The Mirror Legacy

Chapter 1195: True Profound Quintessence-Gathering (II)

The pill Li Ximing had refined were not from any established recipe. He had used the True Profound Heart-Cleansing Pill as its base, combined it with the profoundly mysterious Valley Water alchemical method Tianyi Essence-Spitting that he learned from Ziyan’s place, and crafted the prescription specifically for his wound. Refining seven in one go proved his alchemical skill had already transcended the Xiao Family’s Dao lineage. He could now be considered a true Purple Mansion Realm alchemist.

“Good… Based on the True Profound method and refined through Heavenly Quintessence-Expelling, it shall be named the True Profound Quintessence-Gathering Pill!”

His hearty laughter startled Xia Shouyu, who kowtowed like she was pounding garlic and cried, “Congratulations to the Daoist Master on completing a divine medicine! Congratulations on advancing yet again!”

The words sounded strange and somewhat unpleasant to Li Ximing. He stopped laughing and didn’t spare the woman another glance. He quietly took out one of the pills, its purple patterns faintly glowing with exquisite beauty.

The pill went down his throat, and pure Valley Water power began to circulate. Li Ximing guided it straight into the Juque Court. Using the Juque acupoint as a reservoir, the latent nourishing force of Valley Water instantly spread a deep coolness throughout the Juque Court.

Surging gray water erupted from the Juque Court, surrounding the gout of art-fire. Li Ximing used the opportunity to quickly suppress the external flames. As the Mulberry Concord Ninefold Profound Method resonated inside and out, the black fire within him roared to life.

Sitting in meditation, he felt the spell fire that had been burning ceaselessly on his dharma body finally vanish in its entirety. All of it transformed back into the Juque acupoint, and was sealed tightly under the suppression of the True Profound Quintessence-Gathering Pill.

Li Ximing finally let out a long breath. Divine light flickered in his slowly opening eyes. Exhaling, he smiled. “It’s finally suppressed!”

The pill had taken effect, meaning Li Ximing no longer needed to walk around wreathed in flames. He could finally move freely. The True Profound Quintessence-Gathering Pill continued dissolving the fire within the Juque Court. It would not suppress it for long, but Li Ximing still had six pills left, enough to last a year or more. He might not even need to refine more pills; the spell fire would be extinguished with the spell and the True Profound Quintessence-Gathering Pill working together.

Boom!

As the flames faded away, darkness overtook the cave. The black water vein beneath the ground continued gushing outward with a violent rumbling. Spring water on the surface back-flowed, weaving blue and black in a brilliant display.

Lifting Xia Shouyu, Li Ximing stepped out of the cave. The lake’s temperature had already fallen. The blue surface quickly turned dark, shifting from Pristine Water to Mansion Water.

The two demonic creatures were still foolishly guarding the lakeside. Li Ximing knew these two would have caught people to satisfy their cravings. With a single glance, their heads rolled.

Tossing Xia Shouyu onto the ground, he ordered, “Gather the belongings and transport the people on the island away as well.”

Xia Shouyu was puzzled. Now that this old monster had emerged, devouring all the people and demons on the island would take only a bite. She could only pack up the two demon corpses and said respectfully, “There are too many barbarians. I cannot move them alone… I must return to request help.”

Li Ximing was poor himself and did not even own a spirit boat. He waved his sleeve and said, “Very well. Lead the way…”

Lead the way to where…? Where else could it be… Naturally to my Dao lineage, Qingxu Temple…

Unease swelled in Xia Shouyu’s heart. She glanced up and saw that the old monster had already regrown his face. Heavenly light glimmered between his brows. His features were upright, his brows smooth, and his eyes an intimidating pale-gold.

She could say nothing. After all, she was the one who had released this terrifying spell-wielder. What other path was left for her now? She led the way in silence, her expression filled with terror and panic.

Li Ximing, by contrast, felt clear and invigorated. He had never found the sea breeze so refreshing as he stood in the wind. He drew the jade vial the demon creature had offered from his sleeve.

A glance or two made his thoughts settle, My wounds are not healed. I absolutely will not return to Jiangnan. This end of the sea has its own ancient charm. I’ll wander a bit and find a way to gather news about home.

With the Immortal Mirror in his possession, Li Ximing feared no one in this desolate end of the sea; some places did not even connect to the great void. If Changxiao dared pursue him here, facing the Immortal Mirror would be a single exchange at best. His confidence was absolute.

As for the pill in his hand, it was not all that impressive, yet its refining method carried an ancient flavor, as though it drew upon the essences of heaven, earth, sun, and moon. Li Ximing could see this clearly, and it stirred his interest, This refining method… I wonder if anything of the sort remains here at the end of the sea. If I could obtain a technique that gathers moonlight into pills, that would be an endless, inexhaustible source of resources…

Of course, a moonlight-based pill method would never rely solely on moonlight, but now that he was a Purple Mansion Realm alchemist, any method that reached his hands came with endless opportunities for improvement. Even being able to substitute one or two spirit items with moonlight on ordinary days would already be a huge gain.

Xia Shouyu dared not waste time. After flying across the sea for a while, she faintly saw a peak rising above the waters, with many temples and monasteries built upon it.

Li Ximing lifted his brows and murmured, “Oh? A temple?”

A chill shot through Xia Shouyu’s mind. The man beside her was clearly a great devil; he likely could not stand Buddhist cultivators. Fearing he would misunderstand, she hurried to explain, “Daoist Master, my Dao lineage is Qingxu Temple. It once worshipped a great divine ability cultivator named Xu Xiang, so it is structured as a temple… It has little to do with modern or ancient Buddhism. May the Daoist Master discern this clearly!”

Xu Xiang of Tongxuan Palace!

The name was not unfamiliar to Li Ximing. Sumian’s profound Dao lineage took Xu Xiang of Tongxuan Palace as its ancestor. He nodded slightly and replied, “So it is the Dao lineage of the Treasure Earth True Monarch. A rare sight.”

Xia Shouyu had not expected Li Ximing to truly recognize Xu Xiang. Her heart skipped a beat, and she memorized the title Treasure Earth True Monarch. She saw the devil raise a brow as he asked, “You also know of ancient and modern Buddhism?”

She answered respectfully, “Daoist Master, there are ancient Buddhist Dao lineages at the end of the sea, but few modern Buddhist sects remain here. Most Dao lineages here are structured as temples, but they worship ancient great divine ability cultivators, not Buddhist cultivators.”

Li Ximing nodded as his eyes showed a hint of something unreadable. He did not know whether those greedy Buddhist cultivators disdained coming here or simply could not, but he chuckled, “Modern Buddhists are mostly shameless bullies who fear the strong and prey on the weak. Since you worship a Immortal Dao True Monarch, they wouldn’t dare be too excessive.”

He gazed curiously down at the temple as Xia Shouyu stood respectfully at his side. Li Ximing smiled and asked, “Should you not go down to make preparations first? If I descend from the sky like this and frighten your Dao lineage’s people into fainting, that would not be ideal.”