Fei Luoya finally departed, and after waiting for a few moments, Li Yuanjiao saw a man flying in from the distant valley. It was Yuan Chengdun, with his two short rods strapped to his back. He landed beside Li Yuanjiao who cupped his fist in greeting.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist!"
Yuan Chengdun laughed heartily and replied, "I could not stray too far without securing the pill! If that fellow had any ill intentions and something happened, I would have no way to explain myself."
Understanding his point, Li Yuanjiao took out the Essence Gathering Pill and handed it over. Yuan Chengdun then revealed two jade slips, saying warmly, "These are our clan's secret techniques... Please ensure they are used only within your clan and not disseminated indiscriminately."
"Of course," Li Yuanjiao nodded in agreement, adding, "In a few days, my younger sister will come to Mushroom Forest Plain. I'll have to trouble your esteemed clan to look after her."
Impressed by Yuan Chengdun's formidable strength, Li Yuanjiao had kept the earlier events in mind. He recalled Fei Luoya's words, and with a smile, he said, "Your strength is truly remarkable... I greatly admire you. If I encounter any difficulties in the future, might I call upon you for assistance, fellow Daoist?"
Yuan Chengdun nodded steadily and replied, "Your son is a disciple under my aunt's tutelage, and our families have been allies for many years. There is no need for formalities; just call on me if needed. A good fight followed by sharing the spoils is always welcome."
"Great! Many thanks in advance, fellow Daoist!"
Li Yuanjiao now recognized Yuan Chengdun as a generous and honorable man, a rare genius of the Yuan Family. They exchanged a few warm words, leaving each with a favorable impression before parting ways.
As Li Yuanjiao flew onward, he thought to himself, This man has a grand bearing, a true hero! To have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm at thirty-seven is indeed quite impressive.
Reflecting on Yuan Huyuan's complaints, he sighed, "What a pity though. Had he been born five hundred years earlier, the Yuan Family might have secured a place among the three sects and seven gates... But having been born five hundred years late, he can only protect them for a period of time."
As Li Yuanjiao flew on, he carefully reread the Six Dams Life Matching Unique Technique manual, noting that the last part referenced the Daoist Master Profound Goat which eased some of his doubts.
In the end, with Yuan Su, Xiao Chuting, and possibly Mount Dali supporting us, the balance of power is maintained... The Purple Mansion Realm cultivators are unlikely to harbor ill intentions toward us as long as we pick our immortal foundation carefully.
Instead, it is the Buddhist cultivators manipulating fate that are the real danger.
In this grand chessboard of Purple Mansion and Maha, the moves of the Purple Mansion Realm cultivators were visible and could be guarded against. But when Maha wanted to kill, it was nearly impossible to defend against them once one's fate was sealed.
Ultimately, it's just a concealment technique... nothing too earth-shattering.
He then took out the storage pouch from the pig demon and sifted through its contents before finally letting out a sigh.
"A poor pig indeed..."
The pouch mostly contained various spirit materials with very few Spirit Stones—only thirty-two in total, leaving Li Yuanjiao speechless.
"My family is not part of the three sects and seven gates. The pig demon's belongings had already been promised to the demon fox to smooth things over with the demon den, leaving little for anything extra..."
Dragging the Foundation Establishment Realm pig demon back to the mountain, Li Yuanjiao sealed the creature as usual and handed it over to the clan's cultivators for safekeeping. He then descended to the riverside where his spiritual sense swept over the area, quickly locating the Hooked Serpent.
The Hooked Serpent had an enormous iron shackle forged from ebony ore around its neck with iron chains piercing its body. Its originally dark scales were now caked with mud, appearing black and brown as it lay in the muck like a fallen giant tree.
An Zheyan was sitting cross-legged in midair and was surrounded by the Jade Court Guards, who were the elite among those at the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm. Each of them was holding a metal chain in hand, standing quietly.
"Ancestor!"
An Zheyan quickly rose to his feet when he saw Li Yuanjiao approaching.
