Since this was another family’s treasury, there was no telling what lay inside. Li Xijun was naturally wary that there might be hidden formations or secret techniques that could injure him or trigger something far worse.
He also refrained from allowing the Yu Family man to enter, fearing that he might have concealed a Purple Mansion Realm talisman inside. If the man grabbed one and chose mutual destruction, it would be disastrous. Instead, he gestured for his Jade Court Guards to step forward.
Before long, they retrieved an ornate treasure box, embroidered with brilliant silver-white patterns. Its base was ashen gray and its colors subdued with age. It was clearly an object of antiquity.
Upon opening it, a single command token lay neatly inside.
The token was dull and lusterless. Its surface was a blend of silver-white and iron-gray hues and it was etched with mysterious markings. It was about the size of a palm, fitting perfectly in hand, its cold touch seeping into the bones. It was remarkably comfortable to hold.
Li Xijun turned his gaze toward the Yu Family direct descendant, watching as the man’s face turned deathly pale before he spoke, “This is the Six Xin Unified Metal Token.”
Hearing this, Li Xijun’s expression changed immediately. In an instant, his demeanor grew serious, his eyes narrowing slightly as he murmured, “The Six Xin Unified Metal Token?”
Almost instinctively, he recalled the gray fire that Guo Hongyao had once wielded. Then, it fell into the hands of Tu Longjian, bearing the name, Six Ding Merging Fire Token!
That was a Purple Mansion Realm spirit artifact!
Doubt immediately filled his mind. The Jiang Family had been gone for years, and at least eight to ten Purple Mansion Realm cultivators had secretly scoured this mountain by now. How could a Purple Mansion Realm artifact still remain here? He questioned at once, “Oh? Is there any record of its origins?”
The middle-aged man nodded faintly, sighing before explaining, “This token originally belonged to the Jiang Family’s ancestor, who wielded it as his most trusted dharma artifact. According to legend, it was a Purple Mansion Realm spirit artifact!”
As he spoke, he didn’t seem fully convinced by the tale himself. After a brief pause, he continued, “Unfortunately, after his death, no one in the Jiang Family could activate this artifact. It remained untouched for decades, until one day, a man arrived from the north. This man claimed his surname was Wang, and he called himself Daoist Master Jinglüe.”
The two brothers were immediately shocked and exchanged glances. Both knew exactly what this meant and thought to themselves, The Wang Family of Yinghua!
The Li Family had encountered something similar before and they had benefited from it. Sword Immortal Wang Xun had once come seeking sword intent, leaving behind a Foundation Establishment Realm spirit root, which remained one of their greatest family treasures to this day.
“So it was a family member of the Sword Immortal Wang who was at the Golden Core Realm! Perhaps even his senior!”
The Yu Family man seemed to grow even paler as he recounted the tale. Exhaustion weighed upon him. He had clearly gone too long without rest and was on the verge of collapse. He murmured, “The Daoist Master traveled all the way here and said very little. He simply demanded the Jiang Family hand over the spirit artifact. Unable to resist, they obediently handed it over.
“And so, the Daoist Master performed divine magic, extracting the Six Xin Unified Metal from within the Six Xin Unified Metal Token.”
The group listened intently as the man spoke in a low voice, “This Daoist Master did not take it for free. He made a promise. No matter how the Jiang Family rose or fell, he would ensure that their bloodline endured as long as he still lived.”
He hesitated briefly before continuing, “The Daoist Master also left behind one last message… If you see golden flowers filling the northern sky, roaring without end, with cloudborne dragons and tigers rising and falling. If you see the sun losing its radiance and the stars dimming. Then, you may offer him a cup of wine.”
These words shook all three of them, and a single thought flashed through their minds, “A breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm!”
They silently pondered the implications of this ancient tale, feeling an unspoken sense of awe. Pressing the man further, they found that he knew nothing more, only that it was an old family legend, with scattered records in the Jiang Family archives. He himself had only heard it by chance.
The Jade Court Guards continued hauling out treasures. There were gold, silver, jade artifacts, treasured panaceas and dharma artifacts. There were things that would normally be considered invaluable. Yet, none of them could truly focus on these riches.
The Yu Family descendant, however, grew paler by the moment. His legs trembled, his face twisted in agony and shifted between expressions of despair. As he watched the treasures being carried away, he placed his hand over the Shenyang acupoint that was at the center of his forehead and murmured, “Ah! I have no face to meet my ancestors.”
His mana burst forth, yet the Shenyang acupoint, the very seat of his spiritual consciousness, could not withstand such a blow. In an instant, his breath ceased. He collapsed and his body struck the ground with a dull, final thud.
Li Xijun withdrew his hand, having stopped Li Ximing from intervening. He let the man end himself without a word, then turned his gaze to Li Chengliao. He said, “Dispose of the body.”
Profound Peak Gate.
Li Xizhi sat before a jade table and recounted the events in their entirety. Kong Tingyun took a sip of tea, listened, then furrowed her brows in surprise and remarked, “At this point, the Chi Family can’t be in a good situation, can they? And yet, they still have the mind to stir up such things? What is Chi Zhiyun thinking?!”
Li Xizhi poured her another cup of tea and replied in a soft voice, “It’s hard to say. This may have been done in secret by someone within the Chi Family… Chi Zhiyan is narrow-minded and petty, and Ning Hejing is selfish and self-serving. Either of them is capable of such a scheme.”
Kong Tingyun didn’t know these people well, so she simply nodded along and smiled, “Don’t worry, Xizhi. This is a small matter. Since you’ve come personally, it won’t be an issue given my ties with your father.”
She agreed at once and added, “We’ll need a proper pretext. Whether Chi Zhiyun believes it or not, it at least gives him an excuse to back down. If we act without reason, it’ll look too suspicious.”
“Exactly!” Hearing her say this, Li Xizhi’s heart settled, and he thought to himself, She is my father’s old friend, after all. Her mind and methods are naturally sharp… She picked up on it right away, saving me the trouble of making an explicit request.
Kong Tingyun pondered briefly before speaking in a gentle tone, “A while ago, our sect’s Daoist Master issued an immortal order. It is to travel to Xia Mountain in the Eastern Sea to capture Dawn Colored Qi. The Heavenly Glow there descends rapidly, beyond the reach of ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.”
Li Xizhi immediately understood and nodded. He said, “Good. Then we’ll go together.”
Kong Tingyun rose with a smiling expression and said, “I’ll have someone send word to your esteemed family and Qingsui Peak to deliver our response.”
Li Xizhi nodded repeatedly, then turned to Li Qinghong and said in a low voice, “As for the Han Family, I’ll have to trouble you, Aunt.”
Li Qinghong gave a slight nod, bid farewell to Kong Tingyun and rode the wind beyond the formation. She headed straight toward the Eastern Sea.