After Ning Heyuan finished speaking, the two understood each other's intentions. Li Qinghong then asked about the treasures in the cave dwelling, and Ning Heyuan, hearing her description, replied softly, "I will send someone to investigate right away."
Li Qinghong nodded. Ning Heyuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Brother-in-law, there is news from the sect."
Li Qinghong, catching the subtle hint, respectfully excused herself and withdrew. Once she was gone, Li Xuanfeng turned his attention to Ning Heyuan, who continued, "The market at Unison Sea has been attacked again by that water ape. Do you want to seize the opportunity and head over there yourself, or should I send someone to take care of it?"
This water ape was an issue that Yuan Su had previously mentioned, and Li Xuanfeng had no intention of letting Ning Heyuan handle it. He replied, "I will enter seclusion for half a month and then depart."
Ning Heyuan had only asked out of courtesy, as he wouldn't dare interfere in the Daoist Master's matters. He nodded and agreed, then accepted the Enduring Tranquility Spirit Pills that Li Xuanfeng handed him, who said quietly, "Exchange these for some pills that also aid Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation."
He cast Ning Heyuan a sharp glance and added in a serious tone, "Make sure they are pure."
Ning Heyuan hesitated briefly, then nodded with lowered eyes. "Understood."
He composed himself, took a small mirror from his sleeve, and handed it to Li Xuanfeng, saying, "The water ape is cunning and adept at concealing itself; it is quite difficult to deal with. This is the Glimmering Inquiry Mirror , a dharma artifact left here by the Daoist Master many years ago, specifically for detecting hidden forms."
Li Xuanfeng examined the mirror. It was a clear blue, about the size of his palm, radiant and crystal-clear, a finely crafted Foundation Establishment Realm artifact that seemed quite extraordinary.
Ning Heyuan explained, "This artifact contains a trace of divine ability, allowing it to detect illusions. Almost all concealment techniques below the Purple Mansion Realm... will be revealed when exposed to this mirror."
Li Xuanfeng studied it carefully and nodded, "A fine artifact."
With a respectful bow, Ning Heyuan retreated, leaving Li Xuanfeng alone in the cave dwelling, holding a jade cup in his hand, silent.
Once the stone door had closed, Li Xuanfeng pondered to himself, "A late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm water ape... to send me such a long way to deal with it... Yuan Su must have more in mind than just this. Is it a test... or an opportunity?"
Lu Xuanfeng speculated, "The Green Pine Temple ruins will open soon... if Yuan Su plans to send someone there, besides Ning Wan, I am likely the strongest among his followers. He would never risk Ning Wan, so it is most likely me..."
Reflecting on Ning Heyuan's earlier explanation of the Green Pine Temple situation, Li Xuanfeng finally felt some clarity. Perhaps Daoist Master Yuan Su had taken him under his wing all those years ago precisely with this matter in mind...
The timing seemed about right. After a moment of contemplation, Li Xuanfeng took several healing pills from his storage pouch, selected two suitable ones to consume, and entered seclusion in preparation.
Li Qinghong spent only a few days in the market before members of the Ning Family came to see her. Ning Heyuan arrived in a splendid robe, accompanied by two guest cultivators.
Li Qinghong had been training with her spear these past days, her hair bound and dressed in light armor, giving her a capable and spirited look. After a brief conversation, Ning Heyuan pulled a few red jade stones from his sleeve, lining them up from left to right, and said quietly, "Take a look, Qinghong. See which one best matches the description."
The Ning Family's wealth was immense, so they had obtained one sample of each possible spirit item. Before leaving, Li Qinghong had made one last visit to the cave and now pointed to the one on the far left. "My second uncle showed me before. This is the one."
Ning Heyuan sighed with a hint of regret. "As I suspected. From your description, it seems to be Earth-View Bloodstone . This item is barely considered a Foundation Establishment Realm spirit item, but it was highly valued a thousand years ago—even coveted by Purple Mansion Realm cultivators..."
