Chapter 1133: Entrustment (II)

As Li Ximing left the Xuanmiao Temple and stepped into the great void, Tinglan traversed alongside him, clearly lingering on purpose.

The woman smiled. "I'll still have to trouble you with the pills afterward."

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Li Ximing waved his hand and replied, "Please don't say that, Daoist Master. You've already taken time out of your busy schedule to handle my family's affairs. Zhaojing is deeply grateful."

Sweet words cost nothing and required no spirit stones. After Li Ximing flattered her with a few phrases, Tinglan asked, "Since this formation uses Profound Peak Gate's formation as its base, I'll help modify it a little. Still, I should provide some compensation for Zhaojing."

The matter of pill refinement had long been settled. As long as more than three pills were successfully refined, the rest would belong to Li Ximing. He was fairly confident he could achieve that and even hire a Purple Mansion Realm formation master to assist, making it a deal in his favor.

Yet he still sighed and said, "I wouldn't dare accept your items beforehand. If the pills fail to form, it would be a disgrace... I'd be too ashamed to face you."

Tinglan clearly found such an outcome distasteful. Still, she didn't believe Li Ximing was capable of completely wasting a portion of Origin Water. Forcing a smile, she replied, "Then please let me know in advance, Daoist Friend. I'll be away during this period to make some arrangements. I'd hate to keep you waiting unnecessarily."

Li Ximing could tell that Tinglan was a cultivator who preferred her plans to be orderly and precise, so he said, "I can't decide on a time just yet, but I'm still missing a suitable Bright Yang dharma artifact to use as a spirit embryo. Preferably an ancient dharma artifact. Do you have any arrangements for that?"

Oh?

Tinglan thought for a moment and nodded. "That's no trouble at all. I'll pick out a few dharma artifacts from the Purple Smoke Gate's collection and bring them for Zhaojing to choose from. As for those ancient dharma artifacts... I'll have to inquire more carefully."

The request was minor, but Li Ximing had plans of his own. He wouldn't rely solely on Tinglan to search; he also intended to write to the Azure Pond Sect, consult the Sword Gate, and even have Cui Jueyin send a letter back home.

The reason he made matters so complicated wasn't just to widen his pool of dharma artifacts. Having encountered so many Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, he had long since become wary.

I'll be using a Bright Yang dharma artifact to refine my spirit embryo. If it happens to be a Bright Yang ancient dharma artifact, all the better. But since this will become my Purple Mansion Realm spirit artifact in the future, how could I let others so easily know its form and function? Even at the Foundation Establishment Realm, that would be dangerous. I must shroud it in layers of misdirection so no one can tell which artifact will serve as my spirit embryo.

As he pondered, he asked, "The Hundred Mountains Spirit-Containing Formation is excellent, but when you reconstruct it during the relocation, could you make it appear as a different spirit formation instead? It can have comparable power, or even be slightly weaker, so long as it differs enough to confuse others."

After all, the Hundred Mountains Spirit-Containing Formation was originally something belonging to Profound Peak Gate. If it were to be moved intact and placed on Pingya Island, anyone passing by would immediately recognize it. Moreover, there were still many from Profound Peak Gate, how would they feel when they saw their gate's grand formation displayed so openly on the island?

The first issue was reputation, it simply would not look good. The second was danger. It was easy to foresee that the Profound Peak Gate lineage would soon be scattered across the land. The Li Family held one portion of its heritage, while Ye Hui, Zhugong, Sumian, and even Tinglan all possessed fragments of its knowledge. If any of them had records of the formation's core structure, wouldn't that invite disaster? Li Ximing had no wish to become another Fei Family.

"

Oh?

" If Li Ximing's earlier request had been simple, this later one was somewhat troublesome. Tinglan hesitated. "Purple Mansion Realm grand formations are carefully designed, and each node is arranged through meticulous study. Altering even one point requires adjustments throughout the entire formation, and factoring in the terrain would only multiply the effort involved."

Li Ximing smiled and said, "The pill refinement will take five or six years anyway. You could use that time to make some adjustments to the formation. It doesn't need to be completely modified, just enough to make it look different on the surface and a few key points altered."