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly and asked, "You have reached the ninth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm... Do you have plans to establish your foundation?"
Since the fall of the An Family, An Zheyan had been cultivating with increasing diligence, following the guidance of his wife, Li Feiruo, and had settled comfortably within the Li Family. Over the past twenty-four years, he had attained the ninth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Hearing Li Yuanjiao's question, he sighed and replied, "I am already one hundred and nine years old... Though I have made considerable progress over the past decade, I know my limits. I'm not made for Foundation Establishment Realm. I do not wish to risk my life either; I only seek a peaceful old age."
"Hmm."
Li Yuanjiao's gaze moved from An Zheyan to the Hooked Serpent. The snake demon opened its massive, human head-sized black eyes, and with a clattering of the ebony chains, it moved its head closer in a fawning manner and said, "Exalted Immortal! You're here, Exalted Immortal! This humble demon has been waiting for so long... What are your orders?"
Li Yuanjiao asked, "This Dao foundation of yours, Morning Cold Rain ... Which type of metallic essence is it associated with?"
The Hooked Serpent hesitated for a moment, fear flashing across its face.
"I-It's... It's... of the Water Mansion system," it finally said.
Water Mansion?
Li Yuanjiao's interest was instantly piqued, but the Hooked Serpent cried out in terror, "Spare me, Exalted Immortal! Small serpents like me number in the hundreds, if not thousands, in the Eastern Sea. My Dao foundation is impure and unfit for consumption... it would only fetch a low price!"
Seeing the serpent's fearful demeanor, Li Yuanjiao suddenly recalled something Xiao Yuansi had once said—
Dao foundations of the same system can be consumed by one another, but it will sever the path to the Purple Mansion Realm... However, it offers a unique advantage over the ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. No wonder this Hooked Serpent is so terrified... it fears I will sell it to an immortal cultivator of the Water Mansion system!
This serpent hails from overseas and is a demon. Without the three sects and seven gates withholding information to maintain better control over their cultivators, there's much knowledge I can extract from it!
Feeling a sudden surge of excitement, Li Yuanjiao quickly asked, "How many metallic essences exist in the water system? What are their names? How many of them are incomplete?"
The Hooked Serpent, eager to please, quickly responded with a smile, "According to what I have heard from the Serpent Dragon Palace... this type of Golden Core Fruition Attainments is collectively known as the Water Virtue, consisting of what is referred to as the Five Waters—Pit, Valley, Pristine, Converge, and Mansion. Currently, only Pit Water and Water Mansion have yet to be claimed. Exalted Immortal, your dragon serpent belongs to the Pit Water system... consuming me won't do you any good."
"I see!"
Feeling enlightened, Li Yuanjiao realized, Pit Water... that's the metallic essence Xiao Chuting was looking for!
He continued his line of questioning, asking, "If that is the case, where are the Valley, Pristine, and Converge Waters located?"
The Hooked Serpent quickly answered, "Pristine Water had been claimed long ago by a True Monarch from the Azure Chi Devil Gate. Converge Water has always belonged to the Serpent Dragon Palace, but as for Valley Water... this lowly demon does not know. I only know that the position is occupied..."
"Good."
Li Yuanjiao was pleased to uncover such secrets and pressed on, "Do you know the full names of these metallic essences?"
"This humble one lacks a strong background and only knows bits and pieces... I am only aware of the five Fruition Attainments of the Water Virtue. There are also five Fruition Attainments for the Fire Virtue..."
The Hooked Serpent continued stammering, "I-I have heard rumors that within the mainland, there are Three Gold with Fruition Attainments fully realized, leading to the flourishing of the Golden Stone system. Ebony Copper Essence and cold metal are now abundant, their Sharp Qi so potent that even common folk can afford to use iron tools and armor..."
Upon hearing this, a figure in white suddenly flashed in Li Yuanjiao's mind, and he was startled.
"That Wang Xun from back then... so he's truly the descendant of a Golden Core Realm Immortal!"