"Late stage of the Purple Mansion Realm..."
Yuan Xiu’s gaze lingered on the sword-wielding man before him. His attire was identical to that of Si Boxiu; it was the attire of Azure Pond Sect’s first-tier Purple Mansion Realm. Yuan Su never liked wearing them, but Yuan Xiu never took them off.
"Chi Buzi..."
Late stage of the Purple Mansion Realm, four divine abilities!
The man did not have the usual narrow-eyed, flat-browed face of Chi Family members. His features were sharper and his eyes were larger and more striking. His cultivation was complete and forceful, emanating a fierce presence.
Si Boxiu was silent at first as he calculated. Chi Buzi had just turned three hundred, yet his form already shimmered with layered reflections, revealing the unique balance of clarity and murkiness of Pristine Water. His aura was even more terrifying than Si Boxiu’s own.
He disappeared for decades, and shows up having crossed the Purple Immortal Threshold as if it were nothing...
A century ago, Chi Buzi was a genius of Azure Pond Sect, progressing at a frightening pace. After breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm with Heavy Murk, he swiftly cultivated divine abilities. He cultivated Spring’s Echo and then Clear Dusk Rain, in under a hundred years!
Chi Wei had held him in high esteem, calling him the Treasure Tree of the Chi Family. That bastard dared to brazenly sweep up geniuses across the lands, all because he had Chi Buzi backing him.
Too bad Buzi doesn’t follow the old man’s script...
Later, Chi Buzi broke through to the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. Yuan Xiu thought he would stop there, but in the decades that followed, whether he mastered Purging Dew or Chougui Hidden Form, he had somehow reached the late stage of the Purple Mansion Realm.
One must understand that the Shenyang Mansion stabilized once three divine abilities were formed in the Purple Mansion Realm. The fourth divine ability was extremely difficult, so getting stuck for a hundred years was common. In the immortal path, this was called crossing the Purple Immortal Threshold.
Si Boxiu himself had been stuck at that threshold for nearly a hundred years. He had only broken through to the late stage of the Purple Mansion Realm after Chi Wei’s death. Thus, he knew full well how hard it was.
The immortal threshold seemed like nothing to him... what kind of fortune did he gain in the Eastern Sea... Si Boxiu’s aged eyes were grave as he replied coldly, "Buzi, your cultivation has truly advanced."
Chi Buzi, however, was all grace and ease. He lifted his sword slightly, smiling as he said, "Uncle overpraises me. Let’s first deal with these four fools."
His gaze turned to the two Merciful Ones before him. One hand formed a seal at his waist and the other gripped his sword like a talisman blade.
Divine energy flowed as he said, "Respectfully summon the Weak Ugly Ding Water."
His words fell into the air, transforming into gray light that burst from between his lips and landed on the sword hilt. It clashed with the golden blade and rippled outward in waves of gray radiance.
"Humph..."
Ugly Ding corresponded to Weak and Dissolving among the heavenly stems, governing the clarity of one’s artifact sense. The remaining two Merciful Ones could no longer remain hidden in midair. They burst forth at once, radiating colorful light. They were both Golden Body cultivators and massive in form. They simultaneously struck at him with their palms.
Chi Buzi even had time to glance back and laugh lightly. "Uncle, all these Merciful Ones wield borrowed divine arts from the same mold. In the end, they are still borrowed..."
He spun lightly, and his azure robes fluttered as he vanished. He reappeared behind the two Merciful Ones, raising his sword with a grin. "Borrowed power is never your own. Once seen, it’s easy to deal with."
His magic sword released two rays of clear light, suppressing the colorful radiance around the two Merciful Ones. He spoke casually, "Next, you’ll need to form seals."
The words struck the Merciful Ones hard. A flicker of hesitation crossed their golden-painted faces. They had half-formed their seals with seven or eight hands, but now they were stuck. They were unable to press on or abandon them.
Chi Buzi reversed his sword and lifted it, laughing. "Trash!"
His azure sword erupted in a cascade of sharp currents, and tens of thousands of blades blasted forward. The two Merciful Ones screamed and retreated. Five-Eyed, watching from the side, eyes blazing with golden light, instantly abandoned Si Boxiu, who was still holding back. He flung out two golden rings and hurled them at Chi Buzi.