After a quick calculation, Ning Heyuan explained, "As for its current worth... although rare, its value is not particularly high. But since you mentioned it is the size of a table, it could perhaps be considered a treasure."
Li Qinghong pondered for a moment and then said, "Please, tell me more."
Ning Heyuan cleared his throat and explained, " Earth-View Bloodstone is very effective in restoring missing parts and replenishing blood qi; it can heal severed limbs and is also useful for cultivating certain specialized spells... In the past... there were many spells that could not even be practiced without it."
Ning Heyuan elaborated, "Nowadays, though... blood qi can be purchased in any ordinary market, and with cheap alternatives available, this spirit item has long since fallen out of regular use... At best, it is simply high-quality blood qi."
"I see," Li Qinghong replied, with a slight smile appearing on her face. She thought to herself, This item may be worthless to them, but it is quite precious for my family.
Ning Heyuan continued, "As for that palm-sized golden stone, it is likely Altar Goldstone , which is very durable and serves as a Foundation Establishment Realm material! It can be used to craft dharma shields and similar artifacts, though it is a bit small."
He chuckled. "That is fairly common, though, since the Three Gold Fruition Attainment grows in the seas, and many spirit items come with golden stone byproducts. I would imagine more than fifty percent of your clan's mines produce golden stones, do they not?"
More than just fifty percent! All three of our family's mining veins yield golden stone! Even the Xia Family's Green Origin Copper Essence vein nearby is pure golden stone...! Li Qinghong grumbled inwardly but only smiled and nodded on the surface.
She then asked Ning Heyuan about the best methods for collecting the ores, planning to head to Zongquan Island with Li Xuanfeng once he had dealt with his current affairs.
————
Li Xuanfeng's wounds healed quickly. Although they had initially seemed severe, most of the damage was superficial, caused by physical strain rather than actual harm. With his talisman qi, such injuries were minor.
" Strength to Move Mountains , the progress has been immense over these years," he mused.
As Li Xuanfeng's cultivation advanced, the power of Strength to Move Mountains had also increased significantly. Combined with the treasures he had consumed from the Southern Border, his strength now surpassed even Foundation Establishment Realm demon beasts, allowing him to unleash such terrifying power with his Golden Age Longbow.
After giving Ning Heyuan a few final instructions, he took to the skies on his golden shuttle, heading northeast and riding along a series of water veins. The sea below his feet gradually turned a brilliant blue.
"Unison Sea." Li Xuanfeng muttered absent-mindedly.
Unison Sea lay at the opposite end from Scarlet Pristine Sea and was even larger in scale. It was the domain of the dragon clan, with its waters reflecting a rich azure hue. The sea stretched for thousands of li, with few islands and exceptionally deep waters.
Normally, under the sunlight, Unison Sea was a seamless blend of sea and sky—a striking sight. However, his timing was unfortunate, as an anomaly from the Eastern Sea had cast everything into pitch-black darkness, so thick that one could barely see a hand in front of them.
Li Xuanfeng broke through the darkened sea region and finally spotted a small island. It wasn't large—about the size of a small town—and was fortified with an earthen-colored formation, standing at the ready.
"According to the instructions, this should be the market town," he murmured.
He descended slowly, and sure enough, he saw signs of devastation along the coastline, evidence of considerable destruction. Puzzled, he asked himself, "What has gotten into this water ape? Azure Pond Sect is famous across the seas; it is as if the ape is tired of living..."
Just as he stopped, an elder flew out from the market town, casting a glance at him with a hint of uncertainty. "Are you General Li...?"
It was the first time Li Xuanfeng had been addressed as 'General' outside the Southern Border. He nodded. "That is right."
With a large hand, he touched the black-gold tiger emblem on his belt, producing a white command token. The elder quickly verified it and replied eagerly, "At last, we have been awaiting your arrival, my lord!"