He shifted his tone and sighed. "Since the Profound Peak Gate lineage has been scattered, when your fellow Daoists visit in the future, I might even have to personally send some of their cultivators back. Many of them are intimately familiar with the Hundred Mountains Spirit-Containing Formation. My family has no wish to leave behind any future troubles."

By bringing up Zhugong, Li Ximing had made his point subtly but effectively. Tinglan paused, realizing that he had given her ample respect and freedom to act, and said, "Very well... I'll take charge of it and make the necessary changes when I have time in the coming years."

With their agreement settled, the two went their separate ways. Li Ximing tore open the great void and flew for a while before returning to his own territory. He reappeared atop Zhijing Mountain, where the weather was clear, the lake calm, and the blossoms scattered across the bright, sunlit slopes.

As was his habit, he first retrieved the Profound Patterned Bottle from the Earth Fiend Spring and began refining it. The Fire Baleful Qi within had accumulated to a dense level, making it increasingly difficult to refine. Yet with a stir of his Valley Wind Leading Fire, the refinement proceeded effortlessly.

The Fire Baleful Qi within the bottle had reached a level no Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could touch. Only a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator capable of wielding divine abilities could continue refining it. Li Ximing estimated that in another ten years, even those without the Fire Virtue divine ability would find it impossible to refine. But with his Valley Wind Leading Fire, the difficulty of the refinement was utterly effortless and the speed nearly unbelievable.

Li Ximing inspected the bottle. A faint crimson pattern, like a rising flame, had begun to appear upon its surface. Yet despite all his refinement, it remained at the level of the Foundation Establishment Realm and was far from capable of threatening a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.

The Profound Patterned Bottle's material is extraordinary, but it shows no sign of reaching perfection. What it gains is only brute strength, not refined wonder. The gap between Foundation Establishment Realm and Purple Mansion Realm is far too vast. Sometimes the issue isn't whether one can wound the opponent, but whether one can even strike them. Once they draw a dharma artifact and flee into the great void, what use is all that power?

Still, with the Profound Patterned Bottle firmly in his grasp, Li Ximing felt no fear. He simply hoped that each time he refined it, he would continue to sense its unending potential. After tossing the small bottle back into the Fire Baleful Qi, he reappeared atop the mountain.

White blossoms carpeted the ground all around him, though none dared fall upon the spot where Li Ximing usually sat. They only circled around him, forming a ring. The tea upon the stone table remained unfinished.

Lifting his brows, he noticed a Jade Court Guard waiting respectfully at the foot of the steps. The man wore white armor and was stationed permanently on Zhijing Mountain. His surname was Dou, and was a distant cousin by strict relation. His father, Dou Yi, had once been one of Li Ximing's father's most trusted aides.

The Dou Family had declined in recent years, and Li Zhouwei had sent him here more out of sentiment and charity than necessity. Li Ximing merely asked, "What is it?"

Having served as a guard for a year, Court Guard Dou had long grown accustomed to Li Ximing's unpredictable comings and goings, yet he still flinched in surprise. Bowing quickly, he replied, "Reporting to the Daoist Master, the oldest young master came by earlier. He said he has an urgent matter to report."

"Send him in."

Li Ximing sat down and began reading through the pill formula for the Heavenly Quintessence-Expelling Pill. Before long, Li Jiangqian came up, holding a letter in his hands, and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Daoist Master, this letter came from the Azure Pond Sect."

Li Ximing nodded and accepted it. Li Jiangqian had reported to him on every return from an excursion and had grown more adept with each visit. He proceeded to respectfully relay all the household matters one by one.

Li Jiangqian's approach to managing family affairs clearly differed from Li Zhouwei's. The latter organized household matters with meticulous precision but rarely disturbed him, while this young man came up the mountain more often, delivering concise and swift summaries of events and progress. By listening casually, Li Ximing could grasp a clear picture of the family's overall situation, and many matters were even brought to him for direct input.

After all, Li Zhouwei, the White Qilin of the Li Family, was already one of the few who could freely discuss major affairs with Li Ximing. There was no need to elaborate on that. As for Li Jiangqian, being of the younger generation, he clearly wished to gain familiarity and favor in the Daoist Master's eyes to strengthen his own influence. Li Ximing understood this perfectly and allowed him up the mountain each time without objection.