modern life merely a fleeting dream, or was he really the master of the Moonlight Origin Mansion in a past life as seen in his dreams?
Opening his mouth, Lu Jiangxian found himself utterly alone, with no one to share his thoughts with.
Always an optimistic man, he had long avoided the loneliness that now surged in his heart.
His fingers slightly lifted, intending to pass through the mirror into the backyard of Mount Lijing. Yet, a great fear arose, with visions of lightning, fire, and frigid winds among others flitted through his mind; these were enough to halt him in his stead.
Lu Jiangxian let out a wry smile.
"At least this prison is much larger."