When Chi Buzi revealed himself, Nuzi the Merciful One was already wavering, torn between retreat and delay. When he saw Five-Eyed strike with full force, he made up his mind and moved to hold off Si Boxiu.
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed through the sky. A blazing red light streaked across the air at lightning speed, appearing before them in an instant. Only after it arrived did the voice catch up, echoing slowly, "Bald donkey!"
"Daoist Master Hengli of Hengzhu Dao Gate..."
Si Boxiu’s ears twitched. He immediately recognized the man from his voice and sighed inwardly. His plan to probe Chi Buzi’s strength was clearly for naught now. He struck without hesitation, his talisman spraying countless golden chains toward Nuzi the Merciful One.
This is bad... Just hearing the voice sent a chill through Nuzi’s heart. Hengzhu Dao Gate had always stood opposed to Buddhist cultivators, and Hengli was notoriously vengeful. When he saw him arrive in force, especially with three Purple Mansion cultivators present. Nuzi panicked like a rabbit, abandoning Five-Eyed and bolting away.
Who knew Five-Eyed would be just as terrified, cursing inwardly, Why is that lunatic here too?! I agreed to be injured, not to die!
He swept the field with spiritual sense and confirmed his fears. Nuzi had fled, and the brothers Shike and Shien had also vanished. He made a snap decision, stepped back, and turned into golden light, soaring upward.
"Bald donkey!" Daoist Master Hengli roared like a ferocious tiger. He struck the golden light with a palm, making Five-Eyed stagger. He said coldly, "Way of Emptiness? Come on then..."
The Buddhist cultivators all scattered in panic as Chi Buzi rode the wind back. Si Boxiu hesitated whether to pursue Nuzi, but unlike Hengli, he bore no deep grudge against the Buddhist cultivators. He had no desire for such thankless labor.
As they watched the fire-wreathed Hengli give chase, Chi Buzi landed beside Yuan Xiu and said casually, "Hengli truly loathes the Buddhist cultivators!"
Both men understood well. Hengzhu Dao Gate had always despised Buddhist cultivators. Years ago, when Murong Xia had traveled south to seek enlightenment, he happened to seduce a direct disciple of Hengzhu Dao Gate. Three Purple Mansion Realm elders struck out in revenge but returned in defeat. It quickly became the talk of the town. Since they had grudges both old and new, it was no wonder Hengli harbored such hatred.
Yuan Xiu didn’t respond, instead saying sternly, "Now you’re finally willing to show yourself?"
Chi Buzi seemed used to his tone. He stepped slightly behind, one hand holding his sword, laying its blade flat across his other palm. He kept his eyes on the sword’s engravings as he said, "Uncle... I didn’t come here out of greed for Metallic Essence..."
He grinned as he said softly, "First, since Metallic Essence was left behind in Anhuai Heaven, it means that the Purple Mansion Realm cultivator must have died suddenly. Besides the essence everyone wants, who knows what ancient spirit artifacts might be inside? I figured I’d stop by for a look.
"Second... as you know, our sect only has two Purple Mansion Realm techniques. Even counting the Ning Family’s Pristine Spring Profound Cave Sutra, that’s only three. The remaining two are truly hard to find, so I hoped to check here."
There was indeed merit to the idea of finding techniques in Anhuai Heaven. Though the Jiang Family had brought out many copies, most originals were still kept safest within the grotto heaven. Since that Purple Mansion Realm cultivator had seemingly died suddenly, many techniques might remain untouched, so there really could be one aligned with the Pristine Water Dao.
Yuan Xiu heard his words, but his mind was struck by the hidden implication. His heart thundered, and disbelief flickered in his eyes. He muttered, "I see... so you cultivated all four Daos on your own!"
"Naturally." Chi Buzi smiled gently as he lowered his gaze, "I may lack in other areas, but I have plenty of ambition. True Monarch Shangyuan cultivated by his own nature and became a True Monarch. I tried to learn from him and I’ve made some progress."
Yuan Xiu’s heart was tangled. Hands clasped behind his back, he said nothing, thinking of his senior brother Yuan Su. Yuan Su had never asked the Chi Family for a single technique, even unto death.
After a few moments, he finally responded, "To acquire Purple Mansion Realm techniques on your own... that’s something, at least."
Chi Buzi smiled and simply replied, "Uncle, you flatter me